his hand and a silly grin on his handsome face. Smiling back, she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.
“I guess I pissed you off,” he said, nodding toward the gate.
Oh crap, she thought. Here we go. “Yes. I was a tad angry.”
“I don’t blame you. I’m sorry I acted like that. I need to learn a way to express my anger without having a temper tantrum.”
Holding out the flowers for her, they embraced, and without missing a beat, he kissed her, tasting her, his anguish over his behavior slowly dissolving as she showed him that he was forgiven. When they finally parted, out of breath, she was a little emotional, and he knew she wasn’t finished with him.
“Don’t do that to me again,” she said, looking him in the eye. “Don’t walk away from me because you didn’t get your way. We are going to disagree, Justin. It’s inevitable. But if I have to measure every word and deed so you don’t take off on me, this isn’t going to work.”
“I was just scared.”
“Well, you’re going to have to deal with your fears. I have plans for the cottage, and I want to do the work myself. We can’t argue about that, okay? Are you going to be able to live with that? Because I thought it was something we’d worked out before.”
“I had a relapse.”
“You’re entitled. Just don’t leave angry. That will never work.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve never been with a determined woman before. The only thing they were determined about was getting me to change.”
They laughed at that comment. “You know I’m not going to change,” she said. “I hope you can accept me the way I am. And the only thing you have to change is not wanting me to change.”
“I’ll try, Maggie. It might take a while. You know I am a guy.”
“Oh jeez, that’s no excuse,” she said, roaring. She reached out for his hand and they held on tight.
“I’ll put these in some water.”
He followed her into the cottage.
“So are you ready to dance?” he asked, getting down in her face. “I want to feel your body moving next to me.”
“I practiced this afternoon all by my lonesome, even before I knew you wanted to go out.”
“I can hardly wait,” he said, licking his lips, and she backhanded him teasingly.
They said goodnight to Brulee, who could barely lift her head to acknowledge that they were going to leave her. Maggie left a light on and the TV, just for the dog’s entertainment, and they locked up the cottage and got into the truck.
The ride on the dark, bumpy road signified they were on their way to fun.
“It’s amazing that only a few trips into town with you on this road and now I’m excited, like Pavlov’s dog.”
“Ha! You mean I just need to bounce you around a little bit and you’re happy?”
“Pretty much.”
They arrived at the roadhouse, and the music drifted out into the parking lot.
“They’re starting early tonight,” Maggie said.
A long banner hanging off the porch explained why; it was the annual Christmas Dance Contest.
“We might as well not even go inside,” Maggie said, disappointed.
“To hell with that. Come on. We’re dancing tonight, sweetheart. Get ready.”
They held hands, walking quickly to the entrance, some of Justin’s excitement and enthusiasm catching so that now Maggie wondered if that was why she’d felt compelled to practice that afternoon, the rhythm of the music she had listened to matching up with the accordion and scratchboard and violins coming from the building until she felt like swirling around on the dance floor in Justin’s arms.
They didn’t waste any time, either. Justin paid their entrance fee, and numbered banners were pinned to their backs. Holding out his hand for her, he pulled Maggie into an embrace that included pressing his hips right up against hers, sweeping her around the dance floor. It was a first, a hot guy grinding against her, hips to hips, shoulder to shoulder. Within seconds, she could feel his hard penis up against her, his arms wrapped around her like he was going to have sex with her right on the dance floor.
“It’s not just their dancing,” someone whispered. “Look at that couple. Hot!”
Dave got home from work after seven with an attitude that had taken a one-hundred-eighty-degree switch. It didn’t take long for Amber to see that he was agitated about something.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” she asked, following him into her bedroom.
“No. I want to go out