Daring to Date Her Boss

by Joanna Neil

  ‘Thanks for coming,’ his mother said quietly. ‘He’s been like this for the last couple of hours. He’s been sick quite a bit and complaining of the light, and any kind of noise upsets him and seems to make things worse.’

  Tyler went to sit on the edge of the settee. ‘Hi, Lewis. Would it be all right if I take a look at you? Perhaps we’ll be able to do something about this headache of yours.’

  Lewis slowly drew himself up into a sitting position. It was plain to see that he was completely incapacitated by the headache. He looked drowsy, utterly exhausted, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead. ‘Can you make it go away?’ he pleaded.

  ‘I’m sure we can. Do you want to tell me about it? When did it start?’

  ‘This afternoon, at school. I kept seeing all these sparkly lights in my eyes and one of the teachers had to bring me home.’

  Gently, Tyler examined him, checking his reflexes and paying particular attention to his ears, throat and glands.

  ‘First of all,’ he said when he had finished, ‘you need to know that nothing dangerous is going on here. It’s just a very nasty headache that can be treated.’

  Nicole relaxed her shoulders and gave a soft sigh of relief. ‘It’s not like an ordinary headache, though, is it?’ she said.

  ‘No, that’s right...it’s a migraine. They’re usually brought on by some kind of trigger—fluorescent light, flickering lights, certain foods or smells, stress, tiredness...even changes in the weather can do it in some circumstances.’ He sent Saskia a quick glance and she gave him a superior, I told you so look in return. ‘What you need to do,’ he added, ‘is find Lewis’s particular trigger and get him to avoid it as best he can. It will help if you keep a diary to note down the circumstances around when the headaches start.’

  He opened his medical case and drew out a packet of tablets. ‘He should take one of these now—if he doesn’t manage to keep it down I can give him an injection, but this should help with the sickness and the headache. I’ll write you out a prescription for some more tablets, and he’ll need to take one of them at the first sign of a migraine. The sooner he takes it, the better it will work.’

  ‘Thanks, Tyler. I know I shouldn’t have bothered you, but I couldn’t get an urgent appointment with the family doctor and I was so worried. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.’

  ‘That’s all right. I’ll send a letter to his GP and he’ll follow up on his treatment from here on.’

  They waited with Lewis for a while to make sure he kept the medication down, and it was only when the boy finally fell asleep that Tyler made a move to leave. ‘I’m sure he’ll be okay now,’ he said, ‘but if you’re worried at all, give me a call.’

  They said goodbye and left the house. It was getting dark outside and around them the trees were billowing, their branches bending in the wind.

  Saskia slid into the passenger seat of the car. ‘The sky looks heavy with cloud,’ she said, adding, tongue in cheek, ‘You know, I might already have mentioned it, but I think we’ve been through a low-pressure system lately and we’re definitely in for one of those storms that builds up over the Atlantic.’

  Tyler grinned and turned the car off the main road, heading for home. ‘Okay, okay...I get the point.’

  They picked up the children from Rosie and then Saskia shepherded them into their house as thunder grumbled overhead and the first rain began to fall. Tyler parked the car in the garage and cast a quick glance at the sky before hurrying next door.

  The storm continued to rumble for the next hour or so while Saskia went about her chores, and she was baking Cornish pasties when the lights suddenly went out. She stood in darkness for a while, trying to work out what to do for the best. There was a lantern somewhere around and a couple of torches in one of the kitchen drawers, but it was difficult to find her way about until her eyes grew accustomed to the dark.

  ‘What’s happened?’ Becky asked.

  ‘The electricity’s gone off,’ Caitlin answered.

  ‘It’s because of the storm, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes,’ Saskia agreed, as she felt her way around the kitchen to the drawer she needed. ‘I expect the power lines are down. We’ll just have to do the best we can for now. Try to stay where you are,’ she told the children. ‘We don’t want you bumping into things.’

  A flash of lightning lit the room and everyone stared, caught like rabbits in headlights. Charlie’s bottom lip quivered and Boomer looked up from his bed in the corner of the room briefly, before going back to sleep.

  ‘It’s all right, Charlie,’ Saskia murmured, pulling open the drawer and feeling inside it for one of the torches. ‘There’s nothing to worry about. It just means we don’t have any lights or any means of cooking until the engineers get the power back on.’ The Aga was powered totally by electricity and, of course, they would have no means of heating.

  ‘Won’t we get any dinner?’ Charlie asked fretfully in the darkness. ‘I’m hungry.’

  ‘Um—I think the pasties are just about cooked. I’ll leave them in the hot oven for a while to finish off.’ She found the torch and switched it on. ‘Becky, you can hold the other one. Caitlin, you need to sit down. We don’t want you getting dizzy in the dark.’

  The doorbell rang some fifteen minutes later and she went to answer it, guided by the beam of the torch.

  ‘I wondered how you’re managing with the power cut?’ Tyler was holding a lantern that burned brightly in the darkness. Rain lashed at him, and she quickly drew him inside the house. ‘Do you have enough candles or lamps?’ he asked.

  She shook her head. ‘It didn’t occur to me to get any in,’ she said, biting her lip at her lack of foresight. ‘We’re all in the kitchen, sitting round the table by torchlight.’ She made a wry smile. ‘The children are bored to tears already because they can’t get Wi-Fi.’

  His mouth curved briefly. ‘Well, luckily I have plenty of battery-powered lamps and a duel-fuel Aga, so at least I can boil a pan of water for hot drinks and one of the ovens is working.’ His brow creased. ‘Why don’t you all come round to my house while the power’s out? If the lines are down it could take quite a while to get the lights back on—last time this happened it was several hours before things were back to normal.’

  ‘Okay...if you’re sure?’ It sounded as though they might be in this for the long haul, and although she was certain she would be able to cope, she doubted the children would manage for long. ‘Would it be all right if the children bring some toys with them? And what about Boomer?’

  ‘Yes, that’s fine...and, of course, Boomer must come.’ He moved restlessly. ‘Get them to bring whatever they need. The only thing is, I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me while I get on with my presentation—I printed out what I’d done of the speech because I was worried the power might go off, but I still have to make alterations to it and sort out the slide presentation while the battery power lasts on the laptop.’

  ‘Of course. I understand.’ She glanced at him. He’d taken the time to think about how they were getting along, but he seemed tense, in a hurry to get on, and she was concerned for him. He’d missed lunch at work today because of an emergency that had come in, and she suspected he was driving himself way too hard.

  He handed her the lantern. ‘Take this with you while you find what they need. I’ll manage with the torch.’

  ‘Thanks, Tyler.’

  They quickly gathered together whatever they thought they might need, and finally Saskia took the pasties from the oven and put them all in a large ovenproof dish with a lid to keep the heat in. At least they wouldn’t go hungry.

  A few minutes later they all hurried over to Tyler’s house, keeping their heads down because of the driving rain and clutching their coats around them to keep out the fierce wind. Another flash of lightning cracked
across the sky, and a few seconds later thunder rumbled ominously overhead.

  ‘I don’t like it,’ Charlie said, pinned to the spot, his face crumpling, and Tyler swooped him up into his arms and carried him into the house.

  ‘It’s fine. It’s nothing to worry about,’ he told him. ‘If you count how many seconds pass between the lightning flash and the thunder, you can tell how far away the lightning is. Try it next time. Every five seconds is about one mile, so I reckon the lightning’s about two miles away.’ He looked at Charlie, but the boy had his head buried in his jacket. ‘Anyway, it’s not going to hurt you.’

  Once they were all inside the house, Tyler made sure they were comfortable and settled in the living room before he excused himself to go back to work in his study. ‘Do you think you have enough light in here?’ he asked Saskia. ‘I can bring in some more lamps if you need them.’

  ‘No, we’re fine,’ she said. She looked around. ‘They’ve already sorted themselves out...see?’ Becky and Charlie had tipped a tub of small plastic building blocks over the large Oriental rug and were busy building a castle of some sort, and Caitlin was cosy in an armchair, listening to music through her earphones.

  ‘And you—what will you do? Will you be all right? I hate to leave you like this, but I need to get this presentation sorted. I have to be on my way to the mainland by ten in the morning.’

  ‘I’ve brought a book with me,’ she said. ‘I should be able to read it well enough with the light from the lamp.’ He’d placed an oil-burning lamp on the table by the sofa. ‘Don’t worry about us. We’ll be okay.’

  ‘All right, then. Make yourselves hot drinks and snacks whenever you want them. You’ll find everything you need in the cupboards in the kitchen.’

  ‘Thanks.’ She sent him a quick glance. ‘Have you eaten yet? I know you didn’t have time for lunch.’

  ‘I grabbed something from the snack bar this afternoon,’ he said. ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘Hmm. What was that—a sticky bun?’ She knew she’d guessed right from the crooked slant of his mouth. She didn’t think he was fine at all. It wasn’t like him to appear pressured in any way, but his features were taut and from the way his silky black hair peaked in small spikes she guessed he’d been running his hand through it.

  He escaped to the study, leaving Saskia to make her way to the kitchen, where she set about serving up the hot pasties. The appetising smell soon wafted on the air. The combination of beef, onion and potato in a thick pastry crust should make for a warming, filling meal, and would keep everyone happy for a while.

  When the children were settled around the table, tucking in, she made a pot of tea and slid a couple of pasties on a plate for Tyler.

  She knocked on the door of his study and went in. ‘I thought you might like something to eat,’ she said.

  He looked up at her, frowning. ‘I can’t take food from you,’ he protested. ‘You’ll have made enough for yourself and the children. I’ll get something later when I’ve finished working.’

  She shook her head. ‘We’ve all eaten—I made plenty because I never know who’s going to want more. Please, eat up. I made you some tea as well.’

  He made as though to prevaricate and she said firmly, ‘You have to get some food inside you or you won’t be in any fit state to do anything. You’re a doctor—I shouldn’t have to tell you that.’

  He smiled and gave in, pushing away his paperwork and accepting the plate she offered. ‘Mmm...these are good,’ he said, biting into a golden pasty and savouring the moment. ‘Perfect.’

  ‘I’m glad you think so.’ She glanced at the piles of paper on his desk and the colourful diagram that was displayed on the laptop screen. ‘How’s it going?’

  ‘All right, I think. I’m trying to get as much done as I can while the battery lasts. I have to change the order of some of the points in the speech and edit some of the slides, but I’m getting there.’ He took another bite from his pasty.

  ‘Good, I’m glad. But perhaps the power will come back on soon and you won’t need to worry.’

  ‘Actually, this is going to last for quite a while,’ he said. ‘I rang the electricity company and they say the lines are down and it could take several hours before the problem’s fixed. It might even be as late as tomorrow morning.’

  He gave it some thought. ‘Perhaps you should sort out some nightwear for yourself and the children if you’re going to stay here overnight. Caitlin and Becky can have the large guest bedroom, and Charlie should be okay in the room next to them.’ He glanced at her. ‘There’s a second en suite room that you could use.’

  ‘Oh...’ She was startled. ‘I hadn’t expected it would come to that. It’s thoughtful of you to offer. Thank you.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’ He swallowed some of the hot tea and then gave her a searching glance. ‘So, how are things going with you lately? Is there any more news about your brother and his wife?’

  ‘Megan seems to be feeling much better now, but Sam...’ she sent him a troubled look ‘...Sam is having some problems with his breathing. They’re not sure what’s causing it. It’s not the infection any longer because that cleared up.’

  ‘I’m sorry. It’s a worry for you.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You’ve had a lot to deal with. And what about that business last weekend? Have you heard any more from Michael? I take it he went back to Cornwall without giving you any more trouble?’

  ‘He did.’ She sat down on the edge of his desk and his gaze followed her movements, gliding over the neat fit of her skinny jeans and lingering on the floaty, scoop-necked top that she was wearing. ‘Uh...he rang me a couple of days ago to say that he was sorry for the way he’d behaved over the last few months. He said he’d come to his senses and that I could have my old job back any time I wanted. He said he wouldn’t give me any trouble.’

  His eyes narrowed a fraction. ‘How do you feel about that?’

  She hesitated. ‘I’m not sure. I think I trust him not to cause problems for me any more—he said he acted the way he did because he’d become obsessed with me and he wanted me back. He thought if I didn’t have a job here I would end up going back to him. It’s a sort of twisted logic—but he seems to be aware of his behaviour and wants to change.’

  She sighed. ‘I suppose talking things through with him made me take stock of my situation. If things don’t work out for me here, getting my old job back might seriously be an option after all.’

  His brows shot up in astonishment. ‘You wouldn’t really consider going back there, would you?’

  She gave a small shrug. ‘I might not have any choice—after all, I don’t have any guarantee of a job here, do I? I’d have to look for work—not necessarily at my old hospital but somewhere on the mainland.’

  Guardedly, he stood up. ‘I wouldn’t have thought there was going to be a problem over you working here. After all, you only have to get through the next few weeks—’

  ‘Maybe, but how do I know that at the end of it you won’t decide I’m not up to the job? What if another patient decides to go walkabout or someone’s medication doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do? Or if my seasickness becomes a problem?’

  She looked at him, her green eyes troubled. ‘After all, you’re the one who had doubts about me in the first place—you’re the one who set up the three-month trial condition, aren’t you? Under any other circumstances, with a different employer, I would have been given the job outright. It was only because Michael planted the seed of doubt in your mind that you thought I might one day let you down.’

  She frowned. ‘I’ve been on edge ever since I started work here. I’m not sure I want to go on feeling that I’m somehow not up to scratch and have to go on proving myself.’

  ‘You don’t have to prove yourself and you shouldn’t feel that way. You’re a good doctor, Sa
skia. I’m sorry if I made you feel otherwise.’ He ran his hand lightly down her arm. ‘You’re right, I was concerned in the beginning, but I was wrong. I realise that now. But I can’t change the contract terms—James Gregson is a stickler for following procedure. It isn’t too long to wait, is it? I don’t want you to leave...you must know that.’

  He was thoroughly shaken by what she’d said, that was plain to see, but the truth was she didn’t feel secure, and she didn’t know how he truly felt about her. ‘Perhaps. I’m not really sure. I don’t always understand where you’re coming from. I think I’m getting mixed signals from you, Tyler. It’s confusing. I don’t know where I am.’

  ‘I think you’re a great doctor and a wonderful, caring woman...’ His blue gaze searched her face. ‘I hate to think of you leaving. All I know is I can’t bear the thought of you going back to him. I need you to stay here, Saskia...with me.’ His hand slid around her waist and came to rest, palm flat, against the small of her back. ‘I need you. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re beautiful, irresistible...you take my breath away.’

  He drew her up against him, pressuring her against his long, hard body, and before she knew what was happening his head bent towards her and he was kissing her, an urgent, passionate kiss full of pent-up emotion. She felt the taut strength of his body next to hers, his powerful thighs compelling her into the rounded edge of the mahogany desk, and all the while his arms enclosed her, his hands stroking her soft curves.

  ‘I’ve tried to hold back all this time,’ he said huskily, ‘but it’s been nothing but torment.’ His hands swept along the length of her and came to linger on the firm swell of her hips. ‘You can’t really be thinking of going back to him, can you?’

  ‘Not to him...I never said that...but...’ Her voice trailed away as his hands moved over her, seeking out all the contours of her body. He lightly cupped her breast, his thumb brushing the hardening nub in slow, mesmerising circles. ‘Tyler, I...’