The Greek Doctor's New-Year Baby. Kate Hardy

      Kate Hardy lives in Norwich, in the east of England, with her husband, two young children, one bouncy spaniel, and too many books to count! When she’s not busy writing romance or researching local history, she helps out at her children’s schools. She also loves cooking—spot the recipes sneaked into her books! (They’re also on her website, along with extracts and stories behind the books.) Writing for Mills & Boon has been a dream come true for Kate—something she wanted to do ever since she was twelve. She’s been writing Medical™ Romances for nearly five years now, and also writes for Modern Heat™. She says it’s the best of both worlds, because she gets to learn lots of new things when she’s researching the background to a book: add a touch of passion, drama and danger, a new gorgeous hero every time, and it’s the perfect job!

      Kate Hardy is the winner of the RNA Romance Prize 2008 for her Modern Heat™ novel BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI’S.

      Kate’s always delighted to hear from readers, so do drop in to her website at www.katehardy.com

       Recent titles by the same author:

      Medical™ Romance THE SPANISH DOCTOR’S LOVE-CHILD THE DOCTORS ROYAL LOVE-CHILD (Brides of Penhally Bay) THE ITALIAN GP’S BRIDE

      Modern Heat™ HOTLY BEDDED, CONVENIENTLY WEDDED SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER! BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI’S

       Dear Reader

      I love writing linked books—probably because I hate saying goodbye to my characters!—so I was delighted when my editor agreed to let me write a duo. I’m very pleased to introduce the Gregory cousins, Madison and Katrina, who enjoy life and love at the London Victoria Hospital.

      What drew me to their stories? Several things. Firstly, I wanted to set myself a challenge and do something a little bit different—so the stories actually take place in more or less the same timeframe. This meant I had to keep the events of Madison’s story very much in mind when I wrote Katrina’s! (THE CHILDREN’S DOCTOR’S SPECIAL PROPOSAL is available next month). Secondly, I was thinking about fairy tales and Prince Charming: in modern days, do you have to go and look for your prince, or will he come and find you? Add the fact that there’s something irresistible about a Mediterranean doctor and even more so about ruined castles (I spent a week in Wales during the summer while I was planning the books and fell in love with the area—not to mention the recipe in Katrina’s story, which my editor begged for before I’d even written the book!). And, finally, the books have a lot of me in them: Madison shares my love of music and Katrina, like me, has impaired hearing.

      And the little country church at the very end of Katrina’s story? Actually, that’s real (albeit moved to suit my fictional world). I was privileged to attend a special family wedding there just as I was writing the wedding scene—which is why I’ve dedicated the second story to my cousin Lee and his lovely bride Lucy, and also borrowed the weather from their day…

      So with this in mind I had a lot of fun creating Madison and Katrina’s world. I hope you enjoy reading their stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.

      I’m always delighted to hear from readers, so do come and visit me at www.katehardy.com

      With love

       Kate Hardy

      THE GREEK DOCTOR’S NEW-YEAR BABY

      BY

      KATE HARDY

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      For Annette, Grant, Amy and Lauren,

      With love.

      CHAPTER ONE

      MADISON noticed him the moment he walked into the room.

      Despite the fact that the hospital’s charity ball was heaving with people, all wearing Venetian masks—and he was dressed the same as all the other men in a dinner jacket, dark trousers, white shirt and bow-tie, plus a plain gold eye mask—there was something about the tall, dark-haired man that set him apart from the others. Some kind of energy that drew her eye.

      Not that she was going to do anything about it. Not tonight.

      As the chair of the committee for the hospital’s fundraiser ball, Madison Gregory had work to do. Such as making sure that everything was running like clockwork behind the scenes. Being there to troubleshoot any last-minute problems. Charming people with a sweet smile and fixing any little niggles without a fuss.

      But so far any problems had been minor, because everything had been planned down to the last detail. There had been a few murmurs at first in committee meetings when she’d suggested a jazz trio—a band she’d heard several times at her favourite club—but Madison had stuck to her guns. In her view, a rock band really didn’t suit a masked ball, and although ballroom dancing had become popular again, thanks to TV shows, having a string quartet playing waltzes would have felt too formal. Whereas soft, easy-listening jazz—bright upbeat numbers and slow crooning ballads that people knew and could dance to—was perfect for a ball.

      Now she could even see couples mouthing the words of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ to each other, smiling and laughing and just having fun on the dance floor. Relief flooded through her. She’d got it right. This was going to work.

      With this lovely, warm, relaxed atmosphere, people would be more willing to be parted from their money. They’d buy loads of tickets for the tombola prizes she and the rest of the committee had talked local companies into donating—balloon rides, spa treatments and a chocolate hamper that her cousin and best friend Katrina desperately wanted to win and had bought so many tickets in lieu of being at the ball that Madison had decided, if Katrina didn’t win it, she’d buy her the very same hamper as consolation.

      And maybe, just maybe, the fund for the new scanner would reach the halfway point as a result.

      Eve, one of the senior nurses from the emergency department, came up to her. ‘Maddie, you’ve been rushing around since an hour before everything started. Why don’t you take a break?’

      A little voice in Madison’s head added, And go and find out who the man in the gold eye mask is. She brushed it aside and smiled at Eve. ‘It’s OK. I’m fine.’

      â€˜You paid for a ticket, too,’ Eve reminded her. ‘Which means you’re entitled to dance and have some fun. Just because you’re the chair of the organising committee, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself.’

      â€˜I am enjoying myself.’ And it was true: Madison loved being in the thick of things. She’d been hard put to choose between specialising in emergency medicine and her final choice, obstetrics, because she enjoyed the buzz of being too busy almost as much as she loved those magical first minutes of a new life.

      And then, as the music changed and the pianist seemed to flow seamlessly into ‘It Had to be You’, a hand touched her arm. ‘May I?’ a deep, unfamiliar and slightly accented voice asked.

      Even before she looked up, she knew who it was going to be, and a shiver ran down her spine.

      The man in the gold mask.

      He was looking at her with the most sensual, smouldering gaze she’d ever seen: dark eyes with a hint of green and gold and grey. Stunning.

      Not to mention a slow, sweet smile that actually made her knees go weak.

      â€˜I…’ Her throat dried, and Eve gave her a shove.

      â€˜She means yes,’ Eve said sweetly. ‘Have fun.’

      Before Madison could protest, she was dancing with the stranger.

      Theo had been aware of her all evening: