Midwives' Christmas Miracles: A Touch of Christmas Magic / Playboy Doc's Mistletoe Kiss / Her Doctor's Christmas Proposal. Scarlet Wilson

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СКАЧАТЬ Her fingers itched to reach up and touch.

      The weariness that had been on his face the first day she’d met him had seemed to gradually disperse. On occasion, Jacob still looked tired. But there had been something else that first day—a little despair? Jacob was still a mystery to her. The only thing she knew for sure was that he didn’t have a woman in his life and for some reason that made her happy. Not that she’d ever admit that to anyone—not even Jessica.

      ‘For not interfering,’ she was whispering, even though there was no need. The rush and bustle of the ward was still going on in the corridor outside, but this seemed like a private conversation. ‘For not coming over all “doctor” and trying to take over. For giving me a chance to do my job.’

      He leaned forwards just a little. One inch. That was the space currently between them. She held her breath. If she breathed out right now, her warm breath would touch his skin.

      But there was a problem. As she’d breathed in, she’d breathed in him. Jacob. The faintest aroma of this morning’s aftershave. The scent of his skin. She could almost swear she’d just breathed in a whole host of pheromones. What other explanation could there be for the fact she was feeling the slightest bit light-headed? She’d never been light-headed in her life.

      ‘I’ll always give you the space to do your job, Bonnie. From what I’ve seen you’re excellent at it. I have faith you. The staff have faith in you. The patients have faith in you. You’re a real asset to Cambridge Maternity. And I look after my staff.’

      Her lungs were going to explode. She had to breathe out. She really did. Her insides were all over the place. It was the way he’d said it. The way he’d looked into her eyes and told her he had faith in her. She leaned back a little against his hand and tilted her chin up towards him. ‘Thank you, Jacob.’

      They froze. Neither of them moving. Their eyes locked together.

      ‘Bonnie, can you just sign...? Oh, sorry.’

      They sprang apart. It was stupid. They hadn’t been doing anything but Bonnie could feel the colour rushing into her face.

      Ellis, one of the midwives, was standing with a delivery note in her hand. Her eyes darted between them; it was quite obvious she was cringing and that made Bonnie do the same.

      ‘That’s fine, Ellis. I was just washing up after the twin delivery. Did you hear that things went well?’ She was back into professional mode. She didn’t even look back, just took long strides towards Ellis, taking the delivery note from her hand and walking over to the nurses’ station, pulling a pen from her pocket.

      She was trying to appear as calm and professional as possible. As if nothing at all had been going on between them. Because that was true. Nothing had been going on between them.

      So why was her heart thudding against her chest and why did her cheeks feel as if they were on fire? And why was Ellis looking at her as if she would be the next topic of conversation on the hospital grapevine?

      Ellis took the paperwork and disappeared back down the corridor. Bonnie sucked in a deep breath. What on earth was wrong with her? She’d almost wanted him to kiss her in the sluice at work. Even the thought of that sent a shiver down her spine—it was hardly the most romantic place in the world.

      But it hadn’t been about the place. It had been about the moment. The feel of Jacob’s hand at the small of her back and the way she could see all the tiny lines around his perfect green eyes.

      She squeezed her eyes shut. Even her thoughts were getting ridiculous. She had to speak to him. She had to try and understand what was going on. She had to draw a line here. She wasn’t looking for any kind of romance. And definitely not with her new boss—no matter how much he just made her tingle. She spun around towards the sluice again.

      But Jacob was gone.

       CHAPTER FIVE

      SOMETHING WAS DIFFERENT. Something had changed. And Jacob couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

      All he knew was he was currently sitting on his sofa watching an animated movie with a five-year-old. If someone had told him two weeks ago this was what he’d be doing he’d never have believed it.

      ‘Who’s your favourite dwarf?’ whispered Freya. She’d insisted on the main light being turned off and eating ice cream as if they were at the movies. He’d never really developed a taste for ice cream but rocky road was hitting the spot.

      ‘I like that one,’ he said, pointing at the screen.

      ‘He’s my favourite too.’ She jumped up and a big dollop of ice cream landed on his lap. ‘Oops,’ she said.

      He shrugged and scooped the ice cream off his jeans with his fingers and dumped it in his mouth. Freya went into uncontrollable kinks of laughter.

      All he knew for sure was that the big black cloud that felt as if it were permanently circling above his head had moved a little higher for the past two weeks. Maybe it was the fact that he was now in the waiting cycle. His treatment was over. He didn’t feel quite so snappy. He certainly didn’t feel so tired. And he was free to work with patients again the way he had before.

      Something had definitely improved his mood. Even the junior doctors, who constantly got everything wrong and couldn’t do the most basic of procedures, weren’t annoying him as much as usual. He’d only thrown one out of Theatre the other day, instead of the usual four. People would think he was getting soft. He just wasn’t quite sure if it was the treatment that had improved his mood or the home circumstances.

      Living with Bonnie and Freya was certainly out of his normal experience. Freya had a way of winding him around her little finger. He wasn’t quite sure if it was a five-year-old’s mastermind plot, or if she did it purely unintentionally.

      She jumped up from the sofa and over to her school bag, which was lying on the floor. ‘Look at this!’ she said as she pulled out a crumpled drawing. ‘I made this for you at school today.’ It was a painting of a man—with very big ears. He couldn’t help it—he started to laugh.

      She bounced back up on the sofa next to him. ‘It’s you. Do you like it?’ Her little face was so expectant, just waiting for his approval.

      He touched his ears. ‘Are they really this big?’

      ‘Yes,’ she said without a moment’s hesitation. ‘Can we put it up on the fridge? That’s where my mummy used to put my pictures.’ She tugged at his hand and he let her pull him up and lead him through to the kitchen.

      Bonnie was wiping a glass bowl clean as they walked through. ‘Look what I made for Jacob,’ Freya shouted as she waved the picture. ‘We’re going to put it up.’

      Bonnie glanced at the picture and tried to stifle a laugh. ‘I think that’s lovely, honey,’ she said. She raised her eyebrows at Jacob. ‘Wait and I’ll find you something to put that up with.’ She opened a nearby drawer and pulled out a fridge magnet he didn’t even know he owned. It seemed impolite not to put it up so he stuck it on the fridge.

      Freya’s little face was beaming. ‘Come on,’ she said, tugging at his arm again. ‘My favourite song’s about to start.’

      He’d СКАЧАТЬ