Page 10 of London
She raised her eyebrows, surprised by his offer.
“That would be great. I prefer chocolate in any form.” She led him into the tidiest kitchen he’d ever seen. “You’ll find mugs up in that cabinet. The chocolate powder is over here.” She opened another cupboard. “I usually just use the microwave to heat the water.”
“I’ll try not to burn down your house,” he joked. “Go and dress.” He gestured toward the doorway. “Don’t forget to dry your hair. I wouldn’t want you to catch cold.”
Guided by instinct rather than conscience, he reached out to lift a tress of wet hair between his fingers.
Their gazes locked, drawn together by a powerful fascination. He was close enough to smell her subtle scent—chlorinated water and an exotic floral perfume lingering on her wet skin. The combination stirred his senses.
Linda looked away and inhaled deeply, the motion straining the towel she wore—as well as his self-control.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine until I get back,” she said, her voice husky and rushed.
Turning, she hurried out, climbing the stairs quickly. Gerard admired her toned legs until she disappeared from sight.
Pirata came into the kitchen no doubt to inspect the uninvited guest.
Grinning, Gerard put the mugs filled with water into the microwave, turned it on, and then knelt, stretching out his hand. Pirata sniffed it disdainfully as only a cat can do, but didn’t protest when he began scratching him between the ears.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”
The cat’s eyes narrowed in satisfaction. His furry throat vibrated in a reluctant purr that soon took on engine-like qualities as Gerard continued scratching.
He’d always wanted a pet, but somehow his family had never gotten around to adopting one. After his father had died, everything had changed. His life had gone a different way.
Despite the fact that it was a necessary evil, Gerard hated animal testing. While he considered it a vital step in research, he still felt grief and remorse. If he were to stop and consider all the sacrifices that had to be made for the greater good, he might simply throw in the towel. But if he did, who would save the children?
His cellphone rang, ending his gloomy musings. He glanced at his watch. It was almost midnight. Puzzled, hoping it wasn’t an emergency at the clinic, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Who could be calling so late? He grinned. It was Jean-Paul Battiste, his friend and mentor, a man Gerard considered the most brilliant doctor he’d ever known.
“Jean-Paul,mon ami. I was going to call you tomorrow. How are you?”
“Bonsoir,moncopain,” Jean-Paul answered in his smoker’s raspy voice. “Sorry to call you this late, but it couldn’t be helped.”
“Not a problem. Have you got good news for me?”
“I’m afraid not. Sadly, I can’t come to London as we’d planned.”
Gerard frowned. He held the phone cradled between his cheek and shoulder, his hands free to prepare the hot chocolate. At Jean-Paul’s words, he stopped stirring.
“What do you mean you can’t come? I thought we had it settled. We have to meet; you know that.”
“I do, but it looks as if you’ll have to come to me instead.”
“That’s impossible,” he said, his brow furrowed. “I told you I can’t take time off right now.”
“If you want to get together, you’ll have to make the time,mon vieux. There are two critical cases here that I can’t leave. You’re in charge there. You can set your own hours. Besides, you’re younger and more able to travel than I am. Take pity on this old man. You’ll love my country. Consider it a short vacation and sightseeing tour.”
“If I can get away, I won’t be coming there for sightseeing,” Gerard muttered.
“Ah, but you won’t be able to help yourself, trust me. It’s settled. I’ll call you tomorrow with the details. I promise you, it will be well worth your time and trouble.”
“It had better be. Okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.Bonsoir, Jean-Paul.”
Sighing, he stuffed the phone back into his jeans’ pocket, his jaw was so rigid it hurt. This would destroy his entire schedule, but unless he missed his guess, what Jean-Paul had to give him was worth more than gold. If he had to, he would travel to the ends of the world to get it.
“Is something wrong?” Linda asked.
She stood in the doorway, dressed in a black cotton t-shirt and blue sweat pants, her feet engulfed in fluffy pink slippers.
