Sapphire Falls: Going After Indigo (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Rose Silverstone

  “Daddy, would you tell me that I couldn’t do something that I really and truly wanted to do? Would you say no to me meeting my favoritest dancer ever?”

  “Who is this most favorite dancer of yours? Why didn’t I know you liked dance?”

  “Daddy, you’re a boy.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I told a girl. I told Aunt Lou because I knew she would know some things about it.”

  Noah tries not to take that little dig to heart. He is happy she had her aunt to talk to when she needed it. He just wants to be included so he doesn’t feel like he feels. He doesn’t like learning there is something about his little girl he doesn’t know.

  “All right. Who is the dancer?”

  “Ms. Indigo Crystalline. She is from New York and does ballet. I’ve been watching her on YouTube for soooooo long, Daddy. She’s here and she will be teaching at the studio. Please, oh please, will you take me there so I am able to learn from her?”

  The mention of that woman has Noah wanting to immediately say no to his daughter. That wouldn’t be fair to her. It isn’t her fault that the woman she idolizes is rude and … he needs to pay attention to his daughter not think on that woman.

  “I’m sorry, Hay Belle. I won’t be available Wednesday, but I’m sure Louisa will be. She can take you. I don’t mind.”

  “YES! Thank you so much, Daddy. Did you hear that Aunt Lou? I can’t wait.”

  “I heard it. I’ll be happy to take you. Why don’t you go take your school stuff upstairs, honey? I need to ask …”

  That’s all he needs to hear to make a quick exit out the back door. He chuckles as he hears Louisa yell out the side window. The scream the he is a coward makes him laugh even harder.

  He isn’t a coward. Noah considers himself an intelligent man that knows when to duck the hell out. He probably should’ve stayed home if he really wanted to dodge running into the Blonde Blur again.

  6

  Opening

  Indigo

  Perfect! Just bloody perfect! Why did I forget that I hadn’t replaced the spare in my car?” Indigo asks herself as she closes the trunk and leans against it. “Leave it to me to have a blow out and not have everything necessary to fix my damn tire.”

  Pulling out her phone, she starts to dial a number when headlights shine on the front end of her car. The beauty of living in a small town with one major highway is the fact that someone is bound to come along. Indigo practically does a little dance until she sees who the driver is.

  “Crap!” Indigo mutters while waving him on. She turns to face her car hoping that he will keep on driving.

  “Hello, Ms. Crystalline. You need a hand.”

  Indigo faces back toward the man, surprised to learn he knows her last name. She hadn’t left it when she was at his clinic the week prior and she refused to believe this man followed ballet. Dr. Burke did have a little girl. Maybe she’s the one that told him who she is.

  “Did your little girl tell you my last name or your wife?”

  He gives her a curious look before schooling his features. Not before he delivers a sexy smirk that causes her insides to wake up and take notice.

  “You’re accurate in the assumption that my daughter told me your last name and your occupation while in New York and here in Sapphire Falls. You are wrong in assuming that the woman with us was/is my wife. She is my cousin.” He climbs out of the truck and walks around to where she is standing. Assessing the flat tire and the tire iron in her hand, he looks at her and asks his question again. “Do you need some assistance?”

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Thank you, but I’ll be able to get this taken care of all on my own.”

  “Hmm. You looked as if you were happy to see someone pull up a moment ago. That is until you realized it was me.”

  Hearing his voice is doing things to her and she doesn’t appreciate it. She isn’t in Sapphire Falls to find a guy. Her purpose is to keep a low profile, handle her aunt’s estate, and then return to New York when it is safe for her to do so. Nowhere in that plan did it say, meet some sexy doctor in her hometown and start something.

  Her mind begins to wander to all of the things that she could start and finish with him. Damn that Terri. Her New York bestie, Lacey didn’t help either. Both planted all kinds of dirty, lascivious thoughts in her mind. Her needs had to be taken care of on more than one occasion with her special friend that she kept handy for those kinds of situations. In New York, she’d had Rog to handle that burning desire.

  “What are you thinking about there, Dancing Queen?”

  Clearing her throat, she quickly snaps her attention back to him.

  “Nothing. I wasn’t thinking of anything.”

  “Those blue eyes of yours tell a different story, Ms. Crystalline.”

  He takes a step forward and she attempts to step back but can’t because there’s a car there. Duh!

  “What … what are you doing?”

  “I’m guessing what you and I have both been thinking about despite the aggravation with one another.”

  Without another word, his big hands take hold of her face and pull her to him. When their lips meet any protest she may have had is dismissed. Instead, she finds herself lost in his kiss. His lips feel so wonderful against her own. The feeling it conjures starts a burning need to coil inside. His desire to make this kiss more is felt as he presses into her and coaxes her lips to part in order for his tongue to sweep into her awaiting mouth. She doesn’t know which of them moans first but the tremor she feels is all her own.

  His hands begin a downward journey and she begins to reach upward to tangle her hand in his hair. When he reaches her taut nipple and gives it a squeeze, she almost convulses in reaction.

  How long had it been since Roger? Roger. Yes, Roger. The mere thought of his name causes her body to instantly cool. Still, she reluctantly pulls back from the hungry kiss of the man before her.

  “Um … I … hmm. I … I do need something from you. I need a ride home. My … the car … I have a flat tire and no spare.”

  The knowing look on his face makes her want to crawl into a hole and hide.

  “Don’t look at me like that. Whatever! You’re a damn good kisser. Woohoo for you. You had me for a moment. The moment is over. I … what are you doing?”

  His body presses into her again and his hand slides into the front of her jeans. She didn’t think there would be enough room for him to get that big hand of his down there. His fingers glide over her center and she moans. Hearing her reaction to this man is too much. She couldn’t do this, be this person.

  “You were saying?” he says as he pulls his hand out and proceeds to lick the fingers that came into contact with her.

  “I just need a ride home. Besides, you don’t like me any more than I like you. Why would you kiss me?”

  “Why did you let me kiss you?” he counters as he steps away and opens the passenger door of his truck.

  “I didn’t. You practically attacked me. I should have you arrested.”

  “If I attacked you and you didn’t want what I was offering, I’m sure you would’ve put that tire iron to use.”

  Looking down, she notices the damn tool still in her hand. Popping the trunk, she returns the unused tool to its regular spot and walks over to the open door. She wants nothing more than to slam the thing shut and refuse his offer, but she has a crock-pot of food waiting for her.

  Reluctantly, she climbs into the truck. He walks around the vehicle with a hint of humor on his smug face. It doesn’t take them long to arrive at her house. She doesn’t give him a chance to stop the truck before she is unbuckling her seatbelt and reaching for the handle. His big hand grabs hold to her thigh and he pulls the truck into her driveway.

  “Wouldn’t want my daughter’s favorite dance teacher falling out of the cab of my truck and hurting herself.”

  She pointedly looks down at his hand and he releases her. Snatching the door open, she quickly throws a “thank you” over her sh
oulder before slamming the door. When she hears the other door open, she looks over her shoulder to see him walking toward her.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I know you’ve been in the big city for quite some time now, but here in the country we walk women to their doors.”

  “That’s not necessary. I’ll be fine. I appreciate the gesture, but you can go.”

  “What’s the matter, Ms. Crystalline? Is there an issue with me walking you to your door?”

  “No. It’s a nice gesture and all, but unnecessary. I’m perfectly capable of making it safely to the door.”

  Of course, her foot catches on a stone in the walkway in that very moment. Before she pitches too far forward, strong masculine arms wrap themselves around her. In the next moment, she is lifted up into those arms. He carries her to the door.

  When they reach it, she looks up into his brown eyes and can’t help her reaction. Their lips crash together but not for long. His phone rings and he groans.

  Releasing her legs, he allows her to slide down his body. The feel of his hard planes felt good enough for her to want to rain down curses on whoever that was on the phone.

  “You’re safely at your door, Ms. Crystalline. This is my daughter calling me. She’s probably wondering where I am,” he says. The look on his face makes it seem as if there is something more he wants to say, but he shakes his head and chuckles before stepping away from her.

  “Thank you for driving me home, Dr. Burke.”

  “Noah is fine. If you’re going to be teaching my daughter, you may as well call me by my first name.”

  “Right.” Indigo opens her mouth to speak again but he is already climbing into the cab of his truck.

  He’s driving off with a wave before she has her door open. As soon as she closes and locks it behind her, she knows she is deep trouble. How is she supposed to teach his little girl and live in a town with him after having that unfulfilling encounter with him?

  “I just have to keep away from him. That’s the only reasonable option. Nothing more can happen between us.”

  Considering how turned on she is she knows there is no way that is going to be what happens. She is attracted to the man after all. The small town isn’t big enough for the two of them. Her growling stomach reminds her there is a need that demands her current attention. After filling her belly, she’d take care of the need between her thighs.

  * * *

  “Pressure?”

  Indigo looks around at all of the little girls crowding the halls and panic sets in. She can’t believe the turn out for registration with the new dance classes.

  Melinda—her aunt’s former administrative lead—looks at Indigo and takes a deep breath. She’s been doing that for the last hour and a half. It’s Indigo’s reminder to breathe. She is barely hanging on. Her aunt’s studio had four different classes that were taught by some of her Aunt Dinah’s closest friends and colleagues. In taking over the studio, she decided to offer a few more classes than what her aunt had. It turns out there are some talented women right here in Sapphire Falls that were just awaiting the opportunity to flex their skills. After holding open auditions for the new instructor positions, she found four more than willing women and one male. She just about pissed herself when he walked through the front doors.

  Taylor Robinson gave quite a few of the women a run for their money. The fact that he is a straight male has a lot of them falling over themselves to garner his attention. The studio now offers ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and hip hop just to shake things up a bit. The doors opened at nine this morning and the girls poured in with their parents, grandparents, or guardians in tow.

  The older women who’d previously taught classes decided they wanted to move their classes to the afternoon and even talked her into holding a few adult evening classes. Her thoughts when she decided to open the doors at nine were that most of the girls would be at school since it was a school day. She was apparently wrong to think such a thing.

  Indigo came into town with the intent to have a brief stay to look things over at the studio then her plan was to return to her life. It appeared fate had other thoughts. The buzz about her arrival had students flocking to the studio. It almost came to the point of them contemplating turning people away.

  She can’t believe it’s been six days since her arrival. Indigo is actually enjoying herself. Running the studio reminds her of why she was interested in becoming a dancer in the first place. The circumstances that caused her to return to her hometown weren’t the best, but she was making the best of it. Fortunately, for her, she hadn’t had any more major encounters with Dr. Burke. He has to be the formal name to her so she won’t do something stupid.

  She’d called to check on the puppy and informed the woman who answered the phone that the puppy wasn’t hers. Louisa is her name. Apparently, Dr. Burke’s little girl had taken to the puppy. Indigo was happy to inform the woman that they were free to take ownership of the pup.

  Noah’s … Dr. Burke’s daughter is in one of the other classes. She still hadn’t seen her for herself. Her age has her placed in a class Indigo wasn’t teaching. The fact that some of the teachers kept going on about how much the little girl looked like her had piqued her curiosity, but she’d been too busy that day to make a determination for herself. Still, the first day of them opening the doors to Dinah’s Dance Studio was wonderful.

  It’s too bad that all of her experiences weren’t just as fond and memorable.

  Indigo almost tucked tail and ran herself back to New York. Damn the consequences. She didn’t know what she expected from her mother. Her mother takes things to another level then makes a person feel guilty for bothering her. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if Indigo had been the one to initiate contact. That’s not the case. Her mother is always the first to engage and quickly aggravate her.

  Indigo’s belief is that it is a special talent to be as manipulative and controlling as her mother can be. The woman has made multiple attempts to push her ideals about the studio and her aunt’s home off on Indigo. A few of the ideas were good so Indigo incorporated them into her plans for the studio. When Emily Warren suggested that Indigo gift, her sister, Ryan, with the house that Dinah had willed her it was the last suggestion she heard directly from her mother.

  It didn’t stop her mother from sending messages through other sources, but it did stop Indigo from having direct contact with her mother. In her mind, it is the best thing for all involved.

  Preparing to lock up that night, Indigo felt good about choosing to return to Sapphire Falls for the first time since she’d come back. The back door of the studio chimes. Indigo packs up the last of her gear and moves around her desk heading for her office door. She is getting ready to round the corner and slams into a solid frame. Strong arms wrap around her waist as she bounces back, arms she recognizes. One interaction and she actually recognizes his hold. What is that all about?

  “I have a bit of a problem.”

  Noah is too close. His heat is seeping into her being. She can’t be this close to him and not have her body react.

  “What … um … what is the problem? Is Hayden having an issue with her teacher?”

  Indigo keeps moving back to put space between them. The more space she attempts to give herself, the more his tall frame eats up what she’s given them. When she hears the snick of the door closing and the twist of the lock, she knows she is in deep trouble.

  “No. Hayden loves her teacher. She was a little disappointed with the fact that you weren’t going to be showing her the ropes or steps, but she is dealing with it. The problem is I can’t get the scent of you out of my head. Both seem to be reacting to the heady scent of you.”

  There went her ability to breathe at a normative pace and the thought of not soaking through her lace panties. Not that there is much of anything to the scrap of fabric that she is wearing, it is more thong than full on panty. His gaze is intense as he stalks toward her.

  “I do
n’t think … I believed we’d come …” her statement is interrupted by his.

  “I haven’t come in a little while now. At least not the way I want to and it’s all because of you. Stop running, woman. I’m going to finish what we started the other day.”

  Frozen in place and backed against a wall, she watches as Noah closes the gap.

  “I don’t think this … we shouldn’t do this.”

  “We’re doing this. If we don’t, my curiosity will reach a boiling point. I can’t work with pinned up energy. Nothing functions as it should. Besides, your body is singing a different tune.”

  Noah pointedly looks down at her nipples and she follows his line of sight. Sure enough, her fitted leotard displays just how turned on she is. What would he do if he learned that it unsnaps right at the core of her? What is the reason behind that question? Given the look he is giving her, he is soon to find out about not only the snaps, but also just how much she wants just what he is offering her.

  “You seem pretty sure of yourself, Dr. Burke. I do believe we don’t like one another.”

  “I refer you back to my previous statement and if you were to take a gander down you would see just how much my body wants to connect with yours.”

  No way in hell is she going to pass up an opportunity to ogle him freely without feeling guilty about doing so. The man did just offer her the chance. Indigo’s eyes widen at the bulge that is imprinting the jeans that nestle so closely to the shape of his body. Her mind shuts down and her body takes over. Too much time has passed since the last time a man was between her thighs. His pants are undone and he is on full display before her in seconds.

  How she ends up in a chair and eye-to-eye with that gorgeous cock of his, she doesn’t know. All she knows is she is primed and ready to feast on this man. Indigo does just that. Palming his sac, she runs her tongue up and down the length of him. Noah groans then buries his hands in her hair. When had he released her hair from the hair tie? Is she that sex-crazed that she hadn’t even noticed the action? He gives her hair a little tug and she presses forward. Tasting him is worthy of a moan of pleasure from her.