His girls had been through hell and they’d only just started to show signs of settling down. There was no way he was going to do anything that might threaten their new-found security. They needed life to be stable and predictable. They didn’t need their father involved with another woman.
Christian strode back to the comparative sanctuary of his office, wondering what was happening to him. He’d never had any trouble focusing on his work and since the divorce he’d had no trouble in not noticing women. But that had changed when he’d moved hospitals and met Lara King.
No man could fail to notice Lara.
She had a vibrant, energetic personality and her sense of humour infected the whole department. And as for the way she looked—well, her appearance matched her personality. Her hair flicked cheekily up at the edges, she wore an almost permanent smile on her face and her deep blue eyes always seemed to be twinkling with humour.
But despite her obvious attractions, he’d managed to think of her only as a talented colleague.
Until a week ago.
Meeting her in the Christmas grotto had changed everything.
His life was no longer neatly and securely divided into work and home. She’d bridged the two and in doing so had forced a hole through the defences he’d built around himself. And it was nothing to do with the fact that Aggie had so innocently broadcast the details of his personal life and everything to do with his awareness of Lara as a woman.
With a soft curse, Christian sprawled in the chair behind his desk, ignoring the fact that his computer was telling him that he had seventy-two new messages in his inbox.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her.
She was all energy and laughter but his attempts to dampen his libido by dismissing her as vacuous and lightweight were continually thwarted by the fact that she was, without doubt, the brightest nurse he’d ever worked with. She was always one step ahead of him and her experience in the ED smoothed every clinical situation.
She was vivacious, full of life and almost impossibly sexy and, if she’d come into his life at a different time…
But she hadn’t, he reminded himself grimly, gritting his teeth and hitting a key on his computer so that he could view his emails.
And it didn’t matter how bright she was or how attractive. It didn’t matter how strongly his body reacted to her.
He didn’t want any sort of relationship with a woman. It was far too soon.
The girls weren’t ready.
And he wasn’t ready, either.
* * *
The following day Lara was strapping a patient’s ankle in the treatment room when Jane put her head round the door.
‘Have you seen Christian?’
‘Not since lunchtime.’ Lara looked up. ‘Why?’
‘Because his daughter is in Reception, asking to see him.’
‘Which one?’
Jane stared at her. ‘How many does he have? How do you suddenly know so much about his children?’
‘He must have mentioned it,’ Lara said casually. ‘I’ll go and see to the daughter while you find Christian. I’ve finished here, anyway.’ She handed the patient an information sheet. ‘Keep the leg up when you’re sitting down. You can take some ibuprofen or paracetamol for the pain.’
She washed her hands thoroughly, wondering why one of Christian’s girls had suddenly arrived in the emergency department. ‘Is she on her own?’
‘As far as I could see. I wonder if he’s gone down to the chief exec’s office or something?’ Jane slid out of the room to continue her hunt for Christian and Lara hurried through to Reception.
Aggie sat there, looking forlorn. Her arm was bandaged and her face was covered in spots.
‘Oh, my goodness, what’s happened to you?!’ Lara swiftly entered the code that unlocked the door through to Reception and hurried over to the little girl. ‘Aggie. Do you remember me?’
‘You look like that fairy. But without the wings.’Aggie gave a faltering smile and Lara saw the remains of tears on her cheeks.