Tending Tara (Alaska Blizzard Book 8) Read online

  “What’s Coach Azure like?”

  “Like most hockey coaches. Pretty intense, really loud, but also fair and a really good coach. He cares about not just winning, but developing us as players. Not so much me since I’m older and don’t have any hockey plans in my future, but the younger girls, right out of high school… he’s good with them.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “Have you ever coached before?”

  “Ten-year-olds,” Tara admitted, smiling. “I did it for a season right after university because I hadn’t found a job yet and it paid well, but then I was trying to do other things and didn’t stick with it. I enjoyed it, though, which is why I think I’d like to know more about this job.”

  “Why don’t you come to practice Monday? I’ll make sure it’s okay with Coach first, and I’ll text you one way or the other. I think he’ll say yes, and if he does, you can talk to him afterward. We usually practice from three to five, once most of us are done with classes for the day.”

  “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  They exchanged phone numbers, and then Cassie ambled off to get another drink while Tara looked around for Donovan.

  She found him filling up his cup from the cauldron of moonshine, and she walked up behind him.

  “Hey. Did you miss me?”

  He turned with a smile. “I did. Did you have a good talk with Cassie?”

  “Yes. She’s going to ask her coach if I can watch practice Monday, perhaps even meet him.”

  “Excellent.” He peered into her cup. “You ready for more?”

  “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

  “Only if you want to be. This is probably my last hurrah for a while, since I have to be sharp while Aaron’s on the injured reserve.”

  “That’s right. You’re the starter now. Pretty impressive.”

  He shrugged. “It’s what I do, you know?”

  “I do. But since you won’t be drinking in the next few weeks, let’s get drunk.” She held out her cup. “Fill me up.”

  “I’d love to.” He grinned and ladled more moonshine in her cup.

  They drank and danced until the wee hours of the night. The party was still in full swing at two a.m., and the house was filled with people she didn’t know, but she didn’t care. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, especially Donovan. He was even funnier when he was drunk, and at one point he began holding court on the back deck, telling more stories about his days in the Major Juniors.

  He was sweet, though. Both his stories and his antics mostly innocent, and never malicious. Things like squirting water on the teammate who’d slept with his then-girlfriend were about as nasty as he got, and Tara found herself charmed, intrigued, and even more drawn to him than before. There was something wickedly enticing about him, an allure that went beyond his success as a professional athlete. He was handsome, entertaining, and occasionally even a little full of himself, but there was another side of him, too. The guy who never let his pranks go too far and who held the hand of a woman he barely knew while her jaw was relocated.

  “Shots!” Logan came out carrying a tray.

  “No tequila,” Laurel said, shaking her head. “I’ll do Jägermeister or Fireball, but no tequila.”

  “We have Fireball and Jägermeister,” Logan said. “Everyone, grab your poison and let’s have a toast.”

  “What’s your pleasure?” Donovan asked Tara.

  “Jägermeister.” She held out her hand, and Donovan gave her a shot glass filled with the dark liquid.

  “I’m a Fireball guy myself,” he said.

  Everyone held up their glasses. The crowd had thinned out now that it was late, but there was still a decent group lingering on the deck.

  “To a fuckin awesome Halloween tradition,” Logan said, holding up his glass.

  “To an awesome but undoubtedly hungover tomorrow hockey team,” Laurel said, lifting hers as well.

  “We’ll sleep on the plane, Coach,” Donovan said.

  She gave him a look. “You’d better because there will be practice when we get to Denver.”

  “Party pooper,” Logan laughed.

  Everyone lifted their glasses and then downed the shots.

  “Who’s in for skinny dipping?” someone yelled. “The pool’s heated!”

  Donovan glanced at Tara, who was shaking her head. “No way. I’m not taking my clothes off in front of my brother’s teammates.”

  Donovan laughed. “Challenge accepted.”

  The later it got, the drunker everyone got, and Tara decided to go with the flow. It had been a long time since she’d partied like this, especially in a safe, fun environment with people she liked. Especially Donovan. And when the skinny dipping started in the heated pool, Donovan managed to lure her in. The party had dwindled down a dozen guests or so, and Laurel had gone to bed, but Gage was hanging out doing shots with everyone.

  Logan, of course, was the first one to get into the pool and Tara had a fleeting thought, wondering what it would be like being married to him. Could she even do it? It was hard to think about, but she really didn’t want to leave. Especially not now that she’d found Donovan.

  They were in the water and he had one hand on her bare ass, the other in her hair as he kissed her. There had been a lot of drinking, and even more making out, which had her aching for his touch. Maybe it was alcohol-fueled, but it was no different than any other thoughts she’d had about him. He was hot, sexy, and sweet, and the only thing alcohol eliminated was her subconscious need to take things slow since he was both a friend and one of Miikka’s teammates.

  “We should go upstairs,” he murmured between kisses. “You’re driving me crazy.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you, Tara.”

  “Me too.” She lost herself in the feel of his strong hands and bare torso. God, he was beautiful naked. He was tall and lean, with sinewy muscles beneath tan skin, and a backside she would have loved to take a bite of. His abdominal V led down to a nicely trimmed groin area, and her mouth watered a little just looking at it. She slid her hand down to cup his balls, the motion somewhat hidden by the water since they were mostly submerged, but Donovan’s eyes met hers hungrily.

  “Do 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 driv
ing 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.

  “Why not?” She was staring at him in confusion.

  “Because if you’re going to marry someone to get your visa, it’s going to be me.”

  She frowned and then smiled, shaking her head. “You’re drunk. When you wake up tomorrow, you’re not even going to remember this conversation.”

  “I sobered up pretty quick when you said you didn’t feel good.”

  “Donovan, that’s crazy. We barely know each other. At least Logan and I have been friends for a couple of years.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” He paused. “Unless you want to marry him?”

  “Well, no, I mean…” She slid down into the pillows a little. “Can we talk about this tomorrow? My head is throbbing, and I don’t feel so hot again.”

  “You need to go to the bathroom?” He was already on his feet, reaching for her.

  “No, I just want to lay here with you… Will you lay with me?”

  “Of course.” He pulled back the covers, discarded the bathrobe, and got into bed beside her.

  Donovan woke up with a raging headache and an even more painful erection. He silenced the alarm on his phone as a warm body moved and moaned beside him. He pried open one eye and it all came back to him. Him and Tara getting wasted. Skinny dipping. Her feeling sick. Him sitting up with her half the night. Him casually telling her he’d marry her so she could get her visa.

  Holy shit, what had he done? And what was he doing now? She was draped across his chest, her long hair blanketing his torso, and he ran a gentle hand along her back, unable to help himself.

  “How are you feeling, beautiful?”

  “Mulla on madafak darra,” she muttered.

  “Whatever you just said sounded super intense.”

  “I have a motherfucking hangover.”

  He chuckled. “Ditto.”

  “I’m going to die,” she groaned.

  “I don’t feel so hot, either,” he admitted. “And I have to get on a plane in a few hours.”

  “Ugh.” She nestled closer to him and his arms closed around her of their own volition.

  He needed to say something, but he didn’t know what. Last night he’d told her he would marry her, but in the light of day, a tiny bit of panic was setting in.

  “What time do you have to go?” she asked sleepily.

  “Soon. I have to shower, pack, and get to the airfield.”

  “Have a safe trip. I think I’m going back to sleep.”

  “Thanks.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss on the side of her face. “Hey, Tara?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Can we talk for a minute?”

  “If you talk quietly.”

  “Okay.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Do you, uh, remember our conversation last night?”

  “Where you drunkenly said you’d marry me? Yes.” Her eyes remained closed as she spoke. “It’s okay. I won’t hold you to it. You weren’t thinking straight.”

  “No, wait.” He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to breathe through the pain behind his eyes. “I’m not trying to back out, I’m just trying to make sure you were serious. That we were serious.”

  Her eyes slowly opened, and she moaned, squinting at the brightness in the room before saying, “Donovan, I understand if you don’t want to. Really.”

  “Look, I don’t have a lot of time, but I want you to know I meant what I said. If you need to marry an American so you can stay, I’m in.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “A hundred percent.”

  “We need to talk about a lot of things…”

  “I know. But not now. If I miss my flight, Coach will have my ass. I’ll call you tonight from the hotel.”

  “Okay.”

  He slid his legs over and onto the floor, grateful everything in his stomach didn’t come up. Fuck, today was going to suck. Luckily, he’d sworn off drinking for the duration of his time as starting goalie, so this wouldn’t happen again. No matter how much fun it had been.

  Donovan looked around and saw his pirate costume had been left on a chair, so at least he had something wear since he and Tara were naked. Damn, he’d slept next to a gorgeous, naked woman he was really into and hadn’t done anything? Either he’d been drunker than he thought, or he was losing his touch.

  He turned back to Tara and watched her for a moment before saying, “I have to get going, but I had a great time last night.”

  She reached out a hand and he touched it with his. “Last night was lovely. I’ll never forget my first Halloween. Thank you for being part of it.”

  “I’ll never forget it, either. How could I? You passed out on me after teasing me all night.” He managed to keep a straight face.

  “It’s your own fault for making me do shots,” she whispered, smiling sleepily.

  “You seem to remember last night differently than I do.” He kissed her forehead and then grabbed the clothes on the chair before disappearing into the bathroom. When he came out, Tara was fast asleep, and he took a moment to appreciate her long, lean body. Even under the covers she was shapely, feminine. If they actually went through with it, being married to her was going to be anything but a hardship.

  The rest of the day was as awful as he’d thought it would be. Half the team slept the whole flight to Denver, and luckily Coach Caldwell took pity on them, calling a dinner meeting instead of practice. There had been a risk in having a party the night before a road trip, but it was a Halloween traditi
on and she’d said she hadn’t wanted to be a party pooper. So tonight, she sent the whole team to bed early, warning that everyone had to show up for the morning skate or there would be repercussions. Donovan took the reprieve and went right to bed, sleeping twelve hours and waking up feeling like a new man. He’d even forgotten to call Tara last night, but he took a moment to text her when he got up.

  DONOVAN: Sorry I didn’t call last night. I went to bed at 7:30 and just got up.

  TARA: I slept until after eleven yesterday, worked out, and then was back in bed by nine. It was worth it, though.

  DONOVAN: Agreed. Listen, I have to get going to breakfast, but I’ll call you tonight after the game and we can talk. I also want to know what happens when you go up to the college today.

  TARA: I will. Play well and I’ll talk to you tonight.

  DONOVAN: Later.

  The game that night was a rough one, but the Blizzard managed to pull it out. Donovan had made forty-five out of forty-six saves and wished he could have gotten the shutout, but a win was a win. He had his own selfish reasons for wanting to shine, and shutouts were a great way to do that, but he’d won two in a row now, so he had nothing to complain about.

  Except maybe his blue balls.

  It had been a while, and after waking up next to Tara with a raging erection and no time to do anything about it, he’d thought of little else. He’d been pretty wasted, but he remembered everything about Halloween. Making out with her on the back deck. Going skinny dipping. Dancing. Touching her gloriously naked body in the pool. Damn, he would have married her today for a taste of her. She was absolutely delightful with her sweet smile and the soft, silky expanse of skin along her back. Not to mention those stormy blue eyes.

  He thought of little else when he wasn’t immersed in hockey. Granted, hockey took up most of the space in his brain, but every second that wasn’t belonged to Tara these days. The conversation they’d had about sex came back to him, and he shook his head as he took the elevator up to his hotel room. He wanted to talk to her again, tell her about his day, hear about her meeting with that college team. Basically, just hear her voice. What the hell was wrong with him?