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It was true. While other women had fallen heavily for Mark, she’d never seen him as anything other than her dearest friend.
‘Oh, here we go again. More ego-bashing,’ Mark drawled, his tone making it obvious that his ego was definitely intact. ‘You’re saying you don’t find me attractive?’
‘Why would you want me to? Mark, you’re my best friend!’ She rolled her eyes with exasperation. ‘I’m not in the habit of fancying my best friend. Anyway, as I said before, you’re not my type.’
‘Why?’ Suddenly he sounded curious. ‘Go on—tell me. Why aren’t I your type?’
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Mark, I don’t know.’ She frowned impatiently. ‘I’ve never analysed it before. Basically because I don’t go for macho males, I suppose. And you’re very “male”, if you know what I mean.’
‘I’m not sure I do.’ Mark started to laugh. ‘Surely I’m meant to be “male”?’
Suddenly Holly felt flustered. ‘What I mean is you’re—you’re—very rough and tough. You know, black belt in judo, accomplished sailor, rock climber. You like fast cars and—’
‘You’re basically saying I can’t hold a conversation?’
‘No.’ Holly smiled and nestled deeper into the sofa. ‘I’m not saying that at all. You’re jolly good at conversation. I’m just trying to tell you why I don’t fancy you. You’re too macho. I prefer the sensitive sort.’
Actually, she didn’t really know what she preferred any more. Her love life was such a disaster she’d given up analysing it.
‘You don’t think I’m sensitive?’ Mark sounded hurt and she grinned, knowing it was a pretence. Mark wasn’t that easily wounded. He was totally comfortable with himself, self-assured and confident in everything he did.
‘You’re sensitive with your friends. Just not your girlfriends. And it’s not a post I’ve ever been interested in. And on top of that—’ she played idly with the sleek curtain of blonde hair that fell over her shoulder ‘—I’ve known you since I was two and I remember the time when you put sand down my nappy—’
‘Ouch. Surely I didn’t do a thing like that.’ His sudden laughter was infectious and she started to laugh, too.
‘You did indeed. And when I was too old for nappies you put ice down my knickers, a snake round my neck and you cut off my pigtail to try out your new Swiss army knife.’
Mark was still laughing. ‘What a lousy friend I must have been. OK, I get the message. In fact, I’m amazed our friendship has endured in the circumstances.’
‘Well...’ Holly’s voice was gruff. ‘I suppose I should also add that you’re a great listener, good company and the best friend a girl could want.’
Mark broke the long silence that followed. ‘That’s nice to hear. And it means you can definitely be my fiancée without me worrying that you’ll expect me to marry you at the end of it.’
‘Which brings us back to your story of the woman,’ Holly prompted him, and he sighed.
‘So it does. Anyway, we went out for this drink and she cornered me. I managed to escape without hurting her feelings but it’s getting worse by the day.’
‘Did you kiss her?’
There was an explosion of sound. ‘No, I did not kiss her!!’
‘Maybe you should have done. You should have given her a really horrid, wet, wimpy, slimy kiss that would have put her off you for ever.’
‘I’m not sure I know how to kiss like that.’ His voice shook with laughter. ‘And if you know how that sort of kiss feels then you’ve definitely been going out with the wrong sort of men.’
Holly’s smile wavered. She didn’t need him to tell her that, but men and relationships were the last thing on her mind right now.
‘OK.’ She changed the subject quickly. ‘So what’s happening with this woman at the moment?’
He gave a groan. ‘It’s becoming embarrassing at work. I didn’t want to be rude and ruin a working relationship, so I mentioned that I was engaged to you.’
Holly took a deep breath. ‘Well, that’s all right,’ she said carefully. ‘Other people have long-distance relationships. Just tell them I’ve got a job I can’t leave.’
There was a long pause. ‘It isn’t that simple. They wormed the truth out of me, I’m afraid.’
‘The truth?’
‘That you left your job a few months ago and have done bits of agency work since. Unfortunately my confession coincided with our practice nurse leaving to have a baby, so they came up with the idea of you joining me. I was cornered really, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a brilliant solution. If I have a fiancée down here in Cornwall, then this woman is more likely to leave me alone.’
Holly’s mouth opened and closed. ‘So they already think I’m coming? You didn’t think to ask me first?’
If he hadn’t been her dearest friend she would have put the phone down!
‘I’m asking you now! In fact, I’m begging you, Holl!! Think about it,’ he urged, his voice deep and persuasive. ‘If I have a fiancée I don’t have to spend every minute of the day wondering whether what I’m doing or saying could be misconstrued. I can just get on with my life.’
‘But, Mark—’
‘And you can get on with your life, too. You still haven’t found a permanent job, have you?’ He paused. ‘You haven’t told me why you resigned from your last practice nurse post, but I know something happened.’
Holly stiffened, and her heart rate bolted. Suddenly they’d moved onto dangerous ground. ‘Nothing happened.’
‘Come on, Holl, this is me. I know you better than anyone.’ His voice was gruff. ‘You’re not the sort of person to leave a job without good reason.’
She’d had a good reason. A very good reason. ‘I—It was nothing. Just politics.’
‘Don’t lie to me, Holly.’ His voice was calm and matter-of-fact. ‘I know something’s wrong. And I know it’s something big because it’s the first problem in your life you haven’t shared with me.’
He was right. It was the first thing she hadn’t been able to tell him. But he’d been miles away in Cornwall and it wasn’t something she could talk about on the phone.
She bit her lip. ‘Mark—’
‘It’s OK, babe,’ he said softly. ‘I know you’ll tell me when you’re ready. I’m just suggesting that whatever it was might heal faster down here. The job is yours for as long as you want it, and if you decide to leave when this is all over then fine. I know you’re not happy just doing agency work—’
‘It means I can pick and choose the jobs I do.’
Which was absolutely essential for her peace of mind.
‘But that’s not you. You like stability.’ Mark was as astute as ever. ‘So get yourself down here and then I’ll be close by when you’re ready to spill the beans.’
‘I don’t know, Mark,’ Holly croaked, and there was a pause.
‘Get yourself down here,’ he ordered, his voice gruff and kind. ‘That way I can keep an eye on you.’
Tears blurred her vision and she gave a watery smile, relieved that he couldn’t see her. Just talking to him made her feel safe. If she was honest, she could do with a bit of Mark’s protection right now.
‘Maybe I should. You’re a good friend.’
‘Despite the snake and the ice?’
‘Despite that,’ Holly admitted, her voice choked.
‘So come and be my fiancée and practice nurse.’
Holly thought for a long moment. ‘What would it involve?’
‘The job?’
‘No.’ For some unknown reason Holly felt her colour rise. ‘The other bit. Just how “touchy-feely” would we have to be?’
‘I don’t know. Use your imagination.’ He chuckled. ‘Generally I would think it would be fine if you just hang on my every word, gaze at me adoringly and follow me round like a puppy.’
‘Yuck!’ His teasing made her feel better again. ‘I don’t think I could do that without being sick.’
And without feeling jolly uncomfortable. Pretending to fancy Mark would feel odd.
‘You’ve done it before—’
‘Mark, we’ve already established that we were in primary school at the time,’ she reminded him dryly. ‘Hardly the same thing at all.’
‘Well, just do your best.’ There was a brief silence. ‘And you’d have to live with me, of course.’
‘Live with you?’ Her voice was little more than a squeak and Mark laughed again.
‘Of course, live with me. This is the twenty-first century, Holly. People usually live together when they’re engaged. Anyway, it’s an ideal arrangement because you’d need somewhere to stay and it’s impossible to get short-term lets in Cornwall in the holiday season.’
‘I don’t know, Mark.’ Holly hesitated. ‘What if it ruins our friendship?’
‘Why on earth should it do that?’ He sounded astounded at the suggestion. ‘Holly, we’ve been friends for twenty-four years. Nothing has ever ruined our friendship.’
She frowned. ‘But this is different, Mark.’
‘“Always and for ever”,’ he reminded her softly. ‘That’s what we used to say to each other as children. Remember?’
Holly gave a soft smile. She’d never forgotten their childish promise to be friends for ever. ‘Of course I remember, you idiot.’
‘Then what’s the problem?’ His voice was gruff. ‘Nothing has ever threatened our friendship, Holly. Not even when we’ve lived miles apart and had serious relationships with other people.’
Holly bit her lip. Serious relationships? She’d never had a serious relationship. Not really. In fact, she was beginning to think that she must have totally unrealistic expectations about relationships because they were always such a colossal disappointment.
‘We haven’t lived together before.’
‘So confess all your annoying habits, then.’ He spoke in that lazy drawl that turned women weak at the knees. ‘Do you leave the top off the toothpaste? Am I going to find your undies strewn over my radiators?’
‘Surely that would be part of the fiancée role,’ Holly quipped, and he laughed.
‘Probably would. You see? You’re more attuned to it than me.’ There was a slight pause and when he spoke his voice was serious. ‘I really need you, Holly. I’m sorry to do this to you, but say yes, babe. Please?’
Her protests collapsed in a heap. Mark needed her. And when had she ever been able to refuse him? He’d always been there for her. Always.
All he needed was a fake fiancée. He wasn’t asking much really and, if she was honest, working with him again would be fun. She bit her lip. Maybe having Mark nearby would help her. Maybe living with him would get rid of some of the nightmares. Mark was so physically strong that it was hard to be nervous of anything with him around. Nobody threatened Mark.
‘Holly?’ His voice was sharp. ‘Are you still there?’
‘Yes, I’m here.’ She took a deep breath. ‘OK, Mark. I’ll do it.’
‘You’ll do it?’ She could hear the triumph in his voice and she smiled in response.
‘I think I must be mad but, yes, I’ll do it. I’ll be your “fiancée”.’
As Mark started bombarding her with instructions Holly tried to ignore the little voice inside her head which suggested that pretending to be in love with him might not be as straightforward as it seemed.
She agreed to meet the senior partner in London for an interview and then, providing all was well, travel down to Cornwall at the end of the week.
It would be all right, she told herself firmly. Of course it would. After all, they were only pretending. It wouldn’t change their relationship.
Would it?
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_427abe88-8086-5110-8e1f-bab2d9fc04ed)
HOLLY switched off the engine and stared at the modern red-brick medical centre with trepidation.
This was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Why had she ever agreed to such a thing? It was never going to work. How could she walk into that surgery and greet Mark as if he were the love of her life?
She gave a groan. Why on earth hadn’t they discussed things in more detail? She had no idea what Mark was expecting. He’d asked her to arrive at lunchtime on Friday, but he hadn’t given her any more details. What was she meant to do? Throw her arms around him and kiss him passionately or was she meant to be reserved?
She must have been mad to agree to it!
But it was too late to change her mind now.
Reluctantly she climbed out of the car and walked across the car park, pinning a smile on her face as she pushed open the door that led to the reception area.
‘Yes?’ The blonde woman behind the desk gave her a cool look and Holly paused uncertainly. Hardly the most effusive welcome she’d ever received.
‘I’m here to see Dr Logan.’
‘Dr Logan has been called out on an emergency,’ the receptionist told her briskly, ‘and in any case you can’t see him without an appointment.’
‘I’m not asking for an appointment.’ Holly took a deep breath as she tried to get past that icy fa;alcade. ‘I’m—’
‘He has a space next Thursday at four o’clock.’
Next Thursday? Holly frowned. And what happened if one of his patients was desperate to see him before that?
‘As I said before, I don’t need an appointment,’ she told the woman, her voice still friendly. After all, they were obviously going to be colleagues and she didn’t want to alienate her. ‘I’m not a patient. I’m Holly Foster, the new practice nurse. I’m Dr Logan’s—’
‘Fiancée.’ The blonde woman stared at her for a moment and Holly saw her mouth tighten. ‘Of course. I should have guessed.’
Holly swallowed and managed a smile. ‘Why should you have guessed?’
