Chapter Nine #3
She adjusted the scope, guiding it carefully. “There!” she said. “I think that’s it! Come look.” Andrea moved her face away from the telescope, her face lit up in wonder.
He stood beside her, and peered into the scope, where a small cluster of stars was visible through the viewfinder, shimmering like fine jewels on velvet. It was a faint, distant glow, but as his eyes adjusted, the stars slowly took form. “They’re all there,” he said. “All seven.”
“Huh,” she said, her breath catching. “Can I look again?”
He moved away from the scope, but enjoyed staying close as she peered through again. “You’re right,” she said.
“Are you going to make a wish or something?” he asked. He knew what he wanted from the universe. He ached to kiss her.
Andrea laughed. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Sounds like a rare sighting. Aren’t you supposed to wish on stars?”
Andrea raised an eyebrow. “I’m a scientist, remember? We don’t do wishes, or luck or anything like that.”
Seth grinned, leaning in a little closer. “Alright, no wishes, then. Shall we find something else?”
Then Andrea turned to him again. “Thank you again for taking me here,” she murmured.
Seth’s heart skipped a beat. Now that he knew what it was like to make her happy, it was all he wanted to do. Desire flared within him, and the way her eyes sparkled told him he wasn’t alone in feeling the pull.
Without thinking, he reached out, his fingers brushing hers before he gently took her hand in his. He paused, waiting, the quiet of the night wrapping around them like a cocoon.
To his delight, Andrea’s hand responded, warm and sure, clasping his in return. Their eyes met, and in that fleeting moment, something unspoken passed between them. Before he could fully process it, Andrea tilted her chin up, and instinctively, Seth leaned down, closing the distance between them.
Their lips met in a kiss—soft, tender and full of promise.
Her lips were honey-sweet, and the scent of her perfume, or shampoo, or whatever it was, tangled with his senses and made his heart pound. Their lips moved together, and when he felt her tongue enter the mix, he grunted with pure satisfaction.
Seth hooked his arm around Andrea’s waist, tugging her close and reveling in the feeling of her firm breasts pressed up against his chest. She responded by gripping his bicep and let out a small gasp when he moved his lips from hers and began kissing the soft skin on the side of her neck.
Kissing Andrea was more than a treat. It felt like a gift. And while he knew he was unworthy, he was relishing every moment of grazing his fingertips down the small of her back and drawing in breaths of the vanilla sweetness of her skin.
He took a moment to look at her, eager to take in the sight of her stunning face for another moment, and was surprised when she pulled back, her eyes swimming with a mixture of desire and trepidation. “Everything okay?” he asked, his words coming out deep and raspy.
“We should go,” Andrea whispered, then bit her lip and looked away. “I’m sorry.”
Seth pulled back farther. Had he overstepped? Had he totally mistaken how strongly she’d leaned into his body, and taken his mouth so hungrily?
“I just—I’m not sure I can…” She stopped, and her eyes flashed with confusion. “I don’t know if I can do this right now.”
Disappointment rippled through him. “Of course,” Seth said. “I’m sorry if I—”
“You don’t need to apologize,” she said quickly.
“I liked that. A lot.” Her cheeks flushed, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Too much, maybe. And that scares me. I just need to think things through.” She reached out and gripped his hand, her touch again igniting something deep within him. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.
Seth softened. She was still hurting from her last relationship.
Something like that would take some time, and he could understand that.
“It’s alright,” he said. “But if you ever find yourself ready, I’m right here.
” Now that he knew what Andrea smelled like, tasted like, how she felt in his arms…
there was no chance in hell he’d be going anywhere.
* * *
It was all she could do to pull herself away from the perfection of Seth’s embrace, but even though every last cell in her body urged to her continue, there was still a niggling doubt in her mind that caused her to separate her lips from Seth’s.
“Ready to head out?”
“Sure.”
Seth led her to the door, their hands still lightly touching. The silence between them was comfortable, but laced with tension.
“Thanks for being patient with me,” she said softly as they stepped out into the cool night air, the door clicking softly behind them.
“Anything you need,” said Seth.
Andrea slid into the passenger seat of Seth’s SUV.
They still had a long drive ahead of them—an hour charged with the energy that had been ignited, but not fully explored.
She gazed out the window, her thoughts swirling.
She’d nearly let herself fall headfirst, but she couldn’t afford to make that same mistake again. Not this time.
The engine rumbled, Seth flicked on the headlights and guided them back to the road.
Seth cleared his throat. “Where’d you learn all that about the constellations?” he asked, turning onto the highway.
Andrea relaxed a bit in her seat. Thankfully, Seth wasn’t going to let it be weird, but she had to reach for her words through the thick blanket of attraction that was still threatening to tamp down all rational thought.
“I took all of the astronomy courses I could as my electives in my undergrad,” she said.
“I signed up for this trip over the winter break to the Atacama Desert in Chile. But then I got a wicked case of pneumonia and missed it.”
“So, a bucket list destination now?” he asked.
“Definitely,” said Andrea. “But this was a nice close second.” The stargazing was indeed amazing.
But how much would she regret her decision to pull back on that most perfect of kisses, the soft rumble of Seth’s satisfaction, the warm tingle of his breath and light stubble against her skin?
She looked sideways at the sharpness of his jaw lit up by the glow of the SUV’s dashboard, his strong hand resting on the gearshift.
“A close second?” Seth grinned. “I’m glad.”
He’d wait for her, he said. How long would he wait? A man this handsome? This thoughtful, strong and patient? Probably not long. But she wouldn’t rush herself. She couldn’t. In the meantime, she had to get to know him better.
“How about you?” she asked. “What’s a bucket list trip for you?” She felt silly right after saying it. Clearly what had just happened was messing with her head. The Taylors had probably traveled all over the world, and Seth could afford a first-class ticket to any part of the globe.
“I’m not a great traveler, to be honest,” Seth said. “Planes kind of freak me out.”
Andrea smiled to herself at the idea that this tough rancher would have an issue getting on a plane. “So, more of a road trip kind of guy?”
“Exactly,” he said.
She pictured packing up his SUV, and driving south to California, whipping down Highway 1 and making stops in some of her favorite places, like Santa Barbara and Carmel-by-the-Sea.
“Our family didn’t do too much traveling when we were kids, with the ranch and all. Which, honestly, was probably for the best. My dad’s not the easiest person to be around.”
“What do you mean?” said Andrea.
“He’s a bit of a… How do I say it? He’s not the kind of guy who likes being challenged. And he’s always right, no matter how wrong he is. To be honest, all my siblings have had to have each other’s backs to survive our dad.”
“What about your mom?”
“She’s a saint. But I sometimes wished she’d stand up to him a bit more.
I guess she did, recently, when my dad wasn’t doling out unconditional love when Daniel brought up his boyfriend.
” Seth shrugged. “But she could do better. I get it, though. Relationships are tough. And through it all, my mom loves her kids more than anything in the world, so putting up with him and his bullcrap is part of the deal, I suppose.”
Andrea considered his words carefully. She knew people made compromises in relationships, but what Seth described felt strikingly one-sided.
Was it a total red flag that a man like that had been the dominant role model in his life?
Still, the fact that Seth could see the flaws gave her some reassurance.
“How about your family?” Seth asked.
“Not much to speak of,” said Andrea. “My parents are both gone. I was an only child, and my only aunt and uncle live on the East Coast.”
“I can’t imagine a life with no siblings,” Seth said. “They drive me crazy sometimes, but over the years I’ve come to see them as an important part of my life.”
Andrea smiled faintly. The Taylors sounded messy, sure—but what family wasn’t? It struck her, though, how honestly Seth spoke about them. He didn’t shy away from the hard truths, yet his words carried an unmistakable affection. That kind of balance, she thought, said a lot about him.
When they approached the turnoff to her ranch, Seth lowered the already quiet volume on the stereo.
“Listen,” he began, his voice warm and steady, “I know you’re not feeling ready to get into anything serious.
And I can respect that. But I hope you’ll still consider spending some time together tomorrow night.
At the Hoedown.” He glanced her way briefly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I think it’ll be fun.”
Andrea turned to look at him, catching the moment his gaze flickered from the road.
His blue eyes were as inviting as a summer sky, filled with something that made her heart stir.
Maybe it was time to trust her instincts again.
Seth had been perfect all night. Thoughtful, open, kind, attentive.
The memory of his lips brushing hers sent a shiver through her, leaving her both exhilarated and terrified of what it might mean to let him in.
One step at a time, she told herself.
“Alright,” she said softly, as he pulled up the driveway in front of the ranch. “I’ll see you there.”
She half expected him to offer to pick her up, or walk to her door, but instead she looked over and found him looking at her, his eyes filled with warmth, and something else—restraint.
There was no denying that he wanted to kiss her again just as much as she ached to press her lips against his once more.
“I very much enjoyed tonight, Andrea,” he said. “You have a good night.”
Wishing him a good night in return and stepping out of his vehicle felt like the hardest thing she’d done all night, but she did it. It might not have been the easiest decision, but it didn’t feel wrong either.
Seth was waiting for her. And she would be with him again in less than twenty-four hours, a prospect that felt as promising as a cup of cold water at a marathon finish line.
That counted for something.