The Outlaw, The Gambler & Persuasion

Think A Little Less

Kiss a little more
Think a little less
Burning up the night like a cigarette
And get you out of this bar
Out of that dress
And kiss a little more
And kiss a little more
Think a little less
~Michael Ray

The saloon was dead to the world, not many bodies were left keeping the place warm as people start slowly turning in for bed. No one blamed them, of course, because in two days Bogue's men were supposed to arrive. Everyone wanted to rest up, though everyone could silently agree that they might not get rest tonight, they all reluctantly left the saloon anyway. It got empty to the point that Faraday and Matilda were eventually alone, playing some round of cards across the table from each other, their hats put aside and small empty glasses faced down on the table.

Faraday found himself more distracted then he usually would during a card game. It was his last few nights, however, and he wanted to spend it practically smitten by the woman sitting across from him. His chin rests on the palm of his hand, he smiles with such an affinity the corners of his lips started to ache. He observed the way she was concentrating down at the cards in front of her, his own deck forgotten as they lay out across from him, so she was clearly cheating. But she wasn't making any complaints. Faraday's green eyes dazzled with admiration as her hair had been let out of today's hardworking braid and slightly curled over her shoulders. He could sacrifice one minute of letting the people of Rose Creek see this sheet of human in him. Usually, his face was stone cold, as a way of intimidating the folks around here, but for a moment he lets his guard down, staring at the independent woman he's been trying to woo since the day he met her.

"Tilda..."

She sighs, irritated with the nickname he had given her the first day they met, and ignores him, staring down at her cards thoughtfully. Faraday doesn't consider it, still smiling with a fondness so warm and inviting, she was missing out from not looking into his green eyes.

"Matilda..."

She pauses, not sure if she heard him right. She looked up to confirm that he, indeed, just said her real name for the first time, and when she does she finally noticed the stare he was blanketing her with. Her cheeks heat up slightly, the warm light of a tiny candle thankfully hiding it from view. They lock eyes and Faraday takes that as a sign to continue.

"Since I might die here...is it safe to tell you that you are the most beautiful woman I've ever met?"

Matilda's eyes only widen, her mouth opening and closing while trying to find something to say, but nothing comes out. She was astonished, to say the least, knowing Faraday enough to know that he isn't usually like this, and she thought that he might be drunk. But honestly, when is he not?

"You kill me." He said with such sincerity and praise, the endearment in his eyes made Tilda's stomach feel warm, like a cloud of honey.

Her neck heats up along with the rest of her face, her chest fighting for the air it lost only moments before. She makes a motion to get off her chair, and Faraday could've sworn that she was going to walk away. But instead, Matilda thought that walking around was too much work for her and pushed her cards aside as she climbed onto the table on all fours. She makes her way across, Faraday leaning back to watch, their eyes never leaving each other as she reaches him, her hand finding the back of his neck to bring him up for a tender, mesh of kisses. Smooth and perfectly fitting together, they kiss for the longest of time, without breath and she goes to slip off the table and into his lap. In the process, she knocks over his cards using her skirt and he finally breaks away from the more than enjoyable kiss to catch his breath and whine playfully,

"But I was winning..."

She lets out a breathy laugh, leaning down for another kiss, her breath hits his chin while she speaks for the first time since this started, "You don't consider this as a win?"