‘He’s absolutely perfect,’ Brighde said as she handed him back to Kirsty. ‘I’ll give you some time together,’ she said once the new parents looked settled, ‘and I’ll be back in a little while to help you shower.’
She would attend to the rest of Kirsty’s care later. For now, they just needed some time alone to get acquainted with their new arrival.
Xavier followed her out of the room, untying his apron as he walked. They threw their dirty aprons and gloves into the rubbish and stood, side by side, at the sinks to wash their hands.
Brighde’s skin tingled with his proximity. She still couldn’t quite believe he was here. One part of her wanted to tear off his scrubs, another wanted to scream at him and a third part of her wanted to burst into tears. She had no idea why she felt like crying. She’d been highly emotional lately but she’d been blaming the fact that her brother had found love along with her own inability to stop thinking about Xavier and now he was here, standing beside her, smiling at her, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do.
He wasn’t supposed to be here and he definitely shouldn’t be smiling at her, turning her insides to mush and her legs to jelly.
His pull on her was magnetic. It felt as if all her cells were straining towards him, giving the impression that, if it were possible, they’d leap out of her body and into his. It felt as if he could absorb her, as if she could disappear into him and all that would be left of her would be her empty skin pooled on the floor at his feet. All traces of her gone.
She’d never felt anything like this before.
All her one-night stands had been just that. One night. She’d never seen any of them again and she’d never had to think about how she would feel if she found herself in this exact situation. She certainly hadn’t expected to feel such a strong attraction and her reaction frustrated her.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Her voice was quiet but her tone was anything but friendly. She was irritated with herself and annoyed with him. She didn’t want to cause a scene but she had to have some answers, otherwise she knew she would go crazy. ‘Why aren’t you back in Scotland?’
‘Because I live here now.’
What? She never would have slept with him if she’d known he was going to turn up on her doorstep.
‘You live here?’
‘Yes.’
‘What about Scotland?’
‘I said I’d been working in Scotland; I didn’t actually say I was going back.’
* * *
Her brow creased and he knew she was trying to recall the scant conversation they’d had. They hadn’t spent much time talking. She probably knew as little about him as he did about her. Although he could recall every curve of her body, the softness of her skin and the touch of her hand, he didn’t know much beyond that. He hadn’t needed to at the time. He hadn’t even known she was a midwife. He’d assumed she worked in the health profession because she was at the conference but he hadn’t given any thought to what she did for a living. He hadn’t been interested in that.
But now he praised his good fortune in accepting this job at Parkville Private. Working with Brighde could turn out to be a pleasant surprise, although her tone suggested she wasn’t quite as excited about the idea as he was.
‘But you’re not supposed to be here!’ she said, confirming his suspicions that she wasn’t especially pleased to see him. ‘Why are you here?’
‘Have dinner with me and I’ll tell you.’
‘No, thank you.’
‘No?’ He wasn’t sure that he’d heard right. She was turning down his invitation. ‘Really?’ He couldn’t remember the last time he was knocked back.
‘Haven’t you ever had anyone say no to you before?’ she asked, but she was still frowning as if this was all very serious rather than the pleasant coincidence he saw it to be.
‘Not often,’ he admitted. And never straight after he’d spent the night with someone. ‘So, what’s your objection to dinner?’
‘I didn’t expect to see you again.’
‘Nor I you, but that’s no reason not to share a meal.’
‘And I never would have slept with you if I’d known we’d be working together.’
‘It’s just dinner, Brighde. You can show me around Melbourne.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Why not? Are you seeing someone?’ That was a possibility he hadn’t thought of until now but it was quite likely. The conference and the one night they’d shared was now months ago. Maybe she wasn’t single any more. That wouldn’t surprise him but it would definitely be a shame.
‘No.’ She shook her head and the golden curls that had come loose from her ponytail bobbed around her shoulders.
‘Well, in that case, how can I convince you to change your mind?’ He wasn’t one to give up easily. And, besides, sex with Brighde had been incredible and he was more than willing to get to know her better and see if she could be persuaded to give it another go.
‘You can’t.’
‘There’s nothing I can do?’
She shook her head again. ‘It’s not you. It’s me.’
Xavier almost laughed until he realised she wasn’t kidding. ‘Seriously? That old chestnut.’ What could he have done to offend her so terribly that she wouldn’t share a meal with him?
‘I mean it. I don’t date and I don’t do dinner.’
‘Ever?’
‘Never.’
He’d never heard anything so ridiculous. Who didn’t date? Even his disastrous last relationship hadn’t put him off the idea of dating. If you didn’t date you were destined to spend your life alone and who wanted to do that? Not him. ‘Why is that?’
‘I’m happy on my own.’
‘That’s a very male attitude. Don’t all women want a partner?’
‘You don’t know much about women, do you?’ she countered.
‘I actually thought I knew women pretty well. I have four sisters and I work as an OB/GYN. I work with women every day.’ Hormonal ones too, but he thought better of mentioning that.
‘Maybe so but there are always exceptions. You can’t put us all in the one basket.’
So it would seem.
‘I don’t need a man to complete me,’ she continued. ‘I might need him for sex but there is more than one way to skin a cat.’
‘You’re very direct.’ Her directness was appealing. Another tick in the box. After playing guessing games with his ex, Brighde’s honesty was refreshing. But it wasn’t getting him what he wanted.
‘I don’t see the point in playing games. Life is short; I intend to live my life by my rules. So, why didn’t you go back to Scotland?’
She looked as if she’d have him on a plane right then and there if it was up to her.
‘I’m Melbourne born and bred. I’ve come home.’
‘So you don’t need me to show you around Melbourne, then.’
‘No.’ He laughed, trying to ease the tension he could feel emanating from her. She was wound up tight. ‘Guilty as charged. But I warn you, I will try again. I’d like to have dinner with you. Just dinner; we won’t call it a