Once Upon a Christmas (32 page)

Oliver groaned and cupped her face in his hands. ‘Last night wasn’t a mistake, angel.’ He lowered his mouth to hers, his kiss so hot and full of promise that she felt her body shiver. Only when both of them were struggling for breath did he lift his head. ‘Last night was the single most perfect thing that has ever happened to me. When I woke up this morning and you were already downstairs, I assumed I’d frightened you away by telling you that I loved you.’

‘I think I frightened myself,’ Helen admitted, colour rising in her cheeks. ‘It was so … I mean, I never—’

‘Neither did I.’ Oliver kissed her again. ‘And when I saw you with David …’

‘I told him that I was glad he’d come, because I thought there were things I wanted to know,’ Helen said quietly. ‘I wanted to know how he could have ended our relationship the way he did, without seeing me face to face. Then I saw him and realised that actually I didn’t even care anymore. I didn’t care why he did it that way. All I cared about was you.’

‘You were in his arms.’

‘He pulled me there. I left them very quickly,’ Helen said and Oliver let out a long breath.

‘He’s rich, Helen.’

She glanced around her, breathing in the air and sighing with pleasure as she looked at the mountains. ‘What’s rich?’ She turned back to him. ‘Rich is being with the person you love.’

He cupped her face in his hands. ‘I thought you didn’t believe that love could happen quickly.’

‘I’ve learned a lot of things in the past few weeks,’ she said softly. ‘Like the fact that I love mountains. And that I don’t want to go back to London. And that love can happen in a breath and when you’re least expecting it. I arrived here broken-hearted but you made me see that what I felt for David wasn’t love. Love is what I feel for you.’

‘And is it enough?’ His voice was hoarse and he stroked a hand around her face and tilted her chin. ‘Is it enough to make you leave behind the stilettos and the suits? Your big city life? Is it asking too much of you to make you live here?’

She smiled. ‘I want to live here. I want to be here when Hilda moves into her new flat. I want to know how things go with Anna and her new boyfriend and—’ her eyes twinkled ‘—I even want to know about Howard Marks’s sex life.’

Oliver grinned. ‘I can assure you, you don’t!’

Helen laughed. ‘Well, what I mean is, I want to be part of this great community. I know I can’t carry on being your practice nurse, but I still want to be part of everything.’

‘Ah.’ Something flickered in Oliver’s eyes. ‘About the practice nurse job …’

Helen’s gaze softened. ‘I can’t believe you paid for Maggie to visit her daughter just to create a job for me.’

Oliver rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. ‘It seems my generous gesture has rather backfired.’

‘How?’

Oliver gave a wry smile. ‘Maggie called this morning to say that she’s enjoying herself so much she’d like extended leave of absence. I need a new practice nurse.’

Helen’s mouth fell open. ‘Oh!’

‘Yes—”oh.”‘ He shook his head. ‘I must admit I didn’t have the best morning. First I saw you with David and then my practice nurse decides not to come back.’

Helen kissed him. ‘But the day is improving,’ she said softly, ‘because I happen to know someone who would make a great practice nurse. If only in the short term.’

Oliver dragged his mouth away from hers reluctantly. ‘Short term?’ His voice was husky and his eyes were still on her lips. ‘Why short term?’

She blushed slightly. ‘Because we were both a little carried away last night, that family of ours may be arriving sooner rather than later.’

Oliver stared at her and then a huge smile spread across his face. ‘I might have made you pregnant—’

‘Stop sounding so smug. If you have, you’ll soon be interviewing a new practice nurse.’

‘I don’t care.’ Oliver gave a groan and kissed her gently. ‘I hope I did make you pregnant. I want to have lots of babies. I probably should have told you that before.’

Her insides melted. ‘If you’re the father, I want lots of babies, too. I love you.’

‘And I love you, too.’ He glanced back along the path she’d taken. ‘Can you remember the way home?’

‘Of course. Boulder shaped like a sheep and ice like Africa. ‘Why?’

His blue eyes gleamed wickedly. ‘Because I don’t think we should leave this baby thing to chance. We should go home and try again.’

She lifted her mouth to his. ‘That, Dr Hunter, sounds like a very good idea.’

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

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Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS
© Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l. 2012

Originally published as
The Doctor’s Christmas Bride
© Sarah Morgan 2004 and
The Nurse’s Wedding Rescue
© Sarah Morgan 2004

ISBN: 978-1-408-99794-9