Free The Secret Doctor by Joanna Neil

I’ve been warned to be on my guard.’
    â€˜I can guess who was the one giving the warning.’ He made a wry face. ‘Seriously, if I promise to be on my best behaviour, would you reconsider? I know where the best reefs are, and it would be an experience to remember, I’m sure.’
    She gave it some thought. Where was the harm after all? Hadn’t he been considerate enough to think of Rob when he was ill in hospital?
    â€˜Well, maybe I’ll give it a try.’ The words were out before she had a chance to stop them, and he swooped on her, giving her a hug.
    â€˜That’s my girl.’ He was smiling as he looked down into her eyes. ‘I’ll come and fetch you bright and early on Sunday morning. You won’t regret it, I promise.’
    â€˜Well, I dare say we’ll see about that,’ Lacey murmured. Her mind was already clouding over with indecision, and being wrapped in his arms didn’t help a bit. She wasn’t at all sure she was doing the right thing, and by agreeing to go along with him she was probably setting herself up for trouble. He was a pirate by nature, a devil of the high seas, a man who lived life by his own rules.
    It was too late to take it back, though. Jake released her, and was already striding back along the dock towards his house, whistling a cheerful tune, his step jaunty.

CHAPTER FIVE
    â€˜I’ M ASSUMING the water will be warm enough so that I won’t need a wetsuit,’ Lacey said, when Jake came to call for her on Sunday morning. She was wearing a T-shirt and shorts over her swimsuit, and with the sun shining over everyone and everything it was an easy bet that she would dry out soon enough when she came out of the water.
    â€˜Yes, you can rely on it. In fact, you could swim naked if you wanted.’ He sent her a hopeful look, but she fixed him with a glittering blue gaze.
    â€˜I don’t think so.’
    â€˜No?’
    â€˜Definitely not.’
    â€˜Oh, well,’ he sighed. ‘I suppose it was worth a try…’ He grinned. ‘But as to water temperature, that’s the beauty of a tropical climate…life just gets better and better. In fact, when you think about it, everything in the Keys is hassle free, laid back, and it’s all about simply having fun.’
    â€˜I’ve noticed.’
    â€˜Well, we all succumb to the atmosphere in the end. They call it Keys disease, because it creeps up on you before you realise what’s happened.’
    She smiled. ‘You would go along with that. You’re a hedonist, through and through.’
    He shrugged. ‘The way I see it, life’s too short to be working and worrying, if it’s not necessary.’ His glance moved over her. ‘Today will be good for you. You need to loosen up a little.’
    â€˜Do I?’ She raised a brow. ‘You’re beginning to sound like my ex-boyfriend. He thought life was all about having a good time, taking days off to laze in the sun with a cool drink by the lounger, or chill out in his apartment.’
    â€˜Are you saying you didn’t go along with that?’
    â€˜Naturally I did, to some extent. Who wouldn’t want to relax and enjoy life? But obviously we had different opinions as to the timing.’ Her mouth turned down at the corners. ‘That’s partly why he’s an ex.’
    He gave a soft chuckle. ‘So tell me about him. There must have been more to him than pure pursuit of pleasure, or I can’t see you going with him in the first place. Didn’t you want to pull up your lounger alongside him?’
    â€˜Of course, and I often did…but not when we had to study for specialist exams, or when I was expected to put in an appearance for an important tutorial. Anyway, it wasn’t just about that.’ She frowned. ‘He started drinking heavily and I could see it was taking its toll on him. He didn’t see that there was a problem, and if