FOUR: Babylove [FLASHBACK]

It had been a little over a week since Charity had taken Bruce's jacket home with her. During that time, she'd made no attempt to contact him, at least not right away. As she played their previous encounter over in her mind, she knew that she had gone into that unprepared. She still felt embarrassed at how she stumbled over her words. Bruce probably thought she was just some stupid kid, but she had plans to show him otherwise. Her father was out of town again and would be for the coming weeks – she'd been biding her time waiting so she could do things on her terms.

She'd called the club and left a message for Bruce to come pick up his jacket at her place and she'd given her name as Cherry. So there it was, a Saturday night around nine. She hadn't heard anything that Bruce would be coming over and so she had to rely on faith that if something was meant to happen, it would.

That evening, Charity dressed with great care. She chose a light pink-colored chemise that came down to just above her knees. Make-up had been expertly applied to her face, but not overly done. There was just enough to emphasize her features, leaving her looking natural. Lastly, her long blonde hair was in waves resting against her shoulders – she thought she looked fantastic.

Normally she would have been as nervous as she'd been the other night, but she'd solved that by getting into her father's liquor cabinet. She didn't drink anything that would get her blitzed, no, just enough to give her that hint of courage she needed.

Taking a drink from her cup that was filled with rum and coke, she heard a pounding on her front door. Biting down on her lower lip, she spotted the jacket which was thrown over the back of the couch.

Making her way to the front door, she cleared her throat and opened it, relieved to find Bruce McLeod on the other side. "Hi." She smiled softly at him and leaned against the door frame.

Decked out in a pair of worn-out Levi's and a burgundy button-down shirt, he looked really good. Her eyes were immediately drawn to where the top two buttons were undone, as if to show off the necklace he had on. He had another leather jacket on and this one looked nicer, a lot newer than the one she'd been wearing all week. It seemed as though he'd taken a little care with his appearance too, given that he looked like he'd shaved off the stubble that usually covered his cheeks and chin. His hair hung shaggy over his ears – no hint of whatever it was that he usually used to slick it back at the club. "Hello, lovely." He murmured, reaching up to rest his hand on the top of the door frame. "Got your message."

"Obviously." She said this with a playful smirk and took a step back so he could come in. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get your jacket back to you." She shut the door behind him and walked over to the couch where his jacket was. "I didn't know your number and I wasn't about to ask my dad for it."

She glanced over at him when he snickered, a question in her gaze that he was quick to answer. "Would've liked tae be a fly on the wall for tha' conversation."

Charity flushed slightly, looking away from his wicked grin as she grabbed the jacket. She didn't immediately hold it out to him, instead hugging it to her chest. "I kept it safe for you." She held it out for him.

He didn't take it from her. Instead, he walked over to the couch and sat down, immediately kicking his boots up on the coffee table after tossing yet another jacket on the furniture. "Nice place." He commented, letting out a dramatic sigh as he settled in against the cushions. "Don't mind if I take a load off for a few moments, do yeh? Been on the road the last few hours... just feels good on the tailbone to sit a spell."

"Make yourself at home." As her stomach turned in multiple knots, she grabbed her nearby drink to settle her nerves – she hadn't actually expected him to want to stay, even if she'd been wishing for just that. When he didn't say anything else, she rushed to fill the silence. "I actually would appreciate the company." She walked over to the front of the couch with her drink in hand. "My dad's gone again… think he was going to Oregon this time." She brought the cup to her lips and took a sip, realizing he was watching her very intently.

"Hell of a drive," he murmured, his gaze still locked on her and even though he seemed completely at ease, his eyes were alive and alert.

"Yeah. He'll be gone for a week, probably." She wasn't even thinking how stupid it had been to tell him that. He just seemed to pull the words right out of her. When he said nothing, she blurted out, "can I get you something to drink?" Her own beverage had settled her nerves a bit so she still appeared to be calm and collected.

"Got any beer? Not picky, love. Whatever." He shrugged, happy to let the awkwardness spill out between them because he found it absolutely hilarious.

"Sure, be right back." Charity left him to hit the fridge and grab one of her father's beers. The apartment had an open setup – the dining room, kitchen, and living room were all in the same area. Being the dutiful hostess, she popped the beer cap and walked back over to where her guest was. Handing it to him, she took a seat on the couch next to him. "So…." She grabbed her cup and took a drink. "You never did tell me what I owed you for bodyguard services and the rental of your jacket."

"Hmmm…" he pretended to consider it, "I dunno, now. Added an extra week on for the rental… never agreed tae that. Mebbe tack on some late fees, given that's my favorite cut an' all." He took a long pull from the bottle of beer, watching her while he did.

"Late fees, huh?" She turned over his charges in her head and crossed one leg over the other, causing her chemise to hike up a bit. Leaning over, she placed her cup on the coffee table. "That doesn't seem fair, Mr. McLeod, seeing as how you never took it back. Like I said, I kept it safe – your favorite. Perhaps you owe me, hmm?" Her voice was soft and smooth, the alcohol helping with that. Her eyes didn't leave his face.

He let out a rueful chuckle, shaking his head at her audacity. "Outplayed at me own game... how do yeh like them apples?" Leaning forward, he set his own drink down beside hers. "Well then, Miss Cherry… what's the penalty?"

"Well, I don't think it's a penalty for you." She scooted her body closer to him so that her knees brushed his. "I suspect you've wanted to kiss me since the first time you saw me. So that's your penalty. My dad isn't here and it's just us."

"Just a kiss? Doesn't seem like much. You sure that's all yeh want... not much of a negotiation, love." He looked down at where her knees had bumped against him before reaching out to rest his hand on her bare skin there. He wasn't thinking about the age difference or what her father or his cousins or anyone else might think if they walked in right now. He was too intrigued by her to even form those thoughts.

Licking her lips, she leaned towards him. The knots in her stomach were tighter than ever but she didn't care. Anything else that would have had her pulling back from this – her father, the fact that she didn't really know this man that she was alone with – didn't come into play. "There's still room for more negotiation." She leaned in and put her lips next to his ear in the same way he had in the parking lot. "I still owe you for your bodyguard services."

Bruce grinned, nodding. "Mmmm. Well then. Yeh drive a hard bargain." He kept his voice as soft as hers and slowly turned his head just as she started to naturally pull back. Same as the night in the parking lot, his lips grazed her cheek. This time though, he caught her mouth with his. The kiss was gentle, just a bit of pressure as he lifted a hand to the back of her head, keeping it loose enough that she could pull away if she got spooked.

She had been kissed before but it had never been by anyone who knew what they were doing. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she savored it. The mask of the mature seductress had fallen off as she pulled back and looked him in the eye. "I've… never done this." Her arms found their way around his neck. The vulnerability was clear on her face along with her innocence. "Just… be gentle?"

This? Did she think he'd just come over to jump her bones?

"Babylove," Bruce murmured, shaking his head slowly. "Am not here for another notch on the ol' belt, if that's what yeh think. Plenty of knob-jockeys if I wanted tae dip the wick. I…" he hesitated, seeing the confusion on her face and hoping to catch it before it morphed to hurt. "Nae, not like tha', Cherry. I like yeh. A lot. I wanna see where this goes."

"But you…" she stammered, catching herself, "you don't really know me." The way he called her Babylove made her melt. She wasn't sure how she felt about him pulling back. "I'm not anything special." Her cheeks were flushed, partly because of what they were doing but also embarrassment. Her eyes went downcast.

"Aye, love. Strangers we be, yet here we are." He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "Feel it though, don't yeh?" He hooked a finger under her chin and gently raised her head. "Tell me why, Cherry. Why'd you come to the club lookin' like tha', hmm?" His Scottish burr was growing a little thicker, and she wasn't sure if that meant he was letting his guard down or playing it up because he knew what it did to her. Either way, it was damned attractive.

"Because I'd never met anyone like you and when you looked at me, it was like you actually saw me." At that moment, she had fallen in love with him, but she didn't know that's what it was. "I guess I wanted you to notice me, but not as Vic's daughter. As a woman… that's what all this was tonight. I wanted you."

"Me?" He seemed amused, shaking his head. "Settin' yerself up for disappointment, love."

Charity looked at him confused and frowned. "I just know what I wanted." She felt ridiculous now in her sexy little chemise. "You're different."

"Takes one tae know one." Bruce smiled gently, picking up his beer and then patting his lap. "Now c'mere, love. Get a little closer."

She did as he asked and moved so that she was on his lap. Now that she was no longer trying to seduce him, she felt comfortable. Her whole body relaxed as she slid her arm around his neck. "Hi." She said this softly as her nose nuzzled against the side of his neck.

"Hi." He echoed it back, the smile clear in his voice as his hand slid down her back and ended up on her waist. "Tell me somethin', Cherry. Anything." He was desperate to keep himself distracted from how sexy she was in that silky little number and how much he just wanted to ravage her until the couch broke in two. She deserved better than that, though. He knew that.

"Well, I'm really glad you came over." Her flesh had raised in goosebumps just from his hand moving to her waist. "I also spend a lot of time alone because my dad is always gone." She pulled her back so she could look at his face. "Sometimes it's great and other times it's lonely. Sometimes I think that maybe I should move back with my mom and then I remember how terrible she is." Looking at him, she couldn't help but kiss him softly. "And now I'm thinking that maybe I don't have to be lonely. Maybe you'd be able to find time to spend with me."

"Terrible makes one appreciate the good." Bruce leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling. His hand drifted lower, fingers idly tracing a pattern on her thigh as he spoke. "I moved here when I wasn't much older than yeh are – America, I mean. Shuffled off tae the Irish cousins. Fell in with some bad sorts, as one does when the lonely gets too much. Didn't have much choice, really. Ma needed money. Cousin Jimmy had a job for me here. Sounded good, aye? Always does when desperation sets in." He sighed, lowering his head to look at her. "It could be worse, love. Someone could sell yeh tae the highest bidder. Could carve yeh up like a Christmas goose an' call it a life lesson." His chuckle was bitter, sadness in his gaze as he stared at the wall, likely seeing something else entirely.

He took a long swallow of the beer, finishing it off before he spoke again. "Family's a burden – so's loyalty. Sometimes the only person trustworthy is the one starin' back from the looking glass." He forced a smile, "ah, but is not so bad. If I get too big for me britches, can just look in the mirror... see how little I was worth to them that were supposed to love an' protect me."

Charity listened to his story and felt part of her break for him. She couldn't imagine anyone being that cruel to their own child. "Oh, Bruce…" Softly she said those two words, shifting positions so that she was facing him. Her hands both came up and rested on either side of his face, thumbs stroking over that old damage.

His eyes stayed locked on hers and he waited for her to say something awful, to tell him that it hadn't been his fault or that she was so sorry it had happened. Instead, she surprised him by leaning in and kissing both sides of his face, both scars in turn.

She pulled back, just far enough so she could look him in the eye. Her lips found his in a soft kiss. "Don't leave me tonight."

What he felt was nearly overwhelming but he managed to get the words out, that wicked smile returning to his lips. "Nae goin' anywhere, love. Am right where I wanna be."