CAROL MARINELLI - The Consultant's Accidental Bride

Blood pressure is high and pulses are racing in these fast-paced, dramatic stories from Mills & Boon® Medical Romance™.

They’ll move a mountain to save a life in an emergency, be they E.R. doctors, nurses or paramedics. There are lots of critical engagements amongst the high tensions and emotional passions in these exciting stories of lives and loves at risk!

Dear Reader CONTENTS Cover Dear Reader Title Page PROLOGUE CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE EPILOGUE Copyright ,

I love a good wedding—romance in the air, dressed in your best and looking as close to a million dollars as you’re ever likely to get. The perfect place to meet the man of you dreams, really.

But what happens when the shine wears off along with the lip gloss? What happens when one night of heavy flirting ties you to someone in ways you could never have anticipated? How do you cope when the man of your dreams suddenly becomes your landlord and boss to boot?

That was the setting I created for my gorgeous heroine Leah and my sexy hero Cole. Between them they created a lot of laughs and a lot of tears, and hopefully a love story you’ll enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!

Happy reading,

Carol Marinelli

The Consultant’s Accidental Bride

Carol Marinelli

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Cover

Dear Reader Dear Reader CONTENTS Cover Dear Reader Title Page PROLOGUE CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE EPILOGUE Copyright , I love a good wedding—romance in the air, dressed in your best and looking as close to a million dollars as you’re ever likely to get. The perfect place to meet the man of you dreams, really. But what happens when the shine wears off along with the lip gloss? What happens when one night of heavy flirting ties you to someone in ways you could never have anticipated? How do you cope when the man of your dreams suddenly becomes your landlord and boss to boot? That was the setting I created for my gorgeous heroine Leah and my sexy hero Cole. Between them they created a lot of laughs and a lot of tears, and hopefully a love story you’ll enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing! Happy reading, Carol Marinelli

Title Page The Consultant’s Accidental Bride Carol Marinelli www.millsandboon.co.uk

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

EPILOGUE

Copyright

‘I HAVE to get this flight!’ Struggling to keep the note of desperation out of her voice, Leah took a deep breath, knowing that losing her temper wasn’t going to get her anywhere. ‘I know how stupid I must look—I mean I’ve seen those airline shows, where people argue at the desk, when everyone knows that they haven’t got a leg to stand on—but it really is imperative that I get that flight.’

‘Then you should have confirmed your seat, Miss Jacobs,’ came the unimpressed response.

‘It’s Leah,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘I thought we’d at least be on first-name terms by now, Glynn.’

Glynn flashed her a very false smile. ‘Then you should have confirmed, Leah.’

It was like a broken record. They’d been arguing the point for half an hour now. Leah could see on the overhead screen that the final calls were being made and though she knew that her tears were wasted here, that feminine wiles weren’t going to win over this guy in particular, the sparkle of tears in her eyes as she again pleaded her case were far from staged.

‘As I’ve said, economy’s full…’

‘Then upgrade me?’ she pleaded hopefully.

‘I’m sorry I just don’t have that kind of authority. Anyway, Business Class is practically full with a load of doctors returning to Melbourne from a medical conference we’ve had here in Cairns.’

‘So there are some seats?’ The hope that flared in her voice died even before she’d completed her sentence as Glynn’s eyes dragged over her, and Leah could feel him snootily taking in the scraggy blonde curls tied back in a scrunchy, the faded denim shorts and scanty T-shirt that had definitely seen better days, all topped off with a rather sad-looking backpack. No doubt, Leah thought, cringing with mortification under his scrutiny, he was probably realising why he’d chosen to pursue his own type in the first place.

‘My best friend gets married tomorrow,’ Leah begged. ‘I’m the bridesmaid.’

‘So you said,’ Glynn replied tightly. ‘And, as I’ve pointed out, with your type of ticket, seventy-two hours’ confirmation prior to flying is obligatory.’ His botoxed forehead almost creased in exasperation as Leah attempted to break in, but Glynn got there first. ‘I know you’re flying to the UK on Sunday,’ he said through gritted teeth, holding up a very manicured hand to silence her as he did so. ‘And I know that there isn’t anywhere you can possibly stay tonight, given that all your friends are either back in England or have moved on to Brisbane. I know that because you’ve already told me—several times,’ he added. ‘But, as I’ve explained, the best I can offer is a flight to Melbourne at ten a.m. tomorrow. Now, if you’ll take a seat I’ll see if I can arrange some meal vouchers for you.’

‘I don’t want—’

‘Sorry I didn’t confirm.’ A voice that didn’t sound remotely sorry came rather loudly from the next checkin desk and both Leah and Glynn turned, a temporary standoff ensuing as for a moment or two their attention was diverted as they gaped in admiration at the gentleman at the next desk.

Drop-dead gorgeous just about summed him up. Very black hair, coiled over a white shirt, and heavily lidded navy eyes flashed a winning smile as he rummaged through his suit pocket for his ticket. ‘I thought the hotel had taken care of all that.’

‘No problem, Dr Richardson,’ the pretty ground staff assistant gushed. ‘They’re boarding now at Gate Four. I’ll just ring through and let them know that you’re on your way.’

At least Glynn had the grace to blush.

‘Look.’ Glynn’s smile even bordered on sympathetic as he turned his attention back to Leah. ‘Given that it was a genuine misunderstanding, I’ll see if the airline can arrange some accommodation. I can’t make any promises, I’ll have to talk to my supervisor first. I’m sorry, Leah, it’s the best I can do.’

His hand was outstretched, as it had been for the best part of the entire conversation, holding out her tickets in the hope she would just give in and take them, and this time she did.

It was pointless getting angry with Glynn, Leah reasoned, he was just doing his job.

Sitting on one of the endless empty seats, Leah cast her eyes around the deserted airport. She’d always assumed that airports were constantly buzzing, a perpetual flow of people forever milling through. After all, it had been packed when she’d first arrived, just like a mini-Heathrow really with monitors reeling off arrivals and departures and frazzled parents attempting to control even more frazzled toddlers. But, unlike the twenty-four seven circus of Heathrow, the day was obviously over here. The car hire place had pulled down its shutters, the café was in darkness. Only the piped music broke the silence, and Leah stared blankly at a massive array of greenery lining the windows, which was so lush it was hard to tell where the indoor plants ended and the outside began. A couple of cleaners were half-heartedly running their dust mops along the highly polished floors and for a tiny moment it reminded Leah of her own emergency room back in England at four a.m. But there was no nostalgia as her mind wandered back to her workplace, no fond memories trickling or eagerness to get back to where she belonged. Instead, a bubble of panic welled inside…