Blinking back tears, she tugged on a strand of his inky-black hair. “I tamed the beast.”
“Yes, you did, yineka mou. You tamed the beast and turned me into a pussycat.”
Georgia laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far. You’re still not that easy to manage. But it’s okay. I’m up for the challenge.”
“Good. I love a strong woman.” He pressed another kiss to her mouth. “Or maybe it’s just you. Because I do love you, and I will love you forever.”
* * * * *
Scarlet Wilson
‘Her Christmas Eve Diamond is a fun and interesting read. If you like a sweet romance with just a touch of the holiday season you’ll like this one.’
—Harlequin Junkie
‘West Wing to Maternity Wing! is a tender, poignant and highly affecting romance that is sure to bring a tear to your eye. With her gift for creating wonderful characters, her ability to handle delicately and compassionately sensitive issues and her talent for writing believable, emotional and spellbinding romance, the talented Scarlet Wilson continues to prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of contemporary romantic fiction!’
—CataRomance
What could be worse than being stranded on an island with your ex?
The short answer is—not much! But that’s what happens to Rachel Johnson and Nathan Banks.
They parted company eight years before, and there’s a lot for them to get through before they can finally reach their happy-ever-after.
I had great fun writing this book. Rachel and Nathan have the pleasure of being the medical crew on a fictional TV show. Both of them are doing a favour for a mutual friend who hasn’t let either of them know the other is going to be there. Sparks certainly fly!
I love to hear from readers. You can find me at scarlet-wilson.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter as @scarlet_wilson
Hope you enjoy!
Scarlet
For Cathy McAuliffe, Catherine Bain and Shirley Bain with lots of love for the women who manage to put up with all these Bain boys!
‘YOU REALLY THINK this is a good idea?’ Nathan Banks shook his head. Nothing about this sounded like a good idea to him.
But Lewis nodded. ‘I think it’s a great idea. I need a doctor. You need a job.’
‘But I already have a job.’ He lifted his hands. ‘At least I think I do. Is my contract not being renewed?’
His stomach turned over a little. Last night had been a particularly bad night in A & E. His medical skills were never in question but his temper had definitely been short. It hadn’t been helped by hearing a car backfire on the walk home and automatically dropping to the ground as if it were gunfire. His last mission for Doctors Without Borders had been in a war zone. Dropping to the floor when you heard gunfire had become normal for him. But doing it in the streets of Melbourne? Not his proudest moment. Particularly when a kid on the way to school had asked him what was wrong.
Lewis smiled. The way he always did when he was being particularly persuasive. Nathan had learned to spot it over the years. ‘The last few days in A & E have been tough. You came straight out of Doctors Without Borders after five years and started working here. You’ve never really had a holiday. Think of this as your lucky day.’
Nathan lifted the buff-coloured folders. ‘But this isn’t a holiday. This is a form of torture. My idea of a holiday is walking in the hills of Scotland somewhere, or surfing on Bondi Beach. Being stranded on an island with nine B-list celebrities? I’m the least celeb-orientated person on the planet. I couldn’t care less about these people.’
Lewis nodded. ‘Exactly. That’s what makes you perfect. You can be objective. All you need to do is supervise the fake TV challenges and monitor these folk’s medical conditions for the three weeks they’re on the island. The rest of the time you’ll get to sit around with your feet up.’ He bent over next to Nathan and put one hand on his shoulder, waving the other around as if he were directing a movie. ‘Think of it—the beautiful Whitsunday islands, the surrounding Coral Sea, luxury accommodation and perfect weather with only a few hours’ work a day. What on earth could go wrong?’
Nathan flipped open the first folder. Everything about this seemed like a bad idea. It was just a pity that the viewing public seemed to think it was a great one. Celebrity Island had some of the best viewing figures on the planet. ‘But some of these people shouldn’t be going to a celebrity island, let alone doing any challenges. They have serious medical conditions.’
Lewis waved his hand. ‘And they’ve all had milliondollar medicals for the insurance company. The TV company needs someone with A & E experience who can think on their feet.’
‘I hardly think epidemic, natural disaster and armed conflict experience is what a TV crew needs.’
Lewis threw another folder towards him. ‘Here. Read up on snake bites, spiders and venom. The camp will be checked every night but you can’t be too careful.’
The expression on Lewis’s face changed. The hard sell wasn’t working and it was obvious he was getting desperate.
‘Please, Nathan. I agreed to this contract before I knew Cara was pregnant. I need to find someone to replace me on the island. The last thing I want is to end up sued for breach of contract. You’re the one person I trust enough to ask.’
Nathan took a long, slow breath. Working for a TV company was the last thing he wanted to do. But Lewis was right. He was close to burnout. And in some ways he was lucky his friend had recognised it. How bad could three weeks on an island in the Coral Sea be? The celebs might have to sleep by a campfire but the production crew were supposed to have luxury accommodation. He shook his head. ‘Why didn’t you just tell me this was about Cara’s pregnancy?’
Lewis looked away for a second. ‘There have been a few issues. A few complications—a few hiccups as we’ve got closer to the end. We didn’t really want to tell anyone.’ He slid something over the desk towards him. ‘Here, the final sweetener. Look at the pay cheque.’
Nathan’s eyes boggled. ‘How much?’ He shook his head again. ‘It doesn’t matter what the pay cheque is, if you’d told me this was about Cara I would have said yes right away.’ He lifted his hands. ‘I would have volunteered and done it for nothing. Sometimes you’ve got to be straight with people, Lewis.’
Lewis blinked, as if he was contemplating saying something else. Then he gave his head a little shake. ‘Thank you, Nathan.’ He walked around and touched Nathan’s shoulder. ‘I need a medic I can trust. You’ll have back-up. Another doctor is flying out from Canberra to join the TV crew too. Last year I was there I worked twelve hours—tops—over three weeks. Trust me. This will be the easiest job you’ve ever had.’
Nathan