Chapter 10

SETH

Indie lifted the tendrils of hair from her heated neck, making Seth swallow a groan. He had picked her up at her apartment two hours before and could barely say a word. She looked ~amazing~.

The soft yellow and deep orange pattern on her dress highlighted her soft creamy skin and golden eyes.

The three-quarter sleeve left her wrists tantalizingly bare, and Seth decided to focus on that rather than the way the snug-fitting bodice hugged her ample…

Or the way the flouncy skirt flirted with her calves, tempting him to run his fingers over those sleek lines.

He appreciated the fact that she wore little makeup, just enough to frame her long lashes and moisten her plump lips, finishing her classic appearance.

Then there was her hair. He couldn’t tell where the intricate braid started or ended, but the investigator in him was intrigued enough to want to find out.

And there they were, twirling around on the dance floor. She was a good sport, following his steps as he guided her through the country shuffle.

He loved the fact that when he spun her around, her skirt swirled up around her thighs, giving him an ample view of her creamy skin.

It drove him crazy when she blushed and tried to tug the hem down. He bit back a smile as he executed some steps, allowing the dress to settle before pulling her into another spin.

She yelped as he pulled her against his chest, her hands flat on his shoulders to support her weight, the look in her eyes changing from surprise to suspicion.

“You’re doing it deliberately!” she accused.

“Am I?” he asked innocently. She narrowed her eyes at him as he slowed their pace to Brett Eldredge’s “Wanna Be That Song.”

He placed his hands on her waist and she slid her arms around his neck. Looking down at her, Seth realized that ~he~ wanted to be the song that made her feel like she belonged.

He closed his eyes as he breathed in her scent, feeling her surrounding him.

It was so easy to be with her, and he realized that besides Felicity, he had not told anyone that he had been married a lifetime ago.

Indie made him want to share his life with her, and he didn’t want to keep anything from her.

She made him ~want ~to be naughty again, something he hadn’t felt since he was eighteen.

She made him want to smile and laugh and relax. She made him feel alive and wanting to enjoy that sensation.

“What are you thinking?” she asked softly, her thumb stroking his jaw.

“What makes you think I’m thinking anything?” he countered.

She smiled. “Your eyes are very expressive. They go light when you’re playful, and darker when…you’re…not…,” she finished with a flush.

“And what do you think I’m thinking now?” He loved teasing her.

Indie drew in a sharp breath as she looked at him, her cheeks flushing bright pink. “Whatever you’re thinking about is not safe for a public place…”

“That seems to be a permanent situation with you around,” he said with a laugh, giving in to temptation and giving her a firm kiss. “Thank you.”

“For what?” She blinked at him in confusion.

“I haven’t laughed this much in a long time. It’s only been with Amelia lately.”

She stroked his jaw again as she looked at him, her eyes warm with compassion. “I’m glad if I can do that for you.”

“I can think of a few things you do that make me feel good,” he murmured.

“Seth!” she gasped, making him laugh again.

They danced more after they had some dinner, and only left when the cozy bar started to empty. He readily accepted her offer of coffee when he pulled up at her apartment.

“Make yourself comfortable. I’m just going to change while the coffee is brewing,” she offered as they got inside and removed their jackets.

“Um, sure,” Seth said, clearing his throat of its sudden constriction. He needed to keep a rein on his runaway thoughts!

“Seth Marshall, are you blushing?” He spun around in shock. He hadn’t realized that she hadn’t left the room yet.

“No!” he protested. “Men don’t blush!”

“Keep telling yourself that,” she said with a laugh as she left the room.

***

“The snow’s really coming down now,” Indie said as she brought them more coffee two hours later.

She had changed into comfortable yoga pants and a sweater, allowing Seth a moment of relief at her choice of clothing as she settled next to him on the sofa.

They had flicked through several channels before settling on a feel-good Christmas movie, agreeing on the fact that Lacey Chabert was the best actress in the genre.

Indie put her head on his shoulder, balancing her cup carefully as they watched the end of the movie.

“Amelia is a beautiful little girl,” Indie said.

“She’s very special,” he agreed, feeling his heart melt at the thought of his niece. “I’m just glad I’m getting to spend so much time with her.”

“It can’t be easy with your job.”

“It’s not, but her mom and I make it work.” He took a sip of coffee. “They moved back to Kansas about a year ago, but things happened, and Sarah needed a place to stay.

“The obvious solution was for them to move in with me. We schedule our shifts so that one of us is home with Elli.

“It’s not always easy, with Sarah being a chef and me being in law enforcement.”

“Well, if it helps, you guys are free to rope me in. And I know Grace would be happy to help.”

“Grace?” he asked in shock.

“She’s great with kids, despite her gruff exterior,” Indie defended her friend.

He laughed. “~Gruff exterior~? The woman is downright prickly!”

“She might resemble an overripe pineapple on the outside, but once you get past that thick skin, she is the most honest, loyal, and best friend you can find.”

“Tell me about the role Grace Li has played in your life,” Seth said quietly, resting his head against hers as she told him about her friend.

SETH

Seth woke up to the ringing of his phone and the weak winter sun shining through Indie’s living room curtains.

Sometime in the night, they had shifted until they were in a spooning position, Indie lying tightly against him, her full, delectable bottom flush against his responding body.

He disentangled his arm from her waist and reached to the end table for the offending instrument.

He glanced at the screen and was relieved to see that it was still early and that he could spend a little more time cuddling with her.

The relief was short-lived, though, because he recognized the local number and wasn’t too pleased with the early morning intrusion.

“Answer it,” Indie moaned in her sleep, shifting her bottom more snugly against him, making him want to answer another call instead.

“Marshall,” he grumbled into the phone.

“This is El Dorado Correctional Facility. Would you be willing to take a call?”

There was only one person from that address. Seth didn’t hesitate. “No.”

Indie turned to him when he cut off the call. “Remind me to never cross you on a good day.”

“I doubt you could ~ever~ do anything to match that.”

To distract her, he started kissing her and smiled with satisfaction when she moaned as she pushed her hands into his hair.

“Ohhh…” Seth felt his blood heat at the sound of her response. “Ohhh, Seth. Unlike you, I can’t laze in bed till the afternoon. I have a shop to open.”

He laughed as he gently sucked at her pulse point. “Fine. I’ll leave you in peace. Go slave at your shop, milady, and I will see you later, all dressed up in my fine armor.”

He loved the way she laughed. Unrestrained and full, the sound came from her stomach.

Then she narrowed her eyes as she looked at him.

“On a serious note, I have a confession,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“The first time you came to my shop with that vest thing, I didn’t think you’d be able to fit through my door.”

“Seriously?” He could feel his eyes widen with shock. “I’m not ~that~ wide!”

“Keep believing that, Mr. Twig,” she sniped over her shoulder as she disappeared down the hall to her bedroom.