The Heart Surgeon's Secret Son

One of Daniel’s exes?

She tried not to wince when she realized that described her to a T.

Sure, he’d been much more in her heart, but he’d walked away without looking back.

Well, apparently he’d not forgotten her body. Just look at how quickly he’d moved from her walking back into his life to wanting to take her to bed. Typical man, she supposed, but it hurt to think she’d meant so little.

“He’s watched you all evening, you know?”

She had caught him looking at her several times. Not that he’d looked away when their eyes had met. He’d just given a lazy grin and kept right on staring. Like he wanted her to know he wanted her and he intended to have her.

He’d kissed her in the hallway and she hadn’t wanted him to quit. Not ever.

She’d longed to lean on him and let him hold her, tell her that she’d made the right decisions, and he understood. But as she had no intention of telling him a thing, those desires didn’t make sense.

“He was a year ahead of me in high school,” Kimberly admitted. Denying Sage’s curiosity wouldn’t gain anything. The other woman already knew. Admitting the truth somehow made Kimberly less self-conscious that a business colleague had caught her sandwiched between Daniel and the wall. Less like just another skirt to be chased. “We went out a few times.”

More than a few times, but she didn’t have to tell Sage that her junior year had been devoted to spending every moment possible with Daniel. And they’d been nearly inseparable the summer before she’d started her senior year. The summer before Daniel had left for college in August.

August. The month they’d created Ryan, probably while lying on a blanket near Turkey Run Creek, staring up at the stars and desperate for every together moment they’d been able to squeeze in before they’d be apart for months on end.

He’d come home at Christmas, excited, exhausted, and eager to pick up where they’d left off. Only she’d faced responsibilities no seventeen-year-old should face in the months he’d been away. She’d done what had needed to be done. She’d let Daniel go. Set him free. He’d left, never to return. At least, not to her. The day she’d broken up with him had been the last time she’d seen him. Until today.

“For the record, I’ve never slept with Daniel,” Sage clarified, interrupting Kimberly’s thoughts. “We’ve been friends for several years. Despite my flirting with him, he’s right about Robert.”

What was she supposed to say? Kimberly wondered. That she was glad Sage hadn’t slept with Daniel? She was. The thought of him with another woman hurt. Much better not to have faces to put with the pain.

“I’ve heard about Daniel’s bedroom skills, though.” Sage smiled slyly. “They say he’s amazing.”

“They?” Kimberly couldn’t stop from asking. What had happened to not wanting faces? The less she knew, the better.

“Daniel briefly dated a couple of my girlfriends. One for a few weeks. The other was just a weekend fling on a group holiday to the Caribbean.” Sage took out a compact, powdered her nose, and nonchalantly added, “It was several years back, but they’d still both give their right eye to have Daniel look at them the way he looks at you.”

Kimberly gulped, trying to clear the thickness clogging her throat. “How does he look at me?”

“Like he wants to take you home and gobble you up.” Sage checked her appearance, then offered Kimberly the compact. “Take my advice—let him.”

Let him?

She didn’t sleep around. No matter what her past with him, no matter that they shared a son, no matter that she wanted nothing more than to make love with Daniel, they had no future together. Sleeping with him would be wrong.

Wouldn’t it?

Because it wouldn’t be love.

It would be nothing more than sex.

Awesome, out-of-this-world sex because it was Daniel, but still just sex.

Speaking of sex, after that hot kiss, how was she going to face him and pretend he didn’t matter?

That she didn’t want him every bit as much as he’d said he wanted her?

CHAPTER SIX

DANIEL slid into his chair and ignored Greg’s curious look.

He didn’t have to explain his actions to his friend. Honestly, he couldn’t explain them to himself, much less someone else. He just knew that he wanted Kimberly. Enough that he could set the past aside and enjoy their week together.