by Lucy Clark
‘I’m still not sure how that happened.’
‘You know a friend of ours lent her his house?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, at the same time the estate agent leased it to Oliver.’
‘So why didn’t she move back in with you?’
He hesitated a moment. ‘She didn’t want to cramp my style.’
‘As if she’d do that. She’s your sis—’ Nicolette stopped, belatedly grasping Stephen’s meaning. ‘Oh. That kind of style.’
‘Exactly.’
Nicolette thought back to the conversations she’d had with Stephanie about Stephen. ‘You did tell her we’re just friends, didn’t you?’
‘Didn’t you?’ he countered with a curious grin.
‘Yes, I did.’ Nicolette shrugged. ‘Not that she believed me.’
‘Or me.’
‘So now she’s getting interested in Oliver. Well, well.’ She sipped her tea. ‘What do you think of him? I’m sure your opinion would matter a lot to her.’
‘It does, which is scary.’
‘Doesn’t her opinion matter to you?’
‘Yes.’ Stephen shifted in his seat, a little uncomfortable at the thought. When he’d told Stephanie that he was only going to be friends with Nicolette, his sister had laughed. She’d kissed his cheek and given him her blessing, telling him she could think of no one who was as perfect for him as Nicolette was. She’d also said if he needed to keep fooling himself for a bit longer, that was fine but not to leave it too long.
In all honesty, Stephen had thought working with Nicolette might cause more problems than he’d anticipated, especially after their goodbye kiss. His body had craved her, his hands itched to feel the silky softness of her hair, his mouth eager to have a repeat performance. His mind, however, had been well satisfied because much to his surprise they’d been not only working well together but also having amazing discussions.
At first he’d thought it might be a little strained or tense but she’d breezed in, treated him almost like a brother and given everything to her work. He was glad to know they could just be colleagues and friends. It was rare and he’d never felt as comfortable with another woman as he did with Nicolette—except perhaps with Stephanie, but she was his twin.
‘Earth to Stephen?’ Nicolette waved her hand in front of his face. ‘You all right?’
He blinked and realised he’d been staring off into space. ‘Yes. Sorry,’ he replied briskly. He turned his attention to the rest of his lunch and began to eat.
‘So?’ Nicolette said after a few mouthfuls. ‘What do you think of him?’
‘Who?’
She laughed. ‘Well, that says it all. Oliver.’
‘I’ve worked a few shifts with him and he seems OK but I’m not one to rush judgements. Steph, on the other hand, is jumping in with both feet.’
‘That concerns you?’
‘When doesn’t Steph concern me.’ He smiled. ‘She seems crazy about his daughter so I suppose that’s a bonus.’
Nicolette thought for a moment before saying, ‘Oliver seems very grounded…more serious I mean…almost the complete opposite to Stephanie.’
‘Ever heard that opposites attract?’
‘Does that mean he’s going to dye his hair red?’
‘Red is the opposite of green?’ Stephen swallowed his last bite and stood.
‘Of course it is, unless Stephanie dyes her hair some other colour.’
‘Which is always on the cards. She also mentioned something about going to Sydney on Sunday.’
‘I thought she was helping Oliver on Sunday?’
‘She’s helping him in Sydney.’
‘Interesting.’
‘Which brings me back to my point. As Steph can’t make it for brunch, would you like to come around? I’ve already bought everything,’ he added by way of explanation.
The food in Nicolette’s mouth turned to sawdust but she managed to swallow it before having a sip of her tea. ‘Are you…?’ She stopped and cleared her throat. ‘Are you sure that’s a good idea?’
‘The two of us alone, you mean?’
‘Yes.’
‘We agreed to be friends and that’s what we are.’
As much as Nicolette desperately wanted to say yes, she knew the answer had to be no. Although she loved being with him at the clinic and getting to know him better, to go around to his house without the protection of getting interrupted either by patients, the receptionist or emergencies was far too risky.
‘I don’t think so, Stephen, but thanks for the invite.’
He frowned. ‘It would just be two colleagues eating food. Nothing more.’
Nicolette stood and carried her plate and cup to the sink. ‘I still think it’s too risky.’
‘Why?’ he urged. ‘We can continue the discussion we had the other day on the new vaccine that’s out or swap more war stories.’
‘And tell me, Stephen, what do we do when this happens?’ Nicolette took a step closer, directly into his personal space. Standing almost toe to toe, she was instantly aware of the warmth radiating from his body. His hypnotic scent wove its way about her senses, making her sigh with longing.
Her gaze slowly travelled up from the knot of his tie, taking in the mildly angular jaw which already held a hint of his approaching five-o’clock shadow. His lips came into view and she felt a surge of wonderment flood through her as she remembered how incredible it had been to feel his mouth on hers, seeking and demanding an equal response. His nose, which had a slight bump in it, indicating a break long ago, and then those amazing blue eyes which never failed to elicit a response from deep within her.
‘What would you do if I kissed you right now?’ she whispered. He was so close she could almost taste him. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it quickly and cleared his throat.
‘Hmm?’ She knew if one single part of their bodies touched, both would be unable to control the power they would unleash. She glanced up from his mouth to look into his eyes, seeing the answer before her. If she kissed him right now, there was no way he’d be able to resist—and that was her point.
He carefully cleared his throat, his gaze moving from her lips and back to her eyes before he spoke. ‘We don’t let it happen.’ He didn’t try and move away, which indicated he was enjoying the torture as much as she was.
‘My point exactly.’ Although it almost killed her, she finally moved, putting distance between them. Both had to wait for a few moments for their breathing to return to normal.
Stephen shook his head and raked an unsteady hand through his hair. ‘It’s so…’
‘I know,’ she said quickly, proving once more that they were on the same wavelength. ‘Stephen, working together is great and, yes, we’ve come to know each other better during the past few weeks and professionally I am very happy working here. It’s great but if we’re going to succeed in suppressing the attraction between us we can’t put ourselves in positions where it’s impossible not to follow through,’ she urged. ‘Having brunch with you…I want nothing more than to say yes but I also know we’d end up breaking the bond we’ve formed and that could cause more problems.’
‘I agree.’
Nicolette sighed with frustration. ‘I was sure you would. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few errands to run before afternoon clinic begins.’
‘Of course.’ As she started out of the room he called her name. ‘Sorry. I forgot to ask when you’re next rostered on at the hospital.’
‘Tomorrow night.’
‘So am I. I’ll get someone in to cover the practice.’
She raised an eyebrow. ‘Stephanie playing matchmaker again?’
‘Oliver’s doing the rosters now. She forced him to.’
‘Oh, yes. Of course.’ She felt a little embarrassed at her words. ‘All right, I’d better go. Ah…is there anything you need? Letters posted? Stationery?’
‘No. No. I’m fine, thanks.’
With a quick nod she disappeared around the corner
. Stephen turned his attention to washing the dishes before heading into his consulting room. He paced up and down. What on earth was he supposed to do? For the past few weeks, he’d found it increasingly difficult to get Nicolette out of his mind, especially working so closely with her. He was aching for her but he knew if he gave in, he could ruin everything.
This wasn’t the first time he’d been stuck between a rock and a hard place, and in the past he’d always made the right decision. He had to rely on those gut instincts to see him through this time and although Nicolette was stirring his blood almost to boiling point each time she smiled at him, he needed to remain firm in his decision. Getting involved would only cause more problems because in the end it would be Nicolette who would need to leave the practice and possibly the area when things went wrong.
But what if they don’t go wrong? a small voice inside his heart asked. What if he followed through on his passion and desire for Nicolette and they both lived happily ever after?
‘No.’ He spoke the word out loud as he walked around his desk and sat in his chair. It wouldn’t work.
Why not? asked the voice. During the past few weeks they’d both shown they had more in common than just work. They had the same sense of humour, liked similar music, had enjoyed rousing political debates. He loved how, right after her last patient left, she’d tear the clips from her hair and shake her head, often running her fingers through her hair, gently massaging her scalp. At first he’d thought she’d just been doing it to drive him crazy but day after day she went through the same routine, sometimes when he was in the room, but at other times she’d walk out with her bag in one hand and her hairclips in the other, the gorgeous blonde locks falling tantalisingly around her shoulders.
Stephen massaged his temples, knowing he needed to figure this out—and soon, or it would tear them apart. His phone rang and he instantly snatched it up. ‘Hi, Steph.’
‘Hi yourself. Having fun?’
‘Not really.’
‘I thought as much. This is just a quick call because I’m about to walk out the door and head to work. So what’s going on? More angst over Nic?’
‘I doubt it will ever go away,’ he mumbled.
‘It’ll only go away if you face it. Have you told her how you feel?’
‘The attraction is mutual, Steph.’
‘It’s amazing that you can be more stubborn than me. I’m not talking about the attraction. Do you love her?’
He opened his mouth to reply but stopped. It was on the tip of his tongue to say he didn’t really know her that well but realised it was a lie. He did know her, and what he knew he certainly liked. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Well…’ she drawled. ‘That’s an improvement on “I hardly know her”, which is what you’ve said in the past. So she’s still succeeding in driving you crazy, eh? Way to go, Nic.’
‘Steph, this is hardly helping.’
‘Look. There’s another reason why I called. Oliver has a friend coming to town tomorrow morning and we thought it would be nice to introduce him to Nicolette.’
‘Why?’ The word came out between clenched teeth and he felt as though his intestines had just been tied in several knots. No! He wanted to yell the word at his sister, to let her know Nicolette was not available, that she already had plans—even though he wasn’t sure one way or the other whether that was true.
‘Because she’s a nice person, she’s single and this guy sounds like her type.’
‘I’m a nice person, I’m single and how on earth would you know what her type is?’ he growled fiercely, his gut churning.
‘I’m her friend. Girls talk.’ Stephanie began to giggle and then he caught on.
‘You’re playing me.’ It was a statement and he shook his head, unable to believe he’d fallen for the oldest trick in the book—the jealousy trick.
‘So how did you feel, eh? Does the thought of Nicolette with any other man make you crazy? Personally, I think the answer is yes,’ she went on before he could say a word.
‘Well, if you want to talk about romance, Steph, let me give you a little quiz about Oliver.’
‘Oh, gee. Is that the time? I have to go now, bro.’ She laughed. ‘See you later. Love you.’ She hung up and he was left holding the receiver.
Stephen shook his head, annoyed that Steph had been right. His gut was still churning with the thought of Nicolette smiling at another man, being drawn into his arms, being kissed by him. He slammed the receiver into the cradle and started pacing the room.
Nicolette with another man? Never!
There was no way in the world he could let that happen, and the thought terrified him. The woman had come into his life and promptly turned it completely inside out and upside down, and it was the last thing he needed. She said she understood about him trying to sort his mind out yet when she looked at him with those big brown eyes, he felt as though he could drown in them. The feel of her hair, the touch of her lips against his, her body firmly pressed to his own. These were the things that mattered.
In all fairness to her it wasn’t her fault she was so irresistible and he could tell she was really trying to make this friendship thing between them work, but when she’d stepped so close to him to prove her point, his heart had started hammering wildly against his chest, the need, the urge for her to be his and his alone overpowering.
She belonged to him.
The urgency of his feelings surprised him. They were archaic, caveman-like yet the possessiveness he felt towards Nicolette remained strong and true. The only thing he needed to figure out now was, what was he going to do about it?
CHAPTER TEN
‘MY FEET are killing me.’ Lauren sat down to write up some notes. Although Nicolette had worked with the pretty brunette several times, they’d never really connected. ‘What a hectic night.’
‘You can say that again,’ Nicolette murmured as she finished writing her own set of notes. Although they’d been busy, it hadn’t been traumatic.
‘People always leave it until night-time when the temperature drops to below zero before they realise they’re sick.’
Nicolette smiled. ‘People don’t want to think about their symptoms when it’s nice and warm outside, and we did actually have some sunshine this morning, which was a miracle in itself.’ She glanced up, a movement catching her eye. Stephen was coming out of an examination cubicle with a patient, talking earnestly to them. Her heart turned over with love at the sight of him. They’d been working together all night and although they’d hardly spoken a word, it was still nice to know he was around.
Lauren looked up, too. ‘Mmm. Dr Dishy. What’s it like, seeing him every day at his consulting rooms?’
‘No different from any other doctor,’ Nicolette blatantly lied. She forced herself to look away, trying to remember what on earth she was supposed to be doing. Thankfully, her shift was almost over as she couldn’t deal with other women drooling over the man she was in love with…really in love with, not just infatuated as Lauren was.
‘Anyone else come in?’ Stephen asked, and Nicolette almost jumped out of her skin. She hadn’t realised he’d come to the nurses’ station.
‘No. We’re pretty settled for the moment, Stephen,’ Lauren replied, fluttering her eyelashes and giving him a coy little smile. ‘Sit down for a moment and relax.’
He nodded politely and did as she’d suggested, flicking open the casenotes and filling them out. ‘So…how’s your practice going?’ the nurse flirted.
Nicolette watched as Lauren stood and walked over to stand beside him, leaning back against the desk in a mildly provocative pose. ‘You know, if you needed a nurse for the practice, I’d be more than happy to…fill any vacant position. I’m trained in immunisations and family medicine and I only do a couple of shifts here so apart from that I’m quite…free.’
‘Thank you, Lauren.’ Stephen glanced briefly at the nurse, giving her a small nod. ‘I’ll keep that in mind should I ever require a nurse.’
&n
bsp; Nicolette groaned and stood, unable to watch or listen. Stephen spun around to look at her.
‘You all right, Nicolette?’
She forced a smile even though inside she felt like dying. ‘Fine.’ The word came out in a higher pitch than she’d intended. Clearing her throat, she glanced down at her hands. ‘I’m just going to get my bag. I’ll be back to sign out,’ she told Lauren, leaving the young nurse to do her best where Stephen was concerned. She had to remind herself that he was allowed to be interested in other women. They hadn’t made a commitment to each other, which made them both free agents. If Stephen wanted to flirt with the nurses a little, who was she to comment? It was his business, not hers.
The words replayed over and over in her head as she walked briskly to the female changing rooms, desperate to hold back the tears she could feel beginning to threaten. It’s not your business, she kept mentally repeating. Her eyes began to fill, blurring her vision as she punched in the code. An error message beep sounded.
‘Nicolette.’
She turned and could just make out Stephen walking towards her. No. Not now. She almost had herself under control. She tried the code again but couldn’t see anything. Angrily she brushed the tears away, not wanting him to see her like that.
‘Nicolette,’ he called again, getting closer.
Two-six-oh-five. Her fingers finally pressed the keys in the right order and she pushed open the door, escaping inside. She stopped still for a second, breathing a sigh of relief. She was safe for the moment. He might be waiting when she came out but at least she had some time to get herself under control. She dug in her pocket for a tissue and dabbed at her eyes as she walked over to her locker. She blew her nose and, beginning to feel a little better, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. ‘You can cope,’ she told herself.
The buzz of the changing-room doors sounded but she didn’t turn around. Instead, she pulled out her keys.
‘Nicolette!’ Stephen’s voice startled her and she dropped them.
‘What are you doing in here?’ She rounded on him. ‘Get out.’
‘I want to talk to you, and I don’t appreciate you ignoring me.’