“It does sound rather nice.”He rubbed at the black stubble along his jaw as he thought about it.
And I may have briefly gotten distracted with the way his muscles flexed underneath his dark skin.How was it possible for a guy to make the smallest movement look like the hottest thing ever?Didn’t make sense at all.Their bodies were just built so differently from a girl’s.
Seth continued, not noticing how he was so easily flexing.“The thought of being able to do the projects I want, it’s exciting.Right now, I’m a grunt man.I lift things.Nail things.Don’t do much.But the idea of putting together a house, planning it out, determining how it’s all going to work out.It’s a puzzle and I want to be the one to solve it.”
“I never thought of it like that,” I admitted.
“Not many do.”
“If there’s one thing you want to build, what would it be?”I asked.
“A hospital.Hands down, I’d want to build a modern hospital big enough to accommodate a trauma center.There are no close trauma centers around here.If someone needs more extensive emergency care, they need to use a helicopter to get to the nearest one.I’d love to work with the towns and figure out the needs and build one here.”
“That actually sounds really impressive.”
“Yeah, which is why I’m trying to learn more than the structure of a house.I can build that with my eyes closed at this point.”
“Bored already?”
“No, I like building houses and knowing I’m a part of something that is going to become a home.That I’m able to help build a foundation to people’s lives.But I still want to do more.”
I scooted closer, finding the small of his back with my hand and rubbed soothing circles over it.“This is why you’re amazing,” I said.Gathering my courage, I leaned up and kissed his jaw.
He quickly captured my lips with his.Our kiss was sweet and when I pulled away, I was smiling a little shyly at him.
Seth was grinning back at me, eyes dark with need.Awareness built in my shoulders first and then slowly traveled down my back and through my entire body.I was completely captivated by this man, wanting to be closer to him, to feel him.Luckily, Seth broke the spell, turning back to the sink where he was seasoning chicken in a huge bowl.
“It’s not fair that we’re only talking about my future,” he said, his voice a little gruffer than normal.“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“I know you’ve been having trouble figuring out what you want to do, especially with college applications due pretty much any moment.”
“Right,” I said, thinking about the very little I’d done for that.It really was right around the corner, and even Mrs.Odera had reminded me to apply to some music programs.I just couldn’t get myself to do it.She’d even written me a recommendation.
I was still struggling wrapping my head around the fact I had a future I got to choose for myself.
“Do you want to talk it out a little?”he asked, no judgment in his voice.
It helped to calm my thoughts and I nodded in response.
“Okay.Well, what are your interests?What makes you the most happy?”
“Really?You know.”
He shrugged.“Sure, but it helps if you say it out loud.Who knows, maybe suddenly you have a need to dress like a mime and want to join the circus.”
That got a laugh out of me at the pure ridiculousness of it.Seth looked all too proud of his little joke.I rolled my eyes and stared down at the forgotten veggies.I grabbed the knife and went back to carefully not chopping my fingertips off.
“Obviously music has been my life up until now.And I only ever thought it was going to be my future too.It’s hard to break away from that.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Seth said.
I shrugged.“What kind of future do I have in the music industry?I’m not a performer.I don’t even like when I have to perform myself.I do it because I need to rather than because I want the attention it gives me.”
Seth held his hand up.“Teacher, producer, therapist, journalist.Agent.All those have nothing to do with being a performer.”
“Therapist?”
