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A Date with the Ice Princess
Kate Hardy
Bought by a delectable doctor – and he’s about to awaken all her senses! Daughter of a rock star, shy registrar Abigail Smith always tries to stay out of the spotlight. But it’s gained her the reputation of the hospital’s ‘ice princess’ – something she’s determined to shake off. That’s why she’s on stage being sold to the highest bidder for her hospital’s charity auction!Expecting no one to bid for a date with her, Abby is amazed to be bought by the hospital’s bad boy bachelor, Dr Lewis Gallagher! And he’s made it his personal mission to rid Abby of all her inhibitions!
Praise for
Kate Hardy:
‘Kate Hardy brings this emotional and poignant story of past hurts, dealing with grief and new beginnings which will keep a reader turning pages and devouring it in one sitting!’
—Contemporary Romance Reviews on DR CINDERELLA’S MIDNIGHT FLING
‘When you pick up a romance novel by Kate Hardy you know that you’re going to be reading a spellbinding novel which you will want to devour in a single sitting, and A CHRISTMAS KNIGHT is certainly no exception.’
—CataRomance.com
‘NEUROSURGEON… AND MUM! is a spellbinding tearjerker readers will want to read again and again. Written with plenty of sensitivity, understanding and heart, NEUROSURGEON… AND MUM! is the latest winner by this outstanding storyteller!’
—CataRomance.com
‘SURRENDER TO THE PLAYBOY SHEIKH: I spent a lovely morning with this book, and I’d advise you to do likewise. Get it. You’ll love it. An unrestrained Grade A.’
—goodbadandunread.com
‘PLAYBOY BOSS, PREGNANCY OF PASSION: this story features a strong heroine who gains strength from her family, and a hero who realises the importance of love and family before it’s too late. Add in their captivating romance and it makes for one great read.’
—4 stars RT Book Reviews
This was Lewis Gallagher. In the white shirt and formal trousers he wore with a white coat at work he looked professional, and she could see him as just another colleague. In faded jeans and a black T-shirt he looked younger. Approachable.Touchable.
How had she ever thought she could handle this?
‘Come in,’ she mumbled awkwardly.
She put the flowers in water, then buried her nose in them and breathed in the scent again. ‘These are glorious.’
‘I’m glad you like them,’ he said.
‘I wasn’t expecting you to bring me flowers.’
‘I believe it’s official first date behaviour.’
First of three, according to the grapevine. ‘So today you’re on your best behaviour, next time you’re going to be a bad boy, and after the third date you dump me?’ She shook her head. ‘No, thanks. I’ll pass.’
‘That’s a bit unfair. You don’t know me.’
True, but she wasn’t going to let him guilt-trip her into agreeing to anything. ‘I know your reputation.’
‘Don’t believe everything you hear.’ He held her gaze. ‘Just as I don’t believe everything I hear about you, Princess.’
The Ice Princess. Touché. ‘So why did you place that bid?’
‘Because,’ he said, ‘you intrigue me.’
Dear Reader
I couldn’t resist going back to the emergency department at the London Victoria and catching up with everyone (you may well recognise some names!). I enjoy opposites-attract stories, and at first glance you’d think that daredevil party boy Lewis is the opposite of quiet ice princess Abigail. Except nothing’s quite as it seems for these two; they both have tricky pasts and secrets to overcome, and they have a lot to teach each other.
Lewis buys a date with Abby to teach her how to relax and have fun. Except it ends up with Abby teaching Lewis to learn to trust his heart and discover what he really wants from life. And it’s not what he thinks it is…
One of my favourite parts of writing is hands-on research. I didn’t research the really scary stuff myself (unless you count watching Felix Baumgartner’s record sky-dive on TV), but I did grill friends who’ve done zip-lining and ice-skating. Researching the dancing was great fun, though my husband and I are rather better at the Cha Cha Cha than we are at the Waltz (and the dance shoes Abby buys are, ahem, just like mine). The Beethoven is my favourite piece of music. And I went to the Globe with my best friend while I was writing the book (though it was a different play!). I do hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I’m always delighted to hear from readers, so do come and visit me at www.katehardy.com
With love
Kate Hardy
About the Author
KATE HARDY lives in Norwich, in the east of England, with her husband, two young children, one bouncy spaniel, and too many books to count! When she’s not busy writing romance or researching local history she helps out at her children’s schools. She also loves cooking—spot the recipes sneaked into her books! (They’re also on her website, along with extracts and stories behind the books.) Writing for Mills & Boon
has been a dream come true for Kate—something she wanted to do ever since she was twelve. She’s been writing Medical Romances™ for over ten years now. She says it’s the best of both worlds, because she gets to learn lots of new things when she’s researching the background to a book: add a touch of passion, drama and danger, a new gorgeous hero every time, and it’s the perfect job!
Also by Kate Hardy:
In Mills & Boon
Medical Romance™
THE BROODING DOC’S REDEMPTION
ONCE A PLAYBOY…
DR CINDERELLA’S MIDNIGHT FLING
ITALIAN DOCTOR, NO STRINGS ATTACHED
ST PIRAN’S: THE FIREMAN AND NURSE LOVEDAY
(St Piran’s Hospital)
In Mills & Boon
Modern
Romance
THE HIDDEN HEART OF RICO ROSSI
THE EX WHO HIRED HER
A MOMENT ON THE LIPS
In Mills & Boon
Romance
BALLROOM TO BRIDE & GROOM
These books are also available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk
A Date with the Ice Princess
Kate Hardy
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
CHAPTER ONE
‘ABIGAIL, AS YOU’VE only been with the team for a few weeks, I know it’s a bit of an ask,’ Max Fenton, the duty consultant, said, ‘but Marina’s put a lot into setting up the promise auction next weekend. So I was wondering if you might be able to donate something?’
Abigail knew that the quickest thing would be to ask her dad and his band to sign a photo and some CDs. Or offer tickets and a backstage pass to Brydon’s next tour. Except she’d learned the hard way not to mention that her father was the rock guitarist and singer Keith Brydon, founder of the group that bore his surname. Or that her flat had been bought with the royalties from ‘Cinnamon Baby’, the song he’d written for her the day of her birth. It might be a quick win, but it’d make her life way too complicated.
She could simply say no, but that would be mean. The promise auction was raising funds to buy equipment that the department badly needed. And she did want to help.
‘I, um… OK,’ she said. ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘Max, are you pestering our poor new special reg?’ Marina asked, coming to stand with them and sliding her arms round her husband’s waist.
‘On your behalf, yes.’ He twisted around to kiss her.
The perfect couple, Abigail thought, clearly so much in love. And even though she knew she was better off on her own, she couldn’t help feeling slightly wistful at the love in their expressions. What would it be like to be with someone who loved her that much?
Marina rolled her eyes. ‘Ignore him, Abigail. You honestly don’t have to do anything.’
Which left her on the outside, Abigail thought. Where she’d always been. Would it be so hard to be part of the team for once? ‘No, I’d really like to help,’ she said. ‘What sort of thing do you suggest?’
‘Really?’ Marina looked faintly surprised, then delighted. ‘Well, other people have offered things like dinner out, or cleaning for a day, or a basket of stuff.’ She paused. ‘Maybe you could offer some cinema tickets with popcorn and a drink thrown in, or something like that.’
‘Or a date. That’d be a good one,’ Max chipped in.
‘Shut up, Max. You’re not meant to be pressuring her. A date’s not a good idea. You know what—’ Marina stopped abruptly and put a hand to her mouth, looking horrified.
Abigail could guess why. And what Marina had been going to say. ‘It’s OK. I know people call me the ice princess,’ she said dryly. ‘It was the same at my last hospital.’
‘People don’t mean to be unkind.’ Marina looked awkward. ‘It’s just that… well, you keep yourself to yourself. It’s quite hard to get to know you.’
‘Yes.’ There wasn’t much else Abigail could say. It was true. She did keep herself to herself. For a very good reason. Once people worked out who she was, they tried to get close to her so they could get to meet her father—not because they wanted to get to know her better. Been there, done that, worn the T-shirt to shreds. She blew out a breath. ‘OK, then. I’ll offer a date.’
‘Please don’t feel that we’ve pushed you into this,’ Marina said. ‘If you’d rather offer a basket of girly stuff or some cinema tickets, that’d be just as good.’
It was a let-out. But Abigail was convinced, whatever Marina said, that her colleagues would think even less of her if she took it. ‘The date’s fine,’ she said.
Relief flooded Marina’s expression. ‘Thank you, Abigail. That’s fabulous. I really appreciate it.’
And maybe, Abigail thought, this would be a new start for her. A way of making friends. Real friends for once. Something she’d always found so difficult in the past.
The alternative—that she’d just made a huge, huge mistake—was something she didn’t want to think about.
Friday the following week was the night of the auction. The room was absolutely packed; all the emergency department staff who weren’t on duty were there, along with people Abigail half recognised from other departments that she’d met briefly while discussing the handover of patients.
Max Fenton and Marco Ranieri, two of the department’s consultants, had a double act going on as the auctioneers. And they hadn’t spared themselves from the promise auction: they’d both put themselves up as household slaves for a day, and driven each other’s price up accordingly.
Abigail bid successfully on a pair of tickets to a classical concert, and then it was her own promise up for auction.
A date.
Adrenalin prickled at the back of her neck. Why on earth hadn’t she thought to ask someone to bid for her at the auction? She would’ve funded the cost herself, and it would’ve gotten her out of an awkward situation.
Still, she was the ice princess. Hardly anyone would be interested in a date with her, would they?
Except that Marco and Max seemed to be on a roll, really talking her up.
Abigail could barely breathe when the bidding reached three figures.
And then a male voice drawled, ‘Five hundred pounds.’
Oh, for goodness’ sake. That was a ridiculous sum. And the only reason she could think of that the man would pay that sort of money for a date with her was because he’d found out who she was.
Please, please, let her be wrong.
She held her breath, not quite daring to turn round and look at whoever was bidding. Not wanting to make eye contact.
Everyone else in the room seemed to be holding their breath, too.
And then Max said easily, ‘Do we have an increase on five hundred pounds?’
Silence.
‘OK, then, that’s a wrap. Thank you. One date with Dr Abigail Smith, sold to Dr Lewis Gallagher.’
Lewis Gallagher?
Abigail’s brain couldn’t quite process it. Lewis Gallagher, special registrar in the emergency department, was the one man in the hospital who really didn’t have to buy a date. Women queued up to date him because he was a challenge. Every single one of them seemed to believe that she’d be the one to make him review his ‘three dates and you’re out’ policy. And, from what Abigail had heard, every single one of them failed.
Except her. Because when Lewis had asked her out last week, she’d said no.
And now he’d bought a date with her.
