Read Online The Surgeon's Fatherhood Surprise by Jennifer Taylor - Free Book Online Page B

He wouldn’t have thanked them if they had. He prided himself on the fact that he could take care of himself and didn’t need anyone to prop him up, yet it was different when he was with Alison; he felt differently around her.
    He chased away that thought and smiled at her, falling back on the charm that had got him through so many tricky situations in the past. ‘I enjoyed living in London, and I doubt I’d have moved away if it hadn’t been for Freddie. But as for missing my friends—well, that really isn’t a major factor.’
    ‘Are you sure? After all, you led a very hectic social life when you lived in the capital. It’s understandable if you feel bored and restless now that you’ve moved out here.’
    ‘Ah! Obviously you read all the rubbish that was written about me a few years ago,’ Jack said ruefully. He held out his hands, palms up. ‘What can I say? I had a great time and I enjoyed all the parties, et cetera, but it was only ever one small part of my life. I grew out of that whole scene some time ago, and I don’t miss it either.’
    ‘No?’
    ‘No,’ he said firmly when he realised that she didn’t believe him. ‘There’s only so much partying a person can do before it becomes boring. You see the same old faces wherever you go, have the same pointless conversations. It might appear like a fabulous way to live to anyone watching but it’s not really like that, believe me.’
    ‘Then why did you do it if you didn’t enjoy it?’
    ‘Oh, I enjoyed it well enough in the beginning,’ he admitted. ‘Going to all those exciting new places and meeting people you’ve only ever seen on television or at the cinemagives you a tremendous buzz at first. Most people find themselves swept away by the glamour of it all.’
    ‘As you were?’
    ‘Yes.’ He sighed. ‘I went a bit mad when I first moved to London—fell in with a crowd whose main aim in life was to enjoy them selves. If I hadn’t had my work then heaven knows what would have happened. It’s what stopped me going off the rails. Especially after I met India.’
    ‘That’s when most of the articles appeared,’ Alison said softly. She blushed when he looked at her in surprise. ‘I used to buy a lot of the gossip magazines, and you and India featured prominently in them.’
    ‘You don’t strike me as the sort of person who reads stuff like that,’ Jack said, getting up to pour the coffee. He took the mugs back to the table then fetched the milk and sat down again.
    ‘Normally I wouldn’t read them, but I was going through a difficult time. They seemed to fill a gap in my life, if that doesn’t sound too silly.’
    ‘Of course it doesn’t sound silly!’ He put his hand over hers and gently squeezed it, felt his breath catch in the most alarming fashion, and hastily released her. ‘If they helped, great. Don’t feel guilty about it.’
    He picked up his mug and took a sip of the scalding-hot brew. He wasn’t going to ask her why her life had been particularly difficult at that point, not if he hoped to keep a grip on his wayward emotions. He was already stressed because of what had happened with Becca and Freddie, and he didn’t think he could cope with anything else—like getting upset on Alison’s behalf.
    ‘I don’t.’
    She lifted the mug to her lips and blew on the coffee to cool it, and Jack felt his insides bunch them selves into knots as he watched her lips purse. From what he could tell, shewasn’t wearing a scrap of lipstick, but she didn’t need it to enhance the pouty fullness of her mouth.
    Tingles suddenly started to shoot through his body, flashes of electricity that charged every cell, and he buried his face in the steaming mug. He had slept with a number of women in his time, kissed a hell of a lot more and flirted with probably triple that number, but at no time could he recall feeling as keyed-up as he felt right now. The sight of Alison’s lush bare mouth was playing havoc with his senses, stirring