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The Greek Doctor's New-Year Baby
Kate Hardy


New Year, New Father Madison Gregory’s temporary new boss, obstetric consultant Theo Petrakis, has everything – gorgeous body, gorgeous mind, gorgeous heart. He’s a great doctor and he can cook! She knows he’s the one, even if she won’t admit it. There is just one problem – he has vowed never to marry or have children. However much he wants Madison, he knows it wouldn’t be right to have a relationship with her when he can’t fulfil her dreams.Yet Theo’s behaviour just doesn’t add up. He behaves as if he loves her, he just doesn’t say it, and he adores kids, so why doesn’t he want any of his own? Then, just as Madison discovers the reason, she also discovers she is pregnant with his child…THE LONDON VICTORIA These city doctors are ready to wed!







Kate Hardy lives in Norwich, in the east of England, with her husband, two young children, one bouncy spaniel, and too many books to count! When she’s not busy writing romance or researching local history, she helps out at her children’s schools. She also loves cooking—spot the recipes sneaked into her books! (They’re also on her website, along with extracts and stories behind the books.) Writing for Mills & Boon has been a dream come true for Kate—something she wanted to do ever since she was twelve. She’s been writing Medical™ Romances for nearly five years now, and also writes for Modern Heat™. She says it’s the best of both worlds, because she gets to learn lots of new things when she’s researching the background to a book: add a touch of passion, drama and danger, a new gorgeous hero every time, and it’s the perfect job!

Kate Hardy is the winner of the RNA Romance Prize 2008 for her Modern Heat™ novel BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI’S.

Kate’s always delighted to hear from readers, so do drop in to her website at www.katehardy.com

Recent titles by the same author:

Medical™ Romance THE SPANISH DOCTOR’S LOVE-CHILD THE DOCTORS ROYAL LOVE-CHILD (Brides of Penhally Bay) THE ITALIAN GP’S BRIDE

Modern Heat™ HOTLY BEDDED, CONVENIENTLY WEDDED SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER! BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI’S



Dear Reader

I love writing linked books—probably because I hate saying goodbye to my characters!—so I was delighted when my editor agreed to let me write a duo. I’m very pleased to introduce the Gregory cousins, Madison and Katrina, who enjoy life and love at the London Victoria Hospital.

What drew me to their stories? Several things. Firstly, I wanted to set myself a challenge and do something a little bit different—so the stories actually take place in more or less the same timeframe. This meant I had to keep the events of Madison’s story very much in mind when I wrote Katrina’s! (THE CHILDREN’S DOCTOR’S SPECIAL PROPOSAL is available next month). Secondly, I was thinking about fairy tales and Prince Charming: in modern days, do you have to go and look for your prince, or will he come and find you? Add the fact that there’s something irresistible about a Mediterranean doctor and even more so about ruined castles (I spent a week in Wales during the summer while I was planning the books and fell in love with the area—not to mention the recipe in Katrina’s story, which my editor begged for before I’d even written the book!). And, finally, the books have a lot of me in them: Madison shares my love of music and Katrina, like me, has impaired hearing.

And the little country church at the very end of Katrina’s story? Actually, that’s real (albeit moved to suit my fictional world). I was privileged to attend a special family wedding there just as I was writing the wedding scene—which is why I’ve dedicated the second story to my cousin Lee and his lovely bride Lucy, and also borrowed the weather from their day…

So with this in mind I had a lot of fun creating Madison and Katrina’s world. I hope you enjoy reading their stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.

I’m always delighted to hear from readers, so do come and visit me at www.katehardy.com

With love

Kate Hardy




THE GREEK DOCTOR’S NEW-YEAR BABY


BY

KATE HARDY




www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


For Annette, Grant, Amy and Lauren,

With love.


CHAPTER ONE

MADISON noticed him the moment he walked into the room.

Despite the fact that the hospital’s charity ball was heaving with people, all wearing Venetian masks—and he was dressed the same as all the other men in a dinner jacket, dark trousers, white shirt and bow-tie, plus a plain gold eye mask—there was something about the tall, dark-haired man that set him apart from the others. Some kind of energy that drew her eye.

Not that she was going to do anything about it. Not tonight.

As the chair of the committee for the hospital’s fundraiser ball, Madison Gregory had work to do. Such as making sure that everything was running like clockwork behind the scenes. Being there to troubleshoot any last-minute problems. Charming people with a sweet smile and fixing any little niggles without a fuss.

But so far any problems had been minor, because everything had been planned down to the last detail. There had been a few murmurs at first in committee meetings when she’d suggested a jazz trio—a band she’d heard several times at her favourite club—but Madison had stuck to her guns. In her view, a rock band really didn’t suit a masked ball, and although ballroom dancing had become popular again, thanks to TV shows, having a string quartet playing waltzes would have felt too formal. Whereas soft, easy-listening jazz—bright upbeat numbers and slow crooning ballads that people knew and could dance to—was perfect for a ball.

Now she could even see couples mouthing the words of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ to each other, smiling and laughing and just having fun on the dance floor. Relief flooded through her. She’d got it right. This was going to work.

With this lovely, warm, relaxed atmosphere, people would be more willing to be parted from their money. They’d buy loads of tickets for the tombola prizes she and the rest of the committee had talked local companies into donating—balloon rides, spa treatments and a chocolate hamper that her cousin and best friend Katrina desperately wanted to win and had bought so many tickets in lieu of being at the ball that Madison had decided, if Katrina didn’t win it, she’d buy her the very same hamper as consolation.

And maybe, just maybe, the fund for the new scanner would reach the halfway point as a result.

Eve, one of the senior nurses from the emergency department, came up to her. ‘Maddie, you’ve been rushing around since an hour before everything started. Why don’t you take a break?’

A little voice in Madison’s head added, And go and find out who the man in the gold eye mask is. She brushed it aside and smiled at Eve. ‘It’s OK. I’m fine.’

‘You paid for a ticket, too,’ Eve reminded her. ‘Which means you’re entitled to dance and have some fun. Just because you’re the chair of the organising committee, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself.’

‘I am enjoying myself.’ And it was true: Madison loved being in the thick of things. She’d been hard put to choose between specialising in emergency medicine and her final choice, obstetrics, because she enjoyed the buzz of being too busy almost as much as she loved those magical first minutes of a new life.

And then, as the music changed and the pianist seemed to flow seamlessly into ‘It Had to be You’, a hand touched her arm. ‘May I?’ a deep, unfamiliar and slightly accented voice asked.

Even before she looked up, she knew who it was going to be, and a shiver ran down her spine.

The man in the gold mask.

He was looking at her with the most sensual, smouldering gaze she’d ever seen: dark eyes with a hint of green and gold and grey. Stunning.

Not to mention a slow, sweet smile that actually made her knees go weak.

‘I…’ Her throat dried, and Eve gave her a shove.

‘She means yes,’ Eve said sweetly. ‘Have fun.’

Before Madison could protest, she was dancing with the stranger.

Theo had been aware of her all evening: the girl in the floaty dress with the pink and gold cat mask covering her upper face and the most incredible smile. He’d seen her talking and laughing with plenty of people, though he hadn’t actually seen her on the dance floor.

And now he was dancing cheek to cheek with her. Whoever had chosen this music was an utter genius: it had neither the formality of ballroom dancing nor the slight distance of pop. This was old-fashioned dance music, the kind of stuff his grandparents loved—and, so he’d discovered recently, his mother had loved too.

Despite his dance partner’s high-heeled shoes, she wasn’t that tall and he had to dip his head slightly to dance with her, but she felt perfect in his arms. And those blue, blue eyes behind the mask were just stunning. Like a Mediterranean sky on a late summer evening, shading to dark navy at the very edges of her irises. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders—not perfectly straight, but not a riot of curls either. Soft, enticing waves that made him want to tangle his hands in them, feel the silkiness against his fingertips.

Even more than that, he wanted to see her hair spread over his pillow. And he really, really wanted to explore that beautiful mouth. Tease it with kisses until it opened beneath his mouth, letting him deepen the kiss.

Kyrios. He couldn’t remember when he’d last felt a pull of attraction this strong.

But right now she was in his arms, holding him close. And it felt good.

The stranger’s touch was perfectly decorous, Madison thought. And yet somehow it felt personal—intimate, even. They were dancing close enough for her to feel his breathing, hear his heartbeat. And he had a perfect sense of rhythm, guiding her round the floor so effortlessly that it actually felt like floating. She’d never been so in tune with a dance partner before.

They didn’t speak as they danced—they didn’t need to—and suddenly everyone around them just melted away. They could have been dancing on a little terrace overlooking a garden in Tuscany, just the two of them, in the moonlight…

She shook herself. Of course not. This was London. And if it wasn’t for the fact that she’d deliberately stuck to sparkling water because she was responsible for the way things ran tonight, she would’ve been sure this heady feeling was from drinking too much champagne—almost like tiny bubbles fizzing through her veins.

The fact it was all from dancing with him scared her and excited her at the same time. She’d never reacted this strongly to anyone before. Even Harry.

Part of her wanted to ask the stranger what his name was, but she knew that talking would break the spell. And right now she didn’t want it to end. Just the two of them and the music, the singer crooning and the soft jazzy piano counterpointed by the double bass and guitar.

Two and a half minutes had never passed so slowly.

Or so very, very fast.

When the song ended and his hands dropped from her body and he took a step backwards, it felt so wrong.

And then he bowed to her, lifted her right hand and kissed the pulse on the inside of her wrist.

She could barely breathe.

His eyes—dark and as sexy as hell—held hers. ‘Thank you.’

Again, that slight accent. She couldn’t quite place it, but it was incredibly attractive.

Just as her mouth started to frame a response, an introduction, a question, a different pair of arms caught her round the waist. ‘Maddie! Here’s my girl.’ She found herself spun into a hug. Into arms she recognised—Ed, the registrar in the emergency department she’d dated a couple of times, a month or so back.

Oh, help.

Ed was beaming. A champagne-induced sort of beaming, and he’d clearly forgotten that they’d agreed to be just good friends—that they weren’t dating any more.

By the time Madison had extricated herself and jollied Ed into remembering that they were just friends and she was busy tonight anyway with her chairwoman hat on, and had informed him that he’d just been incredibly rude to the man who’d danced with her by cutting in like that, Mr Gold Mask was nowhere to be seen.

The disappointment felt as if someone had just driven past her through a deep puddle, dousing her in cold water.

Which was utterly ridiculous. The man was a complete stranger. No way should she be reacting this strongly to him—a man who’d danced with her once and whom she was unlikely to see again, because she certainly didn’t recognise him as one of the hospital staff she’d chivvied into getting a table together.

Madison Gregory, you need to get a grip, she told herself silently, then went to check that everything was proceeding smoothly with the tombola.

Here’s my girl.

Well, of course a woman that attractive wouldn’t be single. Even though Theo had instinctively checked her left hand before asking her to dance and there had been no sign of a ring, he should’ve realised that she would have a boyfriend.

And a dance was just a dance. It wasn’t going to lead to anything else.

He pushed away the regret. It wasn’t as if he was looking for a relationship anyway. Wasn’t that half the reason why he’d left Greece, because his family was constantly trying to fix him up with an eligible woman and it was driving him crazy? And he was only here tonight because he was at a loose end the weekend before he started his new job. Buying a ticket for the hospital fundraiser had seemed like a good idea—a chance to meet some of his new colleagues socially, get to know people. He’d enjoyed chatting to people tonight.

But all the same he needed some fresh air. A cool breeze to bring his common sense back and give him some immunity to the sweet, seductive tones of the singer. As she segued into ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’, he allowed himself the briefest of smiles. Theo Petrakis most definitely didn’t let himself get bewitched, bothered and bewildered by anyone.

And that included a beautiful—and very much off-limits—woman by the name of Maddie. He’d go back in, buy a few tombola tickets to help swell the fundraising coffers…and then maybe he’d have an early night.

Madison kept the smile on her face for the rest of the evening. And although she allowed herself to relax in between checking that all was well and danced with a dozen different men, none of her partners on the dance floor matched up to the man in the gold mask. They didn’t have his fluidity or his intuitiveness.

It was pretty stupid even to be thinking about the man. She’d never met him before—or she would most definitely have remembered—and she probably wouldn’t meet him again.

She didn’t even know his name.

And you couldn’t fall for someone whose name you didn’t even know…could you?

She shoved the thought to the back of her mind. Besides, tonight wasn’t about her. It was about raising money for the new and hugely expensive medical equipment that the hospital trust dearly wanted but just couldn’t afford. So she was going to schmooze and schmooze and talk people into buying more tombola tickets.

When the evening was over and everyone had gone home, Madison stopped by the hotel kitchens to thank the staff for their hard work and deliver the chocolates she’d bought them to show her appreciation, then headed for the hospital. Right now, she was wide awake—and unless Katrina, as the on-call doctor, was in with a patient, the chances were she’d be free for a quick coffee-break.

When the night sister let her into the paediatric department, Madison was delighted to discover that her cousin was in her office, catching up with paperwork.

‘You missed a great evening,’ she said, settling herself on the edge of Katrina’s desk. Even though Katrina, being deaf, wasn’t over-keen on dark, noisy, crowded environments, Madison knew that her cousin would have enjoyed the ball.

‘I wanted to be there, Maddie, you know that—but we’re so short-staffed right now I just couldn’t work it.’ She looked hopefully at Madison. ‘So, did you take my hamper back to your place before dropping in? Or have you scoffed half of it already?’

Madison shook her head. ‘Sorry, hon. You didn’t win it. But you did get a full body massage and a manicure.’ She produced the vouchers from her handbag.

Katrina smiled wryly. ‘Can you see me having a manicure?’

‘Well—no,’ Madison admitted. She enjoyed doing girly things, but her cousin most definitely didn’t. Katrina was practical. Too practical for her own good.

‘Then you have them. With my love.’

Madison shook her head. ‘I can’t do that. You spent a fortune on tickets, Kat.’ And she hadn’t won a single thing—so Madison had told a teensy fib and given her cousin her own prizes. ‘Look, at least have the massage. You’d enjoy it. Really, you would. It’s really relaxing.’

Katrina wrinkled her nose. ‘Thanks, but it’s not my style.’ And she clearly suspected Madison of having had a hand in the prizes—which she had, but not quite in the way Katrina thought. ‘Look, if you really don’t want them, I’ll raffle them off in the department and you can add the proceeds to the scanner fund.’ Katrina paused. ‘Did you meet Prince Charming tonight, then?’

‘Hey, are you calling me Cinderella?’ Madison teased.

‘You’ve gone red. Aha. So you did meet someone.’ Katrina gave her a wicked smile. ‘Come on. Details. All of them. Right now.’

Madison shrugged. ‘There’s not a lot to tell. We danced. Once.’ She left out the fact that the man in the gold mask had kissed her inner wrist and she could still feel the touch of his mouth against her skin.

‘And?’ When Madison didn’t reply, Katrina asked, ‘What’s his name? Which ward is he on?’

‘No idea, to both.’ Madison forced herself to sound offhand. ‘Kat, it was just a dance.’ And a kiss. ‘And he was wearing a mask, so I didn’t even get to see his face.’

But she had seen his eyes and his mouth. She’d class both as the sexiest she’d ever seen.

‘You didn’t even ask? Sounds like you missed a great opportunity,’ Katrina said. ‘He might have been really nice.’ She shook her head. ‘You’re so picky. How are you ever going to meet someone if you never give them a chance?’

Madison grinned. ‘Says the woman who’s waiting for her prince to come and find her.’

‘I looked. I kissed some of them, even. And they turned into frogs.’ Katrina shrugged. ‘Anyway. I’m happy with my career.’

‘So am I,’ Madison said.

Katrina raised an eyebrow. ‘Honey, you’ve been broody for the last five years.’

‘Which is why I made such a huge mistake with Harry. I know.’ Madison shrugged. ‘Next time, I’ll get it right. Find myself the perfect man—gorgeous body, gorgeous mind, gorgeous heart.’

‘In that order?’

‘Colour me shallow.’ Madison laughed and spread her hands. ‘Actually, the order doesn’t matter, as long as they’re all present.’ Though she knew which ones were the most important. The two Harry had turned out not to possess.

‘I think you’re going to have to compromise somewhere,’ Katrina said.

Madison shook her head. ‘No compromising.’ Not any more. She’d compromised with Harry, and look where that had got her. Divorced and disillusioned at the age of twenty-six. Except now, at thirty, she had her bounce back again. ‘Look, our mums managed it, didn’t they?’

‘I’m not so sure our dads are perfect,’ Katrina said thoughtfully. ‘I love Dad and Uncle Bryan to bits, but they’re not perfect, Maddie. Nobody is. They’re only human.’

Madison was saved from having to agree by a soft knock on the door. ‘Kat, sorry to interrupt—I need you to come and have a look at Joseph. I’m not happy with his obs,’ the paediatric nurse said, looking worried.

‘On my way,’ Katrina said. ‘Sorry, Maddie.’

‘Hey. I only dropped in to give you your prizes. I’ll catch you later.’ Madison hugged her cousin, and left the ward.

But she still couldn’t get that kiss out of her head. It had been chaste and decorous—yet, at the same time, the hottest thing she’d ever experienced. Full of promise. If Ed hadn’t interrupted, who knew what could have happened?

‘Get a grip, Maddie. Real world,’ she informed herself. The ball was over. And she’d probably never see the stranger again, so what was the point in wondering what might have been?


CHAPTER TWO

ON MONDAY morning—the day before he was supposed to start—Theo Petrakis walked on to the maternity unit.

He liked what he saw. Everything was organised—well, as organised as you could get in a ward where babies decided to arrive earlier than expected, or made their parents wait around and worry before they finally made their appearance—and there were plenty of hand sanitation gel dispensers around, so clearly they were hot on hygiene here. And the warm, relaxed atmosphere he’d noticed at his interview was still present, to his relief. Before now he’d worked in a unit where the midwives and doctors had been practically ranged against each other instead of recognising that they were a team.

‘Can I help you?’ the midwife sitting at the reception desk asked.

He smiled at her and held out his hand. ‘I’m Theo Petrakis. Strictly speaking, I’m not supposed to be here until tomorrow, but I thought I’d drop in and say hello.’

‘Theo Petrakis—our new consultant, yes?’ She returned the smile. ‘I’m Iris Rutherford.’ The senior midwife, according to her name badge. She took his hand and shook it warmly. ‘Pleased to meet you. Especially as you’ve picked a nice quiet moment.’

‘As opposed to three in the morning, when all the babies decide it’s the perfect time to make their arrival?’ he asked wryly.

She laughed. ‘Too right! If you’ve got a few minutes spare, I can show you around and introduce you to everyone.’

‘Thanks. I’d like that.’

And by everyone, Theo discovered, she meant everyone, including the health-care assistants.

It had definitely been a good decision to take this temporary post, he thought. A six-month stint as a locum for the senior consultant, who was off on long-term sick leave. It would broaden his experience so he was ready to make the step up to a senior consultancy role. As it looked as if he’d be part of a team here that believed in working together, this job was going to be a real pleasure.

Then he noticed the slight frown on Iris’s face as they got back to her desk. ‘What’s up?’

‘I was hoping you’d get to meet our registrar, but she’s in one of the delivery rooms right now. She’s brilliant at her job, good with the mums and the babies. She’s going to make an excellent consultant in a couple of years.’

‘Ambitious?’ Theo asked, trying to read between the lines.

Iris smiled. ‘She certainly hasn’t met the man who’ll come between her and her career. But she won’t give you a hard time for taking over from Doug, if that’s what you’re asking.’

By the time Theo left the ward, the registrar still hadn’t emerged from the delivery room—and no way would he interrupt what was clearly already a difficult situation for a woman in labour—but he wasn’t particularly worried about not meeting her before he started. If she was anything like her colleagues, they’d get along just fine.

The following morning, again the registrar wasn’t there when he arrived because she was helping out with a difficult birth. But he was just making himself a mug of coffee when she walked into the ward’s kitchen.

‘Hello. You must be the new…’ She stopped dead, clearly recognising him.

Just as he recognised her.

Even without the mask, he knew her instantly. Those beautiful eyes. That mouth. The prickle of awareness that ran all the way down his spine.

Which was crazy.

Apart from the fact he never mixed work and relationships, it would be impossible here anyway. He was only here for six months, and she was involved. The best he could hope for was a good working relationship. Which meant defusing any embarrassment right from the start.

‘Doctor,’ he finished lightly. ‘Yes. I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself to you at the ball on Saturday. Theo Petrakis.’ He held out his hand.

‘Madison Gregory. Everyone calls me Maddie. Welcome to the ward.’ She took his hand.

Using her right hand. And he’d kissed her right wrist on Saturday night, touched his lips to the pulse point.

The impulse to do it again shocked him, it was so strong. He just about managed to shake her hand and then drop it again. ‘I was making coffee. The kettle’s hot. What can I get you?’

‘I’m impressed. You’re well trained,’ she teased.

He shrugged. ‘I don’t mind taking my turn to make coffee. I certainly don’t intend to pull rank and expect my team to run around after me.’

‘Doug’ll be pleased to know his department’s in safe hands—and that you share his attitude towards the team,’ she said. ‘Thanks. That’ll be a lot of milk and no sugar for me, please. And a little bit of cold water, too, so it’s cool enough to drink.’

A trick most doctors learned very early on, Theo knew. If you waited for your drink to cool, the chances were you wouldn’t even get a first sip before you were called to a patient. ‘Busy morning, hmm?’ he asked.

She nodded. ‘But I love mornings like this. When things look as if they’re going to go pear-shaped, and all the worst-case scenarios are running through your head while you’re maintaining absolute calm to stop the mum and her partner worrying—and then suddenly it all works and you end up with a new mum and dad, all misty-eyed and cuddling their little miracle. That first moment when the whole world seems brand new.’

Clearly she loved her job. And he knew what she meant: those first moments with a newborn baby always took his breath away, too.

He made the coffee the way she’d specified and handed the mug to her.

‘Thanks.’ She took a sip. ‘Oh-h-h. This is perfect. Just what I needed.’

She seemed to be about to say something else, but then her pager bleeped. She glanced at the readout, then sighed and put the mug on the draining board. ‘Sorry. I’ll finish it later. I have to go. The emergency department needs a second opinion on a pregnant patient with back pain.’

‘Can I come and observe?’ he asked.

She blinked, looking faintly surprised. ‘Well, if you really want to, sure. I’m not worried about someone senior observing me,’ she added, ‘but four would definitely be a crowd and I had intended to take my fourth-year students down with me.’

‘Your students?’

His surprise must have sounded in his voice because she admitted, ‘Strictly speaking, I suppose they’re your students, but before Doug went on sick leave he agreed I could take over the mentoring side of things. And Sanjay and Nita are doing really well—especially Sanjay, who’s blossomed since he’s been with us. I want to keep his confidence up.’

Theo raised an eyebrow. ‘I thought only consultants were mentors.’ And she was a registrar, wasn’t she?

‘Look, I’ll explain on the way down to ED. If you want to observe, we’d better not take the students with us this time—it’s not fair to our mum to have too many people in a cubicle with her, especially as she’s in the emergency department and probably panicking like anything right now. Plus Sanjay and Nita really need to meet you properly before you observe them.’

Theo had to suppress a smile at the way Madison was taking control when officially she was his junior, but he liked her confidence and the way her first thoughts were for other people’s well-being. ‘Sure.’

She stopped off at the reception desk and rang down to the emergency department to reassure them that she was on her way, then ushered him out of the department.

‘So talk me through the mentoring stuff,’ he said.

‘You know as well as I do, we have a recruitment crisis in our specialty,’ she said. ‘All the surveys say that students don’t want to work in obs and gynae because they have such a bad time on rotation—either they’re made to feel they get under the feet of the midwives, or they’re stuck in the furthest corner of an operating theatre watching a Caesarean.’

‘So they never really get to do any of the work and they don’t feel part of the team.’

‘Exactly,’ Madison said. ‘We’re organised nowadays so the team means a whole department, rather than the old way of having a “firm” of a consultant, registrar and house officers who always work together, and in a way that’s a shame because it makes it harder for junior doctors to settle into the team. I really think students need a single point of contact in a department to help them feel they’re really part of what’s going on. Yes, they have to sort out their logbooks and what have you, but they also need proper contact with patients and they need real jobs to do if they’re to get the best out of their attachment.’

‘Responsibilities for something practical, such as a departmental audit,’ Theo suggested.

That earned him another of the gorgeous smiles. ‘Absolutely. On our ward, we have two students at a time on attachment. I’m responsible for bedside teaching, and they attend my clinic and theatre sessions.’

‘Are you pure obstetrics?’ Theo asked.

She nodded. ‘Though I’m interested in foetal medicine as well.’

‘So what about the gynae work?’

‘I liaise with the consultants and the other registrars so the students get sessions with them, too—but I’m still their point of contact if they’re worried about anything, or if they want to see more of a particular subspecialty outside pure obstetrics. I also get them to spend time with the midwives, so they develop a rapport and a bit of respect for our colleagues, as well as a chance to see some low-risk births.’

‘Instead of thinking that life in our ward is all epidurals and emergency sections,’ Theo agreed. ‘That sounds good. I notice you have a sensory room here.’

‘And a water-birth suite. We want our mums to have the best, most natural and relaxing experience possible. Our midwives are fantastic, and we only intervene when we’re asked for help.’

‘Amen to that,’ he said feelingly.

The emergency registrar met them practically at the door and gave them a swift handover. Theo recognised the man’s voice—he was the one who’d swept Madison off her feet at the ball. Yet Madison didn’t greet him as if there was anything more than a professional relationship between them. And Iris had said that Madison hadn’t met the man to come between her and her career. So did that mean she was single after all?

Crazy. He shouldn’t even be thinking about her like that.

And yet he couldn’t take his eyes off her. There was something about her. Something that made him want to break all his personal rules.

Which was even crazier.

The registrar introduced them both to the patient, then left to see the next on his list.

‘Mrs Ellis, I’m Madison Gregory and this is Theo Petrakis,’ Madison said. ‘Ed called us from the maternity department. I understand you’ve been having back pain.’

Mrs Ellis nodded. ‘And it hurts here.’ She pointed to her groin, and clearly the movement hurt her because she grimaced.

‘Has it been going on for long?’ Madison asked.

‘I’ve had twinges for the last week, but today it’s absolute agony.’ She dragged in a breath. ‘Please—I’m not going to lose the baby, am I?’

‘Aches and pains are pretty common in pregnancy and they don’t necessarily mean that you’re miscarrying or there’s a problem with the baby,’ Madison reassured her, ‘but you’ve done exactly the right thing coming to see us. Do you mind if I examine you?’

With the patient’s permission, she examined Mrs Ellis gently but effectively, then listened to the baby’s heartbeat. ‘That’s nice and strong, so try not to worry too much. The baby’s doing just fine. But what we need to do is stop this pain. Do you get the pain all the time, and does anything make it feel worse or better?’

‘It’s only there some of the time. It’s worse when I’m going upstairs or getting dressed or turning over in bed,’ Mrs Ellis explained.

Given where the pain was and the description, Theo knew exactly what the problem was. But rather than muscling in, he waited for Madison, who smiled at Mrs Ellis and squeezed her hand. ‘The baby’s in absolutely no danger. What you’ve got is something called symphysis pubis dysfunction—SPD for short. It sounds a lot scarier than it is, and an awful lot of women get it. At eighteen weeks, you’re practically halfway through pregnancy, and that’s the most common time to start noticing the pain.’

She sat down next to the bed, drew a notebook and pen from her pocket, and sketched a swift diagram to show their patient. Theo liked the way she was managing this: focusing on the patient’s worries, making it easy for her to understand. That kind of empathy would make her a brilliant consultant, as Iris had said. And on a personal level…

No. No involvements. He’d made his decision years ago: he wasn’t going to settle down, get married and have children. Sure, he dated—he was only human—but he always made sure his dates knew he wasn’t able to offer anything long term. If that meant people thought he was a shallow playboy, then fine—he could live with that. As far as he was concerned, other people didn’t have to know the real reason behind his decision. He wasn’t prepared to put the woman he loved through childbirth, knowing first-hand what could happen when everything went wrong. And no way was he going to go through what his father had gone through.

He forced himself to concentrate on what Madison was saying, just in case she decided to throw a question or two his way.

‘Basically your pelvis is in two parts and it’s held together by a joint called the symphysis pubis, which is strengthened by lots of ligaments. When you’re pregnant, your body produces a hormone called relaxin, which softens your ligaments to make it easier for you at birth—but that also means your pelvis can move during pregnancy, and the movements are what cause the pain.’

‘Can you make it stop?’ Mrs Ellis asked.

‘I’m going to give you a support belt, which will help, and you can take paracetamol to help with the pain—that’s perfectly safe for the baby. I’m also going to refer you to a physiotherapist, who can teach you some exercises for your tummy and pelvic floor that won’t hurt the baby but will help ease the pain. I can’t promise you’ll get an appointment with the physio today,’ Madison warned, ‘but if I can do it, I will.’

‘Thank you.’ Mrs Ellis wiped away the tears that had started to spill over. ‘I was so scared I was going to lose the baby.’

‘It’s always the first thing that goes through your mind,’ Madison sympathised, ‘but you’re going to be absolutely fine. Even better news is that there are a few things you can do to help make the pain go away.’

This was his cue, he thought. ‘Why don’t I tell Mrs Ellis while you talk to the physios?’ Theo suggested.

Her eyes narrowed for a moment, as if she thought he was trying to take over; but then she nodded, clearly realising that this was going to save them some time. ‘Is that all right with you, Mrs Ellis?’

‘That’s fine. I don’t mind talking to student doctors.’

She thought he was a student? Well, it was an easy mistake to make. Madison had been planning to bring her fourth-year students with her, and no doubt the emergency department had cleared it with Mrs Ellis first. Theo just about managed to suppress his grin, though as Madison left the cubicle he could see amusement all over her face. Well, he could live with it. Telling Mrs Ellis that actually he was Madison’s boss wasn’t going to achieve anything other than make her feel awkward and embarrassed—and his patient’s comfort was much more important than his dignity.

He talked her through the things she could do to help herself, and was just discussing the birth plan with her when Madison swished the curtain aside, carrying a support belt. ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Ellis. The physiotherapy department is completely booked up today—but I’ve persuaded them to squeeze you in first thing in the morning, just before their list starts. For now, I’m going to show you how to put this belt on and that’s going to take some of the strain for you.’

‘Thank you so much,’ Mrs Ellis said, looking relieved that she wasn’t going to have to suffer pain for much longer.

‘My pleasure.’ Madison smiled at her. ‘Do you have any questions, or has Mr Petrakis already answered them?’

‘Mr Petrakis said I should put it in my birth plan to make sure I get the most supportive birth position, and it might affect my pain relief. Will I have to have a Caesarean?’

‘I’m not going to rule it in or out at this stage,’ Madison said gently. ‘We’ll see how you go. But I will promise you that we’ll do the best for you and your baby.’

‘Will I get it again if I have more children?’ Mrs Ellis asked.

‘We honestly don’t know,’ Theo replied. ‘You might not get it at all, or it might be not as severe, or it might be worse. It really, really varies. But the best advice we can give you is to leave a good two years between pregnancies—if you do get SPD next time round and your baby’s not walking yet, you’re going to find lifting really hard.’

When Madison had fitted the support belt and checked that Mrs Ellis had transport home, she and Theo walked back up to the ward.

‘So are you happy that I know what I’m doing, or do you want to supervise me with some more cases?’ she asked.

‘I wasn’t checking up on you,’ Theo corrected. ‘I wanted to get a feel for how you worked, and I’m going to be doing the same with all the staff. Mentoring isn’t just for students, you know.’

She looked surprised. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Whatever the stage of your career, you need development or you’re going to feel stuck in a rut and be miserable. The last department I worked in had a policy of job enrichment, and that worked really well. If you don’t already have that here, maybe we can introduce it—and I’ll make sure I liaise with Iris, because I want the midwifery team to be happy with any changes we make and they might have some good suggestions, too.’

She smiled at him. ‘I like the way you think. I’m going to enjoy working with you.’

A feeling, Theo thought, that was very much mutual.

Even though for the rest of the day he was in clinic and she was in Theatre, Theo was aware of Madison all afternoon. To the point that, when their shifts ended and he found himself in the locker room at the same time as her, he said, ‘Come and have a coffee with me.’ Seeing a slightly nervous look on her face, he added, ‘Look, I don’t mean coffee as in a date. I know you’re involved with the guy in the emergency department.’

‘The guy in the…?’ She looked mystified for a second, then smiled. ‘Oh, you mean Ed.’

‘The one who called you down to Mrs Ellis,’ he confirmed.

‘I’m not involved with Ed.’

‘Then you’re free.’ Even though he knew he ought to be sensible about it, he couldn’t help mentally punching the air. And then he caught the expression on her face. ‘To take pity on the new boy, that is,’ he said swiftly. ‘I’ve spent the last five years working in the Midlands, so I don’t know the area at all, and I could do with someone to show me where I can get some good coffee around here.’

She shrugged. ‘The hospital canteen’s OK.’

‘They do espresso?’ he checked.

‘Oh. You mean serious coffee.’ For a moment, he thought she was going to give him the brush-off. Then she smiled. ‘I know the perfect place.’

She led him to a small café not far from the hospital. ‘Giovanni’s—it’s Italian?’ he asked.

She nodded.

‘A little family place. Sounds good to me.’

‘Actually, it’s a chain,’ she corrected. ‘But it’s a good one. And I’m very glad there’s a branch just round the corner from the hospital. They do the best coffee in London—not to mention these fantastic organic chocolate brownies.’

She ordered a frothy cappuccino and a brownie, and shook her head when he ordered a double espresso. ‘That much caffeine is seriously bad for you, Theo. How on earth do you sleep?’

‘I’m used to it.’ He smiled. ‘Espresso is the nearest I can get to Greek coffee outside home. Unless you happen to know a decent Greek restaurant around here?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m afraid Greek coffee is a taste I haven’t acquired. It’s all the bits.’ She grimaced. ‘That thick gloopy stuff at the bottom.’

He laughed. ‘You’re not supposed to drink it to the last drop. And the kaimaki—the froth—is gorgeous, if it’s made properly. Like an espresso. But I admit it’s an acquired taste, and I can’t drink it sweet, the way my father does.’ He paused. ‘I enjoyed working with you today. You’re as good a doctor as you are a dancer. Intuitive and empathetic.’

To his pleasure, her eyes widened slightly. So she wasn’t entirely indifferent to him, then? She felt this same weird pull, the chemistry between them?

‘Thank you.’ She inclined her head. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to thank you for the dance at the ball.’

He shrugged. ‘Your friend was rather—how should I say?—intent on seeing you.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Put it down to too much champagne. On his part, not mine.’

‘I hear you organised the ball. And that you made enough for half a scanner.’

‘Only the first half of it.’

‘That’s still a pretty big achievement.’

She shrugged it off. ‘I was part of a committee.’

‘But the ball was your idea?’

‘The music was.’ She grinned. ‘One of these days I’m going to convert these philistines and make them admit that the old songs are the best.’

‘So you don’t like modern music?’

‘I just like something I can sing along to. The kind of stuff that puts a smile on your face when you hear it because it’s so full of verve. And I don’t care if people think it’s old-fashioned: I like it.’ She took a sip of her coffee. ‘I suppose it’s because it’s the stuff I grew up with. Dad always had it playing in the garage when he was tinkering with a car. Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, that sort of stuff.’

He couldn’t help smiling. ‘So would I be right in guessing that your favourite films are musicals?’

‘Absolutely. You can’t beat a good Gene Kelly film,’ she said, smiling back.

The more Theo talked to Madison, the more he liked her. Felt a connection with her. Wanted to spend time with her. Which made her dangerous. He should stop this right now. Apart from the fact that he was only here for six months, he knew that mixing work and relationships could make life much too complicated. And he wasn’t looking for a relationship in any case.

Yet his mouth seemed to have other ideas.

‘I won something pretty stunning on the tombola—a balloon flight at sunrise. Why don’t you come with me?’

She went very still. ‘Are you asking me on a date?’

This time his head managed to overrule his heart where his mouth was concerned. ‘I’m asking you as a colleague and potential friend,’ he said.

She smiled. ‘Then thank you. I’d like that. I’ve never been in a balloon.’

‘Then let’s synchronise our off-duty. When are you free?’

She took her diary from her handbag. ‘Thursday or Friday?’

‘Not this week. How about next week?’ he suggested.

‘Tuesday and Wednesday.’

‘Wednesday it is,’ he said. ‘I’ll book the flight and find out what we need to know.’


CHAPTER THREE

THE night before the balloon trip, Madison couldn’t get to sleep.

She must have been crazy, agreeing to this in the first place. Quite apart from the fact she wasn’t a morning person and she’d arranged to meet Theo at the crack of dawn, Theo Petrakis wasn’t relationship material.

Sure, he ticked all the boxes. He was an excellent doctor, kept the team working beautifully together, and his calm, confident manner on the ward managed to calm even the most nervous parent-to-be. And, as just about every female in the hospital would attest, Theo Petrakis was drop-dead gorgeous.

But he was only here on secondment, covering Doug’s sick leave for six months or so. Then he’d move on, and Madison was perfectly happy here in London.

She’d already made the mistake of rushing into a relationship without a future, and she had no intention of repeating it and letting her world fall apart all over again.

All the same, she couldn’t get Theo out of her head. Those dark eyes with the unexpected green and gold glints—eyes that always seemed to be full of sunshine. That incredibly sexy smile. The dark hair, brushed back neatly from his face, that made her want to slide her fingers through it and make him look all sexily rumpled. His incredibly gorgeous mouth… And even though it had been a week and a half since the ball, she could still remember exactly how his lips had felt against the pulse point in her wrist.

‘Stop being ridiculous and go to sleep,’ she told herself loudly, plumping her pillow and keeping her eyes firmly closed, even though she felt wide awake.

A feeling that didn’t last when her alarm shrilled at an unearthly hour. She had to hit the snooze button three times before she could drag herself out of bed, and she was only just ready when the doorbell rang.

‘Kalimera, Maddie. Good morning.’

Oh, lord. Theo always wore a suit, shirt and tie at work under his white coat. In jeans, a sweater and a black leather jacket, he was absolutely stunning. Touchable.

And she really, really wanted to touch.

She hadn’t felt a pull this strong since Harry. And that in itself was a warning: look where that had got her. She pulled herself together and unglued her tongue from the roof of her mouth. ‘Good morning, Theo.’

‘Ready?’ he asked with a smile.

She nodded. Theo had given her the pre-flight instructions from the balloon company: to wear long sleeves and trousers, preferably in natural fibres; a hat to protect her head from the radiant heat of the burner; and sensible shoes. And although she felt slightly frumpy, wearing a thick fleece over one of the strappy camisole tops she favoured outside work, she understood the logic, and she didn’t want to scrape her arms on the wicker basket.

‘Let’s go, then.’

She locked the front door behind her and walked with him to the tube station. It was still dark outside, and so early that the train was practically empty, apart from a couple of bleary-eyed commuters who looked as if they still wished they were in bed.

‘So are balloon flights always this early in the morning?’ she asked.

‘Apparently the air’s at its most stable in the first two hours after dawn and the last two hours before dusk,’ Theo told her. ‘So most flights are around sunrise or sunset. The ones over London are at sunrise, though we could have gone for a different take-off point and had a later flight.’ He smiled. ‘I take it that you’re an owl rather than a lark, then?’

‘Usually,’ she admitted. ‘Though I’m never late for my shift.’

He laughed. ‘Hey. We’re not at work now.’

‘No.’

‘But since you’ve got my head back in doctor mode, there’s something I forgot to ask you—do you have any medical condition that means you shouldn’t fly?’

‘I’m disgustingly healthy,’ she said.

‘Good.’ He paused. ‘I’m sorry, this is a very personal question…but there’s no chance you could be pregnant?’

She felt the colour wash into her face. ‘No.’ She hadn’t actually slept with anyone for two years—and she’d regretted that. Not that she was going to admit either fact to Theo.

‘OK. And I’m sorry I offended you.’

‘No offence taken.’ Though there was one problem. Because of what he’d asked, she was thinking about sex. Specifically, sex with him. Which her common sense told her would be a very bad idea, although her libido was turning a series of cartwheels at the thought.

In accordance with Theo’s instructions, they reached the meeting place near Tower Bridge at a quarter past six for the pre-flight briefing. Madison’s attention was caught by the balloon itself. An enormous wicker basket with six rigid poles going up to hold the burner, and then the most enormous piece of…what? Silk? Nylon? She had no idea. But it was fascinating to watch the balloon flight team putting everything together and inflating the balloon, first with a fan and then the flames shooting into the mouth of the balloon to warm the air and make the balloon envelope rise.

When the balloon was finally upright, the pilot put the instruments and maps on board, and then it was time for the passengers to board. As they drew closer, Madison realised just how big the basket was. How deep. And, not for the first time, she wished she’d inherited the family height gene like her cousin Katrina, rather than being the shortest member of the family.

‘Want a hand in?’ Theo asked.

Part of her wanted to stand on her dignity and say, no, she could manage. But the sensible side of her knew what that would mean: a head-first, embarrassing dive into the balloon—even if she managed to negotiate the footholds. ‘Thank you. That’d be good,’ she said.

‘I apologise in advance for the caveman bit,’ he said, and scooped her up into his arms; she was forced to slide her arms round his neck for balance until he sat her on the edge of the wicker basket. Then she twisted her legs round and slid into the basket.

‘Thanks. I think even high heels wouldn’t have been enough to help me climb in,’ she said brightly, trying to keep her mind off the fact that she’d just had her arms round his neck and his body had been very, very close to hers.

‘Apart from the fact they wouldn’t be sensible footwear.’ Theo looked all the way down her body. Head to toe and then back again to meet her gaze. And the sultry look in his eyes made Madison’s heart beat just that little bit faster.

It was noisy in the balloon, with the burners still heating the air inside the balloon envelope—and then she realised that they were off the ground. Considerably off the ground.

She blinked. ‘Wow. I was expecting it to be—well, bumpier than this,’ she said. ‘Like being on a boat going out to sea.’

‘We’re moving with the wind, so that’s why we can’t feel the currents. And a passenger basket this size is really, really stable. It shouldn’t rock or sway at all.’

‘Either you’ve done this before or you looked it up on the Internet.’

‘Both,’ he admitted. ‘I was in Australia last year and took a trip across the desert at sunrise. The sand was red and there were kangaroos bounding along, and as the sun rose the light turned all the grey saltbush to green. It was incredible.’

‘Sounds it. Mind you, so is this. London in the early spring—look, you can see all the trees starting to turn green over again.’ She looked down, keeping her hands firmly on the edge of the basket. The burners had gone off again, and they were just floating in the air. Everything around them was still and silent. She could hear the sound of traffic below, and gulls squawking over the Thames.

‘I’ve never seen London like this before,’ she said softly. ‘Even going on the London Eye is nothing compared with this. Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Theo.’

The burners sprang into life again, and Theo was forced to bend closer to her so his mouth was close enough to her ear for her to hear his reply. ‘My pleasure. Though, as one of the main organisers of the ball, you’re the best person for me to share it with anyway. You deserve a treat for all that hard work.’

‘Maybe.’ She rested her hands on the rim of the basket and looked out as the pilot pointed out more landmarks. Theo was standing behind her, and it felt natural for him to be looking over her shoulder, his hands resting against the basket on either side of hers. And even more natural for her to lean back slightly against him.

The gap between their hands narrowed imperceptibly, and he moved slightly closer, cradling her body against his. And she wasn’t sure which of them moved first, but then her left hand was covering his, and his right hand was covering hers, and she was aware of every nerve end in her skin.

‘Would you like me to take a picture of you together?’ one of the other passengers asked.

‘Thank you. That would be lovely.’ Theo fished his mobile phone from his pocket and set it to camera mode before handing it to her.

‘Stand a bit closer together—I can’t quite get you both in.’

Theo stood behind Madison and slid his arms round her waist, pulling her back against him.

‘Now, smile.’

Smile, when her knees had just melted and her temperature had risen about ten degrees? But she managed it. Just.

The woman took a photograph, and a second ‘just in case’, then smiled at them. ‘You make a lovely couple.’

‘Thank you,’ Theo said.

For the return of the phone?

Or for the compliment?

Maybe they’d just hit a patch of particularly thin air, because she definitely couldn’t think straight. ‘Thank you,’ she mumbled.

Theo stayed close to her for the rest of the balloon trip. And although they’d been warned that in four out of five flights the balloon landed on its side, and they’d braced themselves for the impact, she still wasn’t prepared for the fact that the basket tipped over and she landed on top of Theo.

Full length.

Plastered against him.

His arms automatically came round her. It was the obvious thing to do, to keep them stable—but then again he’d spent most of the balloon ride with his arms round her.

If she lifted her head from his shoulder, she was close enough to kiss him.

And if they hadn’t had the other passengers from the balloon and the pilot with them, she knew she would have done it. Teased that gorgeous, sexy mouth until he was kissing her back and his hands were sliding underneath her fleece and her camisole to encounter bare skin. And she would’ve been just as quick to rip his clothes off.

Oh, lord.

She could feel her face burning, but Theo didn’t make any comment. He merely joined the others in helping to roll up the surprisingly heavy balloon and loading it into the back of the Land Rover that had followed the balloon across London to Alexandra Palace and obtained clearance for them to land.

‘So, did you enjoy your first balloon ride?’ he asked as they walked through the park towards the tube station.

‘It was amazing. I’ve lived in London for twelve years now, but it’s made me see the city with new eyes. There are so many places I haven’t explored.’

He waited a beat. ‘Maybe we could explore them together,’ he suggested.

It shocked her how just much she wanted to agree. ‘Maybe,’ she said.

When they were sitting on the tube, he slanted her a look. ‘Are you doing anything special for the rest of the day?’

‘Does an appointment with an ironing board and a pile of laundry the height of K2 count?’ she asked wryly.

‘That,’ he said, ‘doesn’t sound like fun. How about having lunch with me first?’

‘As long as you let me pay,’ she said. ‘My treat—seeing as you shared your prize with me.’

He smiled. ‘I didn’t mean in a restaurant. I don’t live far from a tube station. Come and have lunch with me.’

Go to his home?

She’d have to be crazy, especially given the way her body had reacted to his on the balloon. ‘It’s a bit early for lunch.’ It was barely eleven.

He shrugged. ‘We were up early. I’d say it’s lunchtime.’ He raised an eyebrow, as if challenging her. He couldn’t make it any clearer that he thought she was being a coward.

Well, she wasn’t. ‘Lunch,’ she said, lifting her chin, ‘would be lovely.’

‘Good.’

He unlocked the front door of a tiny Victorian terrace with a pocket-handkerchief-sized front garden. The décor was neutral—which she’d expected from a rented house—though a brief glance into the living room as she passed the open door showed framed photographs clustered on the mantelpiece. So clearly he was trying to make the place home rather than just somewhere to live.

‘Anything I can do to help?’ she asked.

‘You can put the kettle on, if you like.’ His eyes glittered with amusement. ‘Don’t worry—I have English coffee.’ He retrieved a cafetière and a bag of ground coffee from the cupboard above the kettle, and sliced open the seal. ‘If I was going to make proper coffee—the way I drink it—I’d use a briki.’ It must have shown on her face that she didn’t understand, because he said, ‘It’s a Greek coffee-pot—you use it straight on the stove.’

He’d already removed his jacket and hung it on the newel post, but now he stripped off his sweater to reveal a white V-necked T-shirt. One that clung in all the right places.

He’d looked hot in a suit. Gorgeous in that leather jacket and sweater. But now, in jeans and that white T-shirt, he was completely edible.

Madison only just stopped herself touching him.

But no way could she keep her fleece on. She was melting as it was. ‘It is OK if I put my fleece on top of your jacket?’

‘Sure. Now, let’s see.’ He was rummaging in the fridge and stacking a pile of ingredients on the worktops. ‘Anything you don’t eat or you’re allergic to?’

‘I like all food.’ As long as she didn’t have to cook it.

‘Good. So we’ll start with toasted pitta and hummus, then chicken and salad.’ He handed her a bottle of milk. ‘No sugar for me, please.’

It felt oddly domestic, making coffee for them both while he chopped salad. She’d never done this with Harry. Then again, she and Harry had hardly ever been at home together. They’d nearly always eaten out, neither of them being particularly fond of cooking. ‘Anything else I can do to help?’ she asked when she’d filled their mugs, added milk and returned the bottle to the fridge.

‘You can lay the table in the dining room, if you like. The cutlery’s in the top drawer and plates are in the cupboard next to the kettle.’ Meanwhile, he was whisking lemon juice and olive oil and fresh herbs in a bowl as if he were a born chef.

She collected the cutlery and went through to the dining room. There was a small dining table with four chairs, and a computer table with a desk lamp and laptop; next to it was a bookcase, stuffed with textbooks she recognised and other books that were printed in Greek and could have been anything from medicine to poetry. There were more photographs on the mantelpiece and a stunning watercolour of a Mediterranean seascape.

She’d just finished laying the table and was about to take a closer look at the photographs when Theo walked in, carrying a plate with hot pitta bread and a bowl of hummus.

‘Lunch. And I’m really ready for this. Must be the fresh air.’ He gave her another of those knee-buckling smiles.

The hummus was good—to the point where she suspected it probably hadn’t been bought from the deli counter of the local supermarket. And when he brought in the next course—a salad of cucumber, tomatoes, olives, red peppers and salty feta cheese, to go with chicken he’d marinated briefly in that dressing before grilling it—she knew for sure that he’d made it himself.

Theo Petrakis was simply gorgeous. Body, mind and heart—she’d seen him in action in the department enough to know he was kind and clever. And he was a great cook to boot.

If she wasn’t careful, she could really fall for him.

‘That was fabulous,’ she said when they’d finished. ‘You’re an excellent cook.’

‘That wasn’t cooking,’ he said. ‘That was throwing stuff together from the fridge.’ He held her gaze, his dark eyes flecked with green and gold and grey. ‘One evening I’ll cook you a proper Greek meal, if you like.’

Oh, she’d like. ‘Thank you.’

And again her heart felt as if it had done one of those odd little flips. She decided to take refuge in a safer topic: work. ‘So where did you train?’ she asked.

‘With a surname like Petrakis, where do you think?’ he teased.

Greece? ‘Your English is perfect and you barely have an accent.’ Just enough to be exotic. Sexy as hell. ‘And England’s a pretty multicultural place. So I’m not going to presume to guess.’

‘I trained in Greece,’ he said. ‘But I came to England five years ago. I’ve been working in the Midlands.’

‘Job enrichment?’ she guessed.

He shrugged. ‘My grandparents are English. I wanted to spend some time getting to know them.’

‘You didn’t see them much of them when you were growing up?’

‘No.’

Something in his tone warned her that this was a sore spot, something to be left alone.

‘What about you?’ he asked.

‘I trained in London, but my family’s from Suffolk. My cousin Katrina lives a couple of doors down from me, so if we’re on the same shift I see her quite a bit out of work.’

‘Is she a doctor too?’

Madison nodded. ‘She’s in paediatrics. And she’s brilliant.’ She smiled. ‘She’s practically my sister, seeing as we grew up together. Our dads have a family business and our mums are best friends.’ She paused. ‘How about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?’

‘Three younger sisters and a brother.’ He went over to the mantelpiece and took a photograph down to show her. ‘This is Sophronia—she’s the next one down from me. Melina’s next, then Thalia, and this is Stefanos.’

She could definitely see the family resemblance, though all had darker eyes than Theo. ‘Are any of them doctors?’ she asked.

‘Just me,’ he said. ‘Sophronia was trying to be a stay-at-home mum, but she missed her job too much.’ He smiled. ‘And she’s very, very good at PR. So she’s gone back part time. Melina’s a chef, Thalia’s an interior designer, and Stefanos is in his last year of an economics degree.’ He replaced the photograph on the mantelpiece.

On impulse, she joined him there. ‘And who are they?’ she asked, pointing to another photograph.

‘Sophie’s children—my niece Arianna and my nephew Petros.’

It was a candid shot, clearly taken by someone they knew rather than a posed professional picture, and the smiles on their faces were infectious. ‘They’re gorgeous,’ she said, meaning it.

He was standing close enough for their arms to touch, and a shiver went through her at the feel of his skin against hers. Lord. She couldn’t remember when she’d last been aware of someone in this way. Maybe not since Harry.

He must have felt the shiver, because he turned to face her. ‘They are,’ he said softly. Gently, he touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers. ‘So what are we going to do about this, Maddie?’

‘About what?’

It was a complete fib, and she knew he knew it. He meant about them. About the weird pull between them.

‘That night at the ball…I did this.’ He lifted her right hand and skimmed her inner wrist with his mouth. ‘And then I wanted to kiss you here.’ He kissed the soft skin of her inner elbow. ‘And here.’ He kissed the curve of her shoulder, bare except for the spaghetti strap of her top. ‘And…’

She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, offering him her throat. His mouth brushed against it, and heat sprang up wherever his lips touched her.

And when his mouth finally connected with hers, her knees went weak. His mouth was soft and sweet and persuasive, and she couldn’t help sliding her hands round his neck, opening her mouth under his to let him deepen the kiss.

Time seemed to stop, and all she was aware of was Theo. The strength of his body against hers, the warmth of his mouth, the seductive flicker of his tongue against hers. She couldn’t remember ever wanting anyone this much before, even Harry.

Harry.

That was where everything had gone wrong last time.

Too much, too fast.

And an almighty mess at the end.

When he broke the kiss, she opened her eyes. ‘Theo. This shouldn’t be happening,’ she whispered.

He took one step away. ‘Signomi. I apologise.’

It would be sensible to accept his apology and stop this right now. Except she couldn’t. The need was too strong. ‘Theo, I… That wasn’t quite what I meant.’

‘No, you were right in the first place, Maddie. We shouldn’t do this.’ He dragged a hand through his hair.

It only made things worse because, ever so slightly rumpled, he looked sexier than ever and she wanted him even more. ‘I think my blood pressure’s just gone up ten points,’ she said.

‘Mine, too.’ He shook his head in apparent exasperation. ‘This is crazy. Apart from the fact that I’m only here for six months and dating colleagues is usually a bad idea, I’m not in a position to offer you anything more than an affair. And that’s…’ He grimaced. ‘Well, it’s not particularly honourable, is it?’

She didn’t quite understand. ‘What’s so dishonourable about seeing each other?’

‘Because,’ he said softly, ‘usually when you’re over thirty, when you start seeing someone you’re thinking about settling down. So a relationship doesn’t mean just having fun—it means getting to know each other, seeing if you suit each other, seeing if you could be happy growing old together.’

‘That makes it sound as if everyone of our age is on the lookout for a life partner,’ Madison said dryly.

‘So are you saying you don’t want to settle down?’

‘No. When I meet the right person then I’ll want to settle down,’ she admitted. ‘I want what my parents have—what Katrina’s parents have, too. A good, strong marriage. A relationship that will last.’ Not like her previous marriage, which had collapsed within six months. She paused. ‘But how do you know when you meet the right person?’

He spread his hands. ‘No idea. But I’m not looking.’

The word ‘dishonourable’ filtered back into her head. ‘You’re already involved elsewhere—your partner’s back in the Midlands or in Greece?’

‘No.’ He frowned. ‘Otherwise I wouldn’t have asked you to come with me on the balloon.’

Divorced, then, she guessed. ‘She hurt you that badly?’ Madison asked. She could sympathise with that—Harry had left her feeling burned and with major trust issues. If Theo had been involved with the female equivalent of Harry, it was hardly surprising that he was equally wary of relationships.

‘It’s nothing to do with an ex.’

She blinked. ‘Perhaps I’m being stupid, here, but if you’re not involved with anyone else, what’s the problem?’

‘I can’t offer you a future, Maddie. I don’t want to get married and have children. So seeing me would stop you meeting someone else, someone who would be able to give you what you want.’

‘And what do you think I want?’

‘You’ve already told me—you want a relationship that lasts. Marriage. And, given the look on your face when I showed you the photographs of my niece and nephew, I’d say you want children as well.’




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