Tyler began arguing with the female desk clerk, and then he pulled out his cell phone.

I frowned when he produced his wallet, slapping his credit card on the desk. The clerk ran his card and handed it back with two small envelopes. He looked around for me, and then walked across the room to where I stood.

“Here,” he said, handing me one of the envelopes.

“What was that about?” I asked.

“I got you a room.”

“I could have done that,” I said. “I have a card from the magazine.”

He sighed. “I didn’t know that. Anyway, I took care of it.” I started to walk around him toward reception, but he took my arm. “What are you doing?”

“I’m giving them my card so you don’t have to pay for my room.”

“I told you I took care of it.”

I pulled away from him, glancing around at the different faces in the room. Most of the firefighters hadn’t noticed our exchange, but the Aussies had.

“What is your deal?” I hissed.

“I’m just trying to get you a fucking room, Ellie.”

“No, why are you so mad? You’re like … I don’t even know this person.”

Tyler sighed, looking at everything in the lobby but me. “It’s me.”

“The jealous, asshole you?”

He laughed once, fidgeting. “Who the fuck am I jealous of?”

“Liam saw me naked. So what? It would have ended there if you wouldn’t have not only told him I was single, but fanned the flame of every man’s fantasy.”

“Huh?”

“You told him I like girls,” I snapped.

“It’s the truth.”

“Well, don’t be surprised if Liam asks me for a threesome one of these days.”

Tyler snarled. “Right up your alley.”

“I can’t believe you’re so intimidated by him.”

Tyler took a step closer. “Let’s get something straight, sweetheart. No one intimidates me.”

“You’ve sure been pissy since Liam walked in.”

“I saw you,” he seethed.

“Saw me what?”

“When he walked in on you. You just stood there. Took you a full three seconds to even cover yourself.”

“Oh? So I’m supposed to rush to protect my lady parts because some rude dick walks in on me? You walk around with your ass out all the time at the barracks.”

“That’s different.”

“Why? Because I have tits? When have you ever known me to be modest?”

“Exactly.”

“Fuck you.”

I snatched the envelope out of his hand and stomped to the elevators, mashing the button several times until the door opened. The family already inside slipped past me to the hallway, the daughter wearing a bathing suit and holding a flamingo inner tube around her waist.