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‘They’re not uncommon. There were five hundred cases along the North Devon and Cornwall coast last year,’ Alice muttered as she dried her hands on the towel that Mary had thought to provide. ‘Keep his foot in the bucket for another ten minutes at least and give him some paracetamol and antihistamine when you get home. He should be fine but if he isn’t, give us a call.’
‘Thank you so much.’ The mother looked at her gratefully. ‘What would I have done if you’d been shut?’
‘Actually, lots of the cafés and surf shops around here keep a bucket just for this purpose so it’s worth remembering that. But the best advice is to avoid walking near the low-water mark in bare feet.’
Alice walked over to the reception desk and Gio followed.
‘Weaver fish? What is this weaver fish?’ He spoke slowly, as if he wasn’t sure he was pronouncing it correctly.
‘Nobody knows exactly what is in weaver fish venom but it contains a mixture of biogenous amines and they’ve identified 5-hydroxytryptamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and histamine.’ She angled her head. ‘Alex was probably stung by Echiichthys vipera—the lesser weaver fish.’
Gio lifted a brow. ‘Implying that there is a greater weaver fish?’
She nodded. ‘Trachinus draco. There are case reports of people being stung. Often fisherman. We’ve seen one in this practice. It was a few years ago, but we sent him up to the hospital to be treated. The symptoms are severe pain, vomiting, oedema, syncope—in his case, the symptoms lasted for a long time.’
He smiled at her and she frowned, her heart beating faster as she looked into his eyes.
‘What? Why are you looking at me like that?’
‘Because I love it when you give me facts.’ He leaned closer to her, his eyes dancing. ‘You are delightfully serious, Dr Anderson, do you know that? And I find you incredibly sexy.’
‘Gio, for goodness’ sake.’ Her eyes slid towards Mary, who was filling out a form with the mother. But she couldn’t drench the flame of desire that burned through her body.
And he saw that flame.
‘We’re finished here.’ Gio’s voice was low and determined. ‘Let’s go home, Dr Anderson.’
‘But—’
‘It’s home, or it’s your consulting room with the door locked. Take your pick.’
She chose home.
CHAPTER NINE
THEY barely made it through the front door.
The tension that had been building for weeks reached breaking point as she fumbled with her key in the lock, aware that he was right behind her, his hand resting on the small of her back.
Gio’s fingers closed over hers and guided. Turned the key. And then he was nudging her inside and shouldering the door closed.
For a moment they both stood, breathing heavily, poised on the edge of something dangerous.
And then they cracked. Both moved at the same time, mouths greedy, hands seeking.
‘I need you naked.’ He ripped at Alice’s shirt, sending buttons flying across the floor, and she reciprocated, fumbling with his buttons while her breath came in tiny pants.
‘Me, too. Me, too.’ And all the time a tiny voice in her head was telling her that she didn’t do this sort of thing.
She ignored it and slipped his shirt from his shoulders, revelling in the feel of warm male flesh under her hands. ‘You have a perfect body, Dr Moretti.’
He gave a groan and slid his hands up her back, his eyes feasting on the swell of her breasts under her simple lacy bra. He spoke softly in Italian and then scooped her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.
‘I don’t understand a word you’re saying, but I suppose it might be better that way. I like it.’ With a tiny laugh she buried her head in his neck, breathed in the tantalising scent of aroused male and then murmured in protest as he lowered her onto the bed. ‘I want you to carry on holding me. Don’t let me go.’
‘No chance.’ With a swift movement he removed his trousers and came down on top of her, his hands sliding into her hair, his mouth descending to hers. ‘And this from the girl who hated being touched.’
He was touching her now. Everywhere. His hands seeking, seducing, soothing all at the same time.
