Wedding on the Baby Ward / Special Care Baby Miracle by Lucy Clark Page A

SIX
    T HREE days later, after several meetings with key personnel as well as the hospital administrator, Miles arranged another one-on-one meeting with Janessa in her office. He had initially suggested that they meet in his apartment to discuss the upcoming operations the twins would require over a soothing cup of herbal tea, but even the thought of being alone with him, in his apartment, made her entire body quiver with nervous apprehension. Her office was definitely safer.
    Ever since the kiss, Janessa had been overcome by masses of tingles every time she’d seen him. She’d constantly thought about him on the other side of her apartment wall, her curiosity about him increasing, and although she wanted to keep him at arm’s length, she also wanted to know as much about him as possible.
    Every look he gave her seemed to linger just a fraction of a second longer than normal. If he accidentally touched her hand or brushed past her during the normal course of any day in the NICU, she wasn’t able to hide her quick intake of breath as her body suffused with heat.
    ‘As you know, in order to separate the girls, they’ll need extra skin to cover the actual incision site. Therefore, one of the first procedures we’ll be performing once they’re stable and healthy is to insert tissue expanders beneath the skin in order to grow extra skin in that area.’ Miles lounged in the chair, relaxed and completely comfortable in her presence. Janessa had to admit that whilst he had the ability to set her body on fire with just one look, she, too, liked spending time with him in this way.
    Under the guise of work, even though it was necessary work, for her to know exactly what procedures and steps would be taken with regard to separating the twins, she liked that she was able to spend time with him … like this. alone. He never talked down to her, always explained things thoroughly and answered any and all questions she had. Sometimes she thought she asked too many questions but he never became impatient, insisting that he would rather answer her questions a hundred times over so she knew what to expect than risk making mistakes.
    He was thoughtful, too, and always the gentleman. Tonight he’d arrived in her office with a bag full of takeaway Chinese food. ‘Thought we might get hungry,’ he’d stated as a means of explanation when she’d raised her eyebrows at the gesture. And so there they sat, papers and documents spread out before them on her desk, the scent of Chinese food filling the air as they ate and discussed the various aspects of the different surgical procedures.
    ‘I have to confess, I have very limited experience when it comes to tissue expanders. It’s just something I haven’t come across that often. I have, however, read every paper you’ve written on this subject and the techniques you’ve used during the surgical procedures,’ Janessa remarked quite enthusiastically, and was rewarded one of Miles’s heart-melting smiles. Tingles flooded her body as she smiled shyly back at him. She still felt strange admitting she was such a big fan of his work.
    Apart from that very first day in her NICU, when he’d been jet-lagged and completely exhausted, he’d been relaxed and friendly, as well as being totally in control of the specialised neonate team they were pulling together to care for the girls post-delivery. No one in either the NICU or Maternity had a bad word to say against him and half the women would swoon every time he came near. Janessa, however, hoped she wasn’t as obvious whenever she was near him.
    ‘Have you ever seen the operation performed?’ He used the chopsticks with ease as he lifted another mouthful of food to his lips.
    Janessa sipped her green tea. ‘Many years ago, in a two-year-old. Never in a baby. I think it’s fascinating how the body can grow extra skin through this means.’
    Miles nodded, impressed with the way she seemed eager to know everything about the twins’ upcoming