‘WHERE ARE WE GOING?’
‘Dancing.’
‘What?’ Viv’s face was a picture. ‘You don’t dance.’
‘I do. Well, I do now. Let’s go.’
Duc was waiting for her by the door. Her eyes ran up and down his frame. ‘Are these your dancing clothes?’
He looked down at his black shirt and blue jeans and held out his hands. ‘Why, something wrong with them?’
He glanced back at her. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black shirt tied at her waist. ‘Hey—we look like a matching pair!’
She pulled a face and ducked back into her room, emerging one minute later with a bright green top scattered with some sequins.
She walked over to him as she grabbed her jacket near the door. For a second he saw her biting her lip.
‘What’s up?’
For the briefest of seconds his gaze meshed with hers. He thought she was going to say something deep, but she just shook her head and slung her bag over her shoulder. ‘A horrible accident and three, no, four patients that are all doing okay. I think our hospital might have had some good luck today.’ She winked at him. ‘Maybe there’s some magic to the name of this place. Okay, Mr Good Luck, it’s time to take Crazy Scot number one dancing.’ She shot him a glance as she bopped out of the door in front of him. ‘Show me your moves!’
And as she shimmied away onto the grass he thought this might have been the best idea he’d ever had.
So far, they’d been to a bar that served American burgers, then hit three different bars and had a cocktail in every one of them.
By the time they reached the club she’d was ready to move on to water. They climbed the stairs of the club. Music was thumping, it felt like the walls around them reverberated with every beat.
The club was busy and the dance floor was packed.
She stared around at the bodies jumping up and down on the floor. ‘I feel old,’ she said, watching the synchronised vibe around her.
Duc bent down, his lips brushing against her ear. ‘What?’ he shouted.
‘I feel old!’ she yelled in his ear.
He laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the bar, which was packed three people deep. They jostled through the crowd as the music changed to a nineties rave tune and a scream went up around them.
It seemed the old-style tunes were the favourites.
Duc’s broad shoulders took him to the front of the pack at the bar and he pulled her in tight behind him, spinning around and putting a hand on the back of her waist as he bent to talk to her.
‘What do you want?’ His lips touched her ear again. It couldn’t be helped—but neither could her reaction to his touch. Every cell in her body seemed to spring to life.
‘Just water,’ she said.
‘What?’ His brow furrowed, the music was booming around them. This time as he pulled her even closer, her whole body was pressed against his.
It was like the crowd had just moved around them, giving her no room to step backwards. As she breathed in, her senses were assaulted by the smell of him. His aftershave, the scent of his shampoo, the laundry detergent from his clothes.
One hand went automatically to his shoulder. She stood on tiptoe, reversing positions so it was she who was talking in his ear.
The cocktails were still in her system: a strawberry daiquiri, a mimosa and a sex on the beach had made her bold and a little cheeky. This time it was her lips that brushed against his ear. How would his body react? Would he react the same way that she had?
He might try to hide it, but she felt him stiffen for the briefest of seconds. It made her smile. ‘Just water,’ she said in his ear, lingering longer than she needed to.
Part of her was annoyed. She’d seen that email today—even though she’d no intention of mentioning it. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go back to being a surgeon.
She should be happy for him, but the truth was it annoyed her. Couldn’t he see how good it was here? Couldn’t he see the wonderful opportunities he had at the tips of his fingers?
Part of her was irritated by that. Duc was a smart guy—at least she’d always thought of him that way. He’d inherited not only a legacy but something he could make his own.
Viv had never had opportunities like this. The only thing she’d inherited from her birth mother was her hair colour. She didn’t even know if her father was dead or alive. She had no intention of trying to find out.
As Duc’s large brown eyes stared down into hers, she thought about how life might have been if their situations had been reversed. Would she be trying to run away from ownership of three hospitals, along with the responsibility and the staff?
Maybe she would. Maybe she didn’t really understand. There was no career conflict for her here. She could do the job she loved every day here—along with opportunities to learn new skills.
There was no downside.
Duc narrowed his gaze and she realised she hadn’t moved. Her face was only inches from his. The last time they’d been this close...
She could see the flicker of recognition in his eyes and she quickly turned away. Last time Duc had pulled away. She wouldn’t give him a chance to do that to her again.
He turned back to the bar and she pushed her way free of the crowd, standing to the side. She’d only been there a few seconds when a tall blond guy approached her. He’d had a few drinks and was in a good mood, talking closely in her ear—it was the only way to do it in the noisy club—and asking her if she wanted to dance.
She shook her head. But he didn’t want to take no for an answer.
He nodded towards the dance floor as the music changed to another old tune. One that she liked. He held out a hand towards her, and after a few seconds’ hesitation she took it. Why not? The electricity between Duc and her was close to setting her on fire. She had to expend her energy somewhere.
This guy was just her type. A bit merry, obviously a tourist, with no expectations of her—just like she would have none of him. Duc was planning on leaving. Why shouldn’t she have a little fun?
The dance floor was busy, but not enough that she was crushed. The guy was from New Zealand. And he could dance.
Being here, in the middle of the dance floor, she could feel the energy all around her. It was electric. The guy was funny, a little drunk and he could move. She matched him, laughing away as they jumped up and down to the beat.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been to a club and had fun like this. He grabbed one arm and spun her around, first one way and then the next.
It was fun. She was having fun. And all of a sudden she forgot about everything else.
Duc fought his way back from the crowded bar and looked around, scanning the crowd to see where Viv had gone.
He frowned, looking for her distinctive red hair. He thought she might have moved away from the claustrophobic bar and took a few steps nearer the dance floor.
He could feel the floor under his feet bounce with the movement of the people on the dance floor. Hands were in the air as everyone jumped up and down in time with a song that was distant memory from his student days. Even then, the song had been fifteen years old.
Then he saw it. The red hair swinging out wildly as Viv danced freely in the middle of the floor. She was dancing with someone. A guy with broad shoulders and blond hair. Duc felt an instant flare of jealousy.
She was laughing, the sequins on her top catching the lights in the club. It made her sparkle in the middle of the floor.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her, mesmerised by the swing of her hips, the way he could see the skin at her waist as she punched her hands in the air. It had been years since he’d seen her like this. Free, laughing, enjoying life.
It was the way he loved her most.
That thought hit him like a spear through the heart.
The bottle of water nearly slipped from his hand.
It was as if all the little pieces of the jigsaw puzzle had just slotted into place in his brain.
He gave a shiver but kept watching. The guy grabbed Viv’s hand and spun her round. She laughed and spun back the other way as the guy swayed with his movements.
Duc could feel his hackles rise. The guy was clearly drunk. It took every ounce of self-control not to storm over there and yank her away from him.
But what right did he have to do that? None. And Viv would eat him for breakfast.
He shook his head. He’d watched her a million times before, flirting or laughing with some guy, at times ending up in their arms—just like she’d watched him before with other girls.
Never once had it ground away so deeply in his stomach like it did tonight.
Viv twirled away, her arms in the air, sequins still sparkling. She sidled through the crowd, jigging in time to the music, back towards the bar. She spotted Duc and yelled, waving at him. The guy behind her was forgotten.
She was still dancing as she reached him, pressing both her hands on his chest. ‘Come on, you promised to take me dancing!’ She gave him a saucy look. ‘You haven’t shown me your moves yet!’
He handed her the bottle of the water. Part of him was relieved, but every cell in his body was still bristling. If Viv had put her hands around that guy’s neck and started kissing him...
He put his hand around her waist. ‘Think you can keep up?’ he said throatily in her ear.
Her eyes were glistening. She grabbed his hands and pulled him back to the dance floor. The beat changed again, it was still fast paced—but not one of the old-type dance tunes. This was more eighties pop.
‘Yeah!’ Viv jumped up and down, happy with the beat. It maybe wasn’t his first choice, but Duc had enough moves to match hers.
Her skin brushed against his as she twisted and turned. One kind of tension left his body, to be replaced entirely by another.
He had to keep his hands off, no matter how much they itched to touch her. They’d both had a few drinks. She was his best friend. The words continued to echo through his head.
Viv turned her back to him, lifted her arms once again and sidled backwards, still moving to the beat. As her body came into full contact with his, his hand automatically slid around to the front of her stomach. As she continued to dance, the bare skin beneath his fingers felt on fire.
He was dancing in time with her. Their bodies moving together. And he knew he should step back. He knew he had to step back.
But then Viv spun around and put her hands around his neck, the whole length of her body up against his. She stood on tiptoe to talk in his ear. ‘Okay, so I guess you can keep up. But take me home—I’m tired.’
As her lips moved from his ear they brushed against the side of his face.
He moved. The action was automatic—he couldn’t help it.
Their lips locked. Her sweet taste against him. It didn’t have the same urgency as their kiss the last time. This one was different. Like a little bubble had formed around them in the crowded club—like an old-fashioned snow globe—holding them in a time and space that was just their own.
Last time it had been him that pulled away, but this time it was Viv.
Her eyes were wide, but she seemed calm. She pressed her lips together and gestured with her head towards the door.
He followed her as she pushed through the club, heading for the stairs. His brain was rushing ahead of itself, wondering what came next.
But as soon as they hit the muggy air outside, she spun around and pointed to a cart across the street. ‘I’m hungry, let’s get some food.’
The streets were quieter in the early hours of the morning and she darted across the road ahead of him. His heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn’t read her at all.
He crossed the street and pulled some cash from his pocket, paying for the food she’d just ordered. Viv walked down the street, chatting as she ate. It was almost like nothing had happened between them.
But it had. He’d felt it. Every cell of his body was on permanent alert right now. Crying out to be next to her again.
It took him a few minutes to realise it was entirely deliberate. She was talking without talking. About the shops, the clubs, the people they worked with.
He took a few long, slow breaths. His brain was spinning. Watching her tonight had been like someone flicking a switch in his brain.
Why had they been such good friends all these years? Why had it never been more?
The swamp of caveman feelings he’d experienced in the club would never go down well with a free spirit like Viv. Truth was, he’d never felt them before—for anyone. So he was having a hard time figuring them out himself.
All he knew was that he had to speak to her.
The buzz was there. The attraction was there. He’d never wanted anything more.
She was still talking. Still filling the air between them with constant chatter.
He wanted to silence her with a kiss.
After some time they reached the outside of the hospital. She put her litter in the nearest trash can on the street and fell silent as they walked through the hospital. One of the nurses glanced at them both and gave them a knowing smile.
Did everyone see what was happening between them?
The silence echoed around them as they crossed the grass towards the bungalow. As Viv pushed open the door he started to speak. ‘Viv...’
She turned and held up her hand. ‘Don’t.’
She walked inside and his chest tightened.
As he closed the door behind him she stood in the middle of the main room. ‘Don’t,’ she repeated. ‘We’re friends. That was all. It was just a moment of madness.’ Her eyes went downwards. ‘Another moment of madness.’
She stopped for a second then tilted her chin in a determined way towards him. ‘It stops now. If we want to preserve our friendship, it stops now. You have one life to lead and I have another.’
Her voice shook a little at those last words then she turned, walked into her room, and closed the door.
Duc tried to breathe in. Last time he’d done this. Last time he’d been the one to step back.
But he’d stepped back without realising exactly how much his feelings for Vivienne had changed. Now they were front and centre to everything.
The closed door in front of his eyes hurt in a way he’d never imagined. He’d wanted a chance to speak to her, to tell how things had changed for him. He hadn’t expected her to stop him dead. Because that was not how Viv functioned.
He wanted to throw open the door and demand that they talk this out.
But there had been something else in Viv’s eyes. He’d known her too long not to see it.
She’d been happy tonight. Laughing and carefree with that other anonymous guy. When she’d come back to him, her eyes had been glistening with mischief and flirtation and he’d lapped it up, reacting to it in an instinctive way.
Because he didn’t have a single doubt about what he wanted to happen next.
But Viv had looked hurt when she’d backed away. Why? This was what she wanted—and he would always respect her decision.
He breathed out, walking back over to the kitchen and pulling a beer from the fridge. As he looked around the house, he noticed things for the first time.
The shoes on the little stand in the corner of the room. The cupboard door ajar with coats hanging inside. The litter of things on the mantelpiece and side tables that were all items belonging to his parents.
For a few seconds he hung his head. He hadn’t dealt with all this. And now it was time. Their clothes were still in the bedroom wardrobe. Those shoes and coats were his parents’. It was time to clear out and move on.
Viv’s words about the lives they had to live echoed in his head. It had been a few months. Maybe he couldn’t have faced this at first. But now it was time.
Now it was time for lots of things. And he had to make a new start.