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“Because you’re with me?” Donovan asked, his hand covering his jawline while his fingers absently brushed against his visible scar.
The vulnerable stroke touched British and she felt sorry for him. Didn’t he realize how sexy it made him? The question astonished her and her heart lurched in her chest.
British twisted her wedding ring around on her finger. Just because she was widowed, that did not make her blind. The words of her mother-in-law rang in her head, which British shook. British wanted Donovan but not in a long-term way. If he wanted more, well, then Donovan was not the man for her. But she didn’t want him to think it was because of his scar. She’d just traveled down the marital road before and once was enough.
“Not necessarily,” British said. “With Thanksgiving coming up, I haven’t been in the mood for being around family.”
“Oh yeah, I keep forgetting,” said Donovan. “I need to make a note to myself to have Ramon send the skeleton staff working home on my dime.”
“You’re in the generous mood,” British said.
“Maybe the holidays put me in one,” he answered. “Why does it have you in a sour one?”
“Christian loved everything about the Thanksgiving week.” British sighed.
The Ferris wheel moved a notch. Donovan wrapped his hand around her shoulder. “This time of year must be difficult and you probably want to be left alone.”
“Not alone, just not smothered. Christian’s been gone for five years and every holiday my mom and siblings treat me like I am a child, so I ditch them whenever I can. Does that sound weird?”
“No.” Donovan shook his head. “Trust me, I needed to get out of South Florida without letting my family know what was going on in my life.”
“Bad breakup?” British guessed. He confirmed his answer with a quick nod. She imagined some poor girl clinging to his pant leg as he tried to leave a room.
“Not only bad,” said Donovan, “but caught on camera.”
British’s hands flew to her mouth to cover her half laugh and half gasp. “What?”
“My sister insisted on having the family become more public so our brand could gain traction on social media,” Donovan began. “This somehow was turned into a reality television segment on all of us. My portion happened to catch my current...” He gulped down whatever word followed and even turned a sickly olive color.
“Girlfriend?” British supplied and wiggled her brows. “Is it so hard to say the word?”
“‘Girlfriend’ sounds so committed.” Donovan shivered. “We only knew each other for a little over a month.”
“A month?” British’s mouth gaped. “Don’t you believe in love at first sight?”
“That would imply I believe in love.”
Disappointment rose in British’s chest. There’d be no love between them. But then again, that might just be what she needed. “A month is plenty of time to fall in love, though.”
“No, I think I’m going to give women two before I even consider it.”
Even though British felt the idea of a romp in the hay with Donovan was what she might need to satisfy this uncontrollable urge she felt when she was with him, that disappointment bubble lingered in her chest.
“But, truthfully, I almost brought her with me this weekend until...” Donovan started to continue but stopped himself.
I’m glad he didn’t.
“I’m glad I didn’t,” Donovan said, seemingly reading her thoughts. “I wasn’t too sure about things with her. I thought maybe if we came here together I’d know where things were heading. I’d even made plans for her parents to meet us for Thanksgiving dinner. I guess that says a lot about me.” Donovan chuckled at himself and looked down at British. She gave him a frown. “I’m sorry. I just dodged a bullet by having to hang out with them. My family is crazy enough. I don’t need to add to it.”
The Ravens family drama was public knowledge. There’d been an attempted family corporate takeover or something and a long-lost daughter coming back into their lives to save the day.
“Two months or not, I don’t think she would have made the cut to be my...” His words trailed off and the hue of his skin turned greener than when she’d teased him about going on the upside-down roller coaster.
British nudged her elbow against his solid rib cage. “Aren’t you too old to think girls have cooties?”
“Not cooties, but ulterior motives.”
The fact he didn’t finish what the current girlfriend had or hadn’t done did not go unnoticed. So what was the relationship now? He was here in Southwood, alone, and she was elsewhere. British rolled her eyes, mad at herself for the surge of jealousy. “I guess I fell into that category.”
