Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: So I've been awful and taken forever and EVER to post another chapter but life's been busy and I've been trying to focus on one story at a time but I've been getting the odd review or two every now and then and on a whim I started writing again and voila! A new chapter. :)

If y'all are still reading you're wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, and I'd love to hear what you think.

Thank you again for all the kind words, they continue to be the brightest part of my day. :)

R&R!

-S

P.S. Hope it's sunny where you are. I'm in a bout of rain that's getting everything I own dripping wet! :P

Miss Imprint

Chapter 14: Bonfire

Seth never actually caught me.

Okay well actually if we're being really honest, he caught me after about four seconds and then ran a victory lap with me on his shoulder around the clearing I'd almost been mauled in.

I stole his glasses though in retaliation, and I was feeling pretty freaking spectacular about that until I realized that the spontaneous fur dealio apparently improved his vision so he didn't actually need them. Not fair.

We were back at home now, on the couch my feet on his lap. Technically he was giving me a foot massage but in reality he was focused on the TV and I was focused on him.

"How can you watch that?" I asked pointedly as another one of Snooki's god awful whines cut through my observation and appreciation.

"Because I have taste, Cass. Duh." He reached down and squeezed my ankle but never turned away from the screen.

I did a mini-victory lap in my head before continuing. "I'm sorry, she's so…ugh. You know?"

"I'm sorry, I don't speak barbarian."

"You're a barbarian."

He flopped his head back on the couch, one hand clutching his heart. "Right through my aorta Cass; right through."

I poked him in the stomach with my toe. "But seriously—how are people actually willing to date her?"

"You've gotta look past the surface." He turned to me finally, a small smile on his face. "That's where the gold is."

I had a feeling we weren't talking about Jersey Shore anymore. I smiled back at him.

He sat up straighter suddenly. "Shit, I've gotta go."

"Did you just get like a signal from the brethren?" I asked in awe and maybe a little sarcasm. Maybe.

He laughed, "yeah, something like that."

"Sa-weet. Can I come?"

"No." He was still smiling but I had a feeling this was one of those rules that he wouldn't be bending anytime soon.

We got up at the same time and I walked him into the hallway. I was starting to get a little nervous—I mean I know we had just kissed but I wasn't sure if we were like together or anything. We never actually talked about it.

And honestly the couch time had been pretty tame, it was almost like we were friends again except for that one comment and the fact that he had squeeze my ankle. Not that I was obsessing over it or anything.

"So…be careful." I said, and then before I could stop myself, "Don't get up to any furry business."

He grimaced. "Wow, really?"

I shrugged. "Couldn't keep it in."

He chuckled before stepping closer determinedly. Seth swiped his thumbs over my hip bones and used them to walk me back until my back was flush against the wall and my front was flush against…well him.

"You never can." He said slowly and tenderly and pressed a slow kiss to my forehead. I tilted my head up but after that growth spurt I was too short to reach his face. He leaned down, his hands shifting to my face and cradling it between them. He pressed a slow soft kiss to my lips and was about to lean down and do it again when he winced.

"You okay?" I asked, as I saw his eyebrows furrow.

"Yeah—fucking Sam's being persistent. I've gotta go." He said apologetically before pressing his lips against mine again—but far too briefly.

"I'll see you later?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah—how about I take you out tonight—there's a bonfire thing and it could be fun..." He trailed off his gaze fixed pointedly on the wall next to me.

He was nervous. That was adorable.

"Why Mr. Clearwater, are you asking me out on a date?" I teased, stretching out a southern accent.

"Not anymore." He poked me in the side but I shifted away from him—pleased at the tension leaving his gaze.

"Well—I don't know, Papa said you're one of them scoundrel types—so-so-so many women…" But I couldn't finish as Seth had taken to tickling me to get revenge. I wriggled as hard as I could, but I was so exhausted from laughing that my escape was rather poor.

He took pity on me when he saw me start to tear up. He pressed a kiss to my cheek right under my eye. "Don't cry now, sugar, I promise you're my favorite." He mocked and I pinched his side—or at least tried to.

"I better be."

"Hey—I make no promises."

"You just did." I corrected. And he thought for a second.

"Huh, you're right."

"What?" I asked.

"You're ri—oh shut up." He rolled his eyes at my victorious grin before backing away, mentioning that he'd pick me up at eight thirty.

I couldn't wait.


I spent about thirty minutes after that freaking out about what to wear and then had picked out a gorgeous dark blue summer dress and then remembered where I lived and had to start over. I'm such an imbecile some times.

I ended up in dark blue skinny jeans tucked into knee-high dark purple suede boots matched with a soft, soft black sweater that would hopefully encourage a little fun time after the bonfire.

And during—I was definitely looking forward to snuggling up with Seth tonight.

He was predictably twelve minutes early—I mean approximately. It's not like I was ready at 7 and alternating between pacing and panicking and telling him I was sick.

Really, I wasn't.

Okay, maybe a little.

Anyway. Back to the present. Seth was looking gorgeous in an indigo polo over jeans. His feet were in flip flops but I had a feeling that had to do more with the wolf thing that him not wanting to wear nice shoes for our kind of sort of date.

"Hey. You look great." I said, winking obnoxiously. "Maybe I'll just have you for dinner."

"Knock it off, little red."

"Um hello—I'm clearly doing the eating which makes me the wolf."

He arched an eyebrow at me. And I blushed. Right—I guess he got dibs on that one. I was about come back with something when I noticed his gaze drag down to my feet and then achingly slowly shift up my torso to my neck and finally to my eyes. And I was definitely sure that his eyes darkened. Hell yes, score one for the boots.

"Those boots are hot." He confirmed, his voice dropping to a husky murmur.

"I…"I didn't know what to say so I just swallowed. Hard, and then grabbed my bag. I felt like I was falling a little. "Ready?" I asked.

"Sure, but aren't you going to be cold?" He asked but I just winked at him.

"I thought that was what you were for." And then I walked out in front of him, leaving him to lock the door.


The beach was cold, and I mean cold but thankfully the fire was blazingly hot. There were logs arrayed in a semi-circle and I could see the towering forms of Jared and Jacob by the barbeque. Paul was no where to be seen and a petite girl with fantastic boots was seated in the middle of one, deep in conversation with Billy. Every so often Jared would turn and watch her and then circle the perimeter like he was making sure she was safe. Can you say paranoid?

"Seth?"

"Mm?" He murmured somewhere above my head and I shivered as he placed a hand on my back, leaning down slightly.

"Who's the chick with the boots? They might be outdoing mine."

He laughed. "That's Kim, she's Jared's im-friend."

"Right." Im-friend? What the hell? But now was not the time...he clearly covered that up on purpose. I filed it away for later.

He coughed nervously before pulling me towards the fire. "I'll introduce you, she's nice."

"Do you really want to introduce us, or is it really because you think her boots are greater than mine?" I poked him in the side.

He rolled his eyes and I could feel him groaning. "I knew I should have left you in the car. I can't take you anywhere."

I tensed slightly and for a moment I wondered if I was being too friend-ish, like maybe he thought that tonight would be different some how and I was ruining it with my nervous banter or maybe he thought I was actually jealous.

"Seth? You know I'm kidding right? About her boots, I—"

"Chill, Cass." He wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulled me back into him, placing and affectionate kiss on the top of my head. "It's just me, okay?"

I turned in his arms to face him and placed my frozen hands on the front of his polo. He was smiling softly at me. "Yeah, okay."

I leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his chin and then pulled away before he could respond, there would be time for that later. Right now, I smelled hot dogs, and I was hungry.

"Alright, woman, find me some food." I tapped him smartly on the chest, reveling in its solidity just a little. Boy had some serious pectorals going on.

"That's it." Seth declared, winking broadly at me before grabbing me and tickling me, never pressing too hard. It's like he was aware of exactly what I was feeling. I think he picked me up at one point because the light of the fire grew dimmer.

"No-no-no." I stuttered trying to wriggle out of his grip but he just laughed and then all of a sudden he stopped and my back was against a tree and he was flush against me, his crazy warm body pressed between my legs.

"Hi." I said, leaning forward lightly until our noses brushed.

Seth tightened his grip around my waist and then started rubbing circles directly into my skin, having found his way under the black sweater.

I clenched my legs slighted and pulled him closer.

"Hey." He replied, his voice huskier than I'd ever head it before. And then he turned his gaze on me, his hazel eyes, lighter than I'd seen them in a long, long time.

And then he leaned that last inch that was separating us and kissed me.

Oh god, his lips were softer than I remembered from just this afternoon but I never knew he was so good at this. I mean this had to come from practice; people didn't just walk out of the nursery with lip-locking skills.

But the idea of Seth practicing kind of made me want to cut somebody so I switched back to the present where he was sucking on my bottom lip, his teeth grazing them ever so lightly. I moaned, at the sensation and then froze, embarrassed.

He froze and then looked at me with fresh eyes. And then without moving his gaze he ran his tongue along the seal of my lips, back and forth, back and forth until I couldn't stand it anymore and I wrapped my hands around the base of his neck and pulled him into me.

And holy shit that was a good idea. He was doing things with his tongue that I'd never even imagined were possible. To be fair, I'd never really kissed anyone before this but I was pretty sure it didn't get any better than this.

His hands were gripping my waist and then suddenly they slipped up back and I felt his palm brush past the clasp on my bra and he froze just for a moment before continuing up and down and long, languid strokes that made me want to rip off his clothes; like romance novel style. My right hand passed down from the soft hair at the base of his neck where I'd been tightening my fingers so I wouldn't tighten my knees too much. I passed onto his bicep and felt my stomach explode with pinpricks as I felt it clench under my fingers.

And then just as I was about shift my hand under his shirt and pull it up so that I could get a real feel of the abs that I'd been dreaming about for ages—

"Seth!"

He pulled back lightly before setting his forehead on mine, his brows furrowed in annoyance. "What?" He called back, his voice hoarse. I kept my grip on him and tried to stop panting so loudly because that shit was embarrassing but I was out of breath.

"Billy's starting, dude." The voice sounded slightly apologetic, but only slightly.

"Who's that?" I asked softly, and he looked up at me, his eyes instantly softening into a buttery ochre as he met my gaze.

He pulled one of his hands away from my hip and traced my cheekbone with his thumb. "Jared—we should go though."

"Yeah-yeah, you're right." I replied shakily. Seth slipped backwards as I unwound my legs and he lowered me carefully to the ground. He let go then and moved back a step as if he was unsure of what happened next.

I shifted to my left foot and my right. "That was…um…fun." I tried and he chuckled.

"Yeah. Fun." And then as if he had taken courage from my declaration, he wrapped on one of my hands in his. "Holy crap, your hands are cold."

"I know, I think my space heater is failing a little." I jabbed him in the side with my elbow. "I might have to look into a new one—"

"Oh please, like anyone would want you." But he pulled me a little closer to make sure I knew he was joking—or at least that was what I was going to assume.

And then, hand in hand, we walked towards the bonfire, the smell of slightly burned hot dog meat mingling with the salty spray of the sea as it wafted towards us.