The Greek Children's Doctor(39)

He watched, feeling something shift inside him. After his recent  experiences, he'd given up on meeting a woman who found children  anything other than a nuisance.

'She's good with them.' His soft observation drew Bev's glance.

'Yeah, she's better than most drugs. No one cheers the children up like  Libby,' she told him. 'She's the best. This ward would have collapsed  without her. She does the work of three.'

As they watched, the little boy snuggled closer and Libby curved an arm around him and cuddled him closer.

She was a natural storyteller, her eyes twinkling with enthusiasm and  mischief as she emphasised the drama and held their attention.

She'd just got to the part where the wolf fell into the hot water when  she looked up and saw him, her eyes widening with recognition. Her gaze  slid to Bev in silent question and her cheeks turned pink with  mortification as understanding dawned.

Bev gave a weak smile and shrugged helplessly.

'More.' The toddler tugged her arm, frustrated that the story had  stopped and oblivious to the drama being played out around him. 'Want  more story.'

Libby swallowed, obediently croaked her way to the end and then scrambled to her feet, Marcus still in her arms.

Bev cleared her throat. 'This is Andreas Christakos, the new  consultant.' She spoke in a bright, professional voice that did nothing  to alleviate the tension in the air. 'Andreas, this is Elizabeth  Westerling. We call her Libby. I think you've already met each other … '  Her voice trailed off slightly, and Libby closed her eyes briefly, her  cheeks still pink with embarrassment.

One of the little girls tugged at her clothes. 'I need the toilet, Libby.'

'I'll take you, sweetheart,' Bev said quickly, catching her by the hand, obviously eager to find an excuse to get away.

Another little boy stepped closer. 'Is that the end of the story?'

Dragging her gaze away from his, Libby glanced down and managed a smile. 'For now. I've got to do some work.'

'Can we have another story later?'

'Maybe. If there's time.' She stroked Marcus's hair and put him back in  his cot. She looked pale from lack of sleep and there were dark rings  under her eyes but her beauty still took Andreas's breath away.

There were sparks of accusation in her eyes as she turned to face him. 'Well, that was a pretty dirty trick.'

He lifted an eyebrow quizzically and she glared at him coldly.

'Not telling me you were the new consultant.'                        
       
            



      

'You didn't ask me. In fact, you didn't even ask my name. You just  passed out on me,' he pointed out mildly, enjoying the blush that warmed  her cheeks. She had incredible skin. Smooth and creamy and untouched by  the harshness of the sun.

'But you knew who I was,' she said accusingly. 'You knew I worked on the ward.'

'There was a strong chance of it.' He lifted a broad shoulder. 'So?'

She stared at him incredulously. 'Didn't you think that it might be embarrassing? Do you always mix business with pleasure?'

He gave a smile that was totally male. 'That,' he said slowly, 'depends on the extent of the pleasure.'

'Right.' She stared at him for a long moment and then looked away, her  chest rising and falling rapidly. 'Well, at least I can save myself  postage. Your shirt is in my locker.'

'My shirt?'

'The shirt you dressed me in, Dr Christakos.' Her voice was loaded with accusation. 'When I was asleep. Remember?'

Of course he remembered.

He remembered every delectable inch of her. 'I didn't think you'd be  very comfortable sleeping in that pink thing. It seemed a little tight.'



'Excuse me?' She arched an eyebrow. 'I'm supposed to be grateful that you undressed me?'

'Calm down,' he drawled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. 'I kept my eyes closed the whole time. Well-most of the time.'

Libby's mouth tightened and she grabbed his arm and dragged him into the treatment room.

'I think we'd better get a few things straight.' Her blue eyes flashed  at him as she let the doors swing closed behind her. 'I only allowed you  to buy me because I thought my brother had sent you. I had no intention  of going on a date with anyone.'

'You're angry because I bought you?' He lifted an eyebrow. 'You would  have preferred me to have stood aside and let the blond man buy you?'

She stiffened slightly. 'No, of course not.'

'I seem to remember you holding onto me pretty tightly last night.'

His dark eyes glittered with amusement and she coloured. 'Yes, well, at the time I thought you were rescuing me.'

'I was.'

She glanced at him impatiently. 'You know what I mean! I thought my brother had sent you.'

He shrugged carelessly. 'He didn't, but I don't see the problem.'

'There is no problem, providing you take the £1000 back,' she said, and he smiled.

'I don't want the money,' he said smoothly. 'I paid for a date and that's what I want.'

And this time he was going to take the kiss to its natural conclusion.

She lifted her chin. 'And do you always get what you want?'

He smiled. 'Always.'

She sucked in a breath, looking slightly taken aback. 'Well, you won't on this occasion. I don't date men.'

Andreas leaned broad shoulders against the wall and tried to adjust to  the fact that he'd just been turned down by a woman. It was a totally  new experience.

'So … ' He shrugged casually. 'You get to know me a little, and then you say yes.'

Her mouth fell open. 'Confident, aren't you?'

'Remember the fireworks, Libby.'

She stilled and her eyes connected with his. For a long moment she  stared at him and then she swallowed and backed away, hoping that  distance would cure the fluttering in her stomach. 'Leave me alone. I'm  very grateful that you rescued me from Philip last night and I'm  grateful that you took me home when I was in a less than coherent  state-'

'You were drunk,' he slotted in helpfully, and she winced.

'I hadn't eaten anything all day and I had one vodka-apparently.' She  rubbed slim fingers across her temple as if the memory alone was enough  to inflict a headache. 'It was hidden in the orange juice.'

Hidden?

'Anyway.' She looked at him warily. 'It's history now.'

His gaze slid down her slim body, noting that she was trembling and that her hands were clenched into fists by her sides.

Despite her protests, it was blindingly obvious that she was as strongly  affected by their encounter as he'd been, and it was hardly surprising.  The chemistry between them was overwhelmingly powerful.

Gratified and encouraged by her response to him, he folded his arms  across his broad chest and reminded himself that she'd been badly hurt.  It was just a question of patience. 'It isn't history. You owe me a  date.'

'Haven't you learned the meaning of the word ''no''? What the hell is  the matter with you men?' She glared at him with frustration and then  stalked across the treatment room, pausing to look at him as she reached  the door. 'In case you've forgotten, you have a little girl at home. I  don't think your wife would be too impressed if she could hear you now.'                        
       
            



      



Andreas tensed, reflecting on how close he'd come to being in exactly the position she'd described.

If it hadn't been for Adrienne he'd have made a colossal mistake.

'I don't have a wife,' he said softly, 'and Adrienne isn't my daughter,  she's my niece. But it's true that I do have a responsibility towards  her for the time being, which is why you slept in the spare room last  night and not in my bed.'

Colour flared in her cheeks and she sucked in a breath. 'I would not  have been in your bed, Dr Christakos. I don't do things like that.'

'You didn't know whose bed you were in,' he pointed out, touching her  flushed cheek with a strong finger. 'That might be a point worth  remembering next time you have a drink.'

'Perhaps you should address your comments to the ward sister,' she muttered, and he frowned.

So it was the ward sister who'd spiked her drink. Which explained why  she'd been so worried about Libby when he'd walked onto the ward alone.

Well, next time he took Libby out he was going to make sure that she  didn't touch a drop of alcohol. He wanted her stone cold sober.

'What time are you off duty?'

'That is none of your business. What was it your niece said? That women  are always chasing you for your looks and your money?' She tilted her  head to one side. 'I don't normally tell people this on such a short  acquaintance, but it's probably only fair to warn you that my father is  one of the richest men in England and I've always been hideously  suspicious of really good-looking men. So you have absolutely nothing to  offer me.'

'How about fireworks?' He stepped closer to her, amused by the way she  snatched in her breath and glared at him. She was trying so hard to  pretend that she wasn't interested in him and he found it surprisingly  endearing.

'Remember those fireworks, Libby,' he drawled softly, lifting a hand and  trailing a finger down the slim line of her throat. 'Next time we're  going to set them off in private.'