Part 9 (1/2)

'The best sort of woman,' he said, answering her question from a while ago between kisses, oblivious to the other shoppers. He kissed her till for decency's sake he bundled her in the car and took her home.

Chapter Thirteen

THE trouble with reunion s.e.x, Lorna decided as they fell through the front door, tearing at each other's faces with their mouths, is that you trouble with reunion s.e.x, Lorna decided as they fell through the front door, tearing at each other's faces with their mouths, is that you know know how the other likes it. On the rather rapid drive home she'd fleetingly wondered if they'd run a bath, or make slow blissful tender love, but when he stalled the car, reversing it into his rather small parking spot and then forgot to put his handbrake on and she had to remind him, Lorna was quietly delighted that that would all come later-after all, they had the whole night. how the other likes it. On the rather rapid drive home she'd fleetingly wondered if they'd run a bath, or make slow blissful tender love, but when he stalled the car, reversing it into his rather small parking spot and then forgot to put his handbrake on and she had to remind him, Lorna was quietly delighted that that would all come later-after all, they had the whole night.

The trouble with condoms, Lorna also decided as he kissed her into the hall, was that nice guys, which James was, didn't suddenly whip one from their wallet, one that they'd been carrying just in case. Oh, she knew where they were, she'd seen them when she'd been rummaging in his bathroom, except the stairs looked like Mount Everest all of a sudden and her oxygen levels were somewhat depleted as he pulled his rugby s.h.i.+rt off her and she kicked off her shoes, and James shrugged out of his jacket.

They did try, try, Lorna reasoned as she sank to her knees, a pile of clothes strewn in their wake... Lorna reasoned as she sank to her knees, a pile of clothes strewn in their wake...

'Oh, Lorna.'

He was taking off her bra now, kissing the little b.r.e.a.s.t.s she'd always hated so, but that James had adored. Their little buds swelled in his lips and beneath his fingers as, spoiled for choice, he greeted them both. His s.h.i.+rt was off but she couldn't remember removing it. She ran her hands along his familiar shoulders and then slipped them under his arms. Her long, cold fingers checked every rib, every vertebra as her mouth moved over his broad shoulder. It took only seconds-just a few seconds to familiarise her fingers, her mouth, her skin with the delicious planes of his body. They might have made it up the stairs had she not found his belt, wrestled with the heavy leather, tried to get his trousers down. It was rather awkward while he was kneeling, so he stood and dispensed with the clothing as Lorna attempted the final summit, but then he caught her ankle and the attempt was thwarted, the climb happily abandoned.

James, four steps down, was kissing her deeply there, there, her legs wrapped around his head and her fingers tugging at his hair, his lovely soft hair, and his big thick arms that held her b.u.t.tocks as his hands spanned her waist. It was James, and it was bliss, and she couldn't stop crying, and she couldn't stop saying his name, because that was what he did to her. He pulled at every emotion buried inside her and exposed it, took all guilt and shame and erased it, because if this beautiful man wanted her so much, so very, very much, then surely it had to be good, and with James it was. her legs wrapped around his head and her fingers tugging at his hair, his lovely soft hair, and his big thick arms that held her b.u.t.tocks as his hands spanned her waist. It was James, and it was bliss, and she couldn't stop crying, and she couldn't stop saying his name, because that was what he did to her. He pulled at every emotion buried inside her and exposed it, took all guilt and shame and erased it, because if this beautiful man wanted her so much, so very, very much, then surely it had to be good, and with James it was.

It just was.

And she'd miss him for ever.

She could hear him moaning, and that told her before she even knew it that she was going to come, because he knew her body better than her. She wanted him inside her, didn't want to do it alone, so she was tugging at his head, dragging that lovely body up to her level.

'Are you on the Pill?' He had a lovely dewy look in his eyes, a l.u.s.ty, almost drunk look that drove her to delicious distraction. In this trance-like state he struggled to deal with the practicalities, but luckily Lorna had already dealt with them, long ago.

'Yes!'

She was on the Pill, she was on hundreds of b.l.o.o.d.y pills, in fact, but she told him only about the one that mattered, only the one that he needed to know about today.

'Yes!' She was pleading, begging, urgent. 'Yes!' She wept as he swept into her, and she welcomed him with tight, tight hugs, a sweet frantic release as he groaned, as he took her to a place, a white-noise place that drowned out everything, took her back to their little island where it was only the two of them and nothing and no one could touch them.

'The best,' he said, kissing her with a kiss she didn't have a name for yet, laced with tenderness and regret and something else she couldn't find the word for, but she'd work that one out later.

And then the night was just for them-and them alone-back in his bedroom closing the door on the world, shutting it all away as they slowly kissed each other goodbye.

Chapter Fourteen

'I HAVE HAVE to get away by midday.' Pauline surveyed the bomb site that was the kitchen on the following Monday morning. The surfaces were littered with mugs and champagne gla.s.ses and the scent of debauchery was in the air. Not that you could tell from looking at him. Not that you could ever tell from looking at him! Clean shaven, he was wearing one of those blessed linen s.h.i.+rts that took for ever for her to iron and chomping on his toast. b.u.t.ter wouldn't have melted in his mouth as he sat reading the paper. to get away by midday.' Pauline surveyed the bomb site that was the kitchen on the following Monday morning. The surfaces were littered with mugs and champagne gla.s.ses and the scent of debauchery was in the air. Not that you could tell from looking at him. Not that you could ever tell from looking at him! Clean shaven, he was wearing one of those blessed linen s.h.i.+rts that took for ever for her to iron and chomping on his toast. b.u.t.ter wouldn't have melted in his mouth as he sat reading the paper.

'No problem.'

'I might not get it all done.' She bobbed her head into the lounge, which unfortunately was the only decent room in the place; she'd been hoping to tackle it today because there was a show she wanted to watch at eleven. Still, he had pay TV in his room, Pauline reminded herself. 'I'll do your bedroom after the kitchen. Give it a good spring clean now that Lorna's gone.'

'Actually...' James stood up and attempted to find his keys. 'Could you leave the bedroom? I started doing my tax return last night, there are papers everywhere. Don't even go in.' He flashed her a smile. 'I've got a pile of receipts.'

Work was busy, which for James was good-anything to take his mind off her. He immersed himself in the rhythm of the busy department. A cyclist hit by a taxi got him through to eight forty-five a.m. before the trauma team took over his case. A jogger with a dislocated patella was a quick distraction. James popped it back while the patient was still on the stretcher. That got him to nine a.m. Then there was a meeting in Admin. He did try to focus, but his foot kept tapping and he kept having to ask the CEO if he'd mind repeating the question.

'I wasn't asking a question,' Brent Gillard said tartly. 'I was stating stating that the delays have been far too long in your department in recent weeks.' that the delays have been far too long in your department in recent weeks.'

'Because we're two doctors down,' James answered back. 'Because the consultants and registrars are dealing with the stuff that the SHOs usually do.'

'We've provided loc.u.ms,' Brent responded coolly.

'Just never the same one twice.' James's tone would have cut ice. 'Which means they have to be orientated, which means they don't even know where the IV trolley is, or the patella hammer, or how to use the paging system...I could go on.'

'Please don't.' Brent said. 'Just get the waiting times down.'

James was not best pleased when he strode back into Emergency, especially when May followed him into his office.

'I don't care if this is a bad time!' May slammed the door closed in a way only a very good colleague could, but he was boiling too, refusing to look at her, refusing to respond, lest he say the wrong thing. He flicked through his emails as May ranted on. 'I have just had another loc.u.m shouting shouting at one of at one of my my nurses because she dared to buzz him on his coffee-break. I tell you, James, this place is at breaking point. Something has to give.' nurses because she dared to buzz him on his coffee-break. I tell you, James, this place is at breaking point. Something has to give.'

'It just did.' James looked up at his favourite nurse. 'I quit!'

'No!' May practically shrivelled in front of him. 'No, James.'

'Er, I was joking!'

'Cheeky pup.'

'Remember Dean Hayes?'

'The one with the terrible dandruff?' May frowned as she placed him.

'That's him.' James nodded. 'Well, he's jetting off to Europe in two months and has emailed asking for every s.h.i.+ft available.'

'He is good.' May nodded, but was only slightly mollified.

'And Lorna.' James cleared his throat. 'She just sent in her resume. She can start in two weeks, light duties only, but she's very good, very sharp.'

'She's a GP, isn't she?'

'She is-and she also covers a rural area, so she's pretty used to dealing with whatever lands in her lap, though she might struggle with the volume.'

'She'll cope.'