time and his life to cope with his grief.
One night to allow Naomi to get proper locks for her doors, better security. It was just about one colleague helping another. It was about being a decent human being.
One night only.
She opened her bedroom door and came out, lugging a heavy suitcase with her. He got up to take it from her and lifted it easily. ‘A lot of clothes for one night!’
‘I’d rather not leave anything here to be stolen. Just in case.’
‘Is there anything else you want to take?’
‘There was some paperwork, but I’ve packed that away. I’m ready to go.’
He nodded. ‘I guess we’d better get going, then. Are you hungry? Would you like me to pick us up something to eat on the way home?’
‘Oh! Well, only if you’re eating, too. I don’t want to get in your way or disrupt your routine any more than I already have.’
‘You haven’t disrupted me at all,’ he said, picking up her case and heading for the front door, hoping she couldn’t see the lie in his eyes.
They walked back to the hospital car park in silence. He put her suitcase in the boot of his car and then opened the passenger door for her. She looked surprised, smiled a thank you and then slid into the seat. He closed her door and walked round to his side, his mind going a mile a minute.
The only woman to have set foot in his home had been Meredith and that was, of course, because she had lived there. Now he would be bringing home a stranger, a very attractive stranger, one who he hoped he could keep his distance from until she moved out. It ought to be easy, he thought. His penthouse flat was pretty large, and it was just one night.
If all else fails, I’ll just put on my headphones and wear a blindfold.
Dr Williams’s home was amazing. She’d never seen anything like it. She felt like Cinderella—going from her poor, ragamuffin lifestyle to this rich, sumptuous, stunning elegance that all seemed too much to take in.
His flat was on the top floor, not the bottom, like hers. The square footage must have been in the thousands and the space was open-plan, all glass windows, wooden floors and soft leather sofas. It had a minimalist element to it but looked nothing like what she’d expected from a single man. There were even fresh flowers on top of a grand piano in the corner of the living room.
He saw her notice them. ‘My cleaner brings them in.’
She nodded, touching the long green stems. ‘That’s kind of her.’
‘She insists. Tells me it brightens up the place. Makes it welcoming.’ He didn’t sound convinced.
‘She’s right.’ Her fingers slid over the smooth black sheen of the piano. ‘You play?’
He nodded. ‘A little. You?’
She blew out a little puff of air. ‘I could probably manage chopsticks if you reminded me how to do it.’
He smiled grimly, a darkness to his eyes. Was there pain there? Something … As if a part of him was missing. Or as if there was a part he was hiding, or at least trying to.
‘You have a lovely home, Dr Williams.’
‘Tom.’
She looked at him and smiled, feeling strange using his first name like that. ‘Tom, okay.’
He looked about him as if seeing the flat for the first time. ‘Let me show you to your room. Then you can settle, or I could make us something to eat. You must be hungry—it’s been a long night.’
‘You cook?’
‘Yes.’
‘From scratch?’
‘Is there any other way?’ He pulled up the handle on her suitcase and wheeled it across the floor behind him.
Naomi followed him down a corridor and through a door and suddenly she found herself standing in a bedroom that was as big as her whole flat. ‘Wow. It’s beautiful.’
‘There’s closet space … plenty of hangers. The bathroom is back through here; it’s the door to your right.’
She followed him through the doorway into the bathroom and the light came on all by itself, controlled by a sensor. She smiled and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She looked a mess! Her face was pale, yet blotchy and her hair all over the place, whereas Tom stood beside her, coolly detached, perfectly groomed.
Stepping out of the bathroom, she ran a hand through her hair in an effort to control it. ‘I’ll probably have a bath, if that’s okay?’
‘Sure.’
‘Thank you, Tom. For everything. You’ve gone above and beyond today.’ Her voice began to wobble as she spoke and she swallowed hard, forcing back the tears of gratitude. She hated crying when she didn’t mean to, but sometimes it seemed like her body was just so overwhelmed by certain stressful situations that she couldn’t stop herself.
But she would not cry in front of him again!
He simply smiled and backed away, most likely pleased to be escaping her tumultuous existence.
Naomi went back to the spare room and sank onto the bed, looking around her. What curious twist of fate had intervened in her life today? A new job. A burglary. And a soft place to fall. At least for tonight.
Sighing, she pulled off her coat and hung it up on the back of the door. She’d run herself a bath, maybe have a bite to eat and then hopefully she’d get a good night’s sleep.
She didn’t expect she would. It had been one heck of a day! And now she was suddenly living in her boss’s home. That felt … odd. She didn’t know him and the understanding he must have of her at this point was tenuous. He obviously didn’t let people get too close. Everything about the man screamed ‘keep away!’ but he’d been generous and offered her a bed for the night when she’d had no other choice. That was good of him, right?
She was going to have to think of a way to thank him for this.
A huge thank you indeed.
Tom stood in his kitchen furiously whisking eggs for some omelettes. It felt strange knowing that he wasn’t alone. That there was someone else in his home. A woman. A beautiful woman. And a work colleague, no less.
That would get the hospital grapevine going, no doubt. Especially if they arrived for work tomorrow together in his car. Perhaps he could let her get out at an earlier point?
He shook his head. Was he really that rude? Or worried about his reputation? Of course not. Everyone knew him at work. He was dedicated, honest, hard-working. No lad-about-town, causing outrageous rumours.
Besides, they might be lucky. No one might notice.
Naomi was in Merry’s room. The room she had used as a craft room, making cards, decoupage and that other thing she’d done
