Surprise Twins for the Surgeon

by Sue MacKay

  Maybe he should’ve taken her up on that offer she’d made by placing her mouth on his. He was not averse to a fling with a beautiful and willing woman. There was red blood in his veins, after all. Sex without strings. Add in a meal or two, sharing a glass of champagne, and it sounded good to him. Especially when he’d be heading back home to London next Saturday.

  Alesha lives in London.

  London was huge. They’d never bump into each other unless it was deliberate, and why would it be? He hadn’t found out where she worked, and had no intention of doing so. She might be a nurse but there were many hospitals and medical service centres around the city.

  Right then the woman causing his brain fade looked up and locked startled eyes on him, crimson creeping into her cheeks. ‘Hello,’ she said quietly.

  He crossed the room and straddled a chair, his hands on the back as he studied her. ‘Hello back.’

  Her gaze dropped to the book and once again she began telling a story.

  A quick glance showed Capeka wearing a frown and her head lowered. He’d wrecked the moment. ‘Sorry,’ he said as quietly as possible. ‘I should’ve thought before I acted.’

  It’s your fault for getting in my head.

  ‘It’s okay. She’s tiring anyway. It wasn’t as though she was about to run across and crawl onto my knee. Unfortunately, that’s going to take a lot of time and care so it won’t be me she finally trusts enough to get close to.’

  ‘You’re starting the process though. That’s good.’ Last night he’d been thinking she was a bit of a loose cannon with her stress, drinking and that kiss. Though not at the fire. There she’d been calm and efficient, skilful and caring as she helped young Stevan. Nor did that describe the quiet, contained woman sitting opposite him now. Not even close. First impressions didn’t always pan out. But usually he first got suckered into believing the woman was wonderful when really she was a conniving scheme wanting something from him. Could second impressions be just as wrong? Please no. So far all Alesha had wanted from him was a kiss and maybe follow-up sex. He couldn’t argue with that. It certainly didn’t appear to come with the I’m taking all you’ve got attitude of his ex.

  You didn’t see it with her until it was too late either, he warned himself.

  Sweat broke out on his brow. It was time to get out of here, go find a kid who needed his attention, because right now his brain was on the blink, focusing on Alesha when it knew better. He wasn’t in the market for a woman.

  Hot and Alesha were suddenly in the same thought. His fingers dragged down his face. This was absolutely bat crazy. Get out of here.

  Alesha stood up, unfolding her body slowly. ‘I brought your clothes back.’

  ‘I saw a bag on my mother’s desk. Thank you.’ He had to turn away or drown in the deep brown speckled pools fixed on him, full of nothing but friendship. Friendship was good. Even Alesha’s wary version. It wasn’t enough. Had to be more than enough. He wasn’t about to add to her hurt. But he could alleviate it for a while.

  ‘Easy. Our girl’s watching you from under her eyebrows.’ There was hope in Alesha’s voice.

  ‘Capeka. It means stork.’

  ‘I heard.’ Low laughter erupted from that sensuous mouth. ‘It suits her. Not sure that’s good, but if it works then what does it matter?’

  ‘Capeka.’ Kristof spoke softly in Croatian. ‘Did you like Alesha’s story?’

  The girl nibbled her bottom lip and stared at the floor. Then slowly she nodded, once.

  Alesha looked from the girl to him. ‘What did you say?’

  ‘She’d like you to come back and read to her again.’ Sort of. What had possessed him to say that? He didn’t want her hanging around here. Not when his belly knotted and his groin tightened just being in the same room. All very well to think a quick fling was a good idea, but every time he saw that darkness at the back of Alesha’s gaze he knew he had to stay away. Adding to her pain was not happening on his watch.

  ‘No problem. I’ll drop in tomorrow.’

  No surprise there. ‘This could put restraints on your sightseeing.’ He hadn’t forgotten why she was here.

  ‘I’m sure I can fit it all in.’ Alesha closed the book and placed it on the table. Nodding at Capeka, she smiled. ‘I’ll be back tomorrow morning.’ Then she headed for the door.

  Kristof translated before following. And promptly wished he hadn’t when his mother confronted him.

  ‘Kristof, you said you couldn’t find anyone to take as your partner to the fundraising dinner. I’d like you to take Alesha as a thank you to her for spending time with Capeka.’

  ‘Mother,’ he growled. ‘There are reasons I am going alone.’ Not that he could remember what they were right now, other than he hated charity functions with a passion. Sure, they raised the money needed for the cause, but he preferred to write a cheque any day. No palavering to be had. No smiling to people who’d done their damnedest to outbid everyone else just to prove they could.

  ‘Alesha.’ His mother had turned her shoulder on him. ‘Tonight there’s a dinner in the Old City to raise funds for the shelter and I’d like you to join us.’

  Alesha would say no. So far she didn’t seem to be the type who liked all that hype either. ‘Really? That would be lovely, thank you. What time and where?’

  Third impression—Alesha liked to socialise, and there would be her favourite champagne on tap too. He hadn’t done very well at reading her at all.

  His mother turned to him. ‘Kristof will pick you up at seven.’

  Thank you, Mum.

  Short of looking and sounding unreasonable, he was stuck with bowing to her wishes and accompanying this woman to a dinner he did not want to attend. But he owed his mother. Always had, always would.

  Bring it on.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  KRISTOF DIDN’T WANT to take her to the dinner. Alesha sighed her disappointment. There’d been no missing the annoyance that had flared in his face when his mother had told her he’d pick her up at seven. He was so obviously uninterested in her in any way, shape or form that it was going to be a long night having to sit side by side pretending they were comfortable with each other. To think she’d thrown herself at him last night. Thank goodness one of them had been thinking straight.

  She really was a slow learner. To do that only weeks after Luke had dumped her, proving once again men weren’t interested in her for anything but having a good time, a short good time at that, showed she’d hit rock bottom. Maybe she hadn’t loved him as in completely and utterly, but her feelings for him had been strong and, she’d believed, growing. Could it be she hadn’t loved him but loved the idea he might be the one? How long was she going to carry on believing there might be a man out there who could love her for all of her? Come on. She didn’t truly, deep down, believe that. No, it was hope for the impossible that got in the way. Hope that had her taking chances that always backfired. Hope that because her parents stopped loving her didn’t mean someone else would.

  Alesha stared at her image in the small mirror in the apartment and twisted around to check the back of her fitted red dress. Red was this season’s top colour and suited her well. Even if she said so herself she didn’t scrub up too badly. Eat your heart out, Luke. Her shoulders slumped. Bet he was having a barrel of fun with the one in Paris, and hadn’t thought of her once. Why would he when she was obviously yesterday’s bread?

  Stop it. She was going out to a dinner and auction with a gorgeous man in a city she’d never seen before. Take the positives and forget all about what might’ve been. A giggle escaped. She wasn’t going to understand most of what went on so she could make fun filling in the gaps.

  The zip had three inches to go and she couldn’t reach it. She’d go knock on another apartment door if she thought any other guests were in, but she already knew they weren’t. The complex had been eerily quiet when sh
e returned from walking along Port Cruz.

  Voices outside drew her attention. Karolina and—and Kristof. Bang on seven o’clock. Downing the last of the water in her glass, she picked up her keys and phone, shoved them in her clutch purse before drawing a deep breath and stepping outside. Almost into Kristof’s arms as he reached to knock on the doorframe. ‘Oh, hello,’ she gasped, her gaze filled with an expanse of white-shirt-covered chest.

  Kristof stepped back, taking that manly scent with him. ‘You look stunning.’

  Lifting her head, she stared up into warm eyes that didn’t seem to be filled with a hidden agenda. ‘Thank you.’

  Don’t let that go to your head.

  It wasn’t the first time a man had said the same, yet when Kristof spoke in that husky, warm voice that sent shivers down her spine she wanted to believe him more than she’d believed anyone before. Silly girl. Had she already forgotten her determination to be careful, and remain aloof from now on? If only she knew how to do that then she wouldn’t get hurt. She turned to close her door.

  ‘Stand still while I pull your zip up.’ It was a command, not said with amusement or longing.

  How had she forgotten the zip? Because Kristof stole the capability to think, to remember, to act normally. ‘Sure.’ Heat tiptoed into her skin where his fingers brushed, and even where they didn’t. A quick tug and she was all done up, and free of him. This was going to be a very long night. She spun around. ‘Let’s go.’ Being unpunctual was not her.

  Kristof took her hand and placed it on his arm. ‘Let’s.’

  On the short drive to the Old City Kristof pointed out landmarks and the quickest way for her to walk from the apartment when she wanted to go on the tour she’d missed out on that day. So far so good. The tension gripping her since he’d appeared at her door backed off, making it easy to chat with him. When she wasn’t trying to ignore how handsome he was, or how sexy those black trousers, white shirt and black dinner jacket made him look, that was.

  ‘You have to make time to wander around this city, day and night. It’s special,’ Kristof told her as they walked hand in hand—so she didn’t slip on her heels apparently—down the sloping ancient road into the centre of the city where tables had been set up under large sun umbrellas outside a restaurant.

  Stopping to stare around at the buildings and parapets, and the paved road, Alesha nodded. ‘I can never get enough of these old towns. Back home old means weatherboard houses and simplistic churches. Nothing as beautiful as this.’

  He laughed. ‘I hear there are wonderful mountains and green hills for miles, and the sea is never far away.’

  ‘Yes, there are those.’ Another pang of homesickness knocked. Why? It wasn’t as though she had family or close friends hankering for her return. But this going it alone meant being lonely at times, which was when she usually made the mistake of trying to get close to a man. Sucking her stomach in and tightening her shoulders, she got on with enjoying the evening with Kristof. ‘Home is where the heart is—’ though hers had gone AWOL ‘—and all that, but at the moment I’m having a great time discovering the northern hemisphere.’

  Kristof nudged her towards the restaurant. ‘So you’re out to conquer the world? Or running away from home?’

  Too close to the mark to acknowledge. ‘Definitely conquering.’

  ‘Let’s find our seats and get a glass of your favourite tipple, then you can tell me about the places you’ve been.’

  They were shown to the top table, and as Kristof held out her chair he was grumbling under his breath.

  ‘Problem?’ she asked.

  A spark flared in his eyes as he leaned close. ‘If we were seated at the back we could escape early. Now we’re stuck to the bitter end.’ His gaze seemed fixed on her, which didn’t go with the bitter bit of his comment. That was a very heated gaze, stirring her in places that didn’t need stirring, and twisting her stomach into knots that could make dining difficult.

  Breathing deep did her sensory glands a whole load of good and made her smile back at him. ‘We’ll have a good time regardless.’ She was determined to. It wasn’t often she got to go to a fancy dinner with a gorgeous man at her side to help raise funds for a worthwhile cause. Let’s face it, she’d never done anything like this. Making the most of Kristof’s mother’s generous gesture wasn’t going to be hard. ‘Where’s your mother?’

  ‘Over the other side of the room working the crowd. When it comes to her strays, she’s very good at getting people to put their hands in their pockets, or wave their credit cards over a machine.’ Pride was mixed with resentment in his voice, in the tightness rippling off his shoulders.

  What had he missed out on that he resented his mother giving so much of herself to those children? ‘Has she always run the shelter? Or is it something she’s started recently?’

  Kristof took two glasses of champagne from the hovering waiter and passed one to her before sitting down. ‘I thought we were talking about your travels.’

  Shut down just like that. Go with it or up the ante? She glanced at Kristof’s profile; his jutting jaw warned best to go with him if this evening was to be the fun she’d decided to have. Though that jaw was quite sexy with its implied strength and determination. ‘I arrived in England two years ago with a six-month contract in the children’s ward in Bristol’s main hospital. While there I bought a car so I could get out and see places. At the end of that job I went to Wales for another short-term position.’

  He listened with an intensity that seemed to cut out everyone and all the noise around them. Warmth stole over her. No man had shown such courtesy, or even interest, in her exploits before. Usually they only ever wanted to talk about themselves.

  ‘Go on.’

  It wasn’t happening. His mother appeared between them and leaned down to kiss Alesha on both cheeks. ‘Thank you for coming. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful evening. Now I’d like to introduce you to the other guests seated with us.’

  When Alesha glanced behind this formidable woman she saw three couples waiting to be shown to their seats. She stood up at the same time as Kristof.

  He placed his hand on her waist in a proprietary manner and nodded to everyone, taking over from his mother. ‘Hello, everyone. This is Alesha, a nurse from New Zealand who’s on holiday in Dubrovnik. Alesha, I’d like you to meet Filip and Nina Babic.’

  As her hand was warmly shaken Alesha smiled and hoped everyone spoke a little English, but if not then she’d still enjoy the ambiance. Handshaking over, everyone sat and soon the noise level had increased to deafening.

  Kristof leaned in close. ‘Not sorry you came?’

  She shook her head, breathed in his spicy aftershave, and smiled. ‘If that’s your get out of jail card, then sorry, but this is fun.’

  ‘How much are you understanding?’ He grinned.

  ‘Very little but I’m fine with that, though I will need you to interpret the menu.’ She could see it lying by her setting and it was impossible to read.

  ‘Be nice to me or I’ll extract revenge.’ His breath was warm on her neck.

  She could go with his revenge if that meant getting closer. Looking around, because looking at Kristof was too disturbing, she was shocked to find everyone with them was watching her and Kristof with indulgent smiles on their faces. ‘Kristof,’ she hissed into his ear. ‘Sit up.’

  He did, slowly, and gave her a wide smile before turning to talk to the woman on his other side.

  On her right Filip asked, ‘Have you come all the way from New Zealand to see our city?’

  At least that was what she thought he asked in his scrambled English. His effort was appreciated. Any English was better than her Croatian. ‘Not quite. I’ve been living in England for two years, visiting different European countries as work allows.’ This was getting repetitive.

  ‘You’re fortunate you can do this.’
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br />   ‘I am,’ she replied and sneaked a look at Kristof, who was watching her with a speculative gleam in his eyes. ‘What?’ A delicate shiver strolled up her spine.

  ‘Nothing. Just keeping an eye out for you in what must be a strange setting.’

  He had her back? She also couldn’t remember anyone doing that for her before. She’d been mixing with the wrong crowds. Kristof was setting her a new benchmark. Not that she’d be getting any ideas regarding her and Kristof. Tonight was only about enjoying the moment, and this moment was with Kristof and his mother’s friends. Turning to Filip, she told him, ‘Having no ties back home allows me the pleasure of travelling wherever I choose.’

  ‘You don’t have family?’

  She shook her head. Not really. Not one that acknowledged her, at any rate. ‘No.’

  ‘Djèca?’

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘He means do you have any children?’ Kristof spoke over his shoulder.

  The guy was involved in another conversation and listening in on hers at the same time? She needed to be careful around him. Focusing on Filip, she said, ‘I don’t have a partner so no children.’ Having children of her own would be wonderful and something she hoped for in the future. She’d love them unreservedly, never push them away or make them feel unwanted. Never.

  Kristof turned his attention back to her. ‘This guy who called off your relationship the other week? How serious were you about him?’

  She preferred it when Kristof had his back to her. While this had nothing to do with him, she answered anyway. ‘I wouldn’t have agreed to come here with him if I wasn’t.’ But was that really true? It had been the romance of the occasion that had sucked her in, excited her, because no other man had ever promised such an exciting wonderful holiday for her, with her.