Pissed as hell, I whirl around to face him. I tip my chin up and glare at his sexy face. At five ten, I’m tall, but at six four, he’s taller. But I won’t let that intimidate me. I work with men who are bigger and more dangerous than the one standing in front of me.

One corner of his mouth kicks up. “That’s the Rowan I know.”

“You don’t know me at all, Seth. I’m not the girl I once was.”

His gaze rakes over me. “That’s a damn shame.”

“Why, because I won’t jump at your bidding or let you sneak into my room?” I make a big deal of rolling my eyes. “How romantic.”

“Jump at my bidding?” He lets out a harsh laugh. “When have you ever done that? Besides, if I wanted a woman who jumped at my bidding and let me fuck her without all the mouthing off, I sure as hell wouldn’t—” Abruptly he smashes his lips together.

Wouldn’t what? I want to scream.

“Tomorrow, I want access to whatever accounting program you’re using, the current price services list, and how many charity cases you’re propping up, and I want it by eight a.m. I have less than two weeks to get this done before I have to return to base. So, don’t waste my time, Ro,” he finally says.

“Waste your time? I’m the one running a business while you play with guns all day.” A black eyebrow cocks. Mentally shaking myself, I get a grip on my volatile emotions. “Sorry, you didn’t deserve that comment. I was way off base.”

“Thanks,” he says quietly. “Anyway, tomorrow?”

“Why wait until tomorrow? I have everything you need right here.” The faster I can get this over with, the faster he can get out of my life. But in a small corner of my heart, hope blooms at the thought of him actually staying. Of working in this office with him so close. Just because I can’t stand him doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the man candy.

His lips part and he swallows. “Yeah, but I have to call my commanding officer and talk to him first.”

“Whatever,” I say with a shrug.

“See you at home, Little Miss Sunshine,” he replies with a smirk. Then he strides out of my office.

“Damn it.” I breathe at the reminder of my flippant promise. He’s actually staying. I have to be nice to him now.

Chapter 4

Rowan

I avoid having to deal with Seth’s hot ass that night by going over to Piper’s house. Call me a coward, but I can’t risk another kiss or more with him. While I have a reputation for being a wild child, things are different with Seth. He’s more than just a guy I could potentially hook up with—more than just a guy I could spend a few dates with and then be on my way.

With Seth, my heart would be involved, and I can’t risk that. I know he’ll eventually leave. He’s stationed hours away from here in the eastern part of the state, and who knows if he’ll be transferred to another base—maybe on the other side of the world?

Piper greets me at the door, her long, straight hair pulled into a tight bun. She’s wearing a conservative dress with dark tights and clogs. Even nuns don’t dress as conservatively as Piper—at least not any of the ones around here.

I venture a guess as to where she spent the afternoon. “Country club?”

She nods miserably as I walk inside. “My parents want me to get a job there and run the preschool.”

“That sounds perfectly mah-velous, darling,” I say with an exaggerated posh accent.

“Don’t, Rowan. I can’t take the sarcasm,” she says softly.

I hug her tightly. “I’m sorry.” I know it can’t be easy for Piper. The pressure her parents, especially her mom, put on her is tremendous. Plus, her dad hates that she works in Charlotte with inner-city kids at an early learning center. Well, he doesn’t hate the fact that she does it; he hates the location. It’s not safe, but Piper drives there every morning, fighting traffic along the way. She doesn’t think she’s any better than the people who live in that neighborhood. I swear I don’t know how she got such a soft heart. It’s not natural in her family.

Maybe she’s adopted.

“Thanks for letting me crash here.” I let go of her and we walk up the stairs, passing a housekeeper on the way. I smile and say hi. Piper says hi, too.

“New person?” I ask, once the woman’s out of earshot.

“Yes,” Piper says. “Momma didn’t like how the last one ate lunch in the kitchen.”

“Where are you supposed to eat?”

“At home.”

“Oh.” My eyes widen a little, and I shake my head. “I’ll try not to bother you too much. I have inventory to do.”

“Shouldn’t you do that at work?” she asks, genuinely curious.

“New computer program.” I gently pat the computer bag that’s hanging by my side. “Makes life easier.”

Piper regards me thoughtfully, her head tilting to one side. “Are you sure it’s not because Seth is there?”

I can either lie to her or tell the truth. “Maybe,” I hedge.

“Rowan,” she says with a sigh.

I roll my eyes and set the laptop on her desk. Piper has an entire suite of rooms to herself. While her dad makes good money as the chief of police in Jessamine, all this is bankrolled by her mother. Mrs. Ross is an heiress to an international insurance underwriting company, which makes Piper an heiress. Which means she’s expected to marry someone in the same league.

“I need a break. He’s sleeping at my house and now he shows up at work. I can’t get away long enough to think straight.”

“Why would you need to think straight?”

My cheeks heat.

Piper’s brows go up. “Spill.”

“He kissed me and I kissed him back.”

She grins. “I knew it.”

“You knew he kissed me?”

“Well, no, but I knew something had to be going on between the two of you. You can’t fight something like that. Y’all have a history.”

“History being the key word. We don’t have a present or a future,” I remind her. I fall back on her bed, closing my eyes when the mattress seems to suck me into it. “I want your bed.”

Piper lies down beside me, although she does it with a lot more grace. “You can have it. I’d switch places with you in a New York minute.”

“Sorry, doll, no deal. Your mother and I would kill each other.”

Piper laughs. “She’s not that bad.”

I eye her and she wrinkles her nose.

“Okay, so she can be, but violence should always be a last resort.”

“Says the daughter of a cop.”

“What if Seth wants to have a future with you?” Piper asks. “What if he’s here to make things up to you?”

I’m sorry. I was full of hate and anger. I’m sorry. I won’t let his words sway me. Only his actions have a chance of changing my mind. “I’ll let you know.”

“Don’t wait too long, Rowan. He might actually be worth falling for again.”

I tap her nose. “When did you become so knowledgeable about men?”

She sticks her tongue out at me, something she’d never do in front of her family. I’m pretty sure it’s because showing emotions aren’t allowed. “I don’t have to screw the football team to figure out that the boy on the sideline is who I should be with.”

“You slut!” I tease. “You’ve been screwing the football team. The underage football team.” I cover my mouth in mock horror. “Think of the children.”

She smacks me with a pillow. “You suck.”

“You love me.”

She snorts. “Only on the days that end in y.”

“Really, thanks for letting me stay with you. I don’t know what to do right now.” I hate admitting this to anyone, but I know Piper won’t use my doubts against me.