by Sarah Morgan
Anna sighed. ‘Thank goodness for that. Tell me about it.’
‘He’s wonderful,’ Liv said simply. ‘I know he can be controlling sometimes, but to be honest I quite like that because I’m totally exhausted with having to make every decision by myself. I’ve discovered that sometimes it’s just wonderful to let someone take over. And he really cares about Max. He has nephews Max’s age and he really understands how they—’
‘Yes, yes, I know he’s good with kids, I’ve seen him in Resus,’ Anna said impatiently. ‘But what about the sex? Was he amazing?’
Amazing? No, he’d been more than just amazing. Liv’s legs trembled. ‘It would be totally wrong of me to talk about that.’
‘That good, hmm?’ Anna grinned. ‘And did he have stamina?’
Liv’s face turned scarlet. ‘Anna, for goodness’ sake…’
‘All right, now I’m starting to hate you.’ Anna’s laughter faded and she studied her friend. ‘And there was me, worrying that when it came to the crucial moment, you’d refuse to take your clothes off.’
‘I didn’t even think about it,’ Liv said honestly. ‘He made me feel—beautiful.’
‘That’s because you are beautiful. Believe me, the guy isn’t doing you a favour. He’s struck gold and he knows it. And I have to say, I’m loving the new you.’
‘I’m loving the new me, too.’ Liv glanced sideways to check that no one was listening and gave a secretive smile. ‘I feel alive. I adored the life I had with Max, but it was hard and I can’t pretend otherwise. I used to lie awake at night worrying about the boiler going and not being able to afford the repair, and now I’m awake at night because I’m thinking about—’ She broke off and Anna groaned.
‘All right, enough or I’ll have to punch you. So what happens now? You carry on having hot sex over Christmas?’
Liv turned and dropped the remains of the dressing pack into the bin. ‘No. Obviously we have Max to think of.’
Anna gaped at her. ‘So you haven’t done it since…’ She waved a hand. ‘You’re kidding.’
‘No.’ Liv rubbed her fingers over her forehead. ‘It’s not just about the two of us, Anna. Max has just had a huge amount of change in his life. I’m worried it will upset him.’
‘He loves Stefano. He talks about him all the time.’
‘I know he loves him, but that still doesn’t mean I want him to see Stefano and I in bed together. It just doesn’t feel right.’
‘So now I know why Stefano’s fuse is even shorter than usual,’ Anna said dryly. ‘What does he say about the situation?’
‘We haven’t talked about the future, if that’s what you mean.’ Liv walked across to the sink and washed her hands. ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen. But the flat won’t be habitable for a couple of months at least because there was some structural damage.’
‘Well the two of you aren’t going to be able to keep your hands off each other for that long. You’re crazy about him, aren’t you?’
Liv didn’t even bother denying it. ‘I don’t think I’m one of those women who can just have a night of hot sex and move on. For me it’s—’ She swallowed. ‘It’s emotional.’
‘So basically you love him.’
Liv looked away, shocked by how those words sounded and felt. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she said hoarsely. ‘I’ve only known him for a few weeks.’
‘Time is irrelevant as we both know. Does he feel the same way?’
Liv stared at the poster on the wall without seeing it. ‘I think he cares about me.’
The sound of an ambulance siren disturbed their conversation and Liv glanced behind her. ‘Are we expecting someone?’
‘Child with a temperature. Greg is going to see him to begin with but I’ve asked Stefano to check on things when he’s free. He’s been keeping a close eye on Greg, as you know. In the meantime you’d better get in there and do your stuff. A few weeks under the boss’s eye has improved Greg’s performance, but he’s still far too reluctant to ask for help.’
‘I’ll go. I need distraction.’ Liv washed her hands and glanced at her friend with a soft smile. ‘All I seem to think about now is sex and it’s all your fault.’
‘I know. I’m so pleased with myself. I’m going to give up my job and run a dating agency.’
Laughing, Liv walked out of the room and hurried towards Resus. She was still smiling when she opened the swing doors but the smile faded the instant she saw the little boy seated on his mother’s lap. He was ominously quiet and was leaning with his chin slightly forward, as if he was sniffing something.
Liv’s instincts screamed a warning and she turned to Greg, ready to voice her concerns.
‘Dr Hampton, I think we should—’
‘Great, now you’re here, I can examine him.’ Although Greg’s tone was civil enough, she could see the flash of irritation in his eyes. ‘I’ve taken a history but I want to lay him down on the trolley so that I can take a proper look.’
‘No, don’t move him!’ Realising from the sudden tightening of his mouth that she’d overstepped the mark, Liv tried again. ‘He’s probably best on his mother’s lap for now,’ she said tactfully, knowing that the child had chosen the position that was most comfortable for him. ‘I expect you want me to give him some humidified oxygen.’ As she dealt with that, she glanced swiftly at the notes, checking mother’s and child’s names. ‘Hello, Tom. You’re obviously feeling very poorly, sweetheart.’
The child made no attempt to respond and Liv adjusted the flow of oxygen and then turned to the mother. ‘Has he been like this for long, Kelly?’
‘He was fine yesterday. I think he’s just fussing.’ The mother sounded tired and irritable. ‘He just wants a bit of sympathy.’ She was little more than a child herself and Liv could see that she had no idea how sick her little boy was. Unfortunately, Greg didn’t appear aware of it, either.
‘Has your GP seen him?’
‘Are you kidding?’ The girl rolled her eyes. ‘Couldn’t get an appointment. To start with I thought Tom was just playing up because he didn’t want to go to school, then he felt hot so I thought I’d bring him down and get him checked. He had me up all night and I’m not going through that again tonight. He’s really clingy. I just want you to give him something to sort him out.’
‘Let’s get him on the trolley,’ Greg said briskly but Liv gave a brief shake of her head and took him to one side, knowing that they were dealing with a potentially life-threatening situation.
‘Greg.’ She kept her voice soft so that neither child nor mother could overhear her words. ‘This child has serious breathing problems. We shouldn’t move him. He’s naturally adopted the position that’s most comfortable for him, which is upright. I expect you’d like me to call an anaesthetist and an ENT surgeon right now.’ She’d phrased it in such a way that he could simply agree without losing face, but his eyes narrowed defensively.
‘I’ll make that judgement if and when it needs to be made. You’re overreacting. There is no stridor and no cough.’
‘I’m aware of that, but…’ Liv bit her lip and swiftly questioned her own judgement. Was she overreacting? ‘It’s the way he’s holding his head. I think he could have epiglottitis. I’ve seen it once before.’
‘I’ve already taken a history and he’s been fully immunised.’ ‘It could be a vaccine failure.’
‘The haemophilus influenza vaccine is ninety-eight per cent effective,’ Greg said impatiently and Liv nodded.
‘I know that. I know it’s unlikely. But I also know what I’m seeing and to be honest the question “why” is irrelevant at the moment. This child is showing signs of progressive airway obstruction and we need to deal with that. Fast.’
Greg leaned towards her, his eyes hard. ‘Sorry, but am I the doctor here, or are you?’
‘You, but I’ve worked in the emergency department for five years and—’
‘And perhaps you’ve become addicted to drama. Five years here still doesn’t m
ake you a doctor.’ He smiled pleasantly. ‘I’ll examine him. Then I’ll decide who to refer him to. And I’ll let you know so that you can make the call.’
Her heart pounded because she absolutely hated conflict and normally would have done everything possible to avoid it. But this was different. She knew that any delay could be serious.
Where was Stefano?
Hadn’t Anna said that she’d asked him to check the child?
She glanced towards the little boy, knowing that if anything happened to him because she hadn’t acted, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.
Feeling physically sick at the thought of what she was about to do, Liv moved towards the phone, ignoring Greg’s fierce warning glare. As she called Switchboard and asked for them to emergency bleep the on-call anaesthetist and the ENT surgeon, her hands were shaking and she wondered how she was ever going to be able to salvage her working relationship with the junior doctor. He was due to leave in January, she reminded herself. She just had to get through another few weeks. And even if he never spoke to her again, it didn’t matter.
Pushing aside that worry for later, she checked the child’s weight from the notes and reached for an ampoule of adrenaline just as Stefano strode into the room.
‘Anna asked me to see a patient?’ He looked as cool and confident as ever, the blue scrub suit emphasising the width and power of his shoulders and Liv had never been so pleased to see anyone in her life. She felt her limbs weaken, but this time it was not because he was exceptionally good-looking but simply because she needed senior back-up and one glance at Stefano inspired confidence.
Kelly’s eyes widened and she transformed from being tired and irritable to alert and interested. Instinctively she lifted a hand and smoothed her hair but Stefano wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at the child. And that one look was clearly enough for him, as it had been for Liv.
He focused his gaze on Greg. ‘Have you bleeped the on-call anaesthetist and the ENT surgeon?’
The colour drained from Greg’s cheeks and he stood a little straighter. ‘Yes,’ he muttered and Stefano relaxed slightly and nodded his approval.
‘Good.’ He turned to Liv. ‘Let’s give him nebulised adrenaline.’
‘I have it here.’ She handed him the tray and showed him the ampoule. ‘I’ve checked his weight and given him point-five millilitres per kilogram. Are you happy with that?’
‘Give it.’ Having delegated that task, Stefano crouched down next to the child, his eyes gentle. ‘You are having problems with your breathing, but we are going to help you with that.’
Greg cleared his throat. ‘Do you want to do a lateral chest X-ray?’
‘In this case it’s not necessary and potentially hazardous.’ Stefano straightened and looked at Liv. ‘I want a 16-gauge cannula ready.’
‘I already have it.’ As always, her mind had been working along the same lines as his. She knew that he was afraid that the child’s airway might become completely obstructed and he wanted to ensure that everything was within reach so that he could create an airway with the needle if he had to.
‘Cefotaxime?’
‘I have that ready, too, but I thought you might like to wait until the anaesthetist has assessed him.’
Stefano gave a faint smile and was about to comment when the anaesthetist walked into the room along with the ENT consultant.
It was another hour before the child was stabilised and transferred out of the emergency department.
‘Greg.’ Stefano’s tone was cool and businesslike. ‘You need to talk to the mother about contacts and arrange treatment. You did well. A case of epiglottitis is extremely rare, but still you considered it and managed the case accordingly. You didn’t sit the child up, you didn’t examine the throat and you called for help early. I’m impressed.’
Greg’s gaze flickered to Liv and she looked at him, waiting for him to tell the truth. But the doctor simply smiled.
‘Thanks. Good teamwork, Liv. I’ll go and talk to the mother about antibiotic cover.’
He left the room and Liv turned away, struggling with an unpleasant ethical dilemma. If she hadn’t acted, Greg’s actions could have put the patient in danger. She had to say something but it felt like a very uncomfortable thing to do.
‘So…’ Stefano’s accented drawl came from directly behind her. ‘Having just established that Greg Hampton is a coward who is afraid to take responsibility for his own actions, I’m relying on you to have the courage to tell me the truth about what just happened in here.’
Liv turned slowly. ‘You knew?’
‘Did you really think that I wouldn’t sense that something was going on? You were panicking when I walked into the room,’ he said softly, his dark eyes fixed on her face, ‘and I’ve never seen you panic before. And Greg kept looking at you as if he was afraid you might say something you shouldn’t. So, I’ll ask you the question once again. What happened here?’
Liv took a deep breath. ‘Dr Hampton and I had a slight difference of opinion over the correct management of the patient.’
‘Who rang the anaesthetist?’ Stefano studied her face for a moment and then his mouth tightened. ‘You, obviously.’
Feeling slightly shaky, Liv took a deep breath. ‘I went over his head. I shouldn’t have done it, I know, but—’
‘You were absolutely right to do it.’ Stefano’s tone was cool and unemotional. ‘In this department we put patient welfare before staff egos. That child could have died.’
‘You think I did the right thing?’
‘You know you did.’
‘I suppose I do, but that doesn’t stop me feeling very bad about it,’ she confessed. ‘I’ve never had an incident like that in five years of working here. Normally doctors are happy to work as a team and exchange ideas, but Dr Hampton never—’
‘He never listens. And he thinks he’s always right. I’ll deal with it. It’s no longer your problem.’ He looked at her thoughtfully and then frowned slightly. ‘You’re shaking. Is that because of the medical emergency?’
‘No.’ Exasperated with herself, she gave a shrug. ‘It’s because I hate confrontation. Pathetic, isn’t it?’
‘It isn’t pathetic. It’s what makes you who you are.’ His sexy mouth curved slightly. ‘You’re gentle and caring and I really love that. Forget Dr Hampton. I will deal with him.’
Now that the crisis was over she was suddenly very aware of him and it was a struggle to keep her eyes averted from the hint of bronzed male skin visible at the neck of the scrub suit.
Having not thought about sex for years, suddenly she was thinking about nothing else.
Stefano’s gaze lingered on her flushed cheeks and then his hand closed around her wrist and he hauled her against him.
‘If I don’t kiss you, I’m going to explode,’ he breathed and brought his mouth down on hers in a hard, possessive kiss that sent hungry tremors through her body.
‘Stefano…’ She wrapped her arms round his neck and kissed him back, oblivious to everything except the shocking expertise of his kiss. It was hot, explosive and out of control and it was only the sound of voices outside the door that made them both break apart.
‘Accidenti.’ Stefano released her suddenly and raked his hands through his hair. ‘I have never before kissed a woman at work. That’s how desperate I am,’ he muttered and she found herself unable to breathe.
‘You’re desperate?’
‘Do you doubt it? Soon I will be ready to give Max the keys to my Ferrari in exchange for an hour alone with you. It’s Christmas in three days’ time and neither of us is working.’ His eyes dropped to her mouth. ‘I’m taking you to Italy. We’ll spend the holiday at the chalet. I want to take you to meet my family.’
He wanted her to meet his family?
Joy, hope and excitement mingled together in a dizzying cocktail that made her head spin.
Would he take her to meet his family if their relationship meant nothing more to him than sex? Suddenly
her mind was full of questions, but she had no opportunity to ask any of them because Stefano cast an impatient glance at his watch.
‘I have a meeting with the chief executive in ten minutes and I need to talk to Greg.’ He looked back at her. ‘Go shopping. Use the card I gave you and buy plenty of warm clothes. Max is going to have snow for Christmas.’
CHAPTER TEN
‘YOU’RE going to Italy to stay with his family?’ Anna handed a set of notes to a nurse who was passing. ‘Well that sounds like happily ever after if ever I heard it.’
‘Not really.’ Liv was trying to keep a lid on her excitement. ‘I mean, he can hardly leave us alone in his flashy apartment, can he? We’d set off all the alarms.’
‘And you think that’s the reason he’s taking you home to meet his dad and sister at Christmas? I don’t think so. Don’t you remember that interview with the actress? She said that he’d never taken a woman to meet his family.’
‘Stop it, Anna.’ Liv covered her ears with her hands. ‘Stop making me hope.’
‘What’s wrong with hope? Hope is what stops us all from jumping on the tracks. Trust me.’ Anna lowered her voice. ‘When a rich, good-looking guy takes you to meet his family, you’re home and dry. I smell diamonds for Christmas. Except he’s already given you diamonds. More diamonds, then. Have I told you lately how much I hate you?’
Liv was laughing. ‘Enough!’ She walked away from her friend, but her imagination was already working overtime, as it had been since he’d issued the invitation.
Actually it had been more of a command than an invitation, she thought wryly, which was typical of Stefano. But command or invitation, it held meaning.
It wasn’t even as if he was taking her to some anonymous hotel somewhere. He was taking her to meet his family and obviously that wasn’t something he did with every woman he met.
They hadn’t actually spoken about their feelings, that was true, but wasn’t it true that actions spoke louder than words? Surely the fact that he was taking her home to meet his family must mean something?
