sure Ms Callaway will be able to speak to Caleb about replacing his award.’ He looked towards the other policeman, who’d been talking quietly into his radio. ‘Have you verified us yet? Can we finish this?’
The paramedic raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Actually, no, we can’t. You were knocked out, Mr Tyler. We should really take you to hospital to be checked over.’
‘No. No. I definitely don’t want to do that.’
But as he shook his head he realised how dizzy he was. It was all he could do not to sway. He eyed the sofa for a second, wondering if he should sit down.
‘We’re obliged to take you, Mr Tyler. There can be serious repercussions from a head injury. It will only take a few hours.’
‘In London on a Saturday night? You’ve got to be joking. Every A and E around here will have queues out the door.’ He waved his hand. ‘I’m fine.’
The paramedic frowned and her lips thinned. This woman was formidable. It was time to take a different tack.
‘Look, I’ve just got off a long flight from the US and I’m tired. I just want to find something to eat and get to sleep. I haven’t slept in the last thirty-six hours. You said my pupils were equal, surely that means I’m okay?’
She hesitated and glanced at her partner. ‘After a head injury some symptoms take a while to appear. You might feel okay now, but in a few hours it could be different.’
The policemen were exchanging glances. The only person in the room who couldn’t look at him was Lara—the giant teddy bear.
‘I really don’t want to go to hospital,’ he said steadily.
The paramedic glanced from him to Lara. ‘Well, I’ll have to get you to sign something. Then I’ll give you a final check and leave some head-injury instructions. You can’t be left alone. There needs to be someone around you in case you feel unwell later and need to go to hospital.’
A smile broke across his face. ‘Oh, I’m sure Ms Callaway will oblige.’
Her head shot up. ‘What? Me? No!’ She turned towards the policeman. ‘You’re not actually going to let him stay here, are you? I don’t know him. I don’t want to be left in a house with a stranger.’ Her indignation made him smile even more.
The policeman looked at her. ‘Then perhaps you’d like to stay somewhere else? You did say you made this arrangement at short notice. Maybe there’s somewhere else you can stay?’
She cringed. ‘What? No.’ She was starting to look a bit panicked. But there was no way at this late stage that Reuben was going to ring around friends to find a bed for the night. He’d made this arrangement with Caleb and he was sticking to it—whether Ms Teddy Bear liked it or not.
The paramedic stood in front of Reuben. ‘Can you sit down for a second while I do some final checks?’
She couldn’t possibly know how grateful he was to sink down onto the comfortable overstuffed sofa. His stomach gave a little growl as he noticed all the sweet papers on the coffee table. The smell of chocolate and cheese and onion crisps was drifting in his direction. He didn’t care who it belonged to. As soon as he got rid of these folks he was eating the entire lot.
A paramedic made a few final notes and handed him a clipboard and pen. ‘Sign here.’
He scribbled his name and took the leaflet she proffered. She gave him a suspicious glance as she stood up. ‘If you have any of the symptoms on the card you must attend the nearest A and E.’ She gestured with her head. ‘It’s St David’s, about a mile in that direction.’
He gave her a nod. ‘Thanks.’
The policemen headed towards the door. ‘We’ll file a report but I take it things are settled now?’
Lara stood with her mouth gaping. She looked shell-shocked. ‘But—’
‘I’m sure everything will be fine,’ the other policeman cut in. ‘Goodnight, Ms Callaway, Mr Tyler,’ he said, as all four people filed out the front door.
Reuben stood again, waiting for them all to leave before finally closing the front door behind them. His legs felt heavy, but nowhere near as heavy as the thudding in his head.
He stalked back through to the sitting room, collapsed on the couch and tore open one of the chocolate bars, grabbing the TV remote.
Lara hadn’t moved. She was still rooted to the spot.
He grinned at her wickedly. ‘Well, then, I guess it’s just you and me.’
THIS COULDN’T BE HAPPENING.
An hour ago she’d been watching one of her favourite eighties movies as she’d sipped wine and eaten her body weight in chocolates.
Now it felt as if the Terminator had just invaded her comfortable living space. Except this terminator had an Irish accent that was almost musical to her ears.
Not that Reuben Tyler looked like Arnie. And with his black jeans and leather jacket he was maybe a little too stylish for a burglar. She was trying not to stare. She was trying not to look at him at all. What on earth was she going to do?
‘So, do you always dress like a giant teddy bear?’ he said as he flicked through the channels.
‘What?’ She stared down at her favourite nightwear. Oh, no. In all the chaos she’d forgotten how she was dressed. Hardly a good look for a first meeting.
She scowled at him and stuck her hands on her hips. ‘Well, it wasn’t like I was expecting guests, was I?’
The corner of his mouth turned upwards. ‘Evidently.’
Okay, this guy could make her blood boil but was he a tiny bit hunky? She stole another glance. When he wasn’t angry, he might be described as quite handsome in a rugged sort of way. His dark hair was thick and a little dishevelled. His white T-shirt showed off his tan—doubtless from his stay in the US since it had rained solidly for the last month in London. No wonder she was keeping her pale flesh covered. But it was those eyes that could probably melt the hearts of the female population of the city. Dark brown, like coffee or chocolate—both were her vices.
She gave a little shudder. What on earth was she thinking? She didn’t know a single thing about this man.
‘You can’t possibly stay here. Addison told me I’d have the place to myself for the next few days.’ She folded her arms across her chest. She was grasping at straws but Addison really hadn’t mentioned a word about having to share the place with one of Caleb’s friends. Which most likely meant that Addison hadn’t known that Reuben would be here...
Darn it. There went the little shudder again. All of a sudden he wasn’t so much a dangerous intruder as a slightly intriguing handsome stranger. But sharing the house with someone she didn’t know still made her feel uncomfortable.
Reuben seemed completely uninterested in her comments. He grabbed a bar of chocolate from the table and started eating it. ‘I think you should be more worried about smashing up Caleb’s trophy. He was very proud of that.’
The trophy. Her eyes went to the floor. It was broken into three solid parts. No super-strength glue in the world could put it back together. She sagged down into one of the armchairs. ‘I’ve no idea what to do about that,’ she murmured.
Reuben sat up a little straighter. He gave his head a little shake and winced. ‘Do you have any painkillers?’
She nodded. ‘Come through to the kitchen. There are some in the cupboard.’
She flashed her hand over the light for the hall and it came on, flooding the entranceway with light. Reuben frowned and bent down. ‘What on earth is that? I couldn’t find the