Top-Notch Surgeon, Pregnant Nurse. Amy Andrews

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      ‘That’s not what she meant, Dad,’ Rilla said, laughing at her sister.

      John’s eyes twinkled. He’d known exactly what his youngest daughter had meant. ‘Well, he doesn’t do much for me but I guess you young things would call him a hottie. Why, interested?’

      ‘No way,’ Rilla said vehemently. ‘But Beth, on the other hand…’ she turned to look at her older sister ‘…needs a good man.’

      ‘Hey!’ Beth protested. ‘If anyone needs a man around this joint, it’s you. It’s about time you started moved on. It’s been seven years since Luca left.’

      ‘Absolutely,’ Hailey agreed.

      ‘You can’t talk,’ Rilla said turning to her younger sister to deflect the attention from her. ‘How long has it been for you?’

      Hailey laughed. ‘Give me a break. I only got back into the country eight weeks ago.’

      ‘You’re normally faster than that,’ Rilla pointed out.

      Hailey started to protest and then figured it was a little rich to be outraged by her sister’s comment when it was essentially true. She’d had a string of boyfriends. But things had changed in London. ‘I’m mellowing in my old age.’ Hailey shrugged.

      They all laughed and Hailey joined them. It was good to be back home among the family again. She’d missed them on the other side of the world and their familiarity was like a soothing balm to her burnt-out soul.

      Dr Gabriel Fallon heard their laughter all the way down the corridor. He looked up at the sign that jutted out from the wall above the door where all the noise appeared to be coming from. It read ‘O.T. Nurse Unit Manager.’ Definitely where John had told him to come. Looked like the Brisbane General was going to be a fun place to work. It would make a nice change from the gloom he’d left behind in England.

      He approached the office and knocked quietly on the door. John was sitting on the desk, two women were sitting in the chairs against the wall and another, behind the desk—John’s daughter, he presumed—was obscured from his view by her father.

      ‘Am I interrupting something?’

      Beth felt the laughter die a sudden death on her lips. That voice. That accent! She’d know it anywhere. The same voice that had asked her to his hotel on Friday night. The same voice with the sexy accent that had whispered outrageous things to her all night.

      ‘Gabriel,’ John said, rising to his feet and ushering the newcomer inside. ‘Pardon us. Clan gathering. Meet my daughters. This is Rilla. She’s the middle child. She works down in Accident and Emergency.’

      ‘Rilla.’ Gabe nodded extended his hand. ‘A pleasure to meet you.’

      Beth watched Rilla blush under Gabe’s gaze and knew exactly how she felt. His accent flowed over her like warm icing on a hot cake. Oh, God, oh, God! What the hell was he doing here? Gabe? Teacher Gabe? Her Gabe was the new hotshot from the UK? No wonder he’d been so good with the diabetic. First-aid course, my fat eye!

      ‘This is Hailey, the youngest child. She’s just started on the kids’ ward. She’s been away for three years in your neck of the woods.’

      ‘Oh, whereabouts?’ Gabe asked, shaking her hand.

      ‘London,’ Hailey confirmed.

      Oh, God, it’s me now. Beth wished she could hide under the table as she watched her father and Gabe turn towards her. Time ground to a halt as their actions appeared to unfold in slow motion.

      ‘And this is the woman in charge around here. She’s also done quite a bit of travelling and even worked in Oxford. This is my oldest daughter—’

      Gabe’s eyes widened as recognition dawned. ‘Beth!’ he supplied before John had a chance.

      Gabe couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The woman who’d been on his mind all weekend was standing in front of him. Her hair may be obscured by a cap, her lithe body covered in baggy theatre greens, but he’d remember that flawless complexion, those eyes, that mouth anywhere. Hell!

      Beth swallowed, trying to moisten her suddenly parched mouth. Nothing had prepared her for the impact of seeing him again. On Friday night he’d worn jeans and a polo shirt. Today he was wearing dark grey trousers, a striped business shirt and an impeccably matching tie. But she knew neither were a match for what lay beneath.

      ‘Hello, Gabe.’

      John frowned. ‘You two know each other?’

      Intimately. Gabe had thought about no one else since he’d woken alone in his bed on Saturday morning. He’d slept with the boss’s daughter? A colleague? Oh, good move, Gabriel! He saw a burst of panic flare her pupils and her blue eyes darted nervously to John and then back to him. She didn’t want her family to know. ‘We…met on Friday night.’

      Beth could see Hailey and Rilla exchange looks in her peripheral vision as his green eyes captivated her, making it impossible to look away.

      ‘You’re the guy who helped her with the diabetic?’ Rilla exclaimed.

      Among other things. Gabe smiled at Rilla and then turned back to Beth. ‘Yes. We made quite a team.’

      John was looking at Beth and she quickly filled him in with an abridged version of events, ignoring the familiar undertone in Gabe’s voice.

      ‘Well, then. No introduction needed,’ John said.

      Gabe saw a slight hint of pink adorn Beth’s high cheekbones. Definitely no introduction needed. He wondered if John Winters would have been so welcoming had he known just how well acquainted he was with Beth.

      ‘It’ll be a pleasure working with you,’ Gabe said.

      Beth nodded, unable to speak, trying not to focus on the word ‘pleasure’. Was it just her hyperactive imagination or had he emphasised it slightly? Her body was still tingling in places from the pleasures they had shared.

      No! This couldn’t be happening. If she’d known she was going to have to work with him, she would never have thrown common sense and a lifetime of caution to the winds and slept with him. The one thing, the only thing, she’d managed to comfort herself with over the weekend had been she’d never have to see him again.

      ‘Well, we’d better be getting on,’ John said. ‘I believe Dr Fallon has an afternoon list, Beth?’

      Beth looked at John and nodded. She forced herself to concentrate on only him, ignoring both Gabe’s and her sister’s speculative. ‘Starts at one.’ She leafed through some papers on her desk and handed one to Gabe.

      ‘Thanks,’ he said softly as he took the theatre list. He watched her intently as she avoided his gaze. ‘I guess I’ll see you after lunch.’

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