Medical Romance December 2016 Books 1-6. Sue MacKay
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу Medical Romance December 2016 Books 1-6 - Sue MacKay страница 48

Название: Medical Romance December 2016 Books 1-6

Автор: Sue MacKay

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Контркультура

Серия: Mills & Boon e-Book Collections

isbn: 9781474064750

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ it have made?’ He moved closer, his chest just in front of her face. ‘Are you telling me that this wouldn’t have happened? That we wouldn’t have been attracted to each other? We wouldn’t have ended up together?’

      She clouded out his words—focusing only on the first part. It had been enough to make the red mist descend. ‘I’m overreacting?’ She dropped the clothes she had clutched in her hands. ‘I’m overreacting?’ She let out an angry breath as her eyes swept the room.

      She shook her head. ‘Oh, no, Seb. I’m not overreacting.’ She picked up the nearest lamp and flung it at the wall, shattering it into a million pieces. ‘This. This is overreacting. This is letting you know how I really feel about your deception.’

      His chin practically hung open.

      She stalked back to the bed and stuffed the remaining few items into her bag, zipping it with an over-zealous tug.

      She marched right up under his nose. ‘If I never see you again it will be too soon. Next time find someone else to train your surgeons. Preferably someone who doesn’t mind being deceived and lied to.’

      He drew himself up to his full height. On any other occasion she might have been impressed. But that day? Not a chance.

      His mouth tightened. ‘Have it your own way.’

      ‘I will,’ she’d shouted as she’d swept out of the chalet and back into the waiting car. ‘Take me back to my hotel,’ she’d growled at the driver.

      Heavens. She hoped she hadn’t got that poor man fired. He hadn’t even blinked when she’d spoken. Just put the car into gear and set off down the mountain road. Her last view of Seb had been as he’d walked to the door and watched the car take off.

      Now, it seemed all a bit melodramatic.

      She’d never admit she’d cried on the plane on the way home. Not to a single person. And especially not to a person she’d now have to tell she was carrying his baby.

      Her eyes came into focus sharply and she leaned forward.

      The tickertape stream of news changed constantly. Something had made her focus again.

      She waited a few seconds.

      Prince Sebastian Falco of Montanari has announced his engagement to his childhood friend Princess Theresa Mon Carte of Peruglea. Although the date of their wedding has not yet been announced it is expected to be in the next calendar year. The royal wedding will unite the two neighbouring kingdoms of Montanari and Peruglea.

      Every single tiny bit of breath left her body. Her stomach plummeted as a tidal wave of emotions consumed her.

      It was as if the glacier ice pool she’d imagined on the mountain of Montanari had followed her home. Nausea made her bolt to the bathroom.

      This wasn’t morning sickness.

      This was pure and utter shock.

      He was engaged. Sebastian was engaged.

      As she knelt on the bathroom floor she felt momentarily light-headed. Could this be any worse?

      She squeezed her eyes closed. Trying to banish all the memories of that weekend from her mind. Her body responded automatically, curling into a ball on the ground. If she didn’t think about him, she couldn’t hurt. She couldn’t let herself hurt like this. She had a baby. A baby to think about.

      She pressed her head against the cool tiles on the wall.

      Pregnant by a prince. An engaged prince.

      Funnily enough, no fairy tale she’d ever heard of ended like this.

       CHAPTER TWO

      December

      SHE WAS LATE. Again. And Sienna was never late. She hated people being late. And now she was turning into that person herself.

      It was easy to shift the blame. Her obstetrician’s clinic was running nearly an hour behind. How ironic. Even being friends with the Assistant Head of Obstetrics around here didn’t give her perks—but she could hardly blame him. Oliver had been dealing with a particularly difficult case. It just meant that now she wouldn’t complete her rounds and finish when planned.

      She hurried across the main entrance of the hospital and tried not to be distracted by the surroundings. The Royal Cheltenham hospital—or Teddy’s, as they all affectionately called it—did Christmas with style.

      A huge tree adorned the glass atrium. Red and gold lights twinkled merrily against the already darkening sky. The tea room near the front entrance—staffed by volunteers—had its own display. A complete Santa sleigh and carved wooden reindeers with red Christmas baubles on their noses. Piped music surrounded her. Not loud enough to be intrusive, but just enough to set the scene for Christmas, as an array of traditional carols and favourite pop tunes permeated the air around her.

      Sienna couldn’t help but smile. Christmas was her absolute favourite time of year. The one time of year her parents actually stopped fighting. Her mother’s sister, Aunt Margaret, had always visited at this time of year. Her warmth and love of Christmas had been infectious. As soon as she walked in the house, the frosty atmosphere just seemed to vanish. If Margaret sensed anything, she never acknowledged it. It seemed it wasn’t the ‘done thing’ to fight and argue in front of Aunt Margaret and Sienna loved the fact that for four whole days she didn’t have to worry at all.

      Aunt Margaret’s love of Christmas had continued—for Sienna, at least—long after she’d died. Sienna’s own Christmas tree had gone up on the first of December. Multicoloured lights were decorating the now bare cherry blossom at the bottom of her garden. She wasn’t even going to admit how they got there.

      It seemed that Mother Nature was even trying to get in on the act. A light dusting of snow currently covered the glass atrium at Teddy’s.

      This time next year would be even more special. This time next year would be her baby’s first Christmas. A smile spread across Sienna’s face.

      Thoughts like that made her forget about her aching back and sore feet. At thirty-four weeks pregnant she was due to start maternity leave some time soon. Oliver had arranged for some maternity cover, and he’d had the good sense to start her replacement early. Max Ainsley was proving more than capable.

      He’d picked up the electronic systems and referral pathways of Teddy’s easily. It meant that she’d be able to relax at home when the baby arrived instead of fretting over cancelled surgeries and babies and families having to travel for miles to get the same standard of care.

      She hurried into the neonatal unit and stuffed her bag into the duty room. She looked up and took a deep breath. Every cot was full. An influx of winter virus had hit the unit a few weeks ago. That, along with delivery of a set of premature quads—one of whom needed surgery—meant that the staff were run off their feet.

      Ruth, one of the neonatal nurses, shot her a sympathetic look. ‘You doing okay, Sienna?’

      Sienna straightened up and rubbed her back, then her protruding stomach. She was used to the sideways glances from members СКАЧАТЬ