smile. ‘Ditto.’
‘I’m going to work,’ she said, swinging her bag over her shoulder. ‘I’ll see you inside.’
‘WAS that Jake Chandler’s car I saw you getting out of this morning?’ Cathy Oxley asked in the locker room.
Kitty put her bag in the locker and closed the door. ‘He gave me a lift to work as my car is being repaired.’
‘What is going on with you two?’ Cathy asked. ‘One of the doctors from Paediatrics said Jake took you to an orchestra rehearsal. Are you or aren’t you an item?’
‘Nothing’s going on,’ Kitty said. ‘Dr Chandler kindly offered to take me to the rehearsal at short notice when my car refused to start. He also kindly offered to deliver my car to his friend’s workshop.’
‘Why would he do that if he wasn’t interested in you?’
‘He was just being neighbourly.’
‘Some people have all the luck,’ Cathy said. ‘All my neighbour does is complain about my cat or my kids.’
‘I’m not Dr Chandler’s type,’ Kitty said. ‘Apparently I don’t let my hair down enough.’
‘Did he say that to you?’
Kitty compressed her lips. ‘Amongst other things.’
Cathy grinned. ‘I think he likes you. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He sure as hell doesn’t look at anyone else like that.’
‘He has a different lover every night,’ Kitty said, scowling furiously. ‘He probably doesn’t have time to look at them before he shoves them out the door again.’
‘You know it’s the hardened playboys who always fall for the old-fashioned girls in the long run,’ Cathy said. ‘I’ve seen it many a time.’
‘You won’t be seeing it this time,’ Kitty said as they walked out of the locker room together. ‘I’ve never met a more irritating, beastly, odious man.’
‘Er…’ Cathy gave a grimace. ‘I’ve got to go. See you.’
Kitty turned around to see Jake Chandler standing there with an inscrutable look on his face.
‘Haven’t you got better things to do than discuss me with the nursing staff?’ he asked.
She stood her ground. ‘I’m trying to put out the rumours that are circulating about us,’ she said. ‘I thought if everyone knew how much I hated you it would stop them speculating.’
‘Hate is a strong word, Dr Cargill.’
She refused to be intimidated by his steely gaze. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘But it’s appropriate in this case.’
‘I have a feeling you don’t hate me as much as you’d like to,’ he said. ‘I threaten you. That’s what you hate, isn’t it, Kitty? I make you feel things you don’t want to feel. You don’t want to feel desire, do you? It frightens the hell out of you.’
Kitty glowered at him. ‘I don’t feel any such thing.’
‘Sure you do, sweetheart,’ he drawled. ‘You want me. You want me real bad.’
‘You’re mistaken,’ she said, her heart racing, her breath catching.
He captured her wrist in his strong fingers, his thumb finding her pounding pulse. ‘This is what I do to you, isn’t it?’ he asked. ‘It’s the same thing you do to me.’
Kitty swallowed again, her stomach plummeting when she saw the naked desire in his gaze. She felt the sensual pull of his body, and the heat and fire of his touch set off every nerve screaming for more.
She was frightened by how he made her feel. Frightened and yet exhilarated.
‘Dr Chandler?’ One of the residents approached from further down the corridor.
Jake dropped Kitty’s wrist and turned around. ‘Yes?’
The resident looked from Kitty to Jake. ‘I’m sorry to interrupt…’
‘You’re not interrupting anything,’ Jake said, dropping his hand by his side.
‘There’s a patient just come in who keeps asking for you,’ the intern said. ‘He says he’s your brother.’
Jake went to Bay Two, where Robbie was lying groaning on the trolley. It angered him to see his younger brother so wasted at this time of the day. His skin looked grey and pasty and his hair looked as if it hadn’t been washed in a week. His clothes were little more than filthy rags and his shoes had holes in them. How had his kid brother got to this? What choices had he made that had sent him on this crazy, senseless trajectory? Why couldn’t he just turn his life around? Did he have no self-control or self-respect? Didn’t he want things to be different? How could he expect to live a full life when he was abusing his health so wilfully?
‘Isn’t it a bit early for a hangover?’ he said as he twitched the curtain closed. ‘Or is this one left over from last night?’
Robbie clutched at his head. ‘Don’t talk so loud.’
‘You know, if you’re here for a hand-out there are much better ways to do it.’ Jake said. ‘I told you I’d pay for rent and food. You don’t have to use emotional blackmail.’
‘I’m sick, damn it,’ Robbie said.
‘Yeah, well, I would be too if I was on the same liquid diet you’re on,’ Jake said. ‘When was the last time you had a proper meal?’
‘I don’t know…couple of days ago, I think.’
‘Perhaps I should assess him?’ Kitty said. ‘I’m not family. I can be a bit more objective.’
Jake fought with himself. He was used to handling his family issues on his own. He didn’t want the train wreck of his brother’s issues to intersect with his professional life. It wasn’t only that it was embarrassing. He felt so damned helpless. He was used to sorting out other people’s problems. His life was devoted to saving other people’s sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, and yet he couldn’t do a thing to put his kid brother’s life back on track.
‘Go for it,’ he said. ‘You won’t find anything but a chip on his shoulder.’
Kitty stepped forward. ‘Hello, Robbie.’
‘Don’t listen to him,’ Robbie said. ‘I am sick. I know I am.’
‘What have you been doing to yourself?’ Kitty asked as she examined him. ‘Can you open both eyes for me? Yes, that’s right. Sorry the light is so bright.’
‘My head is
