Several minutes later, Gia looked up toward the end of How to Catch a Star to see Seth leaning against the entryway, watching her broodingly. For once, she’d caught him in an unguarded moment. She paused, her mouth falling open when she took in his expression. It was some strange combination of conflict, frustration, longing . . .
. . . And heat.
For some reason, seeing his feelings so clearly on his face acted like a lit match to her own emotions. All the uncertainty she’d experienced after they’d made each other burn in the movie theater flamed high inside her once again.
“Jessie, you’re a godsend,” Katie said, walking into the room. Seth straightened, his expression going stony. Katie looked back at him. “He’s so good with kids.”
“Yeah. He is,” Seth muttered, holding Gia’s stare.
“Mommy and Daddy will finish the star book with you. It’s bedtime, Daisy girl,” Katie said, lifting her daughter into her arms.
“No, Jessie,” Daisy said, stretching her arms out to Gia.
“You’ve made quite the impression,” Katie told Gia approvingly. She turned back to Daisy. “Daddy will start your book over from the beginning. That’s two whole readings of the star book,” Katie bargained.
“No.”
“Those are the terms. Do you want to say good night to Jessie and Uncle Seth?”
Daisy bumped her cheek against her mother’s chest, an adorable scowl on her face.
“We should be going anyway,” Seth said, stepping fully into the room. Gia stood up from the couch. “Thanks, Katie, the dinner was delicious.”
“Oh, please, don’t go yet. It won’t take us long at all. Rill reads really fast,” Katie mouthed over her daughter’s head. “I wanted to talk to you about the birthday gift I’m thinking of getting Joy, and I need an artist’s opinion.”
Seth agreed.
“Don’t pout, Daisy. Don’t you want to thank Uncle Seth again for the Daisy-kin?” Daisy hesitated, but then turned suddenly, her arms extended toward Seth. He leaned down and received a wet kiss on his cheek. He twitched a pigtail fondly. Seth looked like he thought the kiss more than adequate payment for his pumpkin carving. Gia said good night to the sleepy-looking, too-cute little girl.
She looked up at Seth once they were alone in the living room.
“What were you thinking?” Gia whispered.
“When?” he asked blankly.
“When you watched me reading to Daisy a little bit ago.”
His mouth slanted. “Nothing,” he said, but she knew he was lying.
In the distance, she heard Rill’s deep voice. She exhaled in frustration. “Right. Nothing. Just like you weren’t thinking anything in particular in the theater today.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, an edge to his tone.
She threw him a dark glance, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. Volatile. From Seth’s sudden fierce expression, she guessed he was too.
“Come here,” he said quietly, grabbing her hand. He led her through the kitchen and opened the front door, pulling her onto the front porch. Even through her sudden storm of uncertainty, Gia acknowledged it was a beautiful night. She inhaled a breath of cool, crisp, leaf-scented air.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her once they stood on the porch steps, millions of stars sparkling above their heads.
“I don’t know exactly,” she said honestly in a choked voice. “Why did you do that? Why did you seduce me in that movie theater?”
“Because I wanted you. Why do you think?” he bit out quietly. He paused and turned to her midway down the steps, still holding her hand. Gia pulled it from his hold.
“It was like you were trying to . . . tell me something. Prove something,” she hissed. She felt strangely out of control and embarrassed about it. Why had her unrest chosen that moment to break free? It had something to do with the unguarded conflict she’d seen on his face as he’d watched her reading to Daisy.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said with infuriating calmness.
“Don’t give me that shit. I know you don’t like actresses, but it’s like . . . it’s like you’re mad at me for being one. It’s like you wanted to trump my job. That’s what you were doing in that theater!”