Resisting The Single Dad. Louisa George

instead of a pink one.

      ‘Everything okay?’

      She jumped at the sound of his voice, spun around to face him and glanced down, pulling at her shirt to straighten it.

      ‘Have you quite finished titivating yourself?’ He wasn’t quite sure where the words had come from.

      Her face fell, then he saw a sweep of anger flare in her eyes. ‘Titivating myself? Is that what you think I’m doing?’

      It had been a poor choice of words. He knew that. But now he’d started, it seemed like he couldn’t stop. It was almost as if his mouth went into overdrive. ‘Well, what are you doing? You were in the middle of a procedure on a patient. I had to finish for you. I think I have a right to know.’

      A scowl creased her face. Her reaction was immediate. ‘No. You don’t have any right to know anything. The pacing wire was in place and Aryssa’s heart rate had improved. I stepped out because I felt unwell for a second. That’s all. I got changed because I was uncomfortable.’

      It was a plausible enough explanation. But for some reason he just didn’t buy it. He was an experienced doctor. He knew when someone was hiding something from him. And that’s exactly how he felt.

      She took a deep breath. ‘How is Aryssa? I was just about to come and see her.’

      He spoke carefully, trying to maintain a hint of the composure that had already slipped. ‘She’s fine. I completed the stitches and she’s in Recovery. She is still upset that she can’t stay on the trial—just like Jonas was.’

      Cordelia nodded solemnly. ‘I’ll talk to them both.’

      ‘Shouldn’t you sit down or something if you didn’t feel well? Maybe you should eat something. Or drink something.’ It was snappy. He knew that. But he also sensed she wasn’t being up front.

      She paused for a second. And he knew she was searching for something to say. It made his insides coil. Cordelia didn’t strike him as someone who would be untruthful. And if she wasn’t being untruthful? Then she was definitely hiding something from him.

      ‘I’m fine,’ she said quickly. ‘I feel better now.’

      He couldn’t help himself. ‘So quickly?’

      She nodded and picked up some papers from her desk. ‘Yes. Thank you for finishing up the procedure on Aryssa. I appreciate it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do.’

      She gave him a smile.

      And somehow he knew she was resisting the temptation to say, ‘As do you.’

      She was second in command at the institute and he’d do well to remember that.

      She swept past and strode down the corridor in front of him and he couldn’t help but watch.

      What did a woman like Cordelia Greenway have to hide—and why did he care?