Snowbound with the Surgeon by Annie Claydon

Author:Annie Claydon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

FIRST THEY CALLED in at the surgery, and then went to the little Italian restaurant just around the corner for a hurried meal. Then they got down to the serious business of shopping, making for the glittering windows of one of the larger department stores.

‘Right.’ He stopped short inside the swing doors, apologising as someone elbowed him out of the way and rubbing his hands together as if this was a foray into the unknown. ‘I know what I want to get.’

‘That’s a start...’ Neve took the scrap of paper that he’d extracted from his wallet and focussed on the writing. A round, woman’s hand. And this perfume was a classic.

‘It’s for Edie. I asked her daughter what I should get.’

‘This is pretty expensive...’

He grinned. ‘Yeah, that’s what her daughter said. But I want to get Edie something nice, she’s been very good to me. And she can’t really afford this on her pension.’

Neve smiled up at him. ‘You know what, you’re a really nice guy.’

He gave her a look of mock horror. ‘Be quiet! If Edie gets that idea into her head, I’ll be done for. Do you know where the perfume is?’

Neve swept her gaze over the sea of heads, located the perfume counter and beckoned for him to follow her. ‘It should be somewhere here...’

While she methodically inspected each of the displays, Joe was picking up random tester bottles, sniffing tentatively at the tops.

‘You have to spray it if you want to know what it’s like.’ She leaned towards him. Even with the heavy scent of cosmetics and perfume hanging in the air around them, she could discern his warm, clean smell. Like a creature sniffing out its mate.

‘Think I’ll pass on that.’ He put the bottle down quickly.

‘Not on yourself...’ She sprayed a tester strip, waving it under his nose.

‘Ugh! That’s horrible!’ He grabbed another bottle at random, spraying it onto a second strip.

The scent’s strong statement hit her like a punch in the face. She’d never liked it, but it was Matthew’s favourite. And the most shaming part of it all was that Neve had let him dictate that she wear it all the time.

‘Hmm...’ He shrugged, discarding the bottle, and a sudden calculating glint showed in his eyes. ‘So which one do you like? What do you wear when you’re off duty?’

‘The same as when I’m on duty. Nothing.’ Neve was done with having anyone else buy personal things for her. Clothes, shoes, perfume. That was her territory now.

‘Ah.’ He bent towards her, and she felt the scrape of his stubble against her neck. ‘That’s why you always smell so gorgeous.’

‘Stop it.’ She loved it, but Christmas shopping was serious business. ‘Focus, will you?’

‘Right.’ He scanned the length of the display in front of them. ‘Is that it?’

An assistant appeared out of nowhere, flashing Joe a glittering smile. ‘These, sir?’ She spread manicured fingers over the range, from relatively inexpensive to don’t-even-think-about-it.

‘How about that one?’ Joe pointed to a generously sized bottle, somewhere in the middle, and turned to Neve.

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