Page 14 of Prognosis Christmas Baby

CHAPTER THREE

Nash spent the nexttwo weeks ignoring his attraction to Maggie. Something he never did. He’d learnt from his sister’s passing that life was short and should be lived to its fullest. But during their talk the other night he’d realised Maggie was not the type of woman with whom he could indulge in a quick fling.

There was something about her that flashed a big red warning light at him. Maggie was a forever kind of woman. And he wasn’t a forever kind of guy.

He had years left of his training to go, several in London and then back to the bush. Maybe one day he’d find a nice country girl to settle down with, maybe have what his parents, his grandparents had.

Maybe.

But then he made the fatal error of joining the staff for Friday night drinks and he knew he couldn’t deny it any more. Two hours of watching Maggie’s mouth sucking down amber liquid from long-necked bottles and he was wishing he was her beer.

She was driving him to distraction.

He had to have her — despite the warning light. Despite knowing it was crazy.

He couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman this badly.

She lifted her gaze to his for a brief second before she hastily looked away and smiled at something the person beside her was saying. Nash knew she could feel the pounding of attraction growing out of control, too.

Louder than the noise of the juke box and the chatter all around them.

It was as if the social situation, far removed from the hospital, had changed the boundaries between them.

She’d been slipping him furtive looks all evening when she’d thought he hadn’t been watching and while it was dim inside, her desire flared like a lighthouse beacon, beckoning him closer.

Even though the rocks were treacherous and he risked being snagged, their attraction pulled at him like the undertow of a tsunami.

Damn it. He needed another drink.

Maggie breathed a sigh of relief as Nash left the table. She’d felt the weight of his gaze all evening and it excited and terrified her in equal measure. The overwhelming feeling of inevitability sucked the breath from her lungs.

He looked his usual laid-back sexy self tonight, in faded jeans and a polo shirt the exact shade of his tropical-waters eyes. It touched all the right places on him.

And inside her.

He looked good enough to sprinkle with sugar and eat with a spoon.

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