‘Doctor—’ his tone was courteous, strictly business, and still it sent goosebumps through her ‘—I appreciate surgery has overrun, but I just need a brief word, please.’
‘Of course.’ Dipping her head slightly, Isla stood.
‘Is your consultation room free?’
Nodding, Isla paced across the reception and into her space, closing the door as Nikhil followed her.
‘How many of them were taking it?’ he demanded without preamble.
‘I don’t know.’
‘No other medical incidents?’
‘Only that one crewman,’ Isla confirmed. ‘Though I assumed you’d be running a random drugs test.’
‘The security team are doing it as we speak, though I’d be grateful for any further information you can provide.’
‘I can’t,’ she apologised. ‘I don’t know who the other crewmen were; I’ve never seen them before. In any case, I was too focused on trying to keep my patient alive.’
‘I appreciate that.’
‘Do you?’ she challenged quietly. ‘Only it sounds to me as though you’re hacked off that I can’t give you names.’
For a moment he watched her.
‘Where drugs are concerned, we operate a zero-tolerance policy on board our ships. I just don’t like people flouting the rules.’
‘I’m a doctor, Nikhil, I’ve seen what this stuff can do to a person. Trust me, I’m the last person you need to lecture on zero tolerance.’
He eyed her a moment longer and she resisted the urge to lift her hand to smooth her hair. Or her shirt. Or anything.
‘You’re right,’ he acknowledged at last. ‘You’re a good doctor, Isla. You should find it easy to get a transfer.’
‘Sorry, what did you say?’ Taking an inadvertent step back, Isla stared at him in shock.
‘You must see that we can’t both be on this ship.’
‘Why?’ Her laugh was too high, too harsh. ‘Because I can’t tell you who else was involved in whatever happened down on deck five today?’
‘Of course not.’ He blew out a deep breath and raked his hand through his hair. It was a gesture Isla had never seen from him before, and it threw her for a moment.
‘Then what?’
‘We got caught, Isla. Right now, that crew member is in shock about her friend. But soon enough she’ll put two and two together.’
‘I don’t agree.’ Isla fought back the wave of fear that was beginning to flood her. ‘You handled it well, Nikhil. You made it look like it was a genuine work meeting.’
‘This time,’ he emphasised. ‘But what happens next time? Or the time after? When do too many coincidences add up?’
And it would only be later—much later—that Isla would consider the hidden relevance to Nikhil’s words. The truth that he no doubt hadn’t intended for her to see, that he craved more of her, just as she did of him.
But in that moment she wasn’t thinking straight.
‘So what do you expect me to do?’ Isla let out a sharp laugh. ‘Put in for a transfer?’
The silence swirled around them, as shocking as it was unbelievable. In the end it was Nikhil who spoke first.
‘You must see that we can’t stay on this ship together without risking both our reputations?’