“Yes. Marmalade. Sure,” he said agreeably. He just needed to work quickly while she was conscious. “I’m going to help you out of the car, and we’re going to walk a few small steps at a time. Easy peasy, right?”

“No, peas. Hate. Much hate.”

Despite the predicament he found himself in, Seth couldn’t help but laugh. She was so fucking cute. There wasn’t a hint of her signature sarcasm in sight. Not that he didn’t enjoy her prickly side, too.

Even though her eyes were open, she was far from alert. When he rounded his car and hefted her out of the passenger seat, she sagged against him. He wrapped her waist tightly with his arm, and held her hand over his shoulder so she wouldn’t slide down. He took a careful step forward. Her foot moved a step as well. Thank God. One step at a time, they reached the entrance to Lola’s. He dug around his pockets, holding Tara up with one arm.

Once they got through the front entrance, Seth quickly looked left and right. A vise wrapped around his lungs and squeezed, nerves jangling through his veins. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, but to anyone watching, he was sneaking around with an alcohol-drenched woman in his arms. This had to be the most ludicrous situation he’d ever found himself in.

He adjusted Tara so he could bear more of her weight, and resolutely walked down the hall to his room. He grabbed the key card he’d been holding in his mouth and waved it against the sensor, all the while balancing her against his hip. Opening the unlocked door, he backed into the room, half dragging Tara with him. When the door shut behind them, Seth sighed with relief. They were finally safe in his room.

“That wasn’t so bad,” he said, winded from the exertion. He righted Tara in his arms, wondering where to settle her, when she raised her head and looked straight at him.

“Seth,” she said with surprising clarity.

Her eyes were focused on him, burning with intensity. For a moment, he thought she was going to kiss him, and his blood sizzled. But it wouldn’t be right to kiss her. While he thought of gentle ways to refuse her—to remind her that they had time—Tara bent at her waist and hurled on his shoes. He quickly moved to her side and held her hair back in one hand and thumped her back with the other.

“You okay?” he asked as dry heaves wracked through her body. He rolled his eyes at himself. It was highly unlikely that she felt okay.

“Stop. No more.” She weakly waved her hand behind her, trying to grab his arm to stop the thumping. “Bathroom.”

When her knees buckled, Seth caught her by her arms and led her to the sink, where she rinsed her mouth swaying left and right. He hovered near her to catch her in case she fell, but she managed to stay upright.