I allow that thought to linger in my mind as I pull on a T-shirt and slip under my duvet. I don’t share Mike’s frankly ludicrous prejudice against single children. Whatever he says, that’s all about his ex, Caroline, and the fact that I suspect he’s still in love with her. In fact, I’ve often wondered whether his one-man crusade to sleep with every woman at the hospital is his way of saying, ‘See, Caroline? I don’t need you. I can have anyone I want.’ As I switch off the bedside light and adjust the pillows to get comfortable, I find myself wondering what sort of lover Luke would be. I don’t think he’d be selfish; if he looks at me that intensely when we’re just having a chat, what on earth would it be like if we were naked in bed together? The thought isn’t at all unwelcome, and I feel warmth spreading around my body as I imagine his face above mine, drinking me in with his eyes as we move together.

I could be reading way more into this than there is, but it’s been a while since anyone looked at me the way Luke did earlier, and I decide to indulge myself and let the fantasy play out as I drift off to sleep. My last thought as I sink into oblivion is that maybe I’ll take the reins and invite him for a drink next time we’re on shift together.

4

In the end, it’s nearly a month before Luke’s and my schedules align again and, although I will admit that he haunted my dreams quite a lot after our first meeting and my conversation with Mike, he’s gradually faded from my consciousness over time, so I was caught a little off guard when I saw him in the flesh again. In fact, I blushed slightly when our eyes met during the handover briefing. The good news is that he’s just as good-looking as he was the last time I saw him. I’m trying very hard not to stare at his biceps as the outgoing team take us through the patients in each bay, but it’s hard not to when they keep flexing as he makes notes on his pad.