Page 29 of SEAL's Tempest
Tempest’s gazed snapped to his, obviously surprised. He could almost see her putting up a wall between them. Maybe she was concerned about thewhat now? They still didn’t know each other well. They’d spent too much time sniping at each other.
“It’s not?” Tempest narrowed her eyes at him.
“No, it wasn’t. Not after that first kiss. I admit that was meant to distract you. You were going into shock, and I had to do something.”
“Okay. If not stress relief, then what? A quickie to kill the boredom of waiting?”
Josh cringed. “Damn, baby. You don’t think much of me, do you?”
“No. Maybe? Honestly, I have no clue who you really are. I hardly know you,” Tempest replied, her voice rising and her hand reaching for her ring.
“Stop. Please, just stop for a minute and listen, okay?” Josh said as he covered her hand with his. He half expected her to pull away. But when she didn’t, a sliver of hope unfurled in his chest.
“All right.”
“And I disagree, you know me a lot about me. You know I’ll protect you with my life, that I don’t lie, and that my SEAL team is my family. That’s a lot. And the most important. And you also know about my family and the their horse farm.”
Tempest sighed. “And what about Heartbreaker?”
Josh was genuinely confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Your nickname, call sign, or whatever it is. Isn’t that what your team calls you?” Tempest acted like his nickname was a bad thing. He’d mostly forgotten about it since they rarely used it now.
“I guess. Yes and no. Ry came up with it after BUD/S. He thought it was funny at first, but it got old fast. No one really calls me that anymore. How did you even hear it?
Tempest looked confused. “The first time I went to the Ready Room after work, my co-workers told me about a bunch of people in the bar. Your team was there that night, and they explained how you were thelegendary heartbreaker. I mean, do you really think it’s okay to sleep with a bunch of women and then break their hearts when you won’t commit?”
Whoa.Where the hell had that come from?
“Wait. Your friends have the wrong idea. This is a huge misunderstanding.”
“Oh sure, I bet it is. Are you going to tell me I’m different from all the others, and you won’t break my heart?”
“Wait. You’re got it all wrong. Ry gave me the nickname because the opposite is true.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ry gave me the nickname because I don’t sleep around, and I leave all of them heartbroken because I won’t go out with them. I haven’t ever dated anyone I met in the Ready Room. My last girlfriend was from Martinsville. I don’t do one-night stands. I’m looking for a real relationship, a forever one—like my parents have.”
Tempest looked shell shocked.
Josh wanted to find her co-workers and leave them in the middle of a BUD/S training course. What the fuck were they thinking, spreading shit like that? They didn’t know him or his team. He wasn’t sure she even believed him. His only hope was that if she cared enough to be upset by his nickname, then maybe she did care about him.
“You’re really serious?” she asked.
“One hundred percent. You thought I was a player?” Some of the things she’d said made a lot more sense now.
Tempest nodded. “Yes, I did. My coworker even said you were legendary.”
“Legendary?” Josh burst out laughing.
“You think it’s funny?”
“Well, yeah. Think about it. I’m legendary at not dating. I think that’s fucking hysterical. Ry is going to die when I tell him. But maybe I need to beat the shit out of him first for causing so much trouble,” Josh said.
Tempest stared at Josh, her hands clenched in her lap. But for once, she wasn’t twisting the ring around her finger. The longer it took her to say something, the more he wanted to squirm or get up and start pacing.
Finally, she nodded. “I owe you an apology.”
