Carol Marinelli - Billionaire Doctor, Ordinary Nurse (Harlequin Presents Extra: Posh Docs)

THIS is a nightmare! Sucking in her breath, Annie closed her eyes as Melanie tugged at the back of her dress. But you get to wake up from nightmares.

It will be fine. Melanies voice was determinedly calm but it didnt fool Annie for a momentespecially when she dared to open her eyes again and stared at her reflection in the mirror. It will be fine Melanie said again, only with a dash less convictionand with good reason: the fabulous mocha silk bridesmaids gown that should slide over her stomach, creating a svelte sophisticated look, instead had a rather unfortunate rushing effect and Annies usually rather insignificant bust was spilling out over the top of the empress line bodice.

I look awful, Annie wailed into the mirror. Her hair was everywhere, dark curls so wild they could have headed off on safari, blue eyes puffy from crying at the disaster of a dress that looked like it was going to burst open at the seams at any minute.

Youll look great, Melanie soothed her. Once your hair is done and everything and youre in high heelsyou just need to loose a little bit of weight.

By Saturday!

Perhaps you could try a corset, Melanie suggested. What was it like at the fitting last week?

Just a teeny bit tightshe was going to let it out a fraction over the bust and waist, but Jackie said there was no need, that if I hit the gym a bit harder it wouldnt be a problem.

And did you? Melanie suddenly barkedall pretence at looking at the bright side dropping. Annie, I could hardly do it up. Its going to tear and Jackies going to kill you when she finds out.

There was nothing worse in a crisis than the friend youve called on for support visibly crumbling. It was pathetic really, Annie tried to reasonthe two of them both worked in the highly fraught, extremely busy emergency department of a large Melbourne hospital, dealt with life-and-death decisions each and every day and here they were, panicking, literally going to pieces, because she could barely get into her dress.

Oh, but it wasnt any dressit was a bridesmaids dress.

Worseit was Jackies bridesmaids dress.

Jackieher boss and friend, who had gone, in a matter of months, from deeply dedicated, fastidious consultant of her beloved emergency department to a self-absorbed, controlling bride-to-be.

And there were just six days to the wedding.

My period is due. Annie was really clinging at straws now. Maybe thats why its so tight.

When?

Today, tomorrow

Great. Melanie was back in supportive mode now. Its probably a bit of fluid retention, and if you go on a crash diet and actually stick to itwell, youve seen those shows where they lose loads in the first week.

Im not going on a crash diet. Instantly Annie shook her heada crash diet was the last thing someone with Annies past should do, not that Melanie would know that. As close as they were, that murky bit of baggage had been thoroughly checked and deposited where it belongedin the past. Anyway, they train for four hours a day Annie argued as Melanie looked at her watch. Im supposed to be getting those nails put on this morning, so that I can be used to them by Saturday, then Im on a late shift Annie shook her headit was impossible, she had practise hair and make-up tomorrow evening, another late shift on Wednesday, the final rehearsal on Thursday nightoh, and a spray-on tan to squeeze in on Friday. There was absolutely no way she could fit in a triathletes training schedule.

Ring Jackie, then, Melanie said. Ring Jackie and tell her that your dress doesnt fit.

THE overhead lights in the observation ward were off as Annie Jameson swiped her ID card and raced in through the rear entrance of the accident and emergency department with a surprising ten minutes to spare before her late shift started.

Eight empty beds lay waiting to be filledwhich was good news. The theory was that the obs ward should be cleared by middaypatients either discharged or transferred to a ward. But in practice that rarely happened: when a doctor saw an empty bed and his patient had been stuck in A and E for several hours too long, the obs ward invariably ended up becoming a mini high dependency unitwhich the emergency department had to staff. Annie was one of the more senior nurses, which often meant that, rather than actually nursing, her time was taken up directing the never-ending flow of traffic in the department, finding beds, gurneys, staff and often transport.

Hey, Annie, came a few calls. Walking into the staffroom was as familiar and welcoming as walking into her own living room.

Midday was the busiest timestaff coming in for the late shift, doctors who were waiting for results and whoever had been allocated an early lunchand seating was at premium. But, after placing her salad in the fridge and swigging on her water bottle, Annie saw that for once her favourite comfy chair was free and she collapsed with a loud groan and put her feet up on one of the coffee-tables.

Im exhausted, she grumbled to her audience. It took an hour to get my nails done, then I had two painful hours at the gym, and Her voice sort of stopped, just for the teeniest, tiniest fraction of a second as she took in the unfamiliar face among her regular colleagues. Im ready to drop. Is Jackie on today?

Is she ever? Louise, a fellow associate charge nurse, rolled her eyes. There were two consultantsMarshall, who was winding down for retirement, and Jackie, who was winding up for a nervous breakdown. And currently everyone wanted to be working with Marshall. Ill be glad when this wedding is over, Louise carried on. Everything, and I mean everything, ends up being about the wedding. I was setting up to put in a catheter and moaning that we were low on packs and somehow

Annie wasnt really listening. She looked, no doubt, as if she was listening, nodding in all the right places and adding little I knows to the conversation. But instead her eyes were wandering, sort of casually drifting around the room, coming to rest on the clock so she could be sure she wouldnt be late for handover but sneaking a quick glimpse of the stranger who had caused her to falter.

Tall and dark, he was stretched out on a chair and he was stunning. Black hair, worn just a hint too long, framed a sculpted face, a full, very sulky mouth was moving to yawn and perhaps the reason she hadnt noticed him at first was because he didnt seem new.

New members of staff, whether porter or consultant, had that sort of anxious-to-fit-in lookand were either nodding furiously at the conversation or had their heads buried in a paper, trying to pretend they werent there.

This delicious specimen, though, was scratching a rather unshaven chin and listening with vague interest to what everyone had to say.

And hed caught her looking.

Slate-grey, almost black, and rather reprobate eyes held hers for just a second, that tiny second where you looked and he looked and it was just a tiny bit too long to be called polite, just that tiny fraction long enough to know that you were definitely female and he was definitely maleand both of you have noticed.

Her heart rate had only just recovered from her workout and now here it was edging over the 100 mark again.

Most of the staff in the room stood, draping stethoscopes round necks, checking paperwork or begging for a pen, while the early lunches remained sitting at the main table along withWho was he?

Hey, Iosefyouve got those blood gases to do. Beth, one of her colleagues, addressed him.

Ill be there soon. There was just a smudge of an accent that Annie couldnt identify as Beth carried on talking.

What time are you on until, then?