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at work?’

      In all the years he’d known her, he’d never heard Evanna irritable before. She was the most tolerant, patient person he’d ever met but suddenly she was behaving as though he’d done something grievously wrong.

      ‘Evanna.’ He tried to keep his tone mild. Tried to sound indifferent. ‘There’s no need to be embarrassed. I’ve known you all my life.’

      And he’d obviously been walking around with his eyes shut!

      ‘Well, that doesn’t mean I want to stand in front of you stark naked! My clothes, Logan! They’re in the bag by your feet. And don’t you dare ever breathe a word of this to anyone. If I am on the receiving end of a single knowing wink when I walk into the pub, you’ll be finding yourself a new practice nurse.’

      Logan dutifully found the bag and handed it to her. She virtually dragged it from his hand and closed the bathroom door firmly in his face.

      Logan stared at the wood. He could have told her that it didn’t make any difference, hiding behind a door or a towel. He could have told her that the image of her lush, naked body was now firmly fixed on his extremely over-heated brain. But he thought that in her current mood she just might hit him so he stayed silent and tensed slightly when she dragged open the door and faced him.

      She was wearing skimpy shorts and an ancient T-shirt in a washed-out, faded blue and her long, damp hair was caught up in a ponytail.

      She looked like the old Evanna. Except that she didn’t. Because now he knew.

       He knew what was underneath the clothes.

      ‘I’m dressed,’ she said through gritted teeth, thrusting the damp towel into his hands, ‘so you can stop standing there, gawping.’

      ‘Evanna—’

      ‘Oh, grow up!’ Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink and she scurried into Kirsty’s room, leaving Logan staring after her.

      Aware that he needed to pull himself together, he drew in a deep breath and tried to think about something boring and inconsequential.

      Anything that would take his mind off the vivid image of Evanna’s naked body. Since Catherine’s death he hadn’t thought about a woman—hadn’t wanted a woman.

      Until now.

      Frustrated and taken aback by the strength of his own reaction, he suddenly knew that he had to get out of the house before he did something that would embarrass both of them. This was Evanna. They were friends, for goodness’ sake. Somehow he had to erase that image from his mind and go back to the way he’d seen her previously—as a colleague and a lifelong friend. The best friend he had. Thoughts of sex had never intruded on their relationship before and he couldn’t let it now.

      If she knew just how much she’d affected him, she’d feel awkward. Their entire relationship would change. They wouldn’t be able to work together properly. They.

      Swearing softly, he retreated back downstairs, pushed open the door that connected his house to the surgery and walked back to his consulting room without any hope of being able to concentrate.

      Evanna held her head in her hands and tried not to scream.

      How could she have been so stupid?

      Wasn’t it perfectly obvious that he’d come home the minute she’d chosen to take a shower in his bathroom? Wasn’t life always like that?

      Tortured by embarrassment, Evanna resisted the temptation to hide under Kirsty’s cot and never come out again.

      The little girl was wide awake, lying on her back, hugging her blanket and sucking her thumb, oblivious to the turmoil that Evanna was suffering.

      Why hadn’t she at least remembered to take a towel into the bathroom with her?

      What had possessed her to walk out of the bathroom, naked?

      And why hadn’t he just done the gentlemanly thing and looked away? Why hadn’t he given her one of his cheeky smiles and covered his eyes?

      It didn’t even help to tell herself that he’d seen her in a swimming costume a million times because never, when he’d seen her on the beach, had he ever reacted with such stunned amazement.

       Did she really look that awful?

      Anyone would think he’d never seen a naked woman before, she thought crossly, lifting Kirsty from her cot and giving her a hug. Which was nonsense, because everyone knew that Logan Alastair MacNeil had had a fearsome reputation with women until he’d met and married Catherine. There were some on the island who’d thought he’d never settle down. So, for him to stand there with his mouth open as if he were shocked to see a naked woman was ridiculous, because she happened to know that he’d seen more than his fair share of naked women in his time.

      ‘Oh, Kirsty, I’ve never been so embarrassed,’ she whispered, delaying the moment until she had to leave the safety of the bedroom. But Kirsty was full of energy after her sleep and dying to play so she had no choice but to take her downstairs.

      Determined to behave as though nothing had happened, Evanna lifted her chin and carried the toddler into the kitchen.

      But there was no sign of Logan.

      Unnaturally jumpy, Evanna looked around, called his name and then peeped out of the front door, but there was no sign of his car.

      He’d gone.

      Without even saying goodbye.

      ‘Nice to know that seeing me naked had such an amazing effect on him,’ Evanna grumbled as she pulled a fromage frais out of the fridge for Kirsty. ‘Did he grab me and kiss me senseless? No. Was he so overwhelmed by the sight of my wet, naked body that he couldn’t keep his hands off me? No. What does he do? He just stares, stammers like an idiot and then walks off without even bothering to say goodbye. I tell you, Kirsty MacNeil, you should have been born a man. It’s a lot easier than being a woman, believe me.’

      

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      ‘SONIA’S blood pressure is still high. She’s made an appointment to go to the hospital on Monday for a check.’ Evanna put some forms on the desk in front of Logan, not meeting his eyes. But he was watching her.

       She could feel him watching her.

      ‘Good. I don’t mind admitting that I’d be far happier if they kept her in.’

      It was two days after what Evanna now called ‘the bathroom incident’, and every time they came into contact with each other, they skirted round the issue, each of them incredibly formal with the other, and Evanna was starting to despair that she’d ever be able to behave naturally again.

      And he wasn’t behaving naturally either.

      It would have helped if he’d laughed or made some sort of light-hearted comment, but he hadn’t referred to it. Not only that, but he hardly looked at her when she walked into the room.

      It was enough to make a girl lose every scrap of confidence. ‘Janet wanted to know if you’d like some more coffee.’

      ‘Yes, please.’ His voice was terse. ‘I need the caffeine to keep me awake. I had a terrible night. Again.’

      Evanna hesitated. Two days ago, before the bathroom incident, she would have been concerned enough about that statement to question him further, but now she didn’t dare because she was suddenly horribly aware of everything about him and the effect he had on her was incredibly frustrating.

      She just didn’t know what to say or do. And clearly he felt the same way because he made no effort to detain her when she scurried towards the door.

      ‘I’ll

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