The Mills & Boon Sparkling Christmas Collection. Kate Hardy

I only dropped in to give you your prizes. I’ll catch you later.’ Madison hugged her cousin, and left the ward.

      But she still couldn’t get that kiss out of her head. It had been chaste and decorous—yet, at the same time, the hottest thing she’d ever experienced. Full of promise. If Ed hadn’t interrupted, who knew what could have happened?

      ‘Get a grip, Maddie. Real world,’ she informed herself. The ball was over. And she’d probably never see the stranger again, so what was the point in wondering what might have been?

       CHAPTER TWO

      ON MONDAY morning—the day before he was supposed to start—Theo Petrakis walked on to the maternity unit.

      He liked what he saw. Everything was organised—well, as organised as you could get in a ward where babies decided to arrive earlier than expected, or made their parents wait around and worry before they finally made their appearance—and there were plenty of hand sanitation gel dispensers around, so clearly they were hot on hygiene here. And the warm, relaxed atmosphere he’d noticed at his interview was still present, to his relief. Before now he’d worked in a unit where the midwives and doctors had been practically ranged against each other instead of recognising that they were a team.

      ‘Can I help you?’ the midwife sitting at the reception desk asked.

      He smiled at her and held out his hand. ‘I’m Theo Petrakis. Strictly speaking, I’m not supposed to be here until tomorrow, but I thought I’d drop in and say hello.’

      ‘Theo Petrakis—our new consultant, yes?’ She returned the smile. ‘I’m Iris Rutherford.’ The senior midwife, according to her name badge. She took his hand and shook it warmly. ‘Pleased to meet you. Especially as you’ve picked a nice quiet moment.’

      ‘As opposed to three in the morning, when all the babies decide it’s the perfect time to make their arrival?’ he asked wryly.

      She laughed. ‘Too right! If you’ve got a few minutes spare, I can show you around and introduce you to everyone.’

      ‘Thanks. I’d like that.’

      And by everyone, Theo discovered, she meant everyone, including the health-care assistants.

      It had definitely been a good decision to take this temporary post, he thought. A six-month stint as a locum for the senior consultant, who was off on long-term sick leave. It would broaden his experience so he was ready to make the step up to a senior consultancy role. As it looked as if he’d be part of a team here that believed in working together, this job was going to be a real pleasure.

      Then he noticed the slight frown on Iris’s face as they got back to her desk. ‘What’s up?’

      ‘I was hoping you’d get to meet our registrar, but she’s in one of the delivery rooms right now. She’s brilliant at her job, good with the mums and the babies. She’s going to make an excellent consultant in a couple of years.’

      ‘Ambitious?’ Theo asked, trying to read between the lines.

      Iris smiled. ‘She certainly hasn’t met the man who’ll come between her and her career. But she won’t give you a hard time for taking over from Doug, if that’s what you’re asking.’

      By the time Theo left the ward, the registrar still hadn’t emerged from the delivery room—and no way would he interrupt what was clearly already a difficult situation for a woman in labour—but he wasn’t particularly worried about not meeting her before he started. If she was anything like her colleagues, they’d get along just fine.

      The following morning, again the registrar wasn’t there when he arrived because she was helping out with a difficult birth. But he was just making himself a mug of coffee when she walked into the ward’s kitchen.

      ‘Hello. You must be the new…’ She stopped dead, clearly recognising him.

      Just as he recognised her.

      Even without the mask, he knew her instantly. Those beautiful eyes. That mouth. The prickle of awareness that ran all the way down his spine.

      Which was crazy.

      Apart from the fact he never mixed work and relationships, it would be impossible here anyway. He was only here for six months, and she was involved. The best he could hope for was a good working relationship. Which meant defusing any embarrassment right from the start.

      ‘Doctor,’ he finished lightly. ‘Yes. I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself to you at the ball on Saturday. Theo Petrakis.’ He held out his hand.

      ‘Madison Gregory. Everyone calls me Maddie. Welcome to the ward.’ She took his hand.

      Using her right hand. And he’d kissed her right wrist on Saturday night, touched his lips to the pulse point.

      The impulse to do it again shocked him, it was so strong. He just about managed to shake her hand and then drop it again. ‘I was making coffee. The kettle’s hot. What can I get you?’

      ‘I’m impressed. You’re well trained,’ she teased.

      He shrugged. ‘I don’t mind taking my turn to make coffee. I certainly don’t intend to pull rank and expect my team to run around after me.’

      ‘Doug’ll be pleased to know his department’s in safe hands—and that you share his attitude towards the team,’ she said. ‘Thanks. That’ll be a lot of milk and no sugar for me, please. And a little bit of cold water, too, so it’s cool enough to drink.’

      A trick most doctors learned very early on, Theo knew. If you waited for your drink to cool, the chances were you wouldn’t even get a first sip before you were called to a patient. ‘Busy morning, hmm?’ he asked.

      She nodded. ‘But I love mornings like this. When things look as if they’re going to go pear-shaped, and all the worst-case scenarios are running through your head while you’re maintaining absolute calm to stop the mum and her partner worrying—and then suddenly it all works and you end up with a new mum and dad, all misty-eyed and cuddling their little miracle. That first moment when the whole world seems brand new.’

      Clearly she loved her job. And he knew what she meant: those first moments with a newborn baby always took his breath away, too.

      He made the coffee the way she’d specified and handed the mug to her.

      ‘Thanks.’ She took a sip. ‘Oh-h-h. This is perfect. Just what I needed.’

      She seemed to be about to say something else, but then her pager bleeped. She glanced at the readout, then sighed and put the mug on the draining board. ‘Sorry. I’ll finish it later. I have to go. The emergency department needs a second opinion on a pregnant patient with back pain.’

      ‘Can I come and observe?’ he asked.

      She blinked, looking faintly surprised. ‘Well, if you really want to, sure. I’m not worried about someone senior observing me,’ she added, ‘but four would definitely be a crowd and I had intended to take my fourth-year students down with me.’

      ‘Your students?’

      His surprise must have sounded in his voice because she admitted, ‘Strictly speaking, I suppose they’re your students, but before Doug went on sick leave he agreed I could take over the mentoring side of things. And Sanjay and Nita are doing really well—especially Sanjay, who’s blossomed since he’s been with us. I want to keep his confidence up.’

      Theo raised an eyebrow. ‘I thought only consultants were mentors.’ And she was a registrar, wasn’t she?

      ‘Look, I’ll explain on the way down to ED. If you want to observe, we’d better not take the students with us this time—it’s not fair to our mum to have too many people in a cubicle with her, especially as she’s