I stare at the guy in teal latex gloves as he turns toward me. “Open wide,” he says.

I grin. “Not used to hearing a guy say that to me.”

He doesn’t smile back. “Please, Mr. Hunt.”

I sigh and open up. I glance over at Leah and she looks like she’s going to break her neck trying to crane it while she watches, as if I could somehow fake this part. The doctor swabs the inside of my cheek with this fancy looking q-tip, drops it into a plastic bag, and seals it.

“All done,” he says, glancing over at Leah. “We’ll get you the test results later today.”

“Really?” I ask. “Doesn’t it usually take weeks?”

He shakes his head. “I’m doing this as a favor to her,” he says. “Good luck.” He grabs his stuff and leaves the examination room.

I look over at Leah and she smiles back at me acidly. “Wish you had more time before we find out the results?”

“No,” I say, laughing as joy slowly fills me. “I’m actually really, really excited.”

That seems to surprise her and takes the venom out of her voice. “Doctor Roberts is good,” she says. “We’re lucky he’s willing to do this. Otherwise, we might get some random lab idiot that could easily mess this up.”

“Good,” I say, hopping up off the table. “I want the best.”

She looks a little skeptical. “You’re really not nervous?”

‘Not at all,” I say, laughing again. I can’t seem to stop smiling, and for good reason.

I’m finally going to get to see my son, to actually spend time with him. I’m practically shaking with excitement. This is what I’ve been dreaming about for the past two years.

I step closer to Leah, my smile widening. I feel like I’m really seeing her for the first time. She’s technically working right now, wearing scrubs, her hair up in a tight bun… and she looks so fucking gorgeous I feel like I can’t keep myself from grabbing her right here.

“What should I do with Ryan first?” I ask her softly. “Take him to the park, maybe?”

She makes a face. “I’m not so sure that test is going to come back in your favor.”

“It will,” I say simply. “I’m not worried about that.”

“I am,” she replies, meeting my gaze.

I smile back at her. “I guess a better question is, what am I going to do with you?”

She cocks her head, staring back into my eyes, and I swear she licks her lips. I step closer to her, aware that we’re totally alone in this little room, barely any space separating us.

“Even if you are the father, I still adopted him.”

“I know that,” I say. “I don’t want to take him away from you, not when you’ve been doing such a good job.”

Her eyes flash and she flushes. “We’re just starting to bond.”

“I know. I can see it. You never asked for any of this, did you?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know what Harper was thinking. I mean, I just never imagined being a mom before, you know?”

“I totally understand,” I say softly. “I didn’t imagine being a father until I was one.”

She seems nervous suddenly, and I can see why: I’m standing inches away from her, and my body’s practically humming with desire and excitement.

“I should get back to work,” she says, but she doesn’t go anywhere.

“You’re only missing one thing,” I say, ignoring that.

“What?” she asks.

“A daddy.’

She raises her eyebrows. “For Ryan?”

My grins get bigger. “No… for you.”

She stares at me then pushes me with both hands, making me take a step back. I laugh as she fumes, shaking her head.

“Don’t be an ass,” she says.

“I’m not,” I reply quickly. “I’m serious. You’re so pent up and angry and stressed. I know I can help take care of you.”

“You don’t know a thing about me.” She turns toward the door.

“You’re taking care of my son and loving him like his own mother,” I say. “That’s all I really need to know.”

She hesitates, her hand on the doorknob. “Yeah, well, we’ll see if he’s your son or not.” She quickly opens the door and leaves the room.

I lean up against the table and take a deep breath, my smile spreading out wide again. I’m not upset that Leah’s kept me away from Ryan. I honestly can’t really blame her. Once I sat down and thought about it, I’m actually happy that she’s keeping me at arm’s length. That just means she’s taking good care of Ryan and putting his needs first. I’m actually really glad that she’s being so hard on me, especially considering the circumstances.

The Gallos are still out there, and they still want Ryan.