by Karin Baine
‘Okay...’
If he was unhappy with that arrangement he was smart enough not to say it. Small steps.
Lola waved him off, even though her legs were itching to run. She had to catch up on her workload and somehow get back into Henri’s good books before they completely lost momentum.
* * *
Jealousy was an alien concept to Henri but there it was, snaking through his veins and poisoning his whole system until he couldn’t breathe. He shouldn’t have looked back. Then he wouldn’t have seen her kiss the handsome stranger on the cheek, sending a dagger straight to his heart. Only a matter of days ago she’d had her arms around his neck, her lips pressed to his and her body language telling him she wanted more.
He turned away in disgust and kept walking, every stride longer and quicker as he fought to leave the scene. This was his fault. He’d been too slow to acknowledge how much Lola meant to him and now someone else had swept in and turned her head.
Why would a beautiful, intelligent woman such as Lola sit around waiting for a few scraps of encouragement from a guy too wrapped up in his own world to appreciate her? Only an idiot would let her slip through his fingers, and since he’d never followed up on that kiss in her apartment Henri was that idiot.
All he’d had to do was take Gabrielle home and go back to Lola. Hell, he could even have phoned her and arranged a proper date—anything to show her he was interested. Instead he’d walked away and left her vulnerable to every predatory male who happened by. With her history she deserved better than that.
Lola had shared something painful with him when she’d told him about her past, and it gave them a deeper connection than he imagined she had with this fly-by-night Lothario. It was possible Henri had been overly cautious about getting involved with her, partly because of everything she’d gone through, but she needed someone who understood and respected her. Someone who would never hurt her.
If she was ready to move on, Henri intended to be that someone. He only prayed it wasn’t too late.
With his thoughts occupied elsewhere, he completed his rounds on autopilot. He said and did all the right things, giving credit to the staff where it was due and pointing out gaps in their knowledge that needed improvement. All the time he was trying to come to terms with the carnage a couple of kisses and a dinosaur cake had caused.
Now questions were rumbling in his head about how he actually felt about Lola and what, if anything, he could do about it. In the past his relationships with the opposite sex had been separated into two categories—friends and lovers, with never the twain to meet. It kept things simple when everyone knew where they stood, with no expectations placed on either party.
Lola was different. Everything he wanted wrapped up in one sexy package. It was a pity he’d woken up to that fact too late.
He dropped his stack of patient files with a thud, earning a scowl from the senior nurse he’d disturbed at the other end of the desk. Whoever this new guy was on the scene, he couldn’t have got much of a lead over Henri. This was the first time he’d seen him with Lola, and she’d kissed him on the cheek—not the mouth. Perhaps it was early days for the couple and Henri still had time to make his move.
Then what? He couldn’t offer her any more than an affair, and that mightn’t sound as appealing to Lola as it did to him.
Right now he couldn’t see beyond his own desires, which consisted of being with Lola and getting this other potential suitor out of the equation. It would require some cunning on his part, and the assistance of two irresistible children to make it happen.
* * *
It was late afternoon when Lola had to track Henri down for help with a case involving an elderly man with breathing difficulties. Despite the patient’s insistence that he felt well enough to go home after Lola had administered some oxygen, she thought the wheezing in his chest was still cause for concern. A chest X-ray had shown signs of infection, but she wanted confirmation from a senior that it was necessary to admit him overnight for further treatment.
‘Good call,’ Henri said, stringing his stethoscope back around his neck after sounding the patient’s chest and taking a look at the X-rays. ‘We’ll put in a request to get him moved to a ward, and start intravenous antibiotics as soon as possible to get the infection cleared.’
Although he’d concurred with her diagnosis, Lola wished she’d been confident enough to give the final say on the admission. ‘I know I’m second-guessing myself, but I want to be certain I’m making the right judgement call.’
‘I don’t think we’re ever really one hundred per cent sure on any case—we’re not invincible—and you’re right to check rather than take a gamble. But at some point you’re going to have to show confidence in yourself and your diagnosis. How else will a patient feel safe in your hands?’
Once again Henri prompted her to consider how she could improve her standing here. Without the eyes of the other first-year doctors watching the exchange Lola didn’t have the same inclination to want to cry. She took the comments in the manner with which they were made—as advice from a superior who wanted her to be the best doctor she could be.
At the minute it was the more personal aspect of her relationship with Henri which was bothering her. One word was probably all it would take for her to fall back into his arms. A braver soul would have asked him outright what those kisses had meant—if anything. Had it been it a heat-of-the-moment reaction to the smell of home baking, or did he genuinely have feelings for her?
She should be bold and ask him outright if she meant to reinvent herself as the sort of woman who could embark on a fling without a second thought.
‘I’m working on it.’
She hovered by the desk, waiting for some acknowledgement that their friendship had progressed to something more. But instead of a smile, a blush, or an action replay, Henri simply buried his head back in his paperwork. She took a seat in the empty chair next to him, close enough that she could read the handwriting on his reports. Flirting was a distant memory for her, but she was pretty sure it shouldn’t result in the other person pedalling away on a swivel chair.
‘Is there something else I can help you with?’
He was flicking through his personal diary at a rate of knots, oblivious to her attempt to rekindle the romance between them. Lola’s bravado left her instantly.
Someone like Henri wouldn’t have lost any sleep over a couple of snatched kisses with an easily impressed new intern. It hadn’t been as much of a life-changing moment for him or an affirmation of his sexuality as it had for her. The idea that a sexy French doctor found her attractive in the first place should have been enough of a confidence boost without the expectation of more.
‘I can see you’re busy. It can wait.’
Next time she’d wait for the other party to make a move and save herself from the crippling embarrassment of rejection or, worse still, this apparent apathy towards her.
She slid her chair away, prepared to freewheel the whole way down the corridor before she would stand up and walk away under a cloud of shame.
‘Don’t go.’
Henri shot his hand out to stop her, catching her above the knee, his fingers branding the skin. She wouldn’t let herself get carried away with the idea that this was in any way a demonstration of his devotion—more likely he wanted to discuss her patient’s aftercare.
‘Did I forget something?’
She’d already made arrangements for the patient’s transfer onto a main ward and informed him and his wife of their plans. There was nothing else she could have done as far as she was aware.
‘No. You were great. Nothing to worry about on that score.’
He was distracted again, pulling up the rota on the computer screen and cross-referencing it with his planner. This was doing nothing to put Lola’s mind at ease.
She sa
t with her hands in her lap, doing her best not to rub at the spot where his hand had rested and give him any indication that she was affected by his touch.
‘Is there something I should be concerned about?’
Henri slammed his diary shut and swivelled around to face her. ‘I might need your help with something. Angelique has been offered a fantastic opportunity to take part in a burlesque event in Paris as a last-minute replacement for another dancer. The childminder is away on holiday, and I’m supposed to be at a conference this weekend. I wouldn’t ask, but—’
‘You want me to babysit?’ Lola’s once soaring heart plummeted into her shoes.
He was only keeping her sweet so there was someone on call to share the substitute parenting load. If she didn’t enjoy Gabrielle’s company so much, or believe that this would help their bond, she would politely decline.
‘No. Yes. Sort of. I thought perhaps the kids could come with me to the conference hotel. There’s a pool and a tennis court. I’m sure there’s plenty for them to do whilst I’m in lectures.’
Henri fidgeted with the clasp on his diary, leaving the story half told. What was it he was expecting from her? She wasn’t sure she was committed enough to go back and forth to God knew where in order to entertain his niece and nephew, regardless of their cuteness. For all he knew she could actually have a life outside of the hospital and his family.
‘I’m sure a mini-break would do Gabrielle the world of good, but I’m not sure where I fit into your plans. I don’t think I can commit myself to driving backwards and forwards every day to wherever it is you’re staying.’
‘I want you to come with us.’
‘Pardon?’
Only the fact that he’d said ‘us’ and not ‘me’ stopped Lola from sliding off the chair and across the polished floor. This was moving faster than she’d anticipated even in her wildest, most erotic dreams.
‘I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but I don’t want to let Angelique down when this means so much to her. The children are very fond of you, and I would prefer to leave them with you than to put them in some over-subscribed kids’ club. I’ll pay for everything—separate rooms, of course.’
There was no indication that he harboured any ulterior motive in getting her to the hotel other than babysitting. For ‘separate rooms’ she read, Don’t get any ideas, and disappointment doused the flames of her ardour.
‘I’d be glad to help out—and it will give Gabrielle and I more time to talk.’
Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing that he wasn’t planning a dirty weekend for the two of them. It took the pressure off having to reinvent herself as the sort of woman who jumped into bed with men on a whim.
Henri had picked up on that after one quick snog. There was no chance she would have carried that off if they’d ever made it to the bedroom. Her lights-off-and-duck-under-the-covers-before-anyone-can-see-me-naked approach to lovemaking wasn’t conducive to the sizzling sex life the French were so famous for.
Getting involved with Henri would only serve as a reminder of how inadequate she still was as a woman. To date, her love life was a short and unsatisfactory tale for the few involved. The reality of sex had never quite lived up to the hype, and there was no reason to think even Henri could remedy that. Especially if the fault lay entirely at her feet and in her head.
There was little chance of her ever enjoying the physical side of a relationship when she wasn’t comfortable with her body, never mind sharing it with someone else. This stint as his babysitter would put her firmly back into place as Henri’s charge and nothing more.
The most she could hope to gain from the weekend was a chance to spend some alone time with Henri and the kids to help them bond, and at the very least she was getting an all-expenses-paid weekend away. All she had to lose was her heart. To the entire Benoit family.
* * *
With the conference being held in Donegal, crossing the border into Southern Ireland and changing their currency into euros had really given this work function more of a holiday vibe. Especially since he had a beautiful travelling companion seated next to him and a bouncy Bastien in the back seat.
‘Uncle Henri says there’s a pool and a park and everything!’ His nose was pressed against the window as they pulled up outside the majestic five-star hotel.
‘It’s amazing!’ Lola leaned forward in the passenger seat as the castle-like building came into view.
It was perched high up on the hill, surrounded by a golf course and overlooking the sea. The isolation of the Donegal coast was the perfect destination for busy medical practitioners eager to escape the stresses and frantic pace of their profession. Only time would tell how suited it was to angsty teenagers and inquisitive six-year-olds. Not to mention the possibility of a romance.
‘Glad you approve.’
Henri really wanted them both to relax over these next couple of days, so they could actually get to know each other. As much as was humanly possible whilst they were wrangling his niece and nephew.
He wasn’t in the habit of employing family members to help him seduce women, but having Lola as their chaperon seemed a less salacious proposition than asking her to spend the weekend in a hotel alone with him. It mightn’t be the most sophisticated or well thought out plan, but it was the best he could come up with at short notice—and better than sitting back and watching her being wooed by the competition.
All he wanted was the opportunity to explore this thing happening between them. There were so many sides to Lola she could never be simply another warm body for his bed when he needed it. But if he threw himself into a relationship with her there was the concern that it would detract his time and energy away from his other commitments. A couple of days and nights holed up here would tell him everything there was to know about the implications of getting involved with someone as kind and unselfish as Lola.
It hadn’t been difficult to get Angelique on board since she’d pitched the idea of working in Paris weeks ago. She had been offered a spot at her old haunt, that much was true, even if it wasn’t as last-minute as he’d suggested to Lola. His sudden change of heart on the matter had raised Angelique’s suspicions, but she’d jumped at the chance to have one last dance in Paris. After she’d phoned Lola to confirm she was voluntarily giving up her time to help out and not being held against her will, of course.
They were all exactly where they needed to be, and hopefully somewhere along the line he’d figure out the next stage of his plan.
Once they’d checked into the hotel, Henri insisted on carrying his and Lola’s bags to their rooms. Angelique had packed the kids’ things into rucksacks they were able to carry on their backs, much to Bastien’s annoyance.
‘This is so heavy I’m going to be too tired to play,’ he said, collapsing onto the floor outside the bedroom door and showing his mother’s flair for drama.
‘Good. Maybe I’ll get some peace.’ Gabrielle stepped over him and let herself in with the key card.
‘I hope you know what you’re in for.’
Henri was talking to himself as much as his travelling companion. In the midst of his great idea he’d forgotten to factor in the time he’d spend refereeing between these two. He doubted the warring factions would call a truce long enough for any budding romance to fully bloom. They’d all be lucky if Lola didn’t call it quits before the end of the night.
With the prospect of the bum-numbing talks he’d have to endure, and the sound of squabbling siblings, she was the one saving grace about this weekend.
‘You mean this isn’t all spa days and fine dining? How disappointing.’
Lola’s eyes were bright with suppressed laughter, and Henri let go of the notion that he’d have to bribe his charges to behave. Unlike most single career women who crossed his path, Lola understood what these children meant to him and embraced everything
that came with them. He didn’t have to make apologies for who he was when he was with Lola.
‘I know. I got you here under false pretences. Really you’re in for forty-eight hours of tears, tantrums, and cries of “I’m bored!”. And that’s just me.’
‘Well, you know where I am if you want me. I mean...just knock me up when you’re ready. I mean...’
Lola slapped her forehead as she stumbled into one innuendo after another and Henri did his best not to burst out laughing. It gave him renewed hope to find he wasn’t the only one preoccupied with thoughts of the bedroom.
‘Lola Roberts, you have a one-track mind. I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.’ He set her bag down at her feet and turned back to the room next door.
‘Why is your face all red, Lola?’ Bastien squinted up from his death throes on the floor.
Henri decided to save her any more blushes and lifted Bastien up by the rucksack so his legs and arms were dangling in the air.
‘What I was trying to say was that I can take the kids as soon as you’re ready.’
Lola had composed herself again, but Henri preferred her first offer. The one that didn’t include a reference to anybody’s offspring.
‘I don’t have any lectures to attend until the morning, so we could all go down together for dinner if you’d like?’
Although Henri had imagined a much more informal arrangement that would include drinks after the gruesome twosome had gone to bed.
Bastien’s limbs windmilled in Henri’s grip, wriggling like an insect picked up off the ground. ‘I think I can walk now, Uncle Henri. Could you put me down, please?’
‘Your uncle is an amazing doctor if he can cure broken legs with one hand.’ Lola arched a cynical eyebrow at them both as the newly liberated Bastien bug ran into the room, laughing.
‘I didn’t get to be registrar for nothing,’ Henri answered with a grin. ‘Now, enough about my many, many, talents—tell me you’ll join us for dinner?’
