She stared at him. ‘Are you trying to tell me that you haven’t sorted out any accommodation for yourself?’
‘I didn’t need to.’ He tried hard to control his mounting irritation. ‘When George asked me to help out it was on the understanding that I’d stay in the house. There was never any question of sorting out accommodation.’’
A long silence followed and her gaze slid away from his. It was clear from her expression that she’d forgotten. ‘Maybe that’s true,’ she conceded finally, ‘but obviously I didn’t know it was you.’
Seb ground his teeth. She might be prettier than he’d first thought but she was just as aggravating!
‘Just point me to a room, Joanna,’ he growled, his patience stretched to the limit. He’d never known a woman who could get under his skin like this one did! ‘I’m staying here and that’s final. And if you’re worried about your virtue, don’t be. I think we both know that there’s no chance of either of us ever finding the other attractive. The best we can work towards is an amicable working relationship.’
The look of utter disbelief she shot in his direction left him in no doubt that she thought he was asking a great deal. It was obvious that she thought it extremely unlikely that they’d ever manage anything remotely approaching amicable.
And maybe she was right.
If there was a vulnerable side to her—and he was beginning to think he’d imagined it—then she kept it very well buried.
‘All right,’ she said finally, her expression grudging. ‘You can stay, but a few house rules first.’
Seb closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. Now what?
‘I’m a very private person, Dr Macau—I mean S-Seb.’ She corrected herself quickly and paused slightly before continuing. ‘I’d appreciate it if you would stay in your corner of the house and not come over into mine.’
What was she expecting? That he was going to jump on her in the night? She should be so lucky!!
‘I’ll try and remember that,’ he said dryly, his humour returning as he suddenly realised just how much fun this could be. Every time he wandered into her side of the house she’d throw a wobbly. ‘Any more rules I should know about?’
‘I set the burglar alarm before I go to bed.’ Suddenly her eyes slipped away from his. ‘If you’re out late, you’ll have to turn it off and reset it when you come in.’
So she was nervous in this big house on her own. Well, well, she most definitely did have a vulnerable side.
‘I’m sure I can manage that.’
‘OK.’ She ploughed on. ‘About night calls...’
‘We won’t be doing any,’ he said, smoothly interrupting her in mid-sentence, ‘at least not for the time being. I’ve arranged out-of-hours cover for the next few weeks.’
She gave a gasp of outrage. ‘How dare you? I don’t—’
‘You’re exhausted, Joanna,’ he said sharply, cutting through her protests before they’d really begun, ‘and I don’t know the area. Between us we’re a liability. Once George comes back you can do what you like. Until then, we’re taking whatever help we can get. Now, go to bed before you faint again.’
She shifted uncomfortably. ‘I’ve already told you, I did not faint.’
He gave her a warning look. ‘Either you go to bed voluntarily in the next ten seconds,’ he said with exaggerated patience, ‘or I’m going to carry you there.’
She stood up immediately, as he’d known she would. ‘I’m going,’ she said with quiet dignity, ‘because I’m too tired to argue with you—’
‘Alleluia,’ he muttered, and she lifted her chin and walked to the door, glancing over her shoulder as she tugged it open.
‘Don’t think that the subject is closed. You had no right to change my arrangements for night calls without discussing it with me. This is my practice and from now on I make the decisions.’
With that she walked through the door and marched up the stairs, slamming what must have been her bedroom door firmly behind her.
* * *
The next morning Joanna stared at the packed waiting room in disbelief.
‘Where have they all come from?’ she asked Laura in horror. ‘How can all these people suddenly have become ill overnight?’
‘They’re not ill,’ Laura said with a giggle. ‘They’ve just seen that incredible car in the car park and they’ve come to take a look at the owner! Talking of which, where is he?’
‘I have no idea,’ Joanna said shortly, picking up the post and flicking through it quickly. ‘I’d assumed he’d be here to start surgery, but doubtless—’
‘I am here.’ Seb’s deep voice came from behind her and she turned, her sharp retort dying on her lips as she met those cool blue eyes.
‘Good. We’re going to be busy,’ she said stiffly, and he gave a careless shrug.
‘I can cope with busy. I assume you just want me to see George’s patients?’
‘Yes—thank you. Laura will help you if you have any problems,’ she said, and then gritted her teeth as she noticed the adoring look on Laura’s face. Oh, for heaven’s sake! What was it about the man that turned her entire sex into fools?
‘Anything at all you need, Dr Macaulay,’ Laura was saying breathlessly. ‘Anything at all, just give me a shout.’
Her meaning was crystal clear but Seb’s response was suitably neutral.
‘Thanks, Laura.’
Neutral or not, Joanna wasn’t prepared to take any chances.
She nodded to Laura and then followed him through to his consulting room. ‘Just one more thing, Seb.’
He settled himself at George’s desk and flicked on the computer. ‘What’s that?’
Joanna steeled herself. ‘Please, don’t seduce my receptionist. Laura is very young and very impressionable. She couldn’t possibly cope with a man like you.’
There was a long silence and then his eyes lifted to hers. ‘A man like me.’ His mouth twitched slightly. ‘As I said last night, you know nothing about the sort of man I am.’
‘I know that you’re the sort of outwardly flashy, macho male that girls like Laura fantasise about.’
Just as she had about Charlie when she’d been Laura’s age.
She almost laughed at her own thoughts. Laura’s age? The truth was that she wasn’t that much older than Laura was—she just felt it.
Joanna rubbed her aching temples with slim fingers. Goodness, she was tired. One undisturbed night didn’t seem to have made any difference at all to the way she felt.
Seb’s handsome face was expressionless and for once he didn’t answer her.
She took a deep breath and tried again. ‘I accept that you’re not responsible for the fact that women throw themselves at you. I’m just asking you not to give her any encouragement.’
Finally he spoke. ‘Did I give her any encouragement just now?’
She hesitated. ‘No, but—’
‘And I don’t intend to,’