Er Doc's Forever Gift

That tight mouth wasn’t giving an inch. ‘I see.’

No, she didn’t. ‘Have you seen the news today?’

‘As if.’ Finally that mouth softened a fraction, and Sienna lifted her chin slightly. Definitely beautiful in a classic way. ‘What did I miss?’

‘One of the rescue helicopters went down this morning.’

She gasped. Now that tightness was taking a backward step. ‘With serious consequences I take it.’

‘The pilot died and the other pilot on board is in a serious condition in the ICU at Auckland Hospital. Fortunately they didn’t have medical crew or a patient on board or there’d be more casualties.’

Another gasp, and Sienna moved closer. ‘I’m sorry. That’s terrible. I didn’t hear about that.’

What did she do for a living? Take gym classes in a cave? That tee shirt and those fitted leggings highlighted a well-formed body with muscles in the right places and soft curves to add a sensuality that teased him. Like he needed this right now. But it seemed certain parts of his body were out of sync with the sadness roiling in his mind. They wanted action. They weren’t getting any.

Then Sienna added, ‘I’m sorry to hear that. Really sorry.’ Another step and she was beside the deck.

‘It’s been a huge shock for everyone. You understand I’m filling in at the helicopter rescue service?’

‘Yes.’ She leaned her tidy butt against the handrail post. ‘I haven’t been very neighbourly, but I’m hardly ever at home.’

‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll be gone in a month.’

Sienna straightened again. ‘Anyway, I do need to get some shut-eye. My day wasn’t a lot better.’

Her frostiness did nothing to detract from her looks, but however much she needed some quiet his loyalties lay with those inside his apartment. ‘Maybe, but I’m giving these people the chance to de-stress before making sure they get home safely. You could join us and wind down from whatever upset you with a wine and some music.’

‘It would take a lot more than that.’

He had to ask. ‘What happened?’ Damn it, why couldn’t he just mind his own business? Now he’d have to listen to some story that barely registered compared to the crash, as well as be sympathetic.

‘I lost a patient. A six-year-old boy.’ Her bottom lip trembled.

Damned if he didn’t want to haul her into his arms and hold her until the trembling stopped. His fingers gripped the beer bottle as if his life depended on it. ‘That’s terrible. You’re a doctor?’ Not a gym instructor, then.

‘A paediatrician. The best, and the worst, job out there.’ Her voice was low and slow.

She’s a doctor?

That explained the hours she was away from home. Who’d have thought it? But then, why not?

We don’t all come with labels on our foreheads proclaiming our medical knowledge. And why can’t doctors be beautiful, and have stunning figures?

Just because he’d never met one quite as attractive as Sienna Burch, didn’t mean they didn’t exist.

Then she yawned.

Which got to him, made him want to soothe her to sleep. ‘The kids are the worst cases. They always get to me, even if only for a greenstick fracture.’

‘And the parents. They’re hurting as bad. They want to take the pain into themselves so their babies don’t have to suffer, and it’s torture when they can’t.’ Sienna lifted her head and stared at him, her own pain obvious.

She took her job seriously, but it was hard to find a good doctor who didn’t. Impossible. Thoughtlessly he reached across with one hand to touch her arm. So much for hanging on to his bottle as a shield. ‘I totally understand.’ Squeezing lightly, he hurriedly pulled away. But it was too late. Warmth trickled from her skin through his fingers and up his arm.

Sienna was upright—and uptight. ‘If you can’t turn the music off then at least lower the decibels.’

Sarah, one of the pilots, appeared on the deck. ‘I think everyone’s ready to head home now.’

Harry stood up and found his neighbour’s head came up to his chin. Not often that happened. ‘There you go. You should be able to get that kip soon.’

‘I appreciate it.’ Sienna turned and stumbled down the path, not so youthful in her movements now.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Somehow she’d woven her way under his skin while being the antithesis of the open, cheery women he usually went for. She hadn’t effused sympathy, nor had she been cold about what had happened, just contained. But then, she was used to other people’s pain. ‘See you,’ he called after her, the temptation to goad her just a little way too hard to ignore. If she could shake him up, then he could return the favour. ‘Maybe we’ll both be at home at the same time one night this week.’ Unlikely since he was rarely here and then mostly only to eat and sleep.

There was no reply, just a lengthening of the strides taking her away.

As he was unused to being ignored, his interest was piqued. Had it been entirely her bad day at work putting that exhaustion in her face, her eyes? Or was there more going on in her life causing problems? Harry huffed a bitter breath. Why did he even want to know? He didn’t do getting to know women beyond the obvious, yet within minutes Sienna Burch had got under his skin like a serious itch. Not a good look. Best he didn’t scratch. That was going to take some serious effort, for sure.

‘I’ll start ordering taxis, shall I?’ Sarah nudged his arm with her shoulder. ‘For most of this lot anyway.’

Sarah had been trying to get his attention, as in up close and personal, from the day he’d started at the rescue service, and he’d been putting out the thanks-but-no-thanks signal to no avail. It would do wonders for his tired soul to lose himself in a woman tonight. Which was blatantly on offer, if he was reading Sarah correctly, and he had no reason to think otherwise. But he had a hard and fast rule—no sex with colleagues.

Sienna isn’t a colleague.

His gaze tripped sideways to the other drive leading up to the adjacent apartment and the woman stepping onto an identical front step. Short-tempered, not overly concerned for others needing an outlet for their grief, a different kind of woman. Intriguing. Irritating. To be ignored, forgotten about. If that was possible. It had better be. He turned to his co-worker. ‘Make sure everyone gets a ride home. Everyone,’ he repeated in case his message hadn’t got through. Boy, wouldn’t he like to scratch that itch with Sienna.

His temporary neighbour had ruffled his feathers. He couldn’t remember the last time a female had done that. Probably when he was fifteen and keen for just about any girl willing to join him in a bit of fun. His gaze remained on the neighbouring apartment, noting lights turning off, another going on—in the bedroom. Bedroom, bed, sheets, or not. Go, damn it. Just focus on that temporary bit and he’d be fine, wouldn’t succumb to the sudden craving filling him.

I won’t. I really won’t.

Would he? Could he call her a colleague because they were both doctors? It’d be a stretch but something to hang on to if this itch got too strong.

CHAPTER TWO (#u097dfc34-06d5-5fea-80f0-e933de4426dd)

‘WE’VE LANDED ON the roof of the hospital, Felicity,’ Harry told his young patient. ‘You’ll soon be inside where the doctors can take good care of you.’ He checked the belts holding her on the stretcher.

She pushed the face mask aside. ‘I don’t want to be here. I wanted to stay on the island.’ Petulance didn’t suit her.

Gently putting the mask back in place, he said in his best friendly doctor voice, ‘You need checking out by the specialists.’ He could understand that petulance but she’d nearly drowned. With lungs in the condition of hers because of the cystic fibrosis, that was bad. ‘You coughed up a lot of water.’

The mask was again shoved away. ‘You don’t get it,’ griped the fifteen-year-old. ‘This was the end-of-year trip that all year tens in science have been slogging their guts out for. Me included. And on the first day you bring me back to Auckland. Thanks a bundle.’

His heart softened for this angry girl. People with her condition didn’t get a fair bat at life. But as a doctor there was no way he could’ve left her on Great Barrier Island. They might’ve cleared the water from her lungs, but all of it? Secondary drowning was always a risk, especially with her condition. Close attention was required for the next twenty-four hours.

‘Ready?’ asked Connor, his off-sider, standing on the ground waiting to take one end of the stretcher.

‘Sure am.’ Harry nodded to Felicity. ‘I’m sorry I had to bring you home.’

She blinked and tears spurted out of the corners of her eyes. ‘It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t blame you. If Tony Wilcox hadn’t leapt on my back I wouldn’t have gone under water. I know not to. At least not for as long as I was down there. I got stuck on a rocky ledge for a bit.’