Page 57 of Accidental Doctor Daddy

Dom let out a quiet laugh under his breath as Summer gave a little sigh of contentment, milk-drunk and blissful.

The air between us was heavy but tender. Like somehow, without saying it, we both knew this was the most natural thing in the world.

Once their bottles were empty, we moved in sync, easing them into their cribs. Summer’s fingers clung to Dom’s shirt until the last second, and Marissa let out one last soft sigh before curling into herself like a sleepy kitten.

Dom and I stood side by side for a moment, just watching them settle.

He chuckled quietly. “Guess we did a good job.”

For a second, we just stood there in the soft hush of the nursery, neither of us moving, both of us reluctant to disturb the peace. The girls slept soundly, their tiny chests rising and falling in perfect rhythm, their faces bathed in the soft glow from the nightlight.

I looked over to see Dom lingering, his hand hovering protectively near Marissa’s cheek. The expression on his face—torn, relieved, grateful, so deeply in love with his girls—hit me with a force I hadn’t expected.

“Thank you,” he whispered, so quietly I almost didn’t hear.

“For what?”

He swallowed, his dark eyes meeting mine. “Letting me invade your home. For tonight. For this.” He nodded to the girls.

The knot in my throat tightened. I wanted to say,you’re their father, of course you belong here.But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I just nodded and placed a light hand on his arm. “Let’s have some tea.”

He wordlessly nodded and followed me to the kitchen, where I made tea in silence, wondering what was on his mind. In the living room, I nearly asked about his day again, but Dom spoke first, voice low and haunted.

“Work was...bad. There was a case in the ED. A patient nearly bled out because—someone else made the wrong call. I was this close to watching him die on my table.”

He ran a hand through his hair, pacing the small space. My heart twisted at the frustration etched into every line of his posture.

“I couldn’t stop thinking—why am I doing this? Putting myself through the chaos and risking people’s lives, when all I really want is to be here, with—” He glanced at me, eyes flicking to the bassinets in the other room. “With them. And you.”

A lump rose in my throat, and my chest felt too tight. His honesty made me ache. This was a man who took pride in being calm, collected, in control. Yet here he was, spilling raw vulnerability.

“They’re why you do it,” I said softly. “So you can give them the best, right?”

He exhaled, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “That’s what I’ve always told myself. That it’s all for my family. But...I’m not sure anymore.”

We sat there in silence for a beat, the hum of the city outside the only noise. Then, as if drawn by some magnetic force, we both closed the distance. My hand found his chest, the steady hammer of his heart racing under my palm.

In that moment, it struck me that this—this—was more intimate than anything we’d done on that tropical island. We were in my cramped apartment, with newborns asleep in the next room, and I feltcloserto Dom than I ever had to anyone.

He looked down at me, shadows playing across his face. “Ella...”

I rose up, and he met me halfway, our lips colliding in a kiss that felt like a quiet exhale after too much tension. The taste of him washed away the longing of the day. I slid my arms around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair.

We broke apart, breath mingling in the hush.

His voice was a low rumble. “I want you so bad. But, Ella, if this is too much for you, or too soon?—”

But I shook my head. “It’s not.”

“Are you sure?” he murmured.

The answer lodged in my chest was a resoundingyes. I’d spent so long battling my own fears, secrets, and insecurities. But right now, seeing his pain and knowing he had come here for solace, it made me feel so much more important to him than just some girl he happened to impregnate. It made me feel like Iwasn’tthe biggest mistake of his life, I was someone he counted on, and more than any of that,I wanted him.

“I’m sure,” I whispered, taking his hand and leading him to my bedroom.

In this space, everything felt different. With the girls quietly sleeping in the nursery, Dom and I sank onto the bed, hearts pounding. His mouth covered mine again, the kiss deeper, more urgent. I gasped at the contact, my body remembering that electric connection we’d shared on the island.

Clothes found their way to the floor, and he trailed kisses along my throat, making my breath catch. A moment later, his hand skimmed my waist. I tugged him closer, reveling in the press of his body.

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