style="font-size:15px;"> Lexi nodded. ‘After I recovered from surgery I still wasn’t really fit for school. I spent the summer with Aunt Jo—and almost every summer after that. We’re close.’
‘Closer than you are to your mum and dad?’
‘Absolutely.’ There was no hesitation in the word.
Iain sucked in his breath. He had a great relationship with his mum and dad. They’d been his absolute backbone when he’d lost his wife. He couldn’t imagine not knowing that they would always be there for him. Lexi had described herself as an ‘accessory’—what kind of parents did she have?
He watched her in the flickering candlelight. She seemed totally at ease, totally oblivious to the casual, admiring glances she was receiving. He’d never given Lexi much thought. Even when she’d started working at the clinic he hadn’t really taken much notice of her credentials or her work ethic. But she was rapidly turning into the most interesting woman he’d met in a long time.
Lexi was tempted to fill the silence. Should she tell Iain more?
He was a doctor. He would understand.
But she wasn’t really ready to share any personal details. Her aunt was the wisest woman she’d known. Lexi’s surgery had been extensive—a horseshoe in her lower abdomen had caused tremendous damage to her young body, meaning that she would never be able to have children of her own. But her aunt had taken her to a place to show her the little children in this world who would need someone like her—someone to love and care for them in future years.
And it had helped Lexi move on. To stop thinking about the fact she’d never be pregnant and give birth, but to realise that not everyone became a mother in the same way. To realise that if her dream was to have a family then the possibility was there.
Very few people knew that detail about her. And even though Iain was watching her with those big chocolate-brown eyes, lulling her into a false sense of security that might make her reveal her innermost secrets, she just couldn’t say anything else.
This was about protecting herself and protecting the decisions that she made. She’d learned from her mistakes. So no matter what spark she currently felt towards the sexy Scot, it wouldn’t make her reveal her most intimate secrets.
‘Here we go, folks. Chicken with no bones, and my own special concoction, and the usual for you.’ Frank placed the plates down on the table with a flourish and then melted into the back ground once again.
Lexi leaned forward and breathed deeply. ‘Oh, this smells great. I’m starved. What have you got?’
Iain smiled. ‘Pulled pork with spicy sauce and hand-cut chips. Can’t beat it. It’s perfect every time I come here.’ He picked up his knife and fork. ‘What did Frank make for you?’
Lexi smiled. ‘I think he secretly switched on his telepathic powers and invaded my brain. He’s given me something that I’ll love, chicken with mushrooms and some spicy potato bravas. I can’t wait.’
Iain nodded. ‘Frank always seems to get it just right.’ He waved his fork at her. ‘Dig in.’
She did. And Iain watched with enjoyment as she cleared her plate and then sat back and gave a sigh. ‘That was much better than pizza.’
A woman who wasn’t scared to eat. What a relief. At least fifty per cent of the women he saw at the Hunter Clinic had some weird ideas about diets and eating. Some of them were even refused surgery because their BMIs were so low it made them anaesthetic risks. It was nice to be in the company of a woman who seemed comfortable in her own skin.
The strange thing was, it obviously hadn’t always been the case. She’d already told him about her experiences of being compared to her mother, and there was the fact she’d obviously had implants. Why would someone like Lexi think she needed to have surgery?
But the more time he spent in her company the more he was drawn to her. She was warm and charming with a good sense of humour. And even though she’d spent part of her life in the spotlight she certainly wasn’t the vacant blonde she was sometimes portrayed as in the press.
Lexi was highly intelligent, well read with an opinion on everything. And pushing aside the breasts and fabulous legs, there was just more and more to like about her.
‘What did your parents think about you doing your degree?’
She stared at him and the edges of her lips curled upwards. ‘Why do I get the impression that you already know?’
‘I’m just guessing your mother might have had other plans for you.’
‘Oh, she did. And they all involved being her personal assistant and PR girl. She was most annoyed when I passed my exams with flying colours and got a place to study international business.’
Iain nodded slowly. ‘Interesting choice.’
‘It was fabulous. And in the final year you had a placement in a real business for six months. I loved it. They offered me a job straight after uni.’
‘And did you take it?’
‘I did for a few years.’ She took another sip of her wine. ‘Funny thing was, I actually found myself drawn towards PR work. Maybe my mother knew me better than I knew myself all along.’
‘So did you work for her?’
Lexi smiled. And it was the best smile of the evening, reaching all the way into her eyes and giving her a cheeky sparkle. ‘Not a chance.’
He laughed. There were so many qualities here that he hadn’t seen before. Hadn’t taken the chance to see. All because from the second he’d set eyes on Lexi she’d woken up his libido like a shrieking alarm clock. Something he definitely hadn’t been prepared for. And something he definitely hadn’t been ready to acknowledge.
‘So how did you end up being head-hunted by Leo Hunter at the clinic?’
She nodded. ‘Leo is very persuasive. I was working for a variety of charities when he approached me. At first I wasn’t interested in trying to raise the profile of a private clinic. It seemed almost the exact opposite of what I was currently doing. But Leo told me about the work they wanted to fund and the people he wanted to help by increasing the client base of the clinic …’ Her voice tailed off and Iain smiled.
‘I get it. Leo is very persuasive.’
She smiled again, her blue eyes fixed on his face. He pushed his wine glass aside. Lexi Robbins was beginning to wreak havoc on his senses.
‘I like the clinic. I’m proud of the job I do. I want to be known for me, Lexi Robbins. I hate it when a newspaper article starts, “Lexi Robbins, daughter of…”’ She shook her head. ‘I’m my own person. But I’m also wise enough to know that some of the clients I’ve brought to the clinic saw me in the first instance because I’m my father’s—or my mother’s—daughter.’
Iain lifted his glass and held it up to her. ‘Well, in that case I want to make a toast. To Lexi Robbins, PR genius of Hunter Clinic, who will bring in thousands of pounds to help fund the charity projects.’
She lifted her glass and gave him a wink. ‘Tens
