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‘I’ve missed it, though.’
‘The Australian summer?’ She looked at him as though he was crazy, given that summer temperatures were usually exceedingly hot.
He laughed. ‘Yes. The heat, the people, the accent. You have no idea how great it was to hear that Aussie twang at the airport.’
Melody smiled as she pressed the button for the lift. When he laughed like that, when his smile was full, she was astonished to discover her knees weakening at the sound. He really was handsome. When she’d been planning for the visiting orthopaedic surgeon’s tour, she hadn’t given a lot of thought to what type of man he might be. She’d just expected him to be a surgeon who was intent on explaining his operating techniques and research projects, before moving onto the next hospital to do the same thing. She hadn’t expected him to have a sense of humour that matched her own. She also hadn’t expected to be so instantly attracted to a married man—something she normally avoided.
Ian had been married. Of course, he hadn’t told her that until they’d been dating for three months. She frowned as she thought about the first man to break her heart but when George looked her way, Melody quickly pushed all thoughts of the past from her mind and concentrated on the present.
Professor Wilmont had a lecture to give in twenty minutes and she needed to get him to the venue without mishap. The lift bell dinged and a moment later the doors opened. ‘All right, can everyone fit in?’ Melody asked as she held the doors open. ‘Everyone in?’ When she received affirmative murmurs, she allowed the doors to close and pressed the button for the fifth floor. She refused to focus on the way George was standing right behind her, nice and close, the natural warmth from his body causing a wave of tingles to spread over her. She also refused to allow the fresh spicy scent he wore to wind its way about her senses. Why weren’t these lifts bigger?
She cleared her throat and forced her mind back into gear. ‘The hospital’s main lecture facility, which is where you’ll be giving most of your lectures, had a complete upgrade last year,’ she informed them. ‘I’ve been assured that all the gadgets are in working order but if you find we don’t have everything you require, please let me know.’
‘Thank you.’ George replied, his tone as polite and professional as Melody’s, yet she could have sworn she saw a slight smirk touch the corners of his lips. Was she entertaining him? Or had he simply heard similar spiels at different hospitals around the globe? When the lift doors opened, they all exited, again George waiting until Melody had preceded him. She nodded politely before leading the way to the lecture room.
When she pushed open the large double doors, George’s team instantly fanned out to check the facilities. One of his assistants headed to the audiovisual desk to connect his computer to the system, another did a sound check. They scuttled back and forth, checking things with each other and ensuring the slides and short snippets of operating techniques were ready to go.
George walked over to the podium, where Carmel gave him several instructions as well as handing him a folder with notes inside. He familiarised himself with where his water glass would be, where to find the laser pointer and how to adjust the lapel microphone.
Melody wandered over to a seat in the front row and sat down, mesmerised by the confidence he exuded—and he wasn’t even giving a speech. Lecturing wasn’t one of her strong suits so she was always willing to learn. Just by watching him, she knew she could learn a great deal.
Is that the real reason you’re watching him? The question crept into the back of her mind before she could stop it. She’d been doing her best to think of him as Professor Wilmont rather than George, as he’d instructed, but as she sat there, gazing at him, she realised she already thought of him as George. He was a very personable man but, then, he’d need to be in order to carry out the duties of the travelling fellowship. She tilted her head to the side, her gaze following his every move. He was classically tall, dark and extremely handsome.
There was no denying to herself that she found George…intriguing, which made him a man to be avoided at all costs. The last man who had ‘intrigued’ her, Emir, had broken her heart into tiny pieces and discarded her as though she was nothing more than an inconvenient diversion. One broken engagement was more than enough for Melody, so the last thing she should be doing right now was ogling a married man.
Then again, the irrational side of her mind pointed out, there was no harm in looking, right? She closed her eyes to block out the image of George and concentrated on controlling her warring psyche. Professor Wilmont would be gone at the end of the week, finishing the rest of his tour. He’d be gone and she’d be here, still trying to focus on the duties of being acting head of department. Their worlds were miles apart and the only thing they had in common was that they were both orthopaedic surgeons.
