“This is your car?” I asked incredulously.
She shrugged as she put the key into the lock on the passenger side door. “I keep meaning to get a new one, but I’ve been too busy. Plus, this one is paid off.”
The key wouldn’t turn, and she jiggled it a few times before the mechanism finally clicked. She opened the door, and while the interior was just as old and decrepit as the outside, it was clean and orderly.
I shook my head and held my hand out, silently demanding the keys. No way in hell was I letting my woman behind the wheel of this death trap ever again. I’d drive it to Merrick's place and pick up my truck, then figure out her car situation later.
She raised an eyebrow and stared at my empty palm. “You have a problem with a woman driving?” she asked in a slightly snippy tone.
My lips curved up. “No, baby. I assure you; I have a healthy respect for women in power positions. If I didn’t, my rear admiral would have had my ass in the brig a long time ago.”
Piper’s other eyebrow rose. “Rear admiral?”
I nodded as I held open the door for her. “Chief Warrant Officer Deacon Walker, ma’am. US Navy SEAL.”
“Wow,” Piper murmured as she slipped into the car without further argument. “That’s kinda hot.”
“I’m glad you think so,” I responded with a grin and shut the door. Then I looped around to the other side and settled myself into the driver’s seat. “I just need to stop by Merrick and Audrey’s place before we eat.”
Piper cringed and glanced down at herself. “I’d like to shower and change before we go out.”
“You look gorgeous, baby,” I admonished, assuming she was feeling self-conscious about her appearance. “Trust me, those scrubs are sexy as hell.”
She laughed. “While I appreciate the compliment, it’s not vanity that has me wanting to clean up. I just spent the past twelve hours delivering babies. We wash up, but you know…”
“Okay,” I agreed. “You might have a point there. Why don’t I drop you off at home and—if you don’t mind lending me your...whatever this is—I’ll run to my place and meet you back at yours?”
Piper folded her arms over her ample chest and pouted adorably. “Stop making fun of Betsy. She’s been my trusty companion since high school.”
I smiled because she was so damn cute. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d smiled or laughed this much. “You got it, baby.” After backing out of the parking spot, I steered the car toward the exit.
She gave me directions, and less than fifteen minutes later, we pulled up to a small bungalow that appeared to have been converted into a duplex since it had two front doors, side by side. Holy shit, her apartment must have been the size of a Cracker Jack box.
Good thing I had a sprawling ranch just outside San Diego with plenty of room for a big family. It had been my grandfather's, then my father’s, and I’d taken over when my parents retired a few years ago. Thankfully, they lived in town and kept it running whenever I was deployed.
I hopped out but left the rust bucket running while I rounded the back to open her door and help her out. “I’ll be back in less than an hour,” I told her as I walked her up the sidewalk.
“Okay,” she said with a pretty smile. For a moment, I worried she might change her mind in the short time I was gone. So I slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her body flush against mine, then lowered my head to capture her lips.
Sparks burst between us, and shockwaves of lust pulsed through me. I couldn’t stop myself from urging her mouth open with my tongue, then sweeping inside to explore. “Fuck,” I grunted when I finally pulled back. “You taste amazing. I can’t wait to do that again.”
“Then hurry back,” she quipped breathlessly.
I turned her around and waited for her to unlock the door, then gently pushed her inside. Reluctantly, I left her with a pat on her tight, round ass.
Despite the jalopy that had no zip, I made the twenty-minute drive to Merrick’s in ten. I parked the car at the curb and locked it before jogging inside to grab my duffel bag. Then I made my way out to my truck.
I’d made a shit ton of contacts all over the world in my years in the military, and I was never more grateful than at that moment. I didn’t want to bug Merrick and Audrey, so I called another friend who lived locally. He was Special Forces, but we’d grown up together, so I forgave him. We’d made plans for lunch in a few days, so I knew he was in town. Assuming a mission hadn’t come up unexpectedly.