The Seduction Challenge Page 8

  ‘Oh, my God.’ Joel closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them again she was perched on the edge of the kitchen table, staring at the floor. ‘So no one turned up to collect him?’

  She shook her head. ‘The school rang round everyone in the class and one of the mothers remembered me mentioning that I was going away, but she didn’t know where my mother lived. They tried to get hold of Tim, but of course he’d gone.’ She gave a little shudder. ‘In the end Sam spent the night with a schoolfriend and the next day, when I arrived home, I found Tim’s note and guessed what must have happened.’

  ‘No wonder Sam was in a state when you were late today.’

  ‘Well when it happened a year ago Sam was confused and upset,’ Lucy said, her voice husky as she spoke, ‘and when I told him that Daddy wasn’t coming back he was distraught. He couldn’t understand how his Dad could have just left him there. He thought he must have done something naughty.’

  Joel felt a red-hot anger burn through him. ‘Does he see his father now?’

  Lucy shook her head. ‘I tried desperately hard to persuade Tim to stay in touch, for Sam’s sake, but he wouldn’t. He—’ She broke off and coloured. ‘He met someone else, you see. And I suppose they wanted a fresh start—I don’t know…’

  She reached into her pocket, pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose sharply.

  ‘Sorry.’ She sniffed. ‘Generally we’re doing all right. It was just this afternoon I panicked.’

  ‘I’m not surprised.’

  Her love for her child touched something deep inside him.

  ‘But it was all right.’ She gave him a smile that he knew must have taken a lot of effort. ‘I think he must be adjusting. He was upset at the time, as you saw, but he seemed all right this evening.’

  ‘And what about you?’ Joel couldn’t help asking the question. ‘Are you getting over it?’

  ‘Well, leaving London and coming to Cornwall has been good,’ she told him. ‘My parents wanted me to move home and live with them, but I knew I couldn’t do that. Sam and I are a family now and we have to learn to survive together.’ She gave herself a little shake and changed the subject deftly. ‘So, Dr Whittaker, are you going to stand there looking at me all night, or are you going to cook me something to eat?’

  Her courage brought a lump to his throat but he forced himself to keep the atmosphere light since that was obviously what she wanted.

  ‘Something?’ He pretended to look offended. ‘You call this gourmet creation of mine something? I can assure you, madame, it is a masterpiece of culinary invention.’

  She smiled at him. ‘Well, forgive me. I’ve never met a domesticated man before.’

  He winked at her and threw some pasta into a pan of boiling water.

  ‘Nick and Michael can cook, too. My mother taught all three of us to look after ourselves.’

  Her expression was wistful. ‘She’s a lovely lady, your mother.’

  ‘She certainly is.’ Determined to make her relax with him, he kept up the small talk while he finished preparing the supper and then served it onto two plates which he carried through to the dining table. ‘OK. Tuck in.’

  She sat opposite him, occasionally glancing out of the huge window at the views of the harbour. ‘I love this apartment. I’m amazed your parents have trouble letting it.’

  Trouble letting it?

  Joel opened his mouth to tell her that this particular apartment was always in demand, and then he realised just in time that his parents must have told her that because they’d known that otherwise she wouldn’t have taken it.

  And then she would have had nowhere to live.

  Suddenly he was immensely proud of his parents. They were great people.

  ‘Not many people want to come to Cornwall in the winter,’ he hedged, shifting the conversation away from the subject of the flat. ‘And what about you, Lucy? He topped up her wineglass and looked at her quizzically. ‘Why did you choose Cornwall?’

  ‘If you’d seen our flat in London, you wouldn’t have to ask that,’ she said with a rueful smile. ‘Our money didn’t go very far. And Sam’s asthma got worse. I thought we needed a change and I saw this job advertised. I just didn’t think for a moment that I’d get it.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because I’m a single parent,’ she said simply. ‘Working when you’ve got small children is hard at the best of times. Doing it when you’re on your own with no support becomes a nightmare.’

  ‘In what way?’ He looked at her blankly. ‘Surely once you’ve sorted out your child care, it’s fine?’ To be honest, he’d never given it a thought before.

  Her eyes were bright with amusement. ‘Spoken like a man with no children. I can assure you that it’s far from fine. Working when you have a child just means that you are constantly torn between the two.’

  ‘How come?’ He leaned forward, his expression curious. ‘Surely when you’re at work you’re working, and when Sam finishes school you’re at home.’

  It sounded straightforward enough to him.

  ‘Unfortunately it’s never quite as neat as that.’ She gave a sigh and put her fork down. ‘Patients don’t observe the clock, and I’m horribly aware that I’m letting the practice down by not being able to give my all like everyone else. If there are extra patients I often have to refuse, and then I feel stressed and frustrated. If Sam is ill then the whole finely balanced show falls apart. I have to let people down at the last minute, and instead of just worrying about Sam being ill I’m also worrying about how I’m letting everyone down at work.’

  Joel stared at her in silence, taking in everything she’d said. ‘I’d never really thought about it before,’ he admitted quietly. ‘But I can see now that it must be a pretty stressful balancing act.’

  ‘It’s certainly that.’ She gave a short laugh. ‘Fortunately, your father is the kindest person I’ve ever met. If it weren’t for him—’ She broke off and Joel frowned, hating the fact that she was putting herself down.

  ‘He hasn’t taken you on out of charity, you know. You’re a fantastic nurse, Lucy. And even in the short time I’ve known you I can see that you get more done in the hours you work than many people do in double the time.’

  Lucy gave a soft smile. ‘Your father said the same thing earlier, but—’

  ‘No buts. And don’t fret about things that haven’t happened, like Sam being off school. When it happens, we’ll deal with it.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘We?’

  He cleared his throat, as surprised as she was by what he’d said. What was he planning to do? Take care of the child himself?

  He suddenly realised that he’d do exactly that if it would make things easier for her.

  ‘You’re part of a team, Lucy,’ he said quietly, genuinely wanting to help. ‘One of us would help and, yes, I’m quite prepared to be the one who takes care of Sam.’

  She gave a soft laugh and shook her head slowly. ‘What are you going to do? Take him on your calls with you?’

  Joel gave it some thought. ‘We could tuck him up in Reception with Ros. She looked after me on countless occasions when I was ill as a child.’

  ‘She has a job to do,’ Lucy pointed out, starting to laugh. ‘Thank you for trying to help, but it really isn’t your problem.’

  He stared at her, thinking how gorgeous she looked when she smiled. ‘What would you say if I wanted to make it my problem?’

  ‘What are you, my knight in shining armour?’ Her smile faded slowly. ‘I didn’t realise that riding a white charger was part of your job description, Dr Whittaker.’

  ‘You know, you could drop the “Dr Whittaker” and call me Joel,’ he suggested mildly, leaning back in his chair and finishing his wine. ‘All this “Doctor” business is probably a little formal in the circumstances.’

  ‘I prefer to call you Dr Whittaker.’

  Joel was intrigued, and something about the tension in her narrow shoulders made his heart beat faster.

  ‘
What do you call Michael?’

  ‘I call him Michael—but that’s different…’ A soft pink colour touched her cheekbones and suddenly his jeans felt uncomfortably tight.

  She was so deliciously shy with him. It was hard to believe she’d been married and had a child.

  ‘Why is it different, Lucy?’

  There was a long silence and he could see her chest rising and falling as she breathed.

  ‘Because Michael doesn’t look at me the way you look at me.’

  Her honest statement knocked the breath from his body, and although he knew he ought to drop the subject, he couldn’t.

  ‘And how do I look at you?’

  Her colour deepened further and she didn’t answer. Instead, she stood up quickly, picked up her plate and glass and escaped into the kitchen.

  He was right behind her, standing in the doorway, digging his fingers into his palms to stop himself grabbing her.

  ‘How do I look at you, Lucy?’

  ‘Joel, please…’ Her voice was choked and he kept his voice gentle.

  ‘You call me Dr Whittaker because you’re trying to keep me at a distance. The reason it feels different with Michael and Nick is because the chemistry isn’t there. But there’s something between us, Lucy, and there has been from the first moment we met.’ He broke off and saw her take a deep breath.

  ‘No.’ She had her back to him and he took a step closer.

  ‘Lucy—look at me. Look at me and tell me that you haven’t felt it too.’

  She didn’t move. ‘Maybe I have,’ she said finally, her voice so low he could barely hear her, ‘but it doesn’t mean anything, Dr Whittaker.’

  At least she wasn’t denying it existed.

  ‘Joel,’ he corrected her softly, his voice amazingly steady considering how churned up he was inside, ‘and it could mean something, Lucy.’

  There was a long silence and he was aware of her soft breathing. ‘I—I don’t know what you want from me, but there isn’t room in my life for any sort of relationship at the moment.’

  Joel stared at the back of her head, unconsciously admiring the shiny black hair. He’d never met anyone quite like her before. He was used to women who flirted and played games, and Lucy did none of those things.

  Realising that she was waiting for him to say something, he gently turned her to face him.

  ‘How about friendship? Surely there’s room in your life for that?’

  She stared up at him and he noticed how beautiful her eyes were. An unusual shade of green surrounded by thick, dark lashes…

  ‘Friendship? You don’t strike me as the sort of man who usually settles for friendship.’

  And she was right.

  He looked her straight in the eye. ‘I’m a fast learner.’

  She shook her head and pulled away from him, her expression sceptical. ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Are you telling me you don’t need a friend?’ He tried to keep his tone light. ‘You’re new to the area, Lucy. Dad tells me you never see anyone apart from at work and at school. Surely a bit of adult company would be welcome occasionally? If you feel low, you can cry on my shoulder. And if I feel low, I can do the same to you.’

  She looked at him in silence, her eyes solemn. ‘Answer me honestly. How many women friends have you had before? I mean friends that haven’t been lovers.’

  He licked his lips. ‘Er—none,’ he said finally, knowing that he couldn’t lie to her. In fact, he’d never believed it was possible for a man and a woman to be just friends. At least, not until they’d got the sex out of the way.

  She gave a gentle smile. ‘I thought as much. No offence, but I don’t really think you’re friend material, Joel.’

  ‘No?’ He took a deep breath, racking his brains for a way to convince her. ‘Who stole his brother’s car to give you a lift to the school today when you were desperate? Who waited so that he could give you a lift home? Who checked your child when he had an asthma attack? Who just cooked you—?’

  ‘Stop.’ She lifted a hand and stopped him in mid-flow, her green eyes guilty. ‘You’re right, of course. I couldn’t have had a better friend than you’ve been to me today. I don’t know what I would have done without you.’

  ‘Precisely.’ He pretended to look offended. ‘I may be new to this friendship lark, but I know the rules. And don’t think I cook my special pasta dish for just anyone.’

  She laughed at that, aware that he was teasing her. ‘I’m honoured.’

  ‘So what do you say?’ He was deliberately keeping the conversation as light as possible so that he didn’t scare her off. ‘Will you give me the job? Chief friend? On a trial basis, of course. One foot wrong and you can fire me.’

  She smiled and shook her head. ‘You’re crazy, do you know that?’

  ‘Is that a yes?’ He held his breath. At least she was still laughing.

  ‘Just friends?’

  ‘Just friends,’ he said firmly, thinking that he might just be about to face the hardest challenge of his life.

  ‘All right,’ she said finally. ‘Just as long as you promise not to cancel any hot dates on my behalf. It’s purely friendship, Joel.’

  He held up his hands. ‘Absolutely. Friendship it is.’

  She was still looking at him doubtfully. ‘Are you sure you’ll manage it?’

  ‘Of course.’

  He’d manage it if it killed him.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ‘DAMMIT, Joel! We told you to leave her alone!’ Michael smashed his fist onto Joel’s desk and glared at him menacingly.

  ‘Leave who alone?’ Joel leaned back in his chair, his expression cool as he surveyed his brother.

  ‘Don’t play the innocent with me,’ Michael growled. ‘You know exactly what I’m talking about. You took my car—’

  ‘You gave me your car,’ Joel reminded him, and Michael frowned impatiently.

  ‘All right, I gave you my car.’ He waved a hand dismissively to show that it was a minor detail. ‘But I didn’t know you were going to try and make a move on Lucy.’

  Joel’s eyes were suddenly hard. ‘I did not make a move on Lucy.’

  ‘You took her home!’

  Joel leaned back in his chair, his voice suddenly soft. ‘Are you spying on me?’

  ‘No! Well, yes—I suppose I am.’ His normally calm older brother was unusually flustered. ‘I wanted to know why you needed my car!’ Michael lifted his hands in a gesture of pure exasperation. ‘I saw you drive off with her.’

  Joel looked at him steadily. ‘Then you’ll know that I gave Lucy a lift to the school to pick up Sam, because her own car wouldn’t start.’

  There was a long silence and Michael stared at him. ‘You picked up Sam?’

  ‘She was going to call a taxi,’ Joel explained, wondering when his brother was going to leave him alone so that they could both get on with some work, ‘and that would have made her very late. Not that any of this is your business.’

  Why the hell was he explaining himself to his brother?

  He gave a wry smile. Maybe he was reminding himself of the facts. That he’d been helping Lucy—nothing more.

  Michael was looking at him doubtfully. ‘So you dropped her off home and then went upstairs to your own flat?’

  ‘I didn’t know you were so concerned for my virtue,’ Joel drawled, controlling the irritation that threatened to bubble up inside him. ‘I’m thirty-three years of age. I don’t need my big brother to look out for me.’

  ‘I’m not looking out for you,’ Michael snarled. ‘I’m looking out for Lucy!’

  Joel’s jaw tightened. And he knew why. It was because of the child, of course. Still, it galled him that his family had so little faith in his morals and ethics.

  He leaned back in his chair and stared coldly at his brother. Suddenly he was fed up with being lectured. ‘And why am I such a danger to Lucy?’

  Michael gave him an impatient look. ‘You know why! Lucy does not need to be messed around!’

/>   Joel lifted an eyebrow speculatively. ‘My, my, we are protective all of a sudden.’

  Michael looked ready to explode and then caught the gleam in Joel’s eye and subsided.

  ‘Oh, damn you!’ His smile was slightly sheepish. ‘Well, maybe I am overreacting just a bit.’

  ‘Just a bit.’

  Michael coloured at the sarcasm in Joel’s tone. ‘Well, all right, then. More than just a bit. It’s just that she—she—’

  ‘She gets to you,’ Joel finished softly, his eyes on his brother as he leaned forward. ‘There’s something about the girl that makes you want to slay dragons and then take her back to your cave and keep her safe for ever.’

  Michael pulled a face. ‘Well, not exactly. Maria is already at home in my cave, and I don’t want a black eye, but if you were speaking hypothetically, then, yes, I’d say you’re spot on. Lucy Bishop seems to bring out everyone’s protective instincts.’ He hesitated and then gave a sigh. ‘Look, I’m sorry for what I said. It’s just that—’

  ‘You don’t trust me?’ Joel’s tone was soft and Michael gave a sigh.

  ‘I’ve never interfered in your love life before—’

  ‘Possibly because it is none of your business,’ Joel pointed out pleasantly, and Michael looked at him, his eyes suddenly tired.

  ‘Joel, with all your experience of women, surely you can see that Lucy is different. She’s not one of your—’ He broke off and Joel prompted him, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

  ‘Yes?’ His tone was smooth. ‘She’s not one of my…?’

  ‘You know what I’m saying.’ Michael waved a hand and gave his brother an exasperated look. ‘Just don’t go there, Joel! Don’t mess the girl around.’

  ‘Because I know that you mean well and have Lucy’s interests at heart, I won’t punch your lights out,’ Joel said softly. ‘And for the record, so that you don’t lose sleep over it, I should tell you that I drove her home, I examined Sam, who had a mild asthma attack, and then I cooked her supper.’

  There was a long silence while his brother digested that information.