Joanna Neil - Playboy Under the Mistletoe

‘I’m a doctor,’ she said in a succinct tone, her green eyes homing in on him. ‘I think I’d know if there was something wrong with me.’

‘Not necessarily.’ His gaze lanced into her. ‘You should let me check you over.’

She raised both brows. ‘We both know that’s not going to happen.’ Just the thought of him laying hands on her was enough to make colour sweep along her cheekbones. She just hoped he couldn’t see her reaction, and to avert disaster she went on, ‘It looks as though only one man was injured. Apparently, you said you’d go and help him.’

‘That’s right.’ He studied her briefly, and clearly he must have decided not to pursue the point about her staying in the car.

‘Well, it looks as though his circulation’s compromised, so I think it would be best to try to put the shoulder back in place here and now, rather than wait.’

‘Yes, that’s pretty much the conclusion I came to.’

Jasmine was thinking out a plan of action. ‘In that case, he’ll need a sedative and a painkilling injection,’ she added. ‘I have the medication we need in my medical bag.’

‘Good. You’re right, it will probably be best to inject the joint, rather than set up an intravenous line and anaesthetise him. That way, he would be knocked out completely, but his recovery would take longer, and these aren’t exactly the best of circumstances for him to be undergoing that kind of treatment.’ His gaze ran over her once more. ‘We could do it together, if you think you’re up to it…?’

‘I am. I’ll be fine. I’ll support him while you do the reduction.’

‘Okay, then. Let’s go and see how he’s doing.’

The injured man, they discovered, was becoming paler by the minute, and his lips were beginning to take on a pinched appearance.

‘Ian,’ Ben said, slipping into the passenger seat beside him, ‘we’re going to give you something that will help you to stay calm and relaxed throughout the procedure, and then I’ll inject a painkiller directly into the joint. The drugs will help to relax your muscles at the same time. All that means you shouldn’t feel too much discomfort when I put the bone back into place. You should feel immediate relief from pain when that’s done.’

Ian’s lips moved in what they took for agreement. ‘Anything,’ he said. ‘Please, just put it back so that I can start to think straight again.’

They worked together to give him the medication and prepare him for the manipulation. Then they manoeuvred him from the driver’s seat to where they could work more comfortably. Jasmine positioned herself to one side, getting ready to stop any sudden, untoward movement as Ben popped the shoulder back into its socket.

As soon as it was over, Ian slumped back in his seat. ‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘That was really painful until you two set to work.’

Jasmine was pleased to see that his fingers had started to regain their normal colour, which meant his circulation had been successfully restored. ‘You need to keep the shoulder very still,’ she told him. ‘Any movement will cause more damage.’

Ben had been searching through his own medical bag and now he brought out a shoulder sling. ‘This should help to immobilise the joint while it heals,’ he said. ‘The tissues around the shoulder will probably be inflamed and swollen for a few weeks, so I’ll prescribe some anti-inflammatory tablets for you. I can give you some to be going on with, but you should get the shoulder checked out at a hospital as soon as possible. They’ll probably do an X-ray to make sure that everything’s okay…and they’ll want to make sure that you have no other injuries.’

Ian nodded. ‘Thanks. Though I don’t know how I’m going to get to a hospital in this weather. I don’t even know how I’m going to drive…or even if the car is capable of getting me anywhere.’

‘Same here,’ Jasmine said. ‘Mine’s halfway down a ditch. It seems we’re both in the same boat.’

‘Wretched weather.’ Ian grimaced. ‘I suppose I could call for a taxi…we could share, if you like. That’s if anyone will come out in this weather, of course.’

‘There’s no need for that,’ Ben put in. ‘I can help out. My car’s not damaged in any way, so I can drive both of you. Actually, there’s a cottage hospital with a minor injuries unit not too far away from here. They have X-ray facilities, so they should be able to sort you out.’ He looked at Ian. ‘I’ll drop you off there, if you like, and maybe you could call a relative to come and pick you up later?’

Ian thought things through. ‘I expect my son will come once he finishes work. He’s on the late shift, but he has a four-wheel drive, so I don’t suppose he’ll have too many problems with the road conditions.’

‘What about you, Jasmine?’ Ben’s gaze rested on her. ‘You’re not going to be able to make it to Woodsley Bridge tonight, are you? I can put you up at my place overnight, if you want. At least you’ll be warm and safe there, and we can make arrangements to have your car towed to a garage in the morning.’

A surge of relief flowed through her. ‘Thanks,’ she said, giving him a quick smile. ‘I’d appreciate that, if you’re sure you don’t mind? It’s getting late, and it’s a weight off my mind, knowing that I won’t have to start making all sorts of arrangements at this time of night.’

‘Good. That’s settled, then.’ Once he had everyone’s agreement, Ben was ready for action. ‘We’ll load your luggage into the boot of my car and get under way.’

He helped Ian into the BMW, making sure that he was secure and comfortable in the back seat. ‘The hospital’s a couple of miles down the road,’ he said. ‘We’ll have you there in just a few minutes.’

Jasmine sat in the front passenger seat, absorbing the sheer luxury of Ben’s car. Everything about it spelled comfort and opulence. The temperature was perfect, the seats were heated, and the upholstery gave off a rich scent of supple, new leather. There was even soft music playing in the background.

It all lulled her into a false sense of security, making her feel as though everything was right in her world and that it was perfectly normal for her to be sitting here next to Ben. She tried not to notice how his strong fingers closed around the wheel, or the fact that his long legs were just an inch or so away from her own. The material of his trousers pulled across his powerful thighs, drawing her attention, and she quickly looked away.

When they arrived at the hospital, they went with Ian into the casualty department and waited while a triage nurse took details of the accident and organised an immediate appointment for him in the X-ray department. Then Ian rang his son, and once they were confident that arrangements were in place for him to be picked up later that evening, they said goodbye to him and set off for Ben’s house.

‘It isn’t too far away,’ Ben said, as he turned the car into a country lane. ‘We’ve had to make a bit of a detour, but we should be there soon. I’ll rustle us up something to eat—it seems like an age since we had that snack back at the hotel.’

She gave a crooked smile. ‘I know what you’re thinking…I should have stayed there and agreed to have dinner with you. It would have saved all this trouble.’

He sent her a sideways glance. ‘I wasn’t going to say that…far be it from me to say I told you so.’ He grinned. ‘But sitting down to a relaxing dinner with you and taking time to catch up with all your news would have been good.’

She sighed. ‘I know. But I did so want to get home.’ He didn’t need to know how wary she was of being in close proximity with him for any length of time. ‘It’s just that my mother will be putting up the Christmas tree tomorrow evening, and it’s sort of a tradition that I help her with the baubles and decorations. I love this time of year. We always have Christmas carols playing in the background while we dress the tree, and my dad brings us hot liqueur coffees and warm mince pies, so that we really get into the festive spirit.’