FOR the next week, Annie only saw Hayden when necessary. Although they smiled at each other, treated each other like they did every other member of staff, they were both lying to themselves.
On Monday, they reviewed Mr Andersen together in the clinic, with Annie escorting their elderly patient out so she wouldn’t have to stay and make idle chit-chat with Hayden.
‘How can we possibly be…be…friends when I feel so much more?’ she asked her reflection two days before she was supposed to accompany him to his sister’s wedding. He hadn’t sought her out, hadn’t said anything more about the wedding or whether or not he still wanted her to go with him.
The only way she’d slept had been to run herself ragged during the day. Expending all her energy had become a form of self-preservation in itself.
Tomorrow was going to be the worst. Unfilled Friday, she’d decided to call it. For some reason Hayden had rostered her off and she had the entire day to herself. Well, if exhaustion was going to be the only way for her to get through the day, she would fill it to the hilt with activities guaranteed to make even the most insomniac sufferer sleep.
Jogging in the morning, a workout at the gym, doing an entire grocery shop in less than twenty minutes, a few games of pool to try and relax her. She had to fill every second of the day, and when she got home from work on Thursday evening she sat down to write up a detailed schedule of events.
The knock at the door just after half past nine startled her. She was just rearranging the time frame of six thirty seven to six fifty-two, trying to decide the best way to completely fill this time gap.
‘Hayden!’ She gasped after opening the door. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘No. I just realised I hadn’t told you what time we’d be leaving tomorrow.’
‘Sorry?’
‘We’ll need to get away fairly early. After all, we don’t want to get stuck in peak-hour traffic.’
‘What?’ If she’d been confused before, it was nothing compared to now.
‘It’s either that or leave after ten o’clock, but then we risk Sydney’s peak-hour traffic in the evening.’
‘What on earth are you talking about?’
‘My sister’s wedding.’
‘Is on Saturday. Tomorrow is Friday.’
‘That’s right.’ He was looking at her as though she had two heads. ‘The wedding is on Saturday.’
‘So why do we have to leave tomorrow and what does Sydney traffic—?’ She stopped as his words caught up with her. ‘Your sister lives in Sydney?’ she asked incredulously.
‘Yes.’ Now it was his turn to frown. ‘Didn’t I mention that?’
‘No.’
He smiled apologetically. ‘Sorry. I rostered both of us off for the weekend as we’ll need to drive to Sydney tomorrow and drive back on Sunday.’
‘Why drive? Why not fly?’
‘I prefer to drive,’ he said nonchalantly.
‘So we’re driving to Sydney tomorrow,’ she stated.
‘Yes. You didn’t have anything scheduled for tomorrow?’
She thought of the excessive list she’d been poring over for the past few hours. ‘No.’ She got to spend the day in a car with Hayden! She smiled and then a giggle escaped. She got to spend an entire day with Hayden—all to herself. The giggle turned to a laugh as the pressure she’d been feeling for the past few weeks came bubbling up to the surface.
‘Annie?’
She leaned against the door, laughing with relief.
‘Are you OK?’
‘Yes.’ She wiped the tears from her eyes. ‘Yes, I’m fine. Whew! I needed that.’
‘I’m glad…’ Hayden’s smile was cute but confused. ‘I think.’
‘So, what time do you want to leave?’
‘I thought if we could get away by about four or four-thirty in the morning, we should get into Sydney around ten hours later.’
Annie thought for a moment. ‘Sure. Four o’clock should be fine.’
‘Good. I’ll knock on your door at four.’
She giggled at the rhyme. ‘See you then.’ As she was about to shut the door, Hayden looked as though he was going to say something. She stopped but he only smiled so she continued to close the door.
‘Yes!’ She punched the air with her fist and almost danced over to her ridiculous schedule. ‘Your services are no longer required.’ She took the piece of paper and ripped it up with great delight. Next, she danced over to the phone and called Natasha to tell her the news.
‘Well, well, well,’ Natasha said. ‘Two whole days stuck in a car with the man of your dreams.’
‘I know.’ Annie cradled the phone between her shoulder and ear, packing as she spoke to her friend.
‘Annie?’ Natasha’s voice was cautious.
‘Hmm?’
‘I just said “the man of your dreams” and you agreed.’
‘So?’ Her stomach twisted with pleasure and uncontrollable excitement as well as trepidation and horror.
‘So? Is Hayden the man of your dreams?’
‘I don’t know, Tash,’ she wailed, and slumped down onto the futon. ‘I’m not sure how I feel. One minute he’s completely irresistible and the next he’s aloof. He’ll smile at me in a friendly way and the next instant we’re staring at each other as though we want nothing more than to tear each other’s clothes off.’
‘Sounds promising,’ Natasha murmured.
‘Tell me what to do. You have to tell me what to do!’
‘Don’t think about it. You’ve got him all to yourself for a few days. Away from the hospital, away from the rest of Geelong. So just try to relax and enjoy yourself.’
‘That’s the thing, though. The more I enjoy myself around him, the more I relax, the more I gaze into his hypnotic blue eyes…the more I feel myself falling in love with him.’
‘So?’
‘So he doesn’t want to get married or have children.’ Annie closed her eyes, desperately wanting to know more about Hayden’s daughter.
‘Really?’ Natasha was astounded.
‘Don’t say anything, Tash. Oh, I’m so confused. I can’t wait to leave but…’
‘Does he know it’s your birthday on Saturday?’
‘No, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to overshadow his sister’s wedding.’
‘You’d hardly do that. You’re not that type of person.’
‘I think you’re right. I think I should just let go and try to enjoy myself.’
Her friend chuckled. ‘You do that. What are you going to wear to the wedding?’
Annie sat bolt upright. ‘Oh, no.’
‘Oh, Annie, you haven’t.’
‘Yes, I have.’ She placed her free hand over her face. ‘I’ve been so wrapped up with work and trying not to think about Hayden or anything to do with him that I didn’t go and buy a dress! I can’t believe it. I don’t have anything to wear to the wedding. What am I going to do?’ she wailed. ‘We’ll be leaving in about six hours’ time!’
‘I’d bring some of my dresses over but Brenton’s at the hospital and Aunt Jude is out on a date.’
‘Jude’s on a date?’
‘Yeah. Pretty cool, but I’ll tell you about it later. I can’t leave the children.’
‘I wouldn’t want you to. It’s just gone ten o’clock so it’s too late for you to come out anyway. I’ll just have to go shopping on Saturday morning.’
‘What time is the wedding?’
Annie grimaced. ‘I hope it’s not a breakfast wedding.’
‘Me, too. Oh, Annie. Maybe you’ll get some time once you get into Sydney tomorrow night. The shops should be open, and by leaving at four in the morning…’
‘You’re right. I’ll just buy something there. Other than that, I’ll be wearing a black skirt and a bra as I don’t have any nice tops.’
‘Hayden definitely won’t be able to resist you if you wear that.’
Both women laughed. ‘Don’t want to outshine the bride,’ Annie added. ‘Seriously, though, I’ll be fine.’
‘OK. I’ll let you go and finish packing. Have a fantastic time and let us know when you arrive so we know you’re there safely.’
‘Will do.’ Annie paused for a moment. ‘Thanks, Tash. You and Brenton are the best friends a girl could ask for.’
‘Hey—what’s this friends garbage? Don’t you remember my children officially adopted you last Christmas? We’re family!’
Tears welled in Annie’s eyes. ‘You’re right. We are family. How stupid of me to forget.’
‘Well…don’t let it happen again.’
‘I won’t.’
‘Promise you’ll call?’
‘Promise.’
‘All right. Drive safely and have a wonderful time.’
‘I will. Love you.’
‘You, too.’
Annie rang off and looked at the phone. Both Brenton and Natasha were only children as well, so they knew exactly how she felt not having any siblings. How could she have forgotten the ceremony they’d had after Christmas lunch as the Worthington children had declared her an official member of their family? She vowed never to do it again.
One day, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, she would find her perfect match and start her new life, a new family she could share with the Worthingtons.
Was Hayden that man?
Was he her perfect match?
She really hoped so because, whether she liked it or not, she was falling in love with him.
Annie woke up just after midnight and checked the clock yet again.
‘I’m never going to get to sleep at this rate,’ she mumbled as she turned over, punched her pillow and tried to settle back down. Although she’d set her alarm clock for three-thirty, giving her enough time to shower and pack those last-minute things, she was still waking up every twenty minutes thinking she’d slept through the alarm.
She sighed with frustration as she closed her eyes once more and drifted off.
Twenty minutes later on the dot she sat bolt upright, checked the clock and then settled back against the pillows as her crazy heart rate slowly returned to normal after the initial fright that she’d missed the alarm.
‘I give up.’ She flung back the cotton sheet before stalking into the kitchen. It was madness trying to sleep, even though her body told her she was exhausted. She drank a glass of water, leaned against the kitchen bench and closed her eyes, trying to figure out what she should do.
A loud ringing sound woke her and she jerked upright, surprised to find she’d been sleeping at the kitchen bench. It was the alarm! No, it was the phone. She raced to the lounge room and silenced it.
‘Dr Beresford,’ she mumbled, forcing her sluggish brain to work as she listened carefully to what the nurse was saying. ‘OK. Give me fifteen minutes.’ She replaced the receiver and hurried to her bedroom to dress. A birthday party had apparently got out of control and the A and E department was now flooded with casualties.
She grabbed her keys and headed out. She hoped she’d be able to find a taxi at this time of night but the streets were well lit and it wasn’t that far to walk. When she reached the footpath, there wasn’t a taxi in sight so she started walking. She’d just reached the corner of her street when a car pulled to the kerb beside her.
She looked over her shoulder, slightly startled, and desperately tried to recall the self-defence moves she’d learned over five or so years ago.
‘Annie!’
She inwardly relaxed at the sound of Hayden’s voice, even though he sounded ready to explode.
‘What on earth do you think you’re doing?’ He’d stopped the car, opened the driver’s door and was yelling at her. ‘Get inside this car right now.’ He couldn’t believe her stupidity at walking alone in the dark. A primal protective urge welled up inside, taking him completely by surprise. As she climbed in the car, he quickly told himself that he’d feel this way for any woman of his acquaintance doing the same stupid thing. She was nothing special.
The instant the thought came into his head, his heart refuted it. If she really was nothing special, why was he so determined to keep his distance? She wanted marriage, he reminded himself, and he didn’t do marriage.
Her subtle perfume, which made her smell as sweet as a spring day, wound around him as she clicked her seat belt into place. It was enough to drive a man instantly insane with longing, and although he’d been schooling himself for the long drive to Sydney they were yet to undertake, he now wasn’t so sure he’d survive.
She’d asked him to keep his hands and his lips to himself and he’d thought he had enough self-control to do so, yet when she smelt this good, especially at such an early hour of the morning, he knew he had an internal fight coming if he was going to stay true to his word.
Thankfully, right now it was only a short trip to the hospital.
‘Some days I wonder if you’ve any sense at all,’ he growled as he started the engine and pulled the dark green Jaguar away from the kerb.
‘I was going to look for a taxi along the way,’ she protested.
He muttered something else beneath his breath and she was almost sure she didn’t want to know what it was.
‘Nice car,’ she said, glad the convertible roof was firmly in place. ‘Rental?’
‘No. Mine.’
‘I haven’t seen it in the tenant garages before.’
‘It’s been at the mechanic’s for the past few weeks.’ At her raised eyebrows he continued, ‘The car was involved in an accident before I left Perth so I had it brought over by rail and delivered straight to a specialised repairer.’
‘You had an accident? Well, that fills me with confidence.’ Her tone was dry but teasing.
‘I never said I had the accident. I said the car was involved in an accident. And besides, driving with me to the hospital is probably a lot safer than walking the streets in the early hours of the morning.’
Hayden parked the car and once Annie was out, he locked it and started off towards the emergency entrance. The sound of wailing sirens in the distance could be heard as the ambulances closed in on them.
‘Looks as though we may not be leaving at four o’clock after all,’ she mumbled as they walked in through the door.
‘We’ll just have to play things by ear.’
They went to the nurses’ station where Brenton was gathering people around to brief them. ‘All right, people. Listen up. Just after midnight an emergency call was logged from an eighteenth birthday party where over three hundred people had turned up.’
‘So many?’ Natasha asked.
‘Apparently it had been advertised over the internet, which meant anyone could turn up,’ Brenton answered. ‘We’ve already have a few casualties in but the ambulance crews have reported there’s plenty more to come. As you can hear, the sirens aren’t too far away. Tash, you and the triage sister handle the incoming cases.’ He checked his clipboard and continued down the list, giving people their jobs.
‘Where’s Paul Jamieson? Anyone seen him?’
‘He’s on his way,’ Deb, one of the nurses, reported.
‘Good. As usual, both elective and emergency theatres are available. Let’s get going.’ The ambulances pulled up at the door and for the next few hours Annie and Hayden saw one patient after another.
Even though A and E was hectic, she instinctively knew where Hayden was most of the time.
‘Has anyone seen Professor Robinson?’ Wesley asked, as another stretcher was wheeled into the treatment room.
‘Just gone into emergency theatre one,’ Annie replied, and before anyone could say anything else she pulled on a pair of gloves and turned her attention to the patient.
The first she knew Hayden was out of Theatre was forty-five minutes later when Hayden walked into examination cubicle nine.
‘Got half an hour to spare?’
‘Just let me finish up these notes. What’s on offer?’ She tried to ignore the tightening in her stomach as his deep, vibrant tone washed over her.
‘Badly fractured femur. Heavy loss of blood.’
She signed her name and carried the notes out to the nurses’ station to return them. ‘Sounds like fun,’ she replied lethargically. ‘Let’s go.’
Soon they were scrubbed and in Theatre, all previous fatigue disappearing as they both concentrated. She assisted Hayden in her usual efficient manner as he quickly found the offending artery and clamped it. ‘Right. Now, let’s get down to business.’ Together they debrided the wound before fixing the fractured bone back together with a Grosse and Kempf nailing rod.
The phone rang and the scout nurse answered it. ‘It’s Paul Jamieson,’ she told them. ‘He needs one of you urgently.’
Hayden’s gaze met Annie’s. ‘Who’s he again?’
‘Paul Jamieson. General surgeon,’ she explained.
‘You go, Annie. I’ll be fine now.’ Their gazes met for a brief second and she couldn’t resist teasing him a bit.
‘Thanks for inviting me along.’ Immediately his blue depths twinkled and she knew he was smiling beneath his mask.
‘I know how to show a girl a good time.’ He glanced around at the other women in the theatre. ‘Don’t I, ladies?’
There were several murmurs of ‘yes’ and the tension everyone had been feeling for the past few hours started to lift.
‘Don’t have too much fun while I’m gone,’ Annie warned as she degowned and walked out of Theatres. She headed upstairs to the elective theatres where Paul was waiting for her.
‘This man’s arm is busted up so badly I needed someone to have a look immediately.’
‘Wesley?’
‘He’s stuck in Theatre with another emergency.’
Annie scrubbed and gowned, heading into the operating room with Paul.
‘Meet Mr Jock McInlay, who apparently is affectionately known to his friends as Hammer.’ Paul indicated the anaesthetised man on the operating table.
‘Hammer? I don’t think I want to know how he got that nickname,’ Annie replied.
‘He’s a twenty-five-year-old party goer who loves basketball and drinking games as well as lying beneath the tyres of four-wheel-drives while someone else drives over him—at least, that’s what we assume because that’s where he was found.’
‘What’s the damage?’ Annie peered at the arm and shook her head. ‘X-rays?’
‘Here, Doctor.’ One of the theatre nurses put up X-rays and Annie peered at them.
‘Three lacerations to the abdomen—all quite severe—and before you ask…’ he held up a hand to stop any questions ‘…we’re not exactly sure what happened. Fractured metatarsals, fractured tibia and I’d say that shoulder is definitely dislocated.’
‘You’ve got that right. I’m going to need Hayden in here. Ask him to come the instant he’s finished.’
‘Yes, Doctor,’ the nurse replied.
‘So he’s stable?’
‘As stable as I can make him. No offending arteries if that’s what you mean.’
Annie nodded and received a report from the anaesthetist. ‘All right. Let’s get to work.’
The arm was indeed in a bad way but after consulting the X-rays again she saw that the neck of humerus wasn’t fractured and so relocated the shoulder back into place.
‘Ooh, I hate those crunching noises you orthopods make. You know, Annie, for someone your size, I’m surprised you’ve got the oomph to do a lot of the heavy work involved in your speciality.’
‘Ingenuity, Paul. That’s all it takes.’
‘You should have chosen general surgery instead of orthopaedics.’ He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. ‘Then I could have…guided you.’
Annie laughed. ‘To where? Your bed?’
Paul laughed back and so did several of the staff. ‘Ah, Annie. You know me too well.’
‘We all do, Paul. Your reputation as the hospital’s worst flirt was determined years ago.’
‘Still having fun, Annie?’ Hayden asked from the doorway as he walked across to Annie’s side. Once more their gazes met above their masks and this time she saw a warning in his eyes. She frowned a little, wondering why.
‘Yes, and you’re just in time to join in.’
Hayden turned his gaze from hers to the man on the other side of the table. ‘You must be Paul Jamieson.’
‘That’s right.’ Paul nodded and then briefed Hayden on Hammer, the nurse making sure the relevant X-rays were up on the viewer for Hayden to peruse.
‘What have you got?’
Together they looked at the arm and managed to unmangle it. ‘We’ll need someone from Vascular to check this out,’ he commented.
‘Patient is stable from an orthopaedic point of view,’ Annie said. ‘Patient is all yours, Paul.’
‘Thank you, Annie, dearest, and you, Hayden. Sorry we’re not meeting under better circumstances.’
Hayden didn’t say anything but instead walked out of Theatre. ‘Next patient?’
‘Yes.’
They degowned and headed back to A and E. She was just about to ask him what was wrong when he said softly, ‘What’s going on between you and the blond giant?’
‘Pardon?’ She looked at him in surprise.
‘You heard me.’
‘Nothing. Why should I care about Paul Jamieson?’
‘You seemed quite…chummy with him.’
Annie laughed. ‘That’s just Paul. He flirts with anything in a skirt.’
‘You’re wearing trousers,’ he pointed out.
Annie stopped in the stairwell and looked at Hayden. ‘You sound…jealous,’ she ventured slowly.
‘No. Not jealous,’ he remarked as he continued down the stairs. ‘Just protective of my staff.’
Annie hid a knowing smile. ‘I’ll remember to let Wesley know.’
Hayden rounded on her as she came down the last step. ‘You know what I mean, Annie.’ He took a step forward, obviously trying to intimidate her, but she was too tired for games and stood her ground. They were almost nose to nose and slowly the smile she’d been trying to hide started to slip onto her lips.
‘You certainly sound jealous. It’s OK, Hayden. I won’t let it go to my head.’
‘You’re impossible in this mood.’ He turned and opened the door before walking out into the corridor.
Annie chuckled. ‘Oh, how you make my head spin with all these compliments.’
‘You’re fatigued, Annie. Perhaps you should take a break.’
‘I’m not fatigued. I’m releasing tension. There’s a difference.’
‘Teasing me is releasing tension?’
‘Hey, it’s working for me.’ He glared at her and she smiled back. ‘Now, I believe I had a patient waiting to see me a few hours ago. I’d better chase him up.’
An hour later the patients were still coming in.
‘What on earth happened at this party?’ Annie asked Natasha as they sat down for two minutes to quickly drink a much-needed cup of coffee.
‘A brawl, basically.’
The triage sister walked into the room. ‘You’re on, ladies.’
‘Thanks.’ Natasha stood. ‘So much for your quiet day driving.’
Annie glanced at the clock. It was just after eight o’clock and she felt as though she’d been in Theatre for ever.
‘You said it, my friend.’ Annie stood. ‘Let’s get back to the trenches.’
Soon she was back in Theatre, debriding another fractured leg before reducing the bone back into position with plates and screws. An hour later she started to close when a call came through to say Hayden needed her in theatre two with him.
She finished suturing and then stapled the wound closed before walking from the theatre, ripping off her theatre garb as she went and dumping it into the specially marked bin. She was scrubbed and with him fifteen minutes after the call.
‘About time. I thought you’d never get here. It appears Mr Bouchard has indeed shattered his pelvis as well as most of his ribs, his scapula and his tibia.’
‘Are you going to leave the pelvis for a few days? See if it settles?’
‘Yes. He’ll be fine in traction until we return on Monday.’
Annie nodded and they started the operation. They applied an external fixator to the patient’s tibia and pinned his scapula.
‘Yes. I’d like to see him on Monday morning during ward round,’ Hayden remarked as they strapped Mr Bouchard’s ribs. ‘And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we’re in Theatre not long after that.’
‘I’ll take care of the paperwork,’ Annie replied. After Theatre, she returned to the female changing rooms, dredging up the energy from somewhere to shower and dress, very thankful that the early morning call was now over. She was attempting to comb her unruly curls into some sort of order when Deb came in.
‘I hear you and Hayden are off somewhere together this weekend.’
It was then Annie recalled Hayden saying he would look at the pelvic fracture once they’d returned on Monday. She wondered if she could try and save herself by stating that although both of them were rostered off for the weekend, that didn’t mean they would be spending it together.
‘Don’t bother to deny it, Annie,’ Deb held up a hand. ‘You look like a rabbit caught in a trap. I just thought you should know the gossip is spreading around.’
‘Like wildfire.’ Annie rolled her eyes and closed her locker.
‘Does going away for the weekend mean it’s serious between you two?’
Annie shrugged and looked at the nurse.
‘Come on, Annie. We’ve worked together for about ten years. I listen to the gossip, true, but most of the time I don’t put any faith in it. If I have a question, I’ll come right out and ask you—or the person involved.’
‘True,’ Annie replied. ‘It’s nothing special. We’re going to Sydney for his sister’s wedding.’
‘Woo-hoo. Meeting the family. You’re that serious.’
‘It isn’t like that.’ Although she wished it was.
‘Yeah? Well, why did he look as though he was ready to strangle Paul earlier?’
‘Were you in Theatre with Paul? I don’t remember seeing—’
‘No, but I heard about it.’
‘He wasn’t ready to strangle Paul. In fact, Paul was…you know.’ She shrugged. ‘Just being Paul.’
‘Harmless flirting,’ Deb stated, and looked down at her hands.
‘Yes.’
‘I don’t think our new professor liked it at all.’ There was a hint of something in Deb’s voice. It was strained and Annie suddenly looked at her, as though for the first time.
‘Obviously, he wasn’t the only one. Deb, are you and Paul involved?’
It was Deb’s turn to look pale. ‘Yes.’
‘Wow. How has this been kept a secret?’
‘With extreme difficulty,’ Deb replied. ‘And we’d like to keep it that way.’
‘So it’s serious?’
‘Yes.’
Annie smiled. ‘Good for you, Deb—and Paul. I thought he’d never settle down.’
‘We’re getting old, Annie.’
They both laughed. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘Oh, that’s right. Tomorrow’s your birthday. Have a great time.’
Annie headed for the door. ‘I will, and thanks for the tip-off about the gossip.’ She walked out with a mild spring in her step. It was nearly ten o’clock in the morning and they still had a ten or so hour drive to Sydney to complete. She should be feeling exhausted!
She organised the paperwork for the possibility of Mr Bouchard going to Theatre on Monday before heading to the A and E nurses’ station to check that everything was all right. As she neared she saw Natasha deep in discussion with Hayden, and when her friend saw her she mumbled something and then Hayden turned to look at her.
‘Now, I know the rest of the hospital is gossiping about me but I thought you two were above that,’ she teased.
Natasha laughed and gave her a hug. ‘Drive safely,’ she said. ‘And don’t forget to call when you get there.’
‘I will, Mum,’ Annie promised. She looked at Hayden. ‘Are we free to go?’
‘Yes. Triage Sister and Brenton have announced the situation is under control. We’ll leave the ward round to Wesley and sneak off while we can.’ Hayden was making no effort to hide the fact that he and Annie were leaving together and she felt a strange sense of…empowerment wash over her. He obviously wasn’t concerned at the two of them being gossiped about and she decided that for the moment she wouldn’t care either.
They walked out of the hospital together. ‘We’ll pick up our bags, then get under way.’
‘Sounds good.’
‘Excellent.’
They reached the inner roads of Melbourne just past eleven o’clock, with rush-hour traffic well and truly over. ‘Well, at least we got that bit right,’ Annie murmured as she settled back against the comfortable headrest. ‘What a morning.’
‘Not exactly what I’d had in mind.’ Hayden laughed. ‘Sleep if you can because we will be changing places later.’ He switched on some music and with the soothing strains of Vivaldi swirling around her, Annie closed her eyes.
She managed to doze, feeling a little self-conscious at first but then exhaustion hit and she slept soundly.
‘Hey, sleepyhead.’ Three hours later Hayden stopped the car, unbuckled his seat belt and turned to look at the woman beside him. Annie looked gorgeous as she slept, her pillow up against the window, her face cushioned at an odd angle. Her curls were tangled, her body was relaxed and he felt an imperceptible tightening in his gut. She looked young and vulnerable and he couldn’t believe she was almost forty.
‘Annie?’ Even the sound of her name on his lips felt right. He reached out a hand and gently touched her shoulder. She slept on. Leaning a little closer, not wanting to give her a fright, he worked hard to resist the urge to kiss her awake, even though her delectable mouth was begging for his touch.
‘Wake up, sleepyhead.’
Still nothing. Her lips parted as she sighed dreamily, and the control he’d been exhibiting snapped.
With his heart tattooing a wild and stimulating rhythm, Hayden leaned even closer and pressed his warm mouth to hers, savouring the forbidden contact.
She stretched langorously and opened her mouth beneath this. She moaned and shifted, deepening the kiss, opening herself up to him completely, abandoning every scrap of self-preservation she’d gathered around her.
Never, in his life, had he been kissed with such…honesty.
His good intentions, his plans, his ideals disappeared in the sensual haze that was Annie Beresford. He felt himself going down for the count.
Once, twice, three times, and then Hayden felt it.
The fine hairline crack through the thick ice that surrounded his heart.