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She reached out and used her fingers to try to smooth his forehead before he pulled her hands away.
“I’m supposed to flirt and smile and make eye contact and connect. You know?” Lacy’s eyebrows pulled together. “There’s more.”
“To what?” Jonah couldn’t quite figure out what she was talking about.
“To get Logan to ask me out. Duh.” She booped him on the nose. Or at least attempted to but her finger landed on his lips. “Whoops.”
She pulled her hand back and looked at it like it had done something wrong. Jonah exhaled. Surely she’d had enough water and crackers to make it to bed without getting sick by now. He started to open his mouth, but then she sighed.
“Thank you.” Her hand softly touched his.
“For what?” He lifted his gaze to hers. She really had incredible eyes, dark and vulnerable.
“For making sure I made it home and taking care of me when I drank too much.” She smiled and leaned back against the couch. Her head rolled toward him. “It’s not every day a guy calls me his girlfriend and then gives me water and crackers with cheese.”
Jonah relaxed into the couch. “You’re not every girl.”
She chuckled and he wanted to kiss her. It wasn’t the first time he’d had the urge, and it wouldn’t be the last time. He wouldn’t kiss her, but the urge lingered. He just wanted to feel if her lips were as soft as they looked. His desire for her hadn’t lessened over the week. He tried to ignore it. Tried to avoid situations where it would be obvious.
But he always felt like he was seconds from leaning in to kiss her.
He cleared his throat. “When does Sophie return?”
A buffer for when they were home alone seemed essential and Sophie would provide that.
Lacy lifted her hand as if to say I don’t know, but then held up a finger. “Wait.”
No one had said anything. She looked like she was receiving a message from the other side.
“I think. . . yes, she texted. Something about not being home for a week. Work something or other. I don’t know. It was before that second shot. Why did I do shots? I never do shots.” Her hands went to her stomach. “I don’t think the crackers were a good idea.”
Jonah sat up, alert. “You do look a little greenish.”
She covered her mouth and started for the bathroom. He was right behind her as she knelt next to the toilet. He held her hair and rubbed her back as she vomited. He’d worried this would be the ending to her night when she hadn’t passed on the shots. Her poor body shook beneath his palm.
When she finally stopped, he wet a washcloth and filled a glass with water.
He settled on the floor and leaned against the tub before drawing her between his legs to rest her back against his chest. Her body went limp against his, but she was still awake. He wiped her face with the washcloth including the tears. He helped her sip some of the water and then she sagged against him, turning into him. He gathered her against him as she sat on his lap.
“Drinking isn’t fun.” She buried her face into his shirt and he continued to rub her back.
He rested his chin on top of her head. “Not always.”
“Did you have fun tonight?” Her voice was small and fading.
“I did. Did you?”
“Hmmm.” Was the only response. She had curled into him and fallen asleep.
He brushed her hair off her forehead and placed a kiss there. She snuggled into him and sighed softly. Maybe Sophie had been right; everyone seemed to want to fix things for Lacy. To take care of her. Even him.
He held her for a little while on the bathroom floor just in case she got sick again. He grudgingly admitted he liked how she felt in his arms and didn’t want to let her go.
Lacy would be mortified if she remembered tonight. Telling him about Chet. Letting Jonah hold her. Feeling his beard. He couldn’t help his gentle smile at the thought of her pinkened cheeks and bursts of words to cover for what she’d done. He could stay like this all night, but she wasn’t his to hold and never could be.
Finally, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into her room without turning on the light. She still wore her clothes from work, but he tucked her in anyway, dragging the blankets from the center of the bed to cover her.
She snuggled into her blankets with a slight tremor, like she was cold. Her hand closed around his and dragged it to her chest, curling herself around his arm.
“Lacy, I need to go.” He sat on the edge of the bed. This was a bad idea.
“Stay please,” she whispered. “Just for a minute.”
She probably didn’t even realize who she was talking to. Using his other hand, he brushed her hair from her face. “I’ll stay until you go to sleep.”
She let out a sigh and relaxed. “Good.”
The temptation to lie down with her and offer his warmth tugged at him, but he knew he shouldn’t. She tempted him beyond reason even when he just wanted to hold her. Instead, he pressed his lips against her forehead again. Her breath had evened out and he gently pulled his arm away. She exhaled softly and he left the room.
