Autumn sighed in relief. ‘Thanks, Barry—much appreciated.’
‘Do you need milk?’
She shook her head. ‘No, thanks. I’m fine.’ Her phone vibrated in her bag.
‘Does this mean you’re moving back in?’ asked Barry as she started to back away.
It did. Didn’t it?
Autumn kept the smile pasted on her face, even though her muscles were starting to ache. ‘Yes, I will be. Nice to see you again, Barry.’
He gave a gentle nod and then, with a final glance at her dress, closed his door.
Autumn stuck her key in the lock and walked into her flat. As she breathed a big sigh of relief, she tried to ignore the slightly stale air. It appeared that the automatic air freshener she had plugged into one of the sockets had run out of scent.
The air was still warm outside, so she flung the main window open wide and threw her bag on the sofa. After some moves that could have competed with a contortionist, she managed to let the coral dress drop to the floor at her feet.
Many of her clothes were now at Louis’s. She still had some supplies here—generally the kind of tired and boring clothes she hadn’t worn for a while—but there was a pair of comfortable pyjamas that she slid into after standing under the shower for a few moments.
As she emerged back into the kitchen a thought sprang into her head. She hadn’t actually said goodbye to Sharon and Gavin. Oops. But Sharon would likely not be too worried about the disappearance of one of her four bridesmaids. She would probably think Autumn had been called into work. It was fine. Autumn would send an apology tomorrow and tell them to enjoy their honeymoon.
Five minutes later she’d slumped on the sofa with her beans on toast and cup of tea when her bag made an odd noise. The phone. Of course.
She pulled it from her bag and frowned at the unfamiliar number. She’d missed three calls.
It was late. Autumn was drained. She’d been up since six this morning, helping Sharon get ready for her big day. She took a few bites of her food as she considered whether to call back.
It was as if someone was watching her. The phone started buzzing again. Autumn wasn’t on call, but she often had calls regarding issues with newborns when she wasn’t on duty. Her body reacted on automatic pilot and she answered, switching her mobile to speaker.
‘Autumn Fraser.’
There was a pause. Had the caller actually not expected an answer at this point? Then there was a voice.
‘Hello? Ah, good, Dr Fraser, I think I’m about to make you the offer of a lifetime.’
The voice was heavily accented, warm as treacle, and instantly had her attention. ‘Excuse me?’
There was a gentle laugh at the end of the phone. ‘Forgive me. This is Giovanni Lombardi, Chief of Surgery at St Nicolino’s in Rome. I’m sure you’ve heard of us.’
This voice was assured and confident. Part of her wanted to cut off this stranger and tell him she’d never heard of his hospital and to contact her secretary on Monday if he wanted to chat. Who had handed over her personal mobile number?
But of course she wouldn’t. She was far too curious already. The caller had addressed her as ‘Dr’. She was a surgeon, and professional courtesy meant she should be addressed as Ms or Miss. But she knew that those in her own profession in other countries were sometimes addressed as ‘Dr’.
She took a deep breath. ‘What exactly do you want, Mr Lombardi?’
The soft laugh continued. ‘Well, if you’d read the emails I’ve sent you over the last few hours, you would know exactly what I want.’
She bristled. Who was this guy? That sounded like a telling-off. Whoever he was, he clearly didn’t know her at all.
‘Guess what...’ she paused as she tried to remember his first name ‘... Giovanni? This might come as a surprise, but I haven’t sat around all day, waiting for random emails to fill my inbox. I’ve been off duty at the wedding of a friend. I didn’t expect to answer my phone or read any emails today.’
Autumn was aware that the more tired and exasperated she was, the more clipped and thick her Scottish accent became. She made no apologies for it, but in her head she could almost picture this man’s puzzled face as he tried to interpret.
She was already feeling out of sorts. Dumping a perfectly nice and safe man and moving back home to her flat without thinking things through properly had put her on edge. She knew that when she woke tomorrow morning she’d have to grab as much control of the situation as she could. That was if there was any left.
Annoyed with herself, she pulled her laptop from her bag and flipped it open. It only took a few seconds to come to life and she could see a stream of emails. She opened the first and leaned forward.
What?
Her eyes scanned that one and her finger automatically pressed for the next. This one contained details of scans. The next, measurements.
He must know exactly what she was doing, because a few moments later his smooth voice asked, ‘Do I have your attention now, Dr Fraser?’
He was toying with her. And, whilst he might sound like some kind of dreamboat, she so wasn’t in the mood to be played with.
Her heart-rate was quickening. And her breathing. So much detail. So much information. Two precious little girls, connected at the heart and the liver.
‘How was this missed?’ she asked as she kept on reading, her mind pushing everything else away and focusing on the case in front of her.
‘The babies had their arms around each other in the scan at eleven weeks. It was a newly qualified sonographer who thought they were just hugging.’
There was so much she could say right now, but what would be the point? Time had already been lost. ‘You have them with you now?’
‘I have them,’ he said reassuringly. He paused, and then continued. ‘After delivery I’m leading the separation surgery. I’d like you to lead a second team,’ he said.
Her heart leapt in her chest. She didn’t care that it wasn’t anatomically possible, she would swear in any court that she’d just felt it.
A smile crept across her face. ‘Of course you would,’ she said, trying to sound as confident as he had earlier. She needed to be a match for this man in every way. Surgeon’s rules: always believe you’re a match for any other one. ‘No one else has the experience of liver surgery on neonates that I do.’
She was on her feet, flicking the phone to speaker, striding through to her room and dropping it on the bed as she pulled her suitcase from the top of the wardrobe.
Giovanni Lombardi gave an amused laugh. It seemed to be his signature. She was trying to picture this Italian man with the tantalising voice in her head. The last thing she needed in a case like this was any distractions—particularly when preparation time was at a minimum.
‘There were a few others....’ he said, as if trying to keep her in her place.
‘Rubbish. You wanted the best. You’ve asked me. And, luckily, I’ve just made myself available.’
She rattled off a whole list of demands. None of them were outrageous and she knew it. This kind of surgery was history-making. She was almost sure this hospital in Rome wouldn’t deny her anything. And for some strange reason—as crazy as this was—it made her feel as if she was grabbing a bit of control back from her day.
He replied quietly with an assured ‘si’ to all her requests.
‘I pick my own team,’ she said as she threw random clothes into her bag. Her best work suits were at Louis’s—as were most of her everyday items. She was left with half-full cans of deodorant, tubes of toothpaste and bottles of shampoo. Ordinarily she would have collected all her things herself, but it looked as if she might have to ask a delivery company instead.
‘Of course you do. I have many staff you may feel are appropriate, but the assembly of any team is always down to the lead surgeon.’
‘Great. What ab
out flights?’
‘I took the liberty of booking you a first-class flight tomorrow from Heathrow.’
She froze momentarily. He was presumptuous. But of course he was. No surgeon in their right mind would say no to this surgery. But she had her own tricks up her sleeve.
‘Won’t be necessary.’ She grinned. ‘I have my own transport available. I’ll make arrangements right now. Expect me in Rome by early morning.’
Even though he couldn’t see her, Autumn had a little fun by tossing her hair over her shoulder. Having a very famous billionaire brother was something she generally kept to herself. But she knew she could give Ryan a call and his company would file a flight plan and she’d be able to take off in a few hours. He was proud of her and her achievements, and he often helped her with travel arrangements when she needed to get to a place for work. He was one of the few people who understood her need to be in control.
Ryan had gone the opposite way. He’d left home, got away from their parents and lived a crazy life. No rules. No regulations. But then he’d made a discovery—one that had made him a billionaire. And instead of running from control he’d started to embrace it—in a good way. Along the way he’d met the perfect wife and had the perfect family. He’d even employed a few old friends he trusted to be part of his company. But all his money had kept his feet firmly on the ground, and he never forgot to check on his sister. He’d do anything for her.
‘You will manage to get here by then?’ asked Giovanni Lombardi.
‘Absolutely,’ she said with confidence. ‘How about I meet you at the hospital at nine tomorrow morning?’
‘Nine a.m.,’ he agreed, although he certainly sounded a little bewildered.
She kind of liked the fact she’d thrown Mr Smooth off his game.
But it seemed he had a good recovery. ‘You understand, of course, that before we formalise things I’ll need to make sure that you’re the right fit for the team.’
Heat rushed into her cheeks. That sounded completely personal. And it was. For a procedure like this, staff had to work in unison. It didn’t matter that she and Giovanni would have teams of their own. They still had to fit together.
‘I’ve never had a problem fitting in with a team, Giovanni.’ She used supreme effort to try and mimic his smooth way of talking. ‘Surely you can’t be that difficult?’
The laugh she heard this time was deep and throaty. Every hair on her arms stood on end.
‘Bravo,’ he said. ‘Or should it be touché?’ There was a pause, and then he asked, ‘Don’t you need to clear this with your hospital?’
‘No,’ she answered quickly. ‘I am literally a free agent. I have a sponsor. So, although I’m based in London, as long as I don’t have surgical commitments and any current cases I am free to go to any case worldwide if it interests me and needs my skills.’
‘That’s a pretty unique arrangement,’ he said quizzically.
‘It is,’ she agreed. ‘But my sponsor gets credit in any research I publish, and in any publicity around the cases.’
She could almost see him nodding, contemplating her words. ‘Understood,’ he said after a few moments.
Autumn took a deep breath. The truth was, the timing of this couldn’t be better. She’d be away for four, maybe five months. It would give her a chance to move on. Louis too. She hoped he’d find someone who’d look at him the way he wished for. Someone to give him the connection that they’d never shared. The kind of connection that she’d just witnessed between her friends, which had made her feel lonelier than ever.
Was there a chance that she could find that too? She gave a little shiver and pushed the thought from her head. She had long ago decided that lifestyle would never suit her. Too risky. Too much open to chance.
She was about to get the opportunity of a lifetime with this surgery. All her focus needed to be on that. She’d arrange for a delivery company to pick up her things from Louis and bring them back to her flat. With her in another country, the process would hopefully be painless for them both.
‘Is there anything else you want to ask me? There’s still much to discuss about the case,’ said Giovanni.
Autumn shook her head, forgetting he couldn’t see her. ‘No, I’d prefer to do that in person tomorrow.’
‘Then I’ll be delighted to see you at...’ he paused for a second ‘...nine o’clock tomorrow morning.’ That laugh came again. ‘I thought I might need to work harder to persuade you.’ His voice softened a little. ‘I’m glad you have no other pressing cases. Because this family really do need you. We need you.’
‘And I’m happy to be invited,’ she said. ‘Until tomorrow.’
He closed the call and Autumn collapsed backwards onto her bed. Had that really just happened?
It was like a dream. A fascinating surgery. A chance to visit a beautiful country and work with other people. Time to build a relationship with the parents of these girls and for them to trust what she could do. The real possibility that she could improve the overall outcome for these babies.
And Giovanni Lombardi had thought he might need to persuade her...
Now it was her turn to laugh out loud. She stared out of her window at the stars in the dark sky. ‘What can I say, Giovanni? You had me at hello.’
CHAPTER TWO
HE WAS PACING. He knew he was pacing, and it was ridiculous.
Giovanni always started the day early, and Sofia was a morning person too, which was easy to manage. He also had some family assistance. Sofia’s aunt was happy to take her to and from nursery, and to look after her for a few hours at either side.
All of this meant that by eight a.m. Giovanni was pacing in his office. He’d already met with Leon and Lizzy to discuss the Bianchi twins. He’d also reviewed the variety of other patients he currently had in the wards, and answered a number of specialist queries from around the world.
Steam was rising in the air from the coffee on his desk as he spotted a black limousine pulling up outside the hospital entrance. Unusual...
He watched as a woman with dark brown hair just past her shoulders emerged, wearing low heels, a black suit and a bright pink shirt. She gave her hair a shake and walked around to shake hands with the driver and exchange a few words with him. Both of them laughed and she gave him a wave.
She only had a small bag across her body and a small pull-along case at her feet. Four months. That was how long Autumn Fraser was supposed to be here. Had she changed her mind already? He’d expected her to arrive with numerous bags. This wasn’t looking good.
His brain raced. He had agreed to all the demands she’d made before she arrived. He was sure he could agree to anything else that she asked for.
A few moments later he heard his PA’s voice, and the door to his office opened.
Autumn Fraser glided into his office. She didn’t look like a woman who, less than twelve hours ago, had been at home in London. Nor did she look like a woman who’d spent frantic hours packing and travelling, negotiating the confusing airport at Rome, then picking her way through an unfamiliar city.
He held out his hand to her. ‘You’ve made good time, Dr Fraser. I’m impressed.’
She shot him a beaming smile as she pulled her case behind her, taking a quick glance around the room. Giovanni’s office was spacious, with wide windows that allowed him a view of both the car park beneath and the beauty of the city around him.
‘Not everyone arrives in a limousine,’ he said, and kept smiling as he shook her hand. Her grip was firm and steady.
‘I have some connections,’ she said easily. ‘When I travel, I like to concentrate on the case I’ll be working on—not the hassle of the journey.’ She gestured with her head to the large table on the other side of the office. ‘Shall we sit there?’
Before he had a chance to reply, she’d moved over to the table and opened her pull-along case. He’
d expected it to be full of clothes, but instead she pulled out her laptop and a mountain of research papers. Even from here he could see that she’d highlighted certain parts of them. Had she been up all night? And how could she possibly have worked like that on a plane?
Giovanni pressed his lips together. It was clear she didn’t want to sit across a desk from him. Was this a power move, to make sure he knew they were on an equal footing?
As if she’d read his mind, she looked up at him from the desk, her green eyes serious. ‘Let’s start the way we mean to continue,’ she said as she spread her papers across the table. ‘I’d like to review the babies and talk techniques.’
She clearly worked exactly the same way as Giovanni—she liked to get straight to business—but for the first time in his career he decided to buck the trend.
‘Actually, Dr Fraser—or would you prefer I call you Ms? Or Autumn?’
‘Autumn will be fine.’ Her response was automatic.
‘Autumn, then. I’d like to show you around the hospital, make a few introductions, and then discuss the case. Once we’ve done that, I’ll take you to meet the Bianchis. But first, before all that, I’m going to take you to breakfast.’
She blinked, looking momentarily stunned. She’d obviously expected him to get straight to work with her. And normally he would have. But Autumn Fraser wasn’t what he’d expected. She didn’t appear to be tired. Or nervous in any way. He could already see the work she’d done in the last few hours.
Maybe this woman just had a smooth veneer, or some glossy outer armour. But she had to be tired. And she had to be excited about this case. He’d told her he’d have to check she was a good fit—for him and the team. Her confident demeanour surprised him. But that was fine.
The thing that wasn’t fine was how right Sofia had been. Autumn Fraser was pretty. More than pretty. Unnervingly pretty—in a way that she clearly didn’t realise. From those startling green eyes to the wavy loose curls and tall, slender figure. He didn’t know a single man on the planet who wouldn’t look twice. It irked him that he topped that list. He wasn’t used to distractions at work.
Reawakened by the Italian Surgeon Page 2