The Greek Children's Doctor(12)

       

'And can Libby come?'

Libby stiffened. 'I don't think-'

'Of course she can,' Andreas said smoothly, ignoring the furious look  she shot him. 'It's the least I can do after the hospitality she offered  you tonight.'

'Fantastic. I just need to say goodbye to Alex.' Adrienne hurried off towards the kitchen and Libby looked at Andreas angrily.

'I've already told you, I don't go on dates.'

'If you think that eating pizza with a twelve-year-old is my idea of a  date, you're in for a pleasant surprise when I finally take you out,'  Andreas drawled. 'You can relax. This is Adrienne's evening. You're  quite safe.'

She sucked in a breath. 'Don't you understand no? Do I need to learn Greek?'

'It's just a pizza, Libby,' he said mildly, noticing with satisfaction  that she seemed very tense. She definitely wasn't indifferent to him.  'Trust me, when we go on our date, we won't be eating pizza.'

'I won't go on a date with you.' Her eyes clashed with his and her blue  eyes sparked. 'I don't want to go on a date with anyone.'

'But I'm not anyone.'

Her soft lips were parted and he could see a pulse beating in the side of her throat but she was still glaring at him.

'Sure of yourself, aren't you?'

He smiled, intrigued by the complexities of her character. On the  outside she was prickly and sassy, but on the inside-his guts clenched  as he remembered the way she'd handled the children-on the inside she  was soft and all woman.

And he wanted her.

He lifted a hand and brushed her flushed cheek with a lingering touch that made her stiffen. 'Remember the fireworks, Libby.'

He could tell by the expression on her face that she didn't want to remember them. That remembering them disturbed her.

They took Adrienne for a pizza and then drove her back to school.

Libby helped to settle her into her room while Andreas went to talk to the headmistress.

Noting the awed expressions of her roommates as they stared at both  Andreas and his incredibly sexy sports car, Libby privately doubted that  Adrienne would have any more trouble fitting in, but she chatted away  to the other girls, trying to help Adrienne bridge the gap.



When they finally left the school it was dark and Andreas drove back towards her flat.

'I owe you a big thank you.'

She glanced at him briefly, suddenly conscious of the intimacy created by the confines of the car. 'For what?'

'For being so kind to Adrienne.'

'She's a nice girl.'

His strong fingers tightened slightly on the wheel. 'I feel somewhat out  of my depth,' he admitted wryly, sounding very Greek and very, very  male. 'Dealing with twelve-year-old girls is new to me.'

His broad shoulders were only inches away from hers and she shifted slightly in her seat to try and create some distance.

'How did she come to be living with you?' Maybe if she stuck to neutral  subjects she'd be able to forget how good-looking he was. 'She said  something about her grandmother deciding that she was too old to look  after her.'

Andreas gave a short laugh. 'My mother isn't too old for anything,' he said dryly. 'She was just playing games.'

'What sort of games?'

He hesitated and then cast her a smile. 'It's history now.' There was a  brief silence and he returned his attention to the road ahead. 'I was  very grateful for your help tonight. She seemed happy by the time we  left her and that was because of you.'

Libby frowned slightly, wondering what he'd meant by the statement that  his mother had been playing games. 'It's early days,' she said. 'It  always takes a while to settle into a new school, particularly when you  start halfway through a term.'

She gave a little shudder, remembering all too well the nightmares of school.

'You sound as though you're speaking from experience.'

'I am.' Libby stared out of the window into the darkness. 'We all went  to boarding school. Alex was fine-he's as tough as nails-but Katy and I  hated it.'

'Katy is your sister?'

Libby nodded. 'She works in A and E. She's married to Jago Rodriguez, the consultant.'

'Really?' Andreas pulled up outside her building and switched off the  engine. 'I met him earlier tonight. Bright chap. But at least you and  Katy had each other at school. Adrienne has no one. That worries me. And  I hate her boarding. As soon as I find a suitable housekeeper she can  live at home with me.'                       
       
           



       

'She's a lovely girl,' Libby said. 'She'll make friends, I know she  will. She just needs a little more confidence and her appearance needs a  bit of a tweak. I must admit I'm surprised that your mother expects you  to keep an eye on her. You're a single guy and teenagers can be a  handful at the best of times.'

'My mother is a master manipulator,' Andreas remarked. 'She is desperate  for me to mend my wicked ways and settle down. She thought Adrienne  might fulfil that purpose.'

Libby saw the amusement in his dark eyes and felt her heart lurch. It would be so easy to fall for him.

Why was she feeling like this? she wondered helplessly. She had more sense than to fall for a handsome face and a luscious body.

Maybe it was because he wasn't English. All that bronzed virility and exotic sexuality was getting to her.

But she had it under control, she told herself firmly, dragging her mind back to the conversation.

'So how does having Adrienne help?'

'She thinks it will curb my reputedly excessive lifestyle.'

'Oh.' Libby digested this. 'Evidently she thinks you've been dating the wrong sort of women.'

He threw back his head and laughed. 'She does indeed.' His smile faded.  'A bit like you. You've obviously been dating the wrong sort of men.'

Libby stared into those seductive brown eyes and swallowed hard. 'I've  already told you, there's no such thing as the right sort of man.'



There was a slight pause. 'And you feel like this because of Philip or because of your parents?'

Libby stared at him. 'How do you know about my parents?'

'You told me.' He threw her an amused glance. 'You had drunk an orange juice so it's no wonder you don't remember.'

Libby gave a reluctant laugh and then slunk down in her seat. 'I don't  want to talk about my parents.' She never talked about her parents to  anyone. Why on earth had she mentioned them to him? 'I don't want to  talk about any of it.'

'Not even Philip?'

'Especially not Philip.'

'Were you in love with him?'

He asked the question calmly and Libby looked at him, startled.

'No. I don't think so. But he was very persistent. Going out with him seemed logical.'

'Logical?' Andreas lifted an eyebrow. 'A true love affair should never  be logical, surely. It is about emotion and losing control.'

Libby's smile faded under the intensity of his dark gaze.

She'd never had a love affair with anyone.

'Well, it's probably my fault, then,' she muttered. 'I'm not great at  losing control. In fact, I'm a control freak. I like to be in charge of  everything that happens in my life.'

There was a long silence and then Andreas turned in his seat so that he was facing her.

'Powerful sexual chemistry is not controllable,' he said softly, lifting  a hand and pushing a wisp of blonde hair away from her face. 'It's an  intense emotional reaction that is beyond human explanation. Evidently  you haven't felt that. Yet.'

The gentle brush of his fingers against her skin was unbelievably erotic  and she felt excitement swoop inside her and concentrate low in her  pelvis.

If sexual chemistry was butterflies in her stomach and difficulty breathing then she was feeling it now.

For him.

Dear God, she wasn't ready for this. After what had happened with Philip she doubted she'd ever be ready for it.

So why was she reacting so strongly?

Totally unnerved by the way he made her feel, Libby reached out and fumbled for her seat belt.

'I'm going. Goodnight.'

Before she could release the catch a strong hand covered hers and her head jerked up, her eyes clashing with his.

'Libby, it's OK. You can trust me-'

'No!' Breathing rapidly, she pulled away from him and opened the car  door before turning back to face him. 'Don't turn your lethal charm on  me, Dr Christakos. Save it for all those millions of women that must be  desperate for your attentions. I'm not interested. Thanks for the  pizza.'

And with that she closed the car door behind her, hoping he couldn't see how much her knees were shaking.



Chapter 4



Libby arrived on the ward the next morning, determined to distance herself from Andreas.

She was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on her work with  those sexy dark eyes seducing her every time she turned around.

There really was something to be said for having puny, ugly doctors  around the place, she reflected. At least they made it easy to keep your  mind on work                       
       
           



       

If it was at all possible, she was going to bleep Jonathon, the SHO. At least he wasn't a threat to her pulse rate.

Even though it was early, the ward was already bustling with activity and Libby went straight to see little Rachel.

One of the night nurses was checking her temperature and glanced up as she saw Libby.