Seth grinned at her, though she could see a flash of pain in his eyes. He didn’t really want to leave. Maybe neither of them did.
“It’s your night, Gentry. You keep the bottle,” he said sweetly. “By the way, just in case you wake up tomorrow with an urge to start exploring, I’m off on Sundays.”
“Really?” she perked up.
He nodded and gave her a wink. “I’ll call you.”
And with that, the men of her dreams disappeared into the night, leaving Gentry alone with a bottle of champagne and a head full of swirling, confusing, naughty thoughts.
11
Seth
Seth’s black running shoes hit the pavement in perfect rhythm, his muscular arms pumping at his sides. He drew in a deep breath of fresh air, feeling the morning calm rush over him. It was Sunday, his day off, and he was not the type to sleep in. He loved rising before dawn to get started on a workout, especially on a beautiful day like this one. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon as Seth bounded down the street. This was a moment before the honking traffic and crowded sidewalks took over. Seth could revel in the thrill of adrenaline in his veins, his muscles coming to life as he worked his body hard. He pushed his tempo, always trying to be better than yesterday.
His pecs and abs glistened with a fine sheen of sweat as he ran. Despite the brutal pace, Seth’s breathing was slow and regulated. As a police officer, he was expected to maintain a certain level of athleticism. But Seth went way beyond the minimum. He held himself to a different standard, his own. He didn’t just want to be the best on the force, he wanted to be the best version of himself. Not to mention the fact that his killer workouts kept him in supremely good shape, which boosted his player status. Seth didn’t need to chase; women were drawn to him and his flawless physique.
But today, all he could think about was one woman in particular: Gentry.
They’d had such a good time last night, but not nearly long enough. Linc had cut their evening short, and today Seth was determined to get back that precious one-on-one time with her. He wanted to woo her, even though he knew that his feelings for her were different. He didn’t just want to charm her, he wanted to protect her. He wanted to give her everything.
They barely knew each other, but it was like he’d known her soul for years. He remembered his parting words to her last night about meeting up today. Seth decided he would give her a call in a couple hours, just in case she was still sleeping. He wondered what she looked like right then. He could almost picture her, brown eyes closed and dark hair falling across the pillow while the morning light filtered in to kiss her cheeks.
Oh yeah. He was definitely going to give her a call.
Almost on cue, his biometric watch started buzzing with a phone call, coming from the office. “Malone,” he answered as he slowed to a halt.
“Sorry to bother you on your day off, but I wanted to let you know I located that file you were looking for,” was the curt, lightly accented reply.
Seth smiled. “Thanks, Maria. We’ll meet up tomorrow to go over the information.”
“Okay, sir. See youmañana,” she said, and promptly hung up.
Seth looked at his phone watch for a moment in contemplation. He was eager to dig into the case building around Miami Blues, not only for the thrill and satisfaction of solving a case, but because it was getting personal. Gentry seemed to be an unaware or at least unwilling pawn in the game, and Seth wanted to keep her safe, whatever that took. But that was a problem for Monday. For now, he intended to show her a good time, feel out that attraction between them to see if it burned as brightly when they were alone together.
Seth finished his run and returned home to lift weights and take a shower. After a couple hours had passed and the sun was high in the sky, Seth took out his phone and called Gentry. His heart thumped hard as the line rang. Once, twice, three times. Then, she picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Gentry. It’s Seth Malone.”
“Oh! Wow, hi!” she chirped excitedly.
“What are you doing today?” he asked.
“Well, I have a gig tonight at the Blues, but other than that…” She trailed off.
“Good. Put on a bathing suit and I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” Seth directed.
She was silent for a moment, then giggled. “Is that an order, officer?”
His cock twitched at her sexy, sweet, submissive tone. Damn.
“Yes, ma’am. See you soon,” he said, and hung up.
Twenty minutes later, Seth’s silver convertible pulled up outside her apartment and he watched with glee as she came bounding down the stairs. She looked absolutely divine in a flowy white dress over a pastel yellow floral bikini and strappy sandals. She hurried over to his car and he hopped out to get the door for her.
“What a gentleman,” she said.