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“Don’t play games, Jake. I know what you were up to. I know-”
“If you know, then why are you asking?”
I mouthed a silent string of profanity into the air. Just stay calm. Don’t let him think he’s getting to you.
“Zach, honestly-”
“I’m really not interested, Jake,” I said. “You have no business-”
“I have no business doing what?” The sudden hostility in his voice surprised and amused me. “And what about the two of you? You two have a lot of nerve fucking each other just to rub it in my face.”
“Are you serious?” I said with a sharp burst of laughter. “You think this is about you?”
“Oh, come on, why wouldn’t it be?” he said. “Why else would the two of you get together?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe we have some common ground.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Me.”
“Get over yourself. You may be the reason we met, but trust me, the only time we ever did a thing to get back at you was the first night.”
“What?” His voice was suddenly almost shrill with fury. “So you admit it, then. You’re fucking him just to fuck with me.”
“The first night, yes,” I said, trying to keep my grin from reaching my voice. “That was all about you, my friend.”
“So it-”
“Every night thereafter has been about us, though,” I said, the humor leaving my tone. “ Me. Nathan. Nothing more, nothing less. You don’t even fit into the equation except when you come sauntering in and try to pull a stunt like you did yesterday.”
“You should be thanking me,” he said. “You don’t know what you’re getting into with him.”
“Oh, please,” I said. “And I suppose you fed him the same line when you tried to convince him that I was still fooling around with you behind his back? Christ, Jake, you did a perfectly fine job of fucking up whatever it was we had. I don’t need you throwing a wrench into this relationship, too.”
“Your relationship?” He sniffed sarcastically. “Right. Is that what you call it?”
“Going by Webster’s definition, yes,” I said. “In fact-” Hands on my hips made me jump. I turned my head and Nathan met my lips with a gentle kiss.
“In fact what?” Jake snapped.
“Look, I don’t have time for this,” I said. Nathan wrapped his arms around my waist and I put my hand over his as he nuzzled my neck. “I really don’t have time for you. That’s why I called.”
“You called to tell me you don’t have time to talk to me?” He snorted.
“I called to tell you that if you show up at my theatre again, I’ll call the cops.”
He snickered and I was sure he was rolling his eyes. “Oh, please, you wouldn’t-”
“Try me,” I growled.
Nathan kissed the side of my neck and whispered, “I’d love to.”
I pressed my lips together to smother a laugh. He kissed me again, then released me and went to the counter to pour himself some coffee.
On the other end of the line, Jake exhaled hard. “Whatever. I didn’t think you were the type, I really didn’t. Going after another man’s ex like that? That’s cold.”
“What? Jesus, who the fuck do you think you are, anyway?” I snarled. “If you had any claim to either of us, you lost it the day you decided to cheat. We’re both done with you, and it’s none of your goddamned business what-or who-we decide to do now.”
“You have no right to-”
“Save it,” I said. “I have every right to date anyone I damn well please without your permission.”
“Not when-”
“Look, you’re the idiot that let him go.” I looked at Nathan, and he smiled at me over his coffee cup as I went on. “And that’s why he’s standing here in my kitchen instead of yours.”
Jake was silent for a moment. Then, “What? He’s there now?”
“Yes,” I said matter-of-factly. “Standing right here in front of me, drinking coffee, after getting out of a shower. Don’t know why he bothered taking one, considering I’m nowhere near done with-”
“Fuck you, Zach.” The line went dead.
I shook my head and put the phone on the counter. “What is that man’s damage, anyway?”
Nathan kissed me lightly. “What did he want?”
I shrugged. “Hell if I know. He left a message that I have no intention of listening to. When I called him back, he started trying to make me feel guilty for having the audacity to get involved with you.”
He clicked his tongue and shook his head, a disapproving look on his face. “Jesus, Zach, you’re such a bastard. Picking up and moving on after he cheated on you.” Another click of his tongue. “How could you?”
I gri
Obviously trying not to smile, he said, “Kissed you like what?”
“Like this.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
The following night, we left our cars at Nathan’s house and walked to a restaurant a mile or so away. Though the weather was iffy when we left-grey clouds gathering above the city, the telltale smell of rain-we didn’t bother with jackets or umbrellas. This was, after all, Seattle, and a little rain never killed anyone.
When we came out of the restaurant, the pavement was wet, but the rain wasn’t coming down anymore. Still, we were in no hurry. Our fingers loosely intertwined and we talked about whatever came to mind, strolling down the mostly empty street.
About half a mile from his house, he’d asked me about the problems I’d had recently with some employees. I opened my mouth to answer, but a distant rumble cut me off. It was faint, so faint I couldn’t be sure I’d heard it.
I craned my neck in its general direction, then looked at Nathan. “Did you hear that?”
“Yep. Thunder.” He glanced up. “Looks like we might want to head back in.”
Though I nodded in agreement and walked quickly beside him, I secretly wanted to stay out in this as long as possible. I’d never admitted it to a soul, but I found something deeply erotic about thunderstorms. I’d never told anyone because I couldn’t quite explain it. Storms were powerful, primal, and it had long been a fantasy of mine to get caught out in one with someone.
And if the weather cooperated, there was a good chance that just might happen now.
We continued down the sidewalk toward Nathan’s house, but the storm was closing fast. Each time the thunder rolled, it was closer. Louder. Occasionally, I caught a flicker of lightning out of the corner of my eye. As the thunder intensified, the lightning also became harder to ignore, especially as the ozone in the air grew stronger, mixing with the smell of rain, drowning out the usual odors of car exhaust and civilization, giving the city a deserted, otherworldly atmosphere.
Before long, the rain came. First a few drops, just enough to sneak down the back of my neck like cold sweat. Then more, crashing onto the pavement with enough of a roar to nearly drown out the thunder.
Clasping my hand, Nathan quickened his pace, but I pulled him back. I’d waited a long, long time for this opportunity.
He looked at me, puzzled. Water ran from his hair down the sides of his face, and he squinted a little to keep it out of his eyes. A drop disappeared beneath his collar, making both of us shiver. The only thing that could have possibly turned me on any more was to find out if the rain tasted the same on his lips as it did on my own.
He tugged gently on my hand and shouted over the thunder and rain. “We’re only a couple blocks away. We should hurry back.”
“Why rush?” I asked. Before he could respond, I put my free hand on the side of his neck and pulled him into a kiss. His body tensed at first, as if the rain made the kiss impossible to comprehend, but seconds later, the warmth of his hand interrupted the stream of cold water rushing through my hair and down my neck.
The wind picked up a little, snapping against our wet clothes and skin, but my shivers came from somewhere else and had nothing to do with the cold weather. His cologne mingled with ozone and rain and the faint hint of smoke. I pulled him closer, grasping whatever clothes my numb, shaking hands could get hold of.