Danny sighed as he reached out and pulled the stop, letting the water from his bath slide down the drain.
A bath. He couldn't believe he thought a bath would make him feel better. What was he--a woman?
Baths were only good when they were taken with someone...with Montana.
Montana, she'd looked so good today. Her hair pulled up in a bun, leaving her neck bare. She'd worn that sweater, the one that clung to her and was soft as silk and she'd finished the outfit with the jeans that made his fingers itch. He'd wanted nothing more than to slide up behind her, bury his face in her neck, feel her perfect body pressed against his.
Of course he had done none of that. Instead he'd sulked and stomped around and tried really hard not to kill Pino when he caught him staring at Lindsay's ass.
That ass was property of Daniel Messer...or at least it used to be. He had no idea where he stood with Lindsay now and it was all his fault.
He collapsed naked on the bed and groaned. At first he'd just wanted some distance, some time alone. Then he didn't know what to say to her, how to talk to her when really all he wanted to do was bury himself in her arms and never leave.
By the time he got the courage to do that so much time had passed. Did she even want to talk to him now? After he'd blown her off, ignored her, pretended she didn't even exist?
How could he ever make up for what he'd done?
He wasn't sure how but he had to make up for it. Life without Montana wasn't any kind of life he wanted.
&&&&&&
Lindsay rested her head against the toweled edge of her tub and tried to relax.
It seemed unlikely.
All day long she'd circled Danny like a hawk, wearing his favorite outfit, putting her hair up the way he liked, even dabbing perfume in places she'd rather not mention. All in the hopes he'd tear down the wall around himself and come to her.
No such luck. He'd avoided her like the plague, and completely ignored her e-mail asking him to dinner.
She had to face facts; Danny was clearly done with her.
Sighing she tossed her loofah away and stood up, the bath was useless. She'd try tequila instead; maybe if she was numb she could keep the illusion going for a while. She knew once the tears started there would be no more fooling herself.
Two shots in she stopped and tossed the glass against the wall.
This was stupid, beyond stupid.
The man had flown across the fucking country for her. He'd ignored all her protests, all her attempts to keep him at arms length. He'd come to the courthouse, saved her completely and refused to allow her to block him out any longer.
Well two could play at that game, and she wasn't about to be shut out of Danny's life.
She quickly dressed and headed for the door.
This time she wasn't taking no for an answer.
&&&&&&
Danny's just finished dressing when he hears the buzz. He moves over to answer; annoyed that someone is coming to see him when all he wants to do is get to Lindsay.
"Yeah," he barks into the intercom.
"It's me," Lindsay's voice announces, loud and clear, "Let me up Messer. Right now."
Whoa. She sounds pissed and he wastes no time in buzzing her in. He opens his door, waiting for her to come up the elevator. He's surprised to see her stomping up the stairs. She shoves right past him into the apartment. She clearly has something to say and she's not going to stop until she says it.
"You," she tells him, on him the moment he locks the door, "You came to Montana."
"I...I did," he frowned, "What does that have to do with..."
"I pushed you away. I was completely crazy with grief and everyday I wished I could tell you. I wanted to tell you after I stood you up, I wanted to tell you when that suicide girl died, I sat in a cab wanting nothing more than to say good-bye to you in person. I didn't do any of those things because I was scared. I was scared to open myself up and trust. And when I went to Montana I thought that was it, by the time I got back you'd have moved on to some blonde with big tits."
"Lindsay," he started, but stopped at the wild look in her eyes, "Sorry, you were saying..."
"I was saying that you fought for us. You came to Montana. All I wanted that day, all I wished for was you and you were there. You ignored my protests, all that fake bullshit I put between us and you came for me. And you broke right through all my damn walls and made me open myself up and love you and now you just think you can walk away like it never happened."
"No, I..."
"I know you're hurting, and in pain. I've been there. I've felt that guilt and it doesn't get better by dealing with it alone, you need..."
He kissed her, because she wouldn't stop talking, because he needed her to hear him, because he couldn't stand another minute of not kissing her.
"I missed you Montana."
He hears her soft cry as she whispers, "I missed you too. Are you really done being a moron now?"
He pulled back, smiled at her, "I'm really done. Believe it or not I was on my way to meet you."
"Really?"
He nodded, "I should have known you'd beat me to it."
She shrugged, "It was my turn." She kissed him softly, then gradually it deepened, their bodies locked together in a tight embrace.
When he finally pulled away he just stared into her eyes, lost in her. Then he had a thought, a desire he couldn't ignore, "Will you do something with me?"
"Anything."
&&&&&&
"I can't believe this is what you wanted," she said as she relaxed back against him in the bathtub.
"I've gotten used to it. It's so relaxing, sexy, but on my own it's all wrong."
"So this is better?" she asked, twisting around to kiss his chin.
"Much," he kissed her soft lips, "Much," again, "better." They kissed again, this time letting themselves sink into it.
"Hmmm," she said when she pulled back, "Are we going to stay in the tub all night?"
He smiled, ready with a reply, but then stopped and coughed to cover himself, "Uh, Montana, just...I...I know I've been a really jackass the last few weeks. I've treated you bad and... I wouldn't be upset if you wanted to wait or..."
She kissed him again and stood, stepping out of the bath and reaching for him. He followed her, and smiled as she wrapped a towel around his body, then hers, "No more waiting Danny. I just want to be with you again."
He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, "I love you Lindsay."
"I love you," she told him, "Now take me to bed cowboy."
"Yes ma'am."