“He said he was on his way, so he should be here any…” I
felt a presence enter through the sliding doors and turned to look. The guy who
stood just inside the doors was built like a football player with powerful
shoulders and arms. The military short haircut emphasized his chiseled
features. Wearing black jeans and a polo stretched tight across his chest, Alex
had that casual, yet roughed up look that made a statement that fell somewhere
between ‘I've just crawled out of bed but still, you don't want to mess with
me’.
As he drew closer to our little group, I noticed the
piercing nature of his blue eyes and the sexiness of his lips. In response, my
own tongue darted out to caress my bottom lip. My heart sped up and remarkably,
I was at a loss for words.
“Chloe. Mike. Any word?” my fantasy football player stated.
This was Alex? No no no no! shouted the voice in my head while the tingling in
my lower abdomen screamed Oh, my!
Alex shook hands with Mike as Chloe clung to Mike’s waist.
“Nothing definite yet. They're going to do a spinal tap to determine if Joe has
meningitis. I’m so worried about him. He looked so pale and helpless lying in
the hospital bed.”
“Joe’s a strong kid. He’ll pull through. After all, he got a
double dose of stubborn,” Alex said, trying to lighten the situation. He turned
to me. “You must be Lissa. I’m Alex. Thanks again for
calling.” Sliding his hands in the pockets of his jeans,
Alex gave me his best smile. Did I imagine a spark of interest in his eyes?
“No problem. I have two boys of my own and I'd do anything
for a friend.”
Alex’s smile tugged at my heartstrings. It wasn’t the 'full
mouth with all his pearly whites showing' smile like Steve's, but a 'little boy
when he was unsure of himself' smile. Sitting down in one of the empty chairs,
I finally caught my breath and watched Alex out of the corner of my eye as he
interacted with Mike and Chloe. Where was the fearsome man Chloe portrayed? Was
Alex just putting on an act? He certainly looked bad-ass when he strode through
those hospital doors, with his commanding air and determined stride. But seeing
him interact with his ex now, Alex seemed caring and compassionate.
Alex had a very different body type than Mike. Staring at
him was like trying to figure out a puzzle. Hot, steamy body, dangerous blue
eyes, but what about that personality? I knew I'd have a few questions for
Chloe about Alex later, the first being the most obvious - was he available?
“Mr. and Mrs. Hunter?” The doctor stepped through the doors.
“I’m Mark Hunter and this is my ex-wife, Chloe Winters and
her husband, Mike. And this is Chloe’s friend, Lissa,” Alex volunteered as if
he had done this awkward introduction a few times before. “How's Joe? Do you
know anything?”
“We got a positive for Meningitis. However, until we grow the
cells in a petri dish for seventy two hours, we can’t be sure if it's bacterial
or viral. Bacterial is far more dangerous so we're moving Joe to his own room
in the children’s ward. We isolated him and are treating him with antibiotics
as a precaution. We'll let you know as soon as he's settled then you can visit.
But only immediate family. We don’t want to expose anyone else.” With a somber
nod, the doctor moved back into the emergency room area, leaving us in stunned
silence.
“I’ll head home and get you a change of clothes and grab
some things for Joe. Do you think they'll let him have his DS?” Mike pulled
Chloe close, kissing her tenderly. Their love was evident with him holding her
hand and listening as he whispered words of love and encouragement. I felt like
an intruder on such a private moment and drifted to an empty bench, watching as
Alex headed off toward the vending machines.
Returning shortly with coffee and candy bars, he shared his
feast as we sat lost in our own thoughts. While my guess was his thoughts were
of concern over his son, my thoughts were all about the carnal man sitting
across from me.
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| Would you fall for your best friend's ex-husband? |
