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Where were his clothes? He scanned the room.
There. On the dresser. His formalwear was neatly stacked and folded.
Relief was beginning to outweigh regret and the throbbing in his head. It was easier this way. She obviously didn’t want to be found here with him. And that was fine with him. He’d rather her dad not find out about this at all. Although Antônio Moreira was no longer his patient, it could still prove to be awkward.
Climbing out of bed and stalking toward the bathroom, he showered quickly, using the tiny bottles of products he found on the counter. They were untouched, the seals intact until he opened them. She’d left in a hurry, evidently.
He finished and toweled off, his nerves beginning to settle as he padded back into the bedroom.
It was okay. Yes, he’d had a few too many drinks. Yes, he’d shared a couple of hours at a motel with a beautiful woman.
That this was not his normal behavior didn’t matter. What was done was done.
The shock of his sister and his best friend deciding they were “in love” had still not worn off, almost a year later. He’d kept thinking it was just a phase, that they would get over it. They hadn’t. And as of yesterday they’d sealed the deal. They were married.
He shook off the thoughts, snagging his clothes from the dresser and jerking them on. He should have at least thought to bring along some jeans to change into.
Grabbing his wallet from the heart-shaped nightstand, his lip curled in disgust at the gaudy furnishings, an over-the-top nod to what the room was designed for, from the cheerful wicker basket of condoms on the dresser to the…
His gaze jerked back.
Condoms.
And three torn Cellophane wrappers.
He blew out a breath. At least they’d been protected. Both he and Sara were free and clear. And that’s the way he intended to keep it.
No weddings or rings in his future—he was strictly a best man kind of guy. Although as he’d held that ring over Sara’s hand, he’d had the weirdest sense of déjà vu. Only here in the motel room, there was no ‘déjà’ and no ‘vu’. There was only him.
No wife. No children.
And “for as long as he alone shall live”, that was exactly the way it was going to stay.
CHAPTER ONE (#ub19a6f9a-ad1a-52e0-ae03-e6245029e71e)
Four weeks later
“WE’VE FINALLY HAD someone respond to our request for a nurse. It looks like your mobile screening unit is a go after all. We still need to discuss the start-up costs, though.”
The slums of Brazil weren’t the most desirable place to work, and yet Sebastian had hoped for more than just one taker so he could choose the most qualified individual. Especially since the memo had been sent out to hospitals in various states of the country.
He sat back in the chair and regarded Paulo Celeste, the hospital administrator. “The costs are all listed in the dossier. I know we have a couple of ambulances that are out of commission. If we could use one of those, it would cut costs tremendously. I’m donating my time, of course, so that will help as well.”
His trip to gaúcho country had brought more than just a wedding and a night in a motel, it had once again emphasized the need for screening services in areas where medical facilities were few and far between. Even in the state of São Paulo, there were rural locations that were difficult to access. And then there were the favelas. Hospital Santa Coração had a clinic in the slum down the hill, which was run by Lucas Carvalho. But if the mobile unit was up and running, they could go into some of the other areas as well.
The hospital administrator opened a folder on his desk. “So basically a portable ultrasound machine and some blood draw equipment?” The man peered a little closer. “And, of course, the nurse. She is willing to settle for the stipend listed as long as we provide her with lodging. Check and make sure there’s a place available in the hospital housing division.”
“Okay. And if there’s not?”
The administrator made a sound in his throat. “We can’t afford to rent her an apartment in the city.” He shuffled through a stack of files on the right-hand side of his desk. “She’s from a little hospital in Rio Grande do Sul. No local relatives. Her father was a patient here a while back, and she’s anxious to do an estágio in oncology. With the hiring freeze it’s a little tricky…but if there are no units in the hospital you could always consider housing her yourself.” The man gave him a sly smile.
“I don’t think so.” That was all he needed. He’d just hope there was something available. “The hospital bigwigs would probably frown on that kind of arrangement.”
“I am the bigwig, but yes. It was a joke. Professionalism is the key, especially in this kind of situation.”
“Of course.”
Wait. He flipped through his own mental file drawer. Rio Grande do Sul—wasn’t that where his sister’s wedding had taken place a month ago?
“Who was the patient?”
“I’d have to check. The daughter’s name is Sara Moreira.”
A stream of shock zipped up his spine. He knew exactly who that was.
Tall with legs that wouldn’t quit, and expressive eyes that reflected every single second…
Deus, it couldn’t be.
She was applying for the job?
“Does she know who the request came from?”
Paulo’s head tilted. “It came from Marcos Pinheiro, since he’s the head of oncology. Why?”
What was he supposed to say? “Oh, remember that whole professionalism is key thing? It’s already gone way beyond that.”
And boy had it. Several times. In multiple positions.
He swallowed hard. That was probably the dumbest move he’d ever made. And if he admitted to it here and now, his project was dead in the water. She hadn’t been a nurse at his hospital at the time, so there had been no problem. Right?
When Paulo started to hand him the file, he waved it away. “I know who she is.”
He wanted to tell the man, hell, no, he didn’t want her. Standing next to her at that wedding had made something in his gut churn to life, just like when he’d worked her father’s case. After a few drinks, things had gotten out of hand, and the rest was history. A crazy sensual history he was better off forgetting.
But if he said he wasn’t willing to accept this particular nurse, he would have to explain why, and that could make for a very awkward conversation. It could also mean the death knell for this project, since no one else had responded to their request. Was he looking a gift horse in the mouth here?
He’d certainly enjoyed kissing that mouth.
He took a deep breath, hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake. “I can give her a try and see if she works out.”
The administrator shook his head. “We’d need to be able to offer her three months, minimum, and six months is what she prefers. She wants the experience, Sebastian. She can’t get it in less time than that. Take it or leave it.”
In other words, his pet project was resting on the answer to this one question.
The question was could he keep his hands to himself for that long? Yes. Some mistakes did not bear repeating, no matter how pleasurable they had been at the time.
“Sure. Why not.”
He could handle six months of anything. After all, he’d lived in a household that had been pure hell during the time Natália had been undergoing her cancer treatments. He’d never told his sister what he’d found out about their father. And seeing the jerk at her wedding had made a slow boil start up in his gut. It had been part of the reason he’d dragged Sara to the bar that night. To avoid having to interact with the louse that had cheated on his mother and made her cry, who had said terrible things about his sister when she’d been ill.
The folder slid back to Sebastian’s side of the desk. “Take this down to Human Resources, then, and tell them that I’m okaying the transfer.” The man tapped his pencil on the paper in front of him. “But I’m keeping six months as the maximum, and I’m holding you to these figures. So, keep the costs down as much as you can.”
Time for a little last-minute haggling. “I want to be up and running in a week or two.”
“A week or two? The ambulance needs to be painted at the very least. I don’t want anyone mistaking it for an emergency vehicle, especially if you’re taking it into the favelas.” His lips tightened. “And no narcotics of any kind are to be carried onboard, understood?”
The favelas could be dangerous places on a good day, and if someone thought that they could find drugs inside it would be a recipe for a disaster.
“Understood. I’ll make arrangements for the painting.” He wasn’t going to tell the administrator he already had a body shop lined up. A friend of a friend who was giving him a huge discount on the job.
“If this goes well, it will be great PR for the hospital. So make sure everything runs smoothly. No snafus, got it?”
“I understand.” And if there were snafus with Sara? What if she expected to take up where they’d left off at the motel, once she found out she’d be working with him? Although the fact that she’d disappeared before he’d woken up made him think she wouldn’t. There’d been no sexy good mornings. No breakfasts in bed. Just an empty motel room.
There would be no snafus. Sebastian would do everything in his power to make sure they were able to work together. As long as she was okay with keeping things purely professional.
And if she wasn’t?
Then she might very well make his life difficult. Or at least his job.
So he had to make sure that didn’t happen.
No matter how hard it became. At least for the next six months.
* * *
Sara was elated. Even though part of her had been dreading this trip for the last week.
Would she run into Sebastian? It had been five and a half weeks since they’d found themselves at that motel together. But they’d both had far too much to drink. He probably didn’t even remember that night. Not that she’d waited around to find out.
What did it matter? She had the job! Carrying her small suitcase up the walkway toward the huge modern hospital, she felt like she was coming home. She’d spent almost a year of her life at this place while her dad had undergone treatment—first chemo, and then surgery to replace part of his femur with an internal prosthesis, a surgery she hadn’t even known existed before they’d come here. That was when she’d realized how insulated her little world was.
Her dad’s care had been first class. His doctors had saved his life. And Natália, the neonatal doctor who had shared her personal story of surviving the same type of cancer, had infused him with the will to try. Sara really believed that. The two had become fast friends over the course of their time there. And if she had to face Natália’s brother at her new post, well, she would grit her teeth and bear it. He hadn’t tried to contact her since that night, but that was understandable, since she’d been the one to sneak out at the crack of dawn.
Her stomach gave a twinge of nerves, the butterflies she’d felt for the last week developing wings of steel as they flapped around her belly. Her dad was worried about her being this far away from home, but at twenty-six it was well past time she found her own wings and flew away. Even if they were waging war inside her at the moment.
She was pretty sure that in the big city men made love to women and then went on about their lives—wasn’t that how things were depicted on television? Thank God she’d never told her father what had happened that night. He would have been firmly against her coming here if he’d known, and it might tarnish his perception of Sebastian. Instead, Sara had simply told him that she’d spent the night with a friend after having one too many drinks.
And she had.
Pushing a buzzer at the entrance, she gave her name to the person who answered. The glass door promptly clicked open and she pushed through it, wiping Sebastian Texeira from her thoughts. At least for now.
The service entrance was well lit, the marble fittings she remembered being in the main corridor were echoed even here. Employees were treated well. You could tell by the care put into the details. They probably had to attract and keep the best talent in the country, so they treated them right. And now she was here. Among the best of the best. A place she’d never thought she’d be. The fact that it was only temporary made her determined to get as much as she could out of the experience. Maybe she would learn something she could introduce to her own hospital back home.
She swung into the door marked “Administration”, where she was supposed to meet some of the members of her team. As soon as she entered the room, however, she stopped, her heart stumbling for a beat or two. Sitting in a beige leather chair, one ankle propped on his knee, was the person she had just shoved from her mind. The wings in her belly turned into chainsaws, slashing at her innards and turning them to mush.
“What are you—?” She tried again. “I’m sorry. I’m supposed to meet someone here.”
A someone who isn’t you.
His long legs uncurled as he stood upright. And he was much taller than she remembered, her neck having to tilt to look into his face, unusual for her. Of course, when you were horizontal, differences in heights didn’t—Stop it!
“I’m assuming that person is me.”
“Excuse me?” Shock streamed through her, washing away the saws, the wings and anything else that might still be cruising around inside her.
“Not who you were expecting?” His lips thinned, face turning grim. Other than that, not a hint of emotion flickered through those dark eyes. No “Hello, nice to see you again,” or “How have you been?”
So that’s how he wanted to play this. He was going to pretend he didn’t know her. Or maybe he wasn’t pretending. Maybe it had meant so little to him that he could just lock it away and hurl the key out into the universe. Something she should be doing as well. Maybe people here in São Paulo were like the hospital: cold and clinical. Wiped clean of anything that didn’t belong. Where she came from things were very different. She’d been a willing participant in his little game, so she was going to have to live with the consequences.
She’d wanted this job, had practically gotten down on her knees and begged her little clinic for the opportunity to come once she’d seen the ad go up on the staff bulletin board. So she’d better get over it or she was going to ruin everything.
“You’re in charge of the screening program?”
“I am. Partly because of your father.”
Her brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”
“He made me realize that not everyone recognizes symptoms of illness before they’re advanced. I want to help change that by going into the poorer communities and working with people who wouldn’t normally come to the hospital.”
Her dad had made that happen?
And what about what had happened between her and Sebastian? Should she bring it up?
Why? So he could sit there and wonder if she was hung up on what had happened over the course of a few hours?
No way. If he could act like it hadn’t happened, then she damn well could too.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity.”
“That’s good. Staff at Hospital Santa Coração are already stretched thin. I couldn’t ask anyone to take this on pro bono.”
“I wasn’t aware this was an unpaid position. My understanding was that the estágio brought in a stipend. They quoted me a figure.” How was she going to support herself if she didn’t get paid?
“You’re right. It does. You were the only one to apply for the position…” He nodded toward another man in the room that she’d just noticed. That person’s eyes were studiously fixed on some document in front of him. “Did you want me to say no?”
He could have. He could have turned her down flat.
She swallowed. He’d said she was the only one who’d applied for the position. So, was she the only one who had raised her hand when he’d been looking for a sleeping partner at the wedding as well? The thought made her feel physically ill.
Doing her best to choke back the sensation, she drew herself up to her full height. “I guess you said yes.”
“And so did you.” His voice was soft as he said it, his glance studying her in a way that made her tummy ripple.
“Yes, and so did I. I actually thought I’d be working with Dr. Pinheiro, though.” So what if they’d slept together? It wasn’t like she’d had any expectations of that night other than what had happened.
But a motel? She’d never in her life set foot in one of those establishments and if anyone she knew found out…
