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“Which answer will get me a yes?”
Her nostrils flared, but she didn’t otherwise react. Finally, she said, “I’m not hungry.”
“Fine, then, dinner later, when you are?”
Again, she stared at him, and he wished to hell he knew what was going on in her head. Was he coming across like that asshole Mason Gardner? The kind of guy who used negging to tear down confidence to convince her that she couldn’t do better?
Or did she assume he was an egotistical prick because he was a SEAL? He’d met plenty of those. Hell, last night he’d been at a bar and ready to play that card, without telling anyone he was a SEAL, of course. That was never a good idea when it came to short-term flings.
But Kira knew, and that would give her preconceived notions. Some of which were true. He just wasn’t entirely sure which ones.
“I don’t plan to be hungry later, either, Lieutenant Commander.”
Was it wrong that he liked the way she used his rank, even when she was trying to put him off?
“That’s some control you have over your appetite.”
“I’ve found that when I tell men like Mason Gardner that I’m not interested, they get all wounded. So I tell them I don’t date clients, which in turn means they threaten to fire me to take care of that problem.”
This was no hypothetical example she’d given. “Prick.”
“Yes. But anyway, you see, I’m trying to be kind and let you down gently with my lack of desire to eat.”
“Well, I guess that means a movie’s out too.”
She gave him a small smile. “I hate movies. And sports. And long walks through the monuments.”
Now he laughed. He picked up her phone, which rested in the center console, and held it up to her face to unlock it.
“Hey!”
“I’m just giving you my number. I won’t text myself. I promise. It’s yours should you decide you’re hungry. Or want to have hot chocolate by the National Christmas tree and watch the yule log burn.”
He entered his number, then handed her the phone.
“Noted,” she said as she tucked it in her pocket and opened the passenger door.
As she slid out, he said, “I know of one thing you must like.”
She faced him through the open door. “Do tell.”
“Museums. DC has a lot of great ones. They’re even free.”
She smiled. “Have a good afternoon, Lieutenant Commander.” She closed the door and turned to walk up the path to her building.
He waited until she was safely inside before pulling away.
She’d text him. If not today or tomorrow, sometime.
He headed back to southwest DC and the hotel he’d been living in for more than a week now. Tonight was his last night. Tomorrow, he’d go out to breakfast with his sister, then drive to Little Creek and prep for his trip to Aspen.
It was just after four when he reached the hotel. He spotted PO3 Bryce Albrecht in the lobby and hoped the guy wouldn’t see him. He didn’t want to answer questions about his day. Albrecht was a chatterbox, and he didn’t have the energy. He wanted to go to his room and analyze where he’d gone wrong with Kira as he waited for his phone to ping with a text from her.
She’d be stubborn. Probably she’d break around the time he was on the top of a double black diamond run.
He’d text her a photo of the view when that happened.
He was almost to the elevator when Bryce called out. He stopped and turned to face the young SEAL. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”
