Australia: Bundles of Joy: Impossibly Pregnant / Top-Notch Surgeon, Pregnant Nurse / Caring For His Babies

As she braced herself against his chest—yep, those pecs felt every bit as good as they looked—and he gazed down on her with a tender glint in his eyes, she suddenly didn’t mind being such a klutz.

And when he rested his hands on her hips and smiled in that special way he had, as if she was the only woman in the world, she could’ve quite happily caused havoc by stumbling, upending bags and messing up desks every day of the week.

‘If I’m the problem, what’s the remedy?’

‘You’re the doc, why don’t you tell me?’ Her voice came out all soft and breathy while her pulse raced double-time as his hands tightened their grip, sending bolts of electricity shooting through her body.

So much for playing it cool. They hadn’t even made it out of her apartment and the evening had taken on an intimate feel.

‘Take two kisses and call me in the morning.’

O-kay. Think quick. Respond with something light-hearted and witty.

However, all she could do was stand there and stare at him while his gaze stayed riveted to her lips, as if he’d like to follow up on the first part of his advice. As he leaned forward her heart jolted at the clear intent in his eyes and she was sure the air crackled with tension around them.

Work … assignment … client …

The words filtered through her dazed mind and acted like an instant dampener and she reluctantly looked away.

‘If that’s one of your cures, I’m not surprised you’re so popular,’ she murmured, managing a weak smile as her gaze fixed on his chest.

What would he think of her almost letting him kiss her? Totally unprofessional for starters, and as for the rest …

He tipped her chin up, gently forcing her to meet his stare. ‘Don’t second-guess yourself.’

How did he do that? She’d begun to doubt herself the minute she’d averted their near-kiss and he knew it. Despite her intoxicated ranting over the airwaves last week, he did know his stuff. And wouldn’t he have a field-day if he found out why she’d been so riled about his advice to the overweight teenager that night she’d given him a verbal blast?

She opened her mouth to respond and he placed a silencing finger against it. ‘And, no, I don’t dish out that remedy to just anyone.’

‘That’s reassuring.’ She aimed for brevity but her comment came out sarcastic as she pulled away from him completely, needing to establish physical distance between them to gather her thoughts.

Rather than pushing her for an explanation for her erratic behaviour—welcoming his attention one minute, freezing him out the next—as she half-expected him to do, he fixed her with a curious stare before turning away.

‘As much as I’d like to cure your clumsiness, we’d better get to the station. I need to be on the air in less than an hour.’ He picked up her bag and handed it to her as if nothing had happened. ‘All set?’

She managed to nod, follow him out and lock up without further mishap. However, amidst her confused state at what had just occurred, one thought penetrated.

If kisses were part of his cure, she suddenly had a distinct hankering for treatment.

CHAPTER THREE

‘Where men are concerned, always adhere to the “try before you buy” policy.’

Lucy, personal assistant extraordinaire.

LACHLAN gave the console a quick once-over to make sure he was off the air, removed his headphones and waved Keely into the booth.

He’d just spent the last three hours watching her through the glass partition, thoroughly distracted and, though he’d managed to present a professional front over the airwaves, he’d had enough. It was time to switch off and relax in the company of a woman who sparked his interest on many levels.

He’d thought by bringing her here to the station she might come clean about her call to him. However, despite ample opportunity, she hadn’t confessed and it surprised him. He valued honesty above all else, thanks to his lying, cheating mother, who had left his father with a broken heart after leaching every last ounce of devotion out of him. And he’d vowed to never end up like his dad, a sad old man obsessed with the one woman he couldn’t have, pining away for that so-called love of a lifetime.

Though the call hadn’t been a big deal in itself, he wondered why Keely would keep it a secret, especially after the way they’d clicked.

Standing up and stretching, he knew one thing. He wanted to give this woman a chance. Apart from the sizzling attraction that arced between them whenever they got within two feet of each other, he genuinely liked her and would like to get to know her better.

Starting now.

Opening the door to the sound booth, he beckoned her in. ‘What do you think? Pick up any ideas for my website?’

He watched her walk across the outer room; she was wearing a classy, understated outfit that looked as if it had been made for her. She moved with an elegance that turned heads, a quiet confidence that would make any man sit up and take notice. And he’d done that the minute he’d first laid eyes on her, strolling towards him in the foyer of WWW Designs.

Usually, he liked to ponder important decisions, but after his first glimpse of Keely he’d been ready to sign on the dotted line with the company as long as she was involved in some part of his website’s production. It must’ve been his lucky day, for not only would she play a role in the production, she was one of the main players working with him directly.

She smiled, drawing his attention to her lips, resurrecting barely suppressed thoughts of how they’d almost connected with his earlier that evening. He hadn’t meant to take things so far so fast, but had been powerless to resist her allure.

‘I’ve looked around, spoken to a few of your coworkers and jotted down some ideas.’ She picked up a pad from a nearby table and presented it to him like a proud student handing in a prized project. ‘See? Enough here to keep me going for a while. Great idea to invite me to your workplace.’

He barely glanced at the pad, more interested in her non-verbal cues. Another part of his job that he couldn’t turn off—he read people’s unspoken actions all the time, believing they revealed a lot more about the person than first met the eye.

In this case, Keely appeared nervous as she shifted her weight from one foot to another while tapping her fingers on the back of the pad. Were her nerves a result of her little secret about heckling him or caused by something deeper? Was it just him or did all men make her this jittery?

So much for getting to know her better. It would prove extremely difficult if she reacted like a skittish filly every time he got near her.

‘Glad it helped. Shall we get that coffee now?’

‘Sure.’ She practically bolted away from him, grabbing her bag and shoving the pad inside it before heading to the door.

‘Would you like to have dinner too?’ He usually didn’t eat after a show, preferring to grab a light supper while planning the next day’s schedule. However, the thought of staring at Keely over candlelight at his favourite seafood restaurant stimulated his appetite in more ways than one.

‘I’m not hungry.’ She spoke too quickly, as if the thought of sharing a meal with him was the last thing she’d want.

‘Let me guess. You’re on a diet.’ His gaze slid over her curves as he smiled, knowing that couldn’t be true. She had a stunning body, and women who looked like her knew it too.

To his amazement, she took a step back and raised her bag over her chest, as if using it like a shield, the golden flecks in her eyes glowing in what he swore was anger. ‘And let me guess. You think I need to be on one.’

For a psychologist, he could be pretty dumb at times. Though he’d expected to make light of his dinner invitation when she’d refused it, perhaps he hadn’t gone about it the best way. Many women were touchy about their weight, and though Keely had no reason to be he’d obviously hit a nerve.

He held his hands up in a friendly gesture of surrender. ‘Hey, I didn’t say that.’

Her eyes sparked, shooting daggers. ‘Not in so many words. Though your meaning was pretty clear.’

He resisted the urge to shake his head. A minute ago he’d been wondering if it was her endearing clumsiness, her strange nervousness, her beauty or a combination of all three that had him hooked. Now, he knew he needed to re-evaluate his interest in the stunning brunette.

Looks were one thing, irrational behaviour another. And, no matter how much he’d like to get to know her better, if she showed this much paranoia over a simple comment now, there was no telling how she’d act later. He’d been burned by a woman like that in the past—his mother, the queen of inconsistency—and he’d be damned if he’d tread down that path again.

‘How about we stick to our original plan for coffee and forget I ever said anything about dinner? Deal?’

To his relief, her shoulders sagged and she lowered the bag, giving him a shaky smile. ‘Deal. My shout.’