not in this case. I admit I thought I’d get the consultant’s job; I’ve been standing in as acting consultant ever since Mike left. But you’re older than I am, you’re more experienced and you’ve a good reputation.’ And he was better qualified. ‘So you were the better candidate and I’m sure I can learn something from you.’
He didn’t look convinced. ‘So why…?’
‘Why did I say that to Mal?’ She shrugged. ‘You know Mal.’ Of course he did. Hadn’t Mal been the one to talk him into kissing her at the charity ball? She ignored the tiny niggle of doubt, and continued, ‘Work it out for yourself.’
There was a long, very awkward pause.
Finally, he spoke. ‘So what now?’
‘I apologise again, I reassure you that I’m a professional, you accept it—’ Lucy ticked off the points on her fingers ‘—and we do the ward round before our pregnant mums get discharged with their three-day-old babies.’
His lips quirked at that. So he had a sense of humour. Well, that was a start.
‘Apology accepted, Dr Williams.’ The warmth she’d seen when he’d kissed her was slowly seeping back into his eyes. Not to mention the warmth in the pit of her stomach. Why did he have to have a smile like that? Why couldn’t he have been…well, middle-aged and dull and not the slightest bit sexy?
Not to mention that voice. The slight accent that made her wonder what his voice would sound like in passion…
No. She was not going to start thinking like that about anyone, let alone her new boss. She was a professional. And she was completely focused on her career.
‘Though I prefer to work on first-name terms,’ he said. ‘Call me Nic.’
The slight hint of a long ‘i’, a sensual Italian ‘Nic’ rather than a diffident English ‘Nick’.
She had to get her libido back under control. Fast. Hadn’t she already learned the hard way that it was stupid to follow her hormones instead of her head?
‘Lucy.’ She made it sound as cool and English as she could. Ice maiden. To match her reputation. She held her hand out. ‘And I meant what I said. I’m looking forward to working with you.’
His handshake was firm and cool and professional. So why was her blood fizzing where he’d touched her? And if a handshake did this to her, what would a more intimate…? No. She forced the thought to the back of her mind. ‘Shall we?’
He nodded and they went to join Rosemary and Mal. Just as Rosemary was about to update them on the first patient, Lucy’s bleeper went.
‘Sorry,’ she mouthed, headed for the phone and dialled the number on her bleeper.
‘Lucy Williams—you paged me?’
‘Thanks for ringing back,’ the A and E nurse said. ‘We have a patient with a suspected placental abruption.’ Placental abruption was where part of the placenta became detached from the uterus. It could be dangerous, possibly even fatal to both the mother and the baby. If the bleeding was severe, they’d need to do an emergency delivery.
‘Have you done an ultrasound?’ Lucy asked.
‘A machine’s on its way. Could you take a look at her?’ the nurse asked.
‘I’ll be right down.’ Though it was only courtesy to let her new boss know where she was going. She hated interrupting colleagues when they were with patients, but the only other choice was leaving a message with one of the midwives, and he’d probably think she was sulking and using any excuse to avoid him. She pulled back the curtain just enough to put her head through the gap. ‘Mr Alberici, I’m sorry to interrupt. Could I have a quick word, please?’
‘Of course. Please, excuse me,’ he said to the patient, then came to join Lucy in the middle of the ward. ‘What’s up?’
‘We’ve got a patient with a suspected placental abruption in A and E. They’ve asked me to see her.’
‘I’ll come with you—if it is that, we’ll need her in Theatre pronto. You’ll assist?’
Yeah, he would be a qualified obstetric surgeon. He could have offered to assist her. But, no, he had to take charge. ‘Sure,’ she muttered.
‘I’ll brief Mal and I’ll be right with you,’ he said.
Efficient, courteous—to the patients, if not to her—and drop-dead gorgeous. It was a tempting combination. A dangerous combination.
Stop it, she warned herself. You are not going to think about Nic Alberici like that.
Though in her mind’s eye he wasn’t wearing a formal white silk shirt, teamed with a silk tie and an expensively cut dark grey suit and topped with a white coat. He was wearing that half-open white shirt, tight black trousers, a hat and a domino mask. Sexy as hell. With a smile that promised—
‘Mal’s going to carry on with the rounds and page us if there are any problems,’ Nic said, breaking into her thoughts. ‘I’ll let him know if we go to Theatre.’
She flushed. ‘Right.’
‘I’m not checking up on the quality of your work,’ he added, misinterpreting the reason for her high colour.
‘I didn’t for one moment think you were.’
He sighed. ‘Oh, hell. Look, Lucy, we got off to a bad start. Let’s just forget it and start again, shall we?’
Forget what? That kiss, or what he’d overheard, or the dressing-down he’d started to give her? The second two, she could do, but the memory of the kiss firmly refused to budge.
Even now, she could still feel his lips against hers. Worse, she wanted him to do it again. In a much more private situation…
She’d only just got herself back under control by the time they reached A and E. ‘I’m Lucy Williams—you paged me to look at a patient with suspected placental abruption,’ she said to the receptionist.
‘Yes. Her name’s Mrs Andrews—Liza Andrews. She’s in room two,’ the receptionist replied. ‘Yvonne Roper’s with her.’
‘Thanks.’ Lucy led the way to room two and knocked on the door.
Yvonne answered the knock. ‘Thanks for coming, Dr Williams.’
‘It’s Lucy,’ Lucy responded. ‘Any time. This is Nic Alberici, the new consultant on River. Before we see the patient, what’s the presentation?’
‘She’s in constant pain, her uterus is tender and tense, she’s bleeding slightly—it’s dark red and clotted—and she’s starting to look shocky,’ Yvonne said.
‘Out of proportion to the loss?’ Nic asked.
‘Yes. Her blood pressure’s low.’
He and Lucy exchanged a glance. There were other causes of bleeding in pregnancy, but the symptoms Yvonne had described sounded very like placental
