Her thought train came to a screeching stop. Why was she getting worked up over an unlikely hypothesis? Even if he was a playboy, Seth was a decent man. She shouldn’t assume the worst of him. But then why was she naked? Grrr.

When she walked up to the bar, she found something that reinforced her assessment of Seth as a good guy. She’d expected there to be a pitcher, peanuts, and glasses strewn across the counter, but there wasn’t a speck of peanut crumble. When she went around the counter to inspect further, she discovered the neatly rinsed glassware in the sink. He’d cleaned everything up before taking her to the hotel.

Despite her urge to blame someone else for her guilt and frustration, blaming Seth didn’t sit right in her gut. She couldn’t assume the worst of him. And she had to resolve this if she wanted to go forward with the dating dare. It was a much-needed distraction that she couldn’t give up easily. Just call him, silly woman. But what would she say? Hey, Seth. This is Tara. I don’t remember shit from last night. Did we fuck?

“What the hell am I supposed to do?” she asked the sturdy, reclaimed-wood columns in the pub. They stood silent. “Some help you are.”

If Seth had something to say, or explain, he was going to have to call her himself. There was no way she was calling first.

Seth woke up the next day with morning wood that felt more like iron, but the woman responsible was nowhere in sight. Disappointment slapped him in the face, but understanding soon eased the sting. She was probably too embarrassed to see him after throwing up and passing out on him, so she’d made an early-morning escape.

He would give her some time and wait for her to call him. Once she got over it, she would probably want to apologize or thank him or whatever. Not that he wanted any of that. He just couldn’t wait for their first date. His heart took off on a gallop at the thought of spending more time with Tara.

But he had to tie up some loose ends before he treated himself to a date with her. He had to get back to Santa Monica to finish packing up his condo, and finalize the leasing arrangements with his real estate agent. He didn’t plan on coming back to the States anytime soon, but his condo was the first home he’d bought, and he felt too attached to it to sell it outright.

Seth flipped back the bedsheets and heaved himself out of bed. Yawning long and loud, he trudged to the bathroom. After his shower, he needed some strong coffee to make up for his late night.

His mom had stayed with Landon and Aubrey last night, and was planning to stay for the rest of the week to help them prepare for their monthlong honeymoon. Well, he wasn’t sure how much of a honeymoon it would be with a three-month-old baby with them, but his brother was an industrious man.