Her Doctor Daddy by Shelly Douglas Read Free Book Online Page B

home?” he asked as their server approached with a pot of coffee in one hand and a miniature spiral tablet in the other.
    “I’ll have a short stack of pancakes and two eggs over medium,” Lexi quietly responded to the waitress, hoping that she hadn’t heard what Dr. Morales had just said to her.
    “And I would like two sunny side up eggs with home-fried potatoes and rye toast, please,” Raul requested, turning both cups over for the woman to fill with hot coffee.
    As their waitress walked out of earshot, he turned to Lexi and spoke in a gentle voice. “I know we’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks, but I’m too old to play games.”
    Once again, she leaned forward. “I’m not a kid anymore. Go ahead and say what’s on your mind. You certainly haven’t held back so far.”
    Dr. Morales smiled at her spunk while opening the small plastic container of cream and emptying it into his cup. Thoughtfully, he watched the clouds form before stirring the creamy white mixture into the dark hot liquid. “Since I’ve been working unusually long stretches lately, we’ve had some time to get to know each other. You really do get a feel for someone’s personality, working side by side in tense situations. Is it my imagination, or were we instantly attracted to each other?”
    “You’re not imagining things,” she said in barely a whisper, her face flushing a deep pink as she peered down at her hands. It was embarrassing that he knew how attracted she was to him, and Lexi had trouble making eye contact with the handsome doctor.
    “I was married quite young, and our parents arranged the union. We both came from religious families. I probably don’t need to paint you the whole picture. It wasn’t exactly the Norman Rockwell version.”
    “I don’t come from a close-knit family, but I get the idea.”
    “Well, in the end, it wasn’t what either of us wanted. She cheated on me more times than I could count, and we never had kids. In my opinion, narcissistic women don’t usually make wonderful mothers,” he said facetiously.
    “Why do I get the feeling that there’s more to this story?”
    “I’ve always had the desire to be a daddy, but the chances are good that I won’t start a family at my age.”
    “Biblically speaking, I believe men were much older than you when they fathered children,” Lexi joked, stirring sugar into her coffee.
    “The relationship I’m looking for is kind of unique,” Raul continued in a serious tone, lifting his eyebrows along with the cup to take a sip.
    “Let me guess. You want to be like a father to someone.” She stopped to think about what she’d said. “Oh, my God, do you want to be a sugar daddy ?”
    Raul laughed. “Not so much from the material aspect. I’m more interested in nurturing someone. And just from spending time together at work this week, I get the feeling that you wouldn’t mind a little attention. Am I right or wrong?”
    Lexi smiled and lowered her head. “My dad seemed to have missed the caring chromosome ,” she admitted. “I’ve always dreamed of someone who would take care of me, but so far, I’ve only dated college boys who weren’t very mature.”
    “I like that you’re so up front. It’s refreshing,” he said, lifting her chin with two strong fingers.
    “You know most people go to the movies and get to know each other by asking if they prefer buttered popcorn or plain,” she joked, batting her eyelashes. “By the way, are we counting this as a date?”
    Waiting patiently for his response, she felt an intense heat bloom in her cheeks. Though she loved being close to him, every time he leaned toward her, Lexi’s heart skipped a beat.
    Be careful what you wish for.
    His smile was wide. “I haven’t dated anyone in the hospital since my divorce two years ago because I’d always thought it was a bad idea to mix work with pleasure.”
    “But now you’re changing your mind?”
    Jesus. Why can’t I ever keep my mouth shut?