‘Yes. They’re looking at thousands of cases. I’m going to present data on our contribution in a couple of months’ time. In Zurich.’
‘Cool.’ Connor was watching the meticulous dissection Kate was doing on the coronary arteries of the heart. ‘You would have made a great surgeon.’
Kate’s smile was crooked. ‘Can’t kill anyone in here. And… I like working alone.’
She liked being alone. How many people, Connor wondered, had any idea of the ‘other’ Kate? The secret one that was hidden inside a respected pathologist who would probably be warmly welcomed to present data at an important international conference?
The secret Kate. The imprisoned, sensual Kate.
Connor had a sudden desire to be out on the highway, with the miles peeling away beneath the wheels of his bike. With Kate’s arms wrapped around his waist and her hair flying in the wind beneath her helmet.
No. What he wanted was to be somewhere with soft music playing and an empty dance floor so that he could have Kate entirely to himself. Soft lighting, too. Moonlight would be enough.
And then it hit him.
What he actually wanted was more than that. He simply wanted Kate. He wanted to make love to her. Slowly. Deliciously. Probably more than once.
Whoa!
Had any of that shown on his face? Thank goodness Kate was absorbed in her task.
‘Look at that.’ The hard white shell of a major blood vessel within the heart was opening slowly beneath the tip of a precisely wielded scalpel. The clot was huge and dark and ugly.
‘Pretty conclusive evidence.’ Kate sounded pleased. ‘I might get some photos.’ Stripping off her gloves, she walked away. ‘Back in a tick. I’ll just get the camera.’
Connor wanted to excuse himself as well but it would be kind of rude to walk out when Kate wasn’t there. He felt uncomfortable enough being in here in the first place, without the unwanted attraction now simmering in his gut.
Good grief. Kate didn’t even like being touched. Sex was out of the question. Wasn’t it?
He had to get out of there. When Kate came back in, carrying a digital camera, Connor opened his mouth to give her the message he’d come with so he could leave, but the intention was interrupted by his pager sounding. He glanced at the screen.
‘Can I make a call in here?’
* * *
‘There’s a phone right there.’
Kate was busy adjusting settings on the camera. She glanced up to tilt her head and indicate the location of the wall phone. Connor was wearing his leather jacket and looked as though he’d popped in here on his way home.
Why?
Because he wanted to see her at work? To seeher?
They’d almost run out of reasons to spend time together under the umbrella of the joint project for Theatre and Kate had suspected that they would start spending less time together, so this was unexpected.
Nice.
She focused the camera on the evidence of the massive heart attack that had killed her patient. The sooner she finished this job, the sooner she could leave the hospital and maybe… Connor was going to ask her out somewhere.
Kate pushed the shutter button and then changed angles and pushed it again. She could hear Connor’s voice and, after a surprised-sounding introduction to his conversation, his tone became oddly intense.
‘Who is she…? How old…?’
He was being given quite a lot of information judging by the length of his listening time.
‘What’s the time frame? Okay… remind me what’s involved on my part?’
He listened again. ‘Might go for a local anaesthetic,’ he said. ‘Less down time. So, Monday, then? Seven-thirtya.m.? Got it.’
