Tending Tara (Alaska Blizzard Book 8)

by Kat Mizera

  “Be good to her. She’s special and deserves someone special to take care of her. We cannot see the future, but what I see is two people I like very much in a vulnerable relationship. So instead of focusing on all the reasons why you had to get married, try to focus on the reasons you didn’t.”

  “What do you mean?” Donovan asked in confusion.

  “You didn’t have to marry her. Logan was going to do it. Why did you want it to be you?”

  Donovan started to answer but Miikka held up a hand. “Don’t tell me, just think about it and then do it. Focus on all those reasons instead of the other stuff, because the other stuff is all bullshit. You didn’t plan it, but now you’re married to one of the most amazing women I know. Yes, she’s my sister, but I still have eyes. I see that she’s beautiful. I know that she’s educated and intelligent. I’ve known her my whole life so I also know she’s kind, sweet, and generous. Maybe it was by accident, but you’ve been given an amazing opportunity to be her husband. I ask you to promise me that you won’t waste it. Maybe it’s not meant to be—that’s not what I’m asking—but I’d like to know you worked to find out.”

  “I…” Donovan didn’t even know how to answer that, but it rang true in ways he couldn’t explain. “Yes. I will. I promise.”

  He didn’t know exactly what he’d just promised but he was going to figure it out because it somehow seemed extremely important. To both of them.

  He walked in the house just after two o’clock and found Tara on the couch reading something on her tablet. He put down two of the gifts he’d picked up on the way home and approached her holding a bouquet of exotic wildflowers.

  “Hi.” He smiled.

  “Well, hi.” She smiled back.

  “These are for you.” He leaned over to kiss her. “How was your first morning as a married woman?”

  “Romantic.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I did laundry and made a grocery list!”

  He laughed. “Well, I’m trying to make up for that now.”

  “Donovan, these are beautiful. Thank you.” She took them from him and slowly got to her feet. “Do you have a vase?”

  “I do.” He led her into the dining room and pulled a footed, crystal vase out of a buffet cabinet.

  They went into the kitchen together and Tara clipped the bottoms of the stems, put fresh water in the vase, and then arranged them artfully. Donovan watched her with a smile on his face. She seemed comfortable in his kitchen, wearing faded jeans, a long-sleeved Metallica T-shirt, and fuzzy pink socks on her feet. Her long hair tumbled down her back in a loose braid and he longed to reach out and tug on it.

  “Where shall we put these?” she asked, turning with the flowers in her hand.

  “Wherever you want. They’re for you.”

  “On the table in the great room,” she said. “That’s where I think I’ll spend most of my time. I love that room.”

  “I love it, too.” He followed her back into the great room and retrieved the two gifts he’d bought. He’d planned to give them to her later, maybe after dinner, but he liked seeing her smile and her eyes had lit up when he’d handed her the flowers.

  “What’s this?” she asked in surprise.

  “It’s your wedding day, and every woman should feel like a bride, even when it’s a marriage of convenience.”

  “But I don’t have anything for you,” she said, her eyes widening in dismay.

  “I don’t need anything.” He tugged her onto the sectional next to him and handed her the first bag. “But I think this gift is kind of for both of us.”

  She frowned as she opened it and then bit her lip as she smiled. “Well. I think you’re right.” She took out the lacy pink piece of lingerie and held it against her chest. “I’m looking forward to wearing this for you.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you like lingerie but since we’re already sleeping together, I hoped you’d like something new and special…just for me.”

  “Very much.” She leaned forward and kissed him, her lips lingering on his. “Shall I put it on now?”

  “Maybe.” He traced a finger along the swell of her breasts. “But I have another gift for you.”

  “You’re spoiling me.”

  “That’s the point. It’s your wedding day.”

  “It’s not just mine.”

  “Yeah, but I’m a guy. One blowjob and I’d fall asleep happy.” He paused. “But that’s not what I want for you. For us.”

  “Why?” She seemed genuinely confused.

  “Because these are all things I was going to do anyway, while we were dating and getting to know each other. Since we moved up the timeline by getting married, I figured I’d get a head start on the romance. Especially since I’m gone a lot. While I’m here, I want to spoil you. Spoil both of us maybe.”

  “I like this idea.” She smiled. “So what’s in the other bag?”

  “Here you go.” He handed it to her and she opened it slowly, her eyes rounding in surprise. “Oh, Donovan… It’s beautiful.”

  18

  The sparkling gold chain was resting in a velvet box and there was a golden hockey stick charm with a diamond set in it.

  “Since we’ll be wearing our wedding rings around our necks, I thought this might make it feel that much more personal,” he said. “Something representative of us.”

  “But what about you?” she asked.

  “I have a chain I can wear my ring on.” He pulled his wedding ring out of his pocket, noting that hers was still on her left hand. He reached out and ran a finger along it. “It looks pretty there.”

  “It does.” She slid it off and put it on the chain before handing it to him. “Will you put it on for me?”

  “Of course.”

  She pulled her hair forward, so her braid hung over one shoulder, and he fastened the chain.

  “It looks gorgeous on you,” he said.

  “Thank you.” She kissed him again, this time straddling his lap.

  “You want to take this upstairs?” he asked, his eyes settling on her mouth.

  She arched a brow. “Can we not make love on the couch?”

  “We can, but I don’t have any condoms down here.”

  “Well, that’s inconvenient.” She slid off his lap and slowly backed away, crooking her finger at him. “I guess you’re going to have to chase me then.”

  “Oh, really?” He got to his feet, watching her intently.

  She turned and bolted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He was right behind her, laughing as he caught her just outside the bedroom.

  “What happens now that I’ve caught you?” he asked, pulling her against his chest.

  “Anything you want.” Her eyes twinkled. “It’s our wedding night, after all.”

  “Wedding day,” he chuckled, “but you have a point. Actually…” He paused. “Do you like baths?”

  “I do.”

  “How would you like to soak in the tub with me and drink a bottle of wine?”

  “That sounds lovely.”

  “Let me run the water. Mind if I put some essential oils in there?”

  “Not at all.”

  She undressed as he ran the bath, and their eyes met in the mirror. He was spectacularly handsome, and every time he fixed his gorgeous whiskey-colored eyes on her, she melted a little. He was being so sweet and romantic tonight, and she loved it. Saku had never been romantic. He’d had moments, but they were almost always as a prelude to sex; Donovan knew she was going to sleep with him whether he did all this or not. Which made that much more special.

  He pulled his shirt over his head, and she unconsciously licked her lips. How had she gotten so lucky? He made her heart beat faster every time she looked at him and seeing him getting undressed, just for her, as her husband, set free a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. She hadn’t felt this way with a man in a long time, and she slowly loosened the braid she’d put her hair in, letting it cascade down her bare chest.

  Donovan reached out, pushing her hair b
ack. “Let me look at you,” he said in a raspy voice. His eyes raked over her body, leaving her feeling an odd combination of sexy and on display, and her heartbeat sped up a little as he reached out a finger. She’d assumed he was going to touch her breasts, but instead he gently fingered the ring and charm nestled in her cleavage. “Diamonds look good on you. I need to buy you more.”

  “I don’t need diamonds,” she murmured, staring into his eyes.

  “Need is relative.” He lowered his head, kissing her deeply, his hands traveling around to cup her backside.

  Their tongues tangled and danced as they moved close together. He was truly the best kisser, and she pressed closer to him, craving his touch.

  “Bath first,” he said softly. “I’m going to run down and grab the wine. Be right back.”

  “Okay.” She reached for a clip to put her hair up with before slowly stepping into the massive tub. She sank down and sighed with pleasure. It had been ages since she’d had a bath like this, and never in a tub this big. She was still breathless from his kiss and anxious to have him back with her. She’d thought they’d probably spend tonight talking and maybe even cooking together; she’d never imagined gifts or this kind of romance.

  Donovan came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses, pouring them each a glass before getting into the tub and settled down behind her.

  “What shall we drink to?” he asked, holding out his glass.

  “Marriage, of course.” She clinked hers against it.

  “To wedding nights and new chapters in our lives.”

  “I’ll definitely drink to that.”

  They stayed in the tub for a long time, drinking and talking, until the water was tepid and Tara felt a little chilled.

  “I think it’s time to warm you up,” he murmured in her ear.

  “Yes, you’re probably right.”

  They got out and quickly dried off before padding into the bedroom. Donovan climbed into bed and slid under the covers, holding out his arms to her. Tara didn’t hesitate to join him, tilting her head up for a kiss. He took her lips sweetly, but as his tongue slid inside her mouth, the heat turned up like he’d hit a switch. She loved the way it felt when he kissed her, and when one of his hands traveled up to take the clip out of her hair, it tumbled all over both of them.

  “I love your hair,” he murmured, running his fingers through it. “I’d like it draped all over me while I fuck you.”

  “So me on top?”

  “Absolutely.” He rolled onto his back and she straddled him, completely uninterested in foreplay. He’d been teasing and kissing her the whole time they’d been in the tub and all she could think about now was having him inside of her. She’d always liked sex, but with Donovan she’d begun to feel insatiable.

  He thrust into her without hesitation and they both sighed. She rested her hands on his chest, staring down at him and he smiled.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I get a little tongue-tied whenever you look at me like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like I’m…beautiful.” She’d wanted to say something like ‘special,’ or ‘important,’ but lost her nerve at the last minute.

  “Because you are. And now you’re mine.” He reached up and used his thumbs to slowly circle her nipples. Then he moved to cup her breasts, squeezing them until a long, low moan escaped her.

  He never stopped looking at her. The whole time he was inside of her, their eyes stayed fixed on each other, as if breaking the gaze would somehow break the physical connection, too. His hands were everywhere—on her hips, her breasts, her ass—until he pressed one finger between her legs and sought out the little nub of pleasure that tended to send her over the edge quickly. And this was no different, that extra touch sending her spiraling, as she rocked herself to another world.

  By the time she collapsed against his chest, they were both breathing hard, but wonderfully sated and she pressed her lips to the underside of his throat. It hadn’t been the wedding day Tara had envisioned as a little girl, but Donovan was by far the most handsome groom she could have imagined. He’d been so thoughtful and romantic, it had taken her by surprise. She wished she’d thought of a wedding gift for him, but she hadn’t realized he wanted to make their day special, and in the aftermath of their lovemaking she was incredibly satisfied, both physically and emotionally.

  “Dinner will be here in about thirty minutes,” he said a while later, one arm wrapped tightly around her middle.

  “You ordered dinner?”

  “Yup. I hope you like steak. We’ve got steak and lobster, twice-baked potatoes, some kind of fancy carrot dish, and New York style cheesecake for dessert.”

  “This sounds fattening,” she said. “But delicious.”

  “It’s a special occasion. And after dinner, we’ll most likely burn a few more calories.”

  “I read somewhere that sex doesn’t burn as many calories as we once thought. You have to go at it vigorously, for about sixty minutes, to burn a moderate amount.”

  “We can do that.” His fingers were skimming her back.

  “I’d rather go slow and build up to a climax than go at it that hard for sixty minutes.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, me too, but it sounds good in theory.”

  “I don’t know if I ever want to move,” she murmured, nestling deeper into his chest.

  “We don’t have to until the food gets here.”

  “This is probably a terrible wedding night question to ask, but I’m curious.”

  “You can ask me anything.”

  “Other than sex, what did you do on your other wedding night?”

  “There actually wasn’t any sex on my first wedding night,” he said. “We had a huge wedding and reception. Jane, my ex, twisted her ankle dancing and we spent a good part of the night sitting up icing it. I mean, we already lived together so having sex that night was no big deal, and then the next morning we were on a flight to the Caribbean, but the whole day was about the wedding event itself. There was very little personal time.” He paused. “And while the party was fun, I’m going to say I like this a little better. It might have been nice to have family and friends with us, but beyond that, I can’t think of a better way to spend a wedding day. Or night.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. I just wasn’t sure if I was weird or not.”

  “There’s nothing weird about us enjoying some time alone, a little intimacy, especially with us being so new together.”

  “I’ve been trying to not think about it as a marriage, but rather as the beginning of a relationship. Otherwise, it becomes a bit overwhelming.”

  The doorbell interrupted their conversation and Donovan hastily reached for a pair of sweats next to the bed. “I’ll go get our dinner. Do you want to eat in bed or downstairs?”

  “I’ll get dressed and come down.” She watched him pad out of the room in nothing but low-slung gray sweats and wondered, not for the first time, if she was dreaming.

  19

  As far as wedding days went, Donovan couldn’t think of a single complaint. They’d spent a wonderful afternoon and evening together, talking, eating, and making love. They were asleep by midnight, and now he needed to temporarily put all thoughts of his gorgeous redheaded bride out of his mind and focus on tonight’s game.

  “What’s your schedule the next few days?” she asked from the bed as he got dressed for the morning skate. “I’m going to be going to watch the Tudor team practice this afternoon. I offered to sit in, even though they can’t hire me yet. I want to show them I’m willing to do whatever it takes while we wait for the visa stuff.”

  “That’s a good idea,” he responded, pulling a long-sleeved Henley over his head. “The team needs some cohesion. They were all over the place that night at the game.”

  “Yeah, I was thinking they need to switch things up. It looks like they’ve made it so that the better players are with some of the weaker players, but instead of making them better, it just dra
gs everyone’s efficiency down. I’d like to put Cassie on a line with Deirdre and Bethany, see how it goes with the three strongest forwards playing together."

  Donovan nodded. "I’d like to spend a few hours with their goalie, too. She’s got good instincts, but it seemed to me she second-guessed herself a lot.”

  “I thought that, too!” Tara nodded enthusiastically. “You saw what I saw.”

  “Definitely.” He padded into the bathroom with her right behind him. “As far as my schedule goes, I’m here until next Saturday, which is right after Thanksgiving. Then we’ll be on the road for two weeks. When I get home tonight, let’s sync our calendars so you can have my schedule on your phone, and that way you’ll always know where I am and when I’ll be traveling.”

  “Okay.” She pulled on a pair of yoga pants. “What do you like to eat for breakfast? I know Miikka is pretty strict with his diet during hockey season, but I don’t know what you do.”

  “Protein bars, protein shakes, sometimes an egg white omelet. I try to mix it up or I get bored. I’m lucky that I don’t have to worry about my weight or anything, but I need to eat right, especially on game days. How about I take care of meals for a few days so you can see my routine and then you can join me or do your own thing, depending on what you think?”

  “Sounds good.”

  They worked in companionable silence, brushing their teeth side-by-side and then going down to the kitchen to make breakfast. Donovan started making two omelets while Tara brewed two cups of coffee. Jane didn’t cook, so Donovan had done it all while they’d been together, and she usually sat in the other room while he did it, waiting for him to serve her. It had been cute at first, but he hadn’t realized how much it bugged him until now. Having Tara puttering around beside him was nice, even though he didn’t need or expect any help.

  She got out the plates and gave him his coffee as he cooked. Then she simply stood beside him, resting the side of her face against his arm as she watched him finish up breakfast.