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She was serious, academic and obviously totally unaccustomed to having a man in her life. He’d felt the sudden tension in her shoulders when he’d touched her. Felt her discomfort and her sudden anxiety.
He frowned and stretched his legs out in front of him.
In his family, touching was part of life. Everyone touched. Hugged. Held. It was what they did. But not everyone was the same, of course.
And, for whatever reason, he sensed that Alice wasn’t used to being touched. Wasn’t comfortable being touched.
The English were generally more reserved and emotionally distant, of course, so it could be that. He drained his coffee-cup. Or it could be something else. Something linked with the reason he was sitting here now instead of in a flat in another part of town.
Why had Mary seen the need to interfere?
Why did she think that Alice needed help finding a man in her life?
And, given his distaste for matchmaking attempts, why wasn’t he running fast in the opposite direction?
Why did he suddenly feel comfortable and content?
The question didn’t need much answering. Everything about Alice intrigued him. She was complex and unpredictable. She had a beautiful smile but it only appeared after a significant amount of coaxing. She was clever and clearly caring and yet she herself had humbly confessed that she wasn’t good with emotions.
And she was uncomfortable with being touched.
Which was a shame, he thought to himself as he finished his coffee. Because he’d made up his mind that he was going to be touching her a lot. So she was going to have to start getting used to it.
CHAPTER FIVE
MARY sailed into the surgery just as Alice scooped the post from the mat. ‘You’re early.’ There was disappointment in her expression, as if she’d expected something different. ‘So—did you have a lovely evening?’
‘Wonderful. Truly wonderful.’ Alice dropped the post onto the reception desk to be sorted and gave a wistful sigh, deriving wicked satisfaction from the look of hope that lit Mary’s face. ‘I must do it more often.’
‘Do what more often?’
‘Go home early, of course.’ Alice smiled sweetly. ‘I caught up on so many things.’
Mary’s shoulders sagged. ‘Caught up on what? How was your lodger?’
‘Who?’ Alice adopted a blank expression and then waved a hand vaguely. ‘Oh, you mean Dr Moretti? Fine, I think. I wouldn’t really know. I hardly saw him.’
Mary dropped her bag with a thump and a scowl. ‘You didn’t spend the evening together?’
‘Not at all. Why would we? He’s my lodger, not my date.’ Alice leaned forward and picked up the contents of her in tray. ‘But he does make tremendous coffee. I suppose I have you to thank for that, given that you arranged it all.’
‘You already drink too much coffee,’ Mary scolded as they both walked towards the consulting rooms. She caught Alice’s arm in a firm grip. ‘Are you serious? You didn’t spend any time with him at all?’
Alice shrugged her off. ‘None.’
‘If that’s true, you’re a sad case.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘You’re teasing me, aren’t you?’
‘All right, I’ll tell you the truth.’ Thoroughly enjoying herself now, Alice threw Mary a saucy wink as she pushed open the door to her room. ‘I’m grateful to you, really I am. Even I can see that Gio Moretti is handsome. I don’t suppose they come much handsomer. If I have to share my house with someone I’d so much rather it was someone decorative. I could hardly concentrate on my breakfast this morning because he was standing in my kitchen half-naked. What a body!’ She gave an exaggerated sigh and pressed her palm against her heart. ‘I’d have to be a fool not to be interested in a man like him, wouldn’t you agree?’
‘Alice—’
‘And I’m certainly not a fool.’ She dropped her bag behind her desk. ‘Anyway, I just want you to know that we’ve been at it all night like rabbits and now I’ve definitely got him out of my system so you can safely find him somewhere else to live, you interfering old—’
‘Buongiorno.’
The deep voice came from the doorway and Alice whirled round, her face turning pink with embarrassment. She caught the wicked humour in his dark eyes and cursed inwardly.
Why had he chosen that precise moment to walk down the corridor?
