Luca smiled, remembering the warmth of the French GP’s greeting. ‘Yes, I did. And his fiancée, Lauren.’
‘Of course. That’s Lauren’s domain,’ Nick told him, gesturing to the physiotherapy room across the other side of the wide corridor. ‘And here we have Polly.’ His new boss halted outside the closed door bearing her name. ‘I’ve paired you with Polly for several reasons. One was your desire to see your girls settled at nursery school before you came in—and Polly’s first appointment on a Monday is at ten o’clock, whereas the other surgeries have been under way for an hour or more.’
Luca was relieved and grateful that the initial understanding Nick had shown was being maintained. ‘I appreciate your thoughtfulness. It’s true that I wanted time to see them settled on their first day, but I don’t expect any undue concessions…and I fully intend to pull my weight on the team.’
‘I never expected any different, Luca,’ the older man reassured him. ‘As the father of twins myself—who are now grown up with children of their own—I can only imagine how difficult it is and what commitment you show in bringing them up alone.’
‘Thank you, Nick.’
The words had touched him. But Luca wondered how understanding his new boss would have been had the girls succeeded in scuppering his efforts to get them organised and had made him late on his first day of work. This was a new move and a new routine for them to get used to, and he was well aware that, at three years of age, the twins were also facing challenges in their lives.
He had dropped them off for their first day at nursery. Christine Galloway, the owner of the highly respected school, and Trish Atkins, who taught the three-year-old reception class, had assured him that Rosie and Toni would be fine. Luca smiled. He was more worried what mischief the twins might get up to!
Both girls had been keen to go and make new friends. Even so, he’d had a lump in his throat the size of a boulder when he had left them half an hour ago. It wasn’t the first time they had been parted, of course. The twins had been looked after by their grandparents so he could work, first at St Piran Hospital to finish his rotations and then as he’d done his general practice training. But this was their first day at proper nursery school and marked a big stepping-stone in their lives. All three of them were facing changes…a new home, a new school for the girls, and a new job for him.
Nick knocked on Polly’s door and a female response from within invited them to enter. Luca felt a strange prickling along his nerve-endings as he heard the voice, which was soft and throaty yet undeniably feminine. Trying to shake off the odd sensation, he followed Nick into the room, completely unprepared for the slam of awareness that crashed into him when he closed the door, turned round and looked at Polly Carrick for the first time.
Having felt nothing at all for a long time, the immediate, instinctive and unwanted reactions unnerved him. He took an involuntary pace backwards, one part of his brain screaming a denial, while the other part drank in every detail, trying to hang onto each rapid-fire sensation and observation.
The first inescapable truth was that Polly was tiny. It wasn’t that she was particularly short—as she stood up, Luca judged her to be around five feet four or five—but even wearing what looked like several layers of colourful but shape-hiding clothes, there hardly seemed to be anything of her at all. And she looked so young, scarcely more than a child herself.
The fine features of her face highlighted her delicate bone structure…accentuated further by the way she had swept soft, wavy strands of ash-blonde hair up into a loose knot at the back of her head. A few strands had escaped to feather her face and her slender neck, and his fingers itched to feel their texture and to tuck them back behind her neat, shell-like ears. The fine line of her jaw held a touch of stubbornness in the set of her chin, as if she had been forced many times to punch above her weight in order to be taken seriously. She had high cheekbones and a small, straight nose, baby-soft, pale skin, and a mouth that screamed temptation, the unglossed lips plump and rosy, designed for kissing, and settled now in a natural, sexy pout.
Then he looked at her eyes…Luca sucked in a ragged breath. Polly Carrick had the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. Fringed by ridiculously long sooty lashes, they were like the finest sapphires, a rich, deep blue with a luminous effervescence shining within them. They widened now as her gaze met his, and the predominant emotions he saw were confusion, awareness and a touch of fright.
‘Luca, meet Polly. Polly, this is Luca d’Azzaro,’ Nick introduced them, apparently oblivious to the charge of…what?
Dio! What on was going on here? Whatever it was, Polly didn’t want it any more than he did and was fighting just as hard to deny it. Luca tried to gather himself, but it proved impossible to ignore the zing of electricity that awakened every cell in his body as, unable to avoid it, he shook Polly’s reluctantly offered hand.
‘How do you do?’ she greeted him, her words polite but shaky, her voice having the same effect on him now as when he had first heard it from the other side of the door. ‘Welcome to Penhally.’
He was acutely aware of her hand in his, of the delicate bones he feared would snap if he held her too tightly and of the brush of her satin-soft skin. Looking down, he saw her paler flesh offset against the darker tones of his, and her whole small hand disappeared, enveloped within his.
‘Thank you, Polly.’
Somehow he managed to force the words out. Seconds ticked by, then Polly was drawing away, gently tugging on the hand he still held within his own. Shocked at his uncharacteristic behaviour, Luca abruptly let her go. How was he going to cope being in her company for a day, let alone the two weeks Nick had decreed?
‘Polly, I was telling Luca why I’ve paired you together even though you’ve not been with us very long yourself,’ Nick explained, continuing to show no sign that he had noted the heightened atmosphere in the room. ‘One reason is your remarkable affinity with troubled youngsters, hence the dropin clinic I encouraged you to set up.’
Luca glanced at Polly, noting at once how uncomfortable she was. Nick’s ‘encouragement’ might well come across quite differently if you were on the receiving end and brought in against your will to carry out one of his ideas.
‘It wasn’t my intention to work with a specific age group,’ Polly began, her puzzlement evident.
‘However it came about, you’re doing an excellent job and we want to give you all the support we can.’ With a benevolent smile, Nick continued, ‘The Saturday drop-in clinic has been up and running for about a month now, and it’s open to all those under eighteen who may not usually consider consulting a doctor. They can come informally for help and advice about anything that is bothering them.’
‘It’s an excellent idea,’ Luca agreed, impressed that Polly had apparently got the whole thing going single-handedly.
‘Knowing of your own interest in paediatrics, especially the older age range, I thought the project would interest you. You’ll bring Luca up to date on things, won’t you, Polly?’
‘Of course, Nick.’
Luca met her gaze and noted her reluctance. His interest was piqued by the clinic…and by Polly. He could shout denials from the rooftops, but Polly, with her beautiful eyes and elfin face, dressed in her gypsy-like clothes and fizzing with barely suppressed energy, had made a startling impression on him.
‘Good, good,’ Nick said, rubbing his hands together. ‘Luca, I’ll leave you to decide if you want to be involved and can volunteer any hours to Polly—but only if it fits in with your other commitments.’
By which Nick meant the twins, Luca knew. ‘Thank you.’
He had a way out and could say no from the outset, removing himself from the possibility of spending even more time around Polly. He opened his mouth to do just that, but before he knew what he was doing or could listen to the voice of reason nagging at the back of his mind, his words emerged very differently.
‘I’m sure Polly and I can arrange something.’
&nbs
p; ‘Splendid. And that reminds me,’ Nick continued, turning to Polly with an apologetic smile, ‘John Whittford, headmaster at the high school, received the flier you sent out about the drop-in service and he’s very keen to give it his backing.’
Polly’s smile lit up her face and took Luca’s breath away. ‘I’ll contact him and discuss it,’ she said, sitting down again and pulling her diary towards her.
‘Ah…’ Nick grimaced, a guilty expression in his eyes.
‘Is there a problem?’ she queried, glancing up, even white teeth nibbling the luscious swell of her lower lip.
Luca smothered a groan as he watched her, feeling the ache tighten deep inside him in response to the sensual gesture. He was relieved when Nick began speaking again, and he struggled to focus on the conversation and not on watching the only woman to have captured his attention and imagination in the last four years.
‘I somewhat jumped the gun,’ Nick confessed, his arms folded defensively across his chest. ‘John requested that you visit the school one day this week to speak to the pupils at assembly about the new service and I pencilled you in for Friday. Luca can go with you.’
‘I see.’
Nick seemed unaware of Polly’s reaction to his words but Luca, who had been watching her, despite his determination to do otherwise, had seen the flicker of distress in her eyes and had noted that she had visibly paled, her hands clenching until her knuckles turned white. He wondered what was wrong. Was she upset that Nick had committed her to something without her knowledge and agreement? Or was the cause something much deeper? He didn’t know, but he intended to find out—on Friday, if not before.
‘Right, I think that’s all. Luca, let me know if there is anything you need.’ Nick shook his hand once more, then turned to Polly with a nod and a smile before glancing at his watch. ‘It’s almost ten. I’ll leave you both to your morning surgery—and to get to know each other. I’m sure you’ll work well together.’
The words hung in the air as Nick crossed to the door and let himself out. A tense, charged silence remained, shimmering between them. Luca had no idea how well he and Polly would work together. What he did know was that neither of them relished the situation in which they now found themselves. Perversely, that only intrigued him more and made him wonder what Polly’s reasons were for keeping her distance and ignoring the connection they had both felt from the moment they had looked at each other. They might both resist it, but that didn’t make it any less real. Or go away.
Meeting Polly’s sapphire-blue gaze and seeing the turbulent emotions in the depths of her eyes, Luca had no doubt that getting to know each other was going to be a challenging experience, one that neither of them had anticipated or wanted—but one which was now unstoppable and that neither of them would forget.
CHAPTER TWO
HER immediate and uncharacteristic response to Luca d’Azzaro was a temporary aberration, Polly reassured herself. These peculiar feelings would pass. They had to. Any moment now she would be able to breathe again. Her heart would return to its normal, regular rhythm rather than beating out a manic tattoo like a jungle drum sending an SOS message. The restriction in her throat would ease, the aching knot deep inside her would unravel, her skin would stop tingling and her braless breasts would no longer feel so sensitised that even the soft cotton material of her crop top felt too much against taut, peaked nipples.
She took a hasty, surreptitious glance down at herself, thankful that her propensity for wearing several layers of loose clothing to disguise her body meant that the betraying evidence of her arousal to Luca was not obvious for all—and especially the man himself—to see.
‘Would you like a cup of coffee or anything?’ she asked, wishing that her voice sounded less breathy and more controlled as she broke the tense silence. She glanced at her watch. ‘There’s just time before the first appointment.’
‘No, thank you, Polly. I’m fine.’
Fine… Not the word most people would use to describe this man. An inch or two shy of six feet, and dressed in a perfectly tailored dark grey suit with a white shirt and a dark purple tie, he was, quite simply, the most stunningly gorgeous man she had ever seen. Around her own age of thirty, she estimated, his hair was short, thick and lustrous, and so dark it was almost black. The strongly defined angles of his face and clean-shaven jaw screamed masculinity. His mouth, with the sensual fullness of his lower lip and the attractive bow of the top one, promised sinful pleasure, while his eyes, under the neat dark slashes of his brows and framed by long, thick, dusky lashes, were the colour of rich, dark melted chocolate. They were deep and mysterious, burning with suppressed passion, and as she looked into them, Polly felt as if she was slipping away from reality.
And, as if his looks and sheer presence were not enough to bring her to her knees, there was his voice. Deep, warm and smoky. He spoke fluent English, but the lilting Italian accent added an undeniable sexiness and every word vibrated along her nerves.
When they had shaken hands, Polly had been struck by the stark contrasts between them. The darker tones of his olive-hued skin had highlighted the paleness of her own, as well as making her hand seem impossibly small and fragile as it all but disappeared within the clasp of his. It had made her feel both vulnerable yet protected. And given the very real sense of danger that had overwhelmed her the instant their gazes had met, she was confused how she could, at the same time, feel so safe.
Polly was shocked by Luca’s effect on her, and the magnetic pull she felt. Attempting to cover her nervousness, desperate to focus on something else, and wishing for her world to be normal again, she turned away and busied herself making extra space on her desk. She then fetched a chair for Luca so he could observe the computer screen.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured as Luca took the chair from her and eased it into place. ‘Did Nick tell you about the shadowing?’
‘I was expecting it, yes.’
‘As well as doubling up for a couple of weeks on home visits to become familiar with the district, Nick likes new doctors to spend the first day learning the way things are done in the practice in terms of sending off blood tests and samples, processing notes, referral letters, prescriptions and so on before taking their own consultations,’ she told him, aware she was babbling but unable to stop herself.
Luca’s sudden smile—revealing a dimple in his left cheek and laughter lines bracketing his eyes—took away any remaining breath she had left. ‘It makes sense. Left to my own devices I could well crash the system on my first day!’
His wry laughter and self-deprecating humour were unexpected and infectious, and Polly found herself smiling back, liking him far more than she wanted to. Once more her gaze clashed with his and a tingle shimmied down her spine. The connection between them was undeniable, the awareness in-disputable…and she was scared. She didn’t want to like him or be attracted to him.
She’d fallen for a handsome face once before, and look how that had turned out. Polly had learned the lessons of the last painful years. The hard way. And she wasn’t about to repeat her mistakes. It didn’t matter how incredible Luca was…she had vowed never to get involved with a man again and she had no intention of changing her mind or of opening herself up to any more heartache. She’d do well to remember that, she warned herself, making a supreme effort and dragging her gaze free of his.
‘If you’re ready, Luca, we should make a start.’ Taking her place at her desk, she pulled the tray of notes towards her. ‘We have a full list before lunch, then several home visits this afternoon before the next scheduled surgery, which begins at four o’clock.’
‘I’m ready, Polly.’
How could such innocuous words make her pulse race and her chest feel tight? It hadn’t been the words themselves but the delivery of them…that rough baritone voice could make a shopping list sound sexy. Polly sucked in a steadying breath as Luca drew up his chair and sat down. He was far, far too close. Now, every time she needed to use the keyboard, she would have to
lean into Luca.
Gritting her teeth, Polly tried to keep as much distance between them as possible as she reached across for her mouse. Being right-handed, she kept it on the right side of her keyboard, an added disadvantage now, but Luca picked it up and teased the cable through so she could use it without stretching.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured, flicking a sidelong glance towards him and finding him watching her.
Discomfited, she concentrated with more care than necessary on opening the required program, checking her morning list before accessing the first patient’s record and giving Luca a quick briefing. He leaned forward to study the notes and was so close that Polly became aware of his scent. She couldn’t put a name to it but, whatever it was, the subtle, faintly musky aroma was so incredibly sexy that it inflamed her senses and made her want to burrow into him and absorb the very essence of him.
Aware her eyes were closing and she was in danger of swaying towards him, just as instinct demanded, Polly jerked backwards, hastily fumbling with the first packet of notes she had drawn from the box. She cursed herself, feeling her cheeks warm with embarrassment. What was wrong with her? She never reacted like this, yet a few moments in Luca’s company and she was thinking and feeling uncharacteristic things. Thank goodness she only had to do consultations with him for one day. Even so, she wasn’t sure she would survive it. She didn’t want to think about two weeks trapped in the car doing home visits with him.
Her hand was shaking as she reached for the phone to buzz Reception. She hoped Luca hadn’t noticed—or, if he had, that he had no idea being in close proximity to him was the cause.
‘Hello, Sue,’ she said when the head receptionist answered the phone. ‘W’re Eready to start. Could you send the first patient through, please?’
‘Of course, Polly.’
Polly hung up the phone, surprised when she heard Luca sigh and whisper a couple of words in Italian. She didn’t understand what he’d said, but she caught the sentiment.
Brides of Penhally Bay - Vol 4 Page 50