One Night That Changed Her Life

Brighde stepped out of the delivery room and was surprised to find Sarah just outside the door. She was working a late shift too but she was working in the nursery. Maybe she was collecting a baby. But she grabbed Brighde’s arm.

‘Good, I’m glad I found you.’

‘What’s the matter?’

‘There’s something I need to tell you,’ her friend said as she dragged her towards the nurses’ station.

‘What is it?’ Brighde had no idea what could be so urgent. ‘I’m in the middle of a delivery.’

‘I know,’ Sarah said, ‘but this is important. Dr O’Donnell—the doctor covering for Dr Davey—you’re looking for him, aren’t you?’

Brighde nodded.

‘That’s him.’ Sarah tilted her head to her left a few times in quick succession, nodding towards the nurses’ station.

Brighde frowned. ‘Who is?’

‘Dr O’Donnell. It’s him. From the conference.’

Brighde saw the back of a head. Her eyes took in the thick, dark, slightly curly hair. The tall, broad, masculine shoulders. Her stomach flipped as recognition slapped her. He wasn’t someone she knew from staff but he wasn’t a complete stranger either.

He turned, maybe a sixth sense alerting him to the fact he was being scrutinised, and their eyes locked.

Brighde took a deep breath and held it. The man she’d shared the best sex of her life with was standing six feet away.

CHAPTER THREE (#u56347e9c-f2bc-58e3-9f84-8d3817d9281c)

‘OH, MY GOD.’

He wasn’t supposed to be here.

Brighde turned to Sarah, dragging her eyes away from Xavier’s perfect face. Her heart was racing. ‘What the hell is he doing here?’

Sarah shrugged. ‘He’s the new OB/GYN.’

‘Seriously?’

‘Yep.’

She swore under her breath.

Be cool, Brighde, she told herself. No one needs to know anything.

But she had to fight the urge to turn on her heel and run out of the door.

She looked back at him. He didn’t look nearly as surprised as she felt. Maybe he was just better at hiding his feelings. He nodded in her direction, a half-nod, and smiled and Brighde’s heart did a little flip. How the hell was she supposed to handle this? She was always so careful to ensure that she didn’t mix her private and professional lives, yet here was the man who had quite literally swept her off her feet, had seen every naked inch of her and given her the time of her life, standing in front of her expecting to work together. She’d never, ever been in this situation before.

Her flight and fight responses were having their own private battle inside her. She was very tempted to go with flight but she knew that wasn’t going to give her the answers she wanted or make the problem go away. If he was, as Sarah had said, the new OB/GYN, she had to assume he was here to stay.

Maybe she could just ignore him, she thought as she half turned away, giving herself a moment to try to get her reactions under control. But she knew that was impossible. He was the doctor she was looking for. He was the one she needed to deliver Kirsty’s baby. They’d be working together, which meant she wasn’t going to be able to ignore him.

And now he was beside her. She knew he was. She could feel him. Ignoring him was definitely not going to be an option. Thankfully, Sarah still stood to her left, giving her moral support. She needed it.

Sarah had heard Brighde’s recount of the night spent in Xavier’s bed many times over the past eight weeks but Brighde had never expected the two of them to meet. She felt her cheeks redden as she thought about the intimate details she’d shared with her best friend.

‘Hello, Brighde. I didn’t expect to see you here.’

His deep voice washed over her and she fought the impulse to close her eyes and give in. His tone was seductive. She knew he probably didn’t mean it to be but that was the effect it had on her. She glanced at Sarah, wondering if Xavier affected her the same way, but she seemed completely relaxed whereas Brighde felt as if someone had tied her up in knots while she wasn’t paying attention.

Was he pleased or disappointed to see her?

She shouldn’t care.

But she did.

And she couldn’t ignore him. Not while he stood beside her. She turned towards him, lifted her head and willed herself to keep it together as she looked into the depths of his dark eyes.

And there it was. The same seductive come-to-bed expression that had drawn her to him the first time. Different circumstances, same reaction. She was in trouble.

Her eyes drifted lower, away from his carnal gaze, as she fought temptation. She couldn’t afford to go to pieces here. She had a job to do.

He was wearing scrubs. Shapeless blue hospital scrubs that did nothing to disguise the width of his shoulders, the length of his legs and the flatness of his stomach. She could still remember how every ridge and groove of his abdominals felt under her hand. She closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them she was looking at his hand. He had his fingers wrapped around a coffee mug. She could remember when those fingers had been cupped around the cheek of her arse.

Her breath caught in her throat.

She couldn’t breathe. She needed to breathe.

She looked at Sarah in desperation.

Sarah stuck out her hand. ‘Hi, I’m Sarah, one of the midwives. I don’t think we were ever properly introduced.’

‘Nice to see you again,’ Xavier replied as he took her hand.

He was all charm. He even remembered Sarah.

‘Brighde is looking after your patient,’ Sarah said, obviously figuring she’d given Brighde enough time to gather her wits. ‘She’ll take you to the delivery room.’

‘Lead the way.’ He was looking at her again. She was caught, spellbound, by his gaze. Come on, get yourself together.

Sarah gave her a gentle push, making Brighde’s feet move. She doubted she would have been able to put one foot in front of the other otherwise.

Okay. Focus, Brighde. Just do your job and worry about Dr O’Donnell and his bedroom eyes later. That’s the way. Think of him as Dr O’Donnell and not Xavier. Separate him into two parts, professional and private, and just remember to keep them separate. Pretend you’ve never met him. He’s nothing to you. And, whatever you do, don’t start a personal conversation.

But she was aware of his body heat as they walked side by side down the corridor. His scent. She even imagined she could hear him breathing. And she had the feeling once again that her cells were straining towards him. She concentrated hard to make sure she kept walking in a straight line. She could feel herself veering towards him. She needed to stay on track.

She breathed deeply as she put her hand on the door to the delivery room.

Focus, Brighde.