Free The Taming of Dr. Alex Draycott by Joanna Neil Page A

softly. ‘So much has happened in such a short time.’ He ran his hands over her shoulders, her back, gently soothing her.
    ‘I’m just afraid I’ve let them down.’ Her voice faltered. ‘It’s as though I’ve been suffering from tunnel vision lately, trying to form order out of chaos. I’ve concentrated so hard on dealing with day-to-day life…it all seemed so important at the time.’
    He rested his cheek against hers. ‘Perhaps it was the only way you could cope. But what really matters is that they should be happy. You can’t make up for this awful thing that has struck down their parents, but you can do something to help the children.’
    She nodded. ‘You’re right. I know you’re right.’
    He smiled. ‘Anyway, you could do with a break yourself. It’s time to step off the treadmill—so, if you’ll pass me the sponge and tape, I’ll get on.’
    He carefully released her, easing back from her a little, and she took a moment to get used to being on her own once again. She missed his warm embrace. She missed his closeness.
    But she needed to pull herself together, so she went to find the things he needed.
    She handed them to him a minute or so later, and then watched curiously as he placed the sponge inside the carrier bag and taped it firmly beneath the outlet of the tap.
    ‘First we switch on the cold tap,’ he said, ‘then the hot. Wait for the gurgling to stop…then turn off the hot tap.’ He waited a moment or two, leaving the cold tap running, and then abruptly removed the bag and sponge. Water spurted out.
    ‘We’ll try that one or two times more,’ he murmured, ‘and see if it does the trick. It’s just an airlock that’s causing the trouble.’
    A minute or two later, the water was running freely, and Alex watched and marvelled. ‘Thank you for that,’ she said. ‘I would never have guessed it was something so simple. I can see I’m going to have to get myself a book on how to fix things around the house…or find a decent internet site that explains everything in layman’s terms.’
    ‘As opposed to having a man around the place?’ He sent her an oblique glance, a smile playing around his lips. ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer your own handy-man on the premises?’
    Her mouth curved. ‘Are you putting yourself forward for the job?’
    ‘Oh, yes.’ His glimmering gaze skimmed over her. ‘With perks, of course…’
    ‘Oh?’ She looked at him warily. ‘And they would be?’
    ‘Well, let’s see…you could pay me with tea and pizza, or maybe a slice of strawberry cream cake…’
    ‘That sounds reasonable enough,’ she said with a smile. ‘I think we could manage both of those.’
    ‘Hmm.’ He dried his hands on a tea towel and then turned to face her once more. ‘Though there are other far more interesting ways I could think of.’ His gaze lingered on the pink fullness of her mouth, and she simply stood there for a moment, lured by the sheer invitation in those incredible blue eyes and wondering what it would be like to be kissed by him. Somehow he was so close that it would only take a breath of movement, and his lips would be touching hers. She felt heady with the intensity of the moment, lulled by the spell he was weaving around her.
    ‘James wants to take his snorkel and flippers,’ Sarah said, coming into the kitchen at that moment. ‘I told him we’re not going swimming, but he won’t listen. And he thinks we’re going to take the dinghy and his wooden boat as well as the beach ball.’
    Alex came back down to earth with a bump. She gave Callum one last, cautious glance, and saw that his mouth had curved into a resigned smile. ‘Tell him the beach ball and his wooden boat are fine,’ she said, trying to keep her voice on an even keel. ‘And we’d better get a move on if we’re to have plenty of time at the beach.’
    She turned to Callum, breathing in deeply to calm herself. ‘Will your aunt be okay while we’re out? It seems like the