The Pregnant Surgeon. Jennifer Taylor

to her throat because there was no doubt that Dylan meant every word. Maybe he had been trying to smooth over an awkward moment but that didn’t detract from the fact that he believed what he had said.

      She cleared her throat, not wanting him to see how touched she was by the compliment. ‘Thank you. I appreciate your comments, Dr Archer.’ She shrugged, suddenly wanting to lighten the mood because she wasn’t sure she could handle so much emotion. ‘I should have remembered the old adage about listeners never hearing anything good about themselves.’

      ‘And Tom should have had the sense to lower his voice.’ He grinned but his eyes were full of tenderness again and her heart surged because every time he looked at her she could see it in his eyes. ‘He could waken the dead with a voice as loud as that. No wonder nobody dares die when he’s in charge of their anaesthesia!’

      Joanna burst out laughing. ‘If only it were that simple! Still, I was pleased to hear that Ada Harper came through her op. She’s such a game old lady and I was keeping my fingers crossed it would be all right.’

      ‘She’ll be fine. I’m going to pop down to see her in a few minutes.’ He checked his watch and frowned. ‘What time does the dinner start? These events usually kick off quite early so shouldn’t you be on your way home to get changed?’

      ‘I brought my clothes into work the other day,’ she explained. ‘I knew I had full list today and that I would need to spend extra time supervising…’ She broke off, not wanting to remind him about her decision not to supervise him. She still wasn’t completely comfortable with the fact that she had waived the rules for him.

      Dylan grinned. ‘Supervising me? That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?’ He laughed when she nodded. ‘Thought so, and may I say that I feel honoured that you let me loose on your patients without being subjected to a thorough check-up first.’