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Discovering the meaning of insecurity for the first time in his life, Alessandro climbed out of the car, battling against a burning desire to put his fist through something. An ominous expression on his handsome face, he slammed his way through the doors that led from the ambulance bay into the department and almost crashed into his colleague.
‘What are you doing here? We weren’t expecting you back.’ Sean Nicholson, the senior consultant in the A and E department and the leader of the mountain rescue team, took a step back, eyebrows raised in question.
Alessandro dragged in a breath and bottled up his temper. ‘We’re short-staffed,’ he said tightly. ‘And this seems as good a place to be as any.’
Sean’s eyes narrowed. ‘That bad, eh?’
‘Don’t ask.’
‘Doesn’t do to run away from women,’ Sean drawled. ‘They catch up with you in the end.’
Only if they want to, Alessandro mused, his temper still stewing and simmering. Clearly Christy wanted no more to do with him. She’d moved out, come home only because she wanted the children to have a family Christmas, and she had no qualms about sleeping in the spare room.
Sean thrust a set on notes into his hand. ‘Well, I’m not sorry you’re here. This place is starting to resemble a war zone.’
A bit like home, then, Alessandro thought bitterly, walking through to a cubicle to see the patient that Sean had given him, but before he could open his mouth to speak, Sean caught his arm.
‘Alessandro?’ Sean’s eyes were suddenly intent and thoughtful. ‘I don’t suppose Christy wants to come back to work, does she? Just for the two weeks leading up to Christmas? We’ve got six nurses off sick at the moment. The numbers just aren’t adding up.’
‘Christy?’ Alessandro frowned. ‘She’s a practice nurse…’
Sean raised his eyebrows. ‘Only for the last few years,’ he said, his tone mild. ‘Before that she was an A and E nurse, and a damn good one. I know it’s a long shot, but…’ He caught the dubious look on Alessandro’s face and gave a shrug. ‘Give it some thought.’ He walked off and Alessandro stared after him.
It had been years since Christy had worked in A and E. She’d carried on working in the department part time after Katy’s birth, but once Ben had arrived she’d given up completely for a few years and then taken a part-time job in the local GP practice.
Why would Sean think she could fill the gap in A and E? She’d be out of her depth, out of touch, unable to cope with the pressure—it was a ridiculous suggestion. Christy was a mother now. The children were her priority. There was no way she’d be able to cope with the demands of A and E.
He dismissed the thought instantly and buried himself in work. He worked through a long and busy night without taking a break and eventually arrived home at five in the morning.
The house was in darkness as he showered and crawled into his cold, empty bed. Sleep should have swallowed him whole but instead he stayed on the edges of wakefulness, unable to find the rest he craved.
His mind was full of Christy, at that moment probably sleeping peacefully in their spare bedroom.
The thought of her warm, perfect body sent his tension levels soaring and he eventually gave up on sleep just as the weak, winter light was filtering through the curtains. Cursing softly, his body thrumming with frustration, he pulled on a pair of fleecy tracksuit bottoms and a sweatshirt and went out for a run.
The snow was crisp and fresh on the ground, unmarked, and his breath clouded the air as he pounded silently along the track that led from his house to the river. Today the boulders were tipped with snow and the water was ice cold and as clear as glass. He ran until the breath tore at his lungs and his muscles ached and eventually arrived home to find the children sprawled on the sofas, watching Christmas cartoons on television. Christy was in the kitchen, making pancakes.
She glanced up as he walked into the room and for a moment they just stared at each other. Then she cleared her throat and turned back to the frying-pan, jiggling it with one hand to stop the pancake burning.
‘Do you want some breakfast?’ She was wearing a pair of jeans that fitted her snugly and the same blue
jumper that he’d admired the day before. Her hair was loose, her cheeks were flushed and she looked pretty and far too young to be the mother of the two children watching television in the next room. Alessandro felt a vicious tug of lust that had him backing out of the room. It was just because he hadn’t seen her for two months, he told himself firmly. As soon as he got used to having her around, he’d be able to control himself. Until then, he needed to keep some distance.
‘No, thanks. No breakfast.’ His stomach was growling, the pancakes smelt delicious, but he couldn’t trust himself to be in the same room as her and not grab her. Later, he promised himself, when he had his feelings well and truly under control, they’d talk. ‘I need to get back to the hospital.’
‘Alessandro.’ Her voice was exasperated and she tilted her head to one side, her amazing, fiery hair sliding over her shoulder. ‘You didn’t come in until five and you were out running two hours after that. Even you need to rest some time!’
The only way she could possibly know the detail of his movements with such accuracy was if she hadn’t been able to sleep either.
Registering that fact, he studied her face, saw the colour seep into her cheeks as she realised just how much she’d betrayed. Felt a flash of satisfaction that she wasn’t as indifferent as she appeared to be. Maybe there was hope for them.
‘Just for a few hours this morning,’ he said huskily. ‘We’re ridiculously short-staffed. Everyone is off sick. I’ll be back after lunch.’ Suddenly he wished the children were at school so that he could just grab her and do what he wanted to do. He’d have her on the kitchen table in five seconds flat, naked in ten.
And he had a feeling that she wouldn’t resist.
When had either of them ever been able to hold back in the bedroom? Their mutual passion had always been a driving force in their marriage. It was how they’d solved most of their problems.
‘So short-staffed you’re not even allowed to sleep?’
