Surrounded

Chapter Four

"Cowboy Take Me Away" - The Dixie Chicks

     She was so far into the thoughts of her time with Arlo, that the knock on her window made her jump. She turned wide eyes toward the man with blonde hair, sighing when she realized it was Roland. She rolled down her window, apologizing for her reaction.

"You're alright, I was just driving by and saw you pull in. You've been sitting here for like 10 minutes."

She shook her head, "I'm so sorry if I worried you, I was just in my thoughts."

"I don't mind checking on you," he smiled at her, his eyes showing that his words were genuine. "Do you need anything? Can I walk you to your door?"

     A warmth spread through her chest, creeping up her collar bones and into her neck. His thoughtfulness never ceased to amaze her. She nodded and turned to gather her purse and lunch box. He was there, having already opened the door, reaching in to unbuckle her seatbelt and held his hand out to help her down. Once her feet were securely under her, she smiled up at him, feeling the blush in her cheeks now. He was so close, she could smell him; and smell him, she did. The scent of leather invaded her senses, forcing all thoughts that didn't include him out of her head. He was so close, barely centimeters separating them, that she could feel his heat on this already warm Texas day. The contrast of his warmth was pleasant though, and she felt like the air was sucked from her lungs as he looked down at her. Before she even knew what she was doing, she felt herself lean into him, the short hair on his chin tickling her hairline.

     The sound of the truck door closing was like a bucket of cold water being thrown on her. She startled and stood up, ramrod straight. Clearing his throat, he led her up the front walk, still clasping her hand in his. She mentally shook herself, if she thought she couldn't breath before, she certainly couldn't now with the emotion that threatened to spill out. It was a strange mix of disappointment and rejection; knowing that he didn't reciprocate her feelings, but her body convincing her otherwise.

     He stopped at the door, still holding her hand, and pulled it to his lips. Her heart stuttered and the blush returned with a vengeance. By the time he stood back at his full height, she'd already decided to invite him in, "If you don't have anywhere to be, I'd love to have you in for coffee."

"I do have work in about an hour, but I'd love to spend that time with you."

     It was only then that she realized he was in his uniform. The crisp black blouse and pants left little of his frame to the imagination. With the bulky body armor and shiny metal badge, she realized he had to be sweating underneath it all. She mentally cursed herself, fumbling for her keys, dropping them in the process. He retrieved them from the dusty concrete and unlocked the door, stepping back to let her open it, and followed her in. She lost herself in her thoughts, leading him through the living room to the kitchen. She disappeared to the mud room to hang up her purse and lunch box, knowing that if she didn't the clutter would pile up quickly. Stepping back into the kitchen, she found him observing their surroundings. It was then that she realized he'd never been in her home before. As he took in the many pictures, she took him in. He had to be an entire head taller than her short frame, his dirty blonde hair peeking out from his ball cap. His strong features did nothing to dull his ocean blue eyes and his jaw made her practically swoon. She admired the way his lips pursed when he was in thought, but refused to let herself linger on them. She couldn't allow herself to get carried away.

     Before she could allow her feelings to grow any more, she spoke up, "So would you like some coffee? I also have soda and tea."

"What kind of tea?"

"Sweet tea, I made it myself."

"Mmmmmm," his chest rumbled with the pleased sound. "I'll gladly have a glass of that."

     Grabbing a tall glass from the cupboard, she opened the fridge and set it under the pitcher. As soon as it was full, she heard his phone ring. Excusing himself to the other room, she could still hear him cursing under his breath. She busied herself by taking off her holster and setting it and her pistol on the counter, and removing her cardigan. She wasn't proud to admit that she couldn't help double checking her cleavage in the reflection of the microwave. As he walked back into the kitchen, she held the glass out for him. Accepting it, he brought it to his lips for a taste and he was so close that she could feel the pleased rumble from his chest this time.

"You're a sorceress with this tea. It might be the best I've ever had."

She practically preened at his praise. "I'm glad you like it. But I can't believe you'd think so little of me to suggest I might have unsweet tea in this home," she bantered.

"Just making sure we're on the same page," he winked. "Anyway, that was dispatch on the phone. One of the guys has to get his kid from school, they've got a fever."

She deflated a little at that, "Well, when duty calls..."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could stay longer, I always enjoy the time we spend together. And this tea, I could probably finish it off."

That had her giggling, "Would you like some to go?"

"I don't have my water bottle, I forgot it in the dishwasher at home. That's o-"

"You can borrow one of mine, I practically collect them," she interrupted. She grabbed one from the drying rack on the counter and moved to fill it. Leaning her head around the fridge door, she added, "Besides, now you have to come back to return it. And when you take a sip, you'll remember that you need to stay safe, because it'd be a shame to borrow something and not return it."

     He chuckled and agreed with a nod of his head. Hiding behind the door again, she widened her eyes at herself. What had gotten into her? She'd never flirted so brazenly in her life. Handing him the bottle, she walked him back out to his motorcycle. She watched the muscles under his tanned skin as he placed the bottle of tea into his saddle bag before he turned back to her. Catching her staring, he smirked and stalked over to her. She forced herself not to shrink under his intense gaze. Feeling his large hand on her hip, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I will be back with your water bottle. I came here for a reason and I'll divulge that reason next time." Between his warm breath on her neck and the gravel in his voice, she shuddered. Pulling back, he replaced his lips with his other hand and looked her in the eyes, trying to convey something she couldn't decipher. He must have noticed the confused look on her face, because she could see the resolve set in his features. Before she even knew what was happening, his head dipped and his lips were on hers. She instinctively stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his torso, under his body armor. The kiss heated as her tongue darted out to flick against his bottom lip. He smiled and pressed his body against hers, lightly nipping her bottom lip before pulling back slightly. She was suddenly worried she'd done something wrong until she saw the way he was looking at her. His expression could only be described as pure joy, his eyes shined brightly and his lips formed a genuine smile, showing off the dimples in his cheeks. He leaned down once again, placing a gentle kiss on her lips, before stepping away and walking towards the motorcycle. The engine roared to life, vibrating her chest and he gave her one more smile and roared down the street.

     She probably stood there dumbfounded for another five minutes before she realized that she was just staring open mouthed in the direction he rode. She shook her head, walking back into the crisp air conditioning. As she tried to process what just happened, she went through her evening routine, returning her firearm to the safe, and began unpacking her lunch box. It was only then that her mind returned from auto-pilot. She stared down into the insulated bag, once again speechless. Sitting right there was a cellophane bag of cookies. She cautiously picked up the bag for further inspection. The realization then dawned on her, these were her favorite. And only one person knew what her favorite cookie was. The label tied on only confirmed her suspicions, "Cookies for my cookie." She wasn't sure what God was playing these tricks on her, but she was sure she'd just dreamed everything that happened that day. To have not one, but two of her crushes showing her this kind of attention could only be a cruel joke. She finished putting away her things and blew out the candle she didn't remember lighting before making her way to yet another cold shower.