CAROL MARINELLI - Hot Single Docs - Waiting For You - St Piran's - Prince on the Children's Ward

‘It’s a great idea. We can drop you right outside. And Tasha can come with you.’ Josh nodded. ‘I’ll have a word with the staff and let them know you’re coming.’

‘I’ve been thinking about a job in NICU. Is there someone there I could talk to?’

Alessandro frowned. ‘What’s NICU?’

‘Neonatal intensive care unit.’ Josh shifted in his chair. ‘Talk to Megan Phillips.’

Tasha noticed that her brother’s tone had altered and wondered if it had anything to do with Megan. Glancing up, she met Alessandro’s steady dark gaze. Clearly he was thinking the same thing. He smiled and that slow, sexy smile connected straight to her insides. Her stomach swooped and plunged, the chemistry between them as electrifying and terrifying as ever. Staring into his mahogany eyes, she opened her mouth to speak but he spoke first.

‘You’ve got me through the worst bit. Thanks to you, they let me out of that hospital. I can manage now. If you want to leave, leave.’

He was giving her a choice. And she knew it wasn’t just about caring for him.

He was making her decide whether to leave or not.

Both men were looking at her expectantly and Tasha swallowed. She didn’t know how she was going to answer until the words left her mouth.

‘I’m not in the habit of letting people down. I’ll stay until you’re fully mobile, just as I promised.’ It was easy to convince herself that that was the reason she was staying. ‘But I do need to be looking for a full-time job. I thought I’d explore NICU—except that I’m not sure I’ll get a reference.’

‘You will. I made a few phone calls this week.’ Josh leaned back against the sofa. ‘Turns out you had a lot of support at the unit. Questions are being asked. People are enraged that you were allowed to resign.’

‘Really? Why didn’t you say so before?’ Tasha brightened. ‘Enraged? Oh, I’m so pleased.’

Alessandro lifted an eyebrow. ‘You want people to be enraged?’

‘I want them to care that I’ve gone, yes. I’m human enough to want that. And I’m human enough to need to be told I did the right thing—that others would have done the same. I would love an apology from him,’ she sniffed, ‘but I doubt I’ll get that.’

‘You won’t. They guy’s an idiot. Forget about him.’ Josh leaned forward. ‘So, about the prince-and-princess party...’

Energised by the knowledge that people were supporting her, Tasha reached for her handbag. ‘Leave that to me. I’m going to pay a visit to the dressing-up shop in St Piran. Alessandro and I will see you back at the hospital.’

* * *

He’d given her the opportunity to leave and yet she’d chosen to stay.

Alessandro watched Tasha as she gathered bags and put them in the car. Her coat was buttoned from neck to hem and he wondered why she was wearing a long coat when it wasn’t cold.

‘I’ve bought tiaras and all sorts of props that should be useful.’ She slid his crutches into the boot. ‘Be careful as you get in. Sit down, then I’ll move your legs.’

She gently moved his leg into the car and helped him with his seat belt. ‘Is that comfortable?’

It was agony, but even agony wasn’t enough to dampen his response to her.

‘Alessandro?’ She lifted her eyes to his face and chemistry immediately flickered between them. Flushing, she drew back sharply. ‘Right. Well, if you’re not too uncomfortable then we’ll get going.’

‘Tasha, listen—’

‘The kids are waiting.’ The car door slammed and Alessandro winced as pain rocked through his leg. Fine. So they’d go through the day pretending they hadn’t stripped each other half-naked.

‘Did you agree to stay with me just to annoy your brother?’ He watched her as she slid into the driver’s seat. ‘If you want to take a job at the hospital, you should take it. I can manage.’

‘I promised to look after you until you’re out of the cast and that’s what I’m going to do. And, anyway, I don’t really want to work in the same hospital as Josh. You’ve seen what he’s like. He’ll be banging on my door, questioning every decision I make. We’d drive each other crazy.’ She drove fast and Alessandro found himself clenching his teeth.

‘Do you know these roads well?’

‘Yes.’

‘Good, because if there are any surprises behind that blind bend, you’re about to smack into it head first.’

She shifted gears smoothly. ‘Do I make you nervous? Big, tough guy like you?’

An image of tangled metal lodged itself in his head. ‘I’m not a good passenger.’ He didn’t elaborate but she immediately trod on the brakes.

‘Sorry,’ she muttered. ‘I didn’t think.’

Her sensitivity surprised him, although it shouldn’t have. She’d always been sensitive, hadn’t she? Too sensitive.

He braced himself for her to question him about the accident that had killed his brother but instead she smoothly changed the subject.

‘Did you notice anything strange about Josh?’

‘Strange in what way?’

‘You didn’t think he was tense and on edge?’

‘He’d just caught his sister naked with a man.’ He watched as the colour bloomed in her cheeks. ‘That was reason enough for him to be tense.’

‘Yes, but it wasn’t that. It was something else. Something personal. Did you see his face when he made that little speech about loving someone you couldn’t be with?’

‘He’s worried about you.’

‘I’m not sixteen years old.’ This time her gear change was vicious. ‘Why do men always think a woman has to be in love? This is the twenty-first century. I don’t want love. The most important thing to me is my career. And, anyway, a woman can have sex without being in love.’ The words spilled out of her and he watched her steadily, wondering why he wasn’t convinced.

‘We didn’t have sex, Tasha.’

The gears crunched again. ‘I’m well aware of that. All I’m saying is that if we had had sex then it wouldn’t have had anything to do with being in love, and I can’t imagine why you’d even think that. Women can have sex like a man. Without emotional involvement. I don’t want emotional involvement.’

‘Right.’ Alessandro tried to imagine Tasha doing anything without emotional involvement, and failed. Her emotions were involved in everything, from cooking chilli to handling her stethoscope. ‘So, if that’s the case, why are you worried about what Josh said?’

‘There’s something wrong with him. He’s been acting really strangely since I caught him in the on-call room that day I came to see you...’ Without breaking the conversation she flicked the indicator and turned into the hospital car park. ‘And I know he had someone in the room with him, but he was hiding the fact. He didn’t want me to know. But when I saw him, he looked all lit up inside. As if something special had happened. There was an energy about him that I haven’t seen for years.’

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