Marrying the Playboy Doctor - By Laura Iding Page 0,21

was coming over to her house. Fine. He’d been there before, when he’d driven her and Ben home from the hospital after Ben’s accident. She’d just have to feed him pizza and then shoo him out.

She swiped suddenly damp palms on the seat of her jeans and glanced around, realizing with relief that the crowd had thinned. “We—uh—walked here from the house.”

“No problem. I’ll walk back with you.” Seth fell into step beside her, but then stopped. “Wait, I almost forgot my gear—my bat and glove. Will you give me a quick minute?”

“Of course.” What did he think? That she’d take off the second his back was turned? Tempting, but she wasn’t that much of a coward. Well, maybe she was. But she still refused to give in to the cowardly thought, regardless.

“Can I come with you?” Ben asked. “I’ll carry your glove.”

“Absolutely. As long as your Mom says it’s okay.”

“Go ahead,” she said, forcing a smile. “I’ll wait for you both here.”

Ben eagerly turned toward Seth. As if Seth had read her mind, he held out his hand. “Grab on, so I don’t lose you in the crowd.”

Ben took Seth’s hand with his non-casted one.

Her throat tightened as she watched the two of them walk hand in hand to the dugout, where Seth had accidentally left his equipment. She couldn’t hear what Ben was saying, but Seth was nodding, listening intently to her son. As much as she hated to admit it, Seth would make a great father someday.

Not a good husband, perhaps, but a great father.

Tristan had seemed to be a good potential husband, yet had turned out to be a lousy father.

She rubbed a weary hand over her eyes. Somehow she needed to find a man who could be both.

Or, better still, stay single until Ben was old enough to go off to college.

Seth knew Kylie was anxiously waiting for him and Ben to return, but he needed a few minutes to get himself under control.

Kissing her had caused his hormones to play laser tag with his emotions. When she’d broken away from him it had taken several seconds for the sensual haze to clear, and then he’d figured out that Kylie was running away.

Never had a woman gotten to him so fast. Especially not a woman with a son. He’d realized Kylie was desperately searching for Ben when she’d taken off so abruptly.

The mere memory of their kiss still had the potency to make his blood heat. And it wasn’t as if he’d kissed her in a private place. Oh, no, he’d chosen the romantic aura of the dugout to kiss her. He didn’t think anyone else had noticed, though, since Michael had hit the game-winning home run.

“Can I wear your glove?” Ben asked, sliding his blue-and-orange casted hand into the palm of his large leather glove. Even despite the bulky cast, the mitt slipped drunkenly to one side on his tiny fist.

“Sure, but be careful you don’t drop it.” He didn’t really care if Ben dropped the mitt or not. He was still too busy trying to figure out what had happened between him and Kylie in the dugout.

Okay, so it was possible that kissing her hadn’t been the smartest idea he’d ever had. But, smart or not, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her again.

Which was why he’d boldly invited himself to her house after she’d begged off the pizza outing. Talk about being a glutton for punishment.

“Idiot,” he muttered under his breath.

“Who’s an idiot?” Ben asked.

He let out his breath in a heavy sigh. “No one. Sorry. I was thinking about something else.” Kissing Kylie broke every no-strings rule he possessed. She was a mother with a son. Unless it was possible Kylie wasn’t looking for anything serious, either? Warming to the idea, he reached for the boy’s non-casted hand. “Come on, let’s go back to meet your mom.”

He and Kylie needed to talk. Soon. That electrifying kiss they’d shared had convinced him they couldn’t ignore the desire simmering between them.

And maybe they could have a little fun without risking a full-blown relationship? Because he still wanted her. Not that he expected Kylie to end up in his bedroom on a casual whim. But it would be better if the rules were clear up front.

“Mom, Seth’s glove almost fits me—see?” Ben ran the few feet necessary to catch up to Kylie, carrying the oversize glove on his casted hand.

“Wow, that’s amazing. I bet that glove will fit you perfectly in a couple