The Greek Children's Doctor

She stared at him, thrown by his question. Then she shook her head.

‘Right.’ His voice was unbelievably gentle. ‘So, if what happened between us last night was ‘‘just sex’’, how come neither of us thought to use contraception?’

She paled and took a step backwards.

Contraception hadn’t even entered her head, either before or afterwards.

And obviously it hadn’t entered his either.

Oh, help.

Andreas rubbed a hand over his dark jaw. ‘The reason neither of us thought about contraception,’ he said finally, his Greek accent suddenly very pronounced, ‘is because it wasn’t ‘‘just sex’’. It was a hell of a lot more than that, as we both know. Neither of us planned it—it just happened—but, looking back on it, it was inevitable. It’s been there since the first moment we laid eyes on each other.’

Libby was still staring at him, stunned by the revelation that they hadn’t used contraception.

Why hadn’t it occurred to her before? She might be relatively inexperienced, but she wasn’t naïve. Why hadn’t she thought of contraception?

Because she hadn’t been thinking about practical things. In fact, she hadn’t been thinking at all. All she’d done had been to feel and react.

And now she could be pregnant.

Without thinking, she placed a hand on her abdomen. Andreas, sharp-eyed as ever, caught the movement and his eyes narrowed.

‘I am truly sorry for having failed to protect you,’ he said softly, sliding his hands around her face and forcing her to look at him. ‘There is no excuse and I have to confess that it is the first time in my life that I’ve ever lost control.’

She could well believe it. Andreas Christakos was the original Mr Cool.

So what was he saying? That she was special? Different?

Did he really expect her to believe that?

Trapped by that dark gaze, Libby was severely tempted.

No, no, no!

She was doing it again.

Losing herself in the fairy-tale when she should know better.

Gentle words were just part of the standard male seduction technique, she reminded herself firmly. Andreas wasn’t any different. Except perhaps that he was more skilled at it than the average male.

Any minute now he’d produce the wife or start the ‘I don’t do commitment’ speech.

‘It was my fault as much as yours,’ she said finally, still unable to understand what had happened. She’d totally lost control and that had never happened to her before. She had never lost control with a man. Never felt remotely like ripping off all her clothes and making love by a lake with a couple of hundred people only metres away.

His voice was gentle. ‘We need to talk about what you want to do.’

Do?

Libby looked at him, startled, and noticed that he seemed strangely tense.

‘Do you want to take the morning-after pill? I could give you a prescription.’

Trying not to mind that he was so keen for her to sort the matter out, still shell-shocked by the revelation that she could be pregnant, Libby shook her head.

‘I—I’ll sort something out,’ she mumbled evasively, totally confused by her feelings.

She was a single woman with no partner. She ought to be rushing to the chemist to get the morning-after pill.

So why were her legs glued to the spot?

Andreas frowned slightly. ‘Libby—’

‘I don’t want to take the morning-after pill,’ she said flatly, unable to be anything but honest. ‘It doesn’t seem right.’

Suddenly the confusion in her head cleared and her thoughts were clear.

There was absolutely no doubt at all in her mind.

If she was pregnant then she was going to keep the baby.

There was a strange look on his face that she couldn’t interpret.

‘There’s no need to panic,’ she muttered, her eyes sliding away from his. ‘I don’t expect you to take any responsibility.’

Andreas frowned. ‘Responsibility? Libby—’

The door opened and one of the staff nurses stuck her head round, interrupting him before he could finish his sentence.

‘Dr Christakos, A and E are on the phone. It’s urgent.’

Andreas gritted his teeth and strode out of the room, almost sending the nurse flying.

Libby stared after him and she was still staring into space when he returned only moments later.

‘That was your brother-in-law,’ he said, his mouth set in a grim line. ‘There’s been a nasty house fire and two children were involved. They’re on their way in now but they’re already struggling in A and E so he wants some help.’

Libby pulled herself together. ‘Of course. I’ll just tell Bev.’

She hurried off to find the ward sister and then met Andreas in the corridor and they both made their way to A and E. Andreas didn’t make further reference to their conversation but she felt his eyes on her.