trembled slightly.
‘So am I. Maybe it’s something we can do again?’
‘Maybe.’
It was a maybe smile that hinted at possibilities,combined with the old sparkle in her eyes that he remembered so well, that suggested…He couldn’t resist. He’d just have to find out.
He touched her lips with his fingertips—simply to give her the opportunity to refuse—before he kissed her.
But she didn’t refuse.
The taste of her lips was a tantalising rediscovery of a sweet and tender place he’d thought he’d never experience again. Her skin was soft as fine oriental silk, her breath warm and laced with the slight scent of chocolate and Earl Grey tea. She exuded sensuality from every pore and he was certain she knew what effect she was having on his self-control. He couldn’t stop.
He nibbled her lower lip and then teased her perfect teeth with his tongue until she opened up to him.
Her eyes were seductively closed and the corner of her left upper lid twitched slightly. She held her breath while he deepened his kiss and their bodies pressed so close, Richard could feel the fluttering of her heart and the faintest whole-body tremble that set his own muscles into a state of tension that could only be relieved in one way.His hands moved slickly down from to her shoulders to her back and then to her softly rounded buttocks.
He wanted her so much but he felt her tense as if she’d read his mind. Her eyes snapped open to reveal a dark, agitated sea of uncertainty. She pulled away and took a sharp breath.
‘I can’t do this, Richard. I’m sorry but you shouldn’t even expect me to try. There’s too much at stake. You don’t know me any more. I don’t know you…’
She fumbled for her keys and opened her car door.
‘I…I shouldn’t have…’ Richard couldn’t find the words to express how he felt.
Already in the driver’s seat, Joanna looked close to tears and he couldn’t think of anything he could do or say to reassure her, to explain his impulsive actions.
‘Neither should I. Goodbye, Richard.’ Her voice was now as hard as steel, emotionless, painfully like the many times when she’d closed off the part of herself he’d so much wanted to reach, to comfort, to heal .
She was right. It had been a mistake.
‘Goodbye Jo,’ he whispered, but she already had the engine running and, with a squeal of rubber on bitumen, drove away into the night.
CHAPTER SIX
O VER the next week both Joanna and Richard made a very good job of ignoring what had happened in the car park of the local leisure centre on Monday night. No one would ever suspect there was anything more to their relationship than that between consultant and dedicated nurse. When Friday came, Richard bowed out of band practice and was glad he was on call the whole weekend. Fortunately he had enough to keep him busy to take his mind off thinking about his wife, who he understood was about to start working nights the following Wednesday after two days off. Though he’d miss her on the ward they wouldn’t have to keep up the pretence that their relationship was purely a professional one.
The fortnightly multi-disciplinary team meeting finished at about eleven and when Richard came into the ward, he didn’t expect to see Joanna. It was her day off. She was in the chemo suite withDanny Sims and his father, Lynne, Tracey, Kerry, half a dozen kids who were well enough to move from their beds and a very tall young man Richard didn’t recognise—who seemed to be the centre of their adoring attention. Richard poked his head in the door to say hello before he began his official rounds. He was curious to know what was going on.
‘Hi, Danny.’ He acknowledged the boy who was having his second chemo session and looked remarkably relaxed and comfortable, considering the high doses of medication being delivered.
‘Hi, Doc Howell.’ He raised his hand in greeting and smiled as if it was his lucky day. ‘You’ll never guess who’s
‘So am I. Maybe it’s something we can do again?’
‘Maybe.’
It was a maybe smile that hinted at possibilities,combined with the old sparkle in her eyes that he remembered so well, that suggested…He couldn’t resist. He’d just have to find out.
He touched her lips with his fingertips—simply to give her the opportunity to refuse—before he kissed her.
But she didn’t refuse.
The taste of her lips was a tantalising rediscovery of a sweet and tender place he’d thought he’d never experience again. Her skin was soft as fine oriental silk, her breath warm and laced with the slight scent of chocolate and Earl Grey tea. She exuded sensuality from every pore and he was certain she knew what effect she was having on his self-control. He couldn’t stop.
He nibbled her lower lip and then teased her perfect teeth with his tongue until she opened up to him.
Her eyes were seductively closed and the corner of her left upper lid twitched slightly. She held her breath while he deepened his kiss and their bodies pressed so close, Richard could feel the fluttering of her heart and the faintest whole-body tremble that set his own muscles into a state of tension that could only be relieved in one way.His hands moved slickly down from to her shoulders to her back and then to her softly rounded buttocks.
He wanted her so much but he felt her tense as if she’d read his mind. Her eyes snapped open to reveal a dark, agitated sea of uncertainty. She pulled away and took a sharp breath.
‘I can’t do this, Richard. I’m sorry but you shouldn’t even expect me to try. There’s too much at stake. You don’t know me any more. I don’t know you…’
She fumbled for her keys and opened her car door.
‘I…I shouldn’t have…’ Richard couldn’t find the words to express how he felt.
Already in the driver’s seat, Joanna looked close to tears and he couldn’t think of anything he could do or say to reassure her, to explain his impulsive actions.
‘Neither should I. Goodbye, Richard.’ Her voice was now as hard as steel, emotionless, painfully like the many times when she’d closed off the part of herself he’d so much wanted to reach, to comfort, to heal .
She was right. It had been a mistake.
‘Goodbye Jo,’ he whispered, but she already had the engine running and, with a squeal of rubber on bitumen, drove away into the night.
CHAPTER SIX
O VER the next week both Joanna and Richard made a very good job of ignoring what had happened in the car park of the local leisure centre on Monday night. No one would ever suspect there was anything more to their relationship than that between consultant and dedicated nurse. When Friday came, Richard bowed out of band practice and was glad he was on call the whole weekend. Fortunately he had enough to keep him busy to take his mind off thinking about his wife, who he understood was about to start working nights the following Wednesday after two days off. Though he’d miss her on the ward they wouldn’t have to keep up the pretence that their relationship was purely a professional one.
The fortnightly multi-disciplinary team meeting finished at about eleven and when Richard came into the ward, he didn’t expect to see Joanna. It was her day off. She was in the chemo suite withDanny Sims and his father, Lynne, Tracey, Kerry, half a dozen kids who were well enough to move from their beds and a very tall young man Richard didn’t recognise—who seemed to be the centre of their adoring attention. Richard poked his head in the door to say hello before he began his official rounds. He was curious to know what was going on.
‘Hi, Danny.’ He acknowledged the boy who was having his second chemo session and looked remarkably relaxed and comfortable, considering the high doses of medication being delivered.
‘Hi, Doc Howell.’ He raised his hand in greeting and smiled as if it was his lucky day. ‘You’ll never guess who’s
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