LOVE AND THE LONG WAY HOME
She hadn't known that eyes could turn black, but Harm's did as they melted into hers. Then before she knew what was happening he had slapped some money down on the bar, dragged her off the barstool by her wrist and hauled her out the front door of McMurphy's.
"Where are we going?" she yelped. She was almost running to keep up with his long strides.
"Please, Mac," his voice was pleading, "don't say anything right now."
"Then slow down, Harm."
He stopped suddenly and she plowed into him as he turned to face her. "I don't want to slow down. I don't want to back pedal and I don't want to start over…" he turned and started marching down the street again. "I just want you to get in the car and be quiet."
He let go of her wrist and unlocked the car door. She sat down and just stared at the madman who had replaced Harmon Rabb, Jr. He got in on the driver's side and started the car. He looked at her as if he wanted to say something, then just shook his head and said, "Put on your seatbelt."
"Yes, sir." That earned her a glare so she sat quietly as he pulled into traffic. He seemed to be waging some inner battle with himself, so she decided not to push him. She would wait at least until they got to her apartment before she demanded to know what the hell was going on.
He drove with a grim expression on his face, clearly not wanting to talk, so she leaned back against the headrest and openly watched him. In all the years she'd known him, she never got tired of just looking at him. He was gorgeous- that was a given, but it was more than that. He could be passionate, obstinate, cocky, tender-sometimes all at the same time. No question, he could be infuriating but all of that was what made him Harm.
He was her touchstone and if they were never any more to each other than they were right now, that wouldn't change.
One thing had changed though. She wouldn't lie to herself anymore about what she wanted. She wanted Harm.
Playing pool with the guys at McMurphy's had been fun. It was one of those nights that happened occasionally where her feminine side had taken over. She wasn't a Marine. She wasn't a lawyer. She was just a woman having a good time. She could feel the men in the bar watching her and it was flattering. She'd enjoyed the attention and played to it a little, but it felt empty simply because the one man whose attention she ached for wasn't there.
And then as if she'd conjured him, she saw him across the bar. He was watching her with that hot, heavy look, his eyes all but devouring her. She'd thrown herself at him with that feeble, transparent excuse of needing his help to get rid of Joe. She didn't know if he'd bought it, but he'd played along. And then he'd kissed her and it was all she could do not to crawl into his lap and wrap her legs around him right there on the barstool. His mouth on hers, his hands in her hair, oh my… She moaned, reliving the moment.
Hoping he hadn't heard her, she straightened in her seat and for the first time noticed the passing landscape. Without thinking she placed a hand on his thigh and said, "Harm, this isn't the way to my place."
He slammed on the brakes. "Mac, do you want me to have a wreck?" He pointedly removed her hand from his leg and put it back in her own lap.
She looked around grateful that they were on a deserted side street. "Hey buddy, I'm not the one who stopped in the middle of the road for no reason. You're nuts. Did you know that?" She was smiling when she said it.
"You're driving me nuts." He looked like he wanted to strangle her, but instead he started driving again.
She still couldn't imagine what was going on in his head. She would admit that she had flirted outrageously with him, but Harmon Rabb attracted women like ants to a picnic, so a little come on from her wasn't going to rattle him. In fact, he had been flirting right back and then suddenly he was dragging her out of the bar and running down the street like a maniac.
"Was it something I said?" she asked innocently
The car came to another sudden stop. He turned and looked at her as if he couldn't believe that she had opened her mouth again. The incredulous look on his face was priceless and Mac giggled before she could stop herself. She put her hand over her mouth and tried to look serious. "Sorry."
Her eyes were dancing and she coughed to cover another laugh.
"Mac, I am trying, despite great obstacles, to drive to my apartment." He spoke patiently as if speaking to a wayward child. "But if you keep asking questions we will never get there. Now if you could just give me the courtesy of a little quiet until we arrive…." He trailed off realizing how lame he sounded. His eyes were pleading, if not for understanding at least for cooperation.
Mac sobered and nodded her agreement. She pantomimed zipping her lips, locking them, then with a flourish put the pretend key down the front of her sweater.
He closed his eyes briefly, then muttered, "Why me?" before they started moving once again.
Mac was totally bewildered. She'd never seen him so flustered. Harm could fly a plane with his hands tied behind his back. He could drive a car standing on his head and he was acting as if her asking a few measly questions was more dangerous than driving at night without lights.
Finally they pulled up in front of Harm's building and parked. He leaned his head back against the headrest and took several deep breaths before risking a glance in her direction. She sat there wide-eyed and silent, waiting for his next move.
"Sorry, Mac, I know I'm acting a little crazy. "
She raised her eyebrows. That was an understatement. "Am I allowed to talk now?"
He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Can we just go inside?"
"Persuade me," she whispered silkily. They stared at each other, the darkness inside the car wrapping around them, closing out the rest of the world.
He picked up her hand and brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed them softly his eyes never leaving hers.
"All the running and driving and starting and stopping kind of ruined the mood." She said breathlessly as he rubbed her fingers across his bottom lip.
"Do you know how beautiful you are, Mac?"
She closed her eyes and savored his words. "You're just trying to distract me so I won't make you explain your bizarre behavior. Besides I bet you say that to all your friends…" her words trailed off. She couldn't concentrate when he was sucking lightly on her finger.
"Only Sturgis," he said as he began a full assault of kisses on the palm of her hand. "But then we go way back."
"Oh look, charming Harm has replaced crazy Harm again!" She teased, but then grew serious. "Harm, what happened back there?
He stopped kissing her hand and looked down. "I don't know exactly. I panicked, I guess. Things with us get so complicated."
"So I've been told." Mac said with resignation. They had been down this road before.
"Mac," he said softly forcing her to look at him. " I wasn't running away. Well, I was, but at least this time I took you with me."
"Yes, your caveman routine was very impressive." Mac sighed wistfully.
"I just thought we needed to be alone…away from the bar, away from any distractions."
"You could have just asked me, Harm." Sheesh. She had been sending pretty clear signals all night. Did he really think she would've said no?
"If you were any other woman I could have just taken you up on what you were offering." He spoke fiercely, his eyes begging her to understand. "But I couldn't, not with you, Mac."
"I know." Her voice was soft and sad. " You have made it clear on several occasions how 'resistible' you find me."
"Is that really what you think?" He sounded shocked. "My God, I spend the better part of my time at work trying to keep myself from trapping you against some file cabinet and doing unspeakable things to you."
It was her turn to be shocked. "You do?" A slow smile was spreading across her face.
"I'm ashamed to admit it, but I do." Seeing her smile he relaxed and grinned back.
"Unspeakable things, huh? The mind reels." She sighed and her eyes turned smoky.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not through explaining…" he trailed off getting lost in her gaze.
Mac suddenly looked away and started taking off her seat belt.
"What are doing, Mac"
She opened her car door. "I'm ready to go inside."
"Okay," Harm said as he opened his door, too. "But I'm not through explaining and there are several things we still need to discuss." He hurried after her as she headed for the front door of his building.
Mac glanced back at him as she opened the door. As she disappeared inside she asked suggestively, "Hey, Harm, don't you have a file cabinet in your apartment?"
The door closed in his face before he could recover enough to follow her.
She hadn't known that eyes could turn black, but Harm's did as they melted into hers. Then before she knew what was happening he had slapped some money down on the bar, dragged her off the barstool by her wrist and hauled her out the front door of McMurphy's.
"Where are we going?" she yelped. She was almost running to keep up with his long strides.
"Please, Mac," his voice was pleading, "don't say anything right now."
"Then slow down, Harm."
He stopped suddenly and she plowed into him as he turned to face her. "I don't want to slow down. I don't want to back pedal and I don't want to start over…" he turned and started marching down the street again. "I just want you to get in the car and be quiet."
He let go of her wrist and unlocked the car door. She sat down and just stared at the madman who had replaced Harmon Rabb, Jr. He got in on the driver's side and started the car. He looked at her as if he wanted to say something, then just shook his head and said, "Put on your seatbelt."
"Yes, sir." That earned her a glare so she sat quietly as he pulled into traffic. He seemed to be waging some inner battle with himself, so she decided not to push him. She would wait at least until they got to her apartment before she demanded to know what the hell was going on.
He drove with a grim expression on his face, clearly not wanting to talk, so she leaned back against the headrest and openly watched him. In all the years she'd known him, she never got tired of just looking at him. He was gorgeous- that was a given, but it was more than that. He could be passionate, obstinate, cocky, tender-sometimes all at the same time. No question, he could be infuriating but all of that was what made him Harm.
He was her touchstone and if they were never any more to each other than they were right now, that wouldn't change.
One thing had changed though. She wouldn't lie to herself anymore about what she wanted. She wanted Harm.
Playing pool with the guys at McMurphy's had been fun. It was one of those nights that happened occasionally where her feminine side had taken over. She wasn't a Marine. She wasn't a lawyer. She was just a woman having a good time. She could feel the men in the bar watching her and it was flattering. She'd enjoyed the attention and played to it a little, but it felt empty simply because the one man whose attention she ached for wasn't there.
And then as if she'd conjured him, she saw him across the bar. He was watching her with that hot, heavy look, his eyes all but devouring her. She'd thrown herself at him with that feeble, transparent excuse of needing his help to get rid of Joe. She didn't know if he'd bought it, but he'd played along. And then he'd kissed her and it was all she could do not to crawl into his lap and wrap her legs around him right there on the barstool. His mouth on hers, his hands in her hair, oh my… She moaned, reliving the moment.
Hoping he hadn't heard her, she straightened in her seat and for the first time noticed the passing landscape. Without thinking she placed a hand on his thigh and said, "Harm, this isn't the way to my place."
He slammed on the brakes. "Mac, do you want me to have a wreck?" He pointedly removed her hand from his leg and put it back in her own lap.
She looked around grateful that they were on a deserted side street. "Hey buddy, I'm not the one who stopped in the middle of the road for no reason. You're nuts. Did you know that?" She was smiling when she said it.
"You're driving me nuts." He looked like he wanted to strangle her, but instead he started driving again.
She still couldn't imagine what was going on in his head. She would admit that she had flirted outrageously with him, but Harmon Rabb attracted women like ants to a picnic, so a little come on from her wasn't going to rattle him. In fact, he had been flirting right back and then suddenly he was dragging her out of the bar and running down the street like a maniac.
"Was it something I said?" she asked innocently
The car came to another sudden stop. He turned and looked at her as if he couldn't believe that she had opened her mouth again. The incredulous look on his face was priceless and Mac giggled before she could stop herself. She put her hand over her mouth and tried to look serious. "Sorry."
Her eyes were dancing and she coughed to cover another laugh.
"Mac, I am trying, despite great obstacles, to drive to my apartment." He spoke patiently as if speaking to a wayward child. "But if you keep asking questions we will never get there. Now if you could just give me the courtesy of a little quiet until we arrive…." He trailed off realizing how lame he sounded. His eyes were pleading, if not for understanding at least for cooperation.
Mac sobered and nodded her agreement. She pantomimed zipping her lips, locking them, then with a flourish put the pretend key down the front of her sweater.
He closed his eyes briefly, then muttered, "Why me?" before they started moving once again.
Mac was totally bewildered. She'd never seen him so flustered. Harm could fly a plane with his hands tied behind his back. He could drive a car standing on his head and he was acting as if her asking a few measly questions was more dangerous than driving at night without lights.
Finally they pulled up in front of Harm's building and parked. He leaned his head back against the headrest and took several deep breaths before risking a glance in her direction. She sat there wide-eyed and silent, waiting for his next move.
"Sorry, Mac, I know I'm acting a little crazy. "
She raised her eyebrows. That was an understatement. "Am I allowed to talk now?"
He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Can we just go inside?"
"Persuade me," she whispered silkily. They stared at each other, the darkness inside the car wrapping around them, closing out the rest of the world.
He picked up her hand and brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed them softly his eyes never leaving hers.
"All the running and driving and starting and stopping kind of ruined the mood." She said breathlessly as he rubbed her fingers across his bottom lip.
"Do you know how beautiful you are, Mac?"
She closed her eyes and savored his words. "You're just trying to distract me so I won't make you explain your bizarre behavior. Besides I bet you say that to all your friends…" her words trailed off. She couldn't concentrate when he was sucking lightly on her finger.
"Only Sturgis," he said as he began a full assault of kisses on the palm of her hand. "But then we go way back."
"Oh look, charming Harm has replaced crazy Harm again!" She teased, but then grew serious. "Harm, what happened back there?
He stopped kissing her hand and looked down. "I don't know exactly. I panicked, I guess. Things with us get so complicated."
"So I've been told." Mac said with resignation. They had been down this road before.
"Mac," he said softly forcing her to look at him. " I wasn't running away. Well, I was, but at least this time I took you with me."
"Yes, your caveman routine was very impressive." Mac sighed wistfully.
"I just thought we needed to be alone…away from the bar, away from any distractions."
"You could have just asked me, Harm." Sheesh. She had been sending pretty clear signals all night. Did he really think she would've said no?
"If you were any other woman I could have just taken you up on what you were offering." He spoke fiercely, his eyes begging her to understand. "But I couldn't, not with you, Mac."
"I know." Her voice was soft and sad. " You have made it clear on several occasions how 'resistible' you find me."
"Is that really what you think?" He sounded shocked. "My God, I spend the better part of my time at work trying to keep myself from trapping you against some file cabinet and doing unspeakable things to you."
It was her turn to be shocked. "You do?" A slow smile was spreading across her face.
"I'm ashamed to admit it, but I do." Seeing her smile he relaxed and grinned back.
"Unspeakable things, huh? The mind reels." She sighed and her eyes turned smoky.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not through explaining…" he trailed off getting lost in her gaze.
Mac suddenly looked away and started taking off her seat belt.
"What are doing, Mac"
She opened her car door. "I'm ready to go inside."
"Okay," Harm said as he opened his door, too. "But I'm not through explaining and there are several things we still need to discuss." He hurried after her as she headed for the front door of his building.
Mac glanced back at him as she opened the door. As she disappeared inside she asked suggestively, "Hey, Harm, don't you have a file cabinet in your apartment?"
The door closed in his face before he could recover enough to follow her.