The Icelandic Doc's Baby Surprise Read online

  Longing burned through him at the memory of that night and one morning they had spent together. She’d been unlike any woman he had ever met, and he’d left Hawaii—and her—with fond and extremely hot memories, knowing that it was probably for the best that she lived in another country.

  She had been the first woman in his life who had made him yearn for more, but he didn’t do full-on relationships—ever—and committing to more than one night with her would have broken all the rules he held himself accountable to. The rules that kept everyone at a distance—the way he liked them to be. Because then there would be no more pain. If he didn’t get close and emotionally involved, he wouldn’t have to face the losses that would come later.

  But Hawaii had been—what? Roughly three months ago? What was she doing here? Was she here to work? There was a vacancy, but as far as he’d understood the hospital had chosen to wait until after Christmas to advertise.

  He longed to go over to her and find out why she was here. As if his yearning had called out to her their eyes met and he felt the punch of it hit him in the gut.

  And somewhere lower.

  Her lips parted slightly, as if she was on the verge of saying something, but then she bit her lip and it was all he could do not to self-implode on the spot. He took a moment to gather himself, and used it to pretend he was just checking the brake on Aron’s wheelchair.

  Then he said, ‘Excuse me, Aron, I won’t be a moment.’ And headed over to Merry.

  As he got closer he could see the snow crystals still melting in her dark hair, and the way her make-up had smudged around her eyes, making them look smoky and sultry. He slowed as he got closer, taking his time to soak her up. She looked as if she needed a nice hot shower, and he could think of nothing better than taking her upstairs to the staff area, where there was a bathroom, and helping her off with her clothes. But he was on duty, and now was not the time for a seduction.

  Was she aware that the outlines of her cold, peaked nipples were showing through her woollen dress?

  He raised his eyes back up to her face. ‘Hello, Merry.’

  He could see she was just as disturbed by his presence as he was by hers, and it pleased him. He watched her cheeks flush with colour, and she pulled her jacket closed around her, as if it were a suit of armour.

  ‘Hello, Kristjan.’

  CHAPTER TWO

  OKAY, SO SHE hadn’t imagined it. Kristjan really was as stunning as she remembered. Tall and broad, muscular and strong. And looking just as luscious in clothes as he did out of them.

  Don’t think of him naked. That isn’t helping!

  She squeezed her eyes shut to try and dispel the image, but it was like trying to ignore an elephant in the room. You couldn’t help but look at the huge grey creature. Only her elephant looked like a Viking out of time. He would look just as comfortable in a horned helmet, swinging a massive battle-axe, as he did in the bespoke suit, and that waistcoat he wore just emphasised his neat, flat stomach, under which she knew lay a set of perfectly moulded abs...

  She forced herself to look elsewhere, and noticed that the hospital had a huge decorated Christmas tree in the centre of the entrance foyer and that ‘White Christmas’ was being piped out of hidden speakers.

  Christmas. Ugh.

  ‘To what do I owe the...pleasure?’ asked Kristjan.

  She could feel his eyes raking over her, and she wished again that she’d worn something a bit more suitable. She yanked once more at both sides of her jacket, to try and pull it closed. She hadn’t expected to come straight from the airport and meet Kristjan. She’d expected the taxi to take her to the B&B she’d booked first, so she could settle in, get changed, and then meet Kristjan on her terms. She hadn’t planned to be wearing her travelling clothes.

  ‘The taxi driver made me walk up the last bit of the mountain. He was meant to be taking me to a B&B. I thought someone here might direct me to it...’ She hoped she sounded as unbothered by him as she hoped.

  Kristjan looked outside, assessing the weather. ‘You came up the mountain in this?’ he sounded angry.

  ‘I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. So...the Kerling B&B...?’

  ‘This storm will go on for some time now, and I can’t let you go outside in those cold, wet clothes—’

  ‘You can’t let me?’ Who did he think he was?

  ‘You can sleep here tonight.’

  Sleep here? In the hospital? ‘No. I can’t.’

  ‘There are plenty of beds in the on-call rooms.’

  And she knew exactly what happened in on-call rooms.

  She felt herself flush once again, knowing she did not want Kristjan to know where she was sleeping. He might expect something from her. A continuation of their bedtime adventures. And that wasn’t what she was here for! In no way did she want or need any relationship with this man. Even if she had briefly entertained the idea of him hearing her news and sweeping her off her feet into the sunset, like men did in the movies.

  No, he’d been fun for one night, when she’d thought she’d never see him again, and now it was more complicated than that she didn’t need him making it worse, with his blue eyes and good intentions and beautifully honed muscles...

  ‘I’d rather make my way to the B&B.’

  ‘Why?’ He looked amused and leaned in, whispering, ‘You think I’m going to sneak into your on-call room in the middle of the night?’

  She remembered how he’d whispered into her ear just what he was going to do to her that night in Hawaii, and she shivered at the memory.

  ‘You’re cold. Let’s at least get you warm and dry and into a change of clothes.’

  That did sound like a good idea, she had to admit. The clothes she had on were soaked, and she was freezing, and that couldn’t be good for her condition. Not that he knew that. Not yet.

  Reluctantly, she found herself agreeing. ‘All right...’

  He smiled and stepped forward to take her suitcase, then led her over to the lifts, where Aron waited. ‘Aron, this is Dr Bell. Dr Bell—Aron Mikkelsson.’

  The little boy in the wheelchair had chocolate at the sides of his mouth.

  She smiled. ‘Hello, Aron.’

  ‘You are English?’ Aron asked.

  She was impressed that he knew some English and was willing to try it out on her. ‘I am.’

  ‘You know the Queen?’ he asked, with excitement in his voice.

  She laughed and shook her head. ‘I’m afraid not, no.’

  ‘Oh. Okay...’

  She glanced at Kristjan as the doors to the lift opened and deliberately stood on the opposite side of Aron’s wheelchair to create a distance between them once they were inside.

  Kristjan pressed the button to take them up to the fourth floor of the hospital and they rode in silence.

  She tried her hardest not to look at him. But her body was in perfect awareness of his proximity. Soon she couldn’t stand it any more, and just had to have a quick glance.

  Then she looked down at Aron and smiled. ‘So, Aron, why are you here in the hospital?’

  ‘He had an operation,’ Kristjan answered.

  ‘Oh?’

  Aron just smiled, licking the chocolate from around his mouth.

  ‘Removal of a malignant glial tumour,’ Kristjan explained.

  She nodded, then smiled again at Aron, because it was easier to look at the child than it was the man. The extremely virile man...

  A quick glance at the left hand holding the handle of Aron’s wheelchair showed no ring. Did that mean anything? He’d not been expecting her, so if he normally wore one he wouldn’t have thought to hide it. This had to be normal, right? But not every married man wore a ring, and she had no idea if the traditions regarding marriage were different here in Iceland. Perhaps the men here didn’t wear rings? Who knew?

  The lift do
ors pinged open, revealing a corridor filled with tinsel and pictures on the wall of reindeer leaping through the snow and candy canes hanging from branches filled with fairy lights. The nurses’ desk had a miniature Christmas tree, and more tinsel around the noticeboard, and in a corner by the linen cupboard was a stack of presents that almost reached the ceiling.

  ‘Wait here. I’ll just escort Aron back to his bed and get him comfortable.’

  She nodded and watched Kristjan walk away, pushing the small boy’s wheelchair. It felt odd to see him in this environment. She’d only ever seen him at the conference, presenting—or naked, of course. She’d almost forgotten he was a paediatric doctor, like her.

  As they moved away she heard him say something to the boy. They both laughed and she smiled without realising it, watching them. He clearly got on well with the young lad, and she took a couple of steps forward so she could watch through the safety glass as he helped Aron out of his chair and safely back into bed. He passed Aron a book from his bedside, said something else, and then ruffled the boy’s hair.

  This was a different side to him, and it intrigued her greatly to see him with the boy. But that intrigue disturbed her. It shouldn’t matter that he was great with kids. So she turned away and deliberately went over to the nurses’ station, pretending to look through a bunch of leaflets that she thought were about vaccinations, so he wouldn’t catch her watching him.

  He had to be wondering why she was here. Was it too late to pretend that she was here for some other reason and then just go home again? He would never have to know! They’d never run into each other. He lived in Iceland. She in England—Brighton. The chances of them ever meeting again were slim...

  But she knew she couldn’t do that. Not to him and not to her baby. She had been abandoned and left without any parents. Growing up, she would have killed to know something about who her parents were! This baby in her belly had a father, and she knew who he was and where he was. Her child deserved to know its dad, too. Even if they hardly ever got to see one another.

  That was how this was going to play out. That was her plan and she expected nothing else. She would tell him about the baby, and that she was going to keep it, and then she would go home. Start a life with her child back in Brighton. Her baby would know who it came from. Its mum and its dad. Her baby would have what she’d never had. And if her child ever wanted to go to Iceland... Well, they’d cross that bridge if they ever came to it.

  She sensed his presence behind her before she turned to look at him.

  ‘So...’ he said.

  ‘So...’ She gave him a brief smile.

  Now was not the time. Not like this. She was a mess, and shivering, and he was on duty. He deserved to hear this news when he had the time and the ability to sit and listen properly. Right now, she just wanted to get out of her wet clothes.

  And into his arms? Imagine how good it would feel to press yourself against his hot, solid body...

  ‘You mentioned somewhere I could get changed?’ she said.

  He gave a nod. ‘Of course. Here—let me take that.’ And he grabbed her wheeled suitcase and led the way.

  She followed after him, admiring his restraint, not asking her questions. But, then again, he’d been good at holding off his own pleasure, making sure she was pleasured first... A shiver rippled down her spine and she rubbed at her arms to rid herself of the goosebumps that prickled over her skin.

  He brought her to a door marked Aðeins Starfsfólk, pushing it open. Inside was what was obviously a staffroom, with lockers and a small kitchen area in one corner, and another door leading to a bathroom.

  ‘Shower is through there. Want any help?’

  She stared at him, her face flushing with heat, remembering that shower taken with him. ‘No! Most definitely not!’

  He laughed. ‘I’m joking, Merry. I’m on duty. Relax.’

  She let out a breath. Of course he was joking! She should have realised.

  He grabbed a piece of paper off the small coffee table and scribbled a number on it. ‘This is my mobile number. Get one of the nurses to contact me when you’re done.’

  She took the paper, but knew she wouldn’t call him. Once she’d showered and changed she would be asking the nurses to direct her to her B&B. Then she would return tomorrow, to tell him about the baby.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘You’re very welcome.’

  He smiled at her for a moment and she allowed herself that moment to look into his eyes and wonder what it would be like to be more to him than a moment in time. To let herself be swept off her feet and into his bed again and who knew what afterwards?

  But the moment passed as he pushed her case towards her hands.

  ‘It’s good to see you, Merry.’

  She gave him a brief smile, then looked down and away. When she looked up again he’d gone, and the smack of disappointment that washed over her left her feeling confused and disturbed and lost all at once.

  But Merry headed into the bathroom, closing and locking the door firmly behind her.

  Rejuvenated, showered, warm and dry, she collected her things before heading out of the staff room, intent on asking a nurse for directions to her B&B.

  But when she came hurrying out of the bathroom, ready to make her escape, she found Kristjan sitting on one of the couches, reading a newspaper that he put down at her appearance. He tilted his head to one side to look at her appraisingly and he smiled, standing, stretching to his full height.

  She felt like a little elf before him. A naughty elf who had been caught trying to scurry out of the grotto without being seen by Santa Claus.

  ‘You’re here,’ she said accusingly.

  ‘I am.’

  ‘But you’re meant to be working.’

  ‘And you’re meant to be calling me. But I had a feeling you were going to leave without doing so—am I right?’

  She coloured.

  ‘What’s going on, Merry? Why are you here?’

  He genuinely seemed to want to know. Had he been worrying about it ever since he’d left her to take a shower? Could he not bear the thought of not knowing the answer?

  She owed it to him. Why keep him waiting?

  Because I didn’t think it would happen like this.

  She’d imagined sitting down with him in a coffee shop, or something—somewhere public, where neither of them could make a scene. Where she couldn’t allow herself to fall into his arms. Because these last few weeks she’d been filled with a dizzying array of moods and emotions and she wasn’t fully able to trust her body right now—or its responses.

  One alarming change in particular had been to her sex drive. It hadn’t taken her long to notice that it seemed to be on overdrive—she’d noticed every good-looking man at the airport and on the plane over here. And now she was with him. The man who had caused all this.

  She was aware of everything about him. How he stood. His curious smile. The way his mouth was slightly curled. The way his hands sat on his hips as he stood there, looking at her with questioning eyes.

  ‘I’m here to see you,’ she said.

  His eyes darkened. Was he pleased by her response? Or bothered by it?

  ‘Why?’ he asked. ‘What we had in Hawaii was amazing, but it was finished when you walked out of your hotel room wearing that pretty blue dress.’

  He remembered what she’d worn? That was nice...

  ‘It’s not finished.’

  Kristjan smiled. ‘Really? How so?’ His voice was curious. ‘I don’t do long-term relationships, Merry. However, if you’re interested in pursuing a purely sexual relationship, then I’m—’

  ‘I’m pregnant, Kristjan. With your baby,’ she added unnecessarily. Because what else would she be pregnant with?

  She swallowed hard, awaiting his response, watching as myriad emotions played over his face. Sh
e saw shock. Surprise. Disbelief. He blinked, turned away, then instantly turned back again, as if he wanted to ask her a question, but nothing would come out of his mouth.

  She’d never seen him unsure of anything. In all the time she had spent with him he had been surefooted, in control, had known exactly what he was doing at all times. This was a man who had stood at a podium in front of hundreds of other doctors and given his presentation assuredly, never faltering, never nervous—a man who’d had his audience in the palm of his hand. He had always seemed to know what was happening, and how, but now, in this very instant, he was floundering, and she could see how difficult he was finding that.

  He was responding with the same emotions that she had felt when she’d watched that stick turn pink in her bathroom at home. Sheer disbelief...denial of the truth that had been right in front of her!

  She was glad it wasn’t easy for him, because it hadn’t been easy for her.

  And now he knew.

  Her job was done.

  I can go.

  CHAPTER THREE

  KRISTJAN COULD HEAR the cold wind whistling around the corner of the hospital, and through the window behind her he saw thick flakes of snow being blown this way, then that. She looked like an angel standing there, with that wintry backdrop and the tinsel around the window.

  A very small angel.

  Pregnant. With his baby.

  His baby.

  He felt a rush of emotions. Some that he could identify, others not so much. They rushed past so fast, just like the snow in the storm—there one minute, gone the next.

  Never in his life had he expected a complication such as this. He loved kids—loved helping kids, making them better and sending them home—but he’d never thought to have one of his own.

  Having a child meant having a relationship, making a commitment, and that was the sort of thing he had never aspired to—because wanting something like that opened you up to a whole new world of hurt, and the world was tough enough anyway. Being with someone else, in a relationship, meant knowing that you could lose them, and he’d already lost more than he cared to.