Page 30 of Faking It with the Off-Limits Doctor

And then, the following evening, he had surprised me even further with his talk of doing such great things for people without having to announce it to the world. The truth is, I think I’ve misjudged him.

You think?

Okay. Clearly, I have misjudged him. The man I presumed to be a grumpy billionaire is actually a pretty decent guy who makes great effort to help those in need. It’s also obvious that he’s a very private person, which I may, in my blinkered opinion, have taken for being grumpy.

Though I do think he ought to smile more. It really does make those brown eyes of his light up.

I leave for Alex’s house bright and early on Saturday morning. He tells me he eats after his run, and so I want to be there in good time. Pulling into his driveway, I check the clock. 7:15 a.m. I’m a little early, but I’m sure he won’t mind.

I climb the steps and ring the doorbell, but after a minute, there’s still no answer. I ring it again, and then I hear a thundering noise that sounds like he’s running down the stairs. A second later, the door flies open, and my eyes fall on the still wet and very naked upper body of my new boss.

I gawk at his rather firm looking pectoral muscles as they glisten against the light of the sun rising behind me. Like they have a mind of their own, my eyes lower to the six pack of his completely flat stomach, dark hairs travelling down and reaching the towel he has wrapped securely around his waist. Yes, my mouth has fallen open. No, I don’t care.

“You’re early,” he gasps.

Finally, I lift my eyes to meet his. “I’m so sorry. Did I get you out of the shower?”

“No, I always run about the house dripping wet,” he quips back.

Maybe there are more perks to this job than I thought.

Dara!

“Come in.” He waves a swift gesture, and still a little stunned, I stumble into the house.

“I’ll, er… I’ll go and start breakfast,” I say, swiftly turning and hurrying away. I don’t hear him reply and hope that he’s going right back to where he came from. I, on the other hand, need a minute to calm my thumping heart.

After a moment of flustering, I take a deep breath and gather myself.

Come on, Dara. It’s not like you haven’t seen a naked man before.

Sure, I have. I just don’t remember them looking quite like that.

Half an hour later, I hear Alex moving about in the next room, and with everything prepared, I stick my head through the door.

“Are you ready to eat?”

He’s sitting at the dining table where I’ve placed the cutlery and napkin, with his phone in hand. “Yes, please,” he says without looking up.

I plate the scrambled eggs, lean bacon, and tomatoes, and add the avocado toast on brown bread. In another bowl, I have strawberry yogurt sprinkled with blueberries. Grabbing the dishes, I elbow my way out of the kitchen, move over to the table, and place them in front of him.

He glances at the plate, and then does a double take. “Wow.”

“I’ll get your coffee,” I say, heading back to the kitchen.

I’m back in no time and place the cafetière and a small jug of cream on the table beside the other items. “Enjoy,” I say, without waiting.

I’ve already finished cleaning up when he strides into the kitchen carrying all the dishes.

“You don’t have to do that,” I say, hurrying to take them off his hands. “That’s my job.”

“I know, but I wanted to come in and thank you. That was delicious.”

I’m trying to get hold of the dishes when the coffee cup begins to slips off the plate, and as though in slow motion, I see it falling. I don’t know how I do it, but my hand flies out, and I catch it in mid fall.

“Bravo,” he says, grinning down at me. “Maybe you’re in the wrong profession.”

I roll my eyes and take the remaining dishes from his hands. “I like this one just fine, thanks.”

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