‘The job description... Yeah. I’ll be needing to see that. I made it clear that the treatment plan is entirely your own responsibility.’
‘I’m still not quite sure why you’d do that.’
Ross took a breath. This was demanding and exhausting, and yet somehow exhilarating. A little bit like the best sex imaginable, but that was not on his agenda. He’d stick to Laurie’s issues with the paperwork.
‘Have you thought about that stunt with the boat? Why you did it?’
She gave him that incredible enigmatic smile of hers. ‘I’m sure you have a theory.’
‘I do.’
‘Then the least you could do is share it.’ She tilted her jaw just enough to let him know that she wasn’t going to be letting him get away with anything.
‘I think that you spent your childhood being pushed far too hard. You must have learned how to question your father’s authority, because you left.’
Her smile solidified on her face. Ross saw a flash of pain in Laurie’s eyes, hidden quickly. ‘Go on.’
‘Even now, you’re defying anyone who tells you what to do. Your consultant, Sam. Me, for sure. But there’s a part of you that knows you need to stop, and that’s why you rowed straight past my window.’
‘You’re saying that I’m undermining myself? That’s a pretty smart trick. I’m not entirely sure I’m that clever.’
‘Then you don’t give yourself enough credit. And I think it’s fair enough to say that most people have done exactly the same thing at some point in their lives.’
She nodded slowly. ‘It’s an interesting thought. Bit far-fetched, though, if you ask me.’
Sure it was. He’d seen the way that Laurie had reacted, and he’d touched a nerve. If she didn’t want to admit it just yet, that was fine.
Before she could end the conversation, Ross pulled his laptop around, focussing on the screen. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her reach for her book again. Whatever she was thinking was hidden behind an impassive mask.
Why was he doing this? It was a great deal of trouble, and he’d have been perfectly justified in just discharging Laurie from the clinic, on the basis that she was refusing treatment. But there was no part of him that could let her go.
Not the lonely child who’d amused himself while his mother had worked all the hours she could to support them both after his father had left. Not the teenager, who’d spent much of his time alone, while his mother had worked. And not the husband, who had longed for a family of his own, but had been told that his chances of ever conceiving a child were somewhere south of one in a thousand.
His marriage hadn’t survived, and he’d reconciled himself to the loss of his dreams, pouring all he had into the clinic. It had been his family when he’d been alone and hurting, and now it was Laurie’s last chance. Ross wasn’t going to let her lose it.
CHAPTER FIVE
SHE WAS BEGINNING to feel that Ross was far too perceptive. Deep down, Laurie had known that she was sabotaging herself when she manoeuvred right instead of left and had rowed straight past the windows of the clinic. But it had taken Ross to put that theory into words.
It was time to put her head down and work. Not to think about whether Ross was right or wrong, or any of the emotions he seemed to stir up so easily in her. She had aims. She wanted to get back to competitive fitness, and she wanted to help make a difference for Adam and Tamara. Ross wanted that, too, so where was the problem?
Wanting the same things as he did felt a little risky. She’d spent the last few days treating him as if he was the enemy, and if Laurie was honest she’d prefer it that he was. If he started wanting the same things as she did, they’d be tearing each other’s clothes off before nightfall.
Not going to happen. Ross might seem to have his life sorted, but he’d dropped a few hints that had made her wonder whether he wasn’t just as damaged as she was. And Laurie’s own damage ran deep. Deep enough that she didn’t want to re-create a family for herself when the one she’d had and left behind had almost crushed the soul out of her.
She got out of bed, almost stumbling as the morning stiffness robbed her hip and leg of their strength for a moment. A few stretches would sort that out, and then she’d go to the gym for her morning exercise routine. Then she’d concentrate on spending the whole day avoiding Ross as much as politely possible.
* * *
Stumbling block number one. When Laurie entered the gym she heard the muffled clank of weights from one of the machines. She reminded herself that there was no way that Ross could be checking up on her, because he’d been here first. Before she could bang the door closed behind her to alert him of her presence, he sat up, catching up a small towel and wiping his face.
Good definition. Really great definition. He wasn’t muscle-bound but he was strong. Sweating. Laurie suppressed the urge to march over to him and ask him what he was doing here, because it really wasn’t his fault that the male body held a particular allure for her when pumping weights.
‘Hey. Just finishing up.’ He got to his feet, obviously about to vacate the gym so that she could exercise alone.
‘Don’t rush away on my account.’ She smiled, trying to inject a note of polite warmth into her tone that didn’t sound too much like lust.
‘I’m running a bit late anyway. I’ll let you get on with...whatever you’re about to do.’