Title: Unexpected Company
Summary: A few days away, unexpected company, confined quarters, and unexpressed feelings…what could possible happen.
All mistakes are mine.
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Thermos in hand, he slipped his duffel bag over his shoulder and stepped out the front door, locking it as he left. He walked down the porch steps and paused when he saw the woman standing by the passenger side door of the truck. She was standing there in an army green heavy coat zipped up to her chin and the hood wasn't up so the fake fur around the edge hugged her neck. She was wearing black jeans that were practically molded to her body and black winter boats with a tuff of the same fake fur at the ankles. Shaking his head he continued stopping a few steps from her and glancing down at the army duffle bag sitting on the ground by her feet.
"Going somewhere Jack?" Gibbs asked stepping around her, opening the small extended cab door and tossing his duffle in the back.
"Yes." As she said it the army duffel was shoved under his arm and into the back seat next to his.
"This isn't a vacation Jack." He grabbed the duffel and tossed it back down at her feet as he closed the door.
"I know that." She picked up the duffel and tossed it over her shoulder.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. The only thing he'd told her was that he was going to be gone for a few days.
"You don't take vacation." Her stare never faltered. If he wanted a staring match he'd get one. "You take necessary excursions or specific days that are important, time taken off that has meaning or reason behind it."
He squared his shoulders. She obviously understood so she should know he didn't want company.
"Sometimes company is exactly what you need." She mirrored his posture. "And I'm not just company…am a friend who knows when to stay out of the way, if necessary."
"Not this time."
She leaned her shoulder against the side of the truck. "I have almost as much vacation time as you." She sighed. "I need a break and…" She shrugged. "Spending time with you, even in silence, is just what I need."
He told himself to say no, leave her here and deal with any anger she had towards him after he got back. This was a necessary trip, one he took every year, and not one he ever wanted to share with anyone…especially her. She would complicate everything she already complicated his life in ways he still couldn't bring himself to admit fully.
"We'll be like Bonnie and Clyde without the robbing and killing."
His eyebrow went up. Take away the robbing and killing and you only have one thing left.
"Okay not the best example but you understand what I mean." Jack sighed. "Please Gibbs."
Damn it. Why did he let her get to him?
"Please Gibbs." Her words were spoken softly but with a desperate longing.
If she were any other woman, her words would have had no effect, but it wasn't any other woman it was her. Damn it. He said it to himself again. Opening the back door, he reached up and slid the duffel bag off her shoulder and tossed it inside. When he closed the door and looked back at her she was smiling, that warm, thank you smile that he'd come to know as completely heartfelt and breathtakingly beautiful. Without a word he walked around the truck and climbed in the driver's side she was already in the passenger seat buckling her seatbelt.
##########
A Monday midday and the traffic was almost none existent. The first hour was spent in silence, him with both hands on the wheel staring at the road, her with her head back looking straight ahead or glancing out the passenger window. He finally reached over for the thermos between them and he felt her hand touch his.
"I'll get it." She said grabbing the thermos, taking off the cup top she filled it a few inches from the top. Handing it to him, she watched as he took a few sips and went to set it in the cup holder, but she took it from him. Wrapping her hands around the warm cup, she inhaled the coffee then took a few sips. Keeping it in her hands she stared back out the passenger window.
"Cold?" He glanced over at her.
She shook her head and held the cup out to him.
He stared at her a moment then accepted.
"What?"
"Nothing." He brought the cup to his lips and took a long sip. It was definitely something. They'd never shared a cup before and it intrigued him why she suddenly accepted it as common place. For him it always seemed an intimate exchange and with her even more so. He took another sip and licked his lips. He could taste her lipstick, something he'd always hated when sharing a drink with the ex-wives, but this tasted like lime and coconut. He vaguely remember the taste from once before. A night she'd been at the house and before she left she'd kiss just the corner of his lips before brushing her lips against his cheek. Now having tasted it completely he wanted more and wished he could taste it from the source. Clearing his throat he handed the cup back to her.
Refilling it, she again wrapped her hands tightly around the cup and stared out at the scenery.
Reaching over he turned the heat up a notch.
She turned her head and smiled over at him. "I'm fine really. I just like the warmth on my hands." She inhaled the steam drifting up from the cup. "And the smell."
He glanced over at her and chuckled.
"Here." She held the cup out to him.
"I'm good." He couldn't take another taste of that lipstick it put to many thoughts in his head. Thoughts he'd been trying to control for longer than he cared to admit. It reminded him again of why this was a bad idea, why he shouldn't have allowed her to come, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. Glancing over, she took another sip of coffee closing her eyes then keeping it against her lips she inhaled deeply and smiled. He chuckled to himself. He never thought he'd meet someone that drank as much coffee as him, although normally she would saturated it with sugar to the point of almost obliterating the actually coffee taste all together. His brow furrow, actually now that he thought about it, she hadn't used sugar the last few times she'd been at the house.
At some point the cup was passed back to him and he accepted. He was about to turn the cup a half turn to avoid the lipstick, but something inside him wouldn't allow it. Instead he took a long swig downing half the cup and licking his lips to taste that lingering hint of lime and coconut. How could something he wasn't exactly fond of taste so sweet?
"I hate to be that person." She smirked as he looked over at her. "But I have to pee."
"Five miles, you good?"
"Good."
At the five mile mark a small gas station appeared and he pulled in at the pumps. She jumped out and headed inside while an attendant emerged.
"Jethro good to see you."
"Hal. How you doing?"
"Good." Hal said as he started pumping the gas as Gibbs made his way to him. "Business or-" He glanced towards the door of the station that Jack had just entered. "Pleasure." He grinned at Gibbs.
"Neither and she's a friend."
"Wish I had friends that good looking."
Gibbs chuckled. "She could kill you with her bare hands."
"Ah another agent."
Both men turned as Jack emerged from the station and smiled as she approached, stopping next to Gibbs.
"Hal, Jack. Jack, Hal"
"Pleasure." Jack nodded as Hal finished pumping the gas.
"Pleasures all mine."
She looked at Gibbs. "Why does it not surprise me you know each other."
"Jethro's been coming here for decades, back and forth from Stillwater and places in between." Hal explained. "He's a good man."
"Yes he is." She added. "I left cash on the counter." She pulled a lollipop from her coat pocket. "For a few of these. I didn't even think they still made them." She removed the wrapper on the yellow Charm lollipop and put it in her mouth.
"They do, the kids that stop love them."
"I bet." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a red lollipop. "Even one for you." She turned and held it up to Gibbs.
He rolled his eyes but took the lollipop and shoved it in his coat pocket.
Hal held back a laugh. Just a friend. "You need anything else Jethro?"
"Think we're good Hal, thanks." Gibbs pulled out his wallet, grabbed a few bills, and tucked them in the pocket of Hal's overalls. "See you in a few days." He said as he walked back to the driver's side door.
"Have a nice visit." Hal waited till the truck pulled away to walk back into the station. He walked behind the counter and looked at the twenty dollar bill lying on the counter top. "How many of those did she take?" The lollipops were two for a dollar; he didn't even think he had twenty dollars' worth on the shelf.
########
"I thought the lollipops were just a head game in your office." Gibbs asked as they continued down the road.
"No, I like them." She shrugged. "Oral fixation issues."
He looked over at her and her eyebrow went up.
"You never noticed? Lollipops, pens, fingernails, ear piece on my glasses."
Oh he'd noticed, just hearing her say it caused an array of erotic images to race through his mind. Shaking his head, the imaging fell away.
"We all have our vices or bad habits." She leaned over slightly. "Even you, the mighty Gibbs."
"Yeah." He had more than she could even imagine.
"Enjoying Bourbon while you work on the boat is not a vice or a bad habit."
"I have three ex-wives that would disagree with you." Gibbs snickered.
"Well it becomes something else when you use that activity to ignore or avoid someone."
"Is that what I was doing?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, were you?"
He laughed. "Not going there."
"You don't talk about them." She took another lick of the lollipop
"Nothing to talk about."
"Three ex-wives? There's something to talk about."
He glanced over at her then back at the road. Talking about his relationship failures was not something he liked to do, especially with her.
She pulled her leg up under her and turned slightly towards him in the seat. "After all the things you've told me, talking about the ex's is what you consider the hard part?"
He swallowed the lump in his throat knowing exactly what she was referencing.
"Says a lot when you can tell me you killed a man, but can't tell me about your ex-wives."
"And what does that say?" Gibbs asked tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
"What fun is telling you?" She smirked.
"Is this how this trip is gonna go?"
"No." The tone of his voice told her not to push. She put her leg back down, put the lollipop in her mouth and turned to stare out the window.
Taking a deep breath, he let it out. Her presence here had him completely discombobulated. The normal ease between them had been mediated by his underlying feeling. Something he promised himself he would never allow to happen, he cared about her too much to sacrifice their friendship. Yet here he was shutting down and shutting her out. "Hungry?"
It took a moment but she turned towards him. "I could eat."
"There's a restaurant in about fifteen miles."
##########
The restaurant was a small mom and pop place, a few booths, a couple tables and a small counter area. Locals were sitting at the counter while family's passing through sat in the booths talking about their trips. They had ended up at a two top table a few steps from the door leading to the kitchen.
"I tried to tell him, I wasn't interested, what other option did I have but the hose." Jack laughed as she took the last bite of her pancakes.
"We can be clueless." Gibbs chuckled referring to men in general.
"Yes you can."
He was caught off guard by the seriousness of her response and the way she held his gaze. It was so intense it actually made him look away.
"But then so can women." She smiled pushing her hair behind her ear. They had settled back into their normal banter, the ease of conversation between them flowing effortlessly over breakfast. She knew he had forced himself not to shut down and she was thankful for it. It relieved her in a small way of the trepidation she still felt over having insinuated herself into his trip. She knew he would be uneasy with her presence, would see it as her overstepping his boundaries, but her hope was eventually he'd be glad she was here.
"Gonna have them fill the thermos." He grabbed the thermos from the table, stood up and headed to the counter.
Running her fingers through her hair, she blew out a breath then took a deep one in. She told herself she could do this that she wouldn't let her resolve waver. Yet she already doubted everything. When she heard his laugh, she turned towards the sound. Gibbs was standing at the counter talking to the waitress that had served them. The woman was obviously flirting with him, her hand touched his as she handed him back the thermos. The waitress tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled at him as she said something that made him laugh again. Jack rolled her eyes. Of course the woman would have to be a red head. What was it about red heads? Originally she thought it was something Gibbs sought out or was attracted to, but it seemed more that red heads were attracted to him. Gibbs handed the waitress some cash and she made sure her fingers touched his again as she accepted it. She was about to give him change when he shook his head and again she smiled. Putting a hand on the counter she leaned forward as she spoke to him. Grabbing her jacket, Jack headed towards the counter.
Gibbs sensed her before she even reached his side. He always sensed her presence.
"You ready?" Jack asked touching his shoulder and letting her hand caress down his arm as she glanced at the waitress.
His eyes met hers as the touch washed over him. "Yeah."
She turned and she felt the hand casually touch the small of her back sending welcomed warmth through her as they made their way to the door. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the disappointed stare of the waitress as they stepped outside.
They reached the passenger door of the truck and he opened it for her, just as she was about to climb in he gently grabbed her upper arm. His blue eyes met brown. "I gave up red heads a long time ago."
"Red heads haven't given up on you."
His eyes narrowed at the nonchalant way she said the statement. Not a hint of jealousy, not a hint of worry, just a simple statement. She climbed into the passenger seat as his hand fell from her arm and he closed the door. Walking around to the driver's side he climbed in and put the thermos on the seat between them. Starting the truck he pulled out turning back onto the back road they'd been following.
"Is this the way you always take to Stillwater?"
"Depends on how fast I want to get there."
"Not in a hurry today?"
He shook his head. He hadn't told her he was headed to Stillwater or the reason why, but it wasn't exactly a hard deduction to make.
"It's a beautiful drive." She watched the scenery pass by outside the passenger window. "Wish there was snow."
"You never know." If he could have willed the snow to fall he would have just to see her delight at the occurrence.
"You're a winter guy aren't you?" She turned to him.
He shrugged. "Doesn't bother me."
"A cabin in the woods, fire going snowed in with no one able to get to you." She smiled.
"Sounds good."
"You booked a cabin didn't you?" Her excitement bubbled just below the surface.
He chuckled.
"Oh come on tell me." She grabbed his arm with both hands shaking it. He glared over at her. "That doesn't work on me. So tell me." When he didn't answer she leaned closer. "Please. It's a cabin right?"
He nodded.
Her smile widened and her head fell back against the head rest. "It's out in the middle of nowhere?"
"Corn fields and woods."
She let her hands fall from his arm. "Please tell me there's no TV, phone or internet."
"None." He didn't take her for an off the grid kind of woman.
"Heaven." She sighed trying to remember the last time she'd completely unplugged from it all. There was only one thing that would make it absolutely perfect, but she still wasn't sure that would happen. "Do we have to stop and pick up supplies?"
"We'll stop at the store when we get into town."
"You're dad's old store?"
"Yeah."
"A glimpse into young Gibbs." She smiled.
He rolled his eyes.
"Sure you're up for dealing with the small town scuttlebutt?"
His brow furrowed.
"You show up with some strange woman getting supplies."
He shrugged.
Her eyebrow went up. "Oh so I'm not the first strange woman you've shown up with?"
Taking a right, he took it faster than he needed to and she slid towards the passenger door. "Wow, you think that tactic is going to work with me?" She snickered as she settled back into the passenger seat. "Please. Who was she?"
He shook his head. "No one."
"So I am the first?" There was no response. "Not even the ex's?" She watched as he gave a half shake of his head. "I'm honored, even if it wasn't exactly your ideal to bring me." She saw his hand wrap tighter around the steering wheel. "I can wait in the truck if you want."
He shook his head and cleared his throat. "Won't make a difference."
She pulled her leg up and turned to him. "I know you don't care what people think of you." Cocking her head she tried to get a read on what he was thinking. It suddenly hit her. "You're worried about what people will think of me being there with you." It wasn't even a question, she knew that was it. "People ask your dad how you're doing. He's smart enough to not really talk about your job so he talks about the ex-wives." She shook her head. "And yet another piece of the puzzle." She laughed. "So do you think they'll assume I'm just some fling or will they thing I'm the possible ex-wife number four?"
"Does it matter?" He actually stole a look at her.
Her brow knitted as she considered it. "I think I like the fling better." His head jerked to the right and he stared at her. "I mean at least a fling could turn into more. I hate the thought of them already assuming I'm half way out the door before it's even begun." She glanced out the windshield then tipped her chin in that direction. "Red light."
The words registered and he stomped on the breaks screeching to a stop just short of the red light.
"I can handle it." She smiled.
"Didn't doubt that." The light turned green and he hit the gas.
She caught the sign out of the corner of her eye. "We're here." They passed the Welcome to Stillwater sign and her attention shifted to the small houses. Making a left turn she saw the Main street sign and he pulled up outside a small store front.
Turning off the truck he looked at her. "Staying or coming?"
She grinned at him then opened the passenger door and hopped down. "I can just imagine you running up and down these streets, riding your bike-"
He came around the truck as she continued.
"Chasing girls." She put up her fists. "Fighting out back."
"Did more fighting than chasing girls." He walked to the door of the store and opened it holding it for her.
"Hi there." The man behind the counter smiled. "Can I-" He saw the familiar face walk in behind the woman. "Gibbs." The man stepped out from behind the counter.
"Cal." The two men shook hands.
"Need the regular?" Cal stole a sideways glance at the woman walking down the far aisle of the store.
"Yeah." Gibbs pulled a scrap of paper from his coat pocket and handed it to Cal. "We'll grab the rest."
"Sure." Cal grinned. "I'll grab this." He held up the paper. "From the back."
Gibbs nodded grabbed a basket then headed in the direction of where Jack stood staring at something on a rack towards the back of the store. As he rounded the corner, he snickered when he saw her standing in front of a rack of magazines…adult magazines that had black plastic covers over everything except the magazine name and the face of the woman on the cover. "Didn't think you'd go for these."
The words spoken near her ear and the body so close behind her made her involuntarily take a step back almost touching the man behind her. She shrugged. "I was just surprised." She turned around.
His eyes questioned her.
"That it's here." She paused. "Small towns tend to have book stores with back rooms or a dark corner."
"No book store." He answered the question before she asked. "And it wasn't here when I was growing up."
"No peeking at the girly magazine or taking one back to your room?" She smiled.
"Not from here." He smirked
"Oh." She laughed. "But somewhere."
He just looked at her.
"But your dad actually carried these before he passed?"
"Yeah."
"Really?" She turned back around and looked at the rack of magazines. Pulling one of the magazine up from behind the plastic, she stared at it a moment. "Did your dad ever have the sex talk with you?" She slid the magazine back down into place.
"No."
"Nothing?" She walked away from the rack and down the next aisle. "Not even a keep it in your pants."
He chuckled following her down the aisle. "No."
"Hmm." She ran her fingers over a row of cans.
"I know that hmm."
She paused and looked at him. "Are you comfortable talking about sex?"
It took a moment for him to respond. "Depends."
"On?"
"The company."
"Interesting." She continued down the aisle. "So you're the typical Neanderthal when it's you and the guys." She turned a corner and caught his eye from over top of the shelves. "And a perfect gentleman when the ladies are around."
"No." He turned the corner stopping next to her.
"So it's the level or depth of the friendship and not the gender of the friend?"
He shrugged. "I guess."
"Okay." She continued down the aisle picking up a package of red licorice and opening it up. She spun around and he stopped just before running into her. "Was Shannon your first?" She pulled out a stick of licorice and bit off a piece.
He knew what she was doing, knew she was testing him, testing their friendship, their boundaries, and part of him wanted to ignore the question completely. Instead he reached into the bag and pulled out a stick of licorice. "Yeah." He took a bite. When a wide smile spread across her face, he involuntarily smiled back at her.
"Lucky girl." She took another bite.
"Not sure she'd agree."
"Was it that awkward first time experience?" She started walking backwards down the aisle.
He followed her. "For me it was."
Licorice stick was just about to enter her mouth and she stopped. "It wasn't her first time?"
Gibbs shook his head.
"Did you know?"
He nodded.
"Was it your wedding night?"
"No."
"Was the second time better?"
"Oh yeah." He didn't know why he continued, why he offered more but he did. "She was a good teacher."
"Wow." She put the licorice back in her mouth and took a bite.
He took a step towards her. "Did I ruin your cowboy image of me?"
"No." She sighed. "Not at all." She didn't think it was possible but the admission actually made him sexier. A man that was willing to take direction and learn…that is damn sexy. She had so many other questions.
He continued passed her picking up some items and dropping them into the basket. When he made the turn down the next aisle he glanced over the shelf and she was still standing in the same spot. "Jack."
Hearing her name brought her out of her thoughts and she looked towards the sound of his voice.
"Grab some more licorice."
"Sure." Filing the rest of the questions in her mind she hurried back over to the aisle with the licorice and grabbed a couple bags with a couple items she wanted. When she met up with him he was already at the counter. She glanced at the items on the counter. "Hardly seems like enough."
"It's not." He reached over the counter and grabbed a couple paper bags. "Rest is in the truck and we have another stop to make." As he started to bag the items she leaned back against the counter and took in the whole store.
"I can just see you stocking shelves, helping little old ladies with their groceries-" She smile and leaned towards him. "Checking out all the cute girls that came in."
"Hard to do that when your dad is at the counter watching you're every move."
"Ah right." She picked up one of the bag as he pulled out his wallet and laid some money on the counter.
Picking up the other bag, they headed out the door and to the truck. She glanced in the back seat and saw two bags and a few gallons of water.
He opened the back door, put his bag in then took hers. Closing the door, he leaned against it. "Ready?"
"For?"
"Next stop, we can walk."
She nodded. Following him back to the sidewalk in front of the store they started down the street. They had taken a few steps when she slipped her arm through his.
He glanced over at her.
"Might as well give them something to talk about."
He rolled his eyes.
She took in the countless empty store fronts they passed spotted by a few stores still open. When they finally stopped she looked up at the sign. "Oh so would have guessed."
Letting her arm slip from his, he opened the door for her.
The white haired man behind the butcher counter took in the woman first smiling widely. He wiped his hands on his apron then noticed the man behind her. "Jethro." The name echoed through the empty store. "Though I might see you today or tomorrow." He took off his apron, hanging it on a hook on the wall before walking out from behind the counter. "Come here." The man hugged Gibbs. "Good to see you."
"Paul." Gibbs hugged the man back.
"And who is this lovely creature?" Paul asked stepping back and smiling at Jack.
"Jack." She extended her hand. "Jack Sloane."
Paul looked at Gibbs, eyebrow raised.
Gibbs shook his head.
"Come here." Paul hugged the woman and she happily hugged him back. He smirked at Gibbs then focused back on Jack. "Please tell me you're not dating this SOB or worse…married to him?"
She just smiled.
Paul wasn't sure how to take the smile and his eyes danced back and forth between the two people. When neither of them answered he chuckled. "Right." He slapped Gibbs' shoulder. "So your usual times two?"
Gibbs nodded as he walked up to the counter and his eyes skimmed through the case before him.
"Just got in some fresh Trout this morning." Paul said now behind the counter putting on his apron. "Have some frozen Elk in the back."
"They extended Trout season?" Gibbs asked still looking at the case.
"Yep till the end of February." Paul grabbed Gibbs' regular from the case wrapping the cuts of meat as he went. "Want some?"
Gibbs nodded.
Paul smiled. "I'll pick two nice one's for you." Placing the wrapped meat in a bag, he picked two of the Trout, wrapped them and added them to the bag. He put his arms on the top of the counter. "Jack short for Jacqueline?"
She nodded.
Paul chuckled. "What are the odds?" Picking up the bag and heading to the register. "How well you know this one?" He asked Jack.
"Well enough in some areas hardly know him in others."
"Sounds like Jethro. A man of few words adds to the mystic."
Gibbs rolled his eyes as he grabbed his wallet.
"Let me." Jack reached into her jacket pocket and when she looked up Gibbs and Paul were staring at her. "What?" She looked back and forth between the two men then settled on Gibbs. "Fine." She put up her hands. "You handle it Cowboy."
Paul snickered under his breath. "Cowboy."
Gibbs glared at the man as he handed him the money.
He handed Gibbs the bag then leaned forward speaking in a hushed tone. "She's a keeper." He stepped back and smiled at Jack. "Pleasure to meet you."
"You too." Jack quickly hurried after Gibbs who was already almost out the door. "You know I never really thought about that till now."
"What?" Gibbs asked walking back towards the truck.
"Your dad being named Jack."
Gibbs shrugged.
"Is it weird?" She walked beside him.
"What?"
"Our relationship, me going by Jack?"
"Should it be?"
"I don't know. Some people might find it weird or odd." She paused. "Like Paul said what are the odds."
"Never thought about it." They reached the truck and he opened the passenger side door for her.
"We form attachments to names as much as people and places." She settled back against the open door frame.
"I don't think of my dad when I look at you." He chuckled, his hand still on the door.
"Good to know, but I bet you still think masculine things about me. Hard headed, strong willed, whatever it is, because Jack is consider masculine by society. Plus you probably subconsciously believe I possess certain characteristics or traits similar to your father or other Jack's you know."
"Going somewhere with this Jack?"
"What if my name was Ann?" She watched as his demeanor changed instantly. He squared his shoulders, his eyes narrowed, and he physically tensed. She knew what she was giving away by asking the question. Seeing his reaction was exactly why she asked.
His gaze bore into her as he realized she knew the reason for the trip.
"Would it bother you?"
"Don't know." Gibbs hated the "what if" game.
"Never dated an Ann?"
He shook his head.
"Ever had an opportunity too?" When he didn't answer even with just a gesture of his head she smiled. "And that's part of my point." She explained. "Names have power, more than even physical appearance or base attraction sometimes." She shook her head. "I don't care how attractive or amazing a man is I'll never be able to date an Ethan again." Her brown eyes searched his. "And I doubt you'd ever be comfortable dating a Shannon."
His jaw tightened still not sure where she was trying to go with this.
"My point is." She touched the zipper pull of his jacket. "You're still making assumption or associating certain characteristics with me, some probably based on my name, my looks, my age, some on what you know about me, and some on what you think you know." She sighed. "When the truth is somewhere in the middle." She patted his chest then climbed up into the truck. "I don't like fish just because I'm from California." She buckled her seat belt. "Should have gone with the Elk." She reached over to pull the door closed and he held it tightly.
"And you haven't made assumption about me?"
"No I have." She took a deep breath. "But I'm aware of it and I'm doing everything I can to fight those assumptions and to realize you're more than just the cowboy that showed up in my life completely unexpectedly and made-" She stopped abruptly.
He gazed into the brown eyes, wanting desperately to hear the rest. "Finish it."
The intense stare of the blue eyes almost made her complete her thought, but then she shook her head and gave him that closed mouth smile as she rubbed her hands together. "I'm getting cold. Close the door and get in here."
He hesitated a moment, but then closed the door and walked around the truck.
Taking a deep breath, she ran her hands through her hair and chastised herself for chickening out, yet again. To be honest, that was not how she wanted that conversation to go. She should know better by now that she couldn't steer a conversation in a certain direction when he came to him.