Unexpected Love (7 page)

Sixteen

They went to the shopping mall that she and Maggie had gone to.  He was dressed in a fitted t-shirt and jeans and he looked good.  She wondered if he knew it.  How could he not with all the women checking him out?

He led her over to a bench near a fountain and they sat there for several minutes.  The bench was small so he was close.  His thigh was touching hers.  She smelled the fresh spring rain smell.  It must be a cologne or soap he used.  Whatever, he always smelled good. 

She giggled, he would think it very odd if she started sniffing him and inhaling breaths on his neck and his hair. 

He looked over at her, “What?”

“Nothing.  Well, actually you smell good and I was thinking about how weird it would be if I sniffed you.  You know, like a dog.  Except dogs sniff rear ends, not that I ever do that, but I was just saying, you know sniffing, not like doggie getting to know you sniffing, just smell good sniffing.”  Her face was totally red and she decided to quit while she was way behind.  She cleared her throat and did not look at him.

Sean stared at her.  She wanted to smell him?  He was trying to control his breathing.  He was imagining her rubbing her nose all over him, gently inhaling.  He could feel the heat radiating in his body.  Damn, he was going to need a very cold shower if he kept thinking about it.

They both stared at the fountain.  The fountain was tall with blue cascading water tumbling down.  Carved graceful dolphins played on the sides.  It was soothing to sit there.  There were lush green plants surrounding them in a circle almost as if it was shielding and protecting them.

He must think she was an idiot.  She glanced over, “Sorry.  I guess that sounded weird.  I didn’t mean it the way it came out at all.”

He nodded and glanced at her before looking at the fountain again, “I didn’t take it in a weird way, no worries.”  He couldn’t think of anything else to say.  He had never had a woman tell him she wanted to smell him.  Or that he smelled good.  It was almost erotic.

“Oh, good.”

A couple of minutes passed silently before a woman with a stroller came over.  She tried to take a picture with her cell phone of her holding her little one, but he was wiggling and laughing and pointing at the water.  Her efforts proved to be unsuccessful.

Taylor offered to take a picture of them both in front of the fountain and she had happily agreed.  When she was taking a picture, the little boy played peekaboo.  Taylor laughed and snapped a picture. 

After Taylor took the photos, the woman said, “Thank you so much.  It was very thoughtful of you.”

“Not a problem.  What is your little guy’s name?”

“Joey.”  She put him back in the stroller.

Taylor leaned down towards Joey’s smiling face.  She felt Sean grab her around the waist.  Oh brother, she had not thought about how leaning was dangerous for her.  Still, Sean was watching out for her and the pressing of his hip against her was definitely causing some responses in her body. 

Joey held out a tiny hand and she forgot her weakness and took it as he wrapped his little fingers around one of hers.

“Joey, you are adorable.  You are going to be a ladies’ man, I can tell.” 

His mother beamed.  “Thank you so much.  Let me take a picture of you two.”

Taylor looked at Sean, “Oh, uh.”

Sean handed her his cell phone and stood with Taylor in front of the fountain.  Taylor put her hand behind her and scooped up some water and threw it at a laughing Sean.  Sean looked at her and smiled just as the woman snapped their picture. 

She handed back his phone and said, “Have a good day.”

Joey waved and laughed as his mom pushed him down the mall towards a children’s store.

She smiled at Sean who was still holding her against his side.  “Hmm, that was nice of her.”  She was looking over his arm at the picture.  “Forgot again.  You must think I have a sieve for a brain, but I’m glad you were here.”

He stared at her intently before removing his arm.  Then he shook his head at her, “There’s just no stopping you is there?”

“I said I was sorry.  I didn’t think.”  She looked at him with a frown.

He smiled, “I guess it’s a good thing I’m here to keep an eye on you then.”

She smiled back. 

Seventeen

“Hungry?”  He took her hand and led her towards the restaurant they had passed on the way in.  She could feel his warm skin and fingers intertwined with hers.  It was intimate but she didn’t mind a bit.  But, remember, you’re just a temporary house guest.  Don’t go all giddy over it.  Love was not in her future.

It was close to lunch time and she was hungry.  She hadn’t been able to eat breakfast with her heart in her throat when she had come downstairs.    The movie theater was right inside the entrance and he stopped to ask her if she wanted to see a movie.

She turned towards him too fast and lost her balance.  He caught her.  For a moment they stared at each other.  Was it her or were there arcs of static charge jumping between them?  Like clothing clinging together and pulled apart with sparkles and popping.

She looked away towards the loud sounds of children running and talking.  She smiled at him, “I love going to the movies.”

“Good.  Let’s eat and then we can go.”  Sean was relieved.  He was out of his comfort zone right now.  He was not used to a woman who was stubborn one minute, laughing the next, and then giving him looks that could melt steel. 

The restaurant was on the corner just down the mall from the theater.  They were seated quickly.

A pretty blonde waitress greeted Sean with a warm look.  “Hi, my name is Shelley.  I’ll be yours for the day.” She searched his hand for a ring. 

Taylor stared at her. 
Yours
f
or the day?
  Didn’t she mean their server for lunch today?  She did look like she was ready to eat Sean.  She might have meant she was ready to be his for the night.  This woman was paying no attention to her.  Really?  Two customers here lady.  And could she be any more obvious? 

She continued to flirt by throwing her hair back, biting on her pen.  She giggled and gave him an “I’m very interested” look.  Taylor rolled her eyes. 

Sean caught the look.  He gave the waitress his drink order after asking Taylor what she wanted.  The woman smiled and turned slowly and walked away with a swing to her hips.

He looked at her innocently, “What?”

“Really?  You have to ask?  She’s getting ready to eat you for lunch.  Don’t pretend you don’t know what she’s doing.”  She had to admit Sean looked really good.  Maybe she couldn’t blame the woman.  On the other hand, maybe she could.

He laughed, “I’m ignoring it.”  Was she jealous?  He was enjoying this.

Taylor looked at the menu to decide what she wanted.  They discussed the food items and dropped the subject of the waitress.  Taylor would give her the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe she would come back and realize how unprofessional she was being. 

“Have you eaten here before?”

“Once.  I remember it being good.  They are known for their sandwiches.”

The waitress came back and repeated her flirtations with more intensity.  She gave Sean a cheeky smile, “Do you need a few minutes or are you ready to order?”  Taylor caught the “you”, not her, not them, just him.  She knew the difference between a “you” meaning Sean and “you” meaning both of them.    She never even looked at Taylor.  I’m not invisible, am I? 

Sean looked at her, “Have you decided what you want?”

“I’m ready.”  And the waitress looked more than ready.  If she had been a dog, she would have been panting and gone belly up for him to rub her tummy, Taylor thought.  Or ready to lick and drool all over his body.

She ordered a Rueben sandwich and asked for a glass of ice.  Sean ordered a cheeseburger.  The waitress gushed over his selection, telling him that it was one of her favorites and how much he was going to just love it.  Taylor shook her head slightly.  Should she throw up now?   She might have to if this kept up.  It was downright nauseating. 

When she left, she looked at Sean.  “Wow.  She is about to drool and slobber all over you.”

Sean laughed, “Ignore her.  Besides, I’m with you.  You aren’t getting jealous are you?”  He was trying to act casually, but he was intently aware of the woman across from him.  The waitress couldn’t hold a candle to Taylor.  Was she jealous?  That would be a good sign. 

So far, she had not made any move to get his attention other than the times he had to hold her to keep her from crashing onto the ground.  He liked doing it, but he was not going to admit that to her.  He knew she was not doing it on purpose.  He thought quickly of seeing her this morning in that sexy lace underwear.  He pushed the thoughts out of his mind.  He was trained to be focused on the job but around her he was having trouble with focus.

Was she jealous?  She was the one sitting with the gorgeous hunk of manhood, so why did it bother her so much?  She wasn’t sure.  Maybe she felt the waitress was making all women look bad.  That was it, of course. 

“She’s making the whole sisterhood of women look bad.”  Then she added quickly, “And I am not jealous.”

He grinned but said nothing.  He really liked this spunky woman.  She was vulnerable, great sense of humor, and backbone all rolled up in a very sexy and beautiful package.  He definitely had been right, it was a good decision to get to know her.  She was complicated, smart, and feisty but caring and sweet at the same time.

When the waitress brought their food, she lingered.  She looked at Sean and asked if he needed anything else.  “More ketchup?  Relish?  Anything?”

Taylor blinked.  Was it her or was the woman’s shirt open more to show off cleavage?  Her breasts were more exposed and the top two buttons on her shirt were undone.  Wasn’t there a dress code?  Was she not afraid of getting in trouble?  At the restaurant she had worked at, this waitress would have been sternly dealt with or fired. 

Honestly?  Enough was enough.  Sean was not alone and he was not a bone for picking.  He was here with her.

“My glass of ice?”

The waitress looked at her, “Oh, I‘ll be right back.”

A minute later she brought the glass of ice and set it down in front of Taylor.  Then she turned her attention back to Sean.  “Is it cooked to your liking?”

Sean nodded yes.  Taylor looked at the cleavage and the smiling face and rolled her eyes.  Sean saw her.

Taylor spoke up with a sugary sweet voice and looked at the waitress, “You know what?  We don’t need anything right now from you.  In fact, I’m going to need you to leave so we can hurry up and eat,” she looked at Sean and put one hand on his on the table with the other resting under her chin.  She gave him her best sexy look, “I think we should skip the movie and go back to your place.  This morning was sooo incredible.  Earthquake and volcanic eruption all at the same time.  You are amazing.  Let’s hurry and go back to your place.”

Sean sat in stunned silence as the waitress’s face turned bright red and left.

Taylor withdrew her hand.  She looked down at her plate and started to eat her sandwich, too embarrassed to look at him.  She was awful.  She should have never said that, but it was done.  You can’t take words back.  What had she been thinking? 

And what must Sean think of her now?  Did he think she was coming onto him?  She was mortified by the thought.  She did not throw herself at men.  They were generally not trustworthy and had one thing on their minds.  At least most of the men she had been around.  

Maybe that was an issue for her.  But, Sean had proven so far to be entirely trustworthy.  Was she letting bad experiences get in her way?  She couldn’t say she cared what the waitress thought.  She really should probably feel bad about it.  But she didn’t. 

The silence was killing her so she finally looked up to see a strange look in his eyes as he studied her.

She defended herself.  “Well, I was going to get sick if she kept that up.”

Sean had never been at a loss for words.  Until now.  He looked down at his sandwich and picked it up to eat.  Her reaction to the waitress and how she handled it was so far out of what his expectations of what she would do.  Had she just come on to him?  No, that would definitely not be her style.  He knew a lot about her now, and he was positive of that.  His body wanted to react at the thought that she might be interested.  His thoughts were interrupted when she spoke.

“I’m sorry.  Well, maybe not, but I know I must have embarrassed you.  I don’t know why I said that.  It’s not like me at all, really.”  She hurriedly exclaimed as she realized how it must have sounded to him.

This he could respond to.  “You didn’t embarrass me at all.  I was shocked at first.”

He saw her face flush.  “Taylor, I should say thanks since she was getting on my last nerves and I wasn’t sure how to get rid of her.”  That wasn’t completely true.  He knew he could easily have gotten rid of the waitress, but the nerves part was true.  Here he was sitting with a beautiful woman and the waitress was rude to flirt.  He was only interested in the woman with him.

“Taylor, look at me.” 

She looked up at him and they both burst out laughing. 

“Sean, I get to pay this time.”

“Not on my watch.”

She titled her head and stared at him.   “Has anyone ever told you that you can be stubborn, irritating, and annoying?”

He grinned, “Nope.”

When the waitress came back to bring them the check, she didn’t look at either of them and had a smile pasted on her face.  Taylor felt bad about it.

Sean looked at her, “What?”

“I feel bad now about what I said to her now.”

“Don’t be.  You ready to go?”  He took out his card and put it into the check holder.

Taylor gave him a narrow look, “I told you I can pay for it this time.”  She tried to look stern but she knew it wasn’t working when he laughed and shook his head at her.

“Not yet.  You’ll have to keep working on it.”

The waitress was quick to pick up the tab and bring him back his card.

Taylor gave him a glinting stare but he just shook his head, “Keep trying.”

She wrinkled her nose at him and proceeded him out of the restaurant.