Tempted by Her Italian Surgeon by Louisa George

Understandable.’
    â€˜Really? You think? Honestly?’ Ivy breathed out a sigh of relief. It seemed the legal personnel had the same approach to bodies as she did. Preferring to look at them from the outside rather than the inside. ‘I can’t tell you how much better that makes me feel. I was standing up for such a long time and it was very hot in there.’
    â€˜Well, he definitely makes me all hot and bothered too.’
    â€˜What?’ She might have known Becca’s answer would be hormone-related. ‘Oh, for goodness’sake, I didn’t faint because of him, I fainted because the air-conditioning was broken and all my blood was in my feet and, well, I…don’t like seeing inside bodies much. Mr Finelli is just a man. He’s nothing special. No need to get all giddy.’
    â€˜Tell that to your face, Ivy. It’s all red and blotchy.’
    Ivy threw her assistant a smile. ‘You know, I preferred you when you were meek and polite.’
    â€˜Sorry. Overstepping a little?’
    â€˜Yes. Kind of.’ But, truly, Ivy needed some people on her side. After the stuffy atmosphere in the board meetings and the heavy, long hours, which she really deep down didn’t mind, sometimes it was nice to have a little girl time. Usually by the time she got home after a long day her flatmate had either gone to bed or had hit the town with her boyfriend. They had a great flatmate arrangement, it worked well and they didn’t get under each other’s feet, probably because they rarely spent more than an hour a week together. Which meant that Ivy would find herself alone most evenings. Which was fine, given she had so much work to keep her occupied, but sometimes… ‘Are you heading off now? Have a good weekend.’
    Becca shook her head. ‘Actually, I’m headingover to the pub. Everyone goes there on a Friday night. It’s—’
    As her heart fell Ivy interrupted, ‘Oh, you too? Let me guess, tradition, right?’
    â€˜Tradition. Yes, most of the admin and support staff go—in fact, a lot of the hospital workers go. It’s always good fun and there’s karaoke later.’
    â€˜All the more reason for me to stay here, then.’ Shuffling bits of paper on a Friday night, looking across the road at the lights in the pub. Listening to the laughter. God, she could have her own pity party right here.
    Becca frowned right back. ‘It’s fun. Really. You should come. You don’t have to sing.’
    It wasn’t the singing. It was the company. Certain company that she didn’t want to face again today. ‘No can do. I’m busy.’
    â€˜It’ll wait. Turn your computer off.’ With a dramatic flourish Becca stepped forward, stacked the files on the desk into a large pile and handed them over. She grinned, with no hint of apology. ‘I know…overstepping again, but it’s Friday. Take your folders home and read all weekend if you like, but tonight you’re coming for a drink. We never did get to celebrate your arrival here. And it’s about time we did. I can’t tell you what a breath of fresh air you’ve been in here.’
    â€˜But… I… Wait…’ To refuse would be rude. But to tell the truth would be embarrassing andrefute what she’d just said about Matteo being nothing special. Because, really, he was a teensy bit set apart from other men she’d dated in her dim and distant past. He was attentive and could be gentle and funny in a macho kind of way. Plus, he made her heart skip just a bit. And she was intrigued by him, by a man who could hold her attention longer than any other had. And by that body, which had her pulse racing at the strangest and most inappropriate moments.
    Which was exactly why she had no intention of stepping over the threshold of that pub door.
    * * *
    â€˜Really. No. I can’t. I’m just going to head right on