pulled away. But it was too late. Warmth trickled from her skin through his fingers and up his arm.
Sienna was upright—and uptight. ‘If you can’t turn the music off then at least lower the decibels.’
Sarah, one of the pilots, appeared on the deck. ‘I think everyone’s ready to head home now.’
Harry stood up and found his neighbour’s head came up to his chin. Not often that happened. ‘There you go. You should be able to get that kip soon.’
‘I appreciate it.’ Sienna turned and stumbled down the path, not so youthful in her movements now.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Somehow she’d woven her way under his skin while being the antithesis of the open, cheery women he usually went for. She hadn’t effused sympathy, nor had she been cold about what had happened, just contained. But then, she was used to other people’s pain. ‘See you,’ he called after her, the temptation to goad her just a little way too hard to ignore. If she could shake him up, then he could return the favour. ‘Maybe we’ll both be at home at the same time one night this week.’ Unlikely since he was rarely here and then mostly only to eat and sleep.
There was no reply, just a lengthening of the strides taking her away.
As he was unused to being ignored, his interest was piqued. Had it been entirely her bad day at work putting that exhaustion in her face, her eyes? Or was there more going on in her life causing problems? Harry huffed a bitter breath. Why did he even want to know? He didn’t do getting to know women beyond the obvious, yet within minutes Sienna Burch had got under his skin like a serious itch. Not a good look. Best he didn’t scratch. That was going to take some serious effort, for sure.
‘I’ll start ordering taxis, shall I?’ Sarah nudged his arm with her shoulder. ‘For most of this lot anyway.’
Sarah had been trying to get his attention, as in up close and personal, from the day he’d started at the rescue service, and he’d been putting out the thanks-but-no-thanks signal to no avail. It would do wonders for his tired soul to lose himself in a woman tonight. Which was blatantly on offer, if he was reading Sarah correctly, and he had no reason to think otherwise. But he had a hard and fast rule—no sex with colleagues.
Sienna isn’t a colleague.
His gaze tripped sideways to the other drive leading up to the adjacent apartment and the woman stepping onto an identical front step. Short-tempered, not overly concerned for others needing an outlet for their grief, a different kind of woman. Intriguing. Irritating. To be ignored, forgotten about. If that was possible. It had better be. He turned to his co-worker. ‘Make sure everyone gets a ride home. Everyone,’ he repeated in case his message hadn’t got through. Boy, wouldn’t he like to scratch that itch with Sienna.
His temporary neighbour had ruffled his feathers. He couldn’t remember the last time a female had done that. Probably when he was fifteen and keen for just about any girl willing to join him in a bit of fun. His gaze remained on the neighbouring apartment, noting lights turning off, another going on—in the bedroom. Bedroom, bed, sheets, or not. Go, damn it. Just focus on that temporary bit and he’d be fine, wouldn’t succumb to the sudden craving filling him.
I won’t. I really won’t.
Would he? Could he call her a colleague because they were both doctors? It’d be a stretch but something to hang on to if this itch got too strong.
‘WE’VE LANDED ON the roof of the hospital, Felicity,’ Harry told his young patient. ‘You’ll soon be inside where the doctors can take good care of you.’ He checked the belts holding her on the stretcher.
She pushed the face mask aside. ‘I don’t want to be here. I wanted to stay on the island.’ Petulance didn’t suit her.
Gently putting the mask back in place, he said in his best friendly doctor voice, ‘You need checking out by the specialists.’ He could understand that petulance but she’d nearly drowned. With lungs in the condition of hers because of the cystic fibrosis, that was bad. ‘You coughed up a lot of water.’
The mask was again shoved away. ‘You don’t get it,’ griped the fifteen-year-old. ‘This was the end-of-year trip that all year tens in science have been slogging their guts out for. Me included. And on the first day you bring me back to Auckland. Thanks a bundle.’
His heart softened for this angry girl. People with her condition didn’t get a fair bat at life. But as a doctor there was no way he could’ve left her on Great Barrier Island. They might’ve cleared the water from her lungs, but all of it? Secondary drowning was always a risk, especially with her condition. Close attention was required for the next twenty-four hours.
‘Ready?’ asked Connor, his off-sider, standing on the ground waiting to take one end of the stretcher.
‘Sure am.’ Harry nodded to Felicity. ‘I’m sorry I had to bring you home.’
She blinked and tears spurted out of the corners of her eyes. ‘It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t blame you. If Tony Wilcox hadn’t leapt on my back I wouldn’t have gone under water. I know not to. At least not for as long as I was down there. I got stuck on a rocky ledge for a bit.’
Again he replaced the mask, certain she’d remove it any minute. ‘You give him a hard time when you both get back to school.’ With practised ease he and Connor quickly had the stretcher out and rolling towards the sliding door decorated with red and gold tinsel that gave access to the hospital emergency lift. Staff in scrubs were waiting for them. Presumably a doctor and nurses. Wait. The serious demeanour on one face was familiar. The slam as his stomach hit his toes was not. ‘Sienna? You work at Auckland Central?’ Duh, obviously. It made sense, given that she lived not too far away.
An abrupt nod in his direction as though he was immaterial to this scene had his blood more than heating—it was boiling. Down, boy. Not the time or place. For confrontation, or getting friendly. What was it with her that already his body was reacting so blatantly? She really had worked a number on him. Bet she had no idea either. Damn it.
‘Hi, Fliss. This is a bummer, isn’t it?’ Sienna was focusing on their patient almost as if she hadn’t acknowledged him while everyone prepared to transfer the girl over to the hospital bed and change oxygen supplies.
‘It’s not fair, is what it is,’ grizzled the once again maskless girl. ‘You told me I’d be all right for a few days, Doc Sienna.’
‘I’m sorry, Fliss, I guess I was wrong.’ Nothing but compassion in her voice.
Sienna was taking the blame for something that was totally out of her control? Miss—make that Dr—Frosty? He really had read her all wrong last week. Or was it only in her medical capacity she managed to show warmth towards others? ‘I take it Felicity’s a regular patient of yours?’ Harry looked to Sienna.
‘Yes. We’ve been working towards this stay on the island for weeks now.’
Sympathy radiated out of those eyes he now saw were vivid blue, the colour of Lake Tekapo on a summer’s day. A lake he’d spent a day on trying to catch trout the first time he worked in New Zealand. It had been a fantastic day and despite the lack of fish he’d never forgotten
