The Greek Children's Doctor(10)

Adrienne's gasp of delight made it obvious that there was no going back. 'You? Why would you want to do that?'

Because she was a total idiot and a sucker for any unhappy child.

Libby gave a weak smile. 'I adore shopping. Ask my brother or sister.  I'm a shopaholic. There's nothing like a bit of retail therapy to cheer a  girl up.'

Adrienne's eyes were huge. 'You'd take me shopping? Really?'                       
       
           



       

'Sure.' Touched by the girl's gratitude, Libby decided that she'd done  the right thing. 'As long as you promise to smile and not argue with my  taste. And then, when we've shopped, I'll do your hair. I'm great with  hair. I've been practising for twenty-nine years on my own.'

Before Adrienne could reply, Andreas strode up and Libby stiffened,  wondering how he'd react to the fact that his niece had run away from  school. She remembered with appalling clarity her father's furious  response when she'd done the same thing. She'd never, ever done it  again.

But Andreas didn't look furious at all. He looked concerned.

'Adrienne?' His tone was incredibly gentle as he stopped in front of the  trembling girl. He said something to her in Greek and she took a  shuddering breath and looked him in the eye, replying in English.

'I'm so homesick. I want to live with you. Please, let me live with  you-I won't be any trouble, I promise. I know that it's supposed to be  temporary but I can't bear it. Please, don't send me back there.'

Swallowing back an unexpected lump in her throat, Libby glanced at Andreas, noting the tension in his wide, muscular shoulders.

'You're too young to be in the house on your own, koratsaki mou, and I  haven't found a suitable housekeeper yet,' he said roughly.

Adrienne wrapped her arms around her waist. 'I don't care about being on  my own. I'd rather be on my own than with those-those … ' Her English  failed her and she looked pleadingly at Libby. 'Tell him not to make me  go back. Please.'

Libby glanced at Andreas helplessly. She really had no idea what to do  or say. She knew nothing about the situation but she did know that  Adrienne was obviously miserable.

Before she could speak, Bev hurried up, looking worried. 'Dr Christakos,  A and E are looking for you. They've got a child with a nasty asthma  attack. They want you down there urgently.'



Andreas sucked in a breath and cast a look at Adrienne. 'Of course.' He  raked long fingers through his black hair, his frustration evident.  'Adrienne, we can't sort this out now. You'll have to wait in the  staffroom until I finish.'

'Why don't I take her home with me?' Libby said quickly, putting a  protective hand on the child's arm. 'I'm off duty now anyway and it  would be much nicer for her. You can collect her from my flat when  you're ready. Bev will give you my address.'

His mouth tightened. 'I'll have to take her straight back to school-'

Adrienne gave a moan of protest. 'No!'

'Adrienne, I have no choice!' He sounded tired and frustrated. 'If I  could see another way, believe me, I'd take it. It's just for the short  term.'

Libby wondered exactly what was going on.

Why was his niece living with him?

Bev touched his arm. 'Dr Christakos-'

'I'm on my way. Adrienne, we'll discuss this later.' His dark eyes  rested on Libby. 'I don't particularly want her waiting around here so  if you're sure it's all right, I'll take you up on your offer. Thank  you.'

'You're welcome.'

She watched as he strode out of the ward and then turned to Bev who was watching open-mouthed. 'What are you staring at?'

'You.' Bev's eyes twinkled merrily. 'So you're definitely avoiding him, then.'

Libby gritted her teeth. 'This is nothing to do with Andreas.'

Bev nodded solemnly. 'Of course it isn't. I'm sure you'll manage to avoid him when he comes to pick her up from your flat.'

Libby glared at her friend. 'Mammoth rat factor, remember?' Turning her  back on Bev, she held out a hand to Adrienne and gave her a warm smile.  'Come on. Time to go and raid my fridge I think.'

This had absolutely nothing to do with Andreas, she repeated firmly to herself.

Nothing.



Chapter 3



Libby let herself into the flat.

'Let's get something to eat. I'm starving.' She dropped her keys on the hall table and walked through to the kitchen.

A dark-haired man with wicked blue eyes was lounging at the table, nursing a cup of coffee and reading a medical journal.

'You're in big trouble, buster,' Libby muttered, glaring at him as she  tugged open the fridge door. 'This is Adrienne, by the way. Adrienne,  this is my brother, Alex. Don't be taken in by the blue eyes and the  charismatic smile, he's a total menace and I'm about to kill him.'                       
       
           



       

'Hello, Adrienne.' Alex smiled easily and then glanced back at his  sister. 'Why are you going to kill me? You should be thanking me.'

'Thanking you?' Libby removed an armful of food from the fridge and  slammed the door shut with such force that the contents rattled  ominously. 'Where the hell were you last night?'

'Language, Elizabeth, language,' Alex reproved mildly, his eyes  flickering to Adrienne. 'And to answer your question, I was in the  middle of a tricky delivery. My legendary skills as a doctor were in  demand. I was saving lives-snatching the innocent from the jaws of  death-'

'Yes, yes, spare me the drama,' Libby interrupted him impatiently, and  deposited the food on the kitchen table. 'For your patients' sake, I  hope you're a better doctor than you are a brother.' She reached into  the cupboard for some plates. 'Here we are, Adrienne. Help yourself.  Food always helps in a crisis. Smoked salmon, ham, cheese, salad,  chocolate, more chocolate … '

Adrienne sat down at the table and glanced between them, her face  slightly pink. 'I'm not very hungry,' she said shyly. 'I'm really sorry  if I'm in the way.'



Alex treated her to a smile that was guaranteed to weaken the knees of any female, regardless of age.

'You're not in the way. In fact, I'm very relieved you're here or my future on this planet would be in severe jeopardy.'

Libby noticed the way that Adrienne was staring at her brother and suppressed a groan.

Alex affected all women that way, no matter how young or old they were. He was lethal.

'So come on.' She looked at him pointedly. 'What happened? And don't give me any more of this ''I was saving a life'' rubbish.'

Alex leaned back in his chair and gave her a slow smile. 'I decided to  do you a favour and let someone else buy you. Someone you could actually  have a relationship with.'

Libby gaped at him. 'But that isn't what I want. You know I don't want a relationship.'

'Of course you do.' Alex suppressed a yawn. 'All women want  relationships. It's in the genes. The minute you meet a new man you  start scribbling his surname after your name just to see what it looks  like.'

Libby was momentarily speechless. 'I don't do that! I don't want a relationship any more than you do!'

Alex regarded her steadily. 'Yes, you do, sweetheart. You're terrified  of being hurt but deep down you believe in Mr Right as much as every  other woman.'

'You're an insufferable chauvinist.' Libby was simmering and Alex looked amused.

'No, I'm honest. Men have different needs to women. We don't need all  that ''till death us do part'' nonsense to enjoy a relationship. Even  when we do end up marrying we only do it because that's what women  expect. Not because it's what we want.'

Libby scowled at him, dying to let rip but constrained by Adrienne's  presence. 'One day, Alexander Westerling, you are going to meet the  woman of your dreams,' she muttered, her teeth gritted as she struggled  with her temper, 'and I truly hope she refuses to marry you.'

Alex threw back his head and laughed. 'Sweetheart, the woman who refuses to marry me is the woman of my dreams.'

Libby glared at her brother with frustration.

He was devilishly good-looking and his ego had been fed a constant diet  of adoring, hopeful women since he'd mastered the art of smiling.  Consequently he didn't believe that there was a single woman he couldn't  seduce into his bed if he put his mind to it.

But that was as far as it went. Libby knew that underneath the  light-hearted banter her brother was icily determined never to settle  down with one woman. She looked at him sadly, the anger melting away as  she acknowledged that he was as much a victim of their upbringing as she  was. When things had become heated between her parents, it had  frequently been Alex who had intervened. The experience had left him  with a serious allergy to long-term relationships.

She'd thought she was the same, but his words had kindled a doubt deep inside her.

Was she secretly hoping that Mr Right was out there?

Was she fooling herself by pretending that she wasn't interested in relationships?

Alex was looking at her steadily and she sensed that he knew what she  was thinking. For all their petty arguing, they were extremely close.

'So tell me about the man who bought you,' he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. 'Rumour has it that he was smitten.'