Traditions Ch. 03

With a shaky breath, Cheyanne somehow found her voice. "I'm sorry."

She stopped a moment, hoping that he would jump in and say something. When he didn't respond she continued.

"That shouldn't have happened." She said quietly.

"I know." He said. His voice was low and husky.

"I don't know what's come over me." She took another deep breath and sighed. "I usually don't act that way."

"I know." He said again. "Neither do I."

Hearing his confession only made Cheyanne feel more ashamed.

"I shouldn't have done that." Her voice was stronger. "We shouldn't have done that. We barely even know each other. I'm mean look at me. I'm only nineteen years old, and your..."

"Twenty-two." He answered for her.

"Twenty-two." She said a little shocked. "Great." She didn't know why she had thought he was closer to her in age. She realized her mistake now, and scolded herself for being such an idiot. "This shouldn't have happened tonight. For God sake's, I don't even know your last name. This was all a mistake. I'm sorry." She sighed again and turned from him.

A long moment past without either of them saying a word.

"McCarthy."

Cheyanne turned her head to him. He was still staring away from her, so maybe he wasn't intentionally speaking to her.

"W-what?" she asked hesitantly.

"My last name. It's McCarthy." He turned to her. "And I'm not, sorry that is."

Reaching out to her, he placed his large hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her face towards his. The kissed they shared this time was soft, not as fast and as fiery as the one they had just shared moments ago. This new exploration of each other continued until the end of the movie.

****

Declan drove her back to her school after they left the drive in. Cheyanne's fingers were firmly laced with his and gently resting on his heavily muscled thigh. The ride back into town was quiet, with neither of them saying much. Nothing really needed to be said. Both were very content and at ease.

As quietly as he could, Declan drove through the entrance gate of the school and started making his way down the winding narrow streets to her dorm building.

"That's it over there. You can just drop me off here."

"Are ya sure?" He was a bit hesitant to leave her outside this late at night. "Do ya want me to walk ya to yar room?"

"No, it's fine. I'm not supposed to have visitor's this late, anyway."

"Oh," He nodded his head. "I guess that's a good t'ing."

"Why?"

"Cause then I won't have ta worry bout some guy sneaking into my woman's room at night."

"Your woman?" She quirked. "Don't you think your being a little too possessive?"

"No. The men in my family are very protective over the things we own."

She raised her eyebrow. "Own?" She didn't like the sound of that. "I'm not a piece of furniture that you just bought."

He slowly shook his head. "No yar not. Yar my woman," he turned to her and gave her look that quickly silenced the protest in her mouth, "and I protect what's mine."

"Yours?" She thought about it and gave him a soft smile. That sounded a lot better than being owned. But she had to wonder, did being owned and being his mean the same thing.

Looking back up into his face, she noticed that his eyes had become hooded and were staring right at her. The way his eyes longingly gazed at her caused a fire to burn beneath her skin.

"Come here." Placing his hand behind her neck he pulled her face closer to his and gave her the softest of kisses. In that small moment, it seemed like their lips barely even touched. But the fire that had slowly begun to build with in her suddenly died at the contact. The way his lips moved over hers made it seem like he was trying to memories the feeling of them. She could have stayed out there in his car all night if she wanted to, but she knew someone would eventually run across them, and that would only make for an embarrassing situation.

All too quickly she pulled back from him. At the absence of her lips, Declan leaned forward to reclaim them once more.

"I have to go." She whispered to him.

Declan groaned a little. Reluctant as he was to let her go, he slowly leaned back and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. Looking at her, he could tell that she was flustered as well. Her lips were red and pouty, a result from there intense kissing throughout the night, and a few loose curls had fallen free from her pony tail and over her face. It was so sexy.

Just as she had reached the handle to open the door, Declan clasped her other hand.

"I want to see you again." He stated.

She blushed a little at his forwardness. "I do to." She stated just as strongly. "The next couple of days are kind of busy for me, but I think that Saturday..."

"No, tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She shook her head. "I have school tomorrow." She said, and turned to leave. She had opened the door just a fraction of an inch when Declan's big arm came across her and slammed the door shut.

"After school then."

His sudden aggressiveness and demanding tone of voice were starting to get the better of her. Seeing him take charge like this wasn't all that surprising to her. Cheyanne knew from the beginning that Declan was the type of man that liked to be in control. She could tell by the way he had talked to her that first night on the dance floor, and by the way he had coerced her into having lunch with him. She knew it by the way he invited her on this date, and the demanding way he had kissed her into oblivion. Declan was the type of man who got what he wanted from his women, and knowing that he was being that demanding with her only turned her on.

Leaning in ever so slightly, she let her lips tease him. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, waiting for the kiss she was promising him.

He felt the smile that formed on her lips as she said. "I have work."

Taking advantage of his distracted state, Cheyanne pushed his hand from the door and lightly jumped out of the cab and onto the pavement. She would have shut the door, but Declan had quickly recovered from his momentary loss of control and held open the door before it slammed.

"After work then." The husky sound to his voice let her know just how much she had affected him.

With a smile, she nodded her head and shut the door to the truck. As she turned and walked to her dorm building, Cheyanne could feel Declan's eyes boring into her back all the way to the front door, and didn't feel that his gaze let up until she was out of his viewing range.

****

Declan didn't let out the breath he was holding until he saw Cheyanne disappear inside the building. Damn this woman. Not once did he think this night would be so intense. He knew how fiery she could be. He had witnessed that first hand when they had first met. But in the past few times he had seen her, he had learned how warm she could be as well as passionate. She had the power to tease him to know end, as well as make him feel powerful. He didn't know anyone who embodied such a powerful combination of emotions within him. As good as he felt after leaving the university, the emotions he was feeling were new to him...and that made him skeptical.

As he made his way home, that good feeling he had when he watched her leave slowly began to vanish as the uncertainty of what their relationship was began to grow. No one in his family had ever even entertained the idea of dating a non-traveler, and now here he was fantasizing about the naughty things he wanted to do to her.

Pulling into the family plot, he parked his truck a little ways in front of his modest camper. Leaning on his window, he stared at his home for a moment. It had cost him a pretty penny, but at the time he had bought it, he had grown a little tired of living at home with his large family. You couldn't put a price on privacy. It was a fairly large trailer, complete with kitchenette, living area, and a bed/bathroom area. It was definitely big enough to fit two comfortably. The image of Cheyanne standing in the kitchen washing dishes warmly worked its way into his mind. The idea of her in his home was very appealing.

Mother fucker, what the hell was he thinking! Declan wanted to smack himself for thinking such a ridiculous thought. There was no way in hell he could bring her here. The fact that he was even contemplating the idea made him realize just how much this girl affected him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Declan groaned as he began to feel the beginning of a small headache coming on.

Reaching into his glove compartment, he brought out the pack of cigarettes and popped one in his mouth. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out his small silver lighter and flipped the lid, causing a small flame to ignite.

As he was leaning into the flame, the soft light of the fire alerted him to the figure that was approaching the car. Taking a second, he rolled down the window allowing his father to cross his arms and lean into the car.

Declan's father looked at him for a long moment, studying the contrite look on his face. Declan remembered how his father would use that face on him when he had caught him doing something he shouldn't have been doing. The fact that he was giving him that face now caused him to squirm in his seat.

Momentarily taking his eyes off his son's face, Ducky looked down to the unlit cigarette in his hand.

"Ya know that's what killed your Uncle Paddy."

"I thought Uncle Paddy was in jail."

"What? No, I'm talking bout yar great Uncle Paddy. Paddy Sr." He shook his head. "I swear he must have smoked at least two packs a day, and then would wash it all down with a six back of beer."

Declan gave half a smile and chuckled softly. "Must be where ya got yar drinking habits from."

Ducky laughed. "Yeah yeah, I guess yar right bout that." Reaching his hand in, he plucked the cigarette from between his son's lips. "But I know also know yar not that much of a smoker. You only use them when yar wound up or worried. Which makes me wonder what's got u in such a tizzy?"

Declan sighed and took the cigarette from his father's hand. Cupping the flame of the silver lighter with his other hand he gently lit the cigarette and took a deep breath before letting it out.

"I just... have a lot on my mind." Throwing the pack back into the glove compartment, he rolled the window back up and stepped out of the truck.

"Funny," Ducky said. "Ya didn't seem to have so much on yar mind before you left home."

Declan shrugged and took another puff off his cigarette.

"Where'd ya go?" Ducky asked.

"No where."

"Who'd ya see?"

"No one." Declan said nonchalantly.

Ducky looked at his son suspiciously. He had never once had to question his son. That was something he usually had to do with his daughter. "So now yar keeping secrets from me."

Declan shook his head and took another long puff from his cigarette before blowing it out. "I'm not keep'in any'ting from ya. If it was any'ting important, I would'a told ya." The small lie caused a lump to form in his throat.

Ducky merely nodded at his boy and turned away, accepting the fact that his son was not being completely honest with him, an occurrence that almost never happened between the two of them.

Both McCarthy men leaned against the door of the old truck and stared out at the rows of camper's in front of them. The silence between them stretched on for several minutes. The nighttime air was starting to get chilly, the only warmth radiating from the rapidly cooling engine of the truck and the small cigarette in Declan's hand. When the cigarette burned about half way through, Declan rubbed the end of it at the bottom of his boot and threw the remnants across the yard.

"Hey, it's gett'in late. I'm gona head inside."

"Ya know, I saw the way you were look'in at yar house." Ducky's statement caused Declan to freeze just as he opened the door.

He didn't know exactly how to respond, so he just said. "Yeah."

"Was there something wrong wit it?" His dad asked curiously.

Declan turned to look at his father and shook his head innocently. "No."

"Huh," Ducky stood up from the truck and walked over to his son. "I never did tell you how much I liked yar home. It was a good pick."

"Thanks."

"It's a bit big though. Not exactly one I would have picked out if I were a single man. This ones the kind of camper I would'a picked out if I was fixin to start a family."

Declan's eyes widened and he quickly turned away from his father. Ducky didn't fail to notice his son's lack of response or the way he seemed to fidget at the idea of starting a family.

"Ahh, now I see."

"See what?" Declan asked.

Ducky smiled at his son's obvious attempt at playing dumb. He just shook his head. "Nothing." Walking up to Declan, he placed a warm hand on his strong shoulder. "Now that I think about it, this camper is perfect for ya. Yup, it's just big enough."

Finally getting what his father was hinting at, Declan's quickly shook his head. "No, dad, it's not..."

"Hey, you dona have to say any'ting. I get it. Dis is probably not a conversation ya want to be hav'in right now, and to be honest, I dona quite think yar ready for it either. But I will tell ya dis..." he squeezed his son's shoulder a bit and turned him around to look him in the eyes. "Whoever dis girl is that's got ya thinking about settling down, must be something special."

Before the protest even began forming on his mouth, Declan stopped and thought back over there night together. Images of her dimpled smile, and the way her caramel skin felt beneath his hands brought the smallest of smiles to his face.

"Yeah," he replied. "She is."

Ducky smiled big and gave his son a hard pat on the back. "Well good." Turning away from his son, he casually began walking back to his home with his hands in his pocket. "Sounds like yah might want to keep a hold of this one, boy."

Opening his door, Declan whispered a small promise to himself. "Oh, I plan too."