is my first time in a hot-air balloon, too.”
“Really?” I reply with a note of surprise. Given Seth’s resources and sense of adventure, I wouldn’t have guessed that he was a virgin ballooner. “So, where’d you get the idea?”
I feel his shrug at my back. “You. Listening to you talk. You belong up here, Wil.”
My head rests against his chest while I gaze at the setting sun. And it’s so quiet, I swear I hear the moment that great orb hits the curve of the earth, unfurling into a thousand ribbons of yellows, oranges, and reds. “Amazing, isn’t it?” Silence. “Seth?” I tip my head up to see he’s not at all looking at the spectacular horizon.
He’s watching me.
I swallow. “This must’ve cost a small fortune. And you’re missing it.”
“You’re happy?” he asks. “I mean, really happy?” His heart is racing, prodding mine to do the same.
“ More than happy,” I breathe.
He lowers his head, brushing a featherlight kiss on my lips. My eyes flutter open when Seth draws back. “Then I’m not missing anything. Because from right here”—he purposefully gazes down at me—“the view is perfect.”
We arrive at Absinthe just as the opening act leaves the stage. Seth and I are inching our way through the packed crowd.
The air is thick with warring body sprays and pheromones. Nomadic eyes flit from person to person in split-second dismissals or appraisals; the judgments are instantaneous and binding.
Seth shouts or nods or lifts his chin to a number of people as we pass. Never once does he let go of my hand, not until we reach our destination in front of the stage.
“Thanks, man.” Seth claps the back of a beefy guy holding a spot for us.
“No sweat. Nice to get out from behind the bar and into the action.” It’s Nico. I’d recognize those prolific sideburns anywhere. “You see Tessa? Girl is on the prowl tonight.” He whistles through his teeth. “Jesus H, wait’ll you see what she’s wear—”
“Uh, Nico,” Seth coughs. “You remember Wil, right?” He reaches back, pulling me in front of him through the crowd.
“Hello again,” I say.
Nico blinks and quickly recovers with a predatory grin. “Please, Seth, I never forget a pretty face.” He grins a little wider. “Sugar, you sure you’re with the right Walker?”
And…I’m so stunned I can’t articulate a response.
Seth slugs his arm.
Nico chuckles, rubbing his bicep. “Ow, hey, I’m just yanking your chain. Besides, Grant was the one who gave the green light to give her whatever she wanted at the bar. When I saw ’em dancing, I figured they were together. It’s not like he makes the rounds like he use—”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Seth’s tone is arctic.
Nico’s grin holds, but his eyes have gone flat and hard. “Yeah, I do. But lemme give you a little advice, friend. Ease up. You don’t do jealous; don’t start now.”
Seth’s posture remains ramrod even after Nico’s disappeared into the throng of bodies around us. And it’s ridiculously trivial, but my mind’s tripping over the fact that Grant bought the ginger ale, which means…Could Seth’s sudden departure last Sunday have been provoked… by Grant ?
The silence hangs between us. It’s gotten louder in the club, but somehow our silence is all I hear. I need to get us back on track.
Banishing Nico’s idiotic words, I lace my fingers in Seth’s and pull him closer. “I thought we were having a great time. Is my company boring you already?”
Seth’s mouth twitches.
Bingo.
He motions me closer. Blood thrums in my veins as his lips hover at my ear. “You and boring don’t share space in the same universe.”
I’m about to object. As a matter of fact, I can be quite boring. Like when I get sucked into a special on the Discovery Channel, and sit catatonic on the couch with a bag of potato chips that disappear faster than a falling star from the sky.
The emcee’s voice cuts through the crowd’s
“Really?” I reply with a note of surprise. Given Seth’s resources and sense of adventure, I wouldn’t have guessed that he was a virgin ballooner. “So, where’d you get the idea?”
I feel his shrug at my back. “You. Listening to you talk. You belong up here, Wil.”
My head rests against his chest while I gaze at the setting sun. And it’s so quiet, I swear I hear the moment that great orb hits the curve of the earth, unfurling into a thousand ribbons of yellows, oranges, and reds. “Amazing, isn’t it?” Silence. “Seth?” I tip my head up to see he’s not at all looking at the spectacular horizon.
He’s watching me.
I swallow. “This must’ve cost a small fortune. And you’re missing it.”
“You’re happy?” he asks. “I mean, really happy?” His heart is racing, prodding mine to do the same.
“ More than happy,” I breathe.
He lowers his head, brushing a featherlight kiss on my lips. My eyes flutter open when Seth draws back. “Then I’m not missing anything. Because from right here”—he purposefully gazes down at me—“the view is perfect.”
We arrive at Absinthe just as the opening act leaves the stage. Seth and I are inching our way through the packed crowd.
The air is thick with warring body sprays and pheromones. Nomadic eyes flit from person to person in split-second dismissals or appraisals; the judgments are instantaneous and binding.
Seth shouts or nods or lifts his chin to a number of people as we pass. Never once does he let go of my hand, not until we reach our destination in front of the stage.
“Thanks, man.” Seth claps the back of a beefy guy holding a spot for us.
“No sweat. Nice to get out from behind the bar and into the action.” It’s Nico. I’d recognize those prolific sideburns anywhere. “You see Tessa? Girl is on the prowl tonight.” He whistles through his teeth. “Jesus H, wait’ll you see what she’s wear—”
“Uh, Nico,” Seth coughs. “You remember Wil, right?” He reaches back, pulling me in front of him through the crowd.
“Hello again,” I say.
Nico blinks and quickly recovers with a predatory grin. “Please, Seth, I never forget a pretty face.” He grins a little wider. “Sugar, you sure you’re with the right Walker?”
And…I’m so stunned I can’t articulate a response.
Seth slugs his arm.
Nico chuckles, rubbing his bicep. “Ow, hey, I’m just yanking your chain. Besides, Grant was the one who gave the green light to give her whatever she wanted at the bar. When I saw ’em dancing, I figured they were together. It’s not like he makes the rounds like he use—”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Seth’s tone is arctic.
Nico’s grin holds, but his eyes have gone flat and hard. “Yeah, I do. But lemme give you a little advice, friend. Ease up. You don’t do jealous; don’t start now.”
Seth’s posture remains ramrod even after Nico’s disappeared into the throng of bodies around us. And it’s ridiculously trivial, but my mind’s tripping over the fact that Grant bought the ginger ale, which means…Could Seth’s sudden departure last Sunday have been provoked… by Grant ?
The silence hangs between us. It’s gotten louder in the club, but somehow our silence is all I hear. I need to get us back on track.
Banishing Nico’s idiotic words, I lace my fingers in Seth’s and pull him closer. “I thought we were having a great time. Is my company boring you already?”
Seth’s mouth twitches.
Bingo.
He motions me closer. Blood thrums in my veins as his lips hover at my ear. “You and boring don’t share space in the same universe.”
I’m about to object. As a matter of fact, I can be quite boring. Like when I get sucked into a special on the Discovery Channel, and sit catatonic on the couch with a bag of potato chips that disappear faster than a falling star from the sky.
The emcee’s voice cuts through the crowd’s
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