The Doctor's One Night to Remember

‘I disagree.’

‘It’s exactly what you do.’ She refused to be swayed. ‘In fact, you turn the conversation back on the other person, or you simply dismiss them.’

‘You’re mistaken,’ he began, but whatever else he was going to say was cut off by the low, insistent ring of a mobile. Nikhil’s mobile.

As he stepped away to answer, Isla took the opportunity to slip past him and back to the group.

Or, more accurately, she forced her shaking legs to carry her away from him—every step feeling heavier than the last—as she tagged onto the end of the last few passengers waiting to enjoy the thrill of their zip wire experience.

‘That was the team back at the hotel base. There’s a problem with one of the guests who took the Orchid and Butterfly House tour. They want you back immediately.’

‘Understood.’ Swinging around, she began to head back to the embarkation point for the gondolas heading back down to the low station.

He caught her as she started to pass him, and it was harder than ever to pretend that the contact didn’t do anything to her.

‘Where are you going?’

‘Back down.’ She frowned at him.

‘Yes, but not that way.’ He turned her around to the zip wire. ‘We’ll go this way instead. It will be faster.’

‘Fine.’ She gritted her teeth, telling herself that the jolt that ran through her was solely about the ride. ‘Let’s go.’

* * *

They were just coming into the rainforest hotel when the call came through to say that the patient was fine after all. It had turned out that their broken ankle had healed remarkably fast once they’d been offered an upgrade.

‘A few weeks ago, I’d have been shocked,’ Isla commented as they slowed down to walk up the beautiful tropical-tree lined driveway.

Sweat was trickling down her back, and her shirt felt heavy with moisture. The place was hot and humid enough, but they’d been practically jogging through dense forest to get back to the hotel.

‘Let me guess,’ Nikhil said dryly. ‘The first few days aboard, you had several new arrivals coming to your surgery crying about being claustrophobic?’

‘Only an upgrade to a cabin with a balcony would cure them.’ Isla nodded. ‘Yes. I truly didn’t believe people would do that.’

His only answer was a grunt of disapproval. She supposed he’d got used to it after so many years, and so many cruises. What kind of a fool did it make her that she still, even now, longed to hear him tell her something more personal about himself?

‘There are many more nice passengers, though,’ she heard herself add.

Beside her, he seemed to stalk up the drive, but he didn’t utter a word.

‘And there’s a lot to be said for waking up in a new place every morning. I mean, it’s a stunning way to get to see the world.’

‘Go in the back way,’ he gritted out suddenly. ‘Those lovely passengers you mentioned will descend on us the moment we walk through the door, and I’d like to at least get a shower and clean up first.’

She didn’t dare to look at him. It seemed impossible, but even drenched in sweat he looked like a study in perfect masculinity. Perhaps more so. Moisture glistened on his skin, bronzed and healthy, making him look all the more like some billboard model. Only a more interesting, real version.

Oh, she was in serious trouble.

Following Nikhil as he skirted the main entrance to the hotel, an odd, short, instantly muffled sound made them stop simultaneously. For a protracted second, Isla struggled to work it out—and then her stomach turned. She set off at a run, but Nikhil was already ahead of her.

Rounding the corner of a store house, they saw that a lad, tall and muscled, had a maid pinned to the grubby wooden framework and was tugging her skirt up, despite her futile attempts to push him off.

Before Isla could say anything, Nikhil had placed both his hands on the young man’s shoulders and was hauling him off the sobbing girl and swinging him around.

The girl began to scream, and Isla hurried to stop her. The last thing they needed now was for a load of hotel guests to come spilling out to see what was going on.

Turning back to Nikhil and the attacker, she saw the punch coming as if in slow motion, but it was only at the last minute that she saw a glint of metal and then the blood as the lad slashed Nikhil’s shoulder.