Free The Doctor's Society Sweetheart by Lucy Clark

with you?’ she demanded, frustration getting the better of her.
    ‘Sorry?’ He raised a quizzical eyebrow but kept walking. They were almost there. Almost at the waterhole.
    ‘I’m trying to make conversation, trying to engage in a bit of a discussion as we walk along, and yet I’m left with the distinct impression that you don’t like me.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘There you go again. Mr one-word-answer man. First you’re distant, then you’re polite, then, when you do talk to me, you usually insult me, then you apologise and walk away.’ She frowned, wondering if she shouldn’t just shut up and ignore him as much as he was her, but she also knew it simply wasn’t in her nature. She was a people person and yet the one person she was really interested in talking to, not only because, as Meeree had pointed out last night, there seemed to be some strange sort of connection between herself and Dart but also because she’d caught glimpses of the man beneath the surface he presented to her. It was that man she wanted to get to know.
    ‘You are baffling, Dartagnan Freeman.’
    ‘Baffling?’ The more she talked, the more he was findingit difficult not to engage with her. They were almost there. Tarvon and Belhara had already disappeared in front of them, meaning they’d turned the final corner. Emerson’s nearness, her obvious frustration and confusion were highly enticing as her brow puckered into a small frown, her blue eyes registering her emotions, her plump pink lips parted as she sighed again with frustration.
    He wasn’t used to people simply speaking their minds, especially when it had to do with emotions, and for a second he wasn’t sure whether to drop an arm about her shoulders and pull her close in order to reassure her that he did indeed want to talk to her or whether to increase his stride and walk off, leaving her to draw from his actions what she would.
    ‘Yes, baffling. You keep your distance from me wherever possible but on another level I sense that all you really want to do is sit quietly somewhere and talk to me.’
    ‘Hmm.’ Dart was surprised at her astuteness. It seemed to be that the attraction he felt for her wasn’t one-sided and that should be enough of a reason for him to keep his distance. They rounded the corner and all they needed to do was to climb over the rocks that surrounded the waterhole and they’d be there.
    ‘After you.’ He held out his hand to indicate she should go first.
    ‘Ha. You do realise that was two words,’ Emmy teased as she started to scramble over the rocks. The stones were smooth in places where people often walked and it wasn’t at all difficult to traverse. She was wearing flip-flops on her feet and carrying a rolled-up towel beneath her arm. ‘I mean, I wouldn’t want you to knock yourself out by actually having a conversation with me,’ she continued, still in a bit of a mood. ‘After all, I’m part of the annoying television crew here to disrupt the last week of your rotation.’
    She continued talking as they clambered over the rocks,Dart going behind her, trying not to notice the flash of her gorgeous legs peeking out between the folds of the colourful sarong as she moved.
    ‘And then,’ she said, ‘just when I think I have you all figured out, you hold a baby in your arms or make incredible shadow pup— Arrgh. ’ Emmy’s foot slipped on one of the rocks and she overbalanced, falling backwards into Dart’s firm chest, his arms coming securely around her body.
    Both of them stilled and time froze around them as they seemed to lean more heavily against each other. The sweet softness of her supple body was so close to his, her enticing scent filling his senses, making him exhale slowly and deeply as he tried desperately to ignore the way her silky hair brushed against his T-shirt-covered chest. Good heavens, the woman felt exquisite so close to him.
    His breath rushed past her ear, causing goose-bumps to spread down her bare arms,