Daddy 101 (American Romance) Read Free Page B

instant. Francine, who’s watching the store? Terry, you should know better. I swear, you probably scared the poor man to death.”
    That was it. Someone stood. A woman laughed. The cook dinged his bell. Alex breathed again.
    Dani hustled a few more folks to their feet, then came over to his booth. She sat down across from him, a scowl making her lovely face somehow lovelier. He’d never been so happy to see anyone in his life.
    “Sorry about that,” she said.
    “I thought I was a goner.”
    “They don’t mean any harm. We just don’t get many celebrities here.”
    “So you know about the magazine?”
    She nodded. Then her gaze moved quickly from his face to his plate. “Why’d you do it?” she asked, her focus entirely on his leftover fries.
    He took advantage of her shifted interest to study her clear, perfect skin. Her long lashes. Her full pink lips. “What?”
    “Get yourself in that silly magazine?”
    “I didn’t volunteer. I was drafted.”
    She nodded, giving him a quick glance. But the draw of the fries was obviously too much for her. He shoved the plate across the table. “Go ahead.”
    She frowned. “Go ahead?”
    “The fries. I’m done.”
    She looked at him quizzically. “I’m happy for you.”
    “Don’t you want them?”
    “Your fries?”
    “Yes.”
    “No.”
    “Well then, why have you been staring at them?”
    “I haven’t.”
    “Yes, you have.”
    “I would know if I were staring at fries.”
    “If you weren’t staring at the fries, what were you staring at?”
    “I wasn’t staring at anything. I just wasn’t staring at you.”
    “Oh,” he said, more confused than ever. Then he noticed her cheeks flush pink. “Oh,” he said, the light dawning. It was the magazine again. The celebrity business. “It’s all hype, Dani. No big deal.”
    “What’s all hype?”
    “We’re not going to start this again, are we?”
    “Start what?”
    He smiled. He shouldn’t have. She was clearly flustered. A gentleman would let it drop, let her gather her composure. But he was no gentleman. “I’m not really the Sexiest Man in the World,” he said, lowering his voice as he leaned forward. “I’m just a man. A regular, ordinary man. But if you like, I promise to be as sexy as I can while I’m staying with you.”
    Her cheeks changed from pink to a rather fetching red. But then he captured her gaze, and the cheeks were forgotten. Those blue eyes showed him her nervousness, her hesitation. And, what do you know, her excitement.
    The seconds ticked by. He didn’t let go of her gaze, but held her steady. Her emotions were unguarded, and as he watched, her nervousness ebbed and the hint of excitement grew. Not much, but enough.
    “What?” she asked softly.
    “I said I’ll do my best to live up to my image.”
    The cook’s bell dinged, and she ripped her gaze away. She sat back in the booth and crossed her arms over her chest. “We are not going there. Understand? Not now. Not when you’re a guest in my home. Not even for a second.”
    It was his turn to lean back. He’d thought he was fanning an ember, when it was clear he’d lit a bonfire.
    Her eyes narrowed and a new flush of pink tinged her cheeks. But this time it wasn’t from emhanassment or awareness. This was anger, pure and simple. “I know you think you can get any woman by crooking your little finger, buster, but not here. No, sir. I’ve seen your kind before. Just because you’re rich and handsome doesn’t mean you can run roughshod over people’s lives. There are repercussions, you know. People have feelings. You don’t just waltz in here, mess everything up and waltz out again.” She slid out of the booth and stood, moving her hands to her hips. “Do you want me to show you your room or not?”
    Alex blinked. “Yes, I do.”
    “Well, then?”
    “Let me pay my bill,” he said, trying to find his equilibrium. What the hell was he getting himself into? This woman might be a competent vet, but she was