He was a desperate man.
If she turned and walked away, he’d have to consider kidnapping her.
‘You can’t come with me on my call.’ She clutched the bin bag more tightly. ‘It’s a professional visit. I can’t just take a man I picked up on the street.’
‘I picked you up,’ he pointed out, and she rolled her eyes.
‘Details. Details.’
He gave a lopsided smile. ‘Would it help if I confessed that I’m an obstetrician?’
Her eyes widened in disbelief and she started to laugh.
He frowned at her. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘I’m just trying to imagine any of the obstetricians I know fighting like you did.’ She shook her head slightly, still laughing. ‘I’m failing dismally. They’re all very puny and academic. They’d have trouble wrestling with a microscope.’
He lifted an eyebrow, pretending to be offended. ‘You don’t think I’m academic?’
‘You mean you’ve got all that muscle and a brain?’ She batted her eyelids and he grinned appreciatively.
‘I certainly have.’ He adored her sense of humour. ‘So, now do you believe I’m an obstetrician?’
‘No.’ Her cheeks were rosy from the cold. ‘I’ve worked with loads of obstetricians and none of them look like you.’
Was that good or bad?
‘So what’s wrong with me?’
Her smile faded and he saw the uncertainty in her eyes, and something else that had a serious effect on the fit of his jeans. ‘Oh, there’s nothing wrong with you at all. That’s what I mean.’
His blood heated and he had to stop himself grabbing her again. ‘Well, until you see me in action you’re just going to have to take my word for it. So, can I come?’
She tipped her head to one side. ‘Well, if you’re truly an obstetrician, then tell me where you work.’
‘I’m doing a locum job at St Catherine’s from tomorrow.’
Using a false surname that only he, his security team and the most senior member of the hospital were aware of.
Her eyes widened. ‘That’s spooky! I work there, too.’
Did she, now? That was the best news he’d had for months.
‘Which definitely means I can come on your visit,’ he said smoothly. ‘We’re colleagues. And after that I’m walking you home and we can heal each other’s bruises.’
Her lips parted slightly and he held his breath. If she said no, he was in big trouble.
‘I—I don’t know…’
The wary look was back and he gave her a smile that he hoped was non-threatening.
‘Look, I know this was an unconventional meeting, but you don’
t need to be scared of me. If I step out of line you can always black my other eye.’
Maybe he was playing dirty by appealing to her conscience but he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to let her walk out of his life.
‘All right.’ She hauled the bag onto her shoulder and jerked her head towards a high-rise building in the next street. ‘Come with me to see Kelly and then we’ll go back to my place and sort your face out. It’s the least I can do after having tried to half kill you.’