Page 28 of Accidental Doctor Daddy

That subtle, masculine cologne—spicy, woodsy, faintly like him. Like salt air and skin-warmed bourbon. The scent I’d inhaled against his neck the night he ruined me for every other man.

The cool water trickled down my raw throat. This was real. He was real.

My babies.

Panic surged as my hands moved instinctively to my stomach, now sore and empty. My breath hitched, and Dom caught it immediately.

"They’re okay," he assured me, his voice steady and firm, cutting through my fear. "They’re small, but they’re strong, breathing on their own. The NICU team is monitoring them, but everything looks good. Again, they’re small for newborns, but considering the circumstances, they’re remarkably large. You did good, Ella."

A sharp exhale left me as relief crashed over me, making me momentarily lightheaded. I blinked up at him, trying to process everything. "You…you’re really here?" My voice was raspy and hoarse from exhaustion and the intubation tube.

His lips twitched, just slightly. "Yeah, I’m here."

I closed my eyes for a brief second as if that would help me make sense of this. "I thought I imagined you. In the ER."

Dom leaned back in his chair, watching me carefully. "You weren’t imagining things. You landed in my hospital."

His hospital. Shit.

Of course. Of course, this had to happen. What are the odds? One hundred percent when it comes to me.

Annoyance flared to life, not at him, but at the cruel irony of the universe. Carrie had sent me here. She had made the call when I passed out, likely not even thinking twice about it. Just focusing on getting me and the babies the best care possible. Her husband worked here, so naturally, she’d tell the EMTs to take me here.

I knew that. And yet, I wanted to groan in frustration.

Carrie had no idea about Dom. She knew about the “mystery man” from my tropical getaway, but I had deliberately left out any identifying details. If she had known, she never would have sent me here.

Hell, she even sent me to a hospital where my doctor doesn’t have privileges. Clearly, the EMTs told her this was a serious emergency.I can’t blame her, but I want to.But since she didn’t know, then Dom still didn’t know. And I needed to keep it that way.

"That’s…a weird coincidence," I murmured, shifting slightly in bed. Pain radiated through me, but I bit down on it.

His brow furrowed, his head tilting slightly. "Yeah. Some coincidence."

I kept my expression neutral. I had to. Because if I let even a sliver of truth slip through, if I let my emotions get the better of me, I’d be stuck. Trapped in New York. And my girls—my newborn, fragile daughters—would be sucked into the middle of a mess I had spent months planning to avoid. I could not let that happen. Not now, not ever.

I had been so careful. I had saved up, worked extra shifts, and meticulously planned my escape to Chicago. It was supposed to be simple. Get through the birth, leave New York, and start fresh. Clean breaks all around.

A clean break did not include reentering Dom’s life.

Introduce newborns into the family that produced Leonardo Mortoli? Not happening. Not only would they have to deal with Leo’s drama, but his drama would be amplified by the fact that his new sisters were born to his ex-girlfriend. An ex-girlfriend who was too young to be with his father.

Messy. Too messy.

It would destroy the Mortoli family, tearing them apart from the inside. I couldn’t do that to Dom. And just as important, I wanted to do this on my own.My girls are mine, and I’m getting them out of here.

The silence stretched between us until it snapped under its own weight. I wanted to scream, Why are you still so goddamn handsome?

Instead, I forced myself to focus on what mattered. "Can I see them?"

Dom nodded. "Soon. The NICU team is making sure they’re stable, but they’ll either bring them soon, or a nurse will wheel you there to see them."

I swallowed hard, emotion clogging my throat. I wanted to hold them. Toseethem. My body demanded to hold my babies. I felt incomplete without them. But knowing they were okay, that they had made it through, had to be enough for now.

Dom exhaled, running a hand over his face. "You scared the hell out of me, Ella."

Something in my chest twisted, but I kept my expression carefully composed. "I didn’t exactly plan this," I muttered, trying for some semblance of levity.

He didn’t smile. Instead, he studied me, those dark eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite name. "What happened?"

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