Page 75 of Need You Now

His stomach flips over. Seth knows all about keeping secrets, but he never imagined Lacey had one hell of her own. Back then, he had been so caught up in his own shit he hadn’t remembered the reason, the excuse Sal and Luke had given as to why Lacey was living with them. Bad grades, bad school, she missed her sister. But now he realizes what she was really going through.

It hurts him. It hurts him that she went through that, that he never knew, that she still feels alone. But he knows now. And he’ll damn sure be there for her, whatever she needs.

He saw it on her face, clear as day. She thought he’d walk away hearing the truth about her past habits. Well, it’s the exact opposite. It only has him loving her even more. He’s never seen her so brave, so vulnerable. The strength in her words. The fragility of her past. Lacey opening up to him is a damn honor, and he’s thankful she trusted him enough to do that.

Thankful that she’s healthy and she’s here and she’s his.

“Seth?”

He glances up to see Lacey beaming, holding out a glass of whiskey. The white slouchy sweater she wears hangs loose over one shoulder, showcasing bronze skin. Her pink lips parted in a smile.

He’s overcome. Overcome by everything that is Lacey. Her heart, her beauty—a head rush he can’t get enough of. Ignoring the whiskey, he sweeps her into his arms and kisses her deeply. Lacey tenses at the public display but then melts into him, a needy whimper in her throat. Her heart pounds against his chest; he can feel her heartbeat syncing with his.

Slowly, Lacey pulls away, her expression heavy-lidded. Bewildered. “What was that for?”

He stares into her eyes. “Just because.”

“Mmm,” she whispers, smiling. “I like just-because.”

His throat works the words out. “Lace ... I—”

A crackle on the speaker sideswipes his confession. “We got a treat for you tonight, folks. Seth Kincaid, one-third of the Brothers Kincaid, is in town and gonna bust a string on his fiddle. Seth, get your ass up here!”

The moment broken, Seth reluctantly lets Lacey loose. She presses a palm against his chest. “Go, Seth.”

Giving Lacey a hangdog look, he swigs his whiskey down, slides out of the booth, and scales the stage like a pro.

“That California girl, she yours?” Graham asks, handing Seth a fiddle and a bow.

Seth takes a bracing breath. “Yeah.”

Graham evaluates Lacey with an appreciative eye. “She’s a keeper if I ever saw one.”

Seth laughs. He feels antsy, high on tonight, on Lacey and the stage. “Fuck, man, enough with the romance.” He runs his bow along a string. “Let’s play.”

With that, he kicks off with his fiddle, launching into a wild-twanged rendition of “I Saw the Light” that sets the crowd on fire.

When he whips around, Lacey lifts her drink in the air.

To Seth.

Straight to his heart.

Lacey claps her hands together as Seth and his fiddle ignite the crowd, weaving a frenetic tune with Graham, who’s on his guitar. Seth plays like he’s dipped his fingers in fire. Manic, freewheeling, frenzied.

The floor pounds beneath her feet, a couple two-steps across the room, laughter bubbles on her lips. She likes this feeling, ears ringing, throats raw, hurling fingers to the heavens. But what she likes best is the look on Seth’s face. He’s happy. His smile is killer, the one he probably gives all the girls in the bar, at shows, but tonight, his eyes tell her, that smile is hers.

So damn sexy. So damn talented.

She’s seen the Brothers Kincaid play before, but she never realized how hard Seth works, how amazingly good he is. He has a charm that radiates. An energy that draws others in. His voice is like nothing she’s ever heard before—a deep rumble compared to the more mellow twangs of Luke and Jace. Seth just shines. Alone or with his band, he always sings like he’s pouring his heart out.

It’s all she can do not to climb onto the stage and take his lower lip between her teeth.

Wild applause breaks out as Seth finishes his song. He thanks the crowd, giving Lacey a grin that curls her toes. As he climbs offstage, he’s crowded by fans. Lacey smiles and slips out of the booth. But she bypasses him, letting him enjoy the spotlight and heads to the bar for a drink.

“Excuse me,” she says, pushing through the swarming crowd. Hot with body heat, thick with conversation. Her world seesaws, telling Lacey she’s just the perfect amount of buzzed.

“You wanna dance, baby?” A burly, red-faced cowboy’s giving her a once-over.

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