His Summer Bride: Becoming Dr Bellini's Bride / Summer Seaside Wedding / Wedding in Darling Downs. Abigail Gordon
armour, and definitely something I’d like to explore a little further.’
He came towards her, his arms tightening around her waist, and as his head lowered she finally began to realise his intention. He was going to kiss her, and even though, way down in the depths of her mind, she knew she really ought to be doing something to stop him, she did nothing at all. And as his lips brushed hers in a touch that was as light as the drift of silk over her skin, she discovered the last thing on earth she wanted was to pull away.
Just the opposite, in fact. Instead, she wanted to lean into him, to revel in his warm embrace, and delight in the strength of those muscular thighs that were pressuring her softly against the cool, steel wall of the hopper. And he must have known what she wanted because he drew her ever closer until her breasts were softly crushed against the wall of his chest and she could feel the heavy thud of his heartbeat marching in time with her own.
He kissed her, tenderly at first and then with rising passion, so that his breathing became ragged and his hands began to smooth over her curves.
Katie was lost in a haze of fevered pleasure. The sun was bright in an azure sky, and for a moment or two time seemed to stand still. There was only the sensual glide of his lips as they slowly explored the contours of her face, her throat and the creamy expanse of her shoulder, laid bare by the thin straps of the cotton top she wore. And with each lingering kiss her senses soared in response.
It was all so exhilarating, so perfect, and nothing like anything she had ever experienced before. What was it about him that made her feel this way? Did he have some kind of magical touch? If so, she wanted more, much more.
Only, as his lips began to slide lower, drifting into unsafe territory, alarm bells started to ring inside her. He gently nudged aside the delicate cotton strap and ventured even further into the danger zone, trailing soft kisses over the rounded swell of her breasts and leading her to a heady, disturbing place where feeling and emotion were all, and logical thought was banished.
Even so, a tiny sliver of common sense began to filter through the mist that spread, unbidden, through her brain. Perhaps it was the swish of sprinklers being started up on the lawns outside that alerted her, or maybe it was the soft flap of a bird’s wings that dragged her attention back to the reality of what was happening. What was she thinking? How could she have let this happen?
She struggled to get herself together. Wasn’t Nick the man who avoided commitment? Wasn’t he the one who was trying to persuade her father to sign away his land?
And here she was, betraying every instinct she possessed by falling into his arms at the first opportunity. She was a fool. She ought to have known better.
‘Are you all right?’ Nick lifted his head, depriving her of that heavenly, forbidden contact, and she tried to answer, but no words came. ‘Have I done something wrong?’ His voice was a soft murmur against her cheek.
‘No… I… Yes…’ She tried to ease herself away from him, her hands flattening against his chest as though she would put an end to his kisses. Why, then, did she feel the urge to stroke the velvet-covered wall of his rib cage and let her fingers explore the broad expanse of his shoulders? His muscles were firm and supple, inviting her to touch him and savour the moment.
Truly, she was a basket case—a woman at the mercy of her hormones and not to be trusted with the slightest task. ‘I don’t think I’m ready for this,’ she said huskily. ‘I shouldn’t have let things get this far.’
‘Are you quite sure about that?’ His hands caressed her, and his tone was soft and coaxing, inviting her to drift back into the shelter of his arms once more. ‘Life could be so much sweeter if only you’d allow yourself to taste it.’
She pulled in a shaky breath, willing herself to resist temptation. ‘I’m sure… absolutely sure.’ Even as she said it she wondered if she was trying to convince him or herself. She straightened and took a step away from him. ‘I don’t know how you manage to do this to me,’ she said huskily, her gaze troubled. ‘I need to feel good about myself, and none of this is helping. I’m very confused. I need time to think.’
‘Okay.’ He gave a soft, ragged sigh and moved to lay his forehead gently against hers. ‘But I can’t help thinking that you’d do better to throw caution to the wind. Life isn’t easy. It’s full of what-ifs and might-have-beens, and if you thought hard about all of them you might never experience the good side of things. I know you’ve been hurt, but sometimes you have to get back into the fray if you’re to have another chance of happiness. Sometimes you simply have to go with your instinct and trust in people.’
Slowly, he released her, and then stood with his hands to either side of him on the guard rail, so that she finally began to breathe a little easier.
He straightened. ‘I’ll walk you back to the courtyard.’ He gave a crooked smile. ‘You’ll be safe there.’
KATIE placed the consultant’s letter back in her tray and tried to steer her thoughts towards work. ‘Good news there, at least,’ she told Carla, the desk clerk, indicating the sheet of headed notepaper. ‘My young patient who was rushed to hospital from here a few weeks ago is back home and on the mend.’
‘The child with kidney problems? I remember his mother was so upset.’ Carla gave a relieved smile. ‘It’s good to know he’s pulled through all right. I’ve been worrying about him… about the poor boy with the head injury, too.’
Katie nodded. ‘Me, too. Last I heard, they were thinking about moving him from the intensive care unit. I was hoping I might find time to ring and check up on him some time today, but the time has simply rushed by.’ She frowned, straightening up and easing the slight ache in her back. Earlier today she had rung her father to find out how he was doing, but things weren’t good, and that was playing on her mind. His nurse, Steve, was worried about his condition.
She dragged her mind back to work. ‘Do I have any more patients to see this afternoon? There’s nothing on my list and the waiting room’s empty.’
Carla glanced at her screen once more. ‘No, but there was a message from Dr Bellini. He said Matthew Goren was coming in to hospital as an outpatient today. He thought you might like to be in on the consultation with him. His appointment’s scheduled for four o’clock—that gives you a quarter of an hour to get over there.’
‘Right… thanks, Carla. I’d better run.’
She hurried over to the emergency department. She wasn’t at all sure how she was going to cope with seeing Nick again—his scorching kisses had seared a memory into her brain that would last for all time. It made her feel hot and bothered even now, just thinking about it. And she had also been mulling over his words of advice… ‘Sometimes you have to go with your instinct and trust in people.’ Could she do that? Was she ready to put the past behind her and accept that she might be able to find happiness in his arms?
She went along the corridor in search of his room.
‘Katie, I’m glad you could make it.’ Nick’s voice was deep and warm, smooth like honey drizzled over caramelised pears. He gave her a quick smile and invited her into his office. ‘I thought you might like to be in on this one. The lab results are back, and this is the last appointment of the day so there will be time to break the news to the boy and his mother without having to rush things.’
‘Break the news—it’s what we thought, then?’
He nodded. ‘Gaucher’s disease. Fortunately, even though it’s rare, there are treatments for it, so it isn’t as bad as it might have been some years ago. And Matt has the mildest form of the disease, so that’s another point in his favour.’
He accessed the boy’s notes on his computer, and they both took time to sift through the various test results and read the letter from the consultant. When the clerk