Australian Affairs: Seduced. Carol Marinelli

done,’ Harry said, finishing off the splint. ‘For tonight you’ll stay in and we’ll keep it elevated. You’ll be given analgesics as it’s going to be painful as sensation starts to return and I want to start you on antibiotics. The last thing we want is an infection.’

      ‘Harry will come in and see you tomorrow,’ Kelly said, ‘and then you’ll probably be discharged home.’

      ‘Actually, I’m off tomorrow,’ Harry said. ‘It will be Dr Vermont and then there will be follow-ups in the hand clinic and a referral to the hand therapist.’ He really couldn’t tell Kelly and Ronan his news before he’d told Dr Vermont.

      And Marnie too.

      ‘Take care,’ Harry settled for instead.

      He had a drink before heading into Marnie’s office, and when he got there she was sitting with her head in her hands, just as he had in the car earlier, as if bracing herself for the news that her brother had died!

      ‘It’s a tendon!’ Harry said.

      ‘I know.’ Marnie looked up and there was a grimace on her face as she tried to force a smile. ‘I just came off the phone to my mother—you wouldn’t believe me if I told you how difficult that conversation was. She actually rang me and I caved and told her about Ronan’s accident.’

      ‘Oh.’ Harry was surprised. He’d got the impression they barely spoke. ‘I thought you didn’t…’ Harry halted. It was none of his business.

      ‘We may not talk about certain things,’ Marnie said, ‘but, as difficult as they can be, I love my parents very much.’ Marnie lifted her eyes to the ceiling. ‘Ronan’s accident is all my fault.’

      ‘Of course it is,’ Harry said calmly.

      ‘If she woke up tomorrow and the sky was purple, she’d be on the phone, blaming me.’

      ‘Well, if you’d just kept the tin-opener in the second drawer, all this could have been avoided.’ Harry wagged his finger and somehow made her smile, and then she looked away because Harry was usually in a suit. She didn’t think she’d seen so much of his skin before, at least, not this close up. His arms were very long but muscular too, and she could see just a smattering of chest hair when Marnie was rather more used to smooth. He looked tired yet there was a certain air of elation to him that Marnie didn’t quite understand.

      ‘I’ve managed to convince her to not visit till tomorrow, it would be after ten before she got here. How did the repair go?’

      ‘Very well,’ Harry said. ‘Kelly will be bringing him round to the obs ward soon… .’ His voice trailed off as his pager went and Harry read the message, then asked if he could use her phone.

      ‘Sure.’

      ‘Hi, Mum,’ Harry said. ‘Yes, sorry about that, it took a bit longer than I thought. Put him on.’ Marnie tried to look away as he chatted to Adam but her eyes kept drifting towards him.

      To think she’d expected him to have a bit of a paunch by now—he had a very flat stomach and very muscular legs and, as he sat on the edge of her desk as he spoke, Marnie could see the hair on his arms.

      He was, as if Marnie didn’t already know, very, very beautiful.

      Dangerous too.

      Dangerous, because Marnie rarely opened up to anyone, yet with Harry she did too easily. Even the brief conversation about her phone call with her mother was far more than she would usually share and Marnie’s foot tapped, with tension rather than impatience, as Harry spoke on.

      She wanted to get away from him.

      She wanted to go home, just so she could give herself a good talking to.

      After speaking to Adam, he chatted at length to Charlotte, though he could see Marnie’s foot tapping in mid-air out of the corner of his eye, but then she stood and went and stared out of the window as Harry laughed and talked on. ‘What do you mean, it’s not fair?’ He spoke a little while longer and then said goodnight and put down the phone.

      ‘Charlotte’s jealous that Adam has got chickenpox,’ Harry said to Marnie, who was still looking out of the window. He watched her shoulders move in a small laugh and then wretched guilt at keeping him from his children caught up and Marnie turned her head.

      ‘Say it,’ Marnie challenged, her blue eyes glittering.

      ‘Say what?’ Harry frowned.

      ‘Go on,’ Marnie insisted. ‘Say whatever’s on your mind.’

      Harry gave a wry grin. ‘Such as…’

      ‘It’s different when it’s you or your family,’ Marnie offered, turning to face him.

      ‘That’s not what’s on my mind.’

      ‘Hypocrite, then?’ Marnie suggested.

      ‘No…’ He was walking towards her.

      ‘Just say it.’

      ‘You’re quite sure?’ Harry said, and it was at that moment exactly that she realised that Harry had something else on his mind, something very similar to what was on hers as she saw the burn of arousal in his eyes. ‘You’re quite sure that you want me to say what’s on my mind?’

      She looked at him properly then, saw the Harry she hadn’t seen in a very long time. There was an energy to him that had been missing, an energy that she hadn’t seen since a certain night in the doctors’ mess when he’d asked why she was leaving so soon—only this time it was potent.

      If he’d been on the other side of the desk, she might have had a chance to deny him. Might have been able to rein in common sense and come up with some witty retort that would end things before they were started.

      Except he was standing in front of her. She could smell the lust, the want, the need, and it was intoxicating and, quite simply, Marnie couldn’t resist. One small nod was all the affirmation needed for Harry to tell his truth.

      ‘I want you.’

      His mouth came down and crushed Marnie’s. He was so tall he had to, not just stoop but almost lift her to exert the pressure that this kiss demanded.

      Marnie was no stranger to lust but she’d never felt it as ferociously or as deliciously as this.

      Every snap, every snarl, every flirt, every tease was now being paid back tenfold by the probe of his tongue and the roaming of his hands.

      Or was it her hands? One was in his hair, messing it to the way she had first seen it, the other moving down over his arm, but only so she could force a space to get to his back and to the taut buttocks she had admired from behind on far too many occasions.

      It was lust uninterrupted, Marnie for once out of control, and she liked it.

      ‘I remember you now…’ He was opening the buttons to her navy dress and not for a moment did she think of halting him. Whatever was wrong in the world, this was the antidote and for now, this moment, they celebrated their discovery. ‘Harry…’ She could feel his arousal pressed into her; one hand was lifting her dress and he moaned into her mouth as he felt her soft thigh. As he slipped his hand higher, it was Marnie who moaned.

      ‘Not here…’ Marnie pulled back but her words were contrary to her actions; she was kissing his face, her hands lifting his top just to get to his skin, just to bury her mouth in his salty chest and taste him. ‘Not here…’ Marnie moaned again, and Harry almost came as he looked down at her licking her lips. ‘Harry.’ She was wrestling for control. Hell, she was the nurse unit manager, her mother could have changed her mind and arrived any minute, Kelly could knock at the door…

      ‘I don’t get involved with anyone at work.’

      ‘Not a problem.’ Harry turned the lock on her door and then picked her up and lifted her over to the desk. ‘I just resigned.’