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Holly turned her head so she was gazing up at him, a wide smile on her face. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”
“Like I got kicked in the head by a mule.”
“I’ll get you some meds when you’re ready. I would have given them to you before you fell asleep, but I could barely wake you up enough to herd you into the spare room, let alone get you to drink or eat anything. You want some breakfast?”
Declan’s stomach gurgled in protest. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.”
Holly got up from the chair and took his hand. “Let’s get you back in bed, then. You can take the meds and get some more sleep. When you feel up to it, there is bread in the cabinet next to the sink.”
“Holly,” Declan said, holding his ground. “Why did you bring me here?”
“What do you mean? You don’t remember? You kissed my socks off and I said I was going to bring you home with me, but by the time I got Leo out to the truck you were nodding off. I figured the sugary drinks and the alcohol were making you sleepy, so I got you home, tucked you in, got Leo settled, and read for a while before I went to bed.”
“You could have just dropped me at the store.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I wasn’t going to leave you drunk and alone, sleeping on a cot. At least here I could keep an eye on you.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Come on, Declan. Only a total jerk would have dumped you at that store. I’ve got plenty of rooms not being used and I got to love on Leo, so for me it’s a win-win.” Holly wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a gentle squeeze. “Well, kind of. There was big talk from you about being able to satisfy me in one round, but it’s not my style to take advantage of inebriated men.”
“I’ll take some pain meds and get out of your hair,” Declan said.
“Good gravy, you are stubborn,” Holly said, keeping one arm around his waist as she led him back to the spare bedroom. “Listen, I’m going to get you something for the headache and I want you to take it and lie down and please do not leave until I get home from my parents’ Sunday brunch. Promise?”
“Holly, honestly, I’m fine—”
“Will you just let me look after you, Declan? I know it’s hard to let anyone see you vulnerable, but I want to talk about where we go from here when I get back. Unless you didn’t mean anything you said last night—”
“I meant it,” he said firmly.
Holly beamed. “Perfect. You rest, we’ll talk, and then you can go where you want, whether it’s home, back to the store, or the Bahamas.”
Declan nodded, sitting down on the bed. “All right.”
“Good. I’ll be back in a few.”
Declan looked over at Leo, who had made himself completely at home on top of the pillow he’d been kneading a few moments before.
“I guess she didn’t have to tell you twice, huh?”
Holly came back into the room with another bottle of water and a pill container. “Take three of these. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Holly?”
She stopped in the doorway, leaning back in with a grin. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for taking care of me. It…doesn’t happen often.”
“I kind of figured that.” Holly crossed back to him and gave him a brief peck on the mouth before pointing her finger at him with a mock stern expression. “Rest and replenish, and if I come back to find you gone, I will hunt you down like a dog.”
Declan smiled, the warmth of her lips lingering on his. “We wouldn’t want that.”
CHAPTER 25
