Page 59 of Pucks and Likes

Shit. Yeah, Alex was right.

“Come now, Doctor,” Alex says, his voice low. “Women don’t need to be married to have kids. But I agree she does need a ring to keep the wandering eyes at bay.”

I look around at everyone, and I’m sure they’re thinking the same thing I am.

Is he going to piss on me next?

Thankfully, no one says anything else as Alex follows behind me, daring anyone to look at me in a way he doesn’t like.

I pray they don’t.

Once we’re settled in the room and I’m asked the normal “Any concerns?” questions, the door closes behind the nurse, and I set Alex with a look. “Alex?”

He tears his gaze from where he is glaring at the door. When his eyes land on mine, a slow smile moves over his lips. I love how bright his eyes are, the caramel glowing, and how I can tell he’s been gnawing on his bottom lip. He’s just damn gorgeous. “Yes, mami?”

I smile back, even though I want to smack the hell out of him. “When did this possessive streak start?”

“The moment you eye-fucked me on the treadmill,” he says with absolutely no damn hesitation. As if he knew I was going to ask that! How? It makes no sense, but that saccharine grin stays on his face. “But it got exponentially worse the moment you said you’d try with me.”

Oh, how my heart squeezes and twirls in my chest. “Wanna tone it down?”

“Nope.”

Okay, then. “I won’t bring you to any more of these appointments if you keep this up.”

His eyes glitter with defiance. In Spanish, he tells me, “Then you’ll be showing up with my come on your thighs.”

I can’t. I cover my face and groan at his antics just as the door opens. I feel Alex tense up, so I know it’s Dr. Riley. I put on a smile, not a real one since I’m sure Alex will have an opinion, and uncover my face.

“Hi.”

“Hey,” the doctor says, more stoic than ever. We usually joke, and he always smiles at me. But now I know that he had a thing for me, and Alex has smothered his dreams of riding off into the sunset with me and my baby.

Poor guy. I should have sent an email.

Or a warning.

He opens my file, glances over it, and then shakes his head. “Your weight is still a bit low. I’d like you to gain some before our next appointment. Enjoy that extra slice of cake, okay?”

“I really do eat all the time,” I say and then look at Alex. “Don’t I?”

“All the time,” he agrees. “I’ve gained weight, actually.”

I smile at that, and he gives me a goofy grin.

“Okay, you’ll need to eat more.” Dr. Riley usually has fun with this issue, but I guess not today. “Any other concerns?”

“Nope, not really,” I say as he comes over with his measuring tape. He lifts my shirt, and I can feel Alex puffing up like a peacock. I take his hand in mine, giving him a reassuring smile. When his eyes meet mine, I mouth, “You’re so hot.”

That has him chuckling as he kisses my nose. When I look back at Dr. Riley, he’s lowering my shirt. “The baby is still measuring small, but you may just have a small baby. You said you were small?”

I nod. “All of us were around five pounds.”

Mostly because we were born out in the back forty with no real medical attention.

“And you?” he asks Alex, and I don’t miss the animosity in his usually kind voice.

“I was a big nine pounds, but my brothers were around seven or eight.”

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