His Best Mistake Read online

  She failed to look at him when she said, “He only has my cell phone number, and we’ve both been busy.”

  Time for a little more necessary interrogation. “Exactly what does he do for a living?”

  Her gaze came back to him. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because I want to know a little bit about the man who could be raising my daughter in the future.”

  “He’s a mechanic.”

  That was totally unanticipated. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Is there a problem with that, Kevin?”

  Kevin had only one problem with the guy—his involvement with Leah. “I don’t have anything against mechanics. I’ve used them before. But didn’t you say he owned his own business?”

  She sighed. “Yes. Anything else you want to know? Maybe his political affiliation or his shoe size?”

  He’d been waiting for the right moment to pose the most important question, and that moment had arrived. “Does he know you’re living here?”

  A flash of guilt passed over her expression. “No, but I plan to tell him soon. I just haven’t had the chance.”

  Like he really believed that. “He’s not going to be happy about it, is he?”

  “He’s not going to care. He trusts…” Her words faltered along with her gaze.

  Kevin came upon an idea that could help. Help him figure out if he even liked the jerk. “If you want me to talk to him—”

  “No!” The word echoed in the room like a gunshot.

  “Fine. If he calls, I’ll pretend I’m the gardener.”

  She pointed behind her. “I’m going to take a shower now.”

  “What about your food?”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “All signs point to the contrary. Or maybe I should say all mouths point to the contrary.”

  She hinted at a smile. “Shut up, Kevin.”

  “Okay, but first I have a request.”

  She gave him a wary look. “If you’re going to ask me to—”

  “It’s about Carly. I want to start picking her up from the day care at noon, beginning tomorrow.”

  “You can pick up her at four.”

  Not good enough, as far as he was concerned. “One.”

  “Three.”

  “Deal.”

  Kevin was fairly surprised she hadn’t put up more of a fight. Either she was too tired to argue, or she’d decided to compensate him for the kiss.

  When a whimper sounded from the monitor set out on the counter near the stove, Leah said, “I haven’t seen her all day, so I’ll take care of her. Unless you insist on doing it.”

  Normally, he would. But if he moved from behind the island, he’d reveal exactly how hard it had been to halt that little round of tongue tango. “Go ahead. I’ll take the next shift. Right now I’m going to stay here a few more minutes and calm down.”

  Finally, she smiled. “Oh, that.”

  “Yeah, that.”

  And “that” could keep him awake most of the night.

  PRETTY BOYS and their toys should be outlawed, Leah’s first thought when she entered the cabana midmorning and found Kevin lifting weights. Since the bench was turned horizontally to her, he didn’t notice she’d come into the room. And that gave her a few moments to engage in a little covert inspection.

  She’d spent her medical training studying anatomy, not only that of children but also of men and women of all shapes and sizes. By now she should be unaffected by the human body. His human body. His very male, incredible human body.

  Yet every sinewy muscle in his arms and legs exposed by the tank and shorts he wore, every prominent vein that showed when he raised the weights, every plane and angle of Kevin’s anatomical framework captured her fancy. Even when he was sweating and hissing out short puffs of air with his effort.

  She needed to say what she’d come to say before she found herself lost in a pheromone fog. She’d already walked into that trap last night. And even this morning, when she’d handed the baby over to him so she could shower, it took every ounce of strength not to investigate his mouth again.

  Just when Leah was about to clear her throat to garner his attention, Kevin dropped the weight on the bar, slid down the bench, sat up and swung his legs over the side. When she moved forward into his field of vision, he looked blatantly surprised.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked as he stood and swiped an arm across his damp forehead. “Did you forget something?”

  She’d forgotten herself last night. She could have a memory lapse right now if she didn’t stop staring at his rather well-toned thighs and an area not too far above those thighs. “Actually, I dropped Carly off at the day care and suddenly remembered we’re getting low on formula. After I finished hospital rounds, I dropped by the store and brought it back.” Only an excuse to return, and not a great one at that.

  Clearly he saw through. “You could’ve called me instead of driving all the way back here.”

  “Okay, that’s not the only reason I came home. I want to talk about what happened in the kitchen.”

  “The coffee wasn’t that bad this morning. Maybe a little strong, but I’ve had worse.” His grin was teasing and so was his tone.

  “That’s not what I’m referring to and you know it.”

  He pointed at a shelf to her left. “Could you hand me a towel?”

  Rather than risk coming too close to him, Leah retrieved the white terry towel and tossed it at him. After it landed on the floor about two feet in front of him, he raked it off the tan ceramic tile and rubbed it slowly over his neck and the top of his chest. How much she wished she were that towel.

  “As I was saying,” she continued, “I need to explain my actions last night.”

  He draped the towel over the arm of the treadmill. “You don’t have to explain anything, Leah. I know what’s going on with you.”

  She must be as transparent as gauze. “Oh you do, do you?”

  “Yeah. Your boyfriend’s hundreds of miles away and you’re on hormone overload. It happens.”

  He was so far off the mark it wasn’t even funny. Except maybe for the hormone theory. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I know exactly what I’m talking about. When we were still together, for about three or four days out of the month, I couldn’t come within a foot of you without you climbing all over me. It didn’t matter where we were. In restaurants, you’d put your hand on my thigh underneath the table even knowing what you were doing to me a few inches above that. I remember one time in the movie theater when we had to leave because you got all hot and bothered over a love scene. We never even made it out of the parking lot before we got it on. Not that I’m complaining. I looked forward to those days.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” But true. When she ovulated, she turned into a rampant, horny she-cat. Actually, she had very few days during the month when she hadn’t been like that around Kevin.

  “Tell me something, Leah,” he said in his sexy I-dare-you voice. “Does your boyfriend have the stamina to handle you on those days when you’re so hot it takes hours to cool you down? Does he know precisely where to touch you and what to say to you to send you over the edge, like I do?”

  A series of images from the past flashed in Leah’s mind, blanketing her entire body in heat. “That’s none of your business.”

  He had the audacity to try on an innocent look. “Just wondering.”

  “Well, you can quit wondering. I need to get back to work.” Before she found herself in another precarious predicament. “Don’t forget to pick up Carly this afternoon.”

  “Don’t forget to put the formula next to the three cans I bought two days ago.”

  She pivoted and marched out the door, the sound of Kevin’s laughter following her all the way back into the house where she made a decision to prevent resuming what she’d once had with Kevin—one rip-roaring sex life.

  Maybe making the call wasn’t such a hot idea, but Leah felt as if she had no other option.
She strode down the hall, stepped into her bedroom, pulled out her cell from her pants pocket and hit the number on the speed dial. The phone rang five times and just when she was about to hang up, a gruff voice answered, “Camp’s Automotive.”

  “Hey, J.W., it’s Leah.”

  A long paused followed before he said, “It’s good to hear from you, sweet britches, but I’m busier than a tailless donkey during mosquito season. Can I call you back?”

  She hated the nickname he’d give her years ago, but she wasn’t going to correct him now. “As a matter of fact, I want you to call me back. But I need to give you my new address and phone number.”

  “I didn’t know you’d moved.”

  “As of last weekend. It’s a long story.” And that was all he needed to know at the moment. “I won’t go into any details right now, but call me this evening on the home phone. I’ll explain it all then.”

  “Will do. I have a couple of things I need to tell you, too.”

  “Do you have a pen and paper?”

  “Right here.”

  Leah dictated the information and then said, “Remember, call me on the home phone. It’s important.”

  “Got it. How’s sweet-britches junior fairing? And didn’t she turn four months old yesterday?”

  Lord, Leah hadn’t even remembered her own child’s birthday. Some mother she was turning out to be. “Yes, she’s officially four months old. And she’s growing like a weed. You won’t recognize her when we move back in August.”

  “Probably not. Give her a kiss from her Uncle J.W., okay?”

  “I will. Now get back to work and we’ll talk soon.”

  After she hung up, Leah pocketed the phone and instantly felt ashamed. The significant-other charade was getting out of hand, but she didn’t feel as if she could make any revelations to Kevin. Especially not now. Not after that full-throttle kiss last night. Not after he’d admitted that the boyfriend factor had played a part in his ability to maintain control. Good thing he had retained that control because hers had nearly taken a cross-country hike in the cabana.

  Admittedly, keeping up the deception until she departed could prove to be difficult. She feared she might eventually slip up. Maybe she should tape her mouth shut whenever she was around Kevin. That could be beneficial on two levels—she couldn’t spill the beans or engage in more mouth-to-mouth with him.

  That flaming kiss had been the bane of her existence, both last night and all morning long. But duty called and maybe that duty would assist her in putting Kevin and the kiss out of her mind.

  AFTER SHE ARRIVED at the clinic, Leah approached the reception desk to take a look at the upcoming schedule, but made it only halfway before Kathy, one of the nurses, prevented her progress. “Dr. Cordero, I thought you might want to see this.”

  The way her day had been going, Leah wasn’t exactly stunned that something was wrong. “What is it, Kathy?”

  “It’s the lab results for the Myesky boy.”

  Brandon Myesky—a rambunctious four-year-old who could charm the entire medical staff with only a dimpled grin. Only, lately, the little boy hadn’t been smiling at all, and Leah worried her worst fears were about to be realized. “How bad is it?”

  “Most likely leukemia.”

  Even though she’d expected as much, the confirmation took a moment to register. “Are you sure?”

  The woman opened a chart, turned it around and pointed at the lab slip. “It’s right here.”

  After she scanned the results, nausea settled like a rock in Leah’s stomach. “Are the Myeskys scheduled to come in soon?”

  “I called them about an hour ago. They’ll be here in about two hours. I asked them not to bring Brandon so you can have their complete attention.”

  A veil of tears clouded Leah’s vision before she closed her eyes for a moment and willed them away. “When they arrive, take them into a conference room and make sure I have enough time to answer their questions.”

  Kathy laid a hand on Leah’s arm. “No one would think less of you if I had one of the attendings tell them.”

  She straightened her shoulders and assumed a bravado she didn’t remotely feel. “It’s a part of the job, Kathy.” The part she despised the most. “I’ve had to deal with this type of situation on several occasions. I can handle it.”

  “Are you sure? Because it’s pretty obvious you’re about to have a meltdown. Raising a baby and taking on sick kids will wear you out. I know because I raised three of my own after my divorce and worked twelve-hour shifts. You need more sleep.”

  She also needed less distraction. “You’re right. I’m going to have to get more rest.” As if that was going to happen with so much weighing on her mind, and the added burden of telling two parents they were about to undertake a long, painful medical journey with their only child.

  The nurse patted her back. “As far as Brandon’s concerned, you caught it early. If it’s ALL, and I bet it is, with treatment he has a good chance of going into permanent remission. But I guess I don’t have to tell you that.”

  Leah sincerely appreciated the nurse’s attempts at bringing her around to focus on the positive in spite of the negative news. “You’re right, Kathy. He has a solid chance at survival.” And that’s exactly what she would tell the Myeskys, though the information would still be devastating.

  Regardless, Leah had to shake off the melancholy that could hamper her judgment. At least a dozen more patients needed her full attention in the clinic and she had that many rounds to make at the hospital before she could even think about leaving. As it stood now, she’d be lucky to make it home before midnight.

  Fortunately, Carly was in good hands.

  AS SOON AS he returned to the den from putting Carly to bed, Kevin was met with a chorus of laughter, thanks to his merry band of brothers and one brother-in-law. An hour ago, Aidan, Logan, Kieran, Devin and Whit had shown up in a limo—compliments of Logan’s elite transportation company—fresh from celebrating, or lamenting, the end of Kieran’s bachelorhood. Since Kevin hadn’t been able to attend the party, they’d brought the party to him. But he wasn’t exactly in the mood to make merry.

  Kevin collapsed onto the sofa and propped his heels on the coffee table. “Mind telling me what’s so funny?”

  “You are,” Logan said. “That pink burp rag makes one helluva fashion statement.”

  Kevin snatched the towel from his shoulder and tossed it onto the table, producing another round of chuckles. “You’re all enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  “We’re just surprised to see how well you’ve settled in as a father,” Aidan added.

  Kieran had the temerity to laugh again. “Too bad he doesn’t have direct access to the mother.”

  Kevin didn’t care to explain that, but if he didn’t, he’d never hear the end of it. “We’ve agreed to be friends for Carly’s sake.”

  Logan looked stunned. “You mean the two of you are living in this house and you’re not—”

  “No, we’re not, so drop it.” Kevin didn’t bother to conceal his annoyance.

  “You must be off your game,” Logan said.

  Whit shook his head. “More like out of his freakin’ mind. Have you seen her? She’s one of the best-looking women he’s ever dated.”

  “She also has a boyfriend,” Kieran added.

  Considering the phone call Kevin had received a few hours ago, that boyfriend was no longer an issue. Unfortunately, he was now charged with delivering the message to Leah. When and how he would do that remained to be seen.

  “You know, I’m the only one who hasn’t met her yet,” Devin said. “Too bad we don’t work in the same hospital. I could’ve made it a point to check her out just to see if she’s as hot as everyone says she is.”

  “Believe me, she is,” Kevin said. Hotter than a Texas grass fire.

  When the front door opened, Whit muttered, “Looks like you’re about to get your chance to check her out, Dev.”

  Kevin dropped his feet to the fl
oor and practically vaulted off the sofa, looking a little too eager for someone who wasn’t interested in having “direct access” to Leah. The rest of the gang also came to their feet and silently stood at attention.

  “Kevin, why is there a limo parked at the curb?” Leah asked as she walked into the room and pulled up short. She then eyed each of the men before turning her attention to the beer bottle on the end table. That’s when Kevin realized he was in major trouble.

  “Hey,” he said. “We were watching the game. Looks like they may go into extra innings.”

  “Since when does watching baseball require a limo?” She managed a smile, but her tone sounded less than friendly.

  “We’ve been downtown,” Aidan said. “Because we knew we’d have a few drinks, Logan loaned us one of his limos.”

  When Leah shot a glance at Kevin, he raised his hands in defense. “I’ve been here all night.”

  “I see,” she said, although she sounded like she didn’t see anything but a bunch of no-good, carousing O’Briens invading her domain. “Where’s the baby?”

  Kevin didn’t believe her frame could get much stiffer without her body breaking in two. “I gave her a bath and put her to bed a few minutes ago.”

  Kevin’s oldest brother stepped up. “I’m Devin, Leah.”

  She took his offered hand for a brief shake. “It’s good to finally meet you, Dr. O’Brien. I assume you’re not on call tonight.”

  “No, but we were just about to leave.” He signaled the other brothers with only a look. “See you later, Kev. And it’s nice to meet you too, Leah. By the way, you did a great job in the baby department.”

  She forced another smile. “Thank you.”

  The O’Brien boys and Whit filed out of the room, mumbling goodbyes and good-to-see-yous on their way to the door, leaving Kevin alone to face Leah’s wrath. As soon as they’d all exited, Kevin turned to Leah and tried on a repentant expression. “I know this doesn’t look good, but before you get completely pissed off—”

  “I’m supposed to be happy that you’re having a kegger when you’re in charge of our daughter?” She tossed her keys onto a side table and her lab coat onto the arm of the sofa. “And I thought you’d outgrown that behavior.”