Midwives On Call: From Babies To Bride. Kate Hardy

candles around them.

      ‘I should warn you,’ he said, ‘that I’m not looking for anything serious.’

      Good grief … was that shaft of sensation disappointment? Or shame even? Was there something about her that wasn’t attractive enough to warrant any kind of emotional investment?

      His smile suggested otherwise. So did the way his hand covered hers, touching her skin with the lightness of a feather—the fingers moving just enough to sound a deliciously seductive note.

      ‘It’s not that you’re not absolutely gorgeous,’ he murmured. ‘But I have rules. One rule, anyway.’

      ‘Oh?’ This was confusing. His words were warning her off but his eyes and his touch were inviting her closer. Much closer.

      ‘A three-dates rule.’

      ‘A … what?’

      ‘Three dates. I’ve discovered that’s the perfect number.’

      ‘Perfect for what?’

      ‘To get to know someone. To have fun but not to let anything get out of hand. You know … to get … serious.’

      He made the word sound like some kind of notifiable disease. Sophia’s head was spinning. Wasn’t this exactly what she was looking for? Fun with a gorgeous guy but within limits. Limits that would mean there was no need to tell him anything about herself that could impinge on the fun. She could pretend there was nothing wrong with her. That she was as desirable as any other young woman who was out there dating. That it was only because of ‘the rule’ that it wouldn’t go any further.

      ‘I love it,’ she whispered with a smile.

      ‘Really?’ Aiden’s eyebrows shot up. His fingers tightened over her hand.

      ‘Really.’ Sophia nodded. ‘I’m not looking for anything serious either. Three dates sounds like exactly the rule that’s been missing from my life.’

      ‘Wow …’ Aiden’s gaze was frankly admiring. ‘You’re even more amazing than I thought.’ He stood up, still holding Sophia’s hand, so that she was drawn to her feet as well. ‘You do realise that means we’ll have to make the most of each and every date, don’t you?’

      The butterflies had congregated into a cluster that throbbed somewhere deep in Sophia’s belly like a drumbeat. She couldn’t look away from Aiden’s gaze, even when he dropped her hand and raised his to touch her face. A finger on her temple that traced a gentle line around her eye, across her cheek and down to the corner of her mouth. Her lips parted in astonishment at the wave of sensation the touch was creating and it was then that Aiden dipped his head and kissed her.

      Right there—in a noisy, crowded garden of a trendy bar. Their corner was secluded enough but it was a long way from being private. Not that the kiss got out of hand or anything. The control of those soft, questioning lips on hers suggested that Aiden was a very experienced kisser. The teasing touch of his tongue hinted at where this kiss could go at any moment. Oh, yeah … it ended far sooner than Sophia would have chosen.

      What now?

      Would Aiden take her home to his place? Should she suggest that he came to hers?

      On a first date?

      The idea was shocking. Okay, she was doing this to have fun but jumping into bed with someone this fast made it feel wrong. But they only had three dates to play with, didn’t they? Did ‘making the most of them’ imply that they shouldn’t waste any time?

      But Aiden was smiling again and Sophia had the feeling that he knew the argument she was having with herself.

      ‘Let’s plan date number two,’ he said. ‘And give ourselves something to look forward to.’

      ‘So … how was it, then?’

      ‘What?’

      ‘Date numero uno with the cute midwife?’

      Aiden shrugged as he looked away from his brother to stare over the veranda railings into the garden of the old house. He upended his bottle to catch a mouthful of his beer. ‘Not bad.’

      ‘Score?’

      Aiden frowned. Nate loved to hear about his love life as much as his job and he’d always been happy to share the details. He couldn’t remember who had come up with the scoring system but it had become a tradition. This was the first time it had occurred to Aiden how degrading it would seem if the women he dated ever knew about it.

      Not that he would ever tell them, of course.

      But he’d never told any women about the three-dates rule until now, had he? It was a secret, known only to himself and Nate. The astonishment factor of actually sharing the secret with a woman he was on a date with was only surpassed by the totally unexpected way Sophia had embraced the idea.

      What was with that? Was there something about him that didn’t make him attractive longer term?

      The thought shouldn’t be disturbing but it was. So was the niggle of doubt that he’d come right out and put a limit on how much time he was going to have with the gorgeous Sophia. How the stupidity of that move had been plaguing him ever since he’d left her at the end of their date with no more than another kiss.

      She was …

      ‘That good, huh?’ He could hear the grin in Nate’s voice. ‘Off the scale, was she?’

      Aiden merely grunted.

      She was perfect, that’s what she was. Absolutely gorgeous. Smart. So easy to talk to. And that all too brief taste of her lips …

      Man … The way she’d felt in his arms. The way she’d responded to his kisses. He had a fair idea of exactly where their second date was going to end up and he couldn’t wait. How, in fact, would he be able to enjoy the day on the beach they now had planned for when their next days off coincided? He would be hanging out to get her somewhere a lot more private. Somewhere they could really get to know each other.

      But that would mean there was only one date left. And then what?

      This had never bothered him before. He’d never even thought ahead like this before.

      ‘Could be the one, then.’ Nate was nodding. ‘A four-dates woman.’

      ‘No way.’

      ‘Why not?’

      ‘Because I’m not getting into anything serious, that’s why.’

      ‘Why not?’

      This was getting annoying. Aiden had stopped by after work for his usual visit. He just wanted a quiet beer with his brother, not some kind of interrogation.

      ‘You know why. I’m not interested in getting married or having kids.’

      ‘Doesn’t mean you can’t have a long-term relationship. Not every woman out there is hanging out to walk down the aisle in a meringue dress or stockpile nappies.’

      ‘They all get to that point at some stage. I know that from painful experience. And the longer it goes on for, the harder it is when you break it off. I’m not going to be responsible for someone else’s happiness.’

      ‘Why not?’ There was an edge to Nate’s voice he hadn’t heard before. ‘Because you feel you have to be responsible for mine?’

      ‘Whoa … where did that come from?’ Aiden glanced over his shoulder as he broke the moment of startled silence. Wasn’t it about time for the boys to all roll their chairs into the dining room for their evening meal? Where was everybody else, anyway? In the lounge, watching reruns of Murderball games? If he stepped away from the corner he could probably see through the window and, if there was a game on, he could distract Nate. He had a feeling that he wasn’t going to like whatever Nathan was about to unbottle.

      ‘You