‘Do I have to remind you, yet again, that you are carrying my child? I am your support system. From now on we are one unit.’
‘One unit even though you no longer wish to marry me?’ she threw back at him. ‘One unit even though you don’t even want to share your home with me?’
The problem with that, of course, was that he did want to share his home with her. And his bed. Possibly far too much.
‘Careful, zvyozdochka, or I might believe that you’re actually pining for that option. That you were anticipating sharing your life with me with pleasure, despite all your earlier objections.’
‘You can’t really believe that!’ She laughed.
It was a brittle little sound that revealed things he imagined she had never wanted him to know. Not least that he was right.
Lust fired through him like a slingshot, right around his sex.
‘I’ve told you how things are going to be. For both you and our child,’ he growled.
The temptation to take her hand and lead her from this restaurant to an exclusive hotel he knew was right around the corner was almost overwhelming.
‘And you’ve said it—ergo that is how it will be?’ she retorted.
He made an approving click of his tongue, which was guaranteed to get her back up all the more.
It was either that or stir an altogether different emotion in her.
In both of them.
‘And now, zvyozdochka, I suggest we get back to the helicopter. We have a long flight home.’
‘Good,’ she muttered. ‘Because I’m sure I could do with the thinking time.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘WHAT’S HAPPENED?’ SASKIA yelled over the rotor blades as she raced across Moorlands General’s helipad.
The call had come in just as they’d been twenty minutes out. A major incident in the area—some kind of explosion, from what Saskia could gather—meant that all available staff were being called in to the hospital.
Malachi hadn’t even needed to ask her. He’d instinctively turned his helicopter, calling in a new flight plan and instructing his PA to check that there were no air ambulances in the area before getting permission for him to land at the hospital with Saskia.
/>
‘Some kind of gas explosion on Beechmoor Street!’ her colleague shouted. ‘Near the junction with King’s Boulevard. There are multiple casualties and they’re splitting them between us and the Royal.’
‘Where do you want me?’
‘There’s a designated area for incident victims in paediatric A&E. Fortunately because of the time of day, there weren’t too many kids around, and those that were appear to have been caught more by the shockwaves than in the blast itself.’
‘Thank goodness. Listen, do you know if Anouk—Dr Hart—is okay?’
‘I don’t know, sorry. Apparently the area has been evacuated.’
Biting her lip, Saskia hurried down the ramp and into the hospital. Behind her she could hear Malachi’s helicopter leaving, but she didn’t turn around. There wasn’t time.
‘Come on, then. Let’s go.’
Saskia glanced at the screen as her colleague ran her through the latest admissions.
‘First up is five-year-old Molly, who was knocked into a wall during the explosion and suffered a head injury. She was Emily’s patient, but Em’s now tied up with someone else. Molly has already been to CT and everything is clear—she just needs stitches.’
‘Okay, great.’ Saskia nodded. ‘Let me go and see her and check the injury, and then I’ll get some kit together.’