FRANCESCA leaned over her little patient as she prepared to take a bone-marrow sample from the back of his hipbone.
‘Are you OK, Makis?’
The little boy moved his head against the pillow. ‘I’m fine, Francesca. I can’t feel anything. Have you stuck the needle in yet?’
‘This little scratchy feeling…that was the needle going in…You’ll feel a bit numb around your back soon…And now I’m taking the sample I told you about…’
‘It sort of tickles…now it’s hurting a bit, sort of…’ Makis drew in his breath. ‘Now it’s OK again.’
‘You’re a good boy, Makis,’ Francesca said, as she withdrew the syringe containing the bone-marrow sample. ‘You can move again now.’
Makis looked up at Francesca enquiringly. ‘Is that all? It didn’t take long, did it? What are you going to do with the stuff in that syringe?’
‘I’m going to send it down to the laboratory where they will look at it and find out what kind of treatment you’ll need to make you feel better.’
‘What do you think is wrong with me, Francesca?’
Francesca hesitated. This was the question she’d dreaded. How do you tell an eight-year-old you think he might have leukaemia? He wouldn’t know what leukaemia was, so she’d then have to explain it as simply as possible. And then again to his mum.
She didn’t have to tell him until the results came from the laboratory. She just had to reassure him that they were doing everything they could to make him comfortable. Nothing was conclusive yet, but from the recent blood tests where leukaemia cells were present it only needed the bone-marrow sample to confirm the diagnosis.
‘As soon as we get the report from the laboratory I’ll come and chat to you and your mother,’ Francesca said. ‘You’ve been a really good boy and now I’d like you to have a little rest. I’ll come back and see you later.’
She ruffled Makis’s hair in an affectionate gesture. The little boy caught hold of her hand.
‘I’m glad you’re my doctor, Francesca. I used to be scared of doctors but you’re sort of like…well, like a mum, really.’
Francesca smiled. ‘That’s one of the nicest things anybody’s said to me in a long time, Makis.’
She turned as somebody came in through the curtains she’d pulled round Makis’s bed. It was Sotiris, wearing theatre greens.
‘Sister told me you were here, Francesca. Could you check out young Costas for me? I’m a bit rushed this morning. Been in Theatre since the early hours.’
‘Of course I’ll check on Costas.’
‘Thanks.’ Sotiris hesitated. ‘I need to talk to you, Francesca, when you’ve finished. My office about twelve?’
‘Anything in particular?’
‘Can’t talk now. I’m on my way from Theatre to see an emergency patient I operated on early this morning. I thought it would be easier to call in here and see you on my way, delegate some of my work and have a look at Makis. That looks like the bone-marrow sample we’re waiting for. I’ll drop it into the lab when I’m going past. The sooner we get the results back…’
Sotiris broke off as he moved nearer to their young patient. ‘How are you feeling now, Makis?’
Makis grinned. ‘I’m OK. Francesca didn’t hurt me. I knew she wouldn’t because she’s a good doctor, isn’t she?’
‘She certainly is.’ Sotiris squeezed Makis’s hand. ‘And you’re a good patient.’
‘I like being here in the children’s ward but I’d really like to go home to my brothers and sister. How long will it be before you can make me better?’
Francesca looked across the bed at Sotiris and saw her own anxiety mirrored in his eyes.
‘We can’t make you better quickly, Makis,’ Sotiris said gently. ‘It’s going to take some time so, you’re going to have to be very patient. We’ll be able to give you more idea of what’s happening when we get the results of this test.’
As soon as Sotiris had gone, Francesca made Makis comfortable before leaving him to have a snooze. She’d given him a mild sedative before starting the procedure and it had taken effect, helping to ease away the discomfort.
She still had to check on her other little patients. She soon found that Costas, the boy who Sotiris had asked her to see, was now fit. In fact he was running around the garden laughing and shouting with a couple of other patients who had made good recoveries from their operations of the previous week.
‘Nothing much wrong with you, Costas,’ Francesca said, when she’d managed to catch her young patient and get him to lie still on his bed for a few moments while she examined him.
The wound was healing nicely, the stitches were out and Costas was obviously in good health again.
‘Would you like to go home, Costas?’
‘Yes, please!’
‘I’ll have a word with Dr Sotiris when I see him.’
Her final patient, Julie, was still being barrier nursed in a side ward. The measles rash had mostly disappeared. Francesca listened to Julie’s chest. Clear as a whistle. Fortunately, there had been no serious complications and the initial cold-like symptoms and cough had disappeared.
‘We’ll give it a few more days, Helen,’ Francesca said to Julie’s mother, as she folded up her stethoscope and put it into the pocket of her white coat. When the rash has completely gone, we can consider Julie to be not infectious so you could book seats on a plane for the end of next week. Your husband’s already gone, hasn’t he?’
‘Yes, he went back a few days after we came in here. He had to get back to work. It’ll be great to be all together again as a family.’
‘It’s not been easy for you, Helen. But you’ve been a great help to all of us.’
Julie’s mother smiled. ‘Well, you’ve all been so good to Julie. Especially at the beginning when she was feverish.’
Francesca smiled back. ‘All part of the job.’
Walking down the corridor towards Sotiris’s office, Francesca wondered what he wanted to see her about. She was scheduled for a half-day and she’d planned to hurry home and have a swim before lunch. Her parents had gone over to see some friends on the other side of the island so she would have the place to herself. She could have a lazy time down by the water, nip into the kitchen for some bread and cheese and maybe a few figs…
Sotiris called, ‘Come in,’ as soon as she knocked.
‘I gave young Costas a thorough examination, when I was able to pin him down long enough, and I think he could be discharged fairly soon,’ Francesca said as she sat down beside Sotiris’s desk. ‘He’s raring to go. The wound has healed very well and everything else is in good working order.’
‘We’ll send him home tomorrow.’ Sotiris picked up the phone and spoke briefly to the Sister on Paediatrics.
‘Sister’s going to organise that,’ he said, as he put the phone down.
Francesca glanced at her watch. ‘So what did you want to see me about?’
‘How about lunch?’
‘Lunch? You mean…?’
Sotiris smiled. ‘Lunch as in food. Will you have lunch with me today?’
‘Well, yes. I’ve got a half-day.’
‘So have I.’
‘Ah, what a coincidence!’
Sotiris grinned. ‘Or a neat bit of organisation.’
‘So where are we going to have lunch?’ Francesca was feeling more than a little surprised.
‘I thought as it was such a glorious day I would take you out in the boat. I’ve packed some food and we can have a barbecue at the family beach house.’
‘Sounds great.’ She hesitated. ‘Will some of the family be there?’
‘Probably not.’
‘He’s at nursery school today.’ Sotiris raised an eyebrow. ‘Any more questions, Francesca?’
‘I’m sorry. It’s just that when you spring a surprise on me like this, I do like to know what I’m in for.’
‘Look, if it’s going to be a problem…’
‘Sotiris, it’s not a problem.’
How could she explain that she hadn’t thought he would ever get around to asking her out like this. She was feeling shell-shocked…but in the nicest possible way.
She stood up. ‘I’ll get my things and meet you in the reception area.’
Sotiris walked across to meet her as she hurried down the corridor from the staff cloakroom.
He smiled, that slightly lopsided, almost shy smile that tore at her heartstrings. For a successful consultant in his late thirties he could look decidedly boyish when he was off duty. He was wearing old jeans that clung to his muscular, athletic legs. His dark eyes had a lazy, sensual, easygoing expression as he looked down at her.
‘What’s with the luggage, Francesca?’ Sotiris asked, removing the backpack she was holding and hoisting it effortlessly onto his shoulder.
Francesca smiled. ‘That’s simply my emergency pack. I always keep swimwear, towels, shorts and a change of clothing here just in case I get asked out for a picnic lunch.’
Sotiris laughed. ‘How many picnic lunches have you had so far?’
‘Far too many to count! But you’re the best offer I’ve had today.’
Sotiris led the way out of the hospital to his car. Francesca tried not to notice the inquisitive glances from the staff as they strolled out together through Reception.
‘This is nice,’ Francesca said, leaning back against the side of the boat as Sotiris pulled away from the harbour. It was a well-equipped boat, small enough for one person to handle and yet big enough to hold a few people.
‘I bought this last week…no, don’t worry, I’m an experienced sailor,’ Sotiris added quickly as he saw Francesca’s anxious expression. ‘We have a larger family boat but I wanted to have my own for the time that I’m here. It’s good to be independent. My family are great, but I sometimes feel a bit… “stifled,” I think, is the word. Having said that, I don’t know what I would have done without them during the bad times.’
Francesca moved closer to the wheel so that she could hear what Sotiris was saying. He seemed so relaxed now, it was almost as if he’d forgotten she was there. This was the real man she’d glimpsed and had wanted to be with from the first moment she’d met him. A man who wasn’t holding back, checking every word he said in case…in case what? What was he hiding?
‘It must have been hard for you when you were left with a small baby to bring up by yourself,’ she prompted.
Sotiris hesitated, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as his fingers tightened on the wheel.
‘It wasn’t easy,’ he said. ‘When Sophia died, I…I had mixed emotions if I’m honest. I was obviously distraught when they phoned me from the Maldives to say there’d been an accident and…’
He broke off in mid sentence.
‘Look, Sotiris, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.’
‘Oh, but I do.’
They were rounding the coast from the harbour, heading south, hugging the coast. The force of the wind took Francesca’s breath away. Even on a hot day like this it felt chilly on the water. She pulled a sweater from her backpack.
Sotiris changed tack and ploughed straight through the waves, taking them head on until they reached a calmer stretch.
‘I want to tell you about Sophia,’ Sotiris said, relaxing again, with just one hand on the wheel. ‘Then you’ll understand why I feel like I do about…well, career-women. I know you don’t approve of my outlook but…’
‘Ah, yes, career-women. Like me, you mean?’
Sotiris turned soulful eyes towards her. ‘Unfortunately, yes.’
‘Why unfortunately?’ She was still acting the part she knew he expected.
‘Because career-women shouldn’t commit themselves to long-term relationships.’
‘Well, obviously not. I never would.’
She shifted her position on the wooden bench seat, leaning over to dip her hand in the water as the boat rushed through the now gentle waves.
‘I’m glad that’s how you feel, Francesca. Sophia thought she could have her cake and eat it. Is that what you say in English?’
‘Word perfect. So why do you say that Sophia…?’
‘I’d better concentrate on this stretch of water here if we’re going to get to the island in one piece. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about Sophia.’
‘That’s understandable,’ she said softly, forgetting for the moment that she was still pretending to be the hard-hearted, brittle career type.
‘Hold the wheel steady while I tie up,’ Sotiris said, cutting the engine.
They had successfully arrived at the shore of the tiny, picturesque island, having negotiated the rocky entrance to the bay with its high overhanging cliffs. Francesca could see a long sandy, beautifully secluded, tree-shaded beach. It looked like paradise and it was completely deserted and unspoiled. There was only one dwelling place in sight.
‘That must be your family beach house.’ Francesca was pointing over at a long stone building on the edge of the shore.
Sotiris leapt from the boat, holding the rope in one hand. Tying the rope to a sturdy stone structure set firmly into the jetty, he turned to look in the direction that Francesca was pointing.
‘Yes, that’s the family house. Many years ago, it belonged to a family of sponge fishers. Then it was completely deserted for years, lived in only by goats for most of the time. My father found out who owned it when we were small and bought it. Then, every time we came over here for the day, he used to set to work, renovating it. As soon as I was big enough, I joined my older brothers in humping stones around and fixing pipes for the primitive plumbing we installed. Come and have a look.’
He held out his hand towards her. As she took his hand she thought how handsome he looked when he was animated about a project. Far more exciting than when he was discussing the sad times in his life. She still wanted to know what had actually happened to his wife, but for the moment she was content simply to enjoy being with him.
The house was securely locked, and the shutters on the windows had to be unbolted before the light flooded in. Francesca walked around, looking in each room. The ground floor had a huge kitchen and a barbecue area outside that led straight onto the shore. The living room was comfortable, simply furnished. No frills, a couple of seascapes.
Yes, it definitely had the air of a fisherman’s cottage. She climbed carefully up the glorified wooden ladder that served as a staircase. Upstairs there were four rooms, four sets of bunk beds, two double beds and two or three single beds.
‘I’ve lost count of the number of people you could sleep here,’ she called down the stairs.
Sotiris was unloading the boat, bringing the provisions into the kitchen. He paused, one foot on the bottom rung of the ladder.
‘We had amazing family parties here when I was a child. And it was so exciting when we were allowed to sleep here.’
Looking down from the top of the ladder, Francesca felt a pang of longing. Sotiris was holding onto the ladder, his foot poised on a rung. If he’d begun to climb up now, she wouldn’t have wanted him simply to give her a tour of the bedrooms.
‘I’ll come down and give you a hand,’ she said quickly.
‘All the stuff’s in the kitchen now.’
He was still holding the ladder when she reached the bottom. He held out his hand as she reached the floor. She took it. He held on, looking down at her with quizzical eyes.
‘So you like my little hide away?’
Francesca could feel her legs going limp at the sound of his deep, gravelly, sexy voice. She knew she was asking for trouble coming here alone with Sotiris, feeling as she did about him. Had he any idea what he was doing to her, simply by being near?
Abruptly he let go of her hand. ‘Go and sit out at the front of the house. I’ll bring you a drink when I’ve got the barbecue going.’
‘I’d like to help.’
‘Later you can sort out the salad I’ve brought, but I need to get this thing lit first.’
His voice was gruff now, as if he’d lost interest in her, almost as if he was wishing he hadn’t brought her. She went out through the door to the front of the house where there was a sitting area, chairs and a rough wooden table right on the beach.
Sotiris gathered up some kindling and lit the barbecue, piling on charcoal till there was a healthy glow. He knew it would take him much longer if Francesca was near him. She affected him so profoundly he found it hard to concentrate on anything. It was OK in hospital, because he was trained to be professional there, but in the big outside world he just didn’t know how to handle his feelings—that rush of adrenalin he felt whenever he met her, the longing to take her in his arms, the useless fantasising that she would be the one woman who would transform his life. If anybody could have been described as the woman of his dreams, then Francesca…
‘Are you ready for me to do the salad now?’
‘Yes, yes, of course.’ Sotiris moved quickly to the kitchen table and pulled out the salad box. ‘It’s all in there—tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, lettuce and there’s olive oil, wine vinegar and herbs to make the dressing.’
‘Fine.’
‘I promised us a drink,’ Sotiris said, uncorking a bottle of white wine. ‘I’ve had it in the cool-bag.’
‘That’s lovely.’ Francesca took the glass he was holding out.
‘The food can take care of itself for a while. Let’s go and sit in the sun with our drinks.’
She followed Sotiris and sat down at the rustic garden table. She’d changed into shorts and a thin, sleeveless top, over a bikini.
‘There’s time for a quick dip before lunch,’ Sotiris said, putting his glass down on the table.
Francesca smiled. ‘That would be great!’
She pulled off her shorts and top. Sotiris was even quicker than she was as he sprinted down the shore in black swimming trunks that moulded themselves to his lithe, virile body in all the right places. Once in the sea, Francesca forced herself to concentrate on her swimming. They were simply two medical colleagues enjoying a day off duty together. Nothing more. There could be nothing more…
Nothing more than a light flirtation?
Sotiris was swimming next to her. His strong muscular body was very close. She turned over onto her back to gaze up at the glorious blue sky.
‘This has got to be one of the most wonderful places on earth,’ she breathed, almost to herself.
‘You’re right. It’s heavenly isn’t it?’
Sotiris was even closer now. He, too, was lying on his back, one arm almost touching hers. The salt water of the sea was so buoyant out here. It was holding her up as if she were lying on a floating mattress, with Sotiris beside her. She turned her head. He had the most seductive smile on his face. Gently, very gently, he reached towards her…and then he kissed her.
The taste of his lips and the saltiness of the sea mixed with something else more disturbingly erotic. His tongue was touching hers. She closed her eyes to enjoy the sheer bliss of this wonderfully sensual experience.
The blissful moment caught her off balance and suddenly she felt herself dropping beneath the surface of the water. But Sotiris’s strong arms were holding her, pulling her against him.
‘It’s OK, I’ve got you, Francesca.’
The warmth of his chest in contrast to the cool sea was comforting.
‘I’ll take you back to shore,’ he told her gently.
‘I’m OK now.’
Sotiris gave her a rakish smile. ‘Just pretend you’re helpless for once in your life. I’ll hold you on my chest and swim on my back.’
Francesca laughed. ‘You just want some lifesaving practice, don’t you?’
‘Something like that.’
As she lay on top of Sotiris, being pulled through the sea to the warm shallow water, she knew this was one heady experience she would never forget. Whatever else happened in their relationship, this was the moment when she knew without a doubt that she’d fallen for Sotiris, hook, line and sinker.
How on earth was she going to handle this impossible situation? A light-hearted relationship was all she’d planned, but how long could she keep up a façade of indifference whilst putting her real emotions on hold?
Sotiris pulled her against him as they reached the shore. ‘Are you sure you’re OK now, Francesca?’
‘I’m fine.’ She moved out of the circle of his arms, heading with determined strides up the shore. ‘The barbecue smells good.’
Sotiris laughed. ‘I left a chicken rotating on the spit. I hope you like well-cooked chicken.’
‘I love it.’
As she watched Sotiris moving over to the barbecue area she would have liked to call after him, And I love you, too.
But she must never say that. Never let Sotiris know about these real feelings deep inside her that had turned her world upside down.
She drew in her breath, whilst slowly counting to ten. She would go and take a shower. That might calm her down.
She found that the little room on the ground floor looked surprisingly well equipped for a remote island bathroom. Surprisingly, water came out of the taps and gushed down from the shower. There were several fluffy towels to choose from when she’d finished. Pushing her damp hair behind her ears, she thought she’d better get a move on.
‘I hope I haven’t kept you waiting,’ she said, arriving back at the barbecue area.
‘Not at all,’ Sotiris said easily.
He topped up her wineglass as she joined him, wearing shorts and top again. Turning over the king-size prawns he’d spread on the barbecue, he said, ‘What do you think of our primitive plumbing?’
‘Amazing! I had an excellent shower.’
‘There’s a fresh water spring nearby. We simply rerouted it into some pipes and rigged up a pump…Would you pass that plate for the prawns?’
Francesca held out the large plate, before taking it, laden with prawns, to the table. Returning to the kitchen she gathered up the bowl of salad, a couple of plates and some cutlery.
Sotiris was setting out fresh crusty bread, olives and chicken on the table when she returned.
‘Lunch is served, madam,’ he said, holding out her chair. ‘I’ll be back in a moment. I forgot to get the lemon for the prawns.’
She smiled as she watched Sotiris reaching up to one of the lemon trees near the shoreline. Back at the table he chopped the lemon in half.
‘I wonder why everything always tastes so good when you eat outside?’ Francesca said.
‘Not only eating outside but having the right company,’ Sotiris said gently. He raised his glass towards her. ‘Sigiya!’
‘Sigiya!’ She clinked her glass against his.
It wasn’t going to be easy to resist Sotiris if he made advances towards her. But did she want to resist him? Why should she? Why not simply go with the flow and work out the implications later…much later…?
She could tell by the way Sotiris was looking at her that he was thinking on similar lines. Seize the day, live for the moment…
She put down her fork exactly at the same moment as Sotiris. They looked at each other. It was almost as if they were telepathic. There was so much food still to be eaten but, temporarily, it didn’t interest them. Sotiris stood up and took hold of her hands, pulling her to her feet.
She moved willingly into his arms. He bent his head and kissed her, oh so slowly, so maddeningly, enticingly provocatively, arousing her senses to a state of sensual excitement that needed more, much more than a mere kiss.
The expression in his eyes was pure heaven! All the longing, the passionate desire that she herself was feeling was mirrored in those dark grey pools.
‘Yes,’ she breathed.
His mouth was now so close to hers again. ‘What was the question?’ he whispered teasingly.
‘I’m still waiting to be asked,’ she said softly, all the hunger of her need blatantly obvious in the huskiness of her voice.
He bent down and lifted her into his arms. Gently he carried her over to the shady area beneath the lemon trees. There was a rug and two pillows spread in the cool shade.
Francesca smiled up at him as he laid her down on the rug. ‘Did you think this was going to happen?’
‘Not when I asked you out here this morning. But as soon as we got here, as soon as I began to know the real Francesca beneath the brittle exterior…’
‘Am I brittle?’
‘Only when you pretend to be. Deep down you’re warm, you’re sensual, Francesca you’re wonderful…’
He was holding her against him. She could feel her excitement mounting as his hands caressed her. Their clothes were tossed aside as they clung to each other. Francesca could feel a deep primaeval urge that cried out to be satisfied. His caressing hands were driving her wild with desire. She felt as if she were being flown somewhere up into the heavens as their bodies fused together in an orgasmic ecstasy….
‘Oh, yes,’ she cried, as she climaxed. ‘Oh, Sotiris, Sotiris…’
She was weeping with happiness. Sotiris was holding her, still deeply inside her. It was the most magical moment of her life. She didn’t want it to end…
But it hadn’t ended. They made love, until the sun was beginning to sink down towards the sea…
Francesca opened her eyes. Everything around her seemed so unreal…and then she remembered.
‘Sotiris, what about Alex?’
Sotiris stirred beside her and pulled her into his arms. ‘What about Alex?’
‘Don’t you have to get home?’
‘Arwen is collecting him from school. She’s taking him to Rhodes, with her own children, to stay with another of our sisters for the night.’
‘You didn’t tell me that.’
He raised himself on one elbow. ‘Would it have made any difference if I’d said that there was a possibility that we were going to make love all afternoon with the option of staying here all night as well?’
His voice was husky, the expression in his eyes still dangerously sexy, wonderfully desirably, openly, blatantly wanting to make love with her again.
‘Sotiris, be serious. You would never have dared to say that, would you?’
‘I might, if I’d thought you could be tempted. But this morning I never dreamed there was the remotest chance you would agree to such a wild proposition. Anyway, it just sort of happened. The sun, the sea, being close to you…’
He was pulling her into his arms again.
‘I might be tempted again,’ she whispered…