The Doctor's Tender Secret

For a moment Zoe thought that Brad was going to lean down and kiss her, and her senses went into overdrive. She could almost feel his mouth on hers.

No. She was never, ever going to suffer that mixture of pity and revulsion in another man’s eyes. That meant no kissing—because kissing led to touching, touching led to removing clothes, and removing clothes would reveal the scars that nobody in London City General knew about. The scars that meant any man would reject her.

“See you tomorrow,” she said, slipping inside the gateway and closing the wrought-iron gate firmly between them. “Thanks for seeing me home.”

I was planning my next book when three doctors leaped into my head and hijacked me! Zoe, Judith and Holly trained together, are best friends, and work together at London City General in east London.

Zoe’s the clever one, a real high-flyer who’s never found love, until she meets gorgeous Brad, on secondment to Pediatrics from California. Can she heal his broken heart—and can he help her feel less haunted by the secret she hasn’t even told her best friends?

Judith’s the glamorous one who delivers babies by day and sings at hospital fund-raisers by night. She falls in love with Kieran, the new maternity consultant. But after a discovery threatens to tear their love apart, can she teach him to believe in her—and in himself?

Holly’s the “prickly” one with a soft heart—but it’ll take a special man to get close enough to find out! She chose the fast-paced life of the E.R. to help her forget her lost love. But when David walks into her life again, will it be second time lucky?

The best bit about working on a trilogy was that I didn’t have to say goodbye to my characters. They made appearances in each other’s stories! I loved being able to explore a hospital’s community and see how different departments work together, and I hope you enjoy life in the fast lane at London City General as much as I did.

With love,

Kate Hardy

The Doctor’s Tender Secret

Kate Hardy

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Cover

Dear Reader

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

BRAD HUTTON was beginning to regret his decision to oversee the paediatric assessment unit this morning. They’d had a non-stop string of cases, from suspected poisoning to asthma attacks to viruses where the GP didn’t want to risk missing meningitis. The parents had all been so worried that they’d hardly heard a word he’d said and he’d had to repeat everything three times. He’d barely had time to draw breath.

The only bright spot in PAU was his registrar, Zoe Kennedy. He’d seen her around the ward over the last few days, but this was the first time he’d actually worked with her. She made him want to start humming ‘Poetry in motion’—because that really was what it was like, watching her. The way she reassured the parents, scanned the notes, assessed the child and decided on the best treatment—fast, fluent, yet very thorough. And every decision he’d seen so far today had been spot on. She really knew her stuff.

Don’t get too interested, a voice in his head warned him. You’re in no fit state to get involved with anyone.

I’m not planning to get involved, he defended himself. I don’t know anyone in London. A friend won’t go amiss.

Just make sure that ‘friends’ is all it is.

It will be. Anyway, she’s not my type.

She couldn’t be much more than five feet three inches, whereas the girls he’d dated had always been nearer five-ten. Her hair was mouse brown and cut into a short bob, not blonde and falling almost to her waist. Her eyes were warm and brown, not cool and blue. And beneath the baggy long-sleeved sweater and loose jersey trousers she wore, he had a feeling that Zoe Kennedy was all lush curves rather than the rail-thin type he usually went for. A pocket Venus.

Yeah, definitely Venus. She had a heart-shaped face. Cupid’s-bow lips.

And she’s not Lara, the voice in his head reminded him. If you rush straight in to find Lara’s opposite, you’re not the only one who’s going to get hurt.

‘Mr Hutton?’

Then he realised that the object of his thoughts was talking to him. ‘Sorry, Dr Kennedy—Zoe, isn’t it?’

She nodded.

He held out his hand. ‘Brad. I prefer working on first-name terms.’

She shook his hand and he almost flinched as a large dose of static electricity discharged. At least, he assumed it was static electricity. The alternative was something he didn’t want to consider right now.

‘What can I do for you?’

‘I’d like a second opinion on a case.’

‘Sure. Though from what I’ve seen of you this morning, you don’t need it.’

‘Um. Thanks for the compliment. But…’

Those pink spots in her cheeks were cute. She looked young for a registrar, which meant she was clever. But the blush at his compliment proved she’d kept at least a trace of humility, so she’d treat her patients as human beings, not just academic cases. ‘OK. What have you got?’