Читать книгу Triplets Under The Tree - Kat Cantrell - Страница 11

Four

Instead of taking Antonio to the doctor, Caitlyn arranged for the doctor to come to the house the following afternoon. Antonio needed his space for as long as possible, at least until he got comfortable being in civilization again—or at least that was Caitlyn’s opinion, and no one had to know that it fit her selfish desire to have him all to herself.

As a plus, Caitlyn wouldn’t have to worry about wrestling Antonio into the car in case he changed his mind about seeing a doctor after all. Not that she could have. Nor did she do herself any favors imagining the tussle, which would likely end with Antonio’s hard body pinning her against another wall.

Recalling yesterday’s charged encounter had kept her quite warm last night and quite unable to sleep due to a restless ache she had no idea how to ease. Well, okay, she had some idea, but her sensibilities didn’t extend to middle-of-the-night visits to the sexy man down the hall. One did not simply walk into Antonio’s bedroom with the intent of hopping into bed with him, or at least she didn’t. Risqué nighttime shenanigans were Vanessa’s style, and her sister had had her heart broken time and time again as a result. Sex and love were so closely entwined that Caitlyn was willing to wait for the commitment she’d always wanted.

Nor did she imagine that Antonio was lying awake fantasizing about visiting Caitlyn anytime soon, either. They were two people thrown together by extraordinary circumstances and they both had enormous, daunting realities to deal with that didn’t easily translate into any kind of relationship other than...what? Friends? Co-parents? Trying to figure it out was exhausting enough; adding romance to the mix was out of the question.

Especially since Antonio could—and likely would—have his pick of women soon enough. A virgin mother of triplets, former accountant sister-in-law didn’t have the same appeal as a lush, redheaded actress-wife combo, that was for sure.

The doctor buzzed the gate entrance at precisely three o’clock. Antonio ushered the stately salt-and-pepper-haired physician into the foyer and thanked him for coming as the two men shook hands.

All morning, Antonio had been short-tempered and scowling, even after Caitlyn told him the doctor was coming to him. Caitlyn hovered just beyond the foyer, unsure if she was supposed to make herself scarce or insist on being present for the conversation in case the doctor had follow-up instructions for Antonio’s care.

Vanessa would have been stuck to Antonio’s side. As a wife should. Caitlyn was only the person who had made the appointment. And she’d done that just to make sure it happened.

“Caitlyn,” Antonio called, his tone slightly amused, which was a plus, considering his black mood. “Come meet Dr. Barnett.”

That she could do. She stood by Antonio, but not too close, and exchanged pleasantries with the doctor.

“I saw you fight Alondro in Vegas,” the doctor remarked with an appreciative nod at Antonio. “Ringside. Good match.”

Antonio accepted the praise with an inclined head, but his hands immediately clenched and his mouth tightened; clearly, the doctor’s comments made him uncomfortable. Because he didn’t remember? Or had he lost all context of what it meant to be famous? Either way, she didn’t like anyone making Antonio uncomfortable, let alone someone who was supposed to be here to help.

“Can I show you to a private room where you can get started?” Caitlyn asked in a no-nonsense way.

“Of course.” Dr. Barnett’s face smoothed out and he followed Caitlyn and Antonio to the master bedroom, where Antonio had indicated he felt the most at home in the house.

Score one for Caitlyn. Or was it two since a medical professional was on the premises?

She started to duck out, but Antonio stopped her with a warm hand on her arm. “I’d like you to stay,” he murmured. “So it will feel less formal.”

“Oh.” A bit flummoxed, she stared up into his dark eyes. “It won’t be weird if the doctor wants you to...um...get undressed?”

On cue, her cheeks heated. She’d blushed more around this man in the past few days than she had in her whole life.

His lips quirked and she congratulated herself on removing that dark scowl he’d worn all day. Too bad his new expression had come about because he likely found her naïveté amusing.