Rescuing Dr. MacAllister

'I don't know—but something.' Lindsay's eyes were shining with excitement; 'You can't let a man like that go to waste. Why not tell him you think he's gorgeous and see what happens?'

'I've done that already,' Ellie confessed with a faint smile. 'He was shocked.'

Lindsay gasped. 'You told him he was gorgeous?'

'Well, he is.' Ellie shrugged dismissively. 'It's just the truth.'

'Yes, but most people don't often tell the truth,' Lindsay pointed out, laughing until she clutched her sides with a groan. 'Don't make me laugh—I'm sore all over.'

'I'm not trying to make you laugh and frankly I don't see what's so funny. Now he obviously thinks I'm a tart as well as reckless,' Ellie said gloomily, and Lindsey burst into further noisy laughter.

'A tart? You? Oh, that's rich. You've never even had a proper boyfriend.'

'Will you keep your voice down?' Ellie glared at her and Lindsay covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.

'Sorry. It's just that you've always said that you've never met anyone worth the effort.' The laughter turned to speculation. 'He might be worth the effort, Ellie.'

Ellie looked disapproving. 'Linny, I've only just met the man! And, anyway, he makes me nervous.'

'Does he now?' Lindsay's eyes were searching. 'Well, that might be a good sign. Why does he make you nervous?'

'I don't know...' Ellie gave a small shrug and stared at her fingers. 'He's very...controlled. And self-contained. And disapproving. I suppose he's just different from the men I'm used to mixing with.'

'That's because you mix with a crowd of boys, not men,' Lindsay said softly, 'and there's nothing boyish about Ben MacAllister. He's a cool-headed, self-possessed, incredibly sexy man.'

'Lindsay, you've just had a baby,' Ellie reminded her. 'You shouldn't be thinking about sex.'

'I'm not thinking about sex for me,' Lindsay defended herself. 'I'm thinking about sex for you: She gazed down at the baby and then looked at Ellie with a contemplative look on her face. 'I just want you to meet someone special. You're so pretty. I have no idea how you've kept men at bay for so long.'

Ellie shrugged and blushed slightly. 'You know why. I just haven't ever met anyone that I've wanted to—that's seemed...' She broke off and gave a shrug. 'That's seemed like the right man to—to—you know.'

'Well, you couldn't do better than Ben MacAllister.' Lindsay gave her a dreamy look. 'You only have to look at him to see that he would definitely know what to do with a woman in bed.'

'Lindsay, those hormones are going to your head!' Ellie started to laugh, her expression shocked and exasperated. 'I've told you, I've only just met him.'

She hadn't even thought of Ben MacAllister in those terms. And she didn't intend to.

It was too unsettling.

She helped dress the baby and Lindsay in warm clothes, and then sprinted down the stairs to find Ben.

He was in the kitchen, talking quietly into his phone. As she walked into the room, his gaze flickered to hers and he quickly finished his conversation and looked at her questioningly.

'Is she ready?'

For a moment Ellie stood rooted to the spot, remembering what Lindsay had said about him knowing what to do with a woman in bed. Her eyes rested on his broad shoulders and then drifted down to the long, powerful legs and she blushed slightly.

Oh, for heaven's sake!

'Ellie?' His voice was sharp and she jumped slightly, hoping that he couldn't read her mind.

Blow Lindsay and her fantasies! She couldn't relate properly to the man any more.

'Er, she's fine, considering.' She couldn't keep the admiration out of her eyes. 'You were amazing. I know how difficult that delivery was, but you made it look like a picnic.'

'We were lucky,' he said grimly, and she shook her head.

'No.' Her voice was soft. 'You were skilled. Don't think I can't see that, and don't think I'm not grateful because I am. Very.'