"And how am I supposed to compete against a person I know nothing about?" I asked.
"I'm not asking you to compete with anyone. I'm just asking you to give him a glimpse of who you are and what you’re like as a person," Dylan said calmly.
Will he be ready to see that? Will he be ready to try again? It seems like he has already decided what he thinks of me. I thought to myself as I pondered on Dylan's words.
"Argh," I groaned as I slowly woke up. I grabbed the crackers I had put on the bedside table the night before in an attempt to stave off my morning sickness. I let a sigh of relief as the feeling of nausea subsided after I ate some of the crackers.
"I really am pregnant," I whispered as I slowly rubbed my belly. It didn't feel like I had gotten the good news only yesterday.
Wait, who could be at the door? I thought with a frown as I heard the doorbell ring.
I slowly got out of bed and treaded slowly towards the living room. I opened the door as the doorbell went off again and gasped at who was standing on my doorstep with grocery bags in hand.
"Good morning Elsa," Alan said cheerfully while I looked at him in surprise. He was the last person I was expecting at my apartment that morning, given the way he had left my office. And how did he get my address?
"Are you going to stare at me all day, or are you going to let me in?" He asked with a smile.
"Sorry," I said quietly and I stepped aside to let him enter my house.
"It's fine," he said as I shut the door.
"Crackers?" He said. I frowned until I realized I was still holding the pack of crackers in my hand. "You’re feeling sick?" I couldn’t speak and could only stare at him, dumbfounded. He had just waltzed into my home and acted like it was a normal occurrence.
"What are you doing here, Alan?" I finally asked.
"I came to see you. I told you I was going to be a part of our child's life, remember? Well, this is the starting point," He said casually.
"What? Wait, slow down," I said, surprise evident in my voice.
"Where is the kitchen? I need to put this away," He said, raising the grocery bags he held in his hands while I continued to watch him with wide eyes.
"Oh, that must be it," He said as he started walking in the direction of my kitchen, leaving me in the living room. Wait a second; what is going on here? I thought to myself.
"Alan, will you stop this? What's with all this?" I asked anxiously as I rushed into the kitchen after him.
"Elsa, from now on, I will take care of you the way you should be cared for. I thought you might be out of groceries, given the way you overwork yourself. And that has to stop, you know. You need to take it easy with the baby from now on," He said as his gaze drifted down towards my stomach.
"What?" I said with a bewildered expression while I tried to wrap my head around Alan’s unusual behavior.
"Yes, I was right about your groceries," He muttered as he opened my almost empty refrigerator. Dylan and I had planned to go grocery shopping later in the day.
"Alan, you can't just get me groceries," I said slowly.
"Yes, I can," He said as he arranged the items.
I could only continue to stare at him in surprise as he put everything away.
"Can you talk to me properly now?" I asked when he was done arranging the goods.
"You shouldn't be standing on your feet for too long, Elsa," was all he said.
"I have to say I’m shocked by your behavior," I commented.
"There is nothing shocking about it," He said with a shrug before he crossed over to where I was standing, put an arm around me and started to guide me back towards the living room. I tried to ignore the reaction the touch of his hands was causing inside me and tried to focus on the main thing at hand.
"Alan, you don't have to do all these," I said carefully.
"Yes, I do. I have to take proper care of you. I know you don't think much of me after what I've made you go through, but I'm willing to do what it takes for you to see me in a new light," He said and I could see the sincerity on his face.
"I … " I said and paused as I didn't know how to finish my sentence.
"It's fine. I'm not asking for too much by asking to be a part of this child's life, am I?" He asked, his tone becoming worried.
"No, you aren't," I said quietly because that was the truth. He would always be the father of the baby, whether I liked it or not.
"Good, so you won’t mind us starting all over again? You know, try to be civil to each other and maybe try to work on trusting each other. Then see what else comes after that," He said softly. Am I willing to go down that lane again? Am I willing to take that risk? I thought to myself as he stared at me with a pleading look.
"For the sake of our child," He whispered as he held my hand in his.
As soon as I knew about this baby, I knew I was ready to do whatever it takes for it to have a good life, even if it means trying to clear the air between its father and me.
"Okay," I said as I nodded carefully. He let out a sigh of relief before he grinned at me.
"Thank you," He said earnestly.
"You're welcome," I said with a shrug. "But what about when news gets out at the hospital about my pregnancy? You know, I'll start showing in a couple of months or so, and if we are constantly seen in each other's company, everyone will know that you are the father." I wanted to be sure that he understood what he was getting into.
"I don't care what they think. This baby is mine, and I'm ready to shout it from the rooftops if that's what it takes to erase any doubts in your mind that I won't be here every step of the way," He asserted.
"Okay, that sounds good then," I said with a smile.
"Thank goodness," He sounded relieved. "Have you eaten? Something more substantial than crackers I mean."
"My brother made some protein shakes and prepared some food for me. He said something about it being nutritious for pregnant women," I said. I had barely heard Dylan when he told me about the food this morning, I had been still half asleep.
"Oh, he knows about the baby?" Alan asked.
"Of course he does, and he’s talked about nothing else since I told him the news yesterday," I said as he chuckled.
"He sounds like fun," He said with a smile.
"Yes, he is," I said.
"Now, I'll go get the food ready, and I’ll bring one of the protein shakes to you," he said. "Your brother has gone to a lot of trouble here. I hope it didn’t stress him out."
"Trust me, it's no trouble to him. He loves cooking and is actually a professional chef. Cooking is what he loves,".
"Wow, you're in good hands then."
"Yes, I am," I said, thinking about how lucky I was.
"I can't wait to meet him," Alan said with a broad smile.
"Really?" I said, still slightly amazed at this new attitude.
"Yes, of course," he said.
"Then, pick a day, and I’ll arrange for you guys to meet. He wants to meet you too,".
"Are you serious?" He asked with a bewildered expression.
"Yes, I am. If it were up to him, I would have introduced you that day at the restaurant," I said as he chuckled.
"By the way, who was she?" I asked, trying to make it seem like I didn’t really care.
"You mean Diana?" He asked.
"That's her name?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"She’s just a friend," He said dismissively.
"She looked like someone who wanted to be more than a friend," I said with a smile.
"Well, my parents and her grandmother tried to set us up," He said with a shrug. I didn’t need him to explain his actions to me, but I wanted us to be open from now on for the sake of our baby. At least, that was what I thought.
"Have you told them about the baby?" I asked.
"No, given that I just found out yesterday I haven’t got round to it yet," He said with a shrug.
"Oh, well, it might stop whatever matchmaking plans they have for the two of you. Unless
you’re interested in her," I said.
"Are you jealous?" He asked, smirking at me.
"Do you like that idea?" I asked as I watched him intently. If he liked the idea of me being jealous of this Diana it might mean he wanted something more than co-parenting to happen between us.
"It's fine, you don't have to answer that," I said hurriedly. I wanted to tell him that it was true, that I was jealous at the thought of him with another woman. But this was all so new I didn’t want to mess it up and scare him away.
"Protein shake on the way," He called before he disappeared into the kitchen.
Maybe someday soon I would be able to open up about how I truly felt.
Chapter 7: Dr. Rock
"Wow, you are beautiful," I said as I stared at Elsa in amazement.
"Thank you," She said, smiling shyly. I had been trying to make things work between the both of us since the news about the baby. I had told her it was for the sake of the baby, but I knew it was about getting to know her as well. Everything I had thought about women after Stella was being changed bit by bit thanks to Elsa.
"Shall we go?" I asked as I held out my arm to her. She smiled as she hooked her arm in mine. I felt an erection starting to grow underneath my pants at the contact. She still had the power to make me melt into a puddle with just a touch of her hand. What I felt for her grew with each passing moment.
"You are full of surprises," She said as I parked in front of an Italian restaurant. I had made an effort to spend lots of time with her, and even when we were at work, I had made an effort to know her cravings and her dislike. She hated seafood and liked oily foods. I had made sure we watched her diet together, and we had an appointment for a scan of the baby the next day.
"I need you well-fed, and if Italian cuisines do the trick, then so be it," I said with a smile and she chuckled.
"Thank you for everything, Alan," She said softly as she stared at me.
"For what?" I asked as I stared deep into her eyes.
"For caring for me," She said softly.
"What else would I do other than care for you?" I asked as my hand crept up to her face and cupped her jaw. All I wanted was crush my lips against hers. I wanted to pull her close and released all the pent-up emotions and passion I had been keeping locked up inside me. There had been times when I imagined what it would be like to spend the night together again, but I held back as I knew I needed to take things slow with Elsa, especially after the way I had treated her. I had to take baby steps.
"Ahem," I coughed to break the tension that was sizzling between us. "We should go in."
"Yes, we should," Elsa said in a whisper.
I got out of my car and hurried around to help her out of the passenger side. I led her into the restaurant and watched as the attention of every man in there was immediately fixated on her. Does she even know how effortlessly riveting she is?
I helped her into her seat before I sat across from her and we started to read our menus.
"Good evening, ma'am, good evening sir," A waitress said cheerfully as she joined us at our table.
"Good evening," I said politely.
"Good evening," Elsa said.
"Do you know what you would like to order?" She asked, notepad at the ready.
I was more concerned about Elsa getting her order. We ordered and the waitress left us.
"You seem to attract them without even trying," She said, causing me to frown. I didn’t understand what she was talking about. "The ladies, they flock around you everywhere you go," She added.
“Come on, it's you that attracts the most attention. Have you seen the looks the men have thrown your way? It has taken me everything in me to not tell them to take their eyes off you," I said as I studied her beautiful face. It had a glow to it now, turns out what they say about pregnant women glowing is true.
"What? There is no way that's possible. I could list more than ten members of staff at the hospital who have a crush on you," She laughed lightly. Just then, the waitress returned with our orders and gently placed them in front of us before vanishing again.
"You’re exaggerating," I said as I shook my head.
"That's not true, those girls cling to every word that comes out of your mouth," She stated.
"Well, to be honest, I've never noticed any of them that way, and I think the only person who attracts attention here is you," I said as I shrugged.
"I see," She said with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, the majority of our colleagues flock around you," I said.
"You know, the fact that they flock around me all the time doesn't necessarily mean I have a thing for them, or that they have a thing for me. I think people just feel comfortable around me," She said.
"Hmm, maybe," I said noncommittally.
"Well, you've been close to me these past weeks − what do you think of me?" She asked, watching me carefully. I felt like she wanted to know whether I trusted her or not.
"Well, I must confess that my thoughts about you have changed over the past few weeks. I'm comfortable around you, and I think I trust you to some extent, and that's a lot coming from me. I stopped trusting anyone after my ex left me," I said as she dug into her food.
"I see, what were your thoughts about me before now?" She asked after swallowing her mouthful.
"Well, to be honest, I didn't really think about you because we barely interacted before the dinner," I said.
"Yes, but I remember that situation wasn’t because of me," she said with a raised eyebrow.
"I know. Honestly, I felt like you were the type of woman who gives off a danger sign because I thought you were a flirt," I said with a shrug.
"A danger sign?" She asked as she watched me carefully.
"Yes, after the drama with my ex, I decided to stay away from women in general, especially flirty women," I admitted.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked looking concerned. "If you don't want to, then it's fine," She added.
"No, I want to. Gone are the days when talking about her had any effect on me. Now, I have something more positive I can focus my thoughts on," I said, and she understood what I meant as I watched her hand drop to her belly.
"It was an old cliché. My ex-wife got bored of me when we were told there was a low chance of me fathering a child. She decided to go for someone who could give her what she wanted, a child, and that happened to be my best friend," I said as I shrugged.
"If she truly loved you, she would have stayed with you no matter what," Elsa said quietly.
"I don't blame her anymore. I didn’t want to tie her to me and live with the guilt for the rest of our lives."
"But if she loved you, if it was meant to be, it wouldn’t have been tying down and living with guilt. She would have been happy to be with you.”
"It's in the past now, all forgotten. Now I have a new life, and that's what I'm focused on. Would you have stayed if you had been in her shoes?" I asked.
"I would go through hell and back for the man I love," she whispered and held my gaze.
"Ahem," I coughed, feeling hot and flustered. “You’re one of the few who thinks that way.”
Would you give me a chance to know you better? There is no doubt about it anymore, I'm beginning to fall in love with Elsa, but I can't tell her because I'm scared of how she makes me feel.
"What about you?" I asked.
"Me?" She asked, not understanding my question.
"Yes, any exes?" I asked.
"I've had my fair share, and they all ended up putting me through hell," She said with a shrug. "The one who really affected me was the one who didn’t just go after me but my brother as well. After that, I decided to stay away from relationships."
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.
"There isn't much to say. I was head over heels in love with him, but I found out he was after the trust fund I didn't know my parents had left Dylan and me. He had been conniving with the lawyer to take everything without our knowledge. Dylan had told
me from time how he didn't like him, but I trusted my heart and kept the relationship going. Thank goodness, I discovered his scheme before it was too late," She said quietly.
"Wow, that's serious," I said.
"Yes, it was pretty awful. Since then, I've respected Dylan's instinct. If he wasn't so into cooking, he would have made a good detective," She chuckled.
"I agree with you on that, he must have seen something you hadn't seen. But I struggle to imagine him not liking anyone. He was so relaxed when we went out with him," I said. We had all met up for dinner a few weeks before and I had been so relieved that we had bonded. Now, we were firm friends. Elsa had also met my parents when they had popped over to my apartment unannounced while she was there. It had been exhilarating that they had received her with open arms once we told them Elsa and I were having a baby. I had also been relieved that they had stopped trying to push Diana and I together.
"It’s good that you two are getting along so well," Elsa said with a smile.
"What's there not to like?" I asked with a smile. The rest of the evening passed in good-natured chatting about our lives before we decided to call it a night.
"I just need to be sure that you are safe," I said as I walked Elsa to her front door.
"I've told you, there is nothing to worry about," She said with a smile.
"Alright. I just wanted to be sure," I said as I walked behind her to the door. I didn’t want to seem overbearing.
"Goodnight," I said softly as I stared into her eyes.
"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, biting her lower lip. This sent a reaction straight down to my groin as thoughts of pulling her closer and kissing that lip filled my head.
"I don't know if I want to say goodnight or come in," I admitted as I clenched my palm in an effort to control myself from cupping her face.
"What if I don't want you to say goodnight?" She whispered as our gazes locked.
I took a sharp intake of breath at these words. "You are a walking temptation, Elsa. I'm trying to control myself, but you aren't making things easy for me."
"What if I want you to lose control?" She asked softly. "In fact, there are no what-ifs about it. I want you to lose control, Alan. I want to have you just like before. I want you to make me scream your name." My control snapped. I stepped forward so I was inside her apartment and pulled her close against my body as I planted a full kiss on her lips. She moaned, sending a shiver down my spine. I wrapped my arms around her as I kissed her with all the pent-up passion I had been holding back for weeks.
Dr. Rock (Healing Hands Book 5): A Steamy Workplace Romance Page 8
