Tending Tara (Alaska Blizzard #7) - Kat Mizera Page 0,21
you want to go upstairs with me?”
Before she could respond, someone stuck another shot in her hand, and she couldn’t even remember what they were drinking to at this point.
“To the best fucking friends a guy could have!” Logan yelled, downing his.
“To going upstairs and making the party private,” Donovan murmured in Tara’s ear as they downed theirs.
“Mmm, yes…” Her body came alive every time he touched her, but that last shot might have been a mistake. She burped a little and shook off a faint wave of nausea.
“Let’s go.” He helped her out of the pool and to put on one of the bathrobes that had been provided.
“Donovan…” She clutched his arm, her stomach doing something really bad.
“You okay?” He looked down with concern.
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
10
Donovan forgot how horny he’d been a little while ago, now focused on taking care of her. She was so strong and independent most of the time, but this was the second time he’d seen a more vulnerable side of her, and he found he enjoyed the disparity. Soft but resilient, intelligent but a little unsure of herself, and capable but still open to help.
“I’m sorry about this,” she whispered as she leaned against him.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ve all drank way too much tonight. Let’s go upstairs and see if we can head it off. Maybe if you lie down and rest, drink a little water, you’ll feel better.”
“Okay.”
He kept an arm around her waist as they took the stairs up to her room. They were still wearing the bathrobes Gage had provided, and though he was feeling pretty wasted, he didn’t feel sick, so he was okay getting her to bed. No one was driving tonight, Gage had made sure of that, and he figured he’d pass out on the floor or something.
“This is the second time you’ve come to my rescue,” she said when he put her on the bed.
“Isn’t that what friends do?” he asked. “Besides, it’s been ages since I’ve had so much fun getting fucked up, and tonight was a blast. Tomorrow my head’ll probably hurt, but it was totally worth it.”
“Well, I appreciate it regardless. It’s been harder than I’d thought it would be, moving to a foreign country, even though I have my brother and all his friends.”
“A big change like that was bound to be hard.” He paused. “But I’m really glad you’re here and that we’ve been able to get to know each other. I didn’t think I was ready to date someone less than a year after my divorce, but it looks like I am. If you wanted to keep doing this.”
She met his gaze, and something inscrutable lurked behind her eyes. He hoped he wasn’t scaring her off, but he liked her a lot more than he’d thought he would and wanted her to know. Maybe he was showing his hand a little too soon, but there was a pull between them, and they hadn’t even slept together yet. He’d been hoping that was where tonight was going, but the truth was that he was okay that it had gone this way instead. He was never going to make a move with them as drunk as they were and her not feeling well. Instead, they were getting to know each other on a deeper level, and hopefully, when they finally slept together, it would only add to the fun.
“I’d like to go out again when I get back from this road trip,” he said when she didn’t say anything.
“I…” Her voice trailed off and she met his gaze, her eyes watering a little. “I’d like that, too, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to.”
“Do you really think you’re going back to Finland?” he asked, frustration surging through him.
“Well, either that or I’m getting married.”
“You’re…what?” He stared at her in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“I think the only way I’ll be able to stay and potentially work is if I find someone to marry me, and Logan said he’d do it so I’m going to talk to him about it.”
“You’re going to marry Logan?” he asked after a moment. “Jesus, he’s still practically a kid.”
“I have to. I don’t want to go home.”
“Well, you can’t,” he muttered, irritation coursing through his veins in a way he didn’t understand. It might have been the liquor, but he felt kind of hot. The kind of hot he felt when he was mad. Which made no sense.