Runaway Sister by Ann Jennings Page A

wasn’t her type, and the last thing she wanted to do was to encourage him to think that she felt more for him than she actually did.
    Dai read her thoughts. “No strings attached,” he said. “I promise. I can understand that you don’t want to get involved with anyone else yet.”
    Samantha smiled. “Well, just so long as you do understand that,” she said. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I don’t intend to get involved with anyone else for a very long time.”
    â€œA concert and fish and chips afterwards,” said Dai. “It will have to be fish and chips because it’s the end of the month and I’ve just had to buy four new tires for my car to get it through its MOT.”
    Samantha laughed. “A concert and fish and chips sounds a perfect combination,” she said. “What time shall we meet?”
    They arranged to meet at seven. Dai would pick her up at her flat in his car and then they would go to the Abbey, which was about seven miles away in a small country market town. Samantha walked back to her office smiling. The evening didn’t seem so gloomy after all, she was pretty certain she could handle Dai and make sure that he harbored no romantic illusions about her.
    After checking to make sure that there were no patients needing her services, she sent Nurse Wellow off to the library to do some studying, and settled down to an hour’s paperwork herself. She had been working steadily for about half an hour when there was a knock on her office door.
    â€œCome in,” she called, not bothering to look up, thinking it was Nurse Wellow come to ask her something. “Yes, what is it?” she asked, finishing off the sentence she was writing.
    â€œDo I have permission to speak, then?” came the sardonic voice she was getting to know so well.
    Quickly Samantha laid down her pen and looked up. It was Adam Shaw standing there, a disapproving expression on his face.
    â€œWhat’s the problem now?” she asked, not bothering to hide her exasperation. That was the strange thing about him, he managed to provoke her and yet at the same time make her feel feminine and vulnerable—a confusing and uncomfortable state of affairs.
    â€œI don’t think you’re taking the advice I gave you yesterday,” he said.
    â€œWhat on earth do you mean?” Now Samantha was mystified.
    â€œI understand that you’re going to a concert tonight with young Dai Thomas. Don’t forget what I said about wasting yourself on other junior doctors. If you’re not careful you’ll be jumping straight from the frying pan into the fire!”
    Enraged, Samantha stood up, pushing back her chair violently. “Your concern for my welfare does you credit,” she snapped. “You may have set yourself up as the expert on my love life, but I can tell you right here and now that I shall do as I please, when I please, with whoever I please. And now,” her voice was shaking with suppressed rage as she spoke, “please stop interfering in my life and get out!” She walked round the desk and went to the office door and opened it, inviting him to leave by her action.
    It was an invitation he chose to ignore. Instead he strode over and slammed the door shut, imprisoning her against it by the solidness of his huge masculine frame. She was taken completely by surprise and her mind reeled from the closeness of his body. His breath fanned her face with a caressing potency that scattered her wits. She was briefly conscious of his dark face looming above hers before his lips descended on hers, blotting out everything.
    For a moment shock held her rigid, then the persuasive ardor of his warm mouth moving over hers melted her blood into a fiery river of desire. Against her will she found herself responding, parting her lips pliantly to his kiss.
    Much later on, when she thought about it, she wondered what on earth would