Sapphire Falls_Going After Indigo

by Rose Silverstone

  Lifting her from the chair, he places her on the desk.

  “I want to taste your lips. Both sets.”

  “Oh hell yes!”

  Noah takes hold of the sides of her face then begins to kiss her with a passion she never knew could exist. The kiss is slow, sweet, and tender at first. After a few moments, just as she is beginning to relish the feel of his soft lips and the gentle glide of his tongue, he deepens the kiss and begins to literally work at taking her breath away. Moans and panting breaths are the only sounds she hears when suddenly there are pleas. Those pleas are coming from her and they are breathless requests to touch her, please her, and fuck her.

  Not once in her life has she ever desired a male the way she desires Noah.

  “As you wish. I will fulfill your requests in the order received.”

  He does just that. Taking his time, he begins to undress her and caress every part of her as he does so. Noah’s growl is the sexiest thing she has ever heard. It comes when he undoes the snaps of her leotard, then again when he divests her of her panties. Indigo doesn’t have time to revel in the feel of being completely naked before him before he is tossing her legs over his shoulders. His mouth connects with her center and she can do nothing but hold on for the ride while screaming his name.

  Ecstasy, orgasmic convulsions, relief beyond words happen in repetition. The man is relentless. She loses count at how many times she orgasms after the second. Her mental clarity is lost after that second time. There is movement and she feels sensations as his lips travel up her naked body. He is aligned with her. His lips are set to covers hers again and he is poised to take her completely when her damn phone rings.

  The ringtone says the call cannot be ignored. He slides in slowly and she contemplates dismissing the incessant ringing. As he pulls back then moves forward again, she reaches for something but hears nothing but a crash to the ground. When she looks around, she catches a glimpse of the two of them coming together and is grateful to find that he has on a condom. No clue when that happened.

  The phone begins to ring again as he slides into her again. Groaning, she reaches out again and her hand connects with her cell. He slams into her then begins to pick up the pace as she answers the phone.

  “Shit!” she screams as her mother’s voice greets her.

  “I’m sorry. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “Yeeessss!” she growls out as Noah lifts her off the desk and truly begins to go to work.

  “Well, I’m sorry. I thought you would like to know that all of the paperwork should be finalized tomorrow and everything is yours once you sign off. Shane is going to stop by in the morning with everything including the final package Dinah left for you.”

  Noah grunts as he does a maneuver that has Indigo on the verge of detonating and she barely suppresses the scream that is threatening.

  In between pants, she responds to her mother, “That’s … great … two … o’clock. I’m … coming! I … mean … shit … I’ll be ready. I have to … fuck!”

  Ending the call, she releases the scream she barely held onto while on the call as Noah thrusts into her then reaches his release.

  She’s pressed against the wall as he continues to pump into her. No recollection of her body connecting with the wall. Noah kisses along her shoulder, up her neck, until he reaches her lips. The tender kisses and caresses are in such opposition to the man who was far more animalistic moments ago.

  “That was damn impressive, Dr. Burke.”

  He chuckles as he looks down at her before responding, “No, what was impressive was you actually being able to hold a conversation with your mother while on the verge of coming apart.”

  “I’m pretty sure my mother knows exactly what I was doing. I am not looking forward to the conversation she’s going to want to have tomorrow.”

  “Definitely an interesting one to say the least. I probably should release you.”

  Tilting her head, she looks at him and still sees a hint of desire there. The stirring between her legs tells her that he isn’t quite finished with her.

  “I’m guessing your other head has a different idea. I’m literally on board for what he’s thinking of.”

  “As you wish, Dancing Queen.”

  The second time she demands that he is in the same state of undress as she is. He doesn’t hesitate to follow suit. They don’t leave her office for another few hours. The bad thing is she is more confused than she was when he first entered her office. Their coming together was amazing. It felt wonderful being wrapped up in a man’s arms again. Even if it was the two of them curled up in the chair she had in her office.

  If only she could’ve held on to that for a little while longer.

  7

  Connections

  Noah

  Noah stands in the doorway of the dance studio and watches the girls leaving Indigo’s classroom. A class must’ve ended right before he’d walked over. The last of the teens have just exited and each wears smiling faces. They are slightly winded, perspiration dotting their faces, but all are buzzing with excitement. He’d not seen the new teacher and owner of the dance studio for five days. Yes, he’d counted. The evening prior was a slip up.

  Uneasiness has kept him from stopping by the studio. He knew it and so did Louisa, but she had the grace not to bring that to his attention. Living in a small town as they did didn’t keep them apart for long. He’d seen her in passing.

  When they’d stood on the porch that evening and the setting sun cast a glow on her face, he’d noted a familiarity within her features. Having sex with her in her office was one of the greatest experiences he’d ever had in his life. It didn’t curb his need for her. Stolen glances, flirtatious banter, hidden interactions weren’t enough. They’d spoken on several occasions, but it was brief moments. Something is keeping her from him and he feels like he needs to keep her at arm’s length.

  Seeing her at the studio is something all together different. She wasn’t the same woman he’d believed to be rude back in New York. She wasn’t just some random woman he quickly bedded then moved on to the next. Indigo Crystalline was magnificent. Still, something about her has him concerned. His brain just can’t compute the possible connection she has to his world.

  Watching her move and observing the way she loses herself in the music, he can see why so many made it a point to see her perform back in New York. The ease of her movements makes every motion appear as if any individual could replicate them. The steps and combinations she executes are effortless. Thanks to his little Hayden, he knew how much Indigo still practiced even though she wasn’t doing nightly performances.

  “Ms. Indy is always in her point or dance shoes, Daddy. She practices in between classes. I have to practice too if I’m going to be a principle dancer like she is. I have to.”

  It was the last thing she’d said to him this morning. Her words were on the wind as she shot out the front door and around to the back of the house to practice in the makeshift studio he’d had built in a section of the barn they rarely ever used.

  Noah has nightly watched his Hayden and seen her passion for the activity in the way she pursed her lips in concentration. Indigo completes a complicated combination to a song entitled “Miss You” by Gabrielle Aplin. He recognizes the song because it is one of Hayden’s favorites.

  He shakes his head. Noah takes a step back as it hits him. The connections keep presenting themselves as he continues to stand there, mesmerized by this woman’s grace and poise. It is official. He’s spent too much time with his daughter and cousin if those words are presenting themselves to describe a gorgeous woman like Indigo.

  Turning, she faces the mirror and begins to move through the positions of her feet. Hayden told him Indigo always practiced moving from first through to fifth position then back again. He was told Hayden had to practice variations so that they would become second nature to her. Noah silently chuckles as he recalls his little girl’s dedication to perfecting the movements in her li
ttle makeshift studio. His eyes focus on Indigo’s sharp beautiful blues that watch her reflection and haven’t noticed him watching her. When she purses her lips before moving through the variations again, Noah’s body goes rigid.

  There is no denying the connection. It hits him like a horse has just given him a swift kick to the gut. All of the talk in town about how similar the two of them look is one thing. The questions of Indigo possibly being related to Hayden floating around are on a continuous spiral as he takes in everything he has discovered.

  Is it even possible? How can this be? Were his parent’s aware? This woman has to be Hayden’s mother, her birth mother. He now also understood why his mind didn’t want to make the connection. He didn’t want it to be true. This woman is the reason for his little girl’s existence.

  How could she have given up a child as perfect as his little angel? Even if it was to pursue her career—a worthy thing for some—but not worth giving up the gift that is and forever will be perfection in the form of Hayden Elizabeth. For that, he can only see Indigo as the woman who abandoned her child for her own selfish reasons.

  He knows her parents and is good friends with her brother. They are good people. Knowing who each of those people are has him wondering what is wrong with her. What happened to her to make her so different from the other members of the Warren family? Why didn’t she go by the name that was given to her? She is a fraud. She isn’t this Indigo woman. Her name is Sapphire Warren. Noah almost knocks over a shelf of shoes trying to escape the studio, his thoughts; the revelation.

  “Daddy, I thought Aunt Lou was picking me up today?” his daughter asks him and he is startled out of his freak out.

  His eyes meet Indigo’s or, better yet, Sapphire’s, in the mirror and she gives him a confused look. He gives a slight wave and quickly makes his way away from the open doorway with his daughter in tow.

  “Fool move, Burke. That isn’t exactly staying away from her, now is it?”

  Noah chastises himself a few seconds before lifting his Hayden into his arms and quickly making his way to the back exit of the studio. Hayden’s pack is in his hand and he is almost to the door when he hears the woman’s voice.

  “Dr. Burke, I wanted to see if I could speak with you for a moment,” she calls as he moves to the door and puts Hayden down.

  “Hay Belle, go on to Daddy’s truck. I’ll be out there in a minute. Let me talk to the owner for a moment.”

  “That’s Ms. Indy, Daddy. I want to talk to her too. I don’t ever get to. She teaches the bigger girls.”

  Usually, the pouty face she is giving him would melt his heart and he’d cave, but he can’t have it work on him on this day. He needs to get her out of the building.

  “Not today, Angel. We have adult things to talk about. Now, go on. Get in the truck.”

  “Yes sir,” she says as she gives him another sad look but says nothing else.

  Indigo reaches him as he safely closes the door after his daughter.

  Was she trying to get a glimpse her? Did she know who Hayden was to her?

  He wasn’t going to ask questions he didn’t want to know the answers to.

  “Yes, Ms. Crystalline?” he puts the question out there to gain her attention and make sure it isn’t on his child.

  “Oh … sorry. One of the teachers said that your daughter hasn’t turned in the permission slip for the girl’s weekend sleepover that is coming up in a couple of days. Hayden told her that she really wants to go but you would fuss at her for losing her slip and wouldn’t let her go. I would hate for her to miss out on this. Do you mind signing one of the slips for me right now?”

  Well, damn. How was he going to get out of this one? Hayden would be a pitiful mess this coming weekend if she didn’t get the chance to be part of something like a girl’s weekend.

  Reluctantly and resigned to his fate, he nods. Indigo does a giddy little clap-dance in place and he can see his Hayden in that action as well. Any sexual feelings he had for this woman, he is going to have to tamp down because he needs to deal with this revelation of the truth of her identity.

  Why oh why couldn’t Hayden’s idol be anyone else besides the one woman who can do the most damage to her heart?

  Noah silently follows behind Ms. Warren/Ms. Indy and does everything in his power not to watch the sway of her hips or enjoy the curve of her ass.

  Trouble. This woman is so much trouble.

  * * *

  After putting Hayden to bed that evening, he pulls out a box with his little girl’s name on it. He smiles as he fingers a baby picture of Hayden. His features fall as he thinks about the photo.

  Noah doesn’t know how to navigate these waters. He knows so little about the situation surrounding Hayden’s birth. Nights like this one are the hardest. His little girl is far more intelligent than most people believe her to be. She is also quite observant.

  “Daddy, do you think my mommy … my real mommy misses me like I miss her?”

  “You miss her?”

  “I know I don’t know her. I miss the thought of her. Do you think I look like her? Do you think she thinks of me? If she knew me, would she run away again?”

  “Hay Belle, I think your mommy would love you more than any mommy ever could if she knew just how precious you are. She would be crazy not to.”

  It took a lot out of him to talk about a fictitious woman. If his revelation is true then Hayden’s mother is walking around Sapphire Falls. He’d grown attached to a woman who left his daughter behind.

  Putting his head in his hands, he tries to piece together what he knows.

  He and his sister, Elizabeth had always been close. They both were from Omaha, Nebraska. Noah loved growing up in the “big city.” He never thought he’d up and leave to head up his own ranch then again to search for his older sister. What he hadn’t expected was to learn that her dipshit of a husband had left her to care for a young child; a child Noah would later learn he was responsible for rearing.

  Learning that he’d been too late to see his sister before she passed away was devastating enough. Finding out his sister had a child that he and his cousin, Louisa—her best friend—hadn’t known about was downright illegal. He was pissed to be informed that he was named as guardian and not Louisa or his parents—the very people that knew all about the child, the ex-husband, and other things that the lawyer said was privileged information. A release from his parents was needed in order for him to be included in some other aspect of his sister’s life. His parents had vehemently refused.

  With that, he packed up his niece, Hayden Elizabeth, and got started preparing things for them to remain in Sapphire Falls. It was a stipulation of his guardianship. He had to move to the smaller town so that Hayden could have the life that Lizzie had wanted. Settling his sister’s estate six years ago hadn’t taken long once a decision had been made.

  Noah had groused and grumbled for a full day before finally consenting to the stipulation. Even though he’d enjoyed the life he’d created in Harrisburg with his horses and the ranch, he left them in good hands and set up a life in Sapphire Falls. Doc—Douglas Cushings—ran his ranch for him and made periodic trips to the small town bringing Hayden’s favorite horse with him. Clara Belle and Hayden had a special bond ever since the mare had been a foal. The chestnut brown thoroughbred gave everyone grief during feedings until she locked eyes with Hayden’s sapphire blues four years ago. The two have been besties ever since.

  Hayden usually runs home from school on the last day because it means a week in Harrisburg and on the ranch. Noah and Hayden usually spent the first and last weeks of the summer in Harrisburg. It wasn’t until he was back on the ranch that he missed it. Sapphire Falls had grown on him and he’d adjusted to their routines here, but it was something about getting to ride his Arabian, Monte, which made him feel centered. It brought him a different type of peace than maintaining a life in Sapphire Falls did.

  Noah made the trip to discover what was going on with his sister and discov
ered he could enjoy small town living just as much as he had enjoyed living in the bigger city. Now, he couldn’t leave if he wanted to. He didn’t want to because the small town has become his home. The little veterinary practice he is running keeps him busy while his Hay Belle is in school. Even his time at the zoo makes him feel welcome.

  The one snag came when a beautiful blonde-haired woman showed up in town. One he’d given in to the desire to see again, the night prior. The puppy she’d found wandering the road that fateful day cradled in her arms, Hayden has taken to and refuses to let the little mongrel out of her sight. The little beast nips at Hayden’s feet until she is out the door in the morning and whines incessantly until Hayden is standing before her again in the afternoon. Noah told them both that the dog wouldn’t be able to go to school with her until everything checked out and she was old enough to make it down their front steps without falling flat on her face. The injured leg is healing quite well and she handled her shots like a champ.

  The Border Collie officially named Colleen is theirs and has tags to prove it. She stands sentinel at the screen door and that is Noah’s cue to head out. The damn dog has a sense of time that is uncanny. She knows exactly when the alarm for Hayden’s clock is going to go off and barked in time with it. No more than about seven weeks old and the pup is attuned to the workings of their home within a matter of two weeks.

  Noah had poured over the documents the night before. Indigo/Sapphire and Hayden were on his thoughts first thing the next morning. He walked through his day in a zombie-like state because his thoughts continued to circle around those two. He still hadn’t figured out how to handle the situation.

  The whimpering grew louder and effectively pulled Noah back to the present.

  “Burke, where are you? This filly isn’t going to ride herself back to the stables. I know how much you like riding them when we’re returning ‘em home.”

  Gary’s barrel-deep voice carries to the back offices where he is vaccinating the last of a new litter of puppies.