“Are you okay, human? You look a little flushed.”
Kelly gazed at the shifter, her cheeks the rosy pink color. She had definitely had too much to drink that night. She had never really had a chance to get drunk very often. When she did, it was rare, and she didn’t usually enjoy herself.
Somehow, though, this time, sitting at the bar where Darren worked, she found herself allowing her body to relax and her mind to stay sharp and take in the atmosphere around her. The other bear shifters were looking at her was concern, some of them casting a lewd, possessive gaze toward her. It made her uncomfortable, but somehow, she felt safe knowing Darren was behind the bar. Anybody tried to mess with her, he had made it clear his goal was to make sure she was safe. It felt good, even though they had been having a hard time communicating since she had arrived at his house.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just not used to drinking so much. Are you done now?” There were still people coming and going throughout the bar, and the place was bustling and alive with activity. Kelly, however, was slumped in a booth in the corner, with all her glasses and bottles collected on the table around her. Jared had been making sure to keep her stocked up on whatever she asked for, and wasn’t even writing it down on the tab. He wanted her to feel safe and relaxed. There was something so caring and understanding about his friend, even though there were times he questioned whether or not the man was even present.
“Yes, I am done now. Let’s go to the car.”
Kelly stumbled to her feet, laughing quietly as she fell against Darren’s shoulder. He smiled patiently as he led her to the car, casting a glance over his shoulder at Jared, who was watching the whole scene with great amusement. He shook his head at his friend and helped Kelly to climb into the car without hitting her head on the roof. He closed the door firmly after her, once he was sure she was safely inside and then climbed into the driver seat.
Kelly gazed over at him, her mind swimming with half drunken thoughts. He was really attractive. But he was also kind of an asshole. He had brought her here to the bar, so he could keep an eye on her. But she wasn’t sure whether she was flattered or indignant about it. Sure, she was a human, but that didn’t necessarily mean she couldn’t take care of herself. If he didn’t think she could deal with life on the mountain, why had he invited her here in the first place? She wasn’t just some helpless little girl. She was an independent woman who could deal with things on her own if need be.
She nearly opened her mouth to tell him so, too, but he was glancing over his shoulder at her, concern etched on every line of his face.
“Are you going to be all right until we get home?” he asked her. “If you don’t drink very much normally, then the strength of Jared’s alcohol is probably going to be a little bit overwhelming for you. I hope you end up being okay.”
“You know what, I am going to be perfectly fine. But I want you to know that I can take care of things. I’m not just some little kid. You don’t need to treat me like I’m a little kid. My parents treated me like a little kid all my life, and I’m getting really tired of it. I want to be with someone who can respect me and let me be independent, even if it is a little dangerous sometimes.” Kelly spoke the words with a drunken passion, waving her hands in exaggerated motions as she spoke.
Instead of acknowledging her words, though, much to her fury, Darren’s shoulders began to quake as he dissolved into a bout of silent laughter.
“I don’t know why you think this is funny right now!” she exclaimed. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need you or any other person telling me what to do with my life. And I will tell you that drunk or sober.”
“I’m sure you will,” Darren said gently, pulling the car into the driveway at his house and parking it.
He gazed at her from the driver’s seat, a strange look in his eyes. It made a warm rush of heat climb to her cheeks, and Kelly gazed at him stupidly and then turned away.
“I can’t believe you really built this place, you should be on the cover of magazines or something.”
Darren glanced at the house, quirking his brow with interest. “I don’t know if that’s the case, most of us shifters are pretty good with our hands. We just know what it is we want the dwelling to look like and, so we make it. It’s almost like second-nature to us.”
“Do you think that’s what it’s like, wherever you guys are from?” Kelly asked, a sudden overwhelming nostalgia surging through her body. Wherever the bear shifters were from. It was probably a very beautiful place.
“Do I think that’s what what is like?” Darren asked, furrowing his brow at her and then looking back at the house. “You mean, do I think that all of the shifters have a similar building style as I do?”
Kelly shrugged. Honestly, she was too drunk to really understand what it was she had meant in the first place. All she knew was she wanted to hear Darren talk.
“Well, building styles are kind of a signature. They’re not completely identical. All of us have our own way of living, and our own personal style. However, what we also have in common is that we try to utilize nature as much as possible and stay as close to sustainable methods as possible. We also like a lot of space. Except in our bedrooms, many of us enjoy having a small, dark den to sleep in.”
He smiled at her then, a handsome, teasing smile. She wasn’t quite sure what it meant, and felt a little bit dizzy with warmth when he looked at her that way.
“Either I am really drunk,” she finally said, “or I am very attracted to you.”
Darren laughed and opened his car door. “I suppose it could be a little of both, maybe?” he said to her over his shoulder. “I’m a little bit of both too.”
Kelly blinked hard as she let his words register in her mind. He was a little bit drunk? Or a little bit attracted to her? Or both? She supposed it wasn’t too far off base to assume the bartender might end up getting a little drunk during his course of work for the night, but the thought that he actually was attracted to her was quite jarring.
Even though she was clearly being influenced by the alcohol intake of the night, she still found it exciting to know that Darren was still a hot-blooded man, whether or not they got along. He had chosen her for a reason. For the first time in days, she finally felt as if maybe being here hadn’t been a mistake on his part. He still wanted her there. Even though things had been strained, maybe they would get better. She could only hope.
“Hey, are you coming? It’s cold out here tonight. And you humans are pretty thin-skinned. You don’t do well with the elements, do you?”
“Actually,” Kelly said. “I’ve never had a hard time with the cold. I don’t have a very hard time with any weather. I’m not sure why. But I know a lot of people aren’t that way. That makes sense to me too.”
“Oh, well, either way, you should come inside. It won’t do you any good to stay in the passenger seat of the car all night.”
Kelly laughed. “I wasn’t going to stay here all night. I may be drunk, but I’m not stupid.”
“I never said you are stupid,” Darren said, shaking his head. But there is amusement in his voice, and he lingered outside until he was sure Kelly had made it out of the car okay. He took her by the arm and guided her inside, up the steep steps and through the open-concept area of his home. They walked up the stairs together, with Darren behind, holding her waist gently so she wouldn’t stumble and lose her balance. It was strange to her to have someone so doting.
And yet, it felt really nice. She had never experienced anything like it before. And even though she was drunk and knew she would probably regret it, she had a strong urge to turn around and kiss him right then and there on the stairs.
But she wouldn’t allow it. They had gotten off to a rocky start. She wasn’t just going to kiss him because she was drunk and felt comfortable with him now. She was probably just being overly optimistic and blinded because of her alcohol intake. He wasn’t different. He hadn’t changed at all. She was just perceiving things differently. She was looking at things through the rose-colored glasses of a drunk person.
“All right,” Darren said, his voice gentle. “In you go.”
He was guiding her into the bedroom, where the light was off, and her things were still scattered on the floor from when she had been forced to very suddenly change her clothes and ready herself for a night out. She had been wishing she had more warning. She felt self-conscious being put on the spot like that. She hadn’t met anybody else on the mountain until that night. She wished she would’ve had more than a few minutes to prepare herself.
But it had gone pretty well, and she had been pleasantly surprised by the kind and laid-back person that Darren had claimed was his best friend. She felt safe in the bar, even though a lot of the people who were frequenting it looked dangerous and rough. Somehow, they seemed to be afraid of Darren, even without him making any effort to be an alpha. It was kind of impressive, in a way, although she hated to admit it.
“Why don’t you like me that much?” She blurted, slinking down onto her bed drunkenly and looking accusingly at Darren. “I thought you brought me here because you liked me. Not because you didn’t like me. I’m going to have to go home and tell everybody I was wrong about you. And that I was excited over nothing. Don’t you feel bad about that?”
Darren furrowed his brow as he stared at her, his face darkened by the shadows in the room. “You don’t have to go anywhere. And I’m not the kind of guy who regrets a lot of things. But I do want you to know that I like you. Things aren’t very smooth, and I am sorry about that. But change is very difficult for me to deal with, and it seems like it’s something that is difficult for you too. I’m a bear shifter. I like predictability and routine and being able to understand and abide by certain rules and procedures. Human law and emotion is something that is very difficult for me to understand. But I do like you.”
Kelly stared at him as he spoke, a sudden twinge of guilt plaguing her. “I like you too. And this has been really stupid. I think we need to start talking to each other a little more. Otherwise, I’m here for no reason. And that would make me even sadder.”
Darren smiled. “We can do that. Now, lay down and get some sleep. You’re going to need it. And when you wake up, let me know. I will have something for you for your hangover.”
“Hangover?” Kelly asked, her voice rising with concern.
Darren chuckled and shook his head, then stepped out of the room and closed the door gently behind himself.
Kelly was left enveloped by the darkness of the room, and she stared up at the ceiling as it began to spin around her. Yes, she did like Darren. And Darren apparently did like her. Hopefully, she would be able to remember that in the morning, so she wouldn’t make things any more complicated than they already were.