The Playboy Doctor's Surprise Proposal

The Playboy Doctor's Surprise Proposal
Anne Fraser

Taming the playboyEverybody has warned Caitlin about Dr Andrew Bedi – sexy and charming he might be, but he has no intention of settling down any time soon! Caitlin has no intention of going any where near any of her male colleagues – let alone gorgeous children’s doctor Andrew.This playboy doc knows that some day, when the right woman comes along, he’ll take her as his bride. Until then he’s telling himself that he’s just passing time with his intriguing new colleague. But when Caitlin discovers she is pregnant Andrew finds himself wanting to take on the role of husband and daddy far sooner than he thought!

The Playboy Doctor’s Surprise Proposal

Anne Fraser

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Table of Contents

Cover (#ue3eb0f3f-c220-5e5b-a4db-496216e0d9e0)

Title Page (#u6c033387-1ee6-5de3-bc57-f01830a6b0e3)

About the Author (#u09545834-6c00-5091-9e50-75cad3867495)

Chapter 1 (#ube586592-878d-5489-a585-62a4490f43c6)

Chapter 2 (#ubf0d0320-ff61-58cf-a342-b3ca958ddb8a)

Chapter 3 (#u44550a49-fa93-5dd0-bc10-12a63bebdbb2)

Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

ANNE FRASER was born in Scotland, but brought up in South Africa. After she left school she returned to the birthplace of her parents, the remote Western Islands of Scotland. She left there to train as a nurse, before going on to university to study English Literature. After the birth of her first child, she and her doctor husband travelled the world, working in rural Africa, Australia and Northern Canada. Anne still works in the health sector. To relax, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, walking and travelling.

CHAPTER ONE

HE PLUCKED her out of the sea. One minute she was floundering in the water, the next she was being manhandled to shore by a stranger with bronzed muscles and nutmegcoloured eyes. It was by far the most embarrassing thing that had happened to her for as long as she could remember.

Ten minutes earlier, Caitlin had plunged into the Pacific, gasping as the cold water chased the heat of the Australian sun from her skin. She had ploughed through the water for a few moments until life had returned to her frozen limbs, then turned on her back and floated.

Her sister, Brianna, and the rest of the group were on the beach. Niall was fussing around lighting the barbecue, while Brianna relaxed with a book. The children were making sandcastles on the startingly white sand, and the sounds of their laughter drifted over to Caitlin on the perfectly still air. She could still scarcely believe that she was here in Brisbane. Months of planning followed by a forty-eight-hour journey from Dublin and finally here she was. She only wished her trip could have been made under happier circumstances. Flipping over onto her stomach, she swam for a few more minutes, then trod water. Brianna’s husband, Niall, had promised her that she was safe from sharks this close to shore, but Caitlin wasn’t going to take any chances. She’d keep the beach within easy distance.

Looking towards the shore, she could see Niall and Brianna waving to her. Without her glasses, they were slightly fuzzy shapes against the glaring white of the sand. Caitlin waved back. Just a few more minutes then she’d return to shore and help her sister with lunch.

Her stomach gave the familiar flutter of anxiety that she always experienced these days when she thought about her older sister. Although Brianna was recovering well from her treatment, the sight of her nearly bald head with the wispy tendrils of hair had brought tears to Caitlin’s eyes when she had first seen her at the airport. It had taken all her resolve not to show how shocked she was when she had hugged her sister and felt the fragile bones. Still she was here now. When she wasn’t working, she’d be around to help, at the very least offer moral support.

The next time she looked up the beach had receded. She became aware that Brianna and Niall were still waving and Caitlin waved back again. They probably wanted her back on shore.

Flipping over on her stomach once more, she struck off towards the beach. She was a good swimmer, managing twenty lengths most mornings at her local pool before she left for work. Caitlin believed that routine and discipline were essential parts of life.

Stopping for a moment, she lifted her head out of the water to check the distance to the beach. To her dismay, she didn’t seem to have made any progress. In fact, if it was possible, she appeared to have moved away from the shore and further out to sea. For the first time, Caitlin felt a flutter of anxiety. Niall had warned her about the currents but she hadn’t paid too much attention, putting his concerns down to him being an anxious brother-in-law. Now, she realised grimly that he hadn’t exaggerated. Clearly she was caught in a current that was dragging her out to sea. She felt the first flicker of real alarm.

She had read somewhere that the best thing to do was to swim across the current rather than against it. That way you’d eventually reach a point where the current would disappear. From there it should be easy to swim back.

By this time Niall had waded in up to his thighs and was gesticulating wildly. He had been joined by another figure, and although it was too far for Caitlin to see more than blurry outlines, she could see enough to know that the figure was tall, topping Niall by a good couple of inches, although her brother-in-law was no slouch in the height stakes. Caitlin had just enough time to wonder if the new figure was Andrew, her new colleague, who she’d been told was to join them for lunch, before she started swimming again.

Don’t panic, she told herself as she cut through the water. You’ve been in difficult situations before, and panicking never did anyone any good. Just swim parallel to the beach and everything will be fine. Eventually.

She had only been swimming for another couple of minutes, but already she could feel the energy sapping out of her limbs. Swimming in the safe confines of her local pool was not the same thing as swimming in the sea. If she were to make it back safely she would need to conserve her energy. She would tread water for a few moments, just long enough to get her breath back, then start swimming again. She shuddered as she saw a mass of translucent blobs float past her. That was all she needed—jellyfish. She’d been told that Australian jellyfish could be lethal, along with hundreds of other snakes, sharks, spiders and goodness knew what else that seemed to favour the continent. And Caitlin didn’t do dangerous animals. But typical of the way her luck had being going lately, she felt a sudden pain in her calf, as if she’d been stung by a thousand wasps. She cried out in pain and shock, swallowing water, and as she grabbed her leg, she felt herself go under.

She popped up again, gasping and choking. Now she was really worried. What if she had only a few minutes to live? One way or another right now her chances of survival seemed grim. At that moment she felt something touch her shoulder. What now? She twisted her body round to face this new threat and found herself looking into a pair of unfamiliar brown eyes. She guessed immediately it was the man she had seen standing with Niall.

‘I’ve always wanted to rescue a damsel in distress,’ he drawled. His wide grin made Caitlin furious. What on earth did he find amusing about her situation? Couldn’t he see she was in trouble?

‘I need to get ashore,’ she panted. ‘I’ve been stung.’ She spluttered as a wave rolled over her, forcing more salt water down her already choked-up throat.

Hands reached for her. All trace of amusement vanished. ‘Just do as I tell you and don’t fight me,’ he said, his deep voice calm. ‘Just roll over onto your back and relax. I’ll take you in.’

Caitlin hesitated. Despite her terror there was no way she was going to be dragged ashore like so much flotsam.

‘Or, so help me, I’ll knock you out if I have to,’ he threatened as if he read her mind.

The hardness in his tone made Caitlin realise he was deadly serious. He would knock her out—she didn’t doubt him for a second! The last thing she had the strength for was a brawl. And she did need help. Her leg was agonising and she was finding it difficult to breathe. Giving up all pretence of being able to get herself out of her predicament, she rolled over on her back and let herself float. She felt firm hands grasp either side of her head, and then she was being tugged towards the shore.

It could have only taken a few minutes but, exhausted and mortified, it felt like hours to Caitlin before she was being helped up the beach and onto a blanket. She dropped to her knees while Brianna dropped a towel around her shoulders.

‘My God, Cat. Are you all right?’ Brianna pressed a tumbler of water to her lips and Caitlin drank the liquid gratefully, washing away the taste of sea water. Over her sister’s shoulder, Caitlin was conscious of the curious gazes of her niece and nephew. She shivered, trying to catch her breath, acutely aware how close she had come to being swept out to sea. Her rescuer knelt beside her and to her consternation gently lifted her calf and examined the place where she had been stung. Caitlin had the briefest impression of broad shoulders the colour of toffee and thick black hair.

‘How’s her leg, Andrew?’ Niall asked, sounding concerned.

‘It’ll be okay. As soon as I get some vinegar on it.’ Caitlin’s embarrassment deepened. So she’d been right. The man who had been forced to come after her to bring her ashore as if she were some helpless female was her new colleague. Dr Andrew Bedi. What a way to make a good first impression, she berated herself. He must think her all kinds of an idiot.

‘I’ve got some vinegar in the boot of my car. If you could fetch it, Niall?’ Andrew continued. He turned to Caitlin and smiled sympathetically. ‘They’re always getting me. It will sting like crazy for a while, but I don’t think there’s any lasting damage. You’re lucky that you got stung by these babies. Now, if it had been the ones up north, you’d really be in trouble.’ He raised his eyes to Caitlin’s and once again she was aware of the intensity of his gaze. She felt a tingle in her leg, but whether it was from the feel of his hands or the shock of her recent experience, she didn’t want to know. He was tall, at least six feet four, with short black hair. He was only wearing Bermuda shorts and Caitlin was acutely aware of his bronzed, muscular chest. Deep brown eyes, framed by impossibly thick lashes, glinted as if he found the whole world amusing. His features were perfectly sculpted, high cheekbones and a full, generous mouth. People might have called him beautiful, if it weren’t for his nose, which looked as if it had been broken and badly set. He was simply by far the sexiest man Brianna had ever seen—and she was to be working with him!

‘Did no one warn you not to go too far out?’ he said, frowning at her. Although he looked as if he was of Indian descent, his accent was Australian.

Caitlin prickled at the disapproval in his voice. She wasn’t used to people telling her off. ‘Yes. But I didn’t notice how far the current had taken me until it was too late.’ Caitlin pulled her leg out of his grasp, annoyed. Okay, so he’d had to rescue her, that was embarrassing and she owed him, but there was no need for him to talk to her as if she were a naughty child. ‘Thank you for helping me out. I am very grateful…’ She was aware that she sounded less than appreciative, but she desperately wanted to regain some dignity as quickly as possible. She wasn’t used to feeling at a disadvantage, as if she was in the wrong. ‘And I can promise you, I will never ever put myself, or any one else, in that position again. Okay?’ She tried a smile and tugged her leg from his grasp. It was still stinging like hell, but she would just have to grit her teeth until the pain subsided.

‘Oh, Caitlin,’ Brianna was saying as Niall returned carrying a large brown leather bag. ‘You gave us all such a fright.’