There was a husky note in his voice that made the hair on her arms stand to attention and she shivered. She wasn’t sure how the atmosphere had become so intimate all of a sudden. The last place on earth anyone would describe as an intimate setting was a hospital scrub room, for heaven’s sake, yet she could feel the tension swirling around her, making her feel so aware of the man who was standing a few feet away from her that her heart began to pound. It was difficult to respond when she realised that Dylan had said something to her.
‘I’m sorry, what was that?’
‘I just asked if you could tape up this top for me?’ He twisted round so that Joanna could see the huge rip in the back of the garment. ‘It was the last one left on the shelf so it’s this or nothing, basically.’
‘Of course. I’ll just find some tape…’
‘I’ve got some. Here you go.’
He handed her a roll of tape then turned round. Joanna tore off a strip then pulled the edges of the cotton together ready to tape them in place. Her fingers brushed the warm skin on his bare back and it felt as though she had been struck by lightning when she felt a sizzling sensation shoot from her head right the way down to her toes.
Her hands stilled, her fingers lightly splayed across Dylan’s back. She was an expert on the feel of skin and tissue but she’d never felt anything as smooth and sensual as this. One fingertip began exploring, tracing a path up his spine, following the ridges of bone that felt so hard beneath the satin softness, and her breath caught. Dylan’s body was made of flesh, blood and bone just like any other person’s yet the description couldn’t begin to explain how it felt when she touched him. It defied all description just as it defied all logic.
He slowly turned and Joanna’s hands fell to her sides when she saw the expression in his eyes, all that awareness and tenderness. Dylan understood how she felt because he felt it, too, but was that justification enough to do something about what seemed to be happening? Could physical need—and there was no doubt in her mind that what she was feeling was desire—be enough to make her forget how dangerous it would be to get involved with him?
What it all came down to was one simple question: was she prepared to compromise her career and everything she had achieved for a few hours of pleasure?
CHAPTER FIVE
DYLAN could feel his heart pounding. He glanced down, half expecting to see some physical evidence of what was happening inside him, but there was no visible sign of the emotional turmoil he was experiencing.
His eyes returned to Joanna’s face and his legs seemed to turn to water when he saw the expression it held. He had always considered himself to be a fairly good judge of people and that, more often than not, he could tell what they were thinking. Nevertheless, he had no idea what was going through Joanna’s head at that moment and the realisation scared him half to death. He needed to stop her doing anything rash, like cutting short their burgeoning feelings for one another before she’d given him the chance to prove how good it could be between them.
‘Joanna, you must listen,’ he began desperately, then broke off with a muffled groan of frustration when the door bounced back against the wall as Lucy elbowed her way into the room.
‘Would you believe these are the last sterile towels left in the entire hospital?’ the sister announced in disgust, dumping the linen onto a shelf. ‘It turns out that the firm who’s supposed to provide them didn’t deliver yesterday so we’ve run out!’
Dylan saw Joanna blink as though she’d been woken from a trance. He ached to say something but there was nothing he could do with the other woman standing there. He could hardly declare his feelings when it would only embarrass Joanna.
He gritted his teeth, wondering when he would be able to recapture the mood. Joanna had been caught off guard but it wouldn’t happen again, he realised as he watched her both physically and mentally drawing back. Maybe she had been affected by his nearness and the fact that she’d been touching him—he had to pause at this point and take a deep breath when he remembered her fingertip travelling along his spine but he knew it wouldn’t happen again because she would be wary in future. It was so frustrating that he could have beaten his head against the wall only that certainly wouldn’t have done anything to inspire her confidence. He had to convince her to trust him with her heart as much as she trusted him with her patients. The thought was so mind-blowingly deep that he might have keeled over if Lucy hadn’t unwittingly come to his aid.
‘Just look at the state of that scrub suit. It’s an absolute disgrace! Here, I’ll tape it together for you but something needs to be done about those suppliers.’ She took the roll of tape from Joanna and briskly taped his top together. ‘There. That should at least preserve your modesty, Dr Archer.’
‘Thanks.’ He managed to dredge up a smile but it was a poor effort. He looked round when Joanna suddenly marched to the door, realising that he had to say something before she left. He didn’t want her getting upset about what had happened just now. ‘Joanna…’
‘I’m going to phone Adrian Watts and get him to do something about this.’ She quite deliberately cut him off, making it clear that she didn’t want to hear what he had to say. Dylan’s nostrils flared as he fought to control his impatience. He would just have to try and sort things out at a later date although he knew it was going to be an uphill struggle.
Joanna ignored him as she turned to Lucy. ‘Will you let everyone know what’s happening? I shouldn’t be more than ten minutes but I’m not prepared to put up with this situation any longer. It’s bad enough when staff have to wear torn clothing but when patients’ lives are being put at risk because of inadequate supplies then it’s unforgivable.’
‘Of course.’ Lucy grimaced as Joanna left the room. ‘Oh, dear, it sounds as though Adrian is going to get an earful. Mind you, he deserves it. The whole supply system has gone to the dogs since he took over.’ She glanced at the clock and chuckled. ‘Ten minutes past four. I bet he gets another ear-bashing from his wife about them being woken up at this unearthly hour!’
Dylan murmured something but he was glad when Lucy hurried off to tell the others what was happening. He scrubbed up then went back into Theatre and worked steadily until six o’clock. He dispatched the final patient to the recovery bay then went to get dressed. It didn’t seem worth going home when he was on duty at eight but he needed a breathing space, time to get the smell of antiseptic out of his nostrils and thoughts of Joanna out of his mind. He would be a basket case unless he managed to put this situation into perspective.
The January morning was bitterly cold and dark when he left the hospital a short time later. The streetlamps were still lit but there were few people about. He strolled along the road until he came to the park and on a sudden whim went in and sat on a bench near the gate. It was really too cold to sit outside at this time of the year but the icy air felt good after the artificial warmth in Theatre.
He breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with air that was fresher than what he’d left behind even if it didn’t have that quality much beloved by poets of tasting of wine. Essence of diesel was a better description of London’s air!
A smile curled his mouth at the thought and he was still smiling when a woman suddenly appeared. Dylan watched her hesitate outside the gate then slowly come into the park, and in a funny way realised that he’d been half expecting this to happen. That Joanna should have had the same idea as him after the hectic night they’d had seemed only fitting.
He stood up as she approached, wondering what she would do when she saw him. He hoped she wouldn’t turn tail and leave but he would understand if she did. She was as wary of him as he was eager to get to know her and whilst that meant there was a certain balance to their relationship, it didn’t bode well for harmony. All he could do was hope that she would realise he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. He would lay down his life rather than cause her any pain and it was a sobering thought, almost as sobering as the one that followed it.
He had fallen in l
ove with Joanna Martin in the space of a single day and a night.
Joanna couldn’t remember when she’d last felt so tired. She was used to the long hours that were a surgeon’s lot but the weariness she felt now stemmed from an emotional as well as a physical source. What had happened in the scrub room with Dylan had shocked her to the core. She had always considered herself to be a woman who was in control of her life but for those few minutes nothing had mattered apart from the feel of his body under her hands. She’d wanted him so much that it had left a lingering ache inside her that wouldn’t seem to budge, which was why she had decided to try and walk it off. Cold air and exercise were supposed to be the antidote to unrequited passion and she was putting the theory to the test.
A figure suddenly appeared in front of her and she stopped dead. All of a sudden she became uncomfortably aware that it really wasn’t sensible to be wandering around a London park in the dark. She half turned to hurry back up the path when the man spoke, and the sound of his voice stole all the strength from her limbs.
‘Don’t go, Joanna. Please.’
It was the ‘please’ that did it, she thought afterwards, that note of entreaty in Dylan’s voice which was impossible to resist. She glanced back and knew she was lost the moment she felt her heart race when he smiled at her. Her head might know it was dangerous to let this continue but her stubborn heart refused to listen. It was playing on the fact that she was too tired and too emotional to fight back. She stood in silence as Dylan came towards her. He stopped in front of her and it seemed the most natural thing in the world when he bent and kissed her softly on the cheek.
‘Thank you for not running away,’ he murmured, his voice sounding very deep and husky in the quiet of the morning. ‘I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had, but I do appreciate it.’
He took hold of her hand, frowning when he felt how cold it was. ‘You’re freezing! Here, let me warm you up.’ He laced his fingers between hers and slid both their hands into the pocket of his overcoat as he began walking along the path. Joanna shivered when she felt the warmth seeping into her. She knew she should pull her hand away but it felt too good to deprive herself of such a simple pleasure.
Her hand nestled deeper into his coat pocket and she heard Dylan let out a small sigh of contentment. For some reason it pleased her that he was pleased even though she couldn’t understand why it should matter. It just did and she had to be content with that because she was far too tired to look for an explanation.
They did a full circuit of the park then stopped when they arrived back at their starting point. Dylan turned to face her and his expression was filled with tenderness when he looked into her eyes.
‘It feels good to be out in the open air after the night we had, doesn’t it?’
‘It does.’
‘Do you fancy another turn around the park or can I tempt you to a cup of coffee? There’s an all-night café not far from here so we could even have some breakfast if you fancy it.’
‘That sounds good,’ she agreed, realising in surprise that she was hungry.
‘Great!’ His face broke into a grin as he spun her round and headed for the gate at top speed.
‘Why the rush?’ Joanna demanded, trotting along beside him in her high-heeled evening shoes, not the best kind of footwear to choose to negotiate the cracked tarmac.
‘Because I’m absolutely ravenous, and if I don’t get something to eat soon I might just pass out!’ he declared, not slowing down as he hustled her out of the park.
She chuckled at the fervent note in his voice. ‘And after you had that wonderful dinner last night, too.’
‘That was hours ago. Anyway, I’m not sure I agree with you about it being “a wonderful dinner”.’
‘Wasn’t it to your liking?’ she asked in surprise, because she’d really enjoyed the meal. The smoked salmon starter had been absolutely delicious, almost as good as the tender slices of duck breast nestling on an endive salad which had followed it. It had been a vast improvement on the usual hospital fare and she was rather surprised that Dylan hadn’t enjoyed it.
‘Oh, it was fine. There just wasn’t enough of it. Nouvelle cuisine is all well and good but I prefer it when there’s less of the “nouvelle” and more of the “cuisine”. Having your food cut into fancy shapes might look pretty but it doesn’t exactly fill you up.’
‘I suppose not.’ Joanna laughed again then realised that she had laughed more in the past twenty-four hours than she’d done in ages. She hurriedly chased away the thought that it was all Dylan’s doing because she couldn’t cope with any more evidence of the effect he had on her. ‘Do I take it that this café we’re going to doesn’t go in for nouvelle cuisine, then?’
‘You take it right.’ He stopped at the kerb then hurried her across the road after he’d checked there was no traffic coming. ‘They believe in serving generous portions there so I hope you’re up to it?’
‘If that’s a challenge, Dr Archer, I accept. Anything you can eat, I can eat, too!’
‘You might live to regret that,’ he warned, but she shook her head.
‘No chance! I could eat a horse at this precise moment.’
‘Then I’ll see what I can do!’
He took her arm, drawing her against him as they hurried along the street. Joanna could feel their hips bumping together as they walked and a strange feeling of security settled over her. Maybe it was silly to let herself get too close to this man but just for once she didn’t want to worry about doing the right thing. Anyhow, what harm could there be in enjoying his company for a short while so long as she made it clear to him later that it had been a one-off experience?
Her heart ached when Dylan stopped outside the café and opened the door. She knew it wouldn’t be easy to tell him that, but she didn’t have a choice. Getting involved with Dylan would be a mistake for any number of reasons and not just because of the damage it could do to her career. It would affect the whole of her life and she wasn’t ready for that, couldn’t cope with the thought of having to make such massive changes. After they’d had breakfast she would make it clear that their dealings with each other had to be on a strictly professional footing in the future. It would be the best thing to do for both their sakes even though it was very hard to accept that.
‘Sausage, bacon, tomatoes, fried bread, eggs…How do you like your eggs, Joanna?’
Dylan lowered the menu, hiding his smile when he saw Joanna’s expression. He had offered to order for them both and was making the most of the opportunity. Was she having second thoughts about accepting his challenge? he wondered tenderly, watching her bite her lip. Or was there something else worrying her? Alarm bells suddenly started to ring inside his head but he managed not to show how tense he felt when she looked up.
‘Fried, sunny side up, please.’
‘Fine. Make that a double order for both of us, please, Mario. Oh, and can you bring us some toast as well? We may as well go the whole hog.’
‘Sì, Dottore Archer.’
The waiter hurried away, shouting their order to the cook in rapid-fire Italian. Dylan took a small breath to try and calm his nerves. Was Joanna having second thoughts about being here with him? Was she having second and third thoughts about the way they’d walked around the park together, her hand snugly tucked into his pocket?
He sensed it was true and sighed because it wasn’t going to be easy to convince her there was nothing to worry about. She’d only known him a day and she was bound to have doubts about what seemed to be happening, but he had to find a way to reassure her. He needed her in his life and he wasn’t prepared to give up at the first hurdle.
‘Do you come here very often?’
A smile curled his mouth when she trotted out that old chestnut in such a serious tone. She was completely unaware of what she’d said so he answered just as seriously, not wanting to embarrass her with some kind of teasing remark. His heart jolted because he would have had no hesitation about making a joke if anyone ot
her than Joanna had come out with that question and it just seemed to prove how special she was.
‘Quite often, as you probably guessed from the fact that Mario knows my name.’
He cleared his throat when he heard the emotion in his voice. Falling in love was something he had often wondered about in a detached kind of a way. He’d dismissed all the descriptions he’d read about bells ringing and hearts racing as a lot of foolish nonsense. Maybe people did experience a certain physical reaction when they met the person they wanted to spend their life with, but he’d firmly believed that it was the result of simple sexual desire. However, it wasn’t just the fact that he wanted to make love to Joanna—and he did!—but he also wanted to cherish her, protect her, hear her laugh when she was happy and comfort her when she was sad. It was the whole kit and caboodle he felt, an emotional outpouring so intense that it stunned him. It was a wonder he was still able to function, in fact.
‘I tend to come here whenever I’ve had a really heavy day and can’t be bothered cooking for myself.’ He cleared his throat again, worried that he would reinforce those second thoughts she was having if he didn’t get a grip. ‘The food is good and there’s none of that nonsense you get at so many restaurants with the waiter hovering around you all the time. Mario takes your order, brings your food and leaves you in peace.’
‘A real bonus,’ she agreed, unbuttoning her coat and letting it fall over the back of her chair.
Dylan picked up a fork and began gouging tracks into a paper napkin while he willed himself to calm down. Joanna was wearing the same dress she’d worn for dinner the previous night and he couldn’t help thinking once again how lovely she looked. The black velvet was the perfect foil for her delicate colouring, highlighting the fairness of her skin and the soft gold of her hair. A few wisps had escaped from their elegant knot and were curling around her ears, softening the rather austere image she normally projected. She was a beautiful and desirable woman and everything that was male in him responded to her in a way that was quite frankly alarming. He had always believed that people should keep their private life private, yet he could have happily swept her out of that chair, laid her down on this table and made mad, passionate love to her!
The Pregnant Surgeon Page 6