ANDREA L. SMITH’S
THE SECRET BABY
A One-Night Stand Romance
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CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Excerpt from The Seductive Virgin (Book 2-Medical Heart Throb Series)
Bonus chapter from: DARK OBSESSION (Island Drama Series)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE
“Dude, you NEED to get laid.”
Luke squeezed the stress ball in his hand much harder than necessary, the effort magnifying the veins on his arm. A heavy tension lay comfortably on his shoulders, resulting in a headache that just wouldn’t quit. At least the ball helped somewhat.
With a deep sigh, he opened the locker door and took out his street clothes. “Fuck off, Sam.”
His best friend, Samuel’s hearty laugh came from behind. “The truth hurts, right?”
“You wouldn’t know the truth if it kicked you in the butt.” He removed his scrubs and stepped into a pair of jeans. Sure, Sam hit the nail on the head; he hadn’t been with a woman in a while. But it had nothing to do with the restlessness that clung to him like a long-lost lover.
“Yeah, right. That grumpy attitude reeks of a sexual drought, my friend. Which, I find hard to imagine, considering you’re the reigning chick magnet of Hope Memorial.” A teasing grin followed Sam’s comment, and he ducked just in time to avoid getting hit by Luke’s ball.
“Get a life, Sam. I’m good over here.” He was in no mood for Sam’s jibing. After being on call for forty-eight hours, he was ready to collapse in bed and hibernate. This was his long weekend off, the first one in six months.
His job as an attending surgeon in the trauma unit at Hope Memorial Hospital came with a constant demand of his time, but he loved the rush. There was no other profession he would rather.
“Keep lying to yourself. Maybe one day you’ll believe it.”
“Give me a break, man. I said I’m fine.”
“Except you almost squeezed the life out of the poor ball. I’m telling you man; you need a new chick.”
“I don’t need a new woman. I need—” Hell, he had no clue what he needed. But there was something missing in his life.
“Don’t you dare say her name.”
Luke slammed his locker door harder than he intended. Just the subliminal mention of his ex brought a rush of irritation.
“It’s not about Aubrey, man. Look, I have a great career, and that’s all I need right now.”
Sam clicked his tongue. “Your job is what cost you the relationship in the first place.”
It wasn’t just his job—well, it played a great role in the breakdown of his and Aubrey’s two-year relationship. But his unwillingness to commit was also a big factor.
His career came first. From the start, Aubrey knew what she was getting into. When they met, he’d made it clear that he wasn’t ready to settle down. He had his eyes set on a promotion in the trauma unit, which meant his schedule was so jampacked that there was no time for a serious relationship.
“That’s fine with me,” Audrey said. “I’m not ready for one, either. How about we focus on getting to know each other?”
And for Luke, ‘getting to know each other’ meant seeing her on the rare days when his schedule allowed, with most of their time spent in her bed or his. That worked for him, the no-strings-just-benefits arrangement.
Until it didn’t.
Until Aubrey wanted more.
“When are we going to take the next step?” she asked one night after they made love.
Luke released an inward groan and flipped on his back. “Aubrey…”
“C’mon, Luke.” She raised up on her elbow to look at him. “We’ve dating for a year, and it seems as if we’re stuck in one gear. I think it’s time we move to another level.”
“What do you mean?”
“Meeting the family, moving in…” An affectionate smile crossed her face. “Having kids…”
Luke sucked in a breath. Aubrey was a good catch, no doubt, but he could not give her what she wanted. He’d witnessed first-hand the effects of having a surgeon as a dad, and it was the worst experience to date.
He remembered the empty seat at his school plays, his football games—his graduations. The nights when he waited in vain for his father to get home. The disappointments he would endure when an emergency at the hospital stole his father from their table during the holidays. Never, not in a million years, would he put a child through that misery.
He’d chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps, not because of a need to get his attention, but a natural love for the profession. There was no other career that seemed right. It was his calling. And he’d made the decision knowing that he would forfeit the role of becoming a father. He had no regrets.
“Luke.” Aubrey nudged him.
“Can we talk about this later? I have an early morning,” he said.
Aubrey pursed her lips, and without another word, turned her back to him.
The discussion never came. Luke made every effort to thwart her attempts. Their association was on borrowed time, he knew, but the last thing he wanted was to get her hopes up. He cared for her, but he wasn’t even close to being ready.
What do you want, Luke? The question never failed to rise now and again, and it filled him with apprehension. Was he destined to live his days as a bachelor, not committing to a relationship?
He’d never been the cheating type. Before Aubrey he dated a lot, but it was always with one woman at a time. Polygamy was a lifestyle he detested. He’d seen too many disastrous results from che
ating and he would rather not join the club.
Then why couldn’t he commit to Aubrey? Was it solely due to his childhood experience?
“Maybe you just haven’t met the right woman,” Sam had said, when he voiced his thoughts to him.
Luke shrugged. “Maybe.” Aubrey was an attractive woman, with thick, red hair, bright green eyes and a neat, athletic body. She was smart and confident; a little snarky at times, but not enough to raise an eyebrow. He liked being with her—well, most of the times, at least. So why couldn’t he love her?
Despite his feet-dragging, Aubrey stuck around, giving him the impression that she conformed to his lifestyle. Soon he got his long-awaited promotion. He thought he had the best of both worlds; a successful career and a woman who was just as accomplished and understood his busy schedule. But she didn’t for long.
“I thought you would have slowed down by now,” she said one night when he was hours late for their date—again. He’d made good time and was almost at the elevator when his pager sounded.
There was no way he could abandon the team. He had to turn back.
“I belong to a hectic unit, Aubrey,” he said. “And I have a responsibility to the hospital and the patients.”
“What about me? I took the day off from work to make dinner and now it’s a damn waste.”
“I’m here, aren’t I? It’s not like I planned it. There was an emergency, for god’s sake.”
Aubrey threw her napkin on the table and scraped the chair back as she got up. “I’m done talking to you. It’s the same dance, over and over again. You’re not listening to me.”
“Aubrey—”
“I want more than this, Luke. I want a home, marriage, kids. It’s been a constant back and forth with getting you to commit.”
He would have loved to give her what she wanted, but his heart wasn’t anywhere near succumbing to her desire. Someday, maybe…a long, long time to come.
But not now.
Although the breakup was months ago, he still remembered it like it was yesterday, seeing Aubrey with her tear-stained face standing at the foot of her stairs. He’d just left from another all-nighter after a freak accident that kept him running from one operating room to the next. Tired as hell, all he wanted was a long day in bed, undisturbed. But Aubrey’s phone call, and the urgency in her tone, pushed him to head to her apartment.
To see her with a stricken expression erased every ounce of exhaustion from his body. “Is something wrong?” His first thought was that something had happened to her parents, who she had been pressing for him to meet. But he kept giving her the run-around.
“I’m done, Luke.”
His heart stilled, just for an instant, then it began racing in his chest. “What do you mean?”
“My patience, it’s…gone,” she said. “This isn’t working for me. I deserve better.”
For a moment he stood there, trying to summon the words to get her to stay. But nothing came.
Aubrey folded her arms and waited for his response, but he stared at her in silence. “I don’t believe this.” With a loud scoff, she turned and headed upstairs.
He followed. “Aubrey, listen, I…” C’mon, man, tell her what she needs to hear!
Still, nothing.
At the top of the stairs, she whipped around to face him. “Two years, Luke. I gave you two years of my life, and it was all for nothing.”
“Aubrey, come on.” Luke moved to her, but she sidestepped him with a hard glare. “It’s not like I haven’t been honest from the start. You knew what you were getting into.”
“Oh, yeah. So, this is all my fault, right? You did nothing to raise my hopes, did you?”
Luke searched his memory. He’d been consistent in his efforts to keep their relationship as casual as possible. Within the two years they had never progressed beyond the point of one-night sleepovers. She didn’t have a drawer at his place. He’d never asked for a key to her apartment. There had been no introduction to family, just a few close friends.
Yes, he’d done his best to keep things as realistic as possible. “I’ve always been straight with you, Aubrey. You were the one who had your hopes up.”
“Oh, screw you.” She pivoted and stormed away from him. “Get the hell out of my house. I’m done with your sorry ass.”
That was months ago. Since then, he’d been careful not to make the same mistake again. When his schedule allowed, he reserved his hookups to one-night stands.
But lately, there was an unquestionable loneliness that followed him, a need for something more. He refused to accept that this was his life; twenty-four-hour shifts and casual sex with women he didn’t know.
And no, he had no complaints about his life. Just over thirty, he had a pretty comfortable one; the career of his dreams, a great apartment, the sweet, luxury ride he’d always wanted.
But those were material things, unable to bring him the contentment his soul longed for.
Was it too greedy to want more?
Looking back on his breakup with Aubrey, he had no regrets. He now knew she wasn’t the one for him—or him for her. From the grapevine he learned that she’d already moved on. That brought some relief and removed a lingering guilt that maybe, subconsciously, he had wasted her time.
“I hate to burst your bubble, but Aubrey’s not coming back,” Sam said. “Get used to it. Find a woman who understands your lifestyle. Or don’t. Just…get laid. The strain’s affecting your work.”
For some reason, Sam had the impression that Luke’s tension had to do with Aubrey and a sexual drought. None of it was true, but he wasn’t in the mood to set his friend straight. Sure, he wasn’t having sex every day of the week, but there was much more to life than sticking his dick in a woman.
“There’s a party tomorrow night; you game?” Sam asked.
“Uh…I don’t know. Where?”
“It’s a new club in Trenton; a little out of town but—”
“That’s almost an hour away, man.” He reached for his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“I know, but when was the last time you left the city? Besides, you have a couple days off.”
Luke pondered. He’d planned to spend the weekend resting and binge watching a military series online. But a party seemed like a good distraction. “I’ll be there.”
“Awesome,” Sam said, punching the air. “And who knows? Maybe you’ll meet someone…have a little quickie…loosen up...”
“We’ll see,” he replied, not convinced. He had a feeling that his days for casual hookups were coming to an end.
CHAPTER TWO
“Wonder of wonders, you’re actually here.” Sam greeted Luke with a grin and a bottle of scotch in his hand. “About time.”
“Yeah, I almost didn’t.” The drive across town seemed to take forever, with just his thoughts and playlist to keep him company. He tried to hype up his vibes along the way, but to no avail. Still, he knew that once he hit the club, there would be a constant change.
But he’d been so wrong.
He looked around him as the crowd swirled, dancing into a frenzy. The music was at a fever pitch, and from the outside it seemed to push them towards insanity. He wanted no part of this, the revelry, the wild abandon. But he’d promised Sam, and he was a man of his word.
A short, bald-headed man nearby swayed, veering into him with a glazed expression and a dumb grin. “Hey, man, howzit?”
Luke rolled his eyes with a sigh. In half an hour he would find an excuse to leave. That was all he could take.
Sam led him to a seated area where his girlfriend, Kelsie sat, bouncing to the music. She smiled as Luke approached, and he gave her a hug and took a seat, just as a woman with a blonde pixie cut slipped in beside him. He shot her a frown just as Sam leaned over and said, “this is Carrie; I brought her to meet you.”
Luke groaned inwardly. He needed no help from Sam to score women. He’d done real fine on his own for years. Besides, she wasn’t his type. Pretty, yes, but she had
a wild look that hinted at a side of crazy. He’d had enough of crazy in his younger years. Now, he preferred the girl-next-door type. A calm, sophisticated woman with her emotions intact.
He shot Sam a sharp look and hoped his friend had gotten the silent message. True to their connection, Sam touched the woman’s shoulder and beckoned for her to stand. “I think me and my friend had our wires crossed, sorry about that. You can head back to your friends.”
The woman looked over her shoulder at Luke. “Mhmm. His loss.” She strolled away, swinging her hips as she went.
Sam took her place, giving Luke a rough shove. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Have you? Since when do I need a wingman?”
“I’m just helping with getting your feet wet, that’s it. All you needed to do was talk to her, get your groove back.”
“My groove has never left.” Luke reached for a tumbler and spooned a few ice cubes in. He poured a generous round of scotch and stood. “Get out of my way. I’ll show you.”
“My man.” Sam clapped him on the back as he passed. “Go get ‘em.”
Luke eased into the crowd, searching, looking for a woman that would trigger a connection; nothing deep, just the right level of lust to make him approach. Tonight was all about scoring a lay, nothing else. More than anything, he wanted Sam off his back.
Women reached for him as he moved through, but he just gave them a smile and carried on. None of them appealed to him; none brought the feeling he was looking for. He reached the edge of the crowd and considered doing another walk-through, then thought, to hell with this. I’m going home.
He made a quick pivot and his hand with the drink connected to a woman’s chest. Her soft cry rang out as it spilled all over her front. She took a step back, glaring at him. “Hey! Watch it!”
“I’m so sorry.” Luke reached into his pocket for his handkerchief and used it to wipe the wet spots on her chest.
She snatched it from him and took over, dabbing it down her front. “You’re a little too ambitious, mister.”
The Secret Baby: A One Night Stand Romance (Medical Heart Throb Series Book 1) Page 1
