From Doctor...to Daddy by Karen Rose Smith

Author:Karen Rose Smith [Smith, Karen Rose]
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2010-01-30T05:00:00+00:00

Erika stood at the door of the conference room the following afternoon, distributing Dillon’s handouts to the employees coming in to hear his presentation.

She nodded and smiled to everyone and tried not to feel paranoid when she felt gazes on her. They were interested in the seminar, not in her. At least that’s what she told herself until two women, who looked to be about her age, began whispering as soon as they passed her. She heard one say to the other, “I heard she’s more than Dr. Traub’s receptionist. Joanne saw them in the parking lot one night last week. Their lips were locked tight. Maybe he’s her next sugar daddy.”

The night of the potluck supper, Erika had thought no one else had been in the parking lot. But then it had been dark and she hadn’t looked around until after she’d pulled away from Dillon’s embrace.

So everyone was thinking she took up with Dillon because she wanted a replacement for Scott? Hadn’t she proven she could be a good employee and a good mother? Why did gossip have to be so easy, and putting out the fires from its effects so hard? She fought back tears, attempting to maintain her professional composure.

A few minutes later she finally felt as if she’d regained her equilibrium. And that was a good thing because Dillon came walking down the hall toward her. He stopped. “You’ve done a great job pulling this together.”

She glanced around, saw the women who had gossiped watching and felt suppressed emotion make her chin quiver. “It was my job.” She tried to keep her voice even.

Dillon must have seen the quiver in her chin. “Are you upset about something?”

“No.” She swallowed hard and blinked fast. Checking her watch, she advised him, “You’d better get started. They have to return to the restaurants to prepare for dinner.”

“Tell me what happened, Erika. Something obviously did. You’re near tears.”

She cleared her throat and looked down at her high heels so he wouldn’t see the tears swimming in her eyes. “Don’t worry about me. Just do what you came here to do.”

Knowing she couldn’t stand there with him any longer, knowing there were some people watching, knowing she would be food for gossip again tomorrow if she didn’t make a getaway, she handed him the rest of the papers.

“Don’t come after me,” she said in a desperate whisper. “Don’t make this worse.” Then she headed for the ladies’ room down the hall, not intending to emerge until her makeup was perfect and her professional facade was back in place.

Dillon didn’t know what to think as he watched Erika walk away. She had pride. He could see that in the set of her shoulders. But she was upset, too, and that had been obvious in her shaky words, in her bright eyes and the way she’d hurried away. If it hadn’t been for her plea for him not to follow her, he would have, meeting or no meeting. He’d respect her wishes for now, but as soon as this presentation was over, he’d find her.

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