St Piran’s: Italian Surgeon, Forbidden Bride. Margaret McDonagh

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      What was she going to do?

      Jess sighed, discarding the towel and glancing at her reflection again. Less than an hour in his company had left her shaken and anxious. Megan had been right to describe him as hands on and caring. It was something Jess admired, yet it made him even more dangerous to her.

      She had to find a way to limit his impact on her. He had reawakened things long forgotten, things she would sooner remained buried. She had to fight the desire he roused in her… because nothing could come of it. Ever. And she was leaving herself open to heartache if, even for a moment, she allowed herself to imagine anything else.

      For the last four years, since the bombshell had hit her, changing her life for ever, she had turned in on herself, keeping focused on her new career and keeping people at bay. She hadn’t worked so hard to reinvent herself to allow the first man to stir her long-dormant hormones into action to undo everything she had achieved. In the unlikely event she could ever trust a man again, there was no way she could allow any kind of relationship to develop. Not beyond friendship. To do so would be too great a risk. Besides, once Giovanni learned the truth she had kept secret for so long, he wouldn’t want her anyway.

      Quashing disobedient feelings of disappointment and regret—and, worse, a flash of self-pity—Jess hardened her battered heart. She had to keep Giovanni Corezzi at a distance and ensure any meetings with him were kept as professional and brief as possible.

      Shocked how late it was, she returned to her office. She’d had to rearrange her schedule for the Rowlands, which meant she had much to catch up on and now she would have to rush if she was not to be late for an important appointment.

      Five days ago, and less than three weeks after moving into the run-down cottage she had bought near Penhally village, an unseasonal storm had caused serious damage. Today the insurance company’s assessor was carrying out an inspection, after which Jess hoped permission would be given for the repairs. The sooner the better… before anyone discovered the unconventional lengths she was going to to keep a roof over her head.

      Smothering her guilt, she took care of a few urgent tasks before shutting down her computer. She just had time to dash across the grounds to see hospital handyman Sid Evans and collect the precious cargo he was watching for her.

      ‘Hello, Jess, love,’ the kindly man greeted her as she hurried through his open workshop door. ‘Everything is ready for you.’

      ‘Thanks, Sid.’

      ‘Here we are, all present and correct,’ he told her in his lilting Welsh accent as he handed her a basket.

      ‘I’m sorry to rush, Sid. Thanks for your help.’

      ‘No worries.’ He smiled, but Jess could see the sadness that lurked in his eyes. Following the recent death of Winnie, Sid’s beloved wife of forty years, Jess had taken time to visit with him. ‘And I’m the one who’s grateful. You’ve been wonderful, love, letting me talk about my Winnie. I’ll not forget it.’

      ‘It’s been my privilege,’ she replied, a lump in her throat.

      Jess hurried back to the psychology unit, glad everyone had left for the day, allowing her to sneak the basket into her odd little annexe at the back of the building. Dubbed the ‘cubby hole’, it had been assigned to her as the only spare room available, but she couldn’t have been more pleased. Apart from the office and next-door bathroom, it had an adjoining anteroom and a basic kitchen. Away from the main offices, it gave her privacy, which suited her just fine. Especially with circumstances as they were… circumstances no one else knew about and which brought another surge of guilt.

      Setting down the basket, Jess checked the contents then picked up her bag and keys. The sooner she went home, the sooner she could return to St Piran’s. Hopefully she would be too busy in the coming hours to think about Giovanni Corezzi.

      Opening her office door, she hurried out, only to collide with something solid and warm and smelling divinely of clean male with a hint of citrus and musk. Her ‘Oh’ of surprise was muffled against a broad chest as she lost her balance.

      ‘Easy there,’ Giovanni’s voice soothed.

      His hands steadied her, closing on her bare arms above the elbows. She felt the impact of his touch in every particle of her being, the brush of his fingers on sensitive skin making her tingle. She felt as if she’d been branded. A bolt of awareness and long-suppressed need blazed through her, scaring her.

      The urge to lean into him and savour the moment was very strong. It seemed for ever since she had been touched and held, even in a platonic way. Not that there was anything platonic about the way Giovanni made her feel! But that knowledge acted like a bucket of icy water. Panic gripped her, both at the physical contact and her overwhelming reaction to this man. The need to break the spell overrode everything else and she struggled free, her desperation causing her to push away from him with more force than she had intended.

      ‘What are you doing here?’ she challenged brusquely.

      Intense blue eyes regarded her with curiosity. ‘Forgive me, I didn’t know this part of the hospital was out of bounds.’ His tone was gently teasing, but a blush stained her cheeks in acknowledgement of her uncharacteristic rudeness.

      ‘It’s not, of course, Mr Corezzi, but—’ Jess broke off. Everything about him threw her into confusion.

      ‘Please, call me Gio. I came to update you on Cody,’ he explained, his throaty voice and sexy accent sending a shiver down her spine. ‘And to thank you for your help.’

      Her breath locked in her lungs as he rewarded her with a full-wattage smile. ‘I was just doing my job.’

      ‘I also wish to discuss another patient soon to be admitted whom I feel will benefit from your involvement,’ he continued.

      ‘That’s fine. But is it urgent? I’m in a hurry.’

      Although she had softened her tone, his dark eyebrows drew together in a frown. ‘It’s not urgent, but I hoped you’d have a minute…’

      ‘I’m afraid I don’t.’ Jess cursed her stiltedness. She seemed unable to behave normally around him. ‘I’m sorry, I have to rush home. I’ll talk with you later.’

      Eager to make her escape without him seeing inside her office and discovering the secret she had kept hidden so far, Jess fumbled behind her for the handle and pulled the door closed with a determined snap. She turned round, removing herself from his inspection, locked her office and pocketed the key. Then, carefully skirting him, she walked briskly to the main entrance, conscious of him following her.

      ‘Jessica…’

      The way he said her name tied her insides into knots. It wasn’t just his voice or pronunciation but that he alone used her full name and made it sound like a caress. Thankful she had a genuine excuse to escape, she opened the front door and stepped aside for him to exit ahead of her.

      ‘I have to run,’ she said, concerned at his reluctance to leave.

      A muscle pulsed along the masculine line of his jaw, indicating his dissatisfaction. When he stepped outside, allowing her to do the same, the door swinging closed and the lock clicking into place, Jess released the breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.

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