Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Donovan
I’m on my second strawberry mojito and I’m already feeling the impact of the ridiculous amount of rum that was added to it.
I’m not full on drunk, but I’m experiencing a buzz that I don’t mind one bit.
I’ve spent at least the last ninety minutes staring at Delia. I’ve tried my best not to be overt about it, but the woman is so fucking breathtaking that tearing my gaze from her feels damn near impossible.
She talked non-stop about a summer she spent in California when she was in her twenties. She headed there with a friend for a ten day stay only to prolong it when she applied for a job as a house and pet sitter at a beach cottage on a dare. She landed the job and as her friend made the trek back to Manhattan alone, Delia spent the next three weeks enjoying the sun, surf and the company of a Dalmatian puppy.
That set off a conversation about my job and why I chose to be a vet.
I always answer that question the same way I did today. I love animals. That started when I was a kid and I rescued an injured bird that was stranded on the sidewalk. My fascination only grew as I aged, so when it came time to start planning my life around where I wanted to study veterinary medicine, I made sure I took the right electives. I devoted as much time as I could to getting good grades and the day I graduated with my degree in hand, I knew I’d chosen the only path I could.
“How many drinks do you think I’ve had?” Delia asks me with a straight face.
I shrug. “Four?”
“For sure?”
I can’t help but laugh. “So, you’ve had four for sure?”
Her eyebrows pinch together. “Are you asking me because I was asking you?”
Slightly intoxicated Delia Hawthorne is a fucking treat. “Since I sat down, you’ve finished two.”
I hold up two fingers to clearly convey my point.
“So those two plus the two I had before you got here is four,” she deduces. “Or wait. Are you including the one I was finishing when you sat down as one of your two, or one of my two, plus two more.”
My mouth curves into a broad smile. “I think you’ve had enough for today.”
“I’m not drunk,” she announces. “Do you know how I know I’m not drunk?”
I lean closer to her, wishing I could kiss her right now. “How?”
She taps the tip of her nose with her index finger. “I can do this.”
I follow her lead and do the same with my finger on my nose. “So, I’m not drunk either?”
“Nope. You’re sober.”
I’m not quite that. I wouldn’t trust myself behind the wheel of a car at the moment, but I’m certain I’d pass any sobriety test.
“Roman told me if I couldn’t touch my nose I was drunk.” She shakes her head. “He would make me touch my nose when I’d get home after a party. That started when I was sixteen.”
“Roman is a hard-ass.”
Her head falls back in laughter, revealing the smooth column of her neck. She’s so sexy that it’s almost painful to be this close to her and not be touching her. I’ve struggled to keep my gaze off the way the fabric of her bikini top barely covers her ample tits. The bottoms look like they’re painted on. They’re snug enough that I anticipate that when I do get her naked she’ll be waxed smooth.
“Did Matthew tell you that?” she asks as her laughter fades.
“He did,” I acknowledge with a nod. “Matt’s the wild one, right? Roman is more rigid.”
“He’s a lawyer,” she reminds me. “He made a pledge to do right in the world, or something.”
“A pledge?”
She holds up her hand as if she’s set to give testimony in a trial. “I promise to not allow my siblings to have any fun, especially Delia.”
“Poor you.” I trace a fingertip over the bridge of her perfect nose. “You were denied fun.”
“I still had plenty of fun,” she whispers. “Don’t tell Roman, though.”
I lift a finger to cover my lips. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Her gaze follows the curve of my mouth. “Are all of my secrets safe with you?”
It’s my turn to raise my hand as if I’m swearing to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. “I promise that all of your secrets are safe with me.”
She moves slightly until our lips almost touch. “I’ll want to sleep with you when I see you at my brother’s wedding. I know I will since I want it so much right now.”
I move to stand and extend a hand to her. “We’re going to my stateroom now.”
She drops her hand in mine. “That sounds fancy and fun.”
“I guarantee you’re going to have a hell of a good time, Delia.”
She allows me to help her to her feet. I look down into her beautiful face grateful that we both ended up on this ship.
“You will, too,” she whispers. “I do this thing with my tongue that I think you’re going to really like.”
My cock hardens abruptly, almost to the point of pain. “I can’t fucking wait.”