Page 21 of Daddy's Little Patient

Raina looked up at Alex and tried to smile. “Good.”

His brows snapped together. He crouched down beside her and placed his hand on her thigh. “What’s wrong, Baby?”

Her mind went blank for a moment. “I … I guess I’m just sleepy.”

He studied her for a few minutes. “I want you to eat something before you go back to bed.”

“Okay.”

Alex caressed her head as he stood.

The men stood back and talked softly enough so she couldn’t hear.

God, what was she going to do? She wasn’t going to stay and make Alex’s life hard after he’d done so much for her, but she couldn’t go home yet, until she devised a plan.

Mara squeezed her hand. “What’s up?” she whispered.

“Can I talk to you in private before you leave? I need some help, and you’re my only friend.”

“Of course, but Alex is your friend too, and he’s pretty great.”

Raina nodded and had to swallow to keep her tears from escaping. “Yes, he is. But he’s already done enough for me. I don’t want to be a bother.”

Mara looked at her in concern. “I don’t think he’d ever feel that way.”

“Later,” Raina mouthed to her when the men walked toward them.

“Girls, the front gate texted and said the pizza guy’s here, and they’re sending him this way,” Alex said.

Mara stood, pulled Raina up, and skipped over to Rafael. “Good, because I’m hungry.”

Rafael snorted. “You’re always hungry for pizza.”

Alex wrapped an arm around her waist and had to fight her instinct to move away from him. Alex stopped and turned her to face him. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I will get to the bottom of it.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Are you in pain?” Alex asked.

“No.”

“I can tell it’s more than you being tired. You look so sad.”

“It’s nothing.”

His scowl darkened. “If it has to do with you, it matters.”

“You’ve already done so much for me. I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Now, you’re really pissing me off, Baby, so I’d be careful.”

Her chin went up. “Why? You can’t do anything to me.”

“Oh, really. How do you figure that?” Alex asked.

She shrugged. “I’m nothing. I’ll be gone soon, and then you won’t have to deal with me.”

The doorbell rang. “That’s the pizza. Let’s go. We’ll talk about this after our guests leave.”

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