Marrying the Playboy Doctor - By Laura Iding Page 0,35

Talk about bad timing. And all those months she’d waited for him to change his mind hadn’t been easy, either.

Because Tristan hadn’t changed his mind.

“Just remember she loved you,” she suggested.

Before Seth could respond, Ben was wheeled into the room on a stretcher. Her son looked so small and helpless lying there with a large eyepatch over his left eye, she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of panic.

“Ben.” She quickly crossed over to where the nurse was maneuvering the cart alongside the bed. She took Ben’s hand in hers. “How is he?” she asked.

“A little nauseous, I’m afraid,” the nurse said with a note of apology. “I’ve given him a dose of Compazine, so hopefully that should help.”

“Mom?” Groggy from the anesthesia, Ben lifted his head. “I don’t feel good. My tummy hurts.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. The nurse gave you some medicine, so you should feel better soon.”

The nurse put down the side rail of the cart. “Ben, do you think you can scoot over to the bed for me?”

“I’ll lift him,” Kylie said, stretching over the mattress of the bed to reach for her son. Seth came up beside her and with his longer arms lifted Ben and gently placed him in the center of the bed. “Thanks,” she murmured.

Ben didn’t seem to notice his idol Seth was there. Looking miserable, he curled into a ball, clutching his stomach. Hating to feel so helpless, Kylie bent over and pressed a soft kiss on the tender spot above his temple.

“The nausea should pass soon,” Seth said.

“I hope so.” She hated seeing Ben like this.

Seth pulled up a chair for her, so she could sit right next to Ben’s bed. She silently thanked him with a warm look.

He pulled up a second chair for himself. She was surprised he didn’t take the opportunity to slip away. She should have urged him to go, if only to help keep the rumors at bay, but she didn’t.

Despite her determination to keep things friendly between them, she was too grateful for his quiet strength and support.

Seth swallowed a groan as he lifted his head. The muscles of his neck tightened painfully from the awkward way he’d fallen asleep in the chair.

It was early, he guessed, peering at the clock on the wall. Yep, barely five in the morning. It had been a long night. Ben’s nausea hadn’t gotten any better until they’d agreed to give him some stronger anti-nausea medicine called Zofran.

He stretched his neck side to side in an effort to loosen the muscles as his gaze sought and found Kylie, sleeping with her head cushioned on the mattress beside Ben. He hoped she’d slept better than he had. She hadn’t asked him to leave, so he’d stayed—although the only thing he’d been any help with was suggesting the stronger anti-nausea medication for Ben.

He wished he could have done more.

Scrubbing a hand over the stubble on his cheek, he knew he should find a razor and a toothbrush. He was scheduled to work this morning, so he needed to be somewhat presentable. Thank heavens the hospital would supply another pair of scrubs for him to wear.

He eased out of the chair, trying to be quiet, but Kylie awoke, lifting her head. “Seth?”

Her husky voice saying his name sent a shaft of desire straight to his groin. He battered down the sexual awareness and smiled. “How are you?”

“Okay, I guess.” She yawned, and he itched to pull her soft, sleepy body against his. “Where are you going?” she whispered, so as not to wake Ben.

“I have to work.” He tucked his hands into the pockets of his lab coat to keep from reaching for her. With her tousled hair and soft, rosy skin she was so beautiful it made his chest ache.

“Oh.” Was that disappointment shimmering in her eyes? “You need your sleep. You shouldn’t have stayed here all night if you had to work.”

First she was disappointed that he had to leave, and now she was concerned about his welfare. Her caring was a novelty. His relationships in the past had always been about fun. Light and friendly fun. This felt like so much more.

Things were different with Kylie.

Or maybe he was just a different person with Kylie?

“I’ll be fine,” he assured her, trying to smile.

She bit her lower lip in that endearing habit she had. It made him want to kiss her.

Which only reminded him how Greenley had asked her out. He’d been standing outside the door, double-checking a recent page, and hadn’t