Kat turns a bright shade of red, but instead of defending us and our relationship, instead of taking my side, she says the worst thing she could to me right now.

“I don’t know what we are right now,” she states more to me than to him as she looks me in the eyes, daring me to say another word. When I’m quiet, she turns to him.

“I’m sorry for the interruption, Jacob.”

“Jake, you can call me Jake,” he answers and doesn’t even bother to look at me. The awkward tension heats. The thumping of blood rushing in my ears is accompanied with an uncomfortable heat. It was between us. Our problem was only between us. And she made it known to him?

“I’ll touch base with you after I get the schedule drawn up, and make sure you get me those summaries as soon as you’re able to.”

Jake nods his head at Kat and then looks at me to say, “Nice to meet you.” He takes his time leaving, glancing over his shoulder more than once, with the rain now coming down in sheets.

“You don’t know what we are?” I ask her, feeling the rage wane as the door closes and the sound of the rain is muffled again.

“When you make an ass out of yourself in front of a client, what do you expect me to do?” she hisses.

The rain gets harder and louder as we stand off to the side of the entrance. I take a look around and there are only two other people in the entire place. Both of them women who look like they’re on a lunch break, dressed for office jobs. One on each side of the room, both of them on their phones and one with headphones in her ears.

“We can wait out the rain. Get a cup of coffee?” I ask her.

At first Kat looks up at me like I’m crazy. Maybe I am.

“And do what?” she asks. “Play let’s-keep-a-secret and hide-away-for-days?”

I ignore her brutal tone and take a chance, wrapping my arm around her waist.

She jumps back for a second, but only because I’m soaking wet.

I chuckle at her response, deep and rough and it makes her smile. She’s quick to hide it, but it’s there.

“I know you’re mad at me,” I tell her softly. “I don’t want to make you angry, Kat. I love you, and I’m trying.”

The trace of all humor fades and she peeks up at me and whispers, “I wish you wouldn’t.”

I brush the hair from her face and smile down at her as I tell her, “I’ll never stop fighting for you.”