Page 42 of Twin Surprise for the Italian Doc

She’d held onto her front-line job for as long as she could but it really was time to step down and spend the next few months in an environment that was safer for everybody. The patients, herself and her babies.

And, maybe, that would also keep her well away from Matteo’s orbit. That was something else that would be haunting her later tonight whenshe had the head space to revisit the shock of his reappearance in her life.

Georgia had no idea how she was going to cope with it.

Or even if she could.

* * *

Well...that had been a memorable first day on a new job.

He’d been right that this position was going to give him new experiences and enhance his skills.

Matteo paced the floor in Luke’s small apartment in central Edinburgh, headingfor the fridge in the hope of finding a cold beer.

That job this morning, with the young boy impaled by the branch, had been exciting. Challenging. That they’d got him to the hospital and into Theatre with no major deterioration in his condition had been a triumph. He would contact the intensive care unit tomorrow and ask for an update. Have a chat with the specialist in charge of his case, hopefully.

Because having an update to share would give him an excuse to make contact with Georgia?

No. That wasn’t his motivation. He needed to know how his patient was doing. Whether he’d done everything he should have done on scene.

The fact that he would have a reason to get in touch with Georgia to pass on the information was simply a bonus.

But Matteo sighed as he twisted the top off the small bottle.

He was facing a bigger battle than he’d expected.

That look of shock on her face in the instant when she’d recognised him today.

Horror, almost... Or perhaps evenfear?

What was that about?

How could you find a connection with someone that wasthispowerful and then not want to explore it further?

How could you make love with someone like that and not be desperate to try it again? To seeif it really was the most extraordinary experience in your life?

Unless she hadn’t felt the same way.

No. Matteo didn’t believe that. The lines of physical communication had been the clearest he’d ever experienced. It hadn’t made any difference that they came from different countries. They had been speaking exactly the same language that night.

Okay... Maybe he’d scared her by that impulsiveoffer of marriage. He could understand that. He’d been carried away in the moment. If she’d said ‘yes’, he would have put his heart and soul into making it work, but he was quite prepared to take this more slowly and win her heart.

But he’d never come across a barrier quite like this.

He had been left with the impression that Georgiawasactually afraid of him and that was deeply disturbing.

Had it been his anger when he’d thought she was cheating on someone else by being with him that night? It wasn’t as if he’d threatened her in any way. He hadn’t even raised his voice. He’d simply walked away and then ignored her from that point on.

Maybe the anger had been enough.

Had Georgia been abused at some point in her life by an angry man? A boyfriend, perhaps. Or...her father?

The thoughtmade him sick.

Whatever the reason, however, he could feel proud of the courage Georgia was showing, being faced with a situation she had made very clear was something she didn’t want.

She had done her job, working so closely with him, with professionalism and skill. After that initial shock, there hadn’t been any hint that she was distracted by anything personal. Even when he’d held her bodyto help her to her feet. She hadn’t flinched. He would have felt the slightest tremor beneath his hands and, if anything, she’d let him take more weight than strictly necessary.

---