Reunited By Their Secret Daughter / A Fling To Steal Her Heart

Her mind and the discussion went around in a never-ending circle and by the time Lily got bored with the playground Chloe was no closer to a decision about what to do. No closer to figuring out how to deal with Xander’s unexpected appearance.

Xander was edgy. It was a busy shift, most of them were. On average the air ambulance attended five call-outs each day but it wasn’t the caseload that had him unsettled. Each time they received a call he was on tenterhooks, waiting to see if they would need a midwife, waiting to find out if he would see Chloe. He felt like he’d thought of nothing and no one but her for the past three days and he was determined to ask her out next time he saw her. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. But at the end of his shift he knew he couldn’t continue just to wait for fate, or an emergency, to intervene. He was going quietly crazy. He’d have to go and find her.

He changed out of his orange flight overalls and headed down to A&E only to be told she was up in the maternity wards.

As he stepped out of the lift Chloe’s golden curls caught his eye. Her back was to him as she pushed a wheelchair down the corridor. He could see she had a patient with her and he waited to see where she was going. He didn’t want to have this conversation in public. She stopped at the door to the NICU, swiping her card and letting herself in. It was only a minute or so before she reappeared, by which time he was walking casually towards her.

‘Xander! What are you doing here?’

‘I thought I’d drop past and see how Shania was doing,’ he said, improvising quickly to explain his presence.

‘Physically she’s doing well and she also had an interview with a social worker. She hasn’t made any major decisions yet but at least she’s looking at her options.’

‘And the baby? Tonya?’

‘She’s doing brilliantly too. I’ve just taken Shania to the NICU to see her. They’re both doing well.’

‘In that case I won’t interrupt,’ he said as he fell into step beside her. ‘Have you finished your shift?’

‘No, not quite. Why?’ she asked as she pressed the button to call the lift.

‘I wondered if you’d like to have a drink with me? Tonight, after work?’

‘Why?’

He hadn’t expected her to question his reasons. ‘To catch up,’ he said simply. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you. It was a nice surprise and I’d like to hear about what you’ve been up to.’

‘I can’t.’

‘You can’t tonight or can’t full stop?’ he asked as Chloe’s phone buzzed in her pocket.

She took her phone out and looked at the screen as the lift arrived and the doors slid open. She stepped into the lift and turned to face him. She said, ‘I’m sorry. I need to go,’ but didn’t answer his question.

The lift doors closed, leaving him standing in the corridor. Alone.

He was an idiot. Just because he was still single, confused by his feelings and out of his depth, didn’t mean she was still in the same position. Of course she’d be busy. She had a life. He’d noticed she didn’t wear a wedding ring but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a significant other. It had been four years.

Four years ago she’d brought light back into his life and he’d been searching for it again ever since. But that didn’t mean she felt the same way. They’d had undeniable chemistry but that didn’t mean to say she hadn’t found that with somebody else.

He should leave her alone. He was old enough to know one shouldn’t go back. But he didn’t want to give up. Not yet.

He’d given her up once before.

Chloe tried to resist the temptation to look at her watch. Again. She couldn’t believe she’d agreed to let Esther set her up on a date with one of Harry’s friends. She had hoped that the date would help keep her mind off Xander’s reappearance but it wasn’t working.

She tried to be a bit more engaging. It wasn’t Stephen’s fault she wasn’t giving this date her full attention. He was pleasant enough but he wasn’t the one she wanted to spend an evening with. She should have cancelled the date or at least rescheduled—she knew she was wasting his time and hers—but it was too late now. She found herself constantly comparing Stephen to Xander and he was falling short.

She knew it wasn’t Stephen per se. In the past four years no one had given her the same feeling of excitement and anticipation that she’d experienced with Xander and she was worried that her four weeks with Xander had ruined her chances of finding someone else whom she could fall in love with.

Her thoughts drifted as Stephen tried gamely to engage her in conversation. She wondered what Xander was doing right now. She’d had to turn down his invitation, not only because she’d already agreed to this date but because she hadn’t worked out what to tell him. She’d panicked when he invited her out. Her first thought had been, Did he know about Lily? Was that what he’d wanted to talk to her about? And despite telling herself there was no way he could know anything she’d gradually worked herself into a state.

She’d hoped her date with Stephen would be a good distraction, would give her something else to think about other than Xander, but it was not going well. If she was honest, it was a disaster. She wondered at what point it wouldn’t be considered rude to make her excuses and leave.

‘Harry said you work with him at the Queen Victoria. You’re a nurse?’

‘A midwife. In A&E.’ Chloe made a concerted effort to tune back into the conversation. ‘I work with the air ambulance service too,’ she added. Most people found that aspect of her job interesting. Maybe Stephen would ask enough questions that she could focus on that.

‘How did you get into that?’ he asked, almost on cue.

‘I spent some time in Australia on a study exchange working with their flying doctor service. I loved it so much that I applied for the air ambulance when I got back. It’s the closest thing we have.’

‘And what did you think of Australia?’

‘I loved it. Have you been there?’

He nodded. ‘I spent twelve months there as a Fellow. Couldn’t stand it. The heat was terrible and those awful flies, not to mention the endless discussions about sport.’

Chloe had loved her time in Australia. Not the flies—she’d have to agree with him on that—but she’d loved everything else. She’d loved the relaxed lifestyle. She’d loved the weather. She’d loved the people. She’d loved Xander.

She sighed. Other than their careers as medical professionals she knew she and Stephen had nothing else in common and she figured there was absolutely no point in wasting any more of the evening for either of them. Thank God she hadn’t agreed to dinner.

She excused herself from the table. She’d go to the ladies’ and call her mum. She’d get her to text and say Lily was running a temperature and needed her. She knew a normal person would see that for the excuse it was but she didn’t care. She’d be doing both of them a favour by cutting the night short.

Chloe slipped her phone back into her bag as she left the toilets and returned to the table telling herself she could manage another five minutes until her mum called with a reprieve.

She had taken two steps in that direction when she heard her name.

‘Chloe!’

She closed her handbag and looked up into a pair of familiar grey eyes.

Xander.

She stopped in her tracks, incapable of moving. She could feel her heart racing in her chest and wondered if he could see it beating beneath her shirt.

Why was he here? Was he meeting someone? Had he invited someone else for a drink when she’d turned him down or was this just a coincidence?

‘What are you doing here?’ he continued. ‘Did you change your mind about that drink?’

Chloe shook her head. ‘No. I’m on a date.’

‘Oh. Of course.’

Chloe tried to read his expression, to decipher his tone. Was he disappointed? And what did he mean by ‘of course’? She hardly ever went on dates; this was the first one this year, the second one in four months. But she couldn’t explain her reluctance to date and the reason why her opportunities were limited without divulging her secret. Or should that be secrets, plural? That no one measured up to her memory of him and that she was a single mother.

‘Are you meeting someone here?’ she asked.

‘No.’

Was his presence here just a coincidence?

‘It’s good to see you but don’t let me keep you,’ he said, leaving her free to go.

Maybe she would have to start believing in coincidences, she thought as she reluctantly returned to her table and her date.

If she could get rid of Stephen perhaps she could salvage her evening?

He watched her walk away before taking a seat at the bar.

What was it about Chloe? he thought as he nodded to the barman and held up one finger, indicating his usual, as he took a seat. He was a sensible, intelligent man but whenever he saw her, whenever she was near, all logical thoughts seemed to evaporate. Of course, she wouldn’t have known he would be at that pub. It was close to the Queen Victoria Hospital but it wasn’t the closest and it wasn’t the local for the hospital staff. It was, however, near the short-term rental apartment where he was staying and he’d got into the habit of stopping in for a beer and something to eat. It was simpler to be fed than to cook and it gave him some company.

He’d just swallowed the first mouthful of his beer when Chloe reappeared.

‘Is this seat taken?’

She was smiling and his heart leapt. Had she ditched her date? For him? He couldn’t help the feeling of excitement as she sat on the bar stool next to him. The anticipation was familiar. She was familiar.

‘What happened to your date?’

‘He left.’

‘What?’

She laughed and the sound was so familiar, so comforting, that it lifted his spirits even when he hadn’t realised his spirits needing lifting. He hadn’t realised a lot of things. Once again, Chloe brought light into his life, only this time he hadn’t been aware of the darkness. Four years ago he’d known he was in a dark place and Chloe had got him out of it. He slipped back after she’d left and despite his concerted efforts to find happiness and make peace with the world he knew now he hadn’t been successful.

‘I told him that it wasn’t working for me and I didn’t want to waste more of his time.’

‘Are you leaving too?’

‘No,’ she replied as she shook her head. Her bright golden curls glowed in the light as she shook her head. She was striking, vivacious, a beacon.

‘Good. Will you have that drink with me now?’

‘Are you sure you’re not meeting friends?’

‘No.’ He had a few friends in London—acquaintances, really, all in the medical field—but most were now married with children and they didn’t have the flexibility or luxury of being able to meet for a mid-week dinner. He’d caught up with a few for a drink or two on occasion but, ultimately, they all had to go home to their wives and families. ‘And even if I was, you’d still be welcome to join us. But I’m here because I’m staying just around the corner. I’m just grabbing some dinner and a beer,’ he said as the barman handed him a wooden board with a burger and a side of fries on it. ‘Have you eaten?’

‘No. I’m not hungry but I’ll stay for a drink.’

‘A gin and tonic?’

‘Yes. Thank you,’ she said as she reached over and pinched a chip off his plate. That was familiar too. He remembered she would order own her meal and then prefer to eat his.

‘So the date went badly.’

‘It wasn’t the worst one I’ve ever had but it was close.’ She was grinning. She didn’t look too upset. In fact, she didn’t look upset at all—she looked amazing.

‘What seemed to be the problem?’

‘He wasn’t my type.’

‘You have a type?’

‘I guess so.’

The barman served Chloe’s gin, placing it on the bar. She couldn’t believe Xander had remembered her favourite drink and the idea that he had pleased her. She was glad she’d come back to find him after making her excuses to Stephen. She’d put Lily to bed before heading out and her mum wasn’t expecting her home anytime soon. She had plenty of time to have one drink with Xander. Just to catch up on what he’d been doing.

He picked up her drink and put it in front of her. His leg brushed against hers and the contact made her jump. It was nothing, really—his knee brushed the outside of her thigh—but she could feel his body heat even through her trousers and her body responded to his touch.

‘So, your type,’ he said as she stirred her drink, ‘describe him to me.’

She took a sip of her drink, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. ‘Someone with a bit more energy. Someone who makes me feel excited. Filled with possibility. Someone who makes me wonder what happens next.’

Someone who made her feel like Xander did.

‘You’re talking about chemistry,’ he said.

She nodded and put her glass back on the bar and tried to ignore the fact that his leg was still resting against hers.

Sitting at the bar with Xander felt the same but different.

Familiar but strange.

Things had changed. At least for Chloe. She was no longer young and carefree. She was a single mother with responsibilities. But the chemistry was still there. She was still drawn to him. She longed to touch him properly, to see if her memories were real.

He was still gorgeous. Still a Norse god. His grey eyes still held a trace of melancholy. She’d always attributed that to his divorce but surely that couldn’t still be the case. He’d been divorced almost five years now. He must have put that behind him?

She forced herself to focus on the present. She couldn’t dwell in the past.

‘How long have you been living in Wales?’ she asked when she recovered her power of speech. She was desperate to know where he’d been and what he’d been doing for the past four years but she couldn’t ask such a direct question.

He frowned, his grey eyes cloudy. ‘I don’t live in Wales.’

‘Oh, I thought Rick said you had come down from Wales to cover Eloise’s sick leave.’

‘I’ve been working in Wales with their air ambulance unit but it wasn’t permanent. It was a six-month rotation. I was glad to get out of there, to be honest. I didn’t mind Wales but it wasn’t the smartest move, spending winter there. I should have timed it better.’

‘And what are your plans when you finish with us?’ she asked. She needed to find out where he was going next. Did she need to tell him about Lily if he had no plans to stay in England? Was there any point in disrupting everyone’s lives? She and Lily were fine—they’d been fine for years on their own. They didn’t need Xander and he might not need them.

He might not want them.

He might not want her.

The drink he had bought her could be for old times’ sake. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a wife or significant other waiting for him somewhere.

‘I haven’t worked it out yet.’

‘Are you travelling with family?’ she asked as the barman cleared the remnants of Xander’s dinner away.

‘No. We’re both still single. What are the chances?’

‘Coincidence?’ she said with a smile.

‘I don’t believe in coincidences.’

‘Me either.’

He was holding her gaze and she was lost. She couldn’t think. She could only feel.

He reached for her and the clocks stopped.

He tucked a stray curl behind her ear and Chloe’s knees trembled. ‘It’s been a long time,’ he said as she held her breath. ‘It’s good to see you. Did I mention I’m staying just around the corner?’

The invitation was unspoken but there was no mistaking it. But she couldn’t accept. She had to get home. To her daughter. Their daughter.

‘You did.’

‘Would you like to come back for a coffee?’

Chloe smiled. ‘You know I don’t drink coffee at night.’ She wondered if he remembered that too.

‘I do.’

Her smile got wider. ‘Will you take a rain check? I’m on an early tomorrow.’

‘I will.’

She slid off the bar stool and picked up her coat. She needed to get out of here while she still could. Before she made a hasty, hormonal decision that she would more than likely regret when her head overtook her heart again.

‘I’ll walk you out to a cab.’

‘It’s okay, I’m taking the Tube.’

Xander shook his head. ‘No, it’s late. That doesn’t sound safe.’

‘I do it all the time after work.’

‘Really?’

She nodded as he held the door for her.

She stopped on the footpath, reluctant to walk away but knowing she had to go. A cab pulled up on the street beside them.

‘Please, let me pay for a cab,’ Xander offered. ‘I’ll feel better.’ He reached out and opened the door, ensuring the cabbie couldn’t drive away, but then he took her hand, holding her back before she could step inside.

She turned to him. Instinctively. Her breath caught in her throat as he stroked the palm of her hand with his thumb. She was pinned by the force of his grey eyes. Held immobile by the intensity of his gaze. She couldn’t breathe. The air was thick with tension. Her mouth was dry, her skin warm, her cheeks flushed. Her heart was beating quickly and her stomach was fluttering.

‘Are you sure you have to go?’

She nodded.

He bent his head until his mouth was next to her ear. His breath was warm on her cheek as he repeated her earlier words back to her. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to find out what happens next?’

She knew what was coming and she was powerless to resist. She didn’t want to resist. She turned her face towards him and whispered, ‘I know what happens next.’ And then his lips were on hers. Warm, soft. Then harder.

She parted her lips and tasted him. He tasted familiar. He tasted sweet.

Her body remembered his touch. Her skin remembered the softness of his mouth. Her tongue remembered his taste.

The years fell away as the memory of him returned.

Xander’s fingers were on her face, on her bare arms. Her skin was on fire and she melted against him as her body responded to his touch. She was aware of nothing else except the sensation of being fully alive. She wanted for nothing except Xander.

One hand was pressed to her spine, holding her close, and she could feel the heat of his palm through the thin fabric of her shirt. She felt her nipples harden as she pressed herself against his chest instead as she kissed him back. All her senses came to life and a line of fire spread from her stomach to her groin. She deepened the kiss, wanting to lose herself in Xander.

‘Do you want the cab or not?’

She jumped as the cab driver’s voice interrupted their moment. Her eyes flew open as Xander straightened up. He was studying her face as if committing each of her features to memory.

He smiled as his fingers trailed down the side of her cheek, sending a shiver of desire through her. Her heart was racing in her chest and her breaths were shallow.

‘Are you sure you don’t want to come back to my apartment?’

She hesitated. The kiss was wonderful. Magical. She felt as if time had stood still and brought her back to Xander, back into his arms, but she couldn’t stay with him. She had responsibilities.

‘I can’t,’ she said as she stepped back, breaking their connection. ‘You promised me a rain check, remember?’

She waited for him to agree before she made herself get into the taxi. Made herself leave him.

He closed the door and blew her a kiss.

Chloe gave the driver her address but scarcely recalled getting home. Her world suddenly felt full of possibility but she needed to be sensible. She needed to be careful not to get carried away.

CHAPTER FOUR

CHLOE JOGGED ACROSS the helipad. This time she could see Xander’s familiar figure in the chopper. She was looking for him and her heart rate increased. The memory of his kiss was still fresh in her mind. She could almost feel the imprint of his lips on hers still.

She smiled in greeting as she climbed aboard. Was it only a few days ago that he’d re-entered her life? She felt lighter. Happier. Full of hope.

Since he kissed her some of her doubts had vanished. She knew she was being fanciful; just because he made her toes tingle and her pulse race didn’t mean he’d want to be a part of her life. It didn’t mean he’d want to be a father but she couldn’t help the lifting of her spirits. It was amazing what a good kiss had done for her frame of mind. The dark clouds had lightened a little.

She was remembering how she’d felt all those years ago. How he made her feel. It was a long time since she’d been kissed senseless. Since she’d felt as if she could lose control.

But she needed to be careful. Last time she lost control she wound up pregnant.

But that thought still couldn’t wipe the smile from her face as she fastened her harness and strapped herself into her seat as she listened to the situation report.

He smiled back at her and she imagined the shadows in his eyes had eased a little.

She blushed and looked away, focusing on the information being dispersed.

‘We’re attending a two-car MVA,’ Rick said. ‘Paramedics and fire service are at the scene. There are four patients. Two victims trapped and unconscious, a third with minor injuries and a fourth is a pregnant woman, thirty-six weeks’ gestation, in cardiac arrest. Paramedics are giving ALS.’

Chloe translated the report in her head. Four victims of a motor vehicle accident: two status unknown, one conscious and mobile, one in a critical condition receiving advanced life support.

‘We’ll need to triage on arrival,’ Xander instructed. He was back to business.

Chloe knew the order of treatment would be determined by a few things. Whether or not the fire crew had managed to extricate the trapped victims and what injuries they had sustained. Whether or not the paramedics had managed to resuscitate the woman and, if they hadn’t, were they still trying or was she deceased. There were a lot of unknowns but this wasn’t unusual. The job this time though was complicated by the number of victims. They’d been told four but, in Chloe’s head, she was counting five. At thirty-six weeks’ gestation the baby was potentially a fifth casualty.

Nine minutes after take-off Simon banked the helicopter over the M25. Beneath them Chloe could see the accident site on one of the approach roads. Flashing lights of the emergency vehicles lit up the grey and drizzly day and bounced off the reflective panels on the uniforms of the emergency teams. Debris was strewn across the road and she could see the fire service still working on one of the crumpled cars, trying to free the victims.

Police had cordoned off the road and Simon brought the chopper down on the bitumen as Chloe pulled on a pair of gloves. Rick had the door open as soon as they touched down and Chloe, Rick and Xander grabbed their kits and sprinted to the scene.

A woman lay on a spinal board on a stretcher, two paramedics in attendance. Between them Chloe could see the mound of her pregnancy. The woman had been intubated and was being manually ventilated by one of the paramedics.

A pair of ambulances had stopped on the hard shoulder. In the back of one sat an older woman. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as a third paramedic cleaned her head wound. Chloe wondered if she was related to the pregnant woman. Someone must have given the first responders some background information.