Ally
Not that that would stop him, Ally realised—knowing Rory, he’d either crash on the bare mattress or deviate straight to her room!
A mischievous smile played on her lips.
Heading to her bedroom, she rummaged through her knickers drawer, rummaged right to the very bottom where a pair of leopardskin knickers and bra lay—courtesy of a hen night party—still in their Cellophane. No doubt they’d crumble to dust once she opened them, but in an act of defiance Ally ripped open the pack, slung the two triangles that called themselves a bra over the chair in her bedroom and threw the G-string on the floor.
If only she had a packet of condoms to leave by the bed.
Instead, she exchanged her midwifery manual for a steamy romance she’d been meaning to read, sprayed half a bottle of perfume to scent the room, hid all her acne creams, razors and hard-skin removers and closed the door on the temporary brothel she’d created, feeling great, in control, on top of things…
Until she heard the unmistakable purr of a taxi.
Until she heard that deep, throaty voice, laughing and chatting with the driver.
Standing far back enough from her window so that she could see and hopefully be seen, Ally stared as three long years were erased in a single moment.
In an effort to keep going, in an effort to just keep breathing some days, Ally had managed to convince herself that the images that played over and over in her mind didn’t actually match the reality—that if ever Rory Donovan stepped back into her life she’d be hard pushed not to throw her head back and laugh at the thought he’d once affected her so much. Had convinced herself that he wasn’t really that good-looking, that loud, that big…That six feet seven could somehow shrink into normal-sized proportions!
Rory was huge—and that wasn’t just according to Ally. Everyone—everyone—commented on his size, because Rory was a generous touch more than the average tall guy—he literally towered over everyone. He looked more like a rugby player than a doctor—minus the cauliflower ears and broken nose, though, Ally conceded, watching as he pulled his wallet out of his shorts and paid the driver. Rory had a very nice straight nose and a wide, generous, very white-toothed smile. Minus the scruffy hair, too. Ally sighed, watching his dark, neatly cut, very straight hair gleaming in the midday sun. Apart from his height he was also incredibly well built. His massive wide shoulders meant he had to have his suits custom made, huge feet meant his shoes had taken up half the cupboard in the hallway, but somehow in the three years he’d been gone, Ally had forgotten just what an impressive sight he was. She’d even convinced herself that he was fat, that that huge frame would have gone to seed by now, but there he was, literally larger than life and twice as good-looking. A backpack was being unloaded out of the boot now, but so was a suit holder, and despite the shorts and T-shirt there was an air of authority about him she’d never truly noticed before. Rory had clearly done a lot of growing up in the last three years and here he was, about to walk back into her door.
Tanned.
Toned.
And tomorrow he’d be her new boss!
But the fact she’d soon be working alongside him wasn’t what was causing Ally’s heart to trip into overdrive. Neither was it the fact he was looking even more divine that she remembered. It was all she’d forgotten that terrified her most. Forgotten how just the sight of him flamed her senses, forgotten the agony of loving him from a distance, being a friend when she had wanted so much more.
But no matter how she’d tried, there was one thing time could never erase, one memory that, no matter how hard she’d fought it, simply couldn’t be banished from her mind—the fleshy weight of his lips on hers the night they had said goodbye for the last time, the heady, weightless feeling of being held by him, the decadent luxury she had briefly sampled of gazing into those dark green eyes. For one moment in time she had felt like the only woman who mattered but that was followed by the utter devastation the next morning when she had woken up in an empty bed, and realized that the man she’d secretly loved from a distance, the man she’d given her all to just a few hours before, had so easily walked away.
‘Rory!’ Pulling open the front door, she smiled widely as he dragged his bags up the garden path. ‘How are you?’
‘Worn out! They kept us for six hours.’ Dragging his bag into the hallway, he did a double-take. ‘I don’t remember the floorboards.’
‘They were under that disgusting carpet all along—I found them last year and had them polished up.’
‘It looks great. Don’t tell me she’s still here!’ Rory’s eyes were practically on stalks as Sheba came waddling down the hall to see what all the noise was, her pink tongue lolling out of her tired mouth, but her old ears pricked up and her tail was definitely wagging as she clearly recognised a very old friend. ‘Hey, girl.’ Rory dropped down to his knees. ‘Hardly a girl, though. How old is she now?’
‘Fifteen,’ Ally replied, hating the question and all it implied. ‘But she’s going really well.’
Rory didn’t say anything, clearly not convinced by Ally’s falsely cheerful voice. Sheba was literally on her last legs, her massive, overweight body barely able to hold her weight, the once gorgeous brown eyes clouded by cataracts now. And deep down Ally knew that, but it was more than she could bear to admit it to herself, let alone anyone else.
‘Look, I hate to dash off, but I’m on duty at twelve-thirty…’
‘No problem.’ Rory smiled, for the first time looking at her, taking in the navy culottes and white shirt, her long dark curls held back in a navy scrunchy, purple epaulettes on her shoulders.
‘What do they mean?’
‘Associate Charge Nurse.’ Ally gave a tight smile. ‘Which means I really shouldn’t be late.’
‘No worries. I’ll just grab a coffee and something to eat, and then I think I’ll crash.’
‘There are coffee beans in the cupboard, but you’ll have to grind them.’ She gave a tiny wince. ‘And I don’t think I’ve got any milk.’
‘Doesn’t matter.’
‘Or sugar.’ Ally grimaced. ‘And if you want bread, you’re going to have to go to the shop, I’m sorry. I didn’t know I’d have company.’
‘Not a problem.’ Rory smiled. ‘To tell you the truth, all I want to do is stretch out and sleep.’
‘Oh.’ Picking up her keys and placing them in her bag, Ally gave what she hoped was a suitably apologetic smile. ‘I’ve just put some washing on. I put some sheets in for you—they shouldn’t take too long, you’ll just have to whiz them through the dryer.’
‘That’s great, Ally, thanks.’ A tiny wave of guilt licked at her as she watched his tired face force a smile. She attempted to hide her blush. She looked down at her watch—and Rory got the unvoiced message. ‘You’d better get to work, then. We can catch up tonight, and I’ll ring out for take-aways….’
‘I’m out tonight!’ She hadn’t even planned to say it, but the lie slipped out so easily it caught even her by surprise. ‘But there’s some numbers on the fridge if you want to get something to eat…’
