From Fling to Forever. Avril Tremayne
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AVRIL TREMAYNE read Jane Eyre as a teenager and has been hooked on tales of passion and romance ever since. An opportunistic insomniac, she has been a lifelong crazy-mad reader, but she took the scenic route to becoming a writer—via gigs as diverse as shoe salesgirl, hot cross bun packer, teacher, and public relations executive. She has spent a good chunk of her life travelling, and has more favourite destinations than should be strictly allowable.
Avril is happily settled in her hometown of Sydney, Australia, where her husband and daughter try to keep her out of trouble—not always successfully. When she’s not writing or reading she can generally be found eating—although she does not cook!
Check out her website: www.avriltremayne.com or follow her on Twitter: @AvrilTremayne and Facebook: www.facebook.com/avril.tremayne
FROM FLING TO FOREVER is Avril Tremayne’s debut book for Mills & Boon® Medical Romance™!
From Fling
to Forever
Avril Tremayne
As a diehard romantic, I like the idea of a love so strong it feels as if it’s written in the stars. And that’s a concept I’ve enjoyed exploring in FROM FLING TO FOREVER.
Aaron and Ella have known enough heartbreak to have them setting very specific life paths for themselves. But when they meet at a wedding in Australia those paths are destined for the scrapheap—they just don’t know it yet.
It takes a second encounter—in Cambodia—to ignite a scorching but unwanted passion between them as they work side by side at a children’s hospital.
And a third—in England—for them to realise that the passion isn’t going away, so they’d better get it out of their systems with a quick, hard fling before sailing into their separate futures.
But it seems fate isn’t so crazy about the ‘fling’ part.
I hope you enjoy the ride as Ella and Aaron face some tense situations and the occasional emergency as they re-set their life paths from fling to forever.
Avril Tremayne
This book is dedicated to my fellow writer PTG Man and Dr John Sammut with many, many thanks for the generous medical advice. Thanks also to Dr John Lander and Dr Hynek Prochazka. Any errors that snuck in despite their best efforts are mine, all mine!
I would also like to acknowledge the amazing Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC)—a non-profit pediatric teaching hospital that provides free quality care to impoverished children in Siem Reap, Cambodia. All the characters, settings and situations in FROM FLING TO FOREVER are fictional—however, during the course of my research, I learned so much from AHC, which has provided over one million medical treatments, education to thousands of Cambodian health workers, and prevention training to thousands of families since it opened in 1999. You can find out more about the hospital at www.angkorhospital.org
Table of Contents
Dear Reader
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
WEDDINGS.
Ella Reynolds had nothing against them, but she certainly didn’t belong at one. Not even this one.
But her sister, Tina, had insisted she not only attend but trick herself out as maid of honour in this damned uncomfortable satin gown in which there was no stretch. Add in the ridiculous high heels and hair twisted into a silly bun that was pinned so tightly against her scalp she could practically feel the headache negotiating where to lunge first.
And then there was the stalker. Just to top everything off.
She’d first felt his stare boring into her as she’d glided up the aisle ahead of her sister. And then throughout the wedding service, when all eyes should have been on the bride and groom. And ever since she’d walked into the reception.
Disconcerting. And definitely unwanted.
Especially since he had a little boy with him. Gorgeous, sparkly, darling little boy. Asian. Three or four years old. Exactly the type of child to mess with her already messed-up head.
Ella looked into her empty champagne glass, debating whether to slide over the legal limit. Not that she was driving, but she was always so careful when she was with her family. Still … Tina, pregnant, glowing, deliriously happy, was on the dance floor with her new husband Brand—and not paying her any attention. Her parents were on the other side of the room, catching up with Brand’s family on this rare visit to Sydney—and not paying her any attention. She was alone at the bridal table, with no one paying her any attention. Which was just fine with her. It was much easier to hold it all together when you were left to yourself. To not let anyone see the horrible, unworthy envy of Tina’s pregnancy, Tina’s life.
And—she swivelled around to look for a waiter—it made it much easier to snag that extra champagne.
But a sound put paid to the champagne quest. A cleared throat.
She twisted back in her chair. Looked up.
The stalker. Uh-oh.
‘Hi,’ he said.
‘Hello.’ Warily.
‘So … you’re Ella,’ he said.
Oh, dear. Inane stalker. ‘Yep. Sister of the bride.’
‘Oh.’ He looked surprised. And then, ‘Sorry, the accent. I