Page 41 of Secret Baby for Dr. Grump

I want to argue with that, but she looks so convinced that she will get into trouble.

“Liv…”

“Please, Luke. Let’s just let this pass. I’m still fairly new and I don’t want to be under scrutiny for this. This job means too much.”

Silence. Finally, I take a deep breath and nod. “Fine. But if he corners you again…”

“Then I’ll do something about it. Don’t worry.”

But I do worry. I turn my hand and connect our palms, then let my thumb brush over hers. The action and her lack of protest draw me closer until our faces are inches apart.

I search her face until I’m satisfied that she’s not bothered anymore by the incident. Then I sigh.

“Okay. If you say so.”

“I say so. Luke?”

“What?”

“It’s no big deal. I’m a big girl. I can say no if I don’t like something. Or someone.”

“Hmm.” I meet her gaze. “Just like you say no to me?”

A small smile plays on her lips. “Yeah.”

I’m locked in on that smile and how nice it looks. Then I’m locked in on her lips and how soft they look, and soon my thumb reaches up to trace the corner of it. Her smile falters, but her lips…they part.

My thumb trembles, but I keep tracing the seam and imagining licking in between to part them even more. My cock twitches, then hardens as the rest of my imagination goes wild. Before I know it, my mouth is inches from her, breath mingling with hers.

She doesn’t say no. She leans into my touch, her pulse beating erratically under my other free thumb that I rub over her wrist. It would be so easy just to cover the remaining distance of our mouths and take the kiss I’ve been aching for so long—the kiss that started in my apartment when we were dancing but we never got to finish.

But wouldn’t that make me no different from Mark?

It’s that final thought that fills me with horror and jerks me back abruptly. Olivia blinks at my sudden movement, then stares at me while looking so vulnerable and flushed. I swallow.

“I’m sorry.”

She swallows, too, then recovers from her flushed state. “Yeah. It’s…fine.”

We’re silent again, just looking at each other. I open my mouth. Before I can speak, the door opens and I hear a relieved sigh.

“Dr. Jennings, there you are. We have an emergency.”

I turn to look at a nurse I recognize.

“Pat, what’s the emergency?”

“It’s your patient earlier. The kid. He got into an accident and the doctor at the emergency room said that the operation might need to be moved today.”

Chapter 13

Olivia

Ipace the office, done with work, and find myself stuck with nothing to do. I’m sure many people would kill for that problem, but without anything to do, my mind can’t help running a mile a minute as I wait for the person I need to speak with the most.

I jump at the knock on the door, then turn to Wanda as she peeks in.

“Hey. Wanna get some of that fresh bread down the street before we head home?”

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