Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad

‘What? Have I got sauce on my chin or grown a horn on my head?’

He shook his head, smiling. ‘Nothing like that.’

‘Then what?’ She hated being stared at. When Kieran did it she created all sorts of weird ideas of what he was thinking about her and most of them were bad. ‘Are you going to tell me I’m a rubbish mother? Or need a haircut? What?’

‘You’re beautiful.’ His finger and thumb twirled his glass back and forwards, but his eyes never left her face. ‘I still remember the time I saw you coming out from Immigration into the arrivals lounge in Dublin. You were so pale and distressed, tired from the travelling and your grief, but my mouth fell open at the sight of you.’

Abby gulped, took a mouthful of wine, the flavour of blackcurrant and something she couldn’t identify crossing her tongue. This she had not expected. Men didn’t usually tell her she was beautiful. ‘How much wine have you had?’

‘Less than you. I’m not making it up. Plus, why would I tell you to cut your hair? I miss it being as long as it was back then.’

Abby shook her head. Someone tell her she wasn’t dreaming, that Kieran really was saying these things to her. ‘Unfortunately, having hair down to my waist wasn’t very practical with kids.’

‘Do you ever think about that night we spent together?’

She blinked. Her stomach squeezed painfully tight. ‘Oh, yes,’ she whispered. Her fingers trembled. She desperately needed to take another mouthful of wine but doubted her ability to raise the glass to her mouth without spilling the golden liquid.

Kieran reached across the table, caught her free hand between both his. His thumbs rubbed light circles on her wrist. ‘So do I.’

‘I tried to put it down to the situation we found ourselves in. You know, our grief, the funeral with those two caskets lined up side by side.’ Her voice cracked. Were they really having this conversation?

‘Go on.’

She swallowed. ‘But I couldn’t. I don’t normally behave like that, jumping into bed with someone without getting to know them.’ She rubbed a hand over her forehead. ‘That sounds like I make a habit of sleeping with men once I do know them, and I don’t.’ Kieran had been the first man she’d even wanted to make love with since Phillip. Unfortunately, the night with Kieran had been far more memorable than any night she’d spent with her ex fiancé.

‘I never thought you did.’

Kieran’s steady gaze burned into her as though looking for something. What? Did he want something from her? Another night in bed? Her toes tingled, her heart tripped lightly. Yes, her body said. Yes, her brain screamed.

Reality said no.

She wanted him, badly, but what would happen afterwards? They’d still have the same issues between them. He’d still go back to Dublin. She knew she’d be foolish to expect anything more than hot, hungry sex. But, boy, oh, boy, what could be so bad about that?

Despite her gut instinct to believe in and trust Kieran, she knew how abysmal her instincts were. They’d failed her big time in the past with the two people she should’ve been able to trust most. Absolutely nothing could make her believe she’d got it right this time. She had to be the world’s lousiest judge of character.

Pushing away from the table, she broke contact, anything to avoid those eyes, and then she began clearing up the mess on the bench. ‘You’re not exactly a tidy cook, are you?’

Kieran’s hand touched her shoulder. She jumped. She hadn’t heard him move. His touch was soft, relaxed and sent her senses into orbit. She wanted him.

Don’t go there. You’d be playing with danger.

She spun away, turned and leaned back against the bench. ‘I think it’s time you went home, Kieran. I’m tired and need to clear up.’

‘Don’t shut down on me, Abby. We both remember that night for all the right reasons. Is that so bad?’

Absolutely. It undermined her determination to remain uninvolved with him. The memories teased her, tempted her to break her vow never to let anyone near her heart again.

Too late, yelled her heart.

Then she’d just have to undo the damage before it got any worse.

She licked her dry lips. ‘I’m being practical. I don’t see any point in going over the past. It happened and I’ve never regretted a moment of it. Not even when I learned I was pregnant.’ She faltered, caught a breath and continued. ‘But I’ve moved on. I don’t want to repeat that night.’

Liar, screamed her brain.

He took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. He didn’t say a word. When she returned that look the world stopped. No outside sounds invaded their space; even the soft evening breeze paused as though holding its breath.

Slowly, determinedly Kieran leaned forward, brushed his lips against her mouth. Then he kissed her. Gently. Tenderly. And she responded. Her lips parted. Welcomed his tongue, let him explore her mouth. She danced her tongue across his. Slow burning heat unfurled throughout her. Then his arms came up and around her, pulling her in against his muscular body. And the kiss became demanding. She replied in kind. Meeting heat with heat, tongue with tongue. Desire wound through her, touching her here, there, everywhere.

Kieran tipped his head back and looked down at her. ‘Definitely better than the memories.’

‘True.’ Her heart thumped as though she’d run a marathon. Her lips hated the loss of contact. Memories were colourless, flavourless, in comparison.

All the more dangerous. Her head jerked back. This had to stop. Now. Before they did something she would regret.

How she could ever regret being with Kieran was another issue, not to be dealt with right this moment. Now she had to keep her feet firmly on the ground and act as though she was way more sensible than she really felt. Sliding away from Kieran, she crossed the small kitchen to put space between them.

Kieran’s thoughtful eyes watched her carefully. ‘So why stop?’

‘There are a lot of things we need to clear up between us. Following this through will only make those things even murkier.’ Why did she want to leap back into his arms and kiss him senseless? One thing was for sure, she most definitely did not want to be hauling on the brakes.

But someone had to. She had to. Her heart was in jeopardy. So were the futures of her children if she let that heart tak

e over the thinking around here.

‘I’d have thought “things”, as you put it, were getting hot, not murky.’

The intensity in those piercing eyes slashed through her arguments and floored her defences.

‘Kieran, you’re not taking me seriously.’

‘Oh, I’m very serious.’ He followed her across the kitchen, stopping directly behind her, turning her, taking her face between his hands. ‘Very.’

His lips brushed hers, a slow burn marking her soul. Her eyelids fell closed. Air snagged in her lungs. Her hands crept up and around Kieran’s neck.

Dimly aware of a cry, she tried to concentrate on its source. Had she made that noise when she’d responded to Kieran’s kiss? Must have. There it was again.

‘Hell.’ Kieran lifted his beautiful head. ‘Timing’s everything.’

Bewildered, Abby looked around, blinking. Then realisation slammed into her. Embarrassment followed. So much for passion. The cry came from down the hall. Olivia was calling out for her.

Again Olivia had provided a much-needed distraction.

CHAPTER NINE

THE emergency department had been frantic over the week leading up to Christmas Day. Abby stretched back in her chair and didn’t even try to stifle the yawn stretching her jaws.

‘I love Christmas, but why do people have to go overboard with everything they do?’ she grumbled to anyone who’d listen.

‘It’s the excitement.’ Pete elbowed her arm affectionately. They’d got on a lot better since the work barbeque.

‘Or the stress.’ Kieran glowered at Pete.

‘Plenty of that, I agree.’ Abby sighed. Sometimes it almost seemed too much hassle for one day. Nah, who was she kidding? ‘Christmas is fun. I love it.’

‘Have you done all your shopping?’ Pete asked.

‘Right down to the last stocking filler for Seamus. If I think of anything else, it’s too late. By the time we finish here tonight, I won’t be going near any shops. It’ll be bedlam downtown.’

‘And here I was hoping I’d get a dream run when I go to town at lunchtime.’ Kieran shrugged ruefully.