“There’s decaf in the carafe. I made a pot right after I put Alexis to bed. It should still be hot. And I made a peach cobbler for dessert tonight. There’s quite a bit left, if you want some.”

His ears perked up at that. “Peach cobbler? Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks.”

She started to rise, but he waved her back down. “I’ll get it. You certainly don’t have to wait on me. Want me to bring something back for you?”

Settling back into the cushions, she shook her head. “I’m okay, thanks.”

He nodded and turned toward the kitchen. A few minutes later he carried his coffee cup and a generous serving of cobbler back into the living room. “Will it disturb your reading if I eat this in here?”

“Not at all. I’ll enjoy the company,” she assured him, looking up again from a page covered liberally with red marks. “Feel free to turn up the TV or change the channel. I can pretty much concentrate through a hurricane.”

They were being so polite. Almost formal. It wasn’t like them—but then, they’d never actually lived together before, Connor reminded himself. He was sure they’d settle back into their easy rhythm soon. At least, he hoped they would.

“I take it things went well with you and Alexis this evening?” he asked, settling into a chair.

“Very well. She really is an incredibly well-behaved child. She has yet to argue with anything I’ve said. She’s almost a little too obedient.”

His eyebrows rose at that. “That’s a bad thing?”

Smiling wryly, Mia shook her head. “No, of course not. I just worry that she’s trying too hard to please us. I want her to feel free to be herself.”

“She’s still getting used to this,” he said with a slight shrug. Just as he and Mia were, he added silently. “I’m sure she’ll loosen up with time. She’ll probably throw a tantrum or something. Will that make you feel better?”

Mia laughed and picked up another essay. “Okay, you’re probably right. I’m probably overthinking everything. I guess I’m still just a little nervous about all of this responsibility.”

“Tell me about it,” he muttered beneath his breath. “Great cobbler,” he said more clearly, scooping up another spoonful. “Really good.”

Without looking up from the paper, Mia replied, “I’m glad you like it.”

He finished his dessert in silence, letting her finish her work without interruption. He tried to pay attention to the news reports on the television, but his gaze kept drifting back to Mia. She looked very much at home on his couch, with her gleaming brown hair tumbling around her face, her slippered feet crossed casually in front of her.

Occasionally she tapped the end of her pen against her lower lip as she frowned at a paper. Each time she did so, his attention focused on her soft, unpainted mouth. Sometimes she frowned and bit her lower lip as she made notes in a margin, and he found himself wanting to smooth away those tiny bite marks before she did any harm. She shifted her weight on the couch and he caught another glimpse of skin below the hem of her sweater. Pale, very soft-looking skin.

Realizing that he was becoming aroused, he almost bolted out of his chair, his spoon rattling loudly against the now-empty dessert bowl. “I’ll, uh, put these in the dishwasher,” he said when Mia looked up at him in startled question. “And then I’ll study at the kitchen table for a while. Let me know if there’s anything you need, okay?”

Her expression a bit quizzical, she nodded. “I’m fine, Connor. I’ve been making myself right at home here, so don’t feel as though you have to play host all the time. I’ll finish grading these papers, then check on Alexis, and then I’ll probably turn in early tonight. I’m a little tired myself.”

“Okay. So, uh…okay.”

Feeling like an idiot, he carried his dishes into the kitchen.

If this arrangement was going to work out, he was going to have to keep his contrary male hormones in line, he warned himself sternly. He had always found Mia attractive, but he’d managed to control himself around her before because he didn’t want to risk ruining a perfect friendship. Considering his dismal record with relationships, he’d begun to expect disaster. He certainly didn’t want to ruin things now, after Mia had made such a great sacrifice on his behalf.

He could handle this, he promised himself. Within a few days, this would all seem quite natural. He and Alexis and Mia would all be quite comfortable together here, and he’d probably not even notice those enticing little things about Mia that he’d obsessed about tonight. Like her skin. And her lips. And her…

Damn it.

Opening a textbook at random, he dived headfirst into the pages, needing to immerse himself in science to keep his thoughts from wandering back into the living room with Mia.

To Mia’s relief, there were no tears during that night. Alexis slept soundly. She blinked her eyes open when Mia roused her gently the next morning.

“Alexis? Sweetie, it’s time to wake up.”

Yawning, Alexis pushed herself upright. “’Morning, Mia.”

“Good morning. I’ll go make breakfast while you get dressed, okay? What would you like? Eggs? Pancakes? Oatmeal with strawberries?”

“Oatmeal with strawberries, please.”

Tags: Gina Wilkins Doctors in Training Romance
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