Emergency Doctor and Cinderella by Melanie Milburne

that stupid bet, I will resign without notice.’
    Eamon took a moment to compose himself. The department was short-staffed as it was. Erin was one of the best A&E doctors he had seen. Her competence dealing with the motorcycle-accident victim showed just how valuable a part of the team she was. She was clear and concise in her directions, and she had handled the drama with enviable calm. The last thing he wanted was for her to storm out during his first week on the job, and not just for professional reasons.
    ‘I’ll have a word with the residents and registrars,’ he said. ‘I’m sure it’s just one of those things that got blown out to be more than it was. It was probably an offhand comment that got misconstrued.’
    Her expression remained sceptical. ‘Then it had better be sorted out, and quickly. I don’t appreciate being the butt of puerile jokes amongst the junior staff.’
    ‘Perhaps if you hadn’t been so against working within the new guidelines none of this would have happened,’ he said.
    Her eyes widened in affront. ‘So it’s my fault, is it?’
    ‘Don’t put words in my mouth, Erin.’
    She dropped her hands from her hips. ‘I need to get back to the department. It’s been a long shift.’
    ‘Tell me about it,’ Eamon said on a weary sigh. ‘I’ve been here since seven-thirty this morning.’
    Her expression softened a fraction. ‘Why have you stayed back so long?’
    He pointed to the pile of paperwork on his desk. ‘I’m going through some patient records,’ he said. ‘It’s tedious, but it needs to be done. I need to cross-check some information from the wards.’
    Her eyes flicked to the papers on his desk before they came back to his. ‘Is there something wrong with the records?’ she asked.
    ‘Not as far as I can tell, but then I’m nowhere near finished,’ Eamon said. ‘It’ll take me another couple of days to get through that lot.’
    She opened her mouth but then pressed her lips together, as if she’d been about to say something but had changed her mind.
    ‘Erin, about last night…’ he began.
    ‘I’d rather not talk about it.’
    ‘We need to talk about it.’
    She averted her gaze. ‘There’s nothing to talk about. We had dinner. We kissed. End of—’
    ‘Don’t say it.’
    Her eyes flicked back to his. ‘Don’t say what?’
    ‘End of story,’ he said. ‘That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it? You like those short, sharp, to-the-point statements, but that’s not really who you are, is it, Erin? Underneath that frosty façade you put up is a very warm and very sensual young woman.’
    She pursed her lips like an old-time schoolmistress, shifting them from side to side for a beat or two, but even so he could see the way her cheeks bloomed with colour. ‘I should get back to finish my shift,’ she mumbled.
    She made a move towards the door but Eamon stalled her with a hand on her arm. ‘Wait, Erin,’ he said. ‘There’s something I want to do.’
    He brought her hand up to his mouth and pressed hislips against her stiff fingers, all the time holding her eyes with his. He felt the tension slowly ease out of her hand, her fingers finally relaxing against the curl of his.
    Her eyes dipped to his mouth, hovering there for an infinitesimal moment, before coming back to his. He watched as the tip of her tongue came out in a sweeping motion, leaving a fine sheen of glistening moisture over her lips. He felt a punch-like jolt of desire deep in his groin, his blood leaping in his veins as he imagined her soft mouth pleasuring him, her tongue tasting him, stroking his length, curling around him tantalisingly before she gave him the ultimate sensual delight.
    He suppressed a shiver as he brought his head down, and her soft gasp filled his mouth as it covered hers. Her lips were soft and malleable, eager to give and to receive. Her tongue met his as soon as he went in search of it, dancing around him shyly at first, and then with greater boldness.