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  She was breathing hard and her heart thumped against her ribs. Her hair had begun to escape the confines of the ponytail she’d secured earlier that morning. She was sure she looked a mess—not exactly how she wanted to present herself in the first week of her residency.

  With an effort, she slowed down her breathing and got her heart rate back under control. A few quick swipes at her hair and she hoped she’d restored it to a somewhat tidy arrangement. From the look on Doctor Baker’s face, he didn’t much care either way. He came toward her with a tender expression on his face.

  “You’re really something, you know? I thought you were a star, but I was wrong. You’re so much more than that. Your fire, your passion, your kindness… Do you have any idea what you do to me? How you make me feel?”

  Once again, he moved up close beside her and didn’t stop until their clothes were touching. He reached out and took her chin firmly between his fingers and tilted her head up to his. Off balance, she stumbled forward and landed full against him. His arm came around her and pressed her closer. She gasped at the feel of his erection against her stomach.

  “Oh, Chanel, Chanel, Chanel, from the moment I saw you, I had to have you. Your skin, your hair, your eyes, your body. There’s not a single part of you that isn’t beyond exquisite and I have to touch you, taste you, fuck you.”

  His words finally penetrated her fog of fear and panic and gave sudden movement to her frozen limbs. She pushed hard against his chest. Caught by surprise, the doctor released his hold and she stumbled away from him.

  “Stop! You have to stop! This isn’t right. Please, Doctor Baker, this isn’t right.”

  “Chanel, come on, you’re making too big a deal out of this. You and I would be great together. Can’t you see that? And think of all I can do for you over the course of this year. You’ll graduate top of the class with my wholehearted support and congratulations. The medical world will be yours for the asking. Any job you desire will be within reach. And in the meantime, the two of us can have a little fun. What’s the harm in it?”

  Chanel stared at him in confusion. Was he insane? What nonsense was he talking? He couldn’t honestly expect her to sleep with him in return for better grades? Surely that kind of awfulness only happened in the movies?

  But as he continued to advance upon her, she realized with growing unease that he meant every word he said. He’d offered her a proposition. Sleep with him and she’d reap the rewards—in every possible way. The very thought turned her stomach.

  She glanced at him and saw the determination in his eyes. It was clear she was going to have to work hard to persuade him otherwise. The trick was doing it without offending him. The thought of failing terrified her.

  “Doctor Baker, I’m sorry. I hope I haven’t given you the wrong impression. You… You’re a very attractive man. But the truth is, I’m here to learn, to grow as a doctor, to be the best medical practitioner I can be. I believe in healing and easing pain and being there to ease patients through their darkest hours, but I need to do it on my own terms, using my own talents, my own instincts, my own deductions. It’s the only way it can be. Don’t you see? I don’t want you to smooth my path or remove obstacles out of my way. I want to earn my place in the medical world. Please, tell me you understand?”

  Doctor Baker’s expression had darkened more with every moment of her speech and she quaked inside at the thundercloud that developed on his face.

  “So, you’re rejecting me. Is that what you’re trying to say? That not only don’t you want me, but you don’t need me to help you on your way to this illustrious career?”

  His tone had deepened to an angrier growl with every sentence he uttered. Chanel held his gaze, but it took every ounce of courage she possessed.

  “I wouldn’t put it quite so harshly, Doctor Baker, but…the essence of what you say is correct.”

  If it were possible, his expression turned blacker and Chanel couldn’t help the shiver of apprehension that prickled along her spine. How had she gotten into such a situation? Things had moved far out of her control. It was time to take her leave.

  “Doctor Baker, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go and start my rounds. Thank you once again for your kind words. I promise I’ll do my best to earn my place on your team.”

  “Oh, you’ll earn your place, all right. You don’t know what you’ve done by turning me down. I have the power to make all of your paths smooth and if I’m so inclined, as rough and rocky as I like.”

  The threat in his words was as clear as the menace in his eyes and another shiver of foreboding feathered across Chanel’s skin. She hadn’t set out to antagonize him, but despite her best efforts, one thing was clear: She’d made a dangerous enemy.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Bryce glanced at his watch and then pushed away from his desk. It was crowded with the usual assortment of case files, statements, pens and pencils and two large, black, leather-bound volumes of legislation that made up the New South Wales Crimes Act. His younger colleagues chided him for being so old fashioned.

  With the legislation easily accessible online, most officers searched with their keyboard, but he preferred the smell of the wafer-thin paper and the feel of it beneath his fingers. Besides, he had so many sticky notes stuck on various pages of the Act, with notations scrawled upon them, he couldn’t bear the thought of tossing it all away.

  With a brief knock on his superior’s half-open door, he poked his head through the gap.

  “Ah, boss, do you mind if I duck away for a little bit? My grandmother has a doctor’s appointment downtown. I told her I’d transport her to and from.”

  Detective Superintendent Holt Denman glanced up from his computer screen and nodded. “Sure, Bryce. No problem. So far, so good with the emergency callouts. Nothing more than the usual. How long will you be gone?”

  “An hour or two at the most. It won’t take me long to get home. Provided the doctor’s on time, everything should be sweet.”

  “We both know there’s no guarantee the doctor won’t keep you waiting, but take as long as you need. We have everything covered here.”

  “Thanks, boss. I appreciate it. I’ll work through my breaks to make it up.”

  Holt waved him away and returned his attention to the screen. Bryce turned and headed toward the exit.

  * * *

  “Grandma, I’m not convinced you need to take two novels to pass the time. It’s a fifteen-minute appointment.” Bryce tried to keep the exasperation from his voice and grinned in an effort to soften his words. His grandmother merely snorted.

  “Ha, for your information, smarty pants, I’m on the last chapter of this book and then I won’t have anything to read. Doctor Baker likes to take his time with his patients and some of them take advantage. He’s not like the doctors in that medical center on the corner.”

  Bryce helped her into the car and closed the door behind her. A moment later, he slid behind the wheel. His grandmother continued where she’d left off.

  “Those doctors are lucky to give you three minutes of their precious time and all the while they make you feel like they’re doing you a favor by seeing you. Doctor Baker might run late, but at least he listens to what you have to say. Besides, he’s kind of cute, too.”

  She winked at Bryce and he groaned. Checking his mirrors, he pulled out into the traffic and headed toward the city, where Doctor Baker’s private rooms were located. He was fortunate the home he shared with his grandmother wasn’t far away.

  Situated in one of the older parts of Paddington, his grandmother’s house was close to his work as well as to the distractions offered by the city. With the movie theaters, numerous bars, night clubs and live stage performances all within a short distance of each other, it was a perfect place to live.

  Not that he had much time to indulge, but every now and then, he’d enjoy a new release at the movies with his grandmother or spend an hour or two relaxing after work with a colleague in one of the city’s many bars. The temper
ate climate and relaxed lifestyle of Sydney suited him to a tee. Then there was Angela, of course. He’d never leave while she was still here.

  Twenty minutes later, the pale brick building that housed Doctor Baker’s rooms came into sight. Bryce scoured the lot for a parking spot. One of the disadvantages to the rapidly expanding city was the lack of parking. Occasionally he got lucky, but today wasn’t one of those times.

  “I’m not going to be able to find a parking spot around here, Grandma. How about I drop you off at the front door and come back and collect you when you’re finished?”

  “That would be fine, Bryce. But what will you do in the meantime?”

  He waved off her question. “Don’t worry about me. I have my iPad and a heap of files on the back seat. I have plenty to keep me occupied. Are you sure you don’t want me to come in with you?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m a big girl, Grandson. When have I ever wanted you to come in with me?”

  Bryce shook his head. “Okay, okay. I just thought I’d ask. I’m happy to, you know.”

  “Of course I know. You’re the sweetest boy an old woman could ever hope for, but I’m fine. It’s nothing important. I’m going to get him to take a look at my foot again. I’ve been applying that cream for more than a week now. I thought the ulcer was getting better, but it doesn’t seem to be healing. With my diabetes complicating matters, I just want to stay on top of it, you know?”

  “Yes, Grandma. You’re doing the right thing. It’s much better to get him to check it out and see what he thinks than wait until you have a real problem. Now, how about you text me when you’re finished and I’ll come and collect you?”

  “That sounds like a great plan.”

  “You have your phone?”

  “Yes, Bryce.”

  “Is it charged?”

  “Yes, Bryce.”

  “Good.”

  He smiled and waved good-bye. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Pulling away from the curb, he headed in the direction of a nearby park, thinking he’d spend the time going over some of his open cases. There were always phone calls to make, witnesses to contact, lab results to chase. He wouldn’t find it hard to fill the time.

  A car reversed out of a parking spot right in front of him and a surge of satisfaction rushed through him. Every now and then, his luck turned around—even if it was only a parking spot. Pulling the unmarked squad car into the vacant space, he reached over and collected the files that lay on the back seat. Locking the door, he strode across the wide expanse of freshly mowed green grass and breathed deeply.

  Summer in Sydney was his favorite time of the year. The trees towering above him were bursting with new life; the carefully tended garden beds could snatch his breath with their heavy perfume and vibrant colors. The air was hot, but not uncomfortably so and when he found an unoccupied park bench beneath the shade of a huge Moreton Bay fig tree, he sighed with contentment.

  Apart from the noise of the traffic from the busy streets that bordered the park, it was easy to believe he was far away from the rush and stress of his daily life. Not that he’d change anything about that—well, not on the career front, anyway.

  From the time he knew what a policeman was, he wanted to be one. It wasn’t just the smart blue uniform and the shiny black boots. Police officers had an unmistakable air of authority about them. They were “take charge” kind of people and got to help others along the way.

  Over the years, it hadn’t been all smiles and happy days, but he’d learned to take the good with the bad. No career was without its challenges and he saw those difficulties as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than setbacks. At thirty, he had enough experience behind him to be eligible to apply for more senior positions and he couldn’t wait for the day he was the commander of his own station. Yes, his professional life fulfilled him on every level. Too bad he couldn’t say the same thing about his personal life.

  Angela.

  At the thought of his wife and all they could have had, his heart filled with sadness. They’d had such hopes and dreams. Together, they were going to conquer the world. And then there was the accident and their lives had come crashing to a halt and broken into so many pieces, he’d never be able to put them together again.

  Instead of hopes and dreams, he lived in limbo—a half life that was neither living nor dead. If it weren’t for his job, he didn’t know where he’d be. His job kept him sane. Not many officers lay claim to that, but that was the way it was. His job and his work colleagues were the constants in his life. All the other things were shadows. Even his beloved grandmother, who’d been the center of his life for so long, had become less dependable. She was getting older. Slower. Forgetful. Once so vital, now her health was beginning to fail. He couldn’t bear the thought of the woman he loved above all others not being there one day.

  Thinking that way was selfish and some would say immature. Everyone died eventually. It was just the way it was. But he didn’t want it to happen to his grandmother. Not her. Why couldn’t she be spared? Set apart? Protected from the indignity of aging and certain death?

  Perhaps, if he had more than his grandmother’s love in his life, or even some other female companionship, the thought of her inevitable demise wouldn’t have him so panicked. But the truth was, there was no one except Angela and as much as it pained him to accept it, she no longer counted.

  Swallowing a sigh, he flipped open the file on the attempted armed robbery that had taken place a week ago. Richard Wales had recovered from his surgery and had been refused bail until his next court appearance. With the man caught red-handed on CCTV, Bryce assumed the germ had nothing more to look forward to than receiving a reduced sentence in return for an early guilty plea—but stranger things had happened.

  Against his better judgement, Bryce’s thoughts wandered to Chanel Munro and he allowed himself a few moments of fancy before grimacing with annoyance. It was stupid to waste time on foolish daydreams. She was a doctor and he was married. He didn’t need a reminder of how cruel life could be.

  The depressing thought seeped into Bryce’s veins and settled heavily in his gut. With a shake of his head, he snorted with irritation. He normally managed to stay positive, despite the setbacks in his life. He wasn’t one to wallow in self-pity. He was a “glass half-full” kind of guy. Always had been. He didn’t know what had caused this sudden bout of negativity, although he suspected it might have something to do with his worries about the elderly lady who was even now being attended to by her physician.

  As if his thoughts had summoned her up, the phone in his pocket chirped to indicate a new text message. Checking the screen, he smiled at the thumbs-up and smiley face emoji his grandmother had sent. She’d embraced technology like it was a new toy and knew as much about cell phones and tablets as he did. She might have been eighty-three, but she refused to allow her age to dictate the way she led her life.

  His grandmother was optimism personified. He didn’t have to look far to discover the source of his own positive outlook on life. He had much to be grateful for. More than he could fathom.

  * * *

  Chanel hurried along the corridor that led to Ward Three and cursed the narrowness of her knee length skirt that hindered her progress. Her high heels clattered across the polished linoleum, but she paid the sound no heed and picked up her pace. Ward rounds had already started and she dreaded giving Doctor Baker any cause to disparage her.

  Four members of Doctor Baker’s team had been assigned the patients on Ward Three and she was one of them. It had been a fortnight since her confrontation with him and he’d followed through on his threat by making her life as difficult as possible. His favorite time to humiliate her was during ward rounds where, surrounded by his students and an unwitting patient, he seemed to take immense pleasure putting her on the spot.

  Spying the team clustered around a bedside, Chanel did her best to slide in beside Tanya without detection. She should have known Doctor Baker would immed
iately notice her arrival.

  “Doctor Munro, so nice of you to join us. Don’t tell me, you slept through your alarm? Or perhaps you’ve been caught in traffic? No, I’ve got it! A giant cockroach held you hostage through the night and you’ve only now managed to escape.”

  Heat seared Chanel’s cheeks, but she didn’t dare respond. She’d learned the hard way there was no appeasing him. Silence was her best option. After a long moment, he shifted his hard gaze to the patient in the bed. Like a switch being thrown, Doctor Baker’s face relaxed and became wreathed in smiles.

  “Mrs Evan, how are you this morning? I’m glad to see there’s a little more color in your cheeks today. We must be doing something right.”

  The elderly woman in the bed smiled up at him, her double chin wobbling with the effort. Chanel nearly choked at the warmth and admiration in Mrs Evan’s eyes.

  “Please, Doctor. Call me Robyn. And yes, thank you, I’m feeling a little better.”

  “A long way from fit and healthy, though.” Doctor Baker turned to encompass the group of doctors behind him.

  “I have a few second-year residents with me, Mrs Evan. They’re part of my medical team. I was wondering, do you mind if they look in on you every now and then?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “Good. I’d like to ask one of them to examine you, if you don’t mind. It’s the best way for them to learn. I hope that’s all right with you?”

  “Yes, Doctor. I’m happy to help.”

  Doctor Baker nodded in satisfaction. He turned to face Chanel and immediately his expression hardened once again.

  “Doctor Munro, would you care to examine Mrs Evan and share with the group your diagnosis and prescribed treatment?”

  “Yes, Doctor Baker.” Chanel stepped forward and smiled down at the white-haired lady in the bed.

  “Good morning, Mrs Evan. I’m Doctor Munro.”

  “Hello, Doctor Munro. My, don’t you have pretty hair? A halo of gold and sunshine.”