Page 12

“Yeah, Ruth, I’m a doctor. I have aspirin.”

“Ohright,” she patted my chest and nodded. “Doctordoctor.”

“That is my name,” I replied seriously. “Dr. Doctor. At your service.”

“‘Do no harm,’ right? So, you won’ hurt me?” she asked with a pout of her pretty features and a finger pointed in my face.

I wrapped my fingers around her digit and lowered her arm like I was pointing the barrel of a gun down. “I’m mildly to moderately concerned by how little you’re fighting your kidnapping, but yes, ‘do no harm’ is a thing. You’re safe with me.”

“Sounds legit,” she mused.

We reached my black SUV, and my watch triggered it to unlock and start as I hauled her around to the passenger side. “Hey, don’t puke on my seats,” I said as I opened the door for her.

“I do not puke,” she declared primly. “I’m not like other drunk girls.”

“You’re a medical miracle,” I drawled. Her soft, curvy body had all but gone limp during the short walk from the pub to my car, and I had to wonder what the hell would have happened to her if anyone else had noticed how sloshed she was. I thought about the eagle eyes on that blond guy, and a slither of anger wrapped around my ribs. Fucking prick.

AndstupidRuth. How old was she? She had to know better than to get wasted without a designated friend or driver therewith her.

Or at all.

I tried my best to ignore how warm and soft her body felt under my hands as I bent to help her into the car. Almost impossible. Her shape did that sexy, hourglass thing that made me want to bite something, and as I maneuvered her legs into the car, she leaned against me and pressed her full breasts against my bicep.

I gritted my teeth, willing my body to behave, and with deliberate care, I took her by the shoulders, pressed her into the black leather seat, and buckled the seatbelt around her. Her head lolled back, dimpled chin tilted to the side and pink lips parted. She ran her tongue along her lips, and I followed the motion with rapt attention. Jesus wept.

Maybe I wasn’t the safe choice for her after all. I closed her door and went around to the other side to slide into the driver’s seat. The air conditioning had kicked on as soon as the car had started, but I cranked it up and turned on the cooling function for both seats to combat the stifling heat. Ruth rolled her head to glance at me. “Where’re you taking me again?”

“Your call. Do you have a roommate you want to call?” I tapped my car’s display, fiddling with the volume on the podcast that had connected and started playing through the speakers.

“No,” she waved her hand.

“Okay,” I replied slowly, tapping the music app on the screen and looking for a song that might be neutral. “What’s your address, then?”

“No way,” she scowled, pointing a finger. “Nice try.”

I rolled my eyes and tapped a “top hits” playlist. “Then, you’re coming home with me.”

“Are you a—a serial killer? Or foot fetish guy?”

I slowly rotated an incredulous look her way. “What exactly are you planning to do if I say yes to either of those?”

She considered that, her dark brown eyebrows tugging together and her mouth hanging open in thought. “Wear socks?”

“Yes, that should keep you from getting murdered. Good plan. For the record,” I put the car in reverse. “Don’t get into the cars of strangers when you’re drunk, Shortstop. They could have a foot fetish.”

“Oh,” she said distantly. Suddenly, she pointed to the silver logo on my dashboard. “Did you know they used to crush up dead people’s bones so the monks could make silverpoint paintings?”

I gave her a concerned side-eye. “I guess… it’s good they were dead people’s bones.”

She gave me a serious stare. “You can’t crush alive people’s bones.”

“I mean, youcan,” I muttered, leaning my mouth against my hand and smiling as I pulled out into the flow of traffic. I made my way through town, glancing now and then at the sleepy passenger who had decided to slump in her seat and close her eyes. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to do with this woman, but I knew I was glad I hadn’t left her there to her own devices. She could have ended up with someoneactuallycreepy.Although, admittedly, kidnapping a woman I barely knew and taking her to my house probably still fell under that umbrella.

As I left town and headed into the mountainous hills, Ruth’s breathing grew deep and steady, accompanied by a soft snore as her head gradually fell back and her mouth hung open. I laughed softly to myself, smoothing my fingers over my lips. Whatever she’d drunk, she had clearly overestimated her tolerance level. The poor thing was going to be miserable in the morning. I could get some electrolytes in her system and give her whatever medicine I had on hand, but there wasn’t much I could do to keep those alcohol levels from plummeting and wreaking havoc on her body.

The road tilted up at a sharp incline, and finally, I made a right turn into my driveway. The house had been built up the hill, surrounded by thick, mature trees and crawling plants, and I opened the garage on the bottom level. I’d bought this house five years ago because it reminded me of a tree house. The nine-year-old boy inside of me had really loved that idea. Made of pine planks, walnut finishes, and wrought iron balconies, it crept up the hill and stood tall among the trees.

Which, I realized as I stared at the dark iron stairs that led up two stories to the front porch… would be interesting. I hadn’t bought the house with hauling drunk frenemies up the stairs in mind. I slid a look over to my passenger, and she inhaled with a snort before spreading her limbs out like she was hot.