The Royal House of Niroli Collection. Кейт Хьюит
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her cheek. ‘You see what dastardly means I have to resort to in order to get you to come out with me? I’ve never had to work quite so hard before. You are doing serious and very likely irreversible damage to my fragile male ego.’
‘I don’t think your ego has ever been in any sort of danger.’
He gave her a quick grin. ‘No, you’re right. Not while you keep looking at me with those big hazel eyes of yours.’ He dropped a swift kiss to the end of her nose. ‘Till tomorrow, little elf.’
‘Till tomorrow,’ she echoed softly as she watched the fiery red glare of his tail-lights disappear into the darkness of the night.
CHAPTER TWELVE
AMELIA couldn’t wait for her shift to be over the next day. She checked her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes, scoring yet another speculative look from Lucia.
‘You seem very impatient to be out of here,’ the nurse observed. ‘Could it be that you have something special planned for this evening?’
‘No…no, nothing special.’
Lucia smiled knowingly. ‘I don’t think Dr Hunter would like to hear you describe your date with him as “nothing special".’
Amelia stared at her. ‘He told you about that?’
‘Not in as many words,’ Lucia said. ‘I just put two and two together. I saw the way he looked at you every time he was on the ward today. I met him in the canteen and asked him how he was enjoying the island and whether he’d been to any of the beaches. He said he was taking a friend this evening for a sunset picnic.’
‘So you immediately thought that friend was me?’
Lucia’s smile widened. ‘It was a good guess, I thought, and, judging by the colour of your cheeks—spot on.’
Amelia considered denying it just for the sake of it, but she knew Lucia well enough to know she wouldn’t be fooled.
‘You went to the palace with him last night, didn’t you?’ Lucia said.
‘How do you find out all this stuff?’
Lucia grinned. ‘I have connections.’
‘Well, tell your connections to mind their own business,’ Amelia said. ‘I don’t want the whole island talking about one casual date.’
‘Two if you count the other night, which, young lady, I am quite peeved that you didn’t tell me about.’ She leaned closer and added, ‘Did he kiss you?’
Amelia frowned. ‘I’m not going to answer that.’
‘No, you don’t need to as your face just did it for you,’ Lucia said with another cheeky grin.
Amelia sent her a reproving glance. ‘Don’t go ordering the invitations and caterers. He’s only on the island for a month.’
‘So who’s counting the days?’
‘I’m just being realistic,’ Amelia said. ‘Besides, he comes from a totally different world. We have hardly anything in common.’
‘He’s a man—you’re a woman. That’s all that matters,’ Lucia said. ‘You of all people deserve to have a little fling. Who cares how long it lasts?’
I care, Amelia thought as she reached for her bag. I care too much.
Alex watched as she came towards him in the hospital car park, her small bag in one hand and a worried frown disturbing the elfin perfection of her face.
He eased himself away from the car and took her bag, smiling down at her. ‘Hi.’
She looked up at him with a nervous smile. ‘Hi.’
‘Are you OK?’
She moistened her mouth. ‘Yes.’
‘Hey—’ he pushed up her chin ‘—I’m just Alex tonight. Got that?’
She gave him a rueful look. ‘Yes, and I’m aprincess,’ she said.
He laughed. ‘Yeah, that’s right. You are.’
‘Alex.’
‘Stop worrying about it,’ he said as he helped her into the car. ‘I’ve got it all under control.’
She waited until he was behind the driver’s wheel before speaking. ‘Have you found out anything yet?’
He started the engine and backed out of the space, swinging a quick glance her way as he drove out of the hospital grounds. ‘I have someone working on it as we speak. But just for tonight let’s forget all about it, OK?’
‘If that’s what you’d prefer.’
He sent her a warm smile that momentarily suppressed the dark shadows she’d seen in his eyes. ‘It’s what I prefer,’ he said.
Amelia sat in silence as he drove the short distance to his cottage, her senses on high alert. She could smell the sexy musk of his body intermingled with the lingering fragrance of his citrus aftershave, and her skin began to prickle all over at the thought of feeling his kiss, his touch and his intimate caresses.
How would it feel to have his arms around her, his skin on her skin, his body within hers again?
She knew their relationship was being conducted on borrowed time, but the sense of urgency only heightened her attraction to him and she wondered if he felt it too.
She sneaked a look at him as he drove, his long-fingered hands steady on the wheel, his face showing nothing of the inner turmoil he surely must be going through.
Alex caught her looking at him. ‘I hope you’re not having second thoughts.’
‘About what?’
‘About us.’
She looked down at her hands. ‘This is temporary, Alex. You and I both know that.’
‘You’re putting up obstacles that don’t need to be there.’
‘But they are there,’ she insisted. ‘Pretending they’re not isn’t going to make them go away.’
His jaw tightened. ‘I don’t want to talk about it tonight, remember? Tonight we’re just a man and a woman who are attracted to each other.’
‘I’m not denying that, but I think we both should be realistic.’
‘You’re being fatalistic, not realistic,’ he said.
‘I’m trying to protect myself from hurt.’
He let out a deep sigh and reached for her hand, bringing it up to his mouth to press a soft kiss to her fingertips. ‘I don’t want to hurt you, Amelia.’
‘You won’t be able to avoid it.’
He met her troubled gaze. ‘I will do everything in my power to avoid it. Trust me.’
Could she risk her heart another time? She had spent the last eleven years regretting the one and only time she had let her guard slip.
‘Trust me?’ he said again.
She gave him a tremulous smile. ‘I know I’m going to regret this, but I do trust you.’
‘Good girl,’ he said. ‘Now we’re getting somewhere.’
Amelia used the bathroom to change out of her uniform while Alex organised the picnic and within a few minutes they were on their way to a beach at the far end of Santa Fiera where the sandy shore was less frequented by tourists.
‘How about a swim first?’ Alex suggested once he’d laid a blanket on the sand and anchored it with the picnic basket.
‘You go. I’ll sit here and watch for a while,’