‘I think…’ Natasha started but Joshua interrupted with a breathless laugh.
‘If you’re going to say you’re not usually like that, please don’t, and if you’re going to regret it…’
‘God no,’ Natasha said, ‘I was going to say, I think I must have been doing something wrong all these years, I’ve never enjoyed myself so much.’
‘Nor me,’ Joshua said.
They climbed under the sheets and looked at their surroundings – the room was beautiful, dark wooden furnishings and deep red curtains shut out the morning. They were actually lying in a huge four poster bed with drapes but only now did she notice it.
‘I think we might have to come here again,’ Joshua said, ‘but as paying guests next time. God I could sleep.’
‘And me,’ Natasha admitted, ‘but then we’d be woken by shocked guests and I’d have to hand in my resignation before they fired me.’
‘Are you going to get in trouble for this?’ Joshua asked.
‘I’ll sort something out,’ Natasha said, ‘I just hope it doesn’t have to be Mark who sorts it…’
‘Mark?’
‘My colleague on the desk this morning, he’s a terrible gossip.’
Reluctantly they showered and dressed and, feeling a little bit guilty but without a smudge of regret, they stepped out of the room. But then Natasha breathed out in relief as she realised that the gods really were on her side this morning.
‘Ally!’ Natasha smiled at the chambermaid moving the trolley towards them.
‘Hi Natasha!’ Ally called back and gave a curious looked to Joshua.
‘Could you make up room 18?’ Natasha said. ‘We’ve got guests checking in at two.’
‘I’ve already done it.’
‘I know that,’ Natasha did her best not to blush but failed. ‘Could you do it again please.’
‘Sure!’ Ally’s smile was very wide.
‘Thanks.’
They said nothing till they got in the lifts and Natasha let out a burst of embarrassed laughter.
‘That was painful,’ she said, ‘but far better than Mark.’
‘Will she say anything?’ Joshua checked.
‘Who, Ally?’ Natasha shook her head. ‘Ally has plenty of secrets of her own.’
‘Tell me.’
‘Maybe one day.’
‘Definitely one day,’ Joshua replied.
***
Her perfect night and morning could not have ended better because when they arrived at the maternity ward of the hospital there was Maya, smiling and holding her baby and greeting them with a ‘thank you’ rather than ‘please’.
‘This is Joshua,’ Natasha said, ‘the doctor who helped.’
Maya held out the baby and Natasha took her and held her properly for the first time, hardly able to believe it was she who had helped bring her into the world.
‘We are sorry for the trouble,’ Maya’s husband said.
‘Oh, never be sorry for last night,’ Joshua replied.
‘We have called her Danika,’ her father explained, ‘it means morning star. It was either that or Wheel Clamp!’
Joshua got the joke about a full minute before Natasha because she was handing the little one back to Maya.
‘Oh they wheel clamped you.’
‘I’m off to pay the fine now,’ he said. ‘Danika’s safe arrival was more than worth it.’
***
Natasha and Joshua headed to the underground and as they stood there about to head their separate ways Natasha was almost scared of the next part, of saying goodbye and going home to bed and waking up with regret, because surely she’d be chiding herself - they’d known each other ten minutes after all.
Yet it felt as if already he knew her more than anyone ever had and that was confirmed when he spoke.
‘Do you want to come back to mine?’ Joshua asked. ‘We can work on that list after a sleep.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘For once, very.’ Joshua said and then asked her a question. ‘Do you know the best bit about nights?’
‘Tell me.’
‘A whole day in bed,’ he said taking her into his arms. ‘Followed by a whole night getting to know you some more.’
‘Sounds like a plan,’ Natasha said and then looked up into the green eyes of a man who was deliciously unpredictable, and felt the hope and possibility of the morning that had been given to them.
She was no longer jaded.
If you enjoyed this story,
look out for Carol Marinelli’s current Modern Romance
The Only Woman to Defy Him
May 2014.
ISBN: 978-1-474-00086-4
Doctor at The Chatsfield
© Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Special thanks and acknowledgement are given to Carol Marinelli for her contribution to The Chatsfield series.
Published in Great Britain in 2014
Harlequin (UK) Limited
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All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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