Passing Through

Part Fifteen

 Chapter Fifteen

His car was at the far end of the car park, and from that point they could almost see the cafe.

Natasha turned to Bo, "I can walk from here. It's fine."

He cocked an eyebrow as he turned to stare at her, "I thought I 'owed you one'."

Shrugging, she bit her lip, suddenly a little anxious. "You apologised."

"Yet you enjoyed teasing me in front of my friends?"

For a moment she blushed, but then placing her hands on her hips she leaned towards him, "thought you didn't have any friends!"

Touché, he thought as he nodded, she knew him well, already.

"I suppose that things change."

"So it's not hell on earth here then? You haven't been exactly happy to date."

He studied her for a long moment, "I haven't....but it's not the worst place in the world."

It was the first time he'd even thought of the place he lived in ages, it had been a means to an end, nothing more. But she was there, and she was making things more bearable. Making him take in his surroundings, making him live a little.

"I can drive you," he changed the subject.

But she shook her head, "it's like two hundred yards, not worth even starting the engine."

As he contemplated that, she added, "You could walk me, though."

"Ah...." he was nervous around Natasha, never knowing how to treat her. But that was an olive branch, so he slid an arm around her shoulders in what he hoped she took as a friendly gesture, then, guided her towards the road.

Natasha was torn between wanting to lean harder into his hard, warm body, and pushing him away. As usual, the man terrified and excited her in equal measure. Up until now, other than the kiss, she'd kept her defences fairly high around him. That had to continue. So she did neither, not relax into him, nor push him away. And as a bonus, he smelled amazing.

It was less than five minutes to walk to her house, and on the doorstep, she turned to him.

"See I could have walked alone."

There was such warmth in his face as he smiled down at her, it was the most relaxed she'd seen him. His hazel eyes were fixed on her as he shook his head, and his lips lowered to her ear as he replied, "no chance. This isn't a bad part of town, but there's no way that I am not seeing you home safely."

Leaning back slightly, far enough that she could keep that equilibrium, she blinked up at him, "who says that you are safer than a stranger?"

As soon as she said the words, she wondered for a moment if she'd said too much, been too harsh, but he threw his head back and laughed, "girl, you are such a tonic!"

She narrowed her gaze, "explain."

He looked up in the sky for a moment and she couldn't imagine what he was thinking, but when his eyes finally dropped back to hers, the warmth had left them, he stared coldly at her.

"Since I was twelve all everyone has ever wanted is a piece of me, you genuinely are the only person who sees me differently."

"What does that mean?"