Worse. A part of him didn’t even seem to care.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, balling them into fists, as though that might somehow help him hold on to his own sanity. He had to do something to recover his equilibrium.
‘I think it would be best if I take you home whilst I decide how best to handle this situation.’
‘I am not a situation that needs to be handled,’ she hissed incredulously.
‘I would beg to differ.’
People didn’t challenge you when you were the boss of a multinational organisation. They certainly didn’t talk back or banter. But Saskia bit back with whatever was on her mind—rather like Sol did—and Malachi had to admit it was refreshing.
‘And now, as much as this conversation is diverting, I think it’s best if I take you home.’
Even though every fibre in his body was screaming for him not to let her leave.
Or maybe because every fibre in him was screaming for him not to let her leave.
‘And then what?’ she demanded.
He didn’t have the answer to that. He only knew that whilst she was here he couldn’t think straight. He needed time—and a little space—to come up with a workable solution. One that didn’t put him straight in temptation’s path.
‘I’ll let you know.’ He shrugged, moving towards the door. ‘When I’m ready.’
* * *
‘Hi, I’m Saskia, the doctor who has taken over Caleb’s case.’ Saskia smiled gently at the frightened-looking woman with her five-month-old baby. ‘This must be Caleb, and you’re Mum?’
The woman nodded jerkily.
Saskia could only empathise. The woman had brought her baby in the previous night and he had been diagnosed with bronchiolitis, moderate in severity. But, according to the handover team, less than hour ago he’d begun to show signs of deterioration.
‘So, the previous doctor told you that my colleague, Maria, is going to start this little man on high oxygen flow?’
‘Yes. Will that cure him?’ the woman choked out.
‘It should help Caleb to breathe a little easier,’ explained Saskia. ‘Are you here on your own? Is there anyone who can be with you?’
The woman shook her head.
‘No one. It’s just the two of us. Caleb wasn’t planned, and when I found out I was pregnant, Tom—Caleb’s dad—didn’t want to know. We’d been together for a year. I didn’t expect him to propose or anything. But I didn’t think he’d leave us without a word.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Saskia offered, not sure what else to say. ‘Well, we’re here for you and your son. Try not to worry—the oxygen should help. I’ll check on him in about an hour or so to make sure that it is, okay?’
‘Okay.’
Saskia pulled the curtain out of the way and stepped out, confirming her intentions with Maria before moving on to check the next priority on her ward round.
But her head was spinning.
She’d spent the past week since she’d left Malachi’s apartment throwing herself into work. Doing everything she could to keep her mind off the man who was the father of her unborn baby.
She’d convinced herself that she’d made the right decision in rejecting his marriage proposal, but now, after that revelation from her young patient’s mother, she was seriously doubting herself.
Whatever else she could say about her and Malachi, she couldn’t say that he didn’t want to know about their baby. They weren’t even a couple, yet he’d instantly expected to be part of their life. Had practically insisted on it.
Had she been thinking of her best interests or her unborn baby’s when she’d dismissed Malachi’s marriage proposal so scornfully? It wasn’t as though they couldn’t stand each other. In fact, quite the opposite.
Without warning, images of Malachi touching her—his hands, his mouth—flashed into her head, leaving her body searing. Feeling as though it might combust at any moment. The way it had been doing every time she’d thought of him over the past few months.