Emergency Doctor and Cinderella by Melanie Milburne Page A

every night wooing his latest conquest. She had thought the dope-smoking university students were bad, but living next door to a modern-day Lothariowas going to be completely sickening. What if she had to listen to him…? Oh no, don’t even think about it, she reproached herself sternly. She would get some heavy-duty earplugs and turn up the music or something.
    All went quiet for a moment and Erin edged away from the pantry door and sneaked a peek. Her eyes rounded in shock and disgust. The girl called Stephanie was barely out of her teens. What a jerk!
    ‘Have you met any of your neighbours?’ Stephanie asked, brushing back her mane of glossy dark hair and looking up at Eamon coquettishly.
    Erin stiffened.
    ‘Yes, I have, actually.’
    ‘And?’ Stephanie planted one hand on her hip and tilted her head at him.
    ‘And it’s none of your business,’ he said. ‘Anyway, she might be listening.’
    Erin sucked in a breath and quickly flattened herself back against the pantry door.
    ‘She?’ Stephanie’s voice rose. ‘There’s a woman living next-door? How old? What does she look like? Is she single? Is she nice?’
    Eamon laughed. ‘“She” is one of the doctors at Sydney Met.’
    Completely heartless , Erin thought. Had he no consideration for poor Stephanie’s feelings? What if the poor girl was in love with him? After all, she had practically begged him to allow her to move in with him.
    ‘Come on, Eamon,’ Stephanie pleaded. ‘Tell me the rest. You could be dating her for all I would know.’
    As if! Erin thought.
    ‘One shared curry hardly constitutes a date,’ Eamon said.
    ‘So you’ve had dinner with her?’
    Erin couldn’t quite make out the tone of Stephanie’s voice. She didn’t sound disappointed—incredulous, perhaps, but certainly not heartbroken.
    ‘Just the once but it didn’t go so well,’ Eamon said. ‘Anyway, she’s not my type. She’s uptight and prickly. And she’s stubborn.’
    Stephanie laughed. ‘Ho, ho, ho, Mr Kettle, have you checked out your shade of black lately?’
    ‘Cute,’ Eamon said in a droll tone. ‘Real cute.’
    ‘Seriously, though, Eamon,’ Stephanie went on. ‘Is she pretty?’
    Erin held her breath.
    ‘So-so,’ Eamon said. ‘If you go for that girl-next-door look.’
    So-so? Erin fumed. So-so?
    Stephanie chuckled again. ‘So, when do you think I can meet her to check her out for myself?’ she asked.
    ‘Well, if you stand over here where I’m standing, you can get quite a clear view of her,’ he said.
    Erin’s eyes widened, and her heart gave a sideways lurch as she turned her head and encountered Eamon’s amused emerald gaze.
    ‘Come on out, Dr Taylor,’ he said with a knowing smile. ‘I’d like you to meet my youngest sister.’
    His sister ? Erin felt her colour rise to the roots of her hair as she peeled herself away from the pantry door. She squared her shoulders with what little pride she had left, and, sliding the doors fully open, walked out onto the balcony.
    ‘Dr Taylor, this is my sister Stephanie,’ he said. ‘Steph, this is Dr Taylor.’
    Erin put out her hand to the young girl. ‘Nice to meet you. But please call me Erin.’
    Stephanie beamed and shook Erin’s hand vigorously. ‘Lovely to meet you too, Erin. I’ve been hearing all about you.’
    Erin shot a telling glance in Eamon’s direction. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘So have I.’
    Eamon gave her an enigmatic smile. ‘Would you like to join us for dinner?’ he asked. ‘Steph’s cooking. I’m pretty sure she won’t poison you.’
    Stephanie gave him a mock scowl before she turned back to Erin. ‘Oh yes, please do join us,’ she said. ‘I’m doing a hospitality course. I’m trying out my recipes on Eamon. I’ve brought heaps of ingredients, so there’s no shortage of food.’
    Erin took a step backwards. ‘I don’t want to intrude on a family get-together or anything.’
    ‘It’s not a family get-together,’ Stephanie assured her. ‘If it was I