expression decidedly peeved. “She went to the bathroom again. But it’s about time you remembered your own daughter. I thought we were supposed to be helping her tonight. Not drooling over random men.”
Erin was so flabbergasted her words stuck in her throat. She was barely dancing anymore, but Seth was holding her too tightly for her to pull away. “I was not drooling. I didn’t do anything that would damage your reputation. I was just having a nice time—”
“I’m not worried about my reputation,” Seth gritted out, so tense now a muscle in his cheek was fluttering. “And I know what a nice time you were having. I saw it myself—even if you hadn’t already told me four times.”
Suddenly, Erin understood what was happening. Part of it had been obvious from the beginning, but the realization of why it was happening finally hit home with her.
“Seth?” she gasped. “Seth, are you actually jealous?”
Seth glared at her in chilly silence.
A burst of laughter caught in her throat and ended up forcing its way out in snorts and shakes. Erin tried to restrain her amusement—if only to protect Seth’s pride—but there was no way she could stop the laughter once it had started.
Soon she was trying to stifle her howls of hilarity against Seth’s shoulder. She pressed her face into his dark suit, gasping, wheezing, and shaking.
Finally, Seth bit out, “If you’d care to control your mockery, we could attempt to continue an adult conversation.”
“An adult conversation?” Erin rasped, finally pulling her face up and peering up into Seth’s stiff face. “Is that what you call this? We’ve been together for over sixteen years and you’re jealous because I was dancing with another man?”
“You weren’t just dancing with him,” Seth insisted thickly. “You looked …You looked…” He seemed lost for a word to describe it. “…happy.”
Erin stopped laughing, understanding what Seth was trying to say no matter how ungracefully he’d said it. “Oh, Seth,” she said with a long exhale, “I was happy.” Before Seth could withdraw into defensiveness, she explained, “It’s nice to sometimes feel like I’m more than just my family.”
Seth’s shoulders tightened under her hands, but he just watched her face intently.
“Not that I don’t want to be with my family. But it’s nice to feel like I’m just a woman too.”
“And I don’t make you feel that way?”
Erin stroked up until she had his face her hands. “Seth, you make me feel like your wife.” When she felt him start to pull away, she didn’t let go. “That’s not a complaint. I am your wife. I want to be your wife. I want you to always make me feel like your wife. Nothing makes me happier than that. But it’s nice to know I’m still kind of interesting to people who don’t love me the way you do.”
Seth held her gaze and his face softened almost imperceptibly. He was an intelligent man and an insightful one. He understood what she was trying to say. But all he said was, “Next time, would you mind feeling interesting with someone less obnoxious than Bennani?”
“But I like Mark,” Erin insisted, wrapping her arms tightly around her husband’s neck and nestling against him.
Seth made another growling noise and groped her far more blatantly than Mark ever had.
With a giggle, Erin pressed a kiss onto the side of Seth’s neck. “I can’t believe you were actually jealous.”
“Is this going to be another one of those things that results in sustained mockery?” he asked with a groan.
“Of course. But if you’re good—and if you keep growling so deliciously—later tonight, I might let you…” She trailed off on purpose, pitching her tone provocatively.
“You might let me what?” Seth’s voice thickened again, and he pressed her pelvis suggestively against his.
A shiver of anticipation was running through Erin’s spine when her eyes happened to land on her daughter, who had stopped on her way
Erin was so flabbergasted her words stuck in her throat. She was barely dancing anymore, but Seth was holding her too tightly for her to pull away. “I was not drooling. I didn’t do anything that would damage your reputation. I was just having a nice time—”
“I’m not worried about my reputation,” Seth gritted out, so tense now a muscle in his cheek was fluttering. “And I know what a nice time you were having. I saw it myself—even if you hadn’t already told me four times.”
Suddenly, Erin understood what was happening. Part of it had been obvious from the beginning, but the realization of why it was happening finally hit home with her.
“Seth?” she gasped. “Seth, are you actually jealous?”
Seth glared at her in chilly silence.
A burst of laughter caught in her throat and ended up forcing its way out in snorts and shakes. Erin tried to restrain her amusement—if only to protect Seth’s pride—but there was no way she could stop the laughter once it had started.
Soon she was trying to stifle her howls of hilarity against Seth’s shoulder. She pressed her face into his dark suit, gasping, wheezing, and shaking.
Finally, Seth bit out, “If you’d care to control your mockery, we could attempt to continue an adult conversation.”
“An adult conversation?” Erin rasped, finally pulling her face up and peering up into Seth’s stiff face. “Is that what you call this? We’ve been together for over sixteen years and you’re jealous because I was dancing with another man?”
“You weren’t just dancing with him,” Seth insisted thickly. “You looked …You looked…” He seemed lost for a word to describe it. “…happy.”
Erin stopped laughing, understanding what Seth was trying to say no matter how ungracefully he’d said it. “Oh, Seth,” she said with a long exhale, “I was happy.” Before Seth could withdraw into defensiveness, she explained, “It’s nice to sometimes feel like I’m more than just my family.”
Seth’s shoulders tightened under her hands, but he just watched her face intently.
“Not that I don’t want to be with my family. But it’s nice to feel like I’m just a woman too.”
“And I don’t make you feel that way?”
Erin stroked up until she had his face her hands. “Seth, you make me feel like your wife.” When she felt him start to pull away, she didn’t let go. “That’s not a complaint. I am your wife. I want to be your wife. I want you to always make me feel like your wife. Nothing makes me happier than that. But it’s nice to know I’m still kind of interesting to people who don’t love me the way you do.”
Seth held her gaze and his face softened almost imperceptibly. He was an intelligent man and an insightful one. He understood what she was trying to say. But all he said was, “Next time, would you mind feeling interesting with someone less obnoxious than Bennani?”
“But I like Mark,” Erin insisted, wrapping her arms tightly around her husband’s neck and nestling against him.
Seth made another growling noise and groped her far more blatantly than Mark ever had.
With a giggle, Erin pressed a kiss onto the side of Seth’s neck. “I can’t believe you were actually jealous.”
“Is this going to be another one of those things that results in sustained mockery?” he asked with a groan.
“Of course. But if you’re good—and if you keep growling so deliciously—later tonight, I might let you…” She trailed off on purpose, pitching her tone provocatively.
“You might let me what?” Seth’s voice thickened again, and he pressed her pelvis suggestively against his.
A shiver of anticipation was running through Erin’s spine when her eyes happened to land on her daughter, who had stopped on her way
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