‘No, it isn’t what you want.’

She stood, looking hurt and vulnerable. ‘It is. I want you.’

The blood throbbing in his veins, Conner turned away from her, knowing that he couldn’t say what he had to say if he was looking at her. None of the things he’d ever done in his life had ever felt as hard as this and he steeled himself to do what had to be done. ‘Well, I don’t want you.’ His tone was rock steady. ‘I’m sorry if that hurts, but it’s better to be honest up front. I don’t want you, Flora. There’s no chemistry there at all.’

Her soft gasp was like a punch in the gut. ‘Conner—’

‘You kiss like a child, Flora. You don’t even turn me on.’ This time he altered his tone so that he sounded careless, even a little bored. Then he gave a dismissive shrug and strolled towards the door. ‘I suggest you find someone of your own age to practise on.’

Then he left the room, slamming the door so hard that the entire building shook.

Only when he was safely within the privacy of his consulting room did Conner finally release the emotion he’d kept firmly locked inside. He let out a string of expletives and thumped his fist against the wall. Then he sank onto his chair and stared at the door, willing himself not to walk back through it and tell her that he hadn’t meant a single word he’d just said. Because if he did that—if he sought her out and apologised—he wouldn’t be righting a wrong, he’d be making things worse.

Yes, he’d hurt her.

He’d hurt her so badly that he felt physically sick at the thought, and he knew that her gasp of pain and the shimmer of tears in her eyes would stay with him for a long time.

But he also knew that the pain would be infinitely greater if he took their relationship any further.

His eyes slid to the doorhandle and he gritted his teeth and looked away, ruthlessly ignoring the urge to go back and comfort her. Talk to her. What was there to say? He’d already said it. And better now than later. Better a small amount of private pain than public humiliation when the entire island discovered their affair.

They’d tear her apart and he wasn’t going to let that happen to her.

There was a tap on the door and he looked up with a growl of impatience, furious at having been disturbed. ‘What?’ He barked the word and the door opened slowly and a woman peeped nervously into the room.

‘Janet said to come straight through.’

‘What for?’

She blinked. ‘Surgery? I have an appointment with you.’