Falling for Her Fake Fianc?

Careful. Mac was watching her closely, too closely, and she didn’t trust that he couldn’t mind-read. He could do pretty much everything else. ‘What?’

‘Nothing.’ He turned away.

‘Good. I’ll get the next patient.’

He came back, looking as though he couldn’t fathom what he was about to say. ‘What is it that you’re not going to ask me to partner you to?’

‘How—?’ The floor tilted. She made a grab for the desk. Drew a breath. Tried to unscramble the words in her head. ‘Has Tamara been talking to you?’ Kelli knew the moment the question was out she was wrong. Tam might poke her with thoughts on Mac but she’d never go behind her back and talk to him about them. Shaking her head, she added, ‘No. She hasn’t. So I don’t understand...’

‘That was who you were talking to as you stood in the middle of the entrance causing people to duck and dive around you?’ His smile was bleak. Not heart-warming at all.

At least her heart didn’t think so. But she needed an answer to his question. It was none of his business, even if his name had been mentioned, but she hated hearing someone talk about her and then look away when they realised she’d heard. It started all sorts of doubts and worries.

So. Go for nonchalant. For cruisy. For this is unimportant. For my mother’s already got me a date so you’re off the hook.

‘I need someone to go with to my brother’s wedding this weekend.’

But... Come on. Add, But it’s all right. I’ve got it sorted.

The words just wouldn’t form.

‘You thought you’d ask me?’

No, I didn’t. Tamara did. But if I’d had the courage to put myself on the line I might have. ‘Just an idea. But I know you’re busy, and it would be boring ’cos you won’t know anyone, and weddings can be tedious unless you’re involved.’ Gulp. ‘Sorry you overheard. It wasn’t meant to be put out there. Girl talk, you know?’

‘I’ll accompany you.’ He sounded as if he’d prefer to be pig-hunting in the mountains.

‘You don’t have to.’ She hadn’t actually asked him. Didn’t want him feeling sorry for her single status. ‘You haven’t thought it through.’

‘Are you stuck for a partner or not?’

‘One of my own choosing, yes.’

‘There’s someone who could go with you?’

‘He’s not an option as far as I’m concerned.’ She shuddered. Whereas this man standing before her shaking his head in bewilderment was the best option ever. Which was why she should take up the Jason offer.

Hello? Thought you’d stopped playing safe.

‘Then you’ve got me.’ Mac watched her, bewilderment giving way to amusement. ‘Cutting it fine, weren’t you?’

‘I have been out of the country for six weeks.’ In case you hadn’t noticed.

‘Don’t I know it.’ Shock removed the amusement. ‘I mean, I... I don’t know what I mean.’

Or what you want me to think you mean. He’d missed her. Not necessarily something to get excited about with that denial hanging between them. ‘You can pull out. I won’t rant and rave all shift.’ Not aloud anyway.

‘You don’t know me very well, Kelli.’ He leaned one delectable hip against the desk and folded his arms across that spread of chest filling his scrubs so well. ‘Saturday it is, then. What time’s the wedding?’

Slowly, slowly, her stomach started heading down towards her knees while her fingers began trembling. As for her brain? It was on lockdown, couldn’t put the words in order, let alone utter them.

Mac’s eyes were fixed on her, waiting. ‘Kelli?’

Gulp. ‘The wedding’s at four.’ As he relaxed her stomach dropped further. ‘At a resort on Waiheke Island. The celebrations are taking place all weekend, starting Friday night with dinner for the two families.’ She’d arranged to have Friday off months ago.

His hands gripped his crossed upper arms. ‘I see.’

Ah, no, you don’t. ‘My parents have booked me a suite at the resort. If you’re my partner...’

‘I’ll have to share it with you,’ Mac finished for her after a hiatus in the conversation. ‘You’re meant to be sharing it with this other guy?’ His face was bleak.

‘No. He’s got his own room.’

‘I could get a room too.’

She shook her head. ‘The resort’s booked out.’

‘So being in the same suite as you will make this other man believe you’re not interested in him.’ Then his gaze darkened. ‘You’re not, are you?’

CHAPTER TWO

AS KELLI’S FACE paled and her expression became stunned, Mac felt nothing but relief. He’d wager his brand-new, top-of-the-range four-wheel drive that she was not the slightest bit interested in this other man and was not using him to make the guy jealous. ‘Why don’t you just tell him you don’t want to go with him?’

‘I’ve tried heaps of times, but with my parents backing him he thinks I’ll see I’m wrong.’

‘Tricky.’

‘Very.’ Her face tightened, her eyes anxious. ‘You won’t be able to swap your Friday shift at such short notice.’ Then the caution deepened. ‘Will you?’

Seemed having a partner was important to Kelli. Deep despair had dulled her eyes earlier when she’d been on the phone presumably talking to Tamara. He’d been within touching distance and yet she hadn’t noticed him or any of the people pushing past. It was that despair that had him offering to help her out because he’d been there, knew how hard it was to face demons alone. Not the sanest offer he’d ever made when he was meant to be trying to put distance between them, but would he retract it? No way. Even if that was where he might be headed this weekend. ‘I’ll pull in a favour. You going to tell me what this is about?’

Her eyes widened as she looked beyond him. ‘Later,’ she murmured.

‘Kelli, can you meet the ambulance due any minute?’ Stephanie was upon them. ‘We’ve got an eighteen-year-old male, drowned while surfing at Piha. He was revived, but secondary drowning is now a concern. You want this one, Mac?’

No, I want a case three floors up where I don’t have to see Kelli, hear her voice, or be reminded what a total pushover I’ve been. Partner Kelli to her brother’s wedding? I can’t believe I offered to do that. Talk about a stupid idea.

It wasn’t as if Kelli had begged him. She’d been shocked by his offer. Mac tapped his head with a clenched hand. ‘I’ll see him. Michael might like to join us since secondary drowning doesn’t occur every day.’ Then the atmosphere around Kelli and himself would be diluted somewhat.

‘I’ll go tell him.’

The bell from the ambulance bay was loud in the sudden silence between him and Kelli. Then she shook her head and rushed off to collect their patient, those endless, shapely legs eating up the distance with haste.

Mac watched her go. Waited for her to

return. One hour working with her and he knew he’d made a big mistake filling the vacancy with Kelli. Not that he’d had any choice. She was distraction personified, made it impossible to think logically. Hence putting his hand up for that wedding position. What other reckless suggestions would he be making after a whole shift? A week? He’d be better off spending the coming weekend at Piha Beach where he could dig a large hole in the black sand dunes and bury himself, not spending the days on Waiheke with Kelli, mixing and mingling with her family, and no doubt being given a thorough look over.

No, mate, that’s not your problem. The real problem here is that hotel suite. Double beds are a given in these places.

All he could hope for was that there were two. But something deep in his gut told him what fate thought of that idea.

Two nights sharing a room with Kelli would test him beyond measure. Hell, one night dancing with her in Sydney had burned him deep. Deep enough to bring up all the walls to keep from getting close when they were outside her hotel room and the enormity of what they’d been about to do hit home. Even casual sex with Kelli would’ve exposed more of himself than he had since his beloved Cherie. Mac grimaced. No pun intended. He hadn’t been ready to let his emotions out of the box when they were still tender and bruised. The weeks Kelli’d been in Fiji had been a relief. Had given him time to put that escapade into perspective. He’d been determined that Kelli was not going to become a part of his life outside work. Yet one hour in and already that was a total screw up.

They were going to spend a whole weekend together. All because of his big gob.

Over the past six weeks he’d missed her more than he’d believed possible. But he wasn’t ready. Doubted he ever would be. Not even a short fling with no strings. Doubted Kelli was a casual fling kind of girl given the intensity she approached people, work, pretty much everything, with. Unfortunately for her, for him, he’d given his heart to Cherie, and didn’t have a second one beating in his chest. Moving beyond the dark that had resided in there since—since the day his life had blown apart and grief became his norm—wasn’t possible.