One Week to Win His Heart

She could tell he had a smile on that gorgeous mouth of his, even without seeing it. She closed her eyes against the mental image, willing it to go away. It wouldn’t. Why was she so in tune with him? Why couldn’t she simply switch off her attraction like a light switch?

‘Oh?’ Melody reluctantly turned to look at him, only to find his face closer than she’d anticipated. ‘What was I…’ her breath trembled a little but she forced herself to continue. Hold onto the anger, she willed herself. Hold onto the anger ‘…expected to say? That the visiting orthopaedic surgeon was fondling my leg? That would have gone over brilliantly!’

George chuckled and the sound invaded her heart. She looked away from him but he gently reached over, cupped her chin and urged her face back round. ‘Let’s get one thing straight.’ The taste of his breath held a hint of the red wine they’d been served and Melody savoured it. ‘I didn’t fondle your leg.’

For one blinding second Melody thought he was denying having touched her in the first place. Had he touched her? Had she just imagined it?

‘I caressed it,’ he confessed on a laugh that turned into a groan as he recalled just how perfect she’d felt beneath his touch. ‘There’s a big difference. One is clumsy but the other is sensual.’

Melody sighed, clinging vainly to her rapidly dissolving anger. ‘Well, you still shouldn’t have done it.’

‘I couldn’t help myself.’ He shrugged, frowning as he did so.

‘Next time try harder!’

‘I’m sorry.’

He touched his hand to her shoulder but removed it the instant she glared at him. They were out in public. Anyone might see them talking so intimately together. She edged to the side a little, hoping to put more distance between them.

‘I didn’t know you were going to react like that. Honestly.’

His tone was so sincere she knew she’d already forgiven him. ‘It’s all right.’ She turned to look out over the city. They were both silent for a few minutes, a comfortable, companionable silence, while they soaked up the beautiful, warm night.

‘It’s nice here,’ he stated. ‘In Sydney, I mean.’

‘Yeah.’

‘How long have you lived here?’ Despite the attraction between them, George had to keep reminding himself that he really didn’t know Melody all that well.

‘In Sydney? About five years now. I attended medical school and did all my training out at Parramatta.’

‘Do you like it here? I mean, do you have any plans to leave?’

She shook her head. ‘I love it here. I’m close to my brothers, my nieces and nephews and, of course, my parents.’

‘Family’s important to you?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Melody paused. ‘What about you? Are you close to your sisters?’

‘I am. We probably talk about once a month, especially while I’ve been travelling, but Casey and Rachel talk daily, especially with Rachel in New Zealand.’

‘Where does Casey live?’

‘She’s in Queensland. So are my parents.’

‘Oh. Do you have other family in Melbourne?’

He shook his head slowly. ‘Veronique’s family’s in Melbourne. She was born in Sydney but her dad changed jobs and the whole family moved to Melbourne when she was about twelve.’

‘Are you close to them?’ At the mention of his wife Melody had straightened away from the balcony railing. She kept forgetting he was a widower, a man with experience of what it felt like to be truly loved and accepted by one special person—and that person had been taken from him.

‘I’m…’ George thought for a moment, as though he was choosing his words carefully. ‘They’re important to me but… I haven’t seen them in almost twelve months.’

‘I guess you’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices this year.’ And he’d done it all to carry out his wife’s last wishes. Melody took a small step back, starting to realise that, despite what she might be feeling for George, it probably paled in comparison to what he’d shared with his wife. There was no way she’d ever want to compete with his affections for his wife but she had hoped, given the events of this week, that perhaps they were on the verge of a new beginning—for both of them.

‘Sacrifices.’ He laughed without humour. ‘I’ve made plenty of those.’ George looked out at the city lights before them. ‘In almost every place I’ve been I’ve taken a mental snapshot of the lights, the buildings, the essence of a place, talking to Veronique about what I see and what I’m doing.’ He raked a hand through his hair. ‘Or at least that’s how it started. Then, somewhere along the line, I stopped doing that because I was tired or had to write another lecture or the thousand other things Carmel needs me to do.’ His sigh was one mixed with wistfulness and regret. ‘I do miss her. So very much.’