viewed earlier that year. They entered the lift and she stifled a gasp when he pressed the button for the top floor. Moments later he opened his front door into the flat of her dreams.
‘You bought the show flat?’ she asked in astonishment.
He nodded nonchalantly. ‘It seemed easier just to buy the one with the furniture included.’ He spread his arms out around the wide space. ‘I was never any good at that sort of thing anyway.’
He gestured towards her and she handed him her thick coat, which he hung in a nearby cupboard. Melissa walked in awe around the open-plan kitchen, running her finger along the black marble worktop, her heels clicking on the slate floor. Cooper turned and opened the blinds in the living area to show the view over the marina. If she’d thought it was stunning downstairs, up here it was breathtaking. The boats glistened, gleaming white against the black water. Her fingers automatically went up to touch the red curtains. They were thick and luxurious, just as she’d imagined. She pointed towards the sumptuous sofa that she’d admired from afar. ‘Can I?’
Coop looked puzzled. ‘Of course.’
She sank into the huge cushions, closed her eyes and let out a huge sigh. ‘Oh, it’s just as gorgeous as I imagined.’ She snuggled her shoulders deeper into the soft fabric.
‘What are you talking about?’
Her eyes flickered open. ‘I came to see this flat when it was the show flat for the development and I really, really wanted to do this.’
‘You wanted to sit on the sofa?’ His right eyebrow rose in amusement.
‘Well—yes, but the woman that was showing us around was a bear and I was too scared to touch anything. I think she could tell just by looking that I could never afford to stay anywhere like this.’
Cooper let out a laugh. It was deep, warm and rich. Not what she had expected.
Her train of thought hadn’t shifted. ‘So how can you afford this?’
He lowered his eyes slightly. ‘I came into some money and I earn a relatively good salary.’ He plumped down next to her on the oversized sofa.
Melissa nodded. She could tell when not to press him. She turned sideways to face him. ‘Whose turn is it to ask a question?’
He ran his finger down her arm, causing her skin to come out in tiny goose-bumps. ‘I’ve lost track,’ he whispered, leaning forward and twisting a finger in her chestnut curls, pulling her face towards his.
She expected his kiss to be light, gentle, and it was anything but. It was hard and passionate, instantly setting her body alight with desire. She felt the heat spreading throughout her being. Heat she hadn’t felt in months—no, heat like this she had never felt. His other hand came up and caught the other side of her head, cradling her face. He drew his head back from hers, looking her in the eye. ‘I didn’t have any plans like this tonight,’ he said sincerely, ‘but right now I’m going to ask you if you want to come through to the bedroom with me.’
Melissa went to speak but he placed one finger on her lips. ‘Shh. Missy, if you want to leave I won’t stand in your way. But I would really like it if you’d stay.’ His breath was slightly ragged now, as if he was trying to fight the fire building inside him.
Her heart was pounding. This was sexual chemistry like she’d never felt before. She reached her hands around his neck and whispered in his ear.
His eyes lit up with wild excitement. ‘What was that?’ he asked in amazement.
‘My next question,’ Melissa said with quiet assurance. ‘I just decided what I wanted to ask.’
Cooper looked at her with his steady brown eyes, a smile forming across his lips. ‘In that case, this takes me back to show and tell from school, and this answer is definitely a show.’ And he took her by the hand and led her to the white bedroom.
CHAPTER TWO
Eight weeks later
MELISSA had just finished zipping up her tunic when she heard the shouting at the top of the labour ward. Hurrying to pull her newly washed curls back into a ponytail, she straightened her tunic, and set off down the corridor at speed.
Melissa had been one of the sisters in the labour ward for nearly three years and when she was on duty she prided herself on the calm running of the ward. Today, though, the midwives station at the central point in the labour ward seemed to be in chaos. Melissa tried to make herself heard above the rabble surrounding her. Two junior doctors appeared to be having an argument, two midwives were trying to deal with telephone calls, one consultant was angrily trying to attract the attention of anyone at all, and in the midst of it all stood a man, holding an empty jug of water. He was holding it out gingerly, saying, ‘Excuse me, excuse me?’
Melissa shook her head, lengthening her last few strides as she reached the station. ‘Enough!’ Her hand thudded on the desk and immediately silenced her bickering colleagues. ‘You two…’ she pointed at the junior doctors ‘…take your discussion elsewhere. My midwives are trying to deal with telephone enquiries.’ She grabbed one of the passing nursing auxiliaries, ‘Fran, can you assist this gentleman, please?’ she asked, gesturing in the direction of the bewildered man.
Finally she turned to the consultant standing at the desk. ‘Dr Mackay, can I help you with something?’
He nodded and pointed towards the nearby room. ‘I need a set of notes for the lady in Room 4, Katherine Kelly. I’m not happy with her presentation.’
Melissa nodded and walked around to the other side of the midwives’ station and retrieved a set of case notes from the trolley. It was the same place where notes had been kept on the labour ward for the last twenty years. She handed him the buff-coloured folder. He took them with a sigh of relief, ‘Thank God you’re on duty today,’ he muttered as he turned and headed back down the corridor.
Melissa watched his retreating back with a smile on her face. Had that been a compliment? Dr Mackay was not famed for his compliments. He was nearing retirement and becoming increasingly grumpy with age. A new consultant had been appointed but Melissa hadn’t met him yet.
She waited until one of the midwives at the desk had hung up her phone. ‘Carrie, what’s going on in here today?’
‘Just what you’d expect. The new junior and senior doctors have started today and the place is in chaos. We seem to have more women in labour than usual and we’ve had a few late presentations with complications.’ She pointed in the direction of the midwifery suite. ‘Sister Baird is in charge of the midwifery side today—she can update you on the admissions. Jen Connell was in charge of the medical side—she’s still in Room 4 with the patient Dr Mackay just collected the notes for.’
Melissa nodded and set off towards the midwifery unit to touch base with her colleague. The labour ward was divided into two sides: the midwifery side, where women with routine pregnancies and routine labours were looked after by a team of midwives from start to finish; and the medical side, where women with high-risk pregnancies were looked after by a team of doctors and midwives. Both sides of the labour ward had a midwifery sister or senior midwife on duty at all times, along with a team of more junior midwives to help support all women through the labour process. Melissa had always worked on the medical side. She had been diabetic since childhood and in this hospital all women with diabetes were automatically under the care of the medical staff. Knowing how single-minded the medical staff could be made Melissa all the more determined that women like her had the best possible birth experience. The only way that would happen was if experienced midwives like her worked hand in hand with their medical associates.
She heard her colleague’s voice and pushed open the nearest door. ‘Hi, Andrea.’ Her colleague looked up from the foetal monitor she was watching. ‘Just letting you know that I’ll be taking over in the medical side. Let me know if there are any patients you need to discuss.’
Andrea