Cowboy, Stay with Me

Chapter Twenty-One: Getting to Know You Again

They were laughing about a work story that Sean was telling her when the check arrived. The waiter smiled to himself before he departed. They were one of the last couples in the place.

When Lucy realized that, she felt a little jolt.

Sean reached for the check automatically and she smirked to herself as she reached into her purse and then slapped some money on the table between them.

"I'm going to the bathroom, I'll meet you out front. Don't forget to tip well." She teased him before getting up and flouncing off.

###

Outside, in the cold night air, Lucy pulled her shawl closer around her shoulders and shivered.

Sean smiled and banded his arm around her shoulders, tugging her against him. "Silly woman, you didn't have to dress up for me, you know. You're freezing to death in that tiny little dress."

They reached his truck and he opened the door for her, then turned her towards him with his hands at her waist. He backed her up into the shelter of the cab entrance. "Not that I'm complaining."

She was still shivering as she gazed up at him, but not from the cold. His physical proximity was heating her through already, heating her all the way down to her core.

He cupped her face and kissed her before she could even get her next breath in.

Her head spun. What was happening? This whole time, she'd been fighting to not let herself get carried away.

It was no great mystery as to what was happening between them.

They were still attracted to each other.

And, clearly, they both still needed to work the other out of their system a little bit more. But that was all it was and she knew she had to keep a firm hold of that.

Sean kissing her, though, Sean running his hands all over her and pulling her tight against his chest, certainly wasn't helping.

She drew away from him and they both opened their eyes to stare into each other.

"Sean," her voice came out hoarse and she licked her lips, "we should talk about the other night."

He smiled in lusty, ignorant bliss. "I know, it was incredible, wasn't it? I can't wait for the repeat performance." He kissed her again and again she drew back from him.

He frowned down at her a bit, not angry, just puzzled. "What's wrong?"

She stared up at him in disbelief. "Really? What's wrong? Sean, you've gotta be kidding me!"

He sighed. "Come on, let's get you into the warmth then we can talk more about this." He lifted her firmly up into the cab and closed the door on her.

###

With the heater blasting and Tim McGraw softly crooning out of the radio speakers, they simply sat there together in the parking lot.

Sean refused to take her anywhere until they'd gotten a few things straightened out.

"Lucy, look at me. Please?"

She reluctantly turned her head and looked at him. He had his arm braced to the back of her seat as he angled his body to face her more fully.

"Listen, I know I messed things up between us, I take complete responsibility for that. And I am so, so sorry for ever hurting you. I've missed you, so much it's crazy. I've never stopped missing you and I don't think I ever will.

"So can we please try this again? Can't we just...I don't know, take it slow, see what may or may not be there in our future?

"I just think, after everything that's happened, that we owe it to ourselves to try again. You know, now that we're older and have accomplished more out of life that we've wanted to accomplish."

"But..." she made herself stop and take a deep breath. "Look, can we go someplace else to talk about this? I feel like we're criminals or something, lurking in the parking lot."

He grinned and obligingly threw the truck in reverse. "Where should we go?"

"Don't you have a motel room here in town?"

"So forward."

She huffed and he laughed, reaching over for her hand.

Once again, however, Lucy flinched back from his touch.

She instantly felt bad for it, too, when she saw the hurt look that crossed his face.

"I'm sorry." She said, and this time she was the one who reached out for his hand. "I guess I just...I guess I still have some residual bitterness towards you."

He arched his eyebrows. "You don't say? Hadn't noticed, honestly."

She sent him a not very polite expression then and he chuckled again, bringing her hand to his lips to kiss it.

"I can think of a way you can work out some of that frustration you've got with me, baby." He told her, with blatant lascivious intent.

She didn't even justify that with a reply, but she had to hide her smile by looking out the window.

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