Tempted by Dr. Daisy by Catherine Anderson Page A

can’t bail on her.’
    She got shakily to her feet, and with another hug from Ben, she pulled herself together, swiped the tears from her cheeks and followed them out of the stairwell.

CHAPTER SIX
    â€˜I S SHE all right?’
    â€˜I think so. I caught up with her later and we talked for a bit. She didn’t say a lot—she never does.’
    He grunted. ‘Nor does Matt. Do you think it’s going to be a problem, her working with me?’
    â€˜She says not, and I’m inclined to believe her.’
    He came up behind her and put his arms round her, resting his chin on her shoulder.
    â€˜I think she was just a bit shaken up to see me.’ He nuzzled her cheek. ‘Do you really want coffee?’
    â€˜Not really. I thought you would.’ She turned in his arms, fully expecting to see a glint in his eye, but instead there was a curious sadness.
    â€˜Do you mind if we just go to bed? It’s been a long day.’ He’d only just got in, and he’d grabbed something to eat in the hospital, he said, but it was more than that, she sensed.
    â€˜Of course I don’t mind,’ she said softly, going up on tiptoe and kissing him with infinite tenderness.
    He stayed that night, making love to her with exquisite care and then holding her in his arms all night, and she wondered if it was something to do with Matt and Amy, or if it was something that had happened with Florence yesterday. They hadn’t really had time to talk, and in any case, he never talked about Florence to her.
    Sticking to the rules?
    Whatever, it was lovely to have him hold her all night, and to wake up in the morning with a crick in her neck from sleeping on his shoulder with his arm round her and her leg wedged between his powerful thighs.
    â€˜I need to move,’ she whispered, and he opened his eyes and smiled.
    â€˜Thank God for that. I think my arm’s going to drop off.’
    She laughed softly and shifted out of his way, and he rubbed his arm and winced while she stretched her neck out and sighed with relief, then rolled back to him and propped herself up on her elbows.
    â€˜Good grief, what a fuss! Are you all done whingeing on about a few pins and needles?’ she teased.
    He moved faster than a striking cobra. One second she was laughing down at him, the next she was flat on her back with his lean, muscled body sprawled over her and her arms pinned to the bed above her head.
    â€˜No! No, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ she laughed, but he just raised an eyebrow, clamped both her wrists together with one large and inescapable hand and trailed his other hand slowly and tormentingly over her body.
    â€˜Too late,’ he growled. Last night’s thoughtful mood was clearly gone, replaced with a playful lust that was much more in keeping with their rule book, and taking his time, he finished what they’d started.
    It was all going like clockwork until the following weekend, when she heard his front door open and close during the course of Saturday morning, and then the sound of little running feet.
    It stopped her in her tracks, and she stared at the wall in horror. No. He’d said she wouldn’t be here until the house was finished, but it was nothing like ready for Florence to stay, and nor was she! She wasn’t prepared, her defenceswere down, her emotions far too close to the surface. Why hadn’t he warned her?
    And then her phone rang.
    â€˜Daisy, hi, it’s me. Look, I’m really sorry, I’ve had to bring Florence back here. Jane’s got a migraine and she needs some peace, so I’ve come to get my walking boots so we can go out for a bit of a yomp in the woods, then we might come back here. I hope we don’t disturb you.’
    Disturb? ‘She’s not a virus,’ she said sharply, even though she’d been mentally chastising him for not warning her, and then felt evil for bitching at him. ‘Sorry. Thanks for the