Tempted by Her Boss

‘Mine too. It brings out the colour of your eyes.’

Their gazes locked together for a second, ignoring the movements around them as the news spread and their colleagues realised the crisis had ended.

He’d meant it. And the words had come out before he’d had a chance to think about them. Being in close quarters with someone did that to you. Made you say things you really shouldn’t.

She shot him a sarcastic smile, ‘Yeah, right, Donovan. This from the guy who a few hours ago didn’t even know my name.’

He shrugged. ‘I know you lunch every Friday in the staffroom opposite the gym.’

Her mouth gaped a little. Did she really think he hadn’t noticed her? His cool act was working way better than he thought.

Grace Barclay was smart. She’d been able to tell him about Marburg virus off the top of her head. She’d connected the dots and realised who Jessie Tanner was. It could have taken them days to find that connection. She was gorgeous. And had a body to die for.

What more could a man want?

His focus shifted. He could think about the last few hours later. Right now he had another priority—one in which it seemed the DPA was already implicated.

‘How do you feel about fieldwork, Grace?’

She shuffled her feet. It seemed to be her ‘thing’. The trait that revealed her nerves. But the gaze she met his with was steady. She was doing her best to give the impression of someone with confidence.

‘I’d really like to get some experience. I’ve been here for the last seven months. Apart from a few practical assignments with Callum Ferguson, I’ve not had much experience.’

Callum Ferguson, the longest-serving member of the DPA. They even called him the Granddad of Disease. If she’d done a few practical assignments with Callum then she’d learned from the master. He hadn’t heard anyone complain about her.

It secured the thoughts he’d already been toying with. He had a vacancy in his team that needed to be filled. In everyday circumstances he’d ask for all the files of his junior colleagues and look for a suitable replacement. He’d ask around for recommendations—find out who was ready for the next step.

But he didn’t need to do that now. And he didn’t want to waste time. If Marburg virus was the next big outbreak he wanted a full team available to investigate.

They were free now. Free to get out of this isolation room and get back to work. And he knew exactly who he wanted to work with.

He held out his hand towards her. ‘Grace Barclay, welcome to the team.’

CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_bf49b524-5d97-5878-9eb8-5210e0360ad0)

GRACE WAS FROZEN. She wanted to jump up and down and let out a scream. But professionalism stopped her.

Instead, she reached out her hand to take Donovan’s. Zing. The current shot straight up her arm. She couldn’t acknowledge it. She was watching his eyes for any hint that he might have felt it too. But Donovan Reid was as cool as the proverbial cucumber.

‘Are you sure? You don’t need to do an interview or an evaluation?’

He shook his head. ‘My team. My choice. I’d only need to go to internal interviews if I didn’t have a candidate.’ He gave her a smile. ‘But I do. Do you want to be part of the team, Grace?’

Did she want to be part of the team? Did teenage girls dream of being Mrs Beiber? Did every medical student dream of meeting their own Dr McDreamy or McSteamy?

She shot him her best beaming smile. ‘I’d love to be part of the team, Donovan. What do you want me to do first?’

* * *

‘Why didn’t I open the envelope?’ groaned Anna as she flopped down on Grace’s bed.

Lara was much more pragmatic as she poured wine into three glasses. ‘Well, even if I had opened the envelope, I would never have remembered all the stuff about Marburg virus off the top of my head.’ She raised her glass, ‘So, here’s to you, Grace. The best girl won.’