"We’re not going anywhere."
"You got THAT right!" She crossed her arms over her chest.
"So, are you scared to death I’m NOT serious — or scared to death I AM?" he asked.
"Both!"
"Okay," he murmured. "If I’m not, that makes sense. But if I am?"
"Well, I guess it’s all about what you’re serious about!" she declared hotly. "Thus far, you’ve just mashed me flat, every time we’ve crossed each other…"
"You keep fighting…"
"Do you have to make it look so easy?" Teela whined. "A girl’s got to have some self-respect…"
"Really?" Rick’s eyes narrowed. "Is that what it’s all about? I don’t think so! I think it’s about breaking out of a cycle of one Pyrrhic victory after another and not knowing what to do…"
"Pyrrhic?"
"Winning so expensively that you actually lose…"
"Oh. So you’re saying…"
"You run people off — and end up lonely, but safe — right?"
"Well…" It wasn’t how she’d have put it, but…
"Then you’re fucked."
"What?"
"When’s the last time you won? You step in it left and right! Has it occurred to you that it’s so easy because you don’t WANT to win?" Rick eyed her sidelong.
"What are you saying?" Teela demanded hotly.
"I’m saying you’re fucking up on purpose!"
"You bastard!" She took a swing at him — and it connected, sort of — he took it on the shoulder. But then he had her arm, and she tried to draw back and got him pressed against her chest. She brought her other hand up to push him away, but those lips were on her neck again … She tried to squeeze him away by pressing her head against his, but it just didn’t work; she couldn’t bring enough pressure to bear. The hand pushing at his chest couldn’t make any headway, either, so she shifted tactics — yeah, this was working! She’d pull him toward her … What? Awww fuck… "Can’t we just kiss?" she whined. "If I go home with muffler burns…"
"Sure." His lips shifted to hers. Why had she said that? Where was her head? Ummmm … This was fucking GREAT! It was wrong, all wrong, and she was gonna pay for it big time, but, DAMN!
Things drifted for a while — and they got hot. Not sex hot — temperature hot! Rick pulled back from the kiss and fired up the car, turning on the air conditioning. Teela eyed him, waiting; he was going to grow fangs any minute and justify her low opinion of boys in general, and him in particular … When he came back, she held him off — and he allowed it. "How’s my neck?"
"Tasty."
"I mean marks."
"Nothing that shows. I could fix that…"
"No! That’s okay! Poppa would FREAK!"
"Better kiss me, then."
She held him off. "What the fuck are we doing?"
He cocked his head. "You’re losing — and enjoying it. I’m winning — but not conducting pillage and rapine…"
"Are we gonna fuck?"
"Sometime. No hurry."
"Why not?"
"You’re not ready."
"I’m not?"
"Nope. You’re waiting for me to fuck up and try to roll over you — then you can say to yourself, 'See, he’s just like all the others — only wants in my panties… ' Then I’m a bad guy, and you can work up some defenses — maybe — or a fine case of guilt, anyway. And Lon’s a bad guy for inexplicably wanting to date your girlfriend, and all’s right with the world. Well fuck that…" Rick’s look dared her to take issue with his analysis.
"If you’re so fucking smart, why aren’t you rich?" Teela demanded.
"Maybe I am…" This time, her hands didn’t help her. She ducked his lips, but exposed her neck. Ultimately, she had to kiss him again…
After a vague time, they surfaced. "Damn you, you’re not rich…"
He shrugged, his shoulders moving under her hands. "There’s rich and there’s rich. If I possess something worth having…"
The answer rocked her; the implications were obvious. Damn him! It was like fighting nuclear weapons with a stick! Maybe one time in ten million, you got a lick in … He had a key for every lock, a wedge for every chink in her armor. And he was playing by the rules, such as they were! Never once had he gotten a hand anywhere that he shouldn’t — and she was wet, and her nipples itched and she wanted him — BAD! "You fucker!" she gasped. "Why do you have to make me feel this way?"
"So you know that for this disease, there is only one treatment — and only one doctor!" Rick wasn’t fooling himself, he was wrecked, too! But it was VERY pleasant destruction. During the movie, he’d gone over their first encounter — and their second, to date — and realized that every time he came into contact with the little fool with her dyed black hair with the spot of color (blue today) and the insane wardrobe, he got a buzz and did wild and crazy things — and got away with them! She was outrageous — and you had to be MORE outrageous to compete — and apparently, no one else had ever bothered … When she opened her mouth on the way out of the theater, he knew she was running — and suddenly, it was vastly important that she not escape — so he went on the attack, instinctively. And once he realized just what he had, stopping became unthinkable … The little spitfire fought like a fury — and clung like a leech! Only she didn’t like being caught doing the latter … She would hold him at arm’s length while she could — but that wouldn’t be for long, now. Still, it had to work THIS time, or she would gain a weapon against him. THIS time, he had to let her go. But NEXT time … And next time had to come fairly soon, or she would try to build up defenses — or avoid him, like Candace was trying to do to both Toby and Damian…
Right now, though, forty-five minutes had flown by — and it was time to do the responsible thing. Sighing, he rearranged himself behind the steering wheel. "Where are we going?" she asked suspiciously.
"I’m taking you home — you’ve missed the bus."
"Right."
"Yes, right. The next bus is at six. When are you supposed to be home?"
"Rick, if you mess me over…"
"I’d be a total fucking idiot to do so at this point, now wouldn’t I?" He put the car in gear. "Which way?"
"Take a right."
He took her directions all the way home — didn’t miss a turn. When they were there, he didn’t try to make a scene in the car, merely saying, "Give me your phone number."
"Why?"
He eyed her. "Why do you ask stupid questions?"
"I go looking for stupid answers." He just waited. "Oh, all right," she relented, and rattled it off.
"I’ll call, tomorrow."
"Sure you will."
"Fine, I’ll call later."
"Yeah, right. I’ll hold my breath." She got out of the car. "Thanks for the ride."
"Which one?"
"Both."
Rick spent the time she took to walk up her front walk to set up a speed dial. Once the door closed behind her, he dialed it. "Hello?" she answered, puzzled.
"Are you blue yet?"
"You’re crazy, you know that?"
"Only around you," he replied. "I’ll call you in a couple of hours. Better breathe until then." He hung up and put the car in gear.
"Help! I’m going down for the third time!"
"Now what?" Sally asked, rolling her eyes. Teela was being melodramatic — again. Fortunately, Teela couldn’t see her over the phone…