Tempted by Mr. Off-Limits

by Amy Andrews

  A smile played on her mouth as she stopped and looked up at him. ‘Sex, huh? Wow, you do like to push the envelope.’

  ‘Hey, sex at ninety-six is pushing the envelope.’

  She laughed. ‘Come on. Let’s walk down again and keep going. There’s a great little café that overlooks the harbour. We might not be able to get a seat but you don’t know if you don’t try, right?’

  Hamish cocked an eyebrow. ‘You even like to take risks with tables.’

  ‘You really need to take a walk on the wild side, Hamish Gibson.’

  Hamish grinned. He’d grown up around horses and cattle and farm machinery. He’d done his fair share of wild and stupid. He didn’t feel like he had anything to prove. But Lola could probably persuade him to do anything. ‘I’m starting to see the attraction.’

  CHAPTER SIX

  LOLA TRIED NOT to make too much noise the next morning as she crept down the hall of the silent apartment, tightening the knot on her short gown. Hamish was on a couple of days of orientation so he didn’t start till nine but she didn’t want to disturb him at five thirty in the morning with her fridge opening and toast popping and teaspoon clinking.

  Grace had always been a light sleeper and Lola figured it probably ran in the Gibson family. Her parents were the same so she knew it was a country thing. She needn’t have worried, though. Her toast had just popped when she heard the front door open and a sweaty Hamish appeared a few moments later, his damp shorts and shirt clinging to him.

  ‘Is that coffee?’

  Lola nodded, lost for words both at his appearance and the fact he was not only out of bed but had already been for a run.

  Who was he?

  ‘Is there enough for two?’

  Lola nodded again, still finding it difficult to locate adequate speech. His pheromones wafted to her on a wave of healthy sweat and she leaned against the kitchen bench as her legs weakened in an exceedingly unhelpful way. She ground her feet into the floor to stop herself launching at him.

  ‘Can you pour me one? I’ll just have a quick shower.’

  And then she was looking at empty space, the tang of salt in the air a tangible reminder he had been here, an image in her head of Hamish in the shower a reminder of where he was right now.

  Lola hoped like hell these shower fantasies weren’t going to be a regular thing.

  Determined to think of something else, her mind drifted to Hamish’s confession about his virginity. The fact he still enjoyed the memory in a sexily smug way over ten years later was either testament to the greatness of the event or the depth of his gratitude. Both were endearing as all giddy-up.

  Was it crazy to feel a tiny bit jealous of the woman on Mykonos?

  She’d lost her virginity travelling too. She’d been eighteen and in Phuket where she’d met a backpacker called Jeremy. He’d been exotically handsome—Eurasian with a sexy Brit accent—and had known it. But she hadn’t cared. She’d wanted to show her parents and everyone in Doongabi she was sophisticated and worldly. Plus there’d been cheap beer and a little too much sun earlier in the day.

  Lola didn’t remember a lot of it. Unlike Hamish, who appeared to remember his first time in great detail. She wondered if Jeremy still thought about that night with the same mix of pleasure and reminiscence that Hamish obviously did. How awesome would it be, knowing there was a guy out there in the world who got a secret, goofy grin every time he thought about his first time with you?

  Knowing that you’d rocked his world?

  She thought about that note again, the one Hamish had left for her the morning after, with its goofy smiley face. Did he smile like that whenever he thought about what they’d done together?

  Had she been as unforgettable as he’d claimed?

  Hamish reappeared fifteen minutes later as she sat in front of the TV, listening to the morning news, And, hell, he looked seriously hot in his uniform. Like a freaking action man in his multi-pocketed lightweight overalls with a utility belt crammed with all the bits and bobs a paramedic needed on the road.

  He looked strong and capable. Wide shoulders, wavy cinnamon hair with a sprinkle of ginger, powerful thighs. He looked like he could fix anything—anyone—and Lola’s heart fluttered just looking at him. When he plonked himself down next to her on the couch—the same couch where they’d done it—any hope of following the news reports was dashed.

  Lola took a sip of her coffee. ‘Are you nervous? About your first day?’

  He seemed to consider the question for a beat or two. ‘Not of the work. I know Toowoomba may seem like a country backwater compared to the size and population of Sydney, but it’s a decent-sized regional city and I’ve seen a lot on the job. I am nervous about the people I’m going to be working with. I don’t know anyone so I’m not sure who knows what and who to be wary of.’

  Lola nodded. Finding out colleagues’ levels of experience and their limitations always took a little time. Sometimes that could be detrimental, especially in emergency situations.

  ‘Well, if it helps, I know quite a few of the paramedics stationed at Kirribilli. They all seem professional and they all get along, work as a team. A lot of them go to Billi’s after their shift. Make sure you go along. It’s a great place to de-stress.’

  It was also a great place to pick up women—as he would know. The sudden thought was like a hot knife sliding between her ribs as she thought about him hooking up at Billi’s, bringing her back here. Which was crazy. He could sleep with every woman in Sydney if he wanted to—it wasn’t any of her business or her concern.

  ‘Right. Well...’ She stood. ‘I’d better get ready.’

  She didn’t wait for his reply, scooping her plate off the coffee table and heading to the kitchen. She was going to be late if she didn’t hustle.

  * * *

  Lola had another busy morning with Emma. The condition of her heart was worsening. Her body was becoming more oedematous which was putting pressure on other organs. Even the conjunctivas of her eyes bulged with oedema, requiring frequent ointment to prevent them drying.

  The specialists were now at the stage where they were talking about a transplant. The question, though, was whether they could stabilise Emma enough to survive the rigors of such a massive operation and if they could, how long could they keep her heart going in its current state while they waited for another to become available?

  Sadly, they didn’t grow on trees. Even an emergency listing could still sometimes take weeks. And nobody was confident Emma’s heart could last that long.

  Her family were beside themselves with worry and Lola spent a lot of the morning trying to meet their growing need for comfort, assurance and answers. Lola could give the first and she did, she just wished she could give the other two as well.

  At least Barry was more comfortable about being near Emma now. He’d grown more confident and had taken to reading out all the supportive messages that family and friends had left for Emma on social media. There were hundreds every day and Lola knew the outpouring was not only good for Emma to hear but for Barry and her parents as well.

  ‘I think she can hear me,’ Barry said.

  Lola smiled and nodded. ‘I do too.’ She’d noticed how Emma’s heart rate settled a little every time Barry or her parents touched and talked to her. ‘Keep it up.’

  By the time Lola was heading to lunch she felt like she’d been working for a week. Seeing Grace in the kitchen alcove of the deserted staffroom was a fabulous rejuvenator.

  ‘Hey, you here with the team?’ Lola asked as she threw a tea bag into her mug and filled it with hot water from the boiler attached to the wall. Although she was the renal transplant co-ordinator, Grace often stepped in when a co-ordinator from a different department was on annual leave.

  Grace nodded, following Lola’s lead and also filling her mug. ‘Just finished the Emma Green meeting. You’re loo
king after her?’

  Lola settled her butt against the edge of the kitchen counter. ‘Yep.’

  Grace settled hers beside Lola’s. ‘She’s not doing very well, is she?’

  Lola shook her head as she blew on her hot tea. ‘No. She’s going backwards at the moment, which is a worry.’ Emma’s chances of survival decreased every minute they couldn’t stabilise her condition. ‘She’s just about reached maximum drug support.’

  ‘Do you think she’ll stabilise?’

  It wasn’t an unusual question to ask. Experienced nurses often had gut feelings about patients. ‘Well, her body’s been pummelled over the years so... But she’s got this far. She’s obviously a fighter. I just...don’t know.’ Lola took a sip of her tea. ‘Are they going to list her?’

  Lola knew they didn’t list people just on the gut feeling of the nurses. But she also knew that if Emma pulled through, if she stabilised, she was going to need a transplant because she couldn’t stay on life support for ever and she couldn’t survive without it. Unless she had a new heart.

  Grace sipped her tea. ‘The team is discussing it now.’

  ‘Good.’ Relief flowed through Lola’s core and she smiled. ‘Fingers crossed.’

  They sipped at their tea for a moment or two. ‘Hamish tells me you took him to see the jacarandas yesterday.’

  Lola was instantly on guard, not fooled by Grace’s casual slouch against the bench. ‘Yes.’

  One elegantly arched eyebrow lifted. ‘I thought that was a state secret?’

  ‘I told you about it,’ Lola protested, dropping her gaze to the surface of her tea.

  Grace regarded her over the rim of her cup, speculation coming off her in waves, even though Lola was finding the depths of her tea utterly fascinating.

  ‘He’s going back to Toowoomba, Lola.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘And then he’s moving to a rural post.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘And you’re not interested in settling down, remember?’

  ‘I know.’

  She wasn’t. There were still places to go and people she hadn’t met yet. And she couldn’t do that being with Hamish in some rural outpost somewhere.

  ‘Lola?’

  Lola almost cringed at that note in her friend’s voice—that mix of suspicion and dawning knowledge were a deadly accurate cocktail. She girded her loins to look directly at Grace as if she and Hamish hadn’t got naked and done the wild thing already and this conversation wasn’t too late.

  ‘I said I know, Grace. Take a chill pill.’ Lola plastered a smile on her face. ‘He wanted to know my favourite spot in Sydney and I figured a country boy would probably appreciate some nature.’

  Grace studied her closely. ‘But you went with him.’

  Lola shifted uncomfortably under her friend’s all-seeing gaze. ‘I haven’t seen it yet this year. Plus, he’s your brother. I thought it might be...polite to play tour guide.’

  The expression on Grace’s face finally cleared and she nodded slowly, as if she’d reached her conclusion. She glanced around to make sure no one had slipped into the room unnoticed while they’d been deep in conversation. ‘You two have slept together.’

  It wasn’t a question and it took all Lola’s willpower not to glance away, to hold her friend’s gaze and brazen it out. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. He’s been here two nights during which we have not slept together.’

  Which was the truth.

  ‘No.’ Grace slowly shook her head. ‘Not this time. Last time.’

  Oh, hell. Grace had missed her calling as a PI. ‘As if I would sleep with Hamish.’ Lola lowered her voice. ‘He’s your brother.’

  Grace waved a hand. ‘I don’t care about that.’

  Lola blinked at Grace’s easy dismissal. She’d thought her friend would care but it ultimately didn’t matter—Lola cared.

  That was what mattered.

  ‘I care about the fact that while you two are exactly alike in a lot of ways, you want completely different things, which means that you’re both going to get hurt and that I’m going to be in the middle of it all.’

  Lola had to admire how well Grace could summarise things. ‘There’s nothing going on, Grace.’

  Another almost truth. There was an undercurrent between them but they weren’t acting on it. And that was the most important thing.

  ‘Lola?’

  For a brief second, the sudden appearance of one of the shift runners was a welcome relief until concern spiked Lola’s pulse. ‘Emma?’

  ‘No, sorry, she’s okay. Just thought you’d like to know Dr Wright is heading in to talk to the family now.’

  ‘Is he?’ She plonked the mostly untouched mug on the bench. ‘Sorry,’ she said to Grace. ‘I’ve gotta go.’

  ‘Isn’t this your lunch break?’

  Lola nodded. ‘But I have to sit in on it.’

  She hated it when the doctors had a family conference without the nurse present. Invariably a patient’s loved ones only heard some of the conversation or misheard it or didn’t understand it but nodded along anyway because they were too overwhelmed by everything. When they had questions later—and they always had questions later—Lola could answer them, could reiterate what the doctor had said exactly, could interpret and correct any misperceptions.

  But only if she was privy to what had been discussed.

  Grace nodded. ‘That’s fine. Go. I’ll pop around later this afternoon after I have some ducks in a row and introduce myself to the family.’

  ‘Okay. Thanks.’ Lola scuttled off to the conference room.

  * * *

  Lola was on her second glass of wine on the balcony when she heard the front door open. Her pulse spiked followed by a quick stab of annoyance. She had to stop this stupid behaviour around him, for crying out loud.

  Why couldn’t she just look at him and think, Oh, a guy I once slept with, and act normal. Instead of, Holy cow, a guy I once slept with. Danger! Danger! Danger! Why was having to deal with him again after they’d got naked and done the wild thing such a problem?

  She usually handled the ex-lover stuff really well.

  It was probably just the newness of the situation. It’d only been a few days since Hamish had come to stay after all. She probably just needed time to get used to their living arrangements.

  Of course, Grace’s speculation about them hadn’t helped. Lola hadn’t had much of a chance to think about the implications of that during the remainder of her shift but she’d been thinking about it plenty since. She should have known Grace would guess something was going on. They may not have been besties since kindergarten, but they had known each other for several years and had lived together for the last two.

  Of course Grace could read her like a book.

  Which meant she was going to have to give Hamish a heads-up, because Lola had no doubt Grace would soon be seeking an explanation from her brother.

  And she needed to get ahead of that.

  Despite the inner uproar at the thought and Hamish’s tread getting closer and closer, Lola forced herself to stay right where she was, her feet casually up on the railing of the balcony. They at least weren’t throbbing any more after her long, busy day with Emma. A good soak in a bath had helped.

  So had the wine.

  ‘Hey.’

  ‘Hey.’ Lola plastered a smile on her face as she half turned in her seat.

  He stepped onto the balcony, returning her smile, his gaze shifting to her legs before quickly shifting back again.

  ‘How was orientation?’

  He gave a half-laugh as he undid his utility belt and discarded it on the table with a dull thud. ‘Let’s just say I can’t wait to get out on the road.’

  Lola nodded. Orientation days were generally tedious. They were a necessary evil and HR boffins loved them, b
ut staring at a bunch of policy and procedure manuals all day was not fun for most people.

  He pulled up the chair beside her, turned it around and plonked himself in it, raising his feet to the railing also, his legs outstretched. Fabric pulled taut across powerful thighs as he crossed his feet at the ankles. Lola fixed her gaze on the darkening outline of the Norfolk pine in the park opposite.

  ‘Met my partner, though. A woman called Jenny Bell. She seems good. Know her?’

  Lola nodded. ‘Yeah. She’s an excellent intensive care paramedic. One of the best.’

  ‘Good.’ He dropped his head from side to side to stretch out his traps. ‘How was your shift?’

  ‘Long.’ She took a sip of her wine, resolutely pushing worry for Emma out of her mind. ‘One of those shifts where you’re on your toes every second.’

  ‘Well, I’ve been sitting on my ass all day, so I can cook us something to eat if you like.’

  Lola blinked at the unexpected offer. ‘You can cook?’

  ‘Well...’ He smiled. ‘Nothing too gourmet but I manage.’

  ‘Good to know. But—’ Lola grabbed a menu off the table she’d been studying earlier. ‘Let’s just order something gourmet and get it delivered for tonight.’

  He took the menu and opened it. ‘Delivered, huh?’

  Lola laughed. ‘Yeah, Country, it’s a city thing. Choose something from the extensive menu then I order it through an app and a nice person delivers it right to the door.’

  ‘I like the sound of that.’

  They chose some pasta and garlic bread and Lola ordered it online. ‘Should be here in thirty.’

  ‘Good.’ He stood and reached for his utility belt. ‘I’ll take a shower.’

  Lola shut her eyes against a sudden welling of images in her head. Enough with the shower already.

  At least she knew something that could combat the seduction of those images this time. ‘Before you go...’

  He paused, belt in hand, his gaze meeting hers. ‘What?’

  Lola sighed. Damn Grace’s observation skills for putting her in this position. ‘Look, I know I said we weren’t to speak of this again but...’