body anywhere and that thought triggered a little twist in his gut.
Just as she’d caught his eye in the pub, so she caught his eye here too. She was wearing a bright red tracksuit with a grey running vest and white trainers. Her chestnut hair was pulled up in a ponytail and he watched as she finished her lap and checked the time on her watch. He started to jog slowly around the track towards her. He didn’t even know what he was going to say. That he was sorry? That this was awkward? That every time he saw her he had flashbacks to their night together?
He watched as she sat down on the arena steps and pulled her rucksack towards her, pulling a mini chocolate bar from it and eating it in two bites. Then she leaned forward and rested her head on her arms, obviously trying to catch her breath. He slowed as he approached her; there was no time like the present.
Melissa’s heart was pounding. She checked her pulse then wondered if her heart was pounding due to her exercise or the day she’d just had at work. The events of the day played over and over in her mind like some bad Groundhog day.
She felt her cheeks flush as she remembered when she’d had to brush past him. Just as well she’d been wearing a hideous sports bra under her uniform. She would have died if he’d noticed her nipples’ automatic response. She wasn’t used to being haunted by erotic thoughts at work. Which seemed strange since she used to work with her ex, David. But David hadn’t conjured up the wild responses that she’d experienced with Cooper. If this was what happened to her mind after one day, how on earth was she going to work with him?
Then there was the fact he hadn’t told her he was a doctor—worse, an obstetrician. She’d just come out of a relationship with a doctor and she certainly wasn’t looking for another! Why on earth did he have to be working here?
She groaned and stuck her head in her hands. Oh, wake up, Missy! She’d met him in a pub that was five minutes away from the hospital—a known haunt of hospital personnel. He’d picked a flat that was less than a ten-minute walk from the hospital. Most of the new staff tended to look for properties close by, until they had a chance to get to know the local area. And he’d been a new face, someone she’d never seen before. She should have known he was a doctor.
Junior doctors changed jobs every six months, some seniors did too, registrars usually every couple of years, but always around the same time of year. But he was a consultant. Come to think of it, he was pretty young to be a consultant obstetrician. But then again, what age was he?
She couldn’t remember if she’d asked him that—she was sure she hadn’t. And there weren’t many details about that night she’d forgotten. No, she’d spent the last six weeks reliving that night over and over in her head.
How could she work with this man? The thought of seeing him every day sent delicious tingles along her spine. He was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. She’d seen him under cover of darkness before and through a haze of wine, and sometimes that hid a multitude of sins. But not for Cooper. No, he was just as much a Greek god in the cold, harsh light of day as he’d been on that crisp winter’s night. She knew that already he’d be the talk of the hospital. There weren’t that many handsome, unattached doctors in their midst. She could probably write a list of the names of colleagues who would attempt to ensnare him. That gave her a little flare of, what—jealousy? About someone she hardly knew?
She remembered the delicious excitement that night of leaving with the mysterious stranger. She remembered her thoughts about destiny. She remembered her thought, Who would ever know? Melissa groaned. Once. Just once in her life she’d thrown caution to the wind and acted on her instincts. Everything about that night had been magical. So much so that when she’d woken in the morning she’d picked up her clothes and crept out, reluctant to do anything to break the spell from the night before. But at work she was sensible Melissa. Reliable, dependable and good at her job, not the bumbling, distracted idiot she’d felt like today. She wanted to keep her personal and professional lives separate. She was going to have to speak to him. There really wasn’t any way around this.
She lifted her head at the slowing footsteps approaching her. Missy was startled. He was the absolute last person she expected to see right now.
He slowed his jog and walked the last couple of steps towards her in his navy jogging shorts and T-shirt. No other clothes could showcase his muscled legs so perfectly. A wicked thought filled her mind and instantly a smile danced across her lips as he thumped down next to her.
She leaned back against the steps. ‘So, Dr Roberts, what can I do for you?’ The mixed scent of his sweat and cologne instantly invaded her senses, making her head swim with memories of their night together.
That was it. That was what he’d loved about her. That had been the attraction—the fact she wasn’t afraid to say whatever was on her sassy mind. He leaned back against the steps next to her, ‘Well, Sister Bell, I’m not quite sure,’ he said. ‘We seem to have got ourselves into a bit of a predicament.’
He turned towards her, his face only inches from hers. And then she saw them, those chocolate eyes again. Those deep eyes. The type that drew you in and made you forget who you were and where you were. The same eyes that had mesmerised her on that long, hot night together.
‘You’re a distraction,’ she said.
‘What?’
He flinched backwards and drew his gaze away from hers and she blinked twice. Apparently she was the only person caught in the memory.
‘You distracted me at work today, Cooper. It’s really difficult to be in a confined space with someone you last saw naked.’
He raised an eyebrow at her candour. ‘Get straight to the point, why don’t you?’
‘It needs to be said.’ Her fingers twiddled with a lock of her hair. She was trying to appear cool and casual. ‘I felt as if I couldn’t concentrate at work today and that’s not me. I’m very good at my job.’
He nodded thoughtfully. ‘I’m sure you are.’ He ran his hand through his hair, catching the big brown strand that fell over his eyes. He looked sideways at her and gave a grin. ‘I’d hate to be responsible for your mind not being on your work.’
There it was again, that sexual tension that seemed to spring up whenever they were near each other. There was silence between them for a second as his words hung in the air. Did he really need a distraction at work? No, he didn’t. What he needed was to take some time to settle into his new position and find his feet again. His eyes darted around the empty jogging track. If he didn’t look at her then he couldn’t think illicit thoughts. He struggled to find the words he felt he had to say. ‘This is probably a bit awkward for us both.’
Melissa groaned. She raised her hand in disgust. ‘Please don’t give me the speech.’
This time his eyes did meet hers, and his brow furrowed in confusion.
‘What do you mean—the speech?’
She shook her head. ‘I’m too old for all this. It’s more than a little awkward. I asked you what you did for a living. You deliberately skirted the question. Do you think I would have gone home with you if I’d known I was going to spend the next year working with you?’ She was getting annoyed now. Her pent-up frustration from spending the last few hours in the labour suite with him was finally bubbling to the surface.
‘Well, I don’t know, do I?’ he answered calmly. ‘Would it have made a difference?’
Melissa gritted her teeth. What was that supposed to mean? That she would have gone home with him anyway? Did he think she was some kind of tramp?
‘Yes!’ she spat out. ‘I’ve learned from experience that work and pleasure shouldn’t mix.’
Did she really mean that? What she’d learnt from experience was that she, David and work shouldn’t have mixed. Or maybe she just shouldn’t have mixed with David, full stop. But Cooper was someone entirely new. Did she really just want to be his one-night stand? Or did she want