Tara lifted her arms high above her head and stretched down to her pointed toes. When she released her taught muscles, her body relaxed into a gelatinous blob, and a satisfied sigh escaped her lips. She loved this part of waking up. The first stretch of the day, where you surrender every muscle in your body. It was one of life’s simplest but greatest pleasures.
She turned to her side, keeping her eyes closed, like a lazy cat sitting on a patch of sunlight. It took her a couple seconds to realize she wasn’t alone. With a chill of alarm slithering down her spine, she forced her eyes open. Her heart took a flying leap into her throat as she stared into Seth’s beautiful sleeping face.
“No,” she choked, holding herself very still.
She stomped down on the panic that was rising inside her, and forced herself to rewind her mind to last night. She remembered playing truth or dare with him at the brewery, and her impulsively agreeing to date him. It had seemed a perfectly sane idea at the time. She was lonely; he was hot. A no-strings-attached month of dating sounded like exactly what the doctor ordered.
But her memory turned hazy after the part where they toasted to the dating dare. Oh, God. Did I sleep with him? Well, it was obvious she slept with him. She was in bed beside him, and the sky was softening with the colors of approaching dawn. But did she sleep with him?
She carefully lifted the duvet covering her body, and saw that she was naked underneath an oversized T-shirt, which presumably belonged to Seth. Tara briefly considered lifting the blanket further to see what Seth was wearing on the bottom, because from what she could see, he wasn’t wearing anything on the top. But she promptly chickened out. What if he was naked? The thought made her blood rush south even as she freaked out about the implications.
She wanted him—last night and this morning. That much was certain. Her body was apparently a wild thing with a mind of its own. Even now, it begged her to touch him. To slip a hand underneath the sheets and feel up his broad chest and tight abs. Simmer down. If she felt this out of control, sober and wide awake, how would she have behaved last night? She might’ve acted on her desire without restraint.
Why did Seth bring her to his hotel room? He wasn’t the kind of man who would take advantage of a drunk person. But look at the evidence. She was in his hotel room, lying next to him in nothing but a T-shirt. Why would she be half-naked if they didn’t do the deed? No, she didn’t buy it. There had to be a different explanation—probably a hugely humiliating one for her.
But if they had slept together last night, she’d probably participated wholeheartedly. She was ridiculously attracted to the man. She wouldn’t call it the best decision of her life, but she could own it. The thing that bothered her the most was that if they really had had sex, she didn’t remember any of it. Even the orgasm. She was certain he would’ve made her come. The mere sight of him made lust pump through her veins. Besides, weren’t playboys supposed to know their way around a woman’s body? Tara wanted to groan out loud, but she couldn’t risk waking up Seth.
She had to get out of here before he woke up. Whatever happened last night, it would be humiliating to face him with no memory of it. She shifted gingerly toward the edge of the bed, wincing as her brain rattled in her head, and removed her weight from the mattress with excruciating care. Wouldn’t it be funny if she accidentally jostled him awake? Yeah … no.
Her dress hung neatly behind a high-backed chair with her bra and Spanx next to it. With a grimace of distaste, she put on her uncomfortable push-up bra and Spanx and quickly stepped into the dress. The hem felt cold against her bare feet for some reason. She paused to sniff the damp skirt, but it smelled clean. Whatever. She had to find the rest of her stuff. Once she found her shoes and her purse, Tara made her escape. She would’ve sprinted down the empty hallway if her brain wasn’t attempting to shove her eyeballs through their sockets.
Once she made it out the main entrance, the gentle light of the rising sun pierced into her pounding head. It was just past six o’clock, and the streets were still empty. Which was good and bad. It was good since there was no one to witness her walk of shame. The bad was that her chances of catching an Uber in her tiny town at sunrise were slim to nothing. Besides, taking an Uber would create a witness to her unplanned sleepover, which she didn’t need. Waddling home in her mermaid dress and high heels was her only option. It felt like her comeuppance for drinking without restraint when she was feeling so off—with a gorgeous man she had a hard time keeping her hands off of.
When Tara got safely home with sore feet and a guilty conscience, she pushed everything out of her mind so she could get more sleep to do away with her hangover. She didn’t want her brothers giving her a hard time for staying out late and getting so drunk. They had a cowbell they loved to ring around her head when she overdid it with the adult beverages.
She stripped out of her tight dress and the wretched undergarments, put on an oversized T-shirt—which reminded her of the feel of Seth’s shirt against her naked skin—and slid into bed. She closed her eyes with a sigh, and dreamt of the peaceful face of the sleeping man she’d left behind in a cozy hotel room.
Tara woke up for the second time that morning, the sun shining brightly into her room. To her great relief, the pain stabbing at her head didn’t feel like medieval torture anymore. Unfortunately, her mortification had only grown like one of those magic sponge animals that quadrupled in size in water. Her remorse at her reckless actions didn’t fit inside her mind, and her scalp felt stretched tightly around her head. She screamed into her pillow. It helped a little, so she did it again. Feeling marginally less likely to burst, she slowly swung her legs to the floor and stood.
No shooting pain in her temples. No dizziness. Yup. Her hangover was practically gone. Putting on her slippers, she dragged herself out to the kitchen to hydrate. Her mom had a giant jug of boricha—roasted barley tea—prepared in the fridge, and she gratefully poured out a tall glass and chugged it down.
“Hey, kiddo,” Jack said, strolling into the kitchen. “How late did you stay out last night? I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Late,” she said vaguely, hoping her brother wouldn’t push it. Because oh, I came home a couple hours ago after having a sleepover with Seth was a conversation neither of them needed to have.
As sad as it sounded, she was a twenty-eight-year-old woman with an unspoken two A.M. curfew. She knew her parents only wanted to protect their little girl, but it was absurd to have a curfew at her age, especially since her brothers hadn’t had a curfew since they were in high school. She loved her parents dearly, but some of their old-fashioned views were getting … old.
Thankfully, Jack just shrugged and poured himself a glass of boricha, too. “I can’t believe Aubrey is really married. I mean, she’s been living with Landon for a few months now, and they have Morgan, but that wedding ceremony made everything feel so official.”
“I know,” Tara sighed, feeling the hollow ache in her heart again. Cut it out already. To cheer herself up, she decided to tease Jack. He was such an easy target. He blushed and fumbled so wonderfully. He really was a sweetheart. “You know Mom and Dad secretly hoped for you and Aubrey to get together for the longest time.”
“What? That’s … ugh. What are you talking about?” he stuttered, turning a blotchy pink.
“Nothing,” she said, all innocence.
“Aubrey’s like a little sister to me. She’s like you. How could Mom and Dad…? I feel nauseous.”
“Geez, bro. Calm down. I’m just messing with you.” Tara released the laughter she was holding back, clutching her stomach.
“You’re a little brat. When are you going to grow up?” Jack tried to glare at her, but he was holding back a grin. He was also a really good sport. “You know what you deserve?”
“No.” Her laughter abruptly ceased. “Please not that. Mom told you guys not to do that anymore.”
“She did? I have no recollection of that,” her sweet oppa said as he lunged for her. He grabbed her around her midriff and used his other hand to tickle her belly.
“Ahhh. Stop. Please,” she wheezed as she giggled like a kindergartener high on cotton candy.
Alex walked in on them and stopped in his tracks. After studying the scene for a few seconds, he dashed all her hopes for help from him. “It looks like you have the situation handled, Jack. I’ll be in the garage if you need reinforcement.”
Figures. Jack and Alex were fraternal twins and they always, without fail, sided with each other. Even so, it still stung. Shrieking with tortured laughter, she yelled, “You are heartless, Alex Park. Heartless.”
“Good morning to you, too, baby sister.” With an annoyingly jaunty wave, he went on his merry way.
“Assholes, the both of you.” The insult gave her no satisfaction when it wheezed out of her in a breathless pant.
“Tara, you know better than to use such language toward your big brothers,” her mom chided as she walked into the kitchen. But she wore a wide smile, as though she found the situation hilarious but felt it was her duty as a good mom to teach her youngest how to respect her elders. Just as Tara was about to howl in frustration, her mom continued, “And Jack. Stop that. You’re thirty years old, not seven.”
He promptly released Tara and walked over to Mom to peck her on the cheek. “Sorry. I’ll do my best to remember that I’m old.”
Her mom affectionately slapped her son on the shoulder and turned him toward the hallway. “Be on your way. I want to chat with my daughter.”
“Yes, Mother.” Jack winked at Tara and grabbed a Fuji apple from the fruit basket before he sauntered out of the kitchen, throwing and catching the apple in the air.
“You slept in today,” she said, switching fluidly to Korean. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Of course, I am.” Oh, no. Mom knows. She always knows everything. “It was a long day, and I just needed some extra sleep.”
“Are you sure that’s all?” Her mom peered at her with her X-ray vision. Tara’s heart threatened to tear through her chest like the Kool-Aid man. “It’s okay to feel a little down. Aubrey just got married. You could feel sad for all those girls’ nights in and out you used to have, and worry about your friendship changing.”
Tara should’ve been relieved that she hadn’t been sniffed out by her mom for her late-night adventures. But talking about this wasn’t a huge improvement, especially since her mom zeroed in on her inner workings.
“I know, Mom. I just need to let it all settle in. Aubrey will always be my best friend. Just because her life has changed doesn’t mean that our friendship will change. We’ll always be there for each other.”
“That was my line. When has my puppy gotten so wise?” Mom cupped her cheek with a warm hand and smiled. “You’re right. Just give yourself time.”
“Thank you.” Tara couldn’t believe her luck that her mom wasn’t bringing up her lack of a husband.
“And … maybe it’s time you started thinking about your future. I married your dad when I was only twenty-three—”
“I can’t hear you.” She’d been too quick to be relieved. To avoid listening to her mom’s story for the 378th time, Tara plugged her ears with her fingers. “I already told you I don’t have time for marriage. The brewery is more important to me.”
She probably said this a bit louder than necessary, thanks to the fingers muffling her voice, because her mom drew back with a cringe. With an exasperated eye roll, she drew Tara close, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and walked out of the kitchen.
Tara blew out a long breath. If she wanted a minute of peace, she was either going to have to hide out in her room or go into the brewery early. Her brothers wouldn’t be coming in until around two, so Tara decided to head out to her happy place. She loved her family, but privacy was a rare commodity.
After a quick shower, she threw on her work uniform—jeans and a loose, lightweight shirt—and headed out. Tara rode her bike everywhere in town. She claimed that it was for the environment and her physical well-being, but the fact of the matter was that it was so much fun. It reminded her of being a kid. She even rang the bell occasionally when no one was around.
It was a brisk, sunny spring morning, and she hummed under her breath as she whizzed down the road. She reached Weldon Brewery before she knew it and let herself inside. It was her home away from home. The place where she felt most herself, but this morning it was all wrong.
As soon as she’d agreed to Seth’s dating dare, Tara had been filled with a bubbling excitement. It wasn’t a big deal. Just four dates. But it had felt like the promise of an adventure. Now she’d gone and ruined it by getting sloppy drunk. How was she going to salvage her tattered pride?
Besides, there would be nothing to salvage if they’d slept together. She’d told Seth repeatedly no hookup last night. Even if she’d thrown herself at him as she imagined, he should have resisted. But what if he couldn’t? She could be very persuasive. Tara snorted out loud. Did she think she was irresistible? Talk about having an inflated ego. No matter how hard she came on to him, he shouldn’t have given in. After all, they had their dating dare. He should’ve waited to be seduced properly when she was sober and horny.
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.
Landon’s restaurant was opening in about eight weeks, and he wouldn’t get a chance to take long vacations until the place was established, so this was their last chance to get away for a while. Aubrey’s bakery, Comfort Zone, was a well-oiled machine with her sous-chef, apprentice, and other employees holding down the fort. As for Landon’s restaurant, there was still cosmetic construction to finish and other minor utility work to be done, so Seth had agreed to oversee the final touches. He also solved the problem of their empty house by staying there while he was around.
And as a wedding present, he’d offered to create the restaurant’s website. Landon could’ve hired anyone to build the website, but Seth wanted it to be centered on photographs of the restaurant—around Landon’s dream. His brother should share what the restaurant means to him with his future patrons.
He was looking forward to all of it, especially now that it included spending time with Tara. Seth felt as giddy and excited as a schoolkid the night before a field trip. He whistled while he shampooed his hair, and stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and motivated. With a promise to visit again soon, Seth checked out of Lola’s and headed to Landon’s before his long drive home.
Springtime in Southern California was ridiculous. With temperatures in the high sixties and low seventies, it was as though they were living in an ecosphere set to perfect weather. Seth pulled into Landon’s driveway and parked in front of the house. He jogged up the steps and rang the bell, humming under his breath.
“Good morning, love,” his mom said in a singsongy voice, opening the front door with Morgan carefully cradled against her chest. Holding up one of her little hands, she waved it at him. “Good morning, Uncle Seth.”
“Morning, Mom.” He bent to peck his mom’s cheek, and planted a kiss on Morgan’s forehead with a loud smack. “Morning, gorgeous.”
“Come in and close the door. The wind isn’t good for the baby.”
“It’s close to seventy degrees out there,” he said mildly as his mom fussed over the cheerful baby girl, who did not seem the least bit bothered by the wind. But he obediently shut the door behind him before he removed his shoes in the foyer.
“The wind might get into her lungs.” His mom shot him a warning look.
“Come on, Mom. You’re the coolest, most forward-thinking person I know until it comes to Morgan. Then you start spewing superstitions about wind getting into her lungs. We want air in her lungs.”
She relented with a smile and slapped him on the arm. “We have to heed our ancestors’ wisdom sometimes. When she turns one, I’ll relax on the mumbo jumbo, but until then you have to humor me.”
“Of course,” he said, giving her a one-armed hug. “Actually, I’m surprised you’re okay with Landon and Aubrey taking her to Asia for a month. They’ll be out and about with people and everything.”
“Who said I was okay? But I’m not going to meddle in their parenting just because I get unreasonably overprotective around my baby girl sometimes. That’s my problem.”
“Ah, there’s the amazing woman who raised me.”
“Stop with your teasing and go find your hyung. See if he needs any help.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He rubbed his nose against Morgan’s tiny nub of one and was rewarded with a happy gurgle before he walked off in search of his older brother.
He poked his head into the nursery, the study, and the master bedroom but couldn’t find Landon anywhere. “Bro, where are you?”
“I’m over here.”
Seth followed his muffled reply toward the back of the master bedroom, and found Landon standing inside the en suite bathroom, holding two bottles of toiletry in his hands with frustration stamped across his face.
“Are you having a stare off with your bubble bath?” Seth asked, grinning at the domestic scene. His brother had changed so much since he met Aubrey—for the better, of course—and fatherhood looked pretty great on him, too.
“Shut up,” Landon said halfheartedly. “Aubrey bought these new washes for Morgan, and I can’t figure out the difference between the two. Which one am I supposed to use?”
“Where is Aubrey anyway?” he said, looking around as though she was hiding behind the dresser.
“She’s at Comfort Zone. You do remember that your sister-in-law owns a business, don’t you?”
“You guys got married last night. I figured she’d take this week off to unwind and get ready for your honeymoon.”
Landon’s face took on a goofy, dreamy expression. “She just loves it there. She’s so amazing at what she does, you know? She missed going in during her maternity leave, so she’s making up for lost time before she takes more time off.”
“Sounds like Aubrey.” Seth sat down on the edge of the bathtub. “Do you need help with anything?”
“Nah. We still have plenty of time to pack. I’m just trying to put my other businesses in order before we leave, which you can’t help with. Besides, don’t you have way more packing to do than us?”
“It’s mostly done. I just have to get the furniture and boxes into storage, and pack the portable part of my life into a couple of oversized bags.”
His brother studied him quietly for a second. “This move to Paris … is it what you really want?”
“What do you mean?” Seth removed imaginary lint off his T-shirt.
“Mom and I didn’t think your fashion-photography stint would last as long as it has. But now you’re making this huge commitment to root yourself in the industry.”
“It is my profession,” he said stiffly.
“But your art is your dream. It has been since you were a little kid. The way you brought your painting and photography together was beautiful beyond words. I saw you in each and every one of your works. You put your heart into them. How are you holding all of that in? More importantly, why?” Landon’s gaze seemed to pierce into his soul. Older-brother superpower. “I know what it means to turn my back on my dream, Seth. Whatever happened to derail you from your path, don’t you think it’s time to make your way back?”
“Look, hyung. I know you mean well, but fashion photography is my calling, and the Paris job is a huge opportunity for me.” My calling? That was laying it on a bit thick. “I’m not going to lose out on the chance to chase a childhood dream.”
Landon looked unconvinced but gave a resigned shrug. “If that’s what you want, then I’m happy for you. But remember, I’m always here if you need to talk.”
“I know. I know. Don’t get all sappy on me,” Seth said, swallowing the thick swell of emotion in his throat. His older brother’s wedding must’ve gotten to him more than he’d thought. His feelings were too close to the surface. Well, he couldn’t have that. Slapping on a carefree grin, he said, “If you don’t need any help, then I should hit the road.”
“Yeah, you have quite a drive ahead of you.” Landon pulled him into a hug. “Thanks for taking over for me while I’m gone.”
“It’s nothing,” Seth said, hugging him back. “I’ll see you next month.”
After sneaking in a snuggle session with Morgan, he said his goodbyes and headed home to Santa Monica. Home. He wouldn’t be calling it home much longer. Paris would be home to him soon. Excitement filled him, and his face morphed into a giant smile. He couldn’t wait to start his new life there.
The wide, open road and the endless blue sky called to him, but he was tempted to stop by the brewery. Tara might be there early preparing for the day or working on a new brew, but he’d promised himself to give her time, so he drove on. He would hear from her soon. His heart jumped at the thought, making Seth grin even wider. He relished the anticipation coursing through him. The dating dare was promising to be something special.