by Judi Nolan
He bleakly reminded himself that three was a crowd, passing a denying hand through his hair as he rose to his feet, stripping the coverings from their hideaway.
He reached in to lift Jamie out first. His son murmured in his sleep, but didn't waken. Carrying him down the hall to his bedroom, Spencer placed him on the mattress before covering him with the comforter.
He left the door ajar and returned to the lounge. Standing, staring down at her, he was unsure what to do about Kate. His throat constricted as, against his will, he felt his lower body begin to cramp and harden further.
God help me. He could not afford to become involved with this woman in any way. What he needed from her, she wouldn't be interested in providing and Jamie needed a woman who would always be around to care for him. It was be impossible dream.
He had to find some way of shifting Kate Martin out of his house. And soon.
He stared down at the drifted wings of soft spun copper hair threaded across her flushed cheek. She looked warm and very comfortable. He guessed he would have to put her to bed. Common sense told him he couldn't leave her here no matter how much he wanted to do so.
Leaning down, he braced himself as he slid one arm behind Kate's knees, the other going behind her back for support as he gathered her into his arms. She yawned and stretched, the soft curve of her breasts pressing intimately to the hard wall of his chest as she squirmed against his hold, settling closer against him.
Perspective and distance. Spencer groaned inwardly, his arms and senses suddenly full of fragrant feminine warmth and soft, satiny skin. What the hell did he think he was doing?
"What are you doing?" Kate stiffened in his grasp. "You can put me down, you know. I'm not asleep and you're very late."
"I can see that you're not asleep. Good morning."
"Is it morning already?" Kate leaned back to frown at him, her soft lips pouting with disbelief.
She noticed Spencer's face was etched with strain. Strands of his dark hair had fallen across his forehead again. Kate's heart tumbled, its beat accelerating painfully. Her distracting, disturbing, downright sinful pirate from the garden had returned and his presence was tormenting her determined resolve over having nothing to do with this man beyond their working relationship. Professional distance was very hard to maintain when he was holding her close in his arms as if she was very precious to him.
Her fingers itched to test the dark texture of his early morning beard shadow, the roughened curve of his lean cheek, watch those long lashes sweep down to mask his gaze when she reached up to curve her hand around the back of his neck and pull his willful mouth down to hers before she––
Oh, help. Kate's pulse rocketed off the scale. Her body began to melt. She didn't need this kind of blatant masculine temptation so early in the morning. "Dr. Stelanos, please put me down. I'm too heavy. Besides, I can stand on my own two feet."
To Spencer's mind she didn't weigh much more than his son. His locked arms didn't want to move, he had to force them to slowly release her, allowing her to slide slowly down the full length of his body, his last touch helping her gain her footing among the scattered pile of cushions.
"I never doubted it for a moment."
She stared at him. "So long as we understand one another."
Spencer's lips tightened. Understanding was the last thing he wanted or needed from her. Kate Martin was going to mess with the ordered security of his life. She was going to be trouble with a ten meter capital T and he knew he had to put a stop to it. Before things spiraled too far out of control.
Everything roiling inside him strained towards her fragrant softness. He wanted to reach out and recapture her intoxicating fragrance, silence a few of the demons tormenting him with her soft mouth trapped beneath his.
"What time is it?" Kate questioned huskily, blinking up at him.
"It's after four," Spencer growled, stepping back. He latched onto the first safe thought that surfaced in his mind. "I see you've been busy in the kitchen."
Her cautious eyes lifted to study his. She looked suddenly stricken and guilty. As if he was accusing her of doing of something dangerous or dishonest.
Why can't I just quit while I'm ahead. Spencer groaned beneath his breath. Now he was sorry he'd brought the subject up. He tried to make amends. "It's a long time since I've tasted cookies that good."
"Jamie said they were his favorite. So we made a second batch. I'm sorry if you think I've overstepped some sort of boundary. But, I needed something to keep him occupied. I didn't think you'd mind."
She turned away. Spencer saw her chest rise and fall in agitation. She was obviously intent on leaving. "Hey, whoa, of course, I don't mind. And all this?" He swept a hand at the chaos of the lounge.
"Haven't you ever camped out in your own house?" Kate's eyebrows rose. "Veged out in front of the television? It's fun. Actually, the tent was Jamie's idea. But, Eric and I, we—" She halted and blinked, her eyes filling with that awful stricken look from their morning encounter in the garden.
As if she'd once again said more than she intended. It tore at Spencer's resolve to keep his distance. Leave well enough alone and get her out of his house.
"Eric...?" he prompted roughly, when Kate didn't continue.
"I...forget it. It doesn't matter." Her face closed, became watchful.
"I see." Spencer wondered what he'd said to make her suddenly look so scared.
It slammed right up against his odd need to protect this woman. From what he had no idea. Perhaps himself. The unwary thought hit him low, jangling every one of his internal warning bells, but the thought wouldn't go away.
Some man had harmed her, even put his mark on her as surely as if he had hit her; bruised her soft skin with his fists. He'd seen the evidence in her initial wariness of him. The disturbing thought settled uneasily in the back of his mind.
Eric.
Was that the guy she'd crossed half the world to get away from? The guy who'd lashed out at her?
"I'm sorry." Kate stared up at Spencer. His intent gaze was unsettling. She didn't want to know what he was thinking. "Eric was...a friend. Someone I once knew." She lifted her shoulders, turning away to gather up cushions and restore order to the room. "I...it was a long time ago. I don't wish to think about it now."
She looked back at him. "Maybe I'd better go. You'll have things you need to organize. I know I need a shower and a change of clothes before morning surgery," she finished in a rush.
"Of course." Spencer took the blanket she held out to him for folding.
Eric. So the creep was more to her than Kate was letting on. She talked about him in the past tense, but it didn't carry the ring of truth. She was still suffering for what the guy had done to her and recently too.
Spencer snapped the blanket taut, folding it in frustrated fury. If he even met him…
Kate kept her distance and they continued to work in silence. Spencer watched her move about the room. Obviously she didn't wish to discuss her past relationship or bring herself to trust him. To understand it was never his intention to hurt her by stirring up painful memories from the past. He didn't understand himself right now. Uncertainty chipped away at his sense of control.
The silence between them lengthened, became painful. Unwilling to let her leave like this, he put a hand out to detain her just as she finished patting the last cushion back into place. "At least stay for a cup of coffee. I know I could use some. I owe you for what you've done tonight and you must be hungry."
This warm, sleep tousled and barefoot Kate looked entirely delectable and too dangerous, but he couldn't send her away like this, looking distressed. But every signal, every movement of her slender body, told him she had placed herself off limits.
Kate watched him, running her tongue over her bottom lip. A safe distance from this man was what she needed right now. Space and time to reassemble the barriers she had placed around her innermost thoughts and feelings. But their talk of Eric had rattled her composure, leaving her
feeling vulnerable and confused.
"I guess I could stay." She finally allowed. "A cup of coffee would be welcome, thank you, Dr. Stelanos."
"The name is Spencer."
"Spencer," Kate breathed reluctantly, finally giving him this one small victory. Where was the real harm in that?
"You'll find it's a lot easier." Spencer turned to lead the way into the kitchen.
Kate wasn't so sure. "How's your aunt? What's her prognosis?"
She helped herself to a cookie before pulling out a stool and sat down at the scrubbed oak table across from him.
He sighed. "Disgruntled. She doesn't take kindly to people telling her what to do. Thankfully her hip wasn't fractured, but she has a mild concussion. If she takes things easy, she should make a full recovery."
"Thank goodness you were here."
Not liking other people telling them what to do appeared to be a Stelanos family trait. "How are you going to cope with Jamie while she's away?"
"We'll manage."
"Thanks." Kate accepted the mug of coffee Spencer passed to her.
He leaned back against the counter behind him. "I'll need to take the morning off, but Jake can cover for me. Alexia will no doubt have the whole hospital reorganized before lunch, if I'm not there to stop her. She's already told me she's convinced I'm keeping her in hospital as some sort of punishment. She's always been a very good martyr."
Kate felt disturbed by the idea. "I'm sure she doesn't really mean it. She must realize you're only doing what's best for her."
"Maybe," Spencer muttered bleakly. "I'm afraid we haven't seen eye to eye on a lot of things for some time, especially Jamie's upbringing. My aunt is old and very set in her ways. She would have my son brought up in a strictly Greek way, where I think he should be—"
Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the strident ringing of the telephone. Spencer apologized as he turned away, reaching out an arm to hook the receiver and bring it to his ear.
"Spencer Stelanos." He listened to the caller for a long moment, his expression darkening. "Kali mera, Papa."
Kate guessed he was speaking with his father as Spencer's lips tightened. As he replied the intriguing intonations when he spoke rapidly in Greek rippled across her skin, raising fresh goose-bumps.
She clearly heard the tightly controlled undercurrent of anger in his voice. Whatever his father was saying to him, he didn't like it. Spencer's face darkened to thunderous as the dialogue continued. His tone had become clipped and curt. Kate heard the sudden click from the other end as the connection was slashed.
"Yassou, Papa." Spencer shook his head as he dropped the receiver back into its cradle.
He looked up at Kate. "Apparently my aunt has seen fit to telephone my father and complain about my treatment of her." He pushed his fingers through his hair. "She got him out of bed. He was phoning from Melbourne to get my side of the story. He isn't pleased."
"I'm sorry." Kate shifted in acute discomfort. "It sounded like the two of you were having an argument."
"It's a Greek thing; we always sound like we're arguing. You get used to it." Spencer's mouth twisted. "Papa gets excited if he thinks any of his family isn't getting a fair deal. I think I put him straight on a few salient points. There won't be any more complaints."
His expression became grim. "It was my father's idea that Alexia came to live with us when Katerina left. He's convinced I can't look after myself. That a Greek man cannot be allowed live alone. It isn't the right thing."
His frowning gaze moved over Kate's face. "I'm told I need a woman to look after me, to keep house and maintain order in my life. I guess as some kind of substitute for a mother my son hasn't seen in over three years."
"And you disagree with your father."
"Jamie and I can get by on our own." He seemed to look through her. "Maybe it's time we did that. I'll speak to Alexia about her stirring up trouble to no good account. See what she has to say for herself."
Kate put down her empty coffee cup. "Well, I think it's well past time I left. I hope you manage to work things out with your aunt. Please let me know if there's anything more I can do to help."
"Thank you. And thanks again for tonight." Spencer moved closer to escort her out of the house. His hand settled into the small of her back as he leaned past her to open the door. "I couldn't have done it without your help."
"I enjoyed looking after your son." Kate leaned down to slip on her sandals. She straightened to find his blue eyes watching her with an unfathomable expression.
Spencer shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Perhaps you'll let us repay you with that invitation to dinner. When we've got everything sorted out."
"Perhaps." Kate nodded, trying to read his face in the darkness. Her heart did an odd little flip. She searched for safer ground. "You said earlier that you went back to see Ryan McCarthy. How is he?"
"A lot better. The antibiotics are starting to have an effect. He should come through it without any permanent scarring. He's very lucky we got to it in time."
"Yes, lucky that you could recognize what had bitten him." She paused for a long moment. "Yassou." She hitched a breath, testing the strange new word with her tongue.
In the cool, morning light she saw Spencer's quick, approving smile gleam in the soft shadows of his face. Its vital warmth curled through her senses, leaving her even more confused. This man was finding his way into her thoughts far too often. It wouldn't do. They could have nothing together.
"Yassou, Kate," he replied, his gaze suddenly intense. "Efcharisto, thank you. And since I've kept you so late, you should take the rest of the morning off. Catch up on some sleep. I would walk you home, but I have Jamie to consider so I—"
"I understand." Kate moved quickly away into the darkness. "I'll be fine and I'll go in to work around eleven."
"That's fine with me. Phone me the moment you get inside. I want to know that you've arrived safely," Spencer called after her.
Kate turned to look back once. Spencer's broad bulk was framed by the light spilling from the open doorway. His silent vigil gave Kate a distracting sense of security and belonging she couldn't explain.
It stayed with her long after she returned to the cottage and locked the door behind her. She telephoned Spencer to assure him she'd come to no harm, ending the call swiftly before going to take her shower and getting into bed.
But sleep proved elusive. Finally she got up and dressed for the day ahead, deciding she was better off at work. She was locking the cottage when Spencer's black four wheel drive pulled up beside her car.
"What's wrong?" Kate started forward even as Spencer leaned across to thrust open the passenger door.
"Get in. We've got a potentially serious burn injury to attend. I was dropping Jamie off at school, when I got the call on my cell-phone. It's only just happened."
Kate's emotional confusion went tumbling from her mind. She grabbed her medical bag before hoisting herself into the passenger seat and closing the door. "Where did it happen?"
"In the next street." Spencer accelerated out of the yard, turning into the street and heading towards the junction at the bottom of the road. "A patient of mine, Bill Jackson, decided to light his incinerator with petrol. It exploded on him. His wife has already phoned for the ambulance. I'm afraid Bill's become very accident prone over the years."
He glanced briefly at her. "What puzzles me is when she phoned, Martha asked for you. She was very insistent that you come too."
Kate gasped and sat forward. "Martha was my first patient yesterday. She's been having more frequent angina attacks. It didn't take long for me to deduce that her husband was the culprit."
"I see, so that's why she wanted you," Spencer replied. "Yes, unfortunately Bill has always been very independent, but he won't see reason. This time we must try to make him see sense."
"I agree." Kate bit her lip. "But what can we do?"
"I'll think about it." Spencer's mouth turned down. "It'll have to be d
rastic. Unfortunately Bill also has a real thing about working women, especially female doctors. Are you up some old fashioned, chauvinist talk?"
"Don't worry, I can handle it. I've been asked many times before when the real doctor is going to show up."
"I'll bet you have." He threw the vehicle into park and got out. "Here we are."
Pulling a pair of sterile gloves from her bag, Kate hurried after him as they crossed the front garden to where a sprawled figure was lying a short distance from a smoldering incinerator. Martha was standing beside him trickling water over his arm from a garden hose. They were both soaked to the skin and the old lady's face was pale, her frail body shaking with cold and reaction.
Kate heard her muttering, "Silly, silly old fool, I've told him about doing stupid things. But he won't listen. He never listens."
"Okay, Martha, we've got him." Spencer gently took the hose from her hand. "We'll take care of him. The ambulance is here so let's get you seen to first. Dr Martin can take care of Bill."
The old lady looked up. "Oh, Spencer, you came. And thank goodness you're here too, Kate. I told Bill you would help." Her voice faded out as she promptly fainted, slumping back against Spencer's broad chest.
"You can cope here?" Spencer questioned over Martha's bent head.
"Go on, take care of her. I'll be fine."
"I'll be back as soon as I can." Spencer picked up Martha's frail body and carried her away towards the ambulance.
Kate looked back to her patient, gathering herself as she sank to her knees. The old man groaned and opened his eyes.
"Who are you?" Bill frowned with suspicion.
"Dr. Kate Martin." Kate met the challenge evident his faded eyes. She waited for his reaction. It wasn't long in coming.
Bill Jackson seemed to measure her determination. "Okay, so you're the nosy new doctor woman. Martha, she told me about you." He groaned. "Where's Spence?"
"Looking after your wife. Martha fainted as we arrived. You've frightened her very badly." Her concern mounted as she began to examine his forearm.