She could spend the time reminding herself that all men were rats.

* * *

Andreas stared at the notes in front of him without seeing them. For the third day running Libby had been in Jenny’s room for almost the entire shift, not even coming out for lunch. The little girl was very clingy and she’d obviously bonded with Libby, but all the same it was obvious to him that she was anxious to avoid any further conversation with him and he knew why.

The chemistry between them was so overwhelming that he found it quite unnerving himself. He’d never felt this way about a woman before and he knew that she was experiencing the same emotions.

The challenge was going to be getting her to admit it.

Libby was terrified of being hurt. She found it impossible to trust men and she was incredibly wary and cautious.

He needed to prove to her that he could be trusted but he couldn’t do that unless she agreed to spend some time with him. But judging from the way she’d been avoiding him since that night, the chances of her agreeing to that were remote.

He leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him, frowning thoughtfully.

And then he remembered the date.

She still owed him a date.

A slow smile crossed his handsome face as he remembered the conversation he’d overheard between her and the ward sister.

No one had ever stipulated exactly what constituted the date that had been auctioned.

And suddenly he knew exactly what that date was going to be.

* * *

A week later Jenny was improving rapidly and spending much of the time in the playroom with Polly, who had taken on a surrogate mother role.

Jenny’s parents were still in hospital and her baby sister had been staying with an aunt who lived locally.

The ward had quietened down slightly, Bev had found an agency nurse who’d agreed to work for the rest of the month and Libby was exhausted.

The strain of trying to avoid Andreas was making her jumpy and she wasn’t getting any sleep thanks to that one incredible night she’d spent with him. She was totally unable to forget the way he’d made her feel.

She was thoroughly relieved that Bev had insisted she take leave. At least she wouldn’t have to peep round corners to check that there was no sign of Andreas. She vowed to get plenty of exercise in the hope that it would make her sleep.

Suddenly she couldn’t wait for her shift to end.

She went through the motions of doing her job and at lunchtime Bev bustled up to her.

‘You look absolutely wiped out.’ The ward sister shook her head disapprovingly. ‘Go home.’

‘I can’t go yet. I haven’t finished my shift.’

Bev gave her a gentle push. ‘Just go. Now. And if I see you back on this ward before next week, you’re fired.’