"My ex-wife is getting married to a Canadian, and to make a long story short, it turns out he's a distant cousin of my da. He's invited all his Irish relatives to the wedding, including me."
Indra gaped for a moment—her expression perfectly summing up the matter—before snapping her mouth closed.
"That's…awkward," she said.
"Yes, but not as bad as it sounds. Mae and I've been divorced for years, and there's no animosity."
Yet tension tightened his shoulders as he acknowledged to himself that it wasn't the thought of seeing Mae remarry causing him stress, but that his family would be there.
His parents and brothers loved Mae and, without knowing the details of the breakup, blamed Lorcan for the divorce. There was no way they'd let the situation go unremarked, but if Indra went along, she could act as a buffer.
Hopefully.
"The wedding is at a castle in Galway on the twentieth," he continued. "But I thought I'd take a couple days off at the same time, so I'm leaving on the eighteenth, coming back on the twenty-first."
"A castle?" Indra's eyes widened.
He shrugged. "Mae always does things in a big way. I'd be delighted for you to come, no strings attached, despite your effort to seduce me."
She laughed, as he'd intended, but five days later he was still reeling from their kiss and, about to see her again, wondered how he would react.
They were jointly researching the effect of external electrical stimulation coupled with physical therapy on patients with severe spinal cord injuries. This was one of their regularly scheduled patient appointments, with Joanne Symes, who had tetraplegia.
Walking toward the examination room, Lorcan tried to get his mind on the job ahead, instead of on the memory of those soft, luscious lips beneath his. While in the past he'd looked forward to working with Indra, now he felt off-kilter—his skin prickling, heart pounding.
Opening the door, he let his gaze slide quickly over Indra and settle on their patient, who smiled and replied to his greeting. Yet, as he kept his tone and actions completely professional, he couldn't stop glancing repeatedly at his colleague.
There was something so cheerful and effervescent about Indra, she attracted his attention without effort.
Preparing to attach the electrodes to Joanne, he happened to look up and met Indra's gaze.
His heart flipped, and he froze for a moment. Then Joanne said something, drawing Indra's attention, and Lorcan could breathe again.
And where before it was his fervent hope she'd go with him to Galway, now he was almost afraid she'd say yes to his proposition.
*
Indra determinedly concentrated on Joanne and ignored her body's heated reaction to Lorcan's presence. She'd wondered how he'd behave when next they met, but from the casual way he'd greeted her, you'd think there was nothing personal about their relationship, and Indra had relaxed.
Then came that look—positively crackling with awareness—and her entire system went haywire.
"I can't believe the improvement," Joanne said, referring to the effects of the treatment. "And to think I almost didn't sign up for the study."
"Was there a reason you hesitated?" Indra asked. Listening to patients and understanding their thought processes was key in rehabilitation.
Joanne hesitated, then said, "After my…accident, the physiatrist at the rehabilitation center was unpleasant and a bully. I left there humiliated and depressed and decided never to go through that again. So, when I heard about this trial, and that there'd be a physiotherapy component, my first impulse was to say I wasn't interested."
"Well, we're glad you changed your mind," Lorcan said, making Joanne smile.
"I'm glad I did too," she replied. "It's made me realize how important it is to see things as they really are, not how you fear they'll be. It's the only way to move forward in life."
After the session, Indra headed for the elevator.
When Lorcan caught up to her and asked, "Have you given any more thought to the trip?" she shrugged, trying to look casual though her heart was pounding.
"I have."
"So?"
"I've put in for leave from the eighteenth to the twenty-second."
"Stellar."
"But honestly, I haven't decided whether to go with you or not."
"Okay," he replied casually, ringing for the lift. "Just let me know when you make up your mind."
Dammit. If he'd tried to cajole her, it would be easy to cry off. From his totally untroubled expression, it seemed he didn't care one way or the other.
"Did you call your dad?"
She nodded, swallowing hard as she stepped into the lift. "I did, and the fireworks started. He's coming to London to deal with Mum."
"I'm glad," Lorcan said. "What she's been doing isn't safe."
"That's what I said."
But Mum hadn't seen the danger. Instead, because Julian was a friend's nephew, and a solicitor, she'd been annoyed Indra had rejected him. Mum was so used to manipulating everyone around her, bullying them with her temper tantrums into doing what she wanted, it was inconceivable to her when anyone balked.
As the lift started down, a thought suddenly struck.
"Wait, is that why you've been around the last few nights when I'm leaving to go home?" She'd made sure to leave with others, and although she'd been aware of Lorcan in the group, he hadn't spoken.
He shrugged. "Would you believe it was coincidence?"
She was speechless, touched at his quiet, unobtrusive concern.
"No," she finally replied. "I wouldn't."
When the lift doors opened onto the busy corridor of the surgical wards, they stepped out, ready to go their separate ways.
But before he could leave, Indra heard herself say, "Alright, I'll go."
The heat that flashed in his eyes sent tingles rushing over her skin. Then, in a blink, it was gone, leaving his habitual solemnity.
"Brilliant. I'll be in touch with the details."
And before she could respond, he was gone.
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