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“Why not?”

  He wasn’t sure. “It didn’t come up. We met the night before I flew back here.”

  “So what, you’re going to call her a few times, impress her with your GI Joe-ness, then show up and whisk her off her feet in the fall?”

  Sounded like a plan.

  Vince snorted. “Dude, girls do not like to be lied to.”

  “I didn’t lie. I barely even omitted it, it just didn’t come up.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, brother.”

  “Well, maybe I’ll tell her soon, then.” He just needed to get back to a fucking base with fucking working wi-fi. Fucking war.

  In the distance, headlights bounced toward them. Vince tapped his cigarette out. “Worry about your love life later, brother. We’ve got company.”

  — NINE —

  It was another week before Miles and his team had a chance to fall back to the more permanent, better-protected base with reliable hot showers and, just as importantly, computer labs. Miles missed Afghanistan—never thought he’d say that. But on his last rotation there, the base where they’d been stationed had Internet in every room, and he’d been able to Skype with his parents and friends back home.

  Now he had to read Piper’s emails in a public room, and of course the only free computer was the one closest to the door. Not that she would send anything inappropriate, he was sure, but she had sent more emails and he wanted to read them in private.

  And when he started clicking through them, he wanted to be alone even more, so no one would notice him just staring at the screen. Jesus, she was pretty. He loved that she’d sent a few pictures of herself just going about her day. They were small tastes of normal, and he’d cling to them.

  In her most recent message, she included her mobile phone number and an apology for not thinking of giving it to him sooner.

  I’m leaving Hastings in a few weeks, heading to Paris, and I’m taking this phone with me. I don’t know if calling is easier than emailing, or maybe both are impossible most of the time. But just in case, here’s my number.

  He hit reply.

  Hi Piper,

  I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. Been busy staying safe.

  Love that you’re sleeping where I’ve slept. Makes me think all sorts of inappropriate thoughts, I gotta admit.

  I’m going to write your number in Sharpie on the inside of my brew kit. Trust me, that’s a place of honor. Keep sending me pictures. I’ve gotta open them in a shared computer lab, so keep that in mind, but seeing your beautiful smile is the best part of my day.

  Can’t wait to hear about Paris. Have a crepe for me.

  I’m going to hit the hay in a few. Will think about you in that bed.

  Miles

  — —

  Piper’s phone vibrated in her back pocket. She looked around the pub. Everyone had a drink, and nobody new had arrived in in the last few minutes. She pulled out the phone and her heart leapt into her throat when she saw the name on the screen.

  “Kate, I’m going to take five, okay?”

  Her boss looked up from the liquor order sheets she’d been working on and nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll cover the bar.”

  Piper scampered to the nook behind the kitchen. Pulse thumping, she read the message and quickly typed a response.

  Maybe one day you’ll tell me exactly what you think about, when you think about me in your bed.

  She stared at the glowing screen after hitting send. Too much? Too forward? She buried her face in her hand. This was not her forte. A minute went by, and then another as Piper stared at a blank email, trying to compose a lighthearted follow-up message. So anyway, how about that local sports team? was the best she’d come up with, totally silly, so she deleted that and was about to start over when the phone vibrated, then rang in her hands. A North American number she didn’t recognize flashed at her.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey.” One syllable, and she knew it was Miles. “Is it okay that I called? Are you at work?”

  “Sure. Yes, of course. I have a few minutes.”

  “It’s an international call, I hope it isn’t expensive for you. We’re routed through the States.”

  “It’s okay, I got a world-wide deal. You can call anytime.” Smooth, Piper. He’ll be so impressed by your phone plan.

  He laughed. “So, about your question.”

  “Sorry about that. I should have said more. Or less, maybe. Are there rules about what you can get in an email?”

  “No, I liked it. I just couldn’t fully answer your question. Flirting is okay, though. Please, send me flirty emails every day if you want.”

  “Oh? I probably want to, yes.” Piper blushed. She was glad nobody could see her.

  “Good. So you know the deal, I’ve only got a couple of minutes…” He trailed off, and when he spoke again, his voice was lower, huskier than before. And quieter, so she pressed the phone hard against her ear and closed her eyes as if that might erase the thousands of miles between them. “But you in that bed… Piper, that bed doesn’t do you justice.”

  “No?” Glee and panic pranced hand in hand through her body as she waited for what he’d say next.

  “Where are you? I don’t want to go past a PG-13 answer if you’re with people.”

  She giggled. “I’m at work, but I came to the back room to email you. I’m alone.”

  He groaned into her ear. “That’s dangerous. I can’t get too worked up here.”

  “Aren’t you going to bed soon?” She asked the question all breathy, the panic easing as she realized this was easy. And fun. “I mean…you’re going to think about me. Can’t you get a bit worked up? Won’t you be able to…”

  Another groan. “Not here. I’m not in a private room.”

  “Oh.” Piper couldn’t really picture what Miles’s life was like there, and she realized she should probably do a better job on that front. Find out as much as she could without crossing into stalker-zone. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Sometimes I luck out and get some privacy. And when I do, I will do exactly what you think I’ll do. And I’ll have you on my mind when I do.”

  She made a little humming noise of appreciation.

  “What are you going to do after work tonight?” She could hear him shifting around on the other end of the phone. There weren’t as many crackles today as when he’d called her at Sue’s house. It was a good connection, and she never wanted the conversation to end, but it would, and soon.

  “Probably take a bath. I love that big tub.”

  Through the phone, Piper heard Miles suck in a breath and she smiled.

  He groaned in her ear. “Are you trying to kill me? Please tell me there will be bubbles.”

  Piper giggled.

  “It’s not funny. It’s hot as hell, actually.” She heard him move again, then more background noise like people were talking close to him.

  “And then you have to go to sleep in that little tiny bed.”

  “I don’t mind it. It smells like you still, or maybe I’ve just imprinted that in my memory. Either way, I like it.”

  “At home, I’ve got a massive king-size bed. You’d look good on it, too. Lots of…rolling-around room.” A buzzer sounded in the distance, and he swore under his breath. “That’s a one-minute warning for me.”

  “Okay. I’m glad we were emailing at the same time. Don’t worry if you can’t send anything back, I know you’re busy.”

  “We’ll talk again soon. I want to tell you more about my bed. And my plans for getting you in it.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out. I can fly to wherever you are.”

  “That won’t be necessary, actually. Listen—”

  Piper swore as the phone line went dead. What the hell? I guess the Army is serious about their time limits on phone calls. Jeez.

  She took a minute to sit there, replaying the conversation over and over in her head before going back to work.

  Miles Dumbrowski was
too good to be true. Sexy, brave, funny.

  And otherwise engaged. Trying to date a real-life hero was a challenge.

  — TEN —

  A brief apologetic email for the cut-off conversation arrived just before Piper went to bed. From the way Miles worded it, she figured he’d written it right after they talked and it had spent some time in the bowels of the military-firewalled Internet before being delivered to her, so she sent back an equally brief response—attaching a selfie of her lying in bed—and fell asleep with echoes of his voice in her head.

  They didn’t talk again for almost another week, although Piper sent a daily picture anyway, sometimes with a little note about what she’d done that day, how late the pub had stayed open, that kind of thing. Each time she hit send, she closed her eyes and said a little prayer for his safety.

  Miles’s aunt returned from her cruise with horror stories of ship-wide gastrointestinal viruses and being stuck at a dining room table assignment with a Texan oil baron and his trophy wife. But Sue’s eyes sparkled and she had three memory cards full of pictures which Piper happily flipped through on the computer, asking questions here and there. Sue was thoroughly entertaining, and Piper counted her blessings that she’d met her. She was also relieved that all houseplants had remained alive for the duration of her stewardship. She wanted to keep Sue on her good side.

  When Piper made noises about moving back to the hostel, the older woman would hear none of it. “I’d love for you to stay, really. How much longer until you leave?”

  Only another week. Piper’s heart tugged at the thought of leaving Hastings, and the temporary home and lasting friendships she’d formed. And the extra connection to Miles. Which was silly, really, because her phone would work in Paris and beyond.

  “I’d love to stay, then,” she said, hugging Sue. Then she made tea, like a good houseguest.

  The next time she heard from Miles, it was early in the morning. Dawn was breaking when her phone dinged, and his email was short, mysterious, and promising.

  Do you have an xmail account? Can you make one? There’s a chat feature inside the email window that I think I can use here.

  Miles

  P.S. You’re beautiful.

  Even before she got to the end of the email, she was grinning. She flipped over to the Internet browser on her phone, hoping against hope she could create a new email address without asking to use Sue’s computer or going to a computer lab.

  It turned out she could.

  Seven minutes later, she was sending him a message from her brand-new xmail address, using the instant-messaging app her phone had helpfully suggested she download.

  Modern technology for the win.

  Piper: This is me.

  Miles: Good morning.

  Piper: Is it for you?

  Miles: Morning…yes. Three hours difference. The sun is up and hot.

  Piper winced. Of course it wasn’t a good morning, not really.

  Piper: This is a nice treat, being able to chat.

  Miles: One of the other guys mentioned he does it with his girl.

  His girl. She grinned at that.

  Miles: I’ve got about twenty minutes, probably. Then I need to rack out.

  Piper: What does that mean?

  Miles: LOL — get some sleep.

  Piper: Well, then we should talk about something that’ll give you sweet dreams. And not get in trouble from anyone who reads this, of course.

  Miles: There’s a lot of things we can talk about that they don’t care about, don’t worry.

  Piper: Like what?

  Miles: Getting to know each other questions.

  Piper: LOL. Okay.

  Miles: What’s your favorite color?

  Piper: Blue. Yours?

  Miles: Black.

  Piper: Black isn’t a color.

  Miles: What?

  Piper: Technically it’s a shade.

  Miles: We’ll agree to disagree.

  Piper: I don’t agree to that. I like to be right.

  Miles: See how much I’m learning about you already?

  Piper: Ha! Okay, my turn. Um…. Hobbies?

  Miles: Surfing. Skiing in the winter.

  Piper: I’ve never been skiing.

  Miles: Maybe that’s what we should do when I’m back stateside. You, me, ski chalet…

  Piper: Mmmm.

  Miles: How about you? Favorite things to do?

  Piper: Love the beach. Swimming, snorkelling. I like creative writing, too, and artsy stuff.

  Miles: I don’t have an artistic bone in my body, but I want to see something you’ve made.

  Piper: Oh God, no. Maybe on like a tenth date, once I’m sure you really like me.

  Miles: I promise, I really like you.

  She pressed her lips together to contain an unbearably happy squeal.

  Miles: Now, let’s talk about swimming…bikini?

  Piper: Definitely. Maybe even a skimpy one.

  Miles: New plan. Beach trip on my first weekend of leave.

  Piper: Deal.

  They chatted for a few more minutes, but Miles had to leave just as Piper heard Sue start to move around, so she reluctantly said goodbye. But the man needed to sleep, although apparently not as much as normal people, because five hours later, as she was heading into work, her phone beeped at her.

  Miles: Coffee date, 10 pm GMT tomorrow.

  Piper: No question mark, so bossy. How do you know I’m not working late?

  Miles: I pay attention. That he did. Wednesdays were early-close nights. She shivered at the intensity piled into those three words.

  Piper: Can’t wait.

  — —

  She finished at the pub at eight o’clock the next night. When she got home and found a note from Sue saying she’d be out late, Piper drew herself a bath. Then she decided to shave her legs, and when she got out, she put on a bit of makeup to go with her yoga pants and t-shirt. It was a date, after all.

  Her phone rang a few minutes before ten.

  “You’re early,” Piper said in a rush. She really had run for the phone—she’d left it on the kitchen counter—but being breathless was just as much due to nerves.

  “For what?”

  “Lauren!” Piper stuttered to a stop at the sound of her sister-in-law’s voice. “Uh, nothing. I was expecting a call from someone else.”

  “Intriguing, tell me more.” God, she loved Lauren, but that teasing tone spelled disaster. Nobody could know about Miles just yet.

  “I can’t, gotta go. Love you!” Piper hung up and held the phone to her chest, her heart thumping wildly against it. When it rang a minute later, she took a deep breath before answering.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello to you, too.” Miles had the best voice. She melted a little inside. “Can I buy you a coffee?”

  “Yes, please. Decaf for me.” Piper reached for a mug and poured a cup. Miles took a sip of something in her ear. “What are you having?”

  “A latte with an extra shot of espresso. I need to go back to work later.”

  “In the middle of the night?”

  “Cover of darkness and all that. But this is just a meeting.”

  “That still sounds…intense.”

  He laughed gently. “I guess. My frame of reference is a bit skewed. So how was your day?”

  “Spent most of it looking forward to this date. How much time do we have?”

  “A while. I bribed an officer to give me his phone code. No time limit.”

  “Sweet. Now I feel bad for not dressing up.”

  “You were going to dress up?” He laughed again. “In a dress?”

  “Would you like that?”

  “Definitely. Dresses are probably my second favorite thing for you to wear.” This was silly. Happy silly. Flirting silly.

  She moved to the couch and curled up against a pillow. “What’s the first?”

  “Nothing at all.”

  Her silly smile got pretty damn big at that. “Ah, is that how th
is date is going to go?”

  “If we were on the same continent, you’d better believe it. If you want, though, I could tell you a bedtime story.”

  “Mmmm. No! I want to know more about you. I don’t just want to hop in the virtual sack with you every time we talk. My dreams are bad enough.”

  He sucked in a breath. “You dream about me? I want to hear all about that.”

  “Um, okay. Maybe.” She turned pink from head to toe.

  “Piper.” His voice dropped a register. “You should know that this is quite unusual for me.”

  “Transcontinental coffee dates?”

  “Yeah, this is a first.” He left the rest of his thought unsaid, but something hung between them on the line.

  Piper swallowed hard. “First of many, hopefully.”

  “Damn straight. So I have a confession to make.” He stretched the last few words, easing her into something.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “I’ve been holding out a key piece of information on you.”

  “Really.” She took a sip of her coffee. “And are you going to share it now, or keep me in suspense?”

  “I kind of want to give you some context first. For why I didn’t tell you up front.”

  “Am I going to be grumpy about it?” She kept her voice light. This was a date. He’d wanted a date with her. Surely it couldn’t be that bad.

  “I don’t think so, no. But I wasn’t sure before.”

  “Then spill.”

  “You know I’m in the military. But I didn’t tell you which branch.”

  She wasn’t sure where he was going with this, so she just nodded. Which of course, he couldn’t see. She cleared her throat. “Okay.”