already taken a couple of steps out of the door when he heard that comment and he stopped dead. He looked round, feeling his very bones melting with tenderness when he saw how appalled she looked. It was obvious that she hadn’t intended to say that and it touched his heart that the words had spilled out despite her intentions. Maybe Joanna found it a bit more difficult to maintain her aura of cool professionalism in front of him than she did in front of the rest of her staff?
The thought was far too tantalising to ignore so Dylan didn’t try. He slowly made his way back into the room. ‘Want to explain that comment?’ he asked, half expecting a rebuff. His heart lifted when she grimaced because it was the first time she’d willingly betrayed any sign of weakness in front of him.
‘I have to give a speech at the Royal College of Surgeons annual dinner tonight and I’ve just realised that what I’ve written is a complete load of rubbish.’ She tapped a fingernail on the neatly typed notes piled on her desk. ‘It’s flat, boring and will have everyone snoring before I reach the second paragraph!’
‘Then it should be fine.’ He grinned when she looked at him in surprise. ‘Every single speech I’ve ever heard at the dinner has had me nodding off so yours should fit the occasion perfectly.’
There was total silence for a moment and he gritted his teeth as he wondered if his flippancy had offended her. This was obviously important to her and he shouldn’t have tried to make light of her concerns. A little chuckle suddenly broke the silence and he heaved a sigh of relief when he realised she was laughing.
‘Thank heavens for that! I thought I’d mortally offended you.’
‘You didn’t. Not at all.’ She chuckled again, a throaty sound that made his toes curl and caused an immediate reaction in another part of his anatomy as well. Dylan shifted uncomfortably when he felt his body make its own appreciative statement as to how it felt about that alluring little laugh.
‘You’ve made me see how stupid I’m being so thank you very much. I’d got myself so keyed up about making the perfect speech that I’d lost sight of the fact that most of the speeches I’ve listened to have bored me rigid.’ She grinned as she briskly gathered up her notes. ‘At least mine won’t rock the boat and give anyone a heart attack by being too challenging!’
‘I’m sure you’re doing yourself an injustice,’ he protested, desperate to get his mind back on the subject under discussion rather than what was currently occupying it. Thoughts like that—and he certainly wasn’t going to elaborate on what sort of thoughts they were—were totally inappropriate.
‘I doubt it but who cares? I shall do my best and just have to hope that it’s enough.’
‘Nobody can do more than that, Joanna. Nobody expects any more than that, in fact,’ he gently pointed out. He sighed when she looked at him questioningly. He really didn’t want to start making more waves but he could hardly refuse to explain what he’d meant.
‘You’re far too hard on yourself. It isn’t good to keep striving for perfection all the time.’
She laughed shortly. ‘You hardly know me, Dr Archer, so I really can’t see that you’re qualified to make that kind of judgement.’
‘Maybe I don’t know you all that well but it’s obvious that you are completely dedicated to your work,’ he countered.
‘And is that your opinion or are you quoting your esteemed colleague. What was it that Dr Barnes said? Ah, yes, that’s it. I’m paranoid about making sure everyone works to my standards and that the staff all salute you for making me behave like a human being. I think I got it right, didn’t I?’
Dylan’s heart sank, not because Joanna had somehow overheard Tom’s comments but because of the hurt in her voice. It had upset her to hear herself being spoken about in those less than flattering terms and he felt guilty about having been part of the conversation.
‘Maybe Tom did say all that but he said it out of concern rather than because he was criticising you. I’ve only been here a day but it’s obvious the esteem your team have for you, Joanna. You’re a wonderful doctor, a superb surgeon and you are doing what any surgeon hopes to do—you are improving people’s lives with your skill.’
Joanna felt a lump come to her throat because there was no doubt that Dylan meant every word. Maybe he had been trying to smooth over an awkward moment but that didn’t detract from the fact that he believed what he had said.
She cleared her throat, not wanting him to see how touched she was by the compliment. ‘Thank you. I appreciate your comments, Dr Archer.’ She shrugged, suddenly wanting to lighten the mood because she wasn’t sure she could handle so much emotion. ‘I should have remembered the old adage about listeners never hearing anything good about themselves.’
‘And Tom should have had the sense to lower his voice.’ He grinned but his eyes were full of tenderness again and her heart surged because every time he looked at her she could see it in his eyes. ‘He could waken the dead with a voice as loud as that. No wonder nobody dares die when he’s in charge of their anaesthesia!’
Joanna burst out laughing. ‘If only it were that simple! Still, I was pleased to hear that Ada Harper came through her op. She’s such a game old lady and I was keeping my fingers crossed it would be all right.’
‘She’ll be fine. I’m going to pop down to see her in a few minutes.’ He checked his watch and frowned. ‘What time does the dinner start? These events usually kick off quite early so shouldn’t you be on your way home to get changed?’
‘I brought my clothes into work the other day,’ she explained. ‘I knew I had full list today and that I would need to spend extra time supervising…’ She broke off, not wanting to remind him about her decision not to supervise him. She still wasn’t completely comfortable with the fact that she had waived the rules for him.
Dylan grinned. ‘Supervising me? That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?’ He laughed when she nodded. ‘Thought so, and may I say that I feel honoured that you let me loose on your patients without being subjected to a thorough check-up first.’
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