‘Auckland. Biggest city in the country. And up there in the top cities of the world to live in. You should come and visit sometime.’
‘Oh? What’s so great about Auckland?’
The attractions seemed to focus on fabulous beaches, a great night life and the best food and coffee the world had to offer. Sally and Ken were keen to tell her about what a great place it was to work in the ambulance service as well, but Auckland wasn’t a likely destination to add to any future travel plans, as far as Georgia was concerned.
Especially if any more boxes on that mental list were going to get ticked and that was apparently happening without her even consciously thinking about it. Dave was tall, which made a good genetic balance for her own slightly below average stature. He was definitely good looking and there was a gleam in those blue eyes that suggested intelligence. As a bonus, his camaraderie with his teammates told her that he wasn’t any kind of sociopath.
Dave seemed, on first impression, to be a very nice guy and Georgia experienced another pang of guilt that she could even be thinking along these lines. Was she really planning to cultivate a friendship enough to use someone for such a selfish purpose? Getting pregnant accidentally was common enough to be almost normal but it was more than a little disturbingly immoral to plan such an event.
She glanced at Kate, almost hoping that enough telepathy existed between them that her friend would sense the secret list-ticking and deliver a hint of shock with some raised eyebrows and then a frown, or perhaps a headshake, of total disapproval.
But Kate wasn’t even looking in her direction. She seemed to be focussed on her meal and wasn’t joining in with the conversation around her. Maybe she was more out of her comfort zone than Georgia had anticipated when she’d persuaded her to come to this competition. Kate was incredibly clever and hardworking and the best friend Georgia had ever had, but nobody could say she was overly adventurous. Or even spontaneous. If there was going to be a break in her normal routines, Kate liked to be able to plan how to cope with it. Making a plan that would turn her whole life upside down would be so unthinkable that Georgia had known instantly that it had been a mistake to even voice her idea of bypassing the search for a suitable partner and moving straight on to parenthood.
Or maybe Kate was thinking about the old friend from medical school she thought she’d spotted in the crowd at registration. The news that he was now married had been disappointing. Thanks to the latest disaster of being unceremoniously dumped by Rick, Georgia was completely over the idea of finding the love of her life but her flatmate was still a believer and, if anybody deserved the happy-ever-after of the full package, it was Kate.
Perhaps the vibe of wishing the best for her had transmitted itself to Kate because she finally looked up from her meal. She glanced from Georgia to Dave and back again, a subtle quirk of her eyebrow confirming what Georgia already knew—that Dave was interested and it would be very easy to turn this chance meeting into something more—but even that didn’t provoke any hint of disapproval.
Kate started chatting to Sally and Ken then, clearly interested in hearing about what it was like to live and work in New Zealand. Seeing that she seemed more relaxed about being here allowed Georgia to release a small sigh of relief. Maybe Kate was making an effort to embrace this adventure and the next couple of days would be a lot of fun for both of them.
And maybe that was exactly what Georgia needed to do. To focus on this competition for what it was—an opportunity to demonstrate her skills to the best of her ability. Kate was smart enough to be right most of the time and the plan that had seemed like an epiphany a few weeks ago, however half-baked it had been, was a hare-brained scheme.
And wrong?
With a small, inward sigh, she joined in the conversation and avoided looking at Dave again until she had finished her meal. By the time they all filed out of the dining room on the way to the pre-competition briefing she had decided that Dave, despite how cute he might be, was safe. After only one candidate, she was done with her personal profile testing.
She didn’t need Kate’s disapproval because she had just tapped into plenty of her own.
Men who contributed to sperm banks were doing so with the full knowledge that they could be fathering children they would never know. Making an assumption that what someone didn’t know couldn’t hurt them was irresponsible and...and unacceptable.
All the men here were safe.
She was done with any list-ticking. The master plan had been scrapped.
* * *
‘Between eleven-thirty and midnight tonight, you will all receive your list of events.’
Georgia felt her heart pick up its rate as a squiggle of excitement tickled her gut. This was really happening. She’d heard about this competition years ago, when she’d been training to become a paramedic, and it had always been a dream. This was why she was here and the crazy idea of hooking up with someone and possibly going home pregnant was no longer even remotely interesting.
‘You will be given the GPS coordinates of the scenario and a start time,’ the official continued. ‘Please be there at least ten minutes before that time. If you are late, you will not be admitted and you will not be marked in that section of the competition.’
Georgia elbowed Kate, who was standing close beside her in this very crowded room. ‘No chance of that happening,’ she whispered. ‘Not when I’m with you.’
The comment should have earned the kind of eye-roll that Kate bestowed automatically whenever she was reminded of her compulsion to obey rules but, instead, she received a quick grin. Maybe Kate was feeling as excited as she was now that this was actually beginning. Or would be in a few hours.
Starting at six a.m. tomorrow, there would be twelve tasks for each team to complete within twenty-four hours, with time allowed for rest and meal breaks along the way. A final warning about possible elimination from the competition if any teams were found to be sharing information about the tasks completed the briefing and a babble of conversation broke out amongst a shifting audience.
To Georgia’s surprise, Kate immediately turned to the man standing on her other side.
‘What section are you in?’ she asked. ‘All doctors? Doctors and med students?’
Her body language suggested the ease of an old friendship so Georgia realised that this man had to be the one Kate had told her about. Luke?
‘Doctor/paramedic.’ He put his arm over the shoulders of his companion. ‘This is Matteo Martini. Italian paramedic extraordinaire.’
Georgia’s gaze shifted. And then something a lot bigger shifted inside her chest.
This Italian paramedic had to be the most gorgeous man she had ever seen in her entire life. Well over six feet tall, his strong features were softened by a frame of soft waves of black hair and his eyes looked like the darkest, most luxurious chocolate you could imagine. And that smile...just crooked enough to give a hint of playfulness. Mischief even?
Whatever. The net effect was drop-dead sexy.
‘Ooh...’ The sound was almost an approving hum and Georgia felt as if her body was shifting itself a bit closer, even though she knew she hadn’t moved. And then her mouth opened without giving her time to think about whatever words she wanted to produce. What did emerge was vaguely appalling.
‘A martini? Yes, please... Extra-dry—with an olive.’
She saw the flash of surprise in those chocolate-coloured eyes but then it vanished in the wave of laughter that Georgia managed to join in with, making her ridiculously flirtatious comment no more than a joke.
‘This is Georgie,’ Kate said. ‘My paramedic partner.’
It seemed the most natural thing in the world to fall into step beside Matteo as Kate and Luke led the way to the bar where everyone was going to wait for the scenario list and start times to be handed out.
She felt small beside this solid male figure. And
a bit embarrassed, to be honest, after her overly enthusiastic response to their introduction.
Matteo seemed perfectly at ease. He bent his head so that his voice was like a soft, teasing growl intended only for her ears.
‘So...you and me, then?’
Oh, help... If her response to their introduction had been flirtatious, this was more like blatant seduction and the reaction of her body to both the sound of his voice and the implied invitation was like nothing Georgia had ever experienced. She’d met this man less than a minute ago and already the attraction was so powerful she wanted...
An upward glance gave her direct contact with those extraordinary eyes.
Oh, man...she wanted everything. The sheer force of such an unexpected response to a stranger was actually alarming enough to make her break the eye contact within the space of a heartbeat.
And she didn’t trust herself to say a single word.
Even more disturbingly, she could feel a faint fluttering sensation that she recognised only too well.
Hope...
That this was it. That perhaps she had found the person she had been searching for. Her person.
The mental stamp was forceful enough to squash the flutter.
How many times? It wasn’t even that long since her heart had been broken for what she had sworn would be the very last time. She was not going to be stupid enough to take even a single step down that path. The one that ended with someone waiting inside a pretty church, bathed in all the promise of happily-ever-after.
No and no and no.
‘The competition,’ Matteo offered helpfully into the short silence. ‘We’re in the same category. We both have a doctor for a partner.’
‘Oh...that’s true.’ There was a very different sensation dampening the flicker of desire now. Disappointment?
For heaven’s sake, Georgia told herself firmly. Get a grip...
Matteo paused by the entrance to the bar to allow her to go in first. He smiled at her.
‘I intend to win,’ he said.
Georgia couldn’t help herself. ‘So do I,’ she warned.
This time she didn’t look away. Neither did Matteo. He was still smiling.
‘Do you always get what you want, Georgie?’
The way his accent changed her name into something rather more exotic sent a shiver down her spine. The gleam in his eyes suggested amusement but there was a warmth there, too, that made her feel like he would be more than happy to help her get what she wanted, even if it meant sacrificing something he wanted himself.
She shook her head sadly.
‘Not always.’
But she was smiling as well.
Maybe—this time—she would. The question was simply what she wanted more.
The first prize in this competition?
Or Matteo Martini?
CHAPTER TWO
‘WHAT’S THE TIME?’
‘Five past eight.’
‘We’re early.’ Matteo Martini sighed. Waiting had never been his forte.
It was an exercise in self-control. A tightrope to balance on between the need to follow rules and gather information and the desire to act. To help someone in trouble. To save a life perhaps...
This wasn’t a real life situation, however, which made it impossible to gather any clues about what was to come from a radio conversation or updated pager messages. All they had was a minimal briefing sheet that had given them the GPS coordinates for the scene and that they would be assessing a thirty-five-year-old woman with abdominal pain.
Their tasks were listed as well and they had to assess the scene, examine and treat the patient, define a working diagnosis and means of transport if necessary, within a time limit of eleven minutes.
This was all about following rules. Waiting in their vehicle until it was their turn to enter what looked like a very ordinary village house to face their first scenario of this emergency response competition.
‘Doesn’t look like much.’ Luke sounded disappointed. ‘You sure we’re in the right place?’
‘Sì. Assolutamente.’ Matteo pointed through the windscreen. ‘That car parked over there is a competitor. It’s got the numbers. And a light on the roof, like ours. And the flags are...’
‘Scottish,’ Luke murmured.
The tension of having to wait had just got a whole lot easier as Matteo felt himself being pulled back into the unexpected delight of meeting Georgia Bennett last night. What a stroke of luck it had been that her partner for this competition was an old friend of Luke’s. He didn’t even have to make an effort to get an introduction to a woman who would have caught his eye no matter how big a crowd she was in.
There was a glow of energy about Georgia that made him think of adventure. Fun. In combination with that tumble of dark blonde curly hair and those hazel-brown eyes that had rather fascinating flecks of gold, she was irresistible. Given their passion for a shared career, that easy conversation over a drink or two had been a bonus. And by the end of the evening, when they’d split up to study the lists of scenarios that had been handed out to the waiting teams, Matteo had been left with the conviction that the attraction he’d discovered was mutual.
Whether they would have the chance to explore that attraction any further was an enticing possibility but Matteo wasn’t going to allow it to distract him for any longer than a delicious minute or two. He had, in fact, dismissed it from his mind completely well before their start time of eight-fifteen a.m.
Until he saw the two women emerge from the house, that was. Until Georgia spotted them waiting in their vehicle and raised her hand to wave at him.
Until she smiled...
‘Be nice to have an idea of what we’re heading into,’ Luke said. ‘They weren’t giving away any clues, were they?’
‘And neither should they,’ Matteo said sternly. ‘That would be dishonest.’
‘Not exactly.’ Luke’s tone was thoughtful. ‘Dishonesty is when you fail to tell the truth. Breaking the rules of the competition to give someone else an advantage would be dishonourable rather than dishonest.’
‘Hmm...’ Matteo absorbed the correction. ‘They are both unacceptable.’
Dishonesty was at the top of his list of despicable human traits. Right up there with cruelty and violence, particularly when children were involved.
‘Too right they are,’ Luke agreed.
Thrusting his arms through the straps of his pack of gear, Matteo had another moment of distraction.
Had he been a little too honest with Georgia during that conversation last night? He’d probably talked about his family with rather too much enthusiasm, hadn’t he? If he had wanted to encourage any attraction on her part, he should have stuck to talking about the more exciting exploits of his career as a helicopter paramedic instead of how close he was to his mother and his sisters. Good grief, he’d had to blink tears from his eyes when he’d told her about how much of a thrill it had been to welcome his latest nephew into the world recently.
Weirdly, that slightly cringe-making moment of distraction became an advantage a very short time later, when the two men found themselves in a confusing scenario of a party going on in the house. If the memory of holding that newborn baby hadn’t been still there in the back of his mind, would he have been so quick to run up the stairs when they’d heard there was a pregnant girl having stomach pains? And maybe he wouldn’t have put quite the same amount of passion into resuscitating a baby who wasn’t breathing if he hadn’t been imagining that it could have been his sister as the terrified young mother.
In any case, there had been nods of satisfaction from the judges and both he and Luke felt far more confident when they arrived at their second scenario, which clearly had nothing to do with childbirth. Their patient was a middle-aged man who was curled up on a bed and groaning loudly as they entered the room. He was al
so holding a plastic bucket.
‘He’s been sick.’ The woman who’d met them at the door had explained that she was his wife. ‘He got this terrible back pain all of a sudden and then he started vomiting.’
‘Could you get some baselines, please, Matt?’ Luke was taking the lead on this scenario. ‘I’ll see what I can find out with the history.’ He crouched down beside the bed.
‘Show me where this pain is.’
The man put his hand on his side, under his ribs but then moved it towards his abdomen and into his groin.
‘Is it the first time you’ve experienced it?’
‘Yes.’
‘How bad is it? On a scale of zero to ten, with zero being no pain at all and ten being the worst you can imagine?’
‘Ten...’ He groaned again. ‘And I feel sick...’
‘We’ll give you something to help with that in just a minute.’
Matteo held a tympanic thermometer close to their patient’s ear.
‘Temperature’s normal,’ the nearest judge informed him as he continued taking baseline recordings. ‘He’s tachycardic at one-twenty, respirations are twenty-four and his blood pressure is one-thirty over ninety.’
Matteo caught Luke’s glance. With a normal temperature, infection was less likely to be a cause of this pain so a diagnosis like appendicitis or diverticulitis could be ruled out for the moment. What was needed now was pain relief. He collected everything he needed to insert an IV line and put a tourniquet on the man’s arm.
‘The IV line is in.’ The judge nodded.
‘Have you had any trouble urinating?’ Luke asked now. ‘Is it painful or have you noticed anything different?’
‘It hurts,’ the man replied. ‘And it’s very dark.’
Luke glanced at Matteo, who nodded. The diagnosis and their management now appeared simple.
‘We think you might have a kidney stone,’ Luke said. ‘And it’s blocking your ureter and causing this pain. We’ll give you something for the pain and then we’ll take you to hospital. Are you allergic to anything that you know of?’
Twin Surprise for the Italian Doc Page 2