Italian Doctor, No Strings Attached (Mills & Boon Medical) by Kate Hardy

Author:Kate Hardy [Hardy, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408924990
Publisher: HarlequinUKLtd
Published: 2011-11-11T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

AT THE team quiz night out at the local pub, the following weekend, Marco ended up sitting next to Sydney. By the end of the evening, his arm was resting casually across the back of her chair.

‘So how long have you two been an item?’ Dawn asked.

Sydney felt her eyes widen; automatically, she glanced at Marco. How were they going to get out of this without telling a pack of lies?

‘Don’t deny it. You’ve both gone red—even you, Marco, the King of Cool,’ Dawn teased with a smile.

‘We’re just good friends,’ Marco protested.

Pete laughed. ‘Which everyone knows is a euphemism for seeing each other.’

‘Looks as if we’ve just been busted,’ Marco said, sounding resigned, and drew Sydney closer.

‘We were trying to avoid the hospital grapevine,’ Sydney explained.

‘Nobody can avoid the hospital grapevine,’ Pete said. ‘At least, not for long. And now we know why you two are so in tune at work.’

‘That,’ Marco said, ‘is because we’re both observant.’

‘No, it’s more than that—half the time you second-guess each other,’ Dawn said. ‘Pete’s right.’ She smiled. ‘And you’re good together.’

‘Yeah. She’s not bad.’ Marco ruffled her hair.

‘Neither’s he, for a clotheshorse,’ Sydney retorted, and everyone laughed.

Afterwards, when everyone was breaking into little groups to travel home together, Marina Fenton caught her arm. ‘I’m so pleased for you, Syd. He’s a lovely guy, and it’s about time you found someone who’ll treat you properly.’ She paused. ‘I take it he knows?’

Sydney knew what she was referring to—Marina was one of the few people who knew about her NF2—and nodded. ‘He says it doesn’t bother him.’

‘Which is just how it should be.’ Marina hugged her. ‘That’s brilliant.’

‘Don’t start planning wedding bells or anything,’ Sydney warned. ‘We’re just seeing where things take us. Having fun. And I’m fine with that.’

‘You don’t have to justify yourself to me, Syd,’ Marina said. ‘As long as you’re happy.’

Marco and Sydney walked back to his flat with their arms round each other.

‘Are you OK with our colleagues knowing about us?’ Marco asked.

‘Yes. They’re a nice bunch. I don’t think they’ll give us a hard time.’

‘Good.’ He let them into his flat. ‘Can I get you a glass of wine?’

‘Could I be really middle-aged and have hot chocolate?’

He smiled. ‘There’s nothing middle-aged about chocolate. And you’ve a way to go anyway before you’re middle-aged—I’m not middle-aged, and I’m two years older than you are.’ He made a mug of chocolate for her, and coffee for himself.

‘So are you going to play something for me?’ she asked, gesturing to his guitar, when he ushered her into his living room.

‘Sure. What do you want, pop or classical?’

‘Classical, I think, please. Something mellow.’

He played her a couple of pieces she recognised.

‘Was that Bach?’ she asked.

‘One of the lute suites,’ he confirmed.

‘You’re really good. Did you ever think about being a musician rather than a doctor?’

He shook his head. ‘It’s my way of relaxing more than anything else. I wanted to be a doctor from when I was about … oh, twelve or so.

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