The Greek Children's Doctor (Westerling)

‘Balloons!’ Melanie reached into the box and pulled out a pink balloon. ‘Can I have it?’

‘Of course. Why doesn’t Mummy blow it up while we sort you out?’

Libby handed the balloon to Mrs Palmer who obligingly took it and blew.

Seeing that the child was distracted, Andreas searched for a vein.

‘OK—squeeze there for me, Libby, and don’t let go.’

Libby knew what he was saying. If they missed the vein on the first attempt, it would be doubly difficult to persuade a child of this age to co-operate, and it was distressing for everyone.

She hoped Andreas was good at finding tiny veins in tiny hands.

He was.

He swabbed the skin, grabbed the child’s hand firmly and slid the needle in with the minimum of fuss.

Melanie was so busy watching the balloon grow bigger and bigger that by the time she opened her mouth to protest the cannula was safely taped in place.

Despite all her intentions about keeping her distance, Libby smiled at him. ‘You’re a genius, Dr Christakos.’

He grinned. ‘So are you. I loved your distraction box.’

‘It usually helps, but not always.’

Andreas turned to Jonathon, who had just appeared. ‘OK, can you take some bloods while we’re waiting for the surgeons, please?’

Melanie stared down at her hand. ‘What does that do?’

‘It means that I can give you medicines straight into your body,’ Andreas explained, his voice gentle.

‘I haven’t listened to your chest yet,’ she reminded him, and Andreas smiled.

‘That’s right. You haven’t.’ He undid a few of the buttons of his shirt and sat still while Melanie lifted the stethoscope to his chest.

r /> Libby suddenly found she couldn’t look away, her eyes riveted to the curling dark hairs that covered the hard muscle of his chest. He was incredibly masculine and she felt a kick of sexual reaction deep inside her. Suddenly she felt an overwhelming desire to touch him. To run her fingers over his tanned skin and downwards…

Shocked by her own thoughts, she dragged her eyes away, thoroughly relieved when the surgeons arrived.

Andreas smiled at the little girl and gently retrieved his stethoscope, totally relaxed as he briefly described his findings to Mr Jenner, the surgeon.

‘I’ll take her down straight away,’ Dave Jenner said, after examining the child himself.

Libby collected a consent form and hovered by the bed, her gaze drawn again to the tantalising vision of Andreas with his shirt still undone.

He was powerfully built and strong and just that one glimpse was enough to make her imagine what the rest of him must look like.

She swallowed.

Still in conversation with Dave, Andreas lifted a hand and casually started to button his shirt, pausing suddenly as he intercepted Libby’s gaze.

His eyes locked with hers and something passed between them, a mutual acknowledgment of the sizzling attraction that seemed to envelop both of them whenever they were together.

Libby struggled to free herself from the intensity of his gaze and something of her disquiet must have shown on her face because his firm mouth curved into a smile so sexy that her knees shook alarmingly.

Bother the man!

He was totally aware of the effect he had on her.