The Nurse's Twin Surprise

by Sue MacKay

  ‘No one’s said that to me since Gran died. Wait and see,’ Molly mimicked in a funny voice. ‘Don’t be impatient, girl.’

  Despite the mire in his head, he laughed. Because Molly made him forget what he’d survived and had him wanting to do whatever it took to get her life back. And his. ‘You were close to your grandmother?’

  ‘She was my rock, especially as a child. Believed in me, and taught me a lot about being strong, and not taking for granted everything my mother provided.’ Molly hiccupped and turned to stare out the window at the passing scenery. ‘If only I’d listened harder before I got married.’

  Anger rose in Nathan. Give him ten minutes with the man who’d done this to her. But it wasn’t happening, which was probably just as well. He had to accept she was recovering—without any input from him. He swallowed, flicked the music on, and pointed out some landmarks as he drove.

  Molly stared out the window. ‘It’s a beautiful spot.’ A gasp erupted from that soft mouth as he turned onto his street. ‘You’re taking me to your house.’

  No fooling her. ‘Yes. If I’m keeping you from getting some sleep then I’m sorry. We don’t have to stay long and then I’ll run you home.’

  If I haven’t found another reason for bringing you here apart from the real one.

  ‘I stopped wanting to go to sleep before the mushrooms arrived at the table.’

  ‘Good to know I haven’t been boring you the whole morning.’ He laughed. Again. See? Molly did that to him. It was scary. Yes, and a little bit fun—exciting, even. Could Rosie have been right when she’d said he would love again? Pulling into his drive, he slowed, braked, and breathed deeply. Who’d have known lungs could ache so sharply when deprived of oxygen? ‘This is the back. Come around the front.’

  She was quiet as they walked along the pebbled pathway to the fenced edge of his property and looked over the public walkway to the grass area and the ocean beyond. Her silence continued for a good five minutes, making Nathan nervous, though he had no idea why. About to ask her what she was thinking, he hesitated, and was rewarded with a big smile. One of those ones that warmed him from his heart to the tips of his toes, and all places in between.

  ‘It’s stunning,’ she said with a spark in her eyes he hadn’t seen before. ‘Truly fabulous.’

  Then she might be open to his suggestion. If it was the right thing to offer. Hell, he was nervous. Strange. It wasn’t as if he was putting his heart on the line—he was merely helping Molly out. No, he’d been lucky in love once. No one got a second crack at that. Spinning around, he began striding back towards the house. There was no denying, though, that to have Molly in his space meant never getting her out of his head. Did he want to? So much for a challenge. Now he had another one. To love or to walk away while he still could. He stumbled. Damn, but he needed to get a new pair of shoes. These ones were tripping him left and right.

  ‘Nathan? Are you all right?’ Molly called from a little way behind him.

  ‘I’m fine,’ he replied tersely. ‘Come inside.’ His alter ego wasn’t letting him away with not saying why he’d brought her home. Pressing the numbers to the security system a little too hard, he ground his teeth in frustration. He didn’t know if he was coming or going, but helping Molly out was suddenly top of his list. Spontaneity was not one of his strong characteristics, and yet...

  At the entrance Molly hesitated, making him feel uncomfortable. His fault. He should have told her straight away why he’d brought her here. ‘You mentioned looking for somewhere bigger than your apartment. I have a self-contained flat you might be interested in renting.’ There. He couldn’t retract it. Heading down the hall, he held his breath. Would she follow? Or would she run out of the house screaming he’d gone too far? No, she wasn’t running. Neither was she saying anything. Walking into the flat’s living area, he turned to face her. Stunned was the only way to describe her expression. ‘Molly?’

  ‘Why would you offer me somewhere to live?’

  I have no idea. Except for this strange sensation poking me in the belly—and the chest.

  ‘If you want somewhere temporary, that’s fine. Your call.’

  Stunned turned to irritated. ‘Thanks.’ Sarcasm dripped between them. She wasn’t looking around, that fierce look he’d only got to know yesterday was back. Worse, her hands were on her hips, fingers tight.

  Obviously he wasn’t going to be let off the question swinging between them. ‘This is going to waste, and if you can use it, why not?’ Totally true, just not all the truth.

  Her hands dropped away, the fierceness softened.

  A return to her good books? He hoped so. He believed more than he could have imagined that he needed her to accept he had her back.

  ‘Thank you,’ Molly said. He’d have missed the lifting of her lips if he hadn’t been so focused on her. ‘I’m a bit surprised. Actually, forget a bit. I’m shocked. I mean, we haven’t exactly been the best of friends—until now—yet you’re saying I should move into your house?’

  ‘Take a look around, Molly. That’s all I’m suggesting.’

  And don’t ask me anything I’m not prepared to answer—because I don’t actually have the answers.

  Relief spiralled through him as she wandered away to peek into the double bedroom and then the bathroom, and back to the living room with the kitchen in the corner. At least she was looking. That had to be a good sign. She wasn’t about to chop his head off with one of those fast judo moves. He opened the glass doors leading onto the small deck overlooking the sweeping front lawn, which gave the flat a sense of more space than was real. He knew the instant she came to stand beside him, his whole body being on Molly alert.

  ‘It’s lovely. And private.’

  That had to be a plus, surely? Or maybe not, given her need for security. ‘Like I said, I fell in love with this place the moment I set eyes on it and have no regrets.’ Nathan looked around and felt happiness swelling in his chest. He’d got it right, and could picture his children running around the lawn one day in the future, when his heart got back to being more than a pump. Something else Rosie had been right about.

  ‘I can see why.’ Molly was stalling.

  His gut tightened. He wanted her to move in. Why? As she’d pointed out, they’d hardly got on until yesterday, their norm not having been overly friendly. Yet in little more than twenty-four hours they had done a complete flip. He’d held her in his arms, caressed her with his lips, held her hand as they’d walked to the café, breathed her scent. And found none of that was nearly enough.

  ‘Come on. You need to see the water up close.’ Once again her hand was in his as he strode out, heading back towards the grass strip and sea beyond. Now who was stalling? He did not want to hear her say, no, thanks, and that she’d find somewhere else more suitable to live in her own time.

  Damn. He should be grateful if she came out with that. What was wrong with him? A few hours in Molly’s company and he acted crazy, inviting her to live in his house and holding her hand like they had something going on. His fingers relaxed their grip on hers and he put a bit of space between them. Tried for sane and sensible. Boring.

  ‘Nathan, do you honestly think it would work with me living here when we’re usually on the same shifts in the ED? We’ll never get away from each other.’

  Go for ordinary, light and friendly. ‘You don’t think two breakfasts makes us best friends now?’

  She stared up at him, those hands back on her hips, this time a hold that didn’t indicate her life depended on it, fingers still pink. ‘I’m not sure that’s what I want.’

  ‘You prefer us being aloof with each other?’

  The riotous curls flicked all over her scalp as she shook her head. ‘I know you better than that now.’ Her mouth lifted, those lips curving seductively. The green in her eyes gleamed like sun on an emerald.

  His heart skittered. What
the hell? Reaching for her, he brought his mouth to rest on hers, waited in case she didn’t want this. When she didn’t move away, the need clawing throughout his body won out, and he pressed his lips against hers, and proceeded to kiss her as he’d been thinking of doing since yesterday. Apparently since the day she’d arrived in the ED, if his sense of finally getting somewhere, of the future opening up, was to be believed.

  Molly O’Keefe had done a number on him, good and proper. Funny thing was, he didn’t give a damn.

  CHAPTER SIX

  MOLLY FELL AGAINST NATHAN, her breasts pressing into him, her hands wound around his back to feel those muscles tighten under her palms as the kiss deepened. This was Nathan Lupton, and they were kissing. Not any old kiss either, but something that turned her on and made her knees weak and her heart rate go off the scale. She should stop, pull away.

  She didn’t want to. Couldn’t. It was as though they’d been building towards this moment once they’d found themselves sitting together at breakfast yesterday. It was like being stuck in the path of a tornado with nowhere to hide. Not that she wanted to. So much for not trusting people. Except, not once had Nathan made her think he’d ever hurt her. Instead he’d indicated he’d go after anyone who tried to get to her.

  This was starting over, getting on with a new life, and if it involved getting closer to a man then she had to take the chance. She was done with stagnating. Why wouldn’t she want an exciting man in her life? It wasn’t as though she’d been neutered. Everything might have been on hold, yet now the barriers were falling fast, not one at a time, as she’d expected, but crashing at her feet in a pile. Leaning closer, she increased the pressure of her mouth on his and went with the wonderful moment, let the exquisite sensations his kiss created have their way and tease her with yearnings long forgotten.

  Now? With Nathan? But was she truly ready for this? She jerked, tugged her mouth free. And didn’t know what to say. Words, cohesive thoughts, were as hard to catch as a handful of air.

  Nathan’s eyes flew open, intense with desire. For her.

  Forget trying to think what she might say. Instead, she shivered; a delicious shiver that warmed her skin as it raised soft goose bumps on it. Her arms tightened around him. Why had she stopped kissing him?

  ‘Molly?’

  Don’t say sorry. ‘It’s good. I didn’t want to stop.’ She’d had to, though, or lose control.

  ‘Which, I suspect, is why you did.’ His mouth twitched.

  ‘It’s too soon.’ Regret had her tongue lapping at her lips, and his eyes followed, causing a knot to form in her stomach.

  His nod was slow. ‘You’re right. It’s the same for me.’

  ‘I’d better get going.’

  Nathan shook his head. ‘Come inside.’

  Not to continue kissing. No, he’d agreed they’d moved too quickly, wouldn’t expect a rerun of that kiss. She was coming down to earth now. It was unlikely to be comfortable when the kissing was done and they were back to being professional with each other in the department. Though he was fast becoming a friend, if not something more.

  You don’t kiss friends like that.

  Being in Nathan’s arms felt safe. Exciting. Nothing like friendship. Also—and this was big—how certain was she that she wanted this after so long denying her needs?

  She tramped along beside Nathan, trying to straighten her thinking, getting nowhere except inside his house, where he led her to a sitting room overlooking the lawn and beyond. A large-screen TV dominated one wall, an enormous couch placed strategically in front.

  ‘Take a seat,’ he instructed in a voice that said he was about to get serious. Over what? Their kiss?

  Please don’t. She’d hate that. It would spoil the moment and hurt, when she’d enjoyed it so much. She didn’t need to hear it hadn’t been wonderful for Nathan. He could keep that to himself. Talk about out of practice. Gone was the confident girl prior to Paul who used to kiss and leave, or occasionally kiss and stay for the night and then leave. Look at her. She was a blithering wreck because of a kiss. She so wanted to follow up with another, and wasn’t going to. She needed to be circumspect. Parking her backside on the edge of the couch, she crossed her legs, folded her arms and waited.

  ‘Whoa, relax, Molly. I’m not about to bite your head off.’ He took the opposite end of the couch, and stretched his legs out for ever. Turning in her direction, he eyeballed her. ‘Neither am I going to say I regret kissing you.’

  Her arms loosened and her hands splayed over her thighs. ‘Go on.’

  He laughed. ‘What more can I say? Other than I’d like to do it again.’

  So would she. But—

  ‘But I’m not sure where we’re going with this,’ Nathan continued. ‘I don’t know what you expect from men after what’s happened to you in the past.’

  That makes two of us.

  Or did it? Her lungs expanded as she drew a long breath. ‘If I hadn’t felt comfortable with you it wouldn’t have happened.’ She’d have backed away, run more like, not leaned in and made the most of Nathan’s mouth on hers. ‘What happened in the past has to stay there, not taint anyone I get close to in the future. That might sound naïve, but I firmly believe it’s the only way to get back a normal, happy life, hopefully with some loving in it eventually.’

  ‘Gutsy comes to mind. How do you do it?’

  Fake it till you make it.

  ‘Dig deep for smiles, start trusting those around me, and have fun.’

  ‘Honest too. Though I’m sure there’s a lot you haven’t told me.’ Nathan held his hand up, palm out. ‘It’s all right. I don’t expect you to. All I ask is that you take me seriously, and don’t treat me as an experiment to see how you’re managing.’

  Nathan had been hurt in the past too and wouldn’t be rushing to fall in love again. Her eyes widened. ‘Now who’s being honest?’

  ‘Would you want it any other way?’

  This in-depth conversation with a man was foreign—and interesting. ‘No. I’ve never tried to hurt anyone or, to my knowledge, been so thoughtless as to do so. You’ve got things that upset you too, and I don’t want to be the one who reminds you of what you’ve lost.’ A tremor shook Molly. So much for relaxed.

  ‘We’ve learned a lot about each other in a short time.’ Nathan was studying her, and she felt completely comfortable.

  ‘Which is one reason why I can’t move into your flat.’ She’d like to get to know Nathan a whole lot better, bit by bit, and that would be best if they weren’t living in each other’s breathing space. If they were to have a relationship she needed a place to be alone at times while she got used to someone else in her life. Knowing he was on the other side of the wall could encroach on her solitude.

  She’d become fiercely independent over the time she’d been alone, and it would take a lot to give up even a little of that. Not even sensational kisses suggesting sensational lovemaking would do the trick. Not yet. Nathan was kind and sincere, or so she believed. While Paul had fooled her with his charm, she doubted Nathan would ever be anything but up-front and caring. But she’d got it wrong once, and that niggled a little.

  ‘Any other reasons for not moving into my flat?’

  ‘We work together.’

  ‘People share living arrangements with work colleagues all the time.’ His smile nearly undid her resolve not to give in.

  It would take a nanosecond to lean forward and wrap her hand around his arm and bring them closer. Nathan was that damned gorgeous. The air stuck in her throat. The knot tightened in her belly. She could do this—far too easily. But she hadn’t thought it through. She needed to do that first. She was considering it? After the arguments she’d put up moments ago? ‘I’m not ready.’

  ‘I’d have your back.’

  ‘I know.’ Molly sighed her gratitude. It was true. ‘And no one’s out there trying to track
me down any more. I don’t need to check every person who comes within spitting distance.’ She believed it, which had to be an improvement on her previous attitude to getting out and about.

  Nathan nodded. ‘Fair enough. I’m not pushing you to do something you don’t want to.’

  Settling back into the comfortable, soft, cosy couch, she looked around. A computer sat on a desk in the corner, an up-to-date stereo system in another. ‘You’ve made yourself quite the den, haven’t you?’ There was a maleness to the sharp white décor with dashes of black in the curtains and the furniture. There was also a loneliness she recognised from her own apartment. The room here was on a far grander scale, but the emptiness felt the same.

  ‘I spend most of my down time in here.’ He picked up a remote and pressed some buttons, then music filled the air, a low female voice that lifted the hairs on the back of her neck.

  Molly swallowed the urge to sing along. ‘Not often, then.’ She’d keep digging for info while he was so relaxed with her.

  ‘More than you’d credit me with. I put in a fair amount of time studying and keeping up-to-date with medical programmes and the latest drugs and procedures, even though emergency medicine doesn’t change a lot.’

  ‘Why that particular field, instead of, say, surgery or paediatrics?’

  ‘It’s when people are most vulnerable. I rise to that. It brings out the best in me.’

  ‘You’d be the same in any area of medicine.’

  ‘True.’ He shrugged those eloquent shoulders that she’d held while being kissed. ‘There’s also a lot of variety in an ED. A bit like a GP practice, I imagine, only lots more cases where there’s an urgency about the situation. Sometimes I regret not having the follow-up and knowing how a patient fared long term. At the same time, I don’t get to see it all go bad and watch someone I’ve got to know a little go downhill and have to face the families trying to cope.’

  That wouldn’t be his thing. Not that it was anybody’s. ‘You’ve suffered loss. You’d feel for those patients and their families.’ To think this was the man she’d thought irritating and infuriating. He still could be, but now she’d seen behind that mask she’d never accept it at face value again. She might get cross with him but from now on it would take longer to really wind her up. She didn’t need to be on guard with Nathan or protective of herself over every word he spoke.