When he'd walked into Resus tonight for the first time in two years, he'd almost lost it. Two years had suddenly become two seconds and for a moment he'd been trapped by the memories—the smell, the noise and the utter helplessness. He'd been unable to move, unable to function as a doctor.
But then Ellie had touched him.
It was as if her warmth had melted the chill inside him and brought him back from the edge of hell to a place that was bearable.
It was because of her that he'd been able to cope.
Which didn't bode well for the rest of his stint in A and E, he thought grimly, bringing himself sharply back to the present as he walked to her door. He couldn't exactly ask to have her by his side every time he walked into Resus, could he?
So what was he going to do?
Leave?
Ask Sean if he could work everywhere except Resus?
Hardly. He just needed to work harder at hiding his feelings.
Especially when he was near Ellie.
Despite her endless chatter, she was unusually observant.
As he stood in the doorway to her cabin he stared down into her face, noticing the thick dark lashes and the soft pink mouth.
Her mouth...
Ben remembered her remark about kissing him and his insides tightened.
Damn.
Pulling himself together, he fumbled with the keys, opened the door and found the light switch, blinking in surprise as he looked round her cabin.
It was totally Ellie.
Touches of her warmth and cheerfulness were everywhere. Brightly coloured rugs, cushions and throws over the sofas blended together to make a stylish and cosy home. It was surprisingly large, with picture windows overlooking the lake and a huge log fire that lay stacked with logs ready to be lit.
Where was her bedroom?
He found it through the second door, a pretty room decorated in different tones of green and cream that reminded him of being outdoors.
Careful not to wake her, he laid her gently on the bed, tugged off her boots and covered her with a duvet. That was as far as he was prepared to go.
There was absolutely no way he was undressing her.
It was daylight when Ellie woke and Max, her German shepherd dog, was on the bed, licking her face.
'Oh, yuck. Gross! Get off.' She pushed him away sleepily and then caught sight of the clock. 'Oh, my goodness!'
She sat upright, pushed the duvet down and suddenly realised that she was fully clothed. 'Oh, Max, I must have fallen asleep in his car.'
Swinging her legs out of bed, she stood up and yawned before padding into the huge sitting room and strolling over to the window.
The Outdoor Pursuits Centre consisted of thirty log cabins set in a wood by a lake and a large house which was used for conferences and meetings.
Through the trees she could see the next door cabin and wondered if Ben was awake. If he was, she ought to thank him. She owed him a lot for everything he'd done the day before.
And she wanted to check that he was all right.
She frowned thoughtfully as she remembered what had happened in Resus. It was as if it was the last place in the world he'd wanted to be. But then the patient had arrived and somehow he'd managed to pull himself together.