Nights of Passion: Mendez's Mistress / Bedded for the Italian's Pleasure / The Pregnancy Affair. Anne Mather

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СКАЧАТЬ was as aware of what had almost happened as he was. If Luther hadn’t turned at that moment, Joe knew he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from kissing her. And that would have been a totally unforgiveable thing to do. Damn it, she needed support, not seduction.

      He scowled. He didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him. She was so not his type. He’d always gone for sophisticated women before; women who, like him, knew the score. Not inexperienced females with one failed relationship behind them and more baggage than he cared to consider.

      Yet, when he looked at Rachel, he didn’t see a woman who was older than he was and who already had a child. He saw a warm, vulnerable female who, he had to admit, got to him in a way none of his other girlfriends ever had. Sitting there in her travel-stained trousers and creased shirt, her heat-dampened blonde hair spilling untidily about her shoulders, she aroused emotions he would have sworn he didn’t possess.

      He stifled a groan. Now was so not the time to be having these kind of thoughts. Raking a hand over his own hair, he gripped the back of his neck with a tormented hand. He could feel the tension in his muscles, the tautness in his spine. And knew if he could get his hands on Steve at that moment.

      But he couldn’t. And he had to deal with it. Even if the kind of temptation Rachel presented drove him crazy in the process.

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      WHEN the car started moving again, Rachel realised that they weren’t turning into the forecourt of the Park Plaza hotel.

      She’d glimpsed the facade of the building across the intersection as she’d dried her eyes, and had assumed Luther was just waiting for the traffic signals to change in their favour before he made his move. But when the vehicle started away it ignored the entrance to the hotel, continuing down the thoroughfare they’d been travelling on before.

      ‘But, wasn’t that—?’ she began, only to have Joe interrupt her.

      ‘I thought you might prefer to go straight to the hospital,’ he said, settling back beside her. ‘I know Daisy’s eager to see you.’

      ‘Is she?’ Tears pricked Rachel’s eyes again, but she determinedly blinked them away. She’d already made a fool of herself by breaking down in front of him. She just hoped he didn’t think she was putting on an act for his benefit. ‘So—so how serious was this operation?’

      Joe blew out a sigh. ‘Fairly serious,’ he said, after a moment. ‘As I said before, there was some pressure on her brain and it had to be relieved.’

      Rachel couldn’t prevent her gasp of horror. ‘My God! No wonder Steve was so reluctant to let me know what had happened.’

      ‘Yeah, well.’ Joe tried to be pragmatic. ‘It’s possible he wanted to wait until she’d had the operation before he called you. Until the crisis was over, so to speak.’

      ‘You think?’

      Rachel looked at him with rain-washed green eyes and Joe knew he couldn’t lie to her. ‘Okay, maybe not,’ he conceded. ‘I guess he didn’t want to admit he’d screwed up. All I can say in his defence is that as soon as it was realised that she needed specialist treatment he had her transferred to a neurological unit that’s used to dealing with head injuries.’

      Rachel’s eyes widened. ‘So she’s not at the hospital near the Park Plaza?’

      ‘She’s at another facility in the town,’ he explained evenly. ‘She’s had the best treatment money can buy, I can vouch for that.’

      Rachel caught her lower lip between her teeth. ‘I booked into the Park Plaza hotel because it was near the hospital,’ she murmured, half to herself. And then, realising he was listening to her, she said quickly, ‘How much further do we have to go?’

      ‘Not far.’ Joe had to suppress the urge to take her in his arms again. He couldn’t forget that, if he hadn’t gone to meet her at the airport, she’d still be totally in the dark. He saw the white walls of the Steinberg Clinic ahead of them and moved forward again to speak to the chauffeur. ‘Pull under the portico, will you, Luther? Then, after you’ve dropped us off, find somewhere to park, okay?’

      ‘Yes, sir.’

      Despite the fact that Rachel had the car door open before either Luther or his employer could forestall her, the two men both came to offer their assistance. ‘I can manage, thanks,’ she insisted tensely, but this time Joe didn’t hesitate before gripping her wrist.

      ‘I’m coming with you,’ he said, and they walked through the automatic glass doors into the clinic together. ‘Humour me. I’m familiar with the form here. You’re not.’

      Although Rachel wanted to object, it turned out she was grateful for his presence after all. There was an armed security guard just inside the doors who might well have questioned her identity, and a glamorous receptionist manning the desk who was unlike any hospital receptionist she had ever seen before.

      Happily they both recognised Joe, and after some embarrassing affectation on behalf of the receptionist, they were instantly allowed to enter the lift, which was controlled by yet another security guard.

      Rachel looked up at Joe as the lift ascended, aware she’d been something less than appreciative of his help. ‘Thanks,’ she said, touching his arm with a tentative finger. ‘I guess I owe you one.’

      A knot twisted in Joe’s belly, but he managed to keep his tone light as he said, ‘I’ll let you know when I want to collect, shall I? ‘And for the first time since he’d told her about Daisy’s operation a small smile tilted the corners of her far too delectable mouth.

      The lift stopped at the second floor and they stepped out onto a beige-carpeted landing. A nurse’s station was situated opposite, and there were swing doors giving access to the private rooms at either side of the hallway.

      There were two nurses on duty when they approached, and, recognising Joe, one of them—a curvaceous redhead whose uniform bodice was open to reveal a very impressive cleavage—came to greet them. ‘Have you come to see Daisy again, Mr Mendez? I hope she realises what a very lucky girl she is.’

      Her eyes had flickered over his companion as she spoke, and Rachel guessed she was wondering what he was doing with someone like her. Ironically, the nurse herself was much more his type, and she’d probably decided that they’d merely shared a lift together.

      ‘Actually, I’ve brought her a very special visitor,’ remarked Joe drily. ‘This is Daisy’s mother. From England. Is it okay if we go straight in?’

      ‘Oh!’ To say the nurse was startled would have been a vast understatement. ‘Oh, yes. Yes, go ahead. Dr Gonzales is on his way to see her, but I don’t suppose he’ll object to her mother visiting her.’

      ‘Good.’

      Joe took hold of Rachel’s arm just above her elbow and guided her towards the swing doors to the right of the nurses’ station. Pushing open one of the doors with his free hand, he allowed her to precede him into a discreetly lit corridor with maybe half a dozen rooms situated along its wide expanse.

      Rachel noticed that all the patients’ rooms seemed to be on one side of the corridor, with double doors to emergency facilities and operating theatres located opposite. It was very luxurious, СКАЧАТЬ