The Billionaire Boss's Bride(36)

Tessa looked out of the window. The traffic was moving like treacle.

‘Now I’m not too sure what you think I might get up to in the back of this taxi, but if you want to try and remove your tights yourself, then go ahead. I’ll do the gentlemanly thing and look away, shall I?’ There was a sharp, bitter edge in his voice that made her wonder whether he had now added the adjective ridiculous to the dull one he had already attached the minute he had first clapped eyes on her. Maybe he thought it frankly pathetic that she might overestimate her desirability to the extent that he would make a pass for her again. Again and especially in the back seat of a public transport vehicle.

Tessa still made a go of trying to do it herself, but manoeuvring her foot was next to impossible.

‘Done trying?’ Curtis asked, watching her with detached, cool interest.

By way of answer, Tessa sighed and leant back, closing her eyes so that she didn’t have to witness the spectacle of him disrobing her.

Which didn’t stop her feeling the slide of his cool fingers along her legs, up past her thighs to her waist, where he gently eased the tights down, pausing and taking extra care when he came to the swollen ankle.

‘Mission accomplished,’ he said, holding the tights up in one hand. ‘You can open your eyes now.’ His voice was still edged with suppressed impatience, as was his face when Tessa did open her eyes to look at him. She snatched the tights and stuffed them into her handbag.

‘Thanks.’ Her legs were still tingling from where he had touched them, even though there had been nothing personal in the touch. ‘I’m sorry to be keeping you from…from whatever it was you had planned… There’s no need for you to stay with me once we get to the hospital. I know Casualty can be busy at these places, and I’m more than capable of sitting quietly on my own till I get seen to.’

Curtis didn’t answer. He had replaced her feet on his lap and he looked at them. Perfect, narrow feet with delicately painted pink toenails. Hardly the sort of feet to be cooped up in tight court shoes, which was what she had been wearing. But then, didn’t this woman wear her clothes like a suit of armour? Stiff little suits that stifled every scrap of femininity? Except he knew, didn’t he, that take the clothes away and she was highly feminine?

They spent the next twenty minutes in silence, while the cab driver did his best to beat the traffic.

By the time they reached the hospital, Tessa’s nerves were fraying badly at the edges. She had never known Curtis to be quite as silent as he had been in the taxi. He wasn’t garrulous in the manner of some people who talked even when they had nothing of interest to say. He talked because he was interested. It was all part and parcel of his charm, of that bigger-than-average personality that grabbed people and had them hooked and hanging onto every word he uttered.

She let him help her in, stifling the temptation to insist on paying for the taxi herself, considering she was the one who had needed it. As soon as they were through the door, though, she turned to him with a bright smile, trying to ignore the pounding in her ankle.

‘Thanks again. I can take it from here.’

‘I’m going to help you to that chair over there and then you’re to sit down. I’ll be ten minutes.’

‘Look,’ Tessa said, politeness giving way to irritation because she just didn’t want him around her, ‘there’s no need.’

He ushered her to the one free spot, still protesting under her breath, and sat her down, then he leaned over her, supporting himself on the metal arms of the chair.

‘Don’t even think of staging a protest by doing anything. I’ll only be a few minutes.’

‘This is ridiculous. It’s my fault I’m here and I don’t feel very happy about…’

Any further protest was stifled as he placed his mouth very firmly over hers, administering one hard, swift kiss that succeeded in removing all power of speech.

‘Well, at least there’s something that can shut you up,’ he murmured.

She was still struggling with a mixture of shock, outrage and stupid, uninvited pleasure when he returned, in less time than he had said.

‘Right. Come on.’

‘Come on where?’

‘I’m getting you in for a quick look at that foot. Should take a few minutes unless they feel you need an X-ray.’

‘But…but we’re queue jumping!’ She squeaked as he lifted her up in one smooth movement and began striding down the corridor, pushing open the double doors at the end with one foot.

‘That’s a very English response. Don’t worry. This doctor is a personal friend of mine and doesn’t work on Casualty. You’re taking him away from nothing but his regulatory break.’