Pregnancy Surprise with the Greek Surgeon
Author
Luana DaRosa
Reads
15.2K
Chapters
12
Her new boss is in for a shock…because she's carrying the surgeon's baby! Dive into this pregnancy romance from Luana DaRosa. REUNITED…AND REVEALED AS HER BABY'S FATHER! After Nikolas's intoxicating encounter with cardiologist Camila at a medical conference last month, bringing her to his cardiac institute in Athens is the best and worst decision the Greek surgeon could make. Professionally, her groundbreaking research could cure his patient. But as his colleague, she's now otherwise completely off-limits… The confirmed bachelor just never imagined that Cami would surprise him with the news that she's pregnant!
CHAPTER ONE
THE LOW AND steady drone of conversation filled the lecture hall. Nikolas Vassilis squinted as he scanned the rows of seats, looking for his own—if there even was enough space for him to sit. He knew the lecture would be popular, though looking at the people lining up along the walls on the left and right had him reconsidering just how impressive Dr Camila Pereira Frey’s lecture on the advancement of personalised cardiology would be. He’d heard a lot about her reputation as not only a talented cardiologist but also a dedicated researcher, who was always looking for the next big thing in the field. In this case, combining genetic research to help tailor cardiovascular procedures to patients right down to their DNA.
Though she wasn’t the reason he had attended the medical conferences, a part of him was curious to see what all the talk was about. Because the name Camila Pereira Frey was on everyone’s lips in the world of cardiology, and as the new medical director of the Athena Cardiac Institute in Athens, Niko needed to know about the major players in his field—even if people chasing fame through medicine weren’t the kinds of physicians he wanted to associate with. Not that he knew much about Camila. But someone who spent so much time speaking to the press could only be interested in one thing. He’d seen it with his father, chasing clout rather than helping people. It had been the reason Niko had chosen not to join the Athena Institute after his surgical training was done.
Then his father passed away, and Niko had found himself inheriting the keys of the hospital—and far more problems than he had ever imagined.
Instead of using the good reputation of the Athena Institute to help people, his father had used people’s trust to bring them into his hospital to get treatments that cost far more than they should—all in the name of enriching himself.
Medicine should never be about making an exorbitant amount of money. Given how often Niko read Dr Pereira Frey’s name in the headlines of medical news sites, he wondered if Camila, too, received a pretty sum for all of her appearances. Was she of a similar make as his father, seeking fame so she could enrich herself by selling people DNA tests they didn’t need? His father would have done that without batting an eye.
Niko was about to settle in at the back of the room when a waving hand caught his attention, the pearly blue-white bracelet a familiar sight. Pushing off from the wall, Niko stuck his hands in his pockets as he weaved through the crowd until he reached the row where his sister sat. She looked up at him with a smile, her hand patting the empty chair next to her.
‘I saved you a seat,’ she said with a bright smile as he slid onto the chair.
‘You’re finally useful on this trip,’ he replied, earning himself a swat on the arm.
‘How dare you. I’ve provided you with company throughout the week, as well as being an excellent conversationalist and icebreaker.’ Eleni Vassilis levelled a glare at him that he’d seen throughout the years growing up with her.
‘I don’t need help with conversations. You’re an engineer, not a doctor, so I don’t know why you invited yourself.’ The smile he gave her stood in direct contrast to his words.
He’d come to the conference for one main reason—to scope out new talent for the Athena Cardiac Institute. With his father’s unexpected passing earlier in the year, Niko found himself at the top of the institute—a position he hadn’t thought about since rejecting his father’s offer of joining it after his surgical training. Tension between father and son had already been high when Niko finished his training, choosing to go into surgery rather than staying on the cardiology path like his father. He’d never realised how controlling Stavros Vassilis had been until he finally got out from underneath him.
It was up to Niko to change things now, and he still felt unprepared. His father’s heart attack had caught him by surprise and had left him with little time to contemplate the change he’d agreed to as he’d taken on the mantle of medical director. Within the first month of starting, Niko had uncovered things he wouldn’t have thought even Stavros was capable of. Because of his father’s pristine reputation, people had believed him when he sold them expensive treatments that were at best unnecessary, at worst invasive. Some of the more junior doctors had approached him about the situation, wanting to clear their minds of this burden. Niko had spent days going through medical charts and invoices, piecing together a picture that robbed him of his sleep at night.
Each day came with a new challenge, and even though he’d already changed a lot of the policies and put in stricter reviews for procedures, there were still a lot of bad apples to weed out. His father’s cronies were all over the hospital, and once they’d realised that Niko was the polar opposite of his father, they began to interfere with his changes.
He couldn’t fire them all at once, or the hospital would collapse without the staff to support it. In the quiet of the night, he sometimes wondered if that would be the worst thing. Maybe the Athena Institute was beyond saving, the influence of his father too strong even in death. ‘I’m basically a doctor—with you and Mum talking shop at home all the time. I bet you that whenever we speak to someone, they don’t even know I’m not a doctor myself.’ Her grin grew wider when Niko rolled his eyes.
Eleni had decided early in her life that the traditional job for a member of the Vassilis family didn’t appeal to her—to the tremendous wrath of their father. Stavros couldn’t have a child not dedicated to the pursuit of medical legacy. He’d put so much pressure on Eleni that she had moved out of their family home at eighteen, never looking back. That had been a defining moment for the entire Vassilis clan. Their mother had realised that she was powerless against her husband as long as she stood by him. The choice between staying in her marriage and being in the lives of her children had been a simple one—hard to pull through but easy to pick.
Despite everything, they’d managed to stay close, finding strength in each other when things got tough. Niko remembered helping his mother as she found her way back into her career by opening her own clinic. She’d put her professional ambitions on hold, hoping to continue when her kids had grown.
‘So, are you hoping to hire this Dr Pereira for your new team?’ Eleni asked, nodding towards the stage.
Niko scoffed. ‘Absolutely not. The Athena Institute is at a pivotal moment. She’s as fame hungry as all the ghouls our father hired that I’m now slowly getting rid of.’
Eleni tilted her head. ‘Why would you think she’s fame hungry?’
Niko didn’t know—he only had his suspicion to go on. ‘For the last year, she’s been all over the media, talking to anyone who will listen about her research.’
‘That doesn’t seem too bad. You don’t like her research? I thought using genetic markers to customise treatment plans would be right up your alley.’ Eleni laughed when he narrowed his eyes at her. ‘As I said, I’m basically a doctor myself at this point.’
Niko said nothing to that and gave her another eye roll.
The room went quiet as Dr Pereira Frey stepped onto the stage, her high heels clicking with every step she took towards the podium. Her gait was calm and measured, her hands casually at her side and a small smile on her lips. She was in her element and appeared to be someone who thrived under this sort of attention.
Niko’s hand slipped into his pocket to dig out his phone when Eleni gasped. His gaze shot back up, and he, too, immediately felt the intensity of the woman as she faced the crowd that had come to listen to her speech today. She was much younger than he would have guessed from the amount of research she was engaged with, probably closer to his age when he had thought her to be his senior by a few years. Light brown hair framed her face in gentle waves, complementing her piercing amber eyes. The suit she’d chosen to wear looked tailored to her figure, like a second skin.
Everyone around them had turned quiet as Dr Pereira Frey stood behind the podium and looked out into the crowd. She hadn’t even said anything, yet her command of the room was undeniable—Niko included.
‘Good afternoon, I’m Dr Camila Pereira Frey, and welcome to my overview on how genetic mapping will transform the future of cardiology.’ She took a small step back from the podium and pointed at the projection on the screen, and Niko—along with everyone else in the room—followed her every move as she launched into her presentation with no hesitation.
He’d come into this event wanting to hate her lecture, knowing that she was one of those doctors his father would have loved to hire just because they brought press and prestige with them. But the longer Camila spoke, the more engrossed he became in her presentation and the more fascinating the science behind it seemed. Genetic mapping hadn’t really played a role in his cardiovascular work outside of hereditary heart conditions, but in her research, Camila had gone far beyond diseases.
‘With widespread genomic screening, we could predict the likelihood of a disease occurring...’
Niko nodded along as she switched to the next slide, showing the results of a case study she had spent the last year building, and he flinched when Eleni jabbed her elbow into his side.
‘Did you change your mind about hiring her?’ she whispered, raising her eyebrows in a suggestive gesture.
Niko didn’t deign to acknowledge his sister’s comment and instead shifted his eyes forward again, more taken by the woman on the stage than he would admit to Eleni. Something in his blood heated as he watched her talk, following every slight move as she spoke about her research. Hiring her wasn’t something he considered, but the longer he looked at her, the stronger his intrigue around her grew.
He fished his phone out of his pocket and checked the schedule of the conference. There were a few meetings on his calendar with people he wanted to convince to join his team.
But there was a reception hosted by the organiser, which only a few people attending the conference had been invited to. As the new medical director of the Athena Cardiac Institute, Niko had received one of the coveted invitations, but he hadn’t planned on going.
Though he might change his mind. The reception would be an opportunity for high-profile hospital leaders to speak to all of the presenters at the conference, which meant Camila would be there as well.
‘I’ll have to skip out on our dinner tonight,’ Niko said with a sidelong glance at his sister before his eyes slipped back to Camila, as if he couldn’t resist her magnetic aura.
He didn’t know what it meant or where this decision had come from. Something about her grabbed his attention, despite his best effort to not let her affect him. It was enough to awaken his curiosity—and make him act on it.
By the time Camila arrived at the reception, all she could think about was the bathtub waiting in her hotel room. Exhaustion swept over her with every step she took, and she forced herself to put a smile on her face as one of the waitstaff approached her with a variety of drinks to choose from. She opted for water, taking a big gulp of it to soothe her already sore throat. After a day of talking to a variety of people, she didn’t want to be here. She had used up all her extrovert energy and now longed for the tranquillity of her room.
But she wasn’t in a position to relax. Not when her research was getting so much attention. After so many years of working on her genetic mapping methods while also keeping up with her regular work, she had finally found something that could change the face of her field. Not only that, but her peers were actually listening to her. Half of the struggle to get here was due to how young she had been when she started with her research—people perceived her youth as inexperience. There had even been some comments about that today as she spoke to different people, but thankfully there had been few. Sure, she might only be in her mid-thirties, but she’d began laying the ground work of her research during her medical training. After defending herself time and time again, Camila finally reached a point where she stopped trying to justify her actions. The large audience in front of her, eager to hear her speak, was a testament that her peers were focused on her work and not her age.
Taking another sip of water, Camila took a deep breath and steeled herself for the last part of the conference. After this, she was free for a few weeks to unwind from it all and pick out her next project. Though the attention was exhausting, at least it brought her closer to her goal. Leaving an impact with her work had been all she ever wanted, and now she was one step closer to making that happen. If she became part of the history of eradicating heart disease, no one could ever measure up to her. It was the one thing she had absolute control over in life.
The warning words of her mother echoed in her head wherever she went, even now, so many years later. Mariana Pereira Frey had been a staunch advocate of traditional gender roles, and seeing her daughter veer from that path at an early age had caused tension in their relationship. Even though they would see each other frequently, Camila had kept everything between them surface level, for she knew if she talked about her ‘untraditional life’ her mother would have negative comments. She would ask when she was going to forget about medicine and when she would be ready to settle down and bless her with grandkids.
Camila had known back then that her life was more than just finding a husband and having children. She’d needed it to be more than that. In a way, her mother’s rigid insistence on leading a traditional life had fuelled her own desire to be more than what some ancient picture of society expected her to be.
Sometimes she wondered if Mariana had always been this way or if her husband—Camila’s father—leaving the family for another woman, before Camila could form any real memories, had shaped her views on traditional gender roles. Because even though Mariana had wanted her to settle down, she’d also been the one to warn her that men left the second they got bored, so she’d have to work for their affection every day of her life. Or end up lonely.
When her mother had passed away three years ago after a short battle with cancer, it had left Camila in a strange place of subdued sadness—and an overwhelming amount of guilt at how little she felt. Guilt that had driven her to focus even more on her work just so she could forget about things for a few hours.
‘Impressive lecture you gave earlier,’ a voice behind her said, and Camila’s spine stiffened as she realised someone had approached her.
With practiced ease, she plastered on her most convincing smile and turned around. Her eyes widened in surprise as they fell upon the man standing in front of her. His thick black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, showcasing a close-shaven undercut that would go unnoticed if his hair was let down. A sudden spark of attraction coursed through her body at the sight of him, amplified by the piercing brown-green gaze he fixed upon her. His eyes lingered over every inch of her figure before coming back to rest on her face, sending shivers down her spine.
Was he...checking her out? Of all the interactions she had had with colleagues today, this was rapidly becoming the most unusual one—and he had only said five words to her.
‘Thank you,’ she said in an automatic response, and the tingle of awareness flooded through her as he stepped closer. This was not her usual admirer coming to talk about her work. No, Camila got the sense he was here for something else. That thought sent another hot spark travelling down her spine.
The man accepted a glass from a passing waiter, and she watched with a near hypnotic focus as he wrapped his long and slender fingers around the stem, holding the glass with a tenderness that was trained. As if he were used to handling delicate things with his fingers...
‘I’ve heard a lot about your research already. Wherever any cardiologist looks, your name appears. But hearing you speak in person is a lot different from simply reading your words. What looks like bravado from afar becomes more... nuanced,’ he said, and the smirk on his lips landed a blow somewhere lower in her body—along with a fiery temper flaring in her chest.
Bravado? Her research was the work of her lifetime, and he had read her papers and found them...arrogant?
‘But you’re not a cardiologist, are you?’ she said in return. Why was he even bothering to read her papers? One look at him was enough to tell her he was a surgeon. A cardiologist would have never accused her of bravado. No, that type of projection only ever happened when surgeons with a God complex came across her research.
His eyes rounded, and he had the decency to look somewhat surprised. But then his expression melted back into an easy smile as his eyes dipped below her face once more before coming up.
‘Seems I continue not to give you enough credit, Dr Pereira Frey. I’m a cardiovascular surgeon. Niko—’
‘Sorry to interrupt. They asked me to fetch Dr Pereira Frey for a few questions with a member of the press.’ A young woman wedged herself into their conversation, and Camila forced her eyes shut for two deep breaths to suppress the annoyance bubbling up in her chest.
Despite the man, Niko, questioning her intentions around her research, this had still been the most interesting conversation she’d had in a good while. Probably because he was looking at the subject more critically than any other peers she had encountered. And he wasn’t even a fellow cardiologist, but one of the scalpel wielders...
‘Tell them I’ll be there in a second,’ she said, not entirely sure why. Talking to reporters was much simpler—and more beneficial to her. She was here to represent her work, to show the medical world how she intended to revolutionise the cardiology field. A cardiovascular surgeon wouldn’t be much use in that. They didn’t diagnose, they just cut when they were told to cut. She had need for the people who instructed the surgeons—cardiologists.
‘Don’t let me hold you back,’ he said, no doubt noticing her thought process.
‘They’re not even supposed to be at this event, so they can wait for a few more moments.’ She turned, saying those words to the woman who had interrupted them. ‘Please let them know I’ll make myself available when I’m ready.’
She blinked at Camila but then nodded. ‘You know she’s going straight to her supervisor, who will drag you back to that reporter eventually,’ Niko said, wrenching a laugh from her lips.
‘Oh, no doubt about that. The event organisation was probably the one to let the press in here. They won’t stop at anything to gain some traction from my presence here.’ The words came out far more unfiltered than they usually would, and Camila blinked. It wasn’t that easy to let her guard down, but something about Niko was disarming. Like he didn’t care about the stuffy ceremonies of the conference, either.
‘Well, in this case, would you join me for a drink?’ he asked, his hand outstretched towards her. Camila blinked again, staring at his slightly curled fingers. This was definitely not how any of the previous conferences had gone. Niko was giving the impression that he wasn’t all that interested in the medicine—but rather her. Where was this feeling coming from?
And why was she reaching out and grabbing his hand, like that was the normal thing to do in this situation? The day must have wiped her out more than she’d realised, but the moment her hand slid into his and she let this man guide her towards the bar, everything inside her stopped. Her senses honed in on that small patch of their palms touching, noticing how his fingers pressed against hers and how the gentlest tug of his had her feet moving in his direction.
Absolutely mesmerising.
‘So, what brings you here?’ she asked once they reached the bar and after the bartender took their order, turning to face him. Was he standing particularly close to her? She wasn’t sure.
Niko rested his arm on the wooden bar, the deep mahogany accentuating the tailored dark grey suit he wore. Whoever he worked for, he must be one of the more prestigious cardiovascular surgeons. Few could afford to look like this and make it seem effortless. One look at Camila told everyone all about her upbringing—and her lack of refinement. She’d come into cardiology without any connections or relationships. Everything she was now had been fought for, and she was certain her discomfort in these situations showed. Camila had to focus on medicine and medicine alone to get ahead of her peers.
That included men and might as well be the reason Camila was so flustered in this moment with the attention of this one man. Was he actually flirting with her or just interested in her work? She couldn’t tell.
He hesitated before he spoke, his eyes drifting downward to where the top button of her blouse remained open. She balled her hand into a fist so as not to touch her collar as his eyes sparked a small fire under her skin.
‘I’m here for work, like anyone else. Here to...hear you speak,’ he finally said, and Camila could hear the deflection.
She laughed. ‘Oh, please, not even ten minutes ago, you told me you were more impressed with my speech than you thought you would be. You did not come here for me.’
A smile tugged at his lips, and watching them curve upwards set something tumbling inside her stomach. ‘Would it help to know that I came to this reception just for you?’
Their drinks arrived, giving Camila a moment to fight the heat rising to her cheeks. There was a flirty edge to his words. She was almost sure of it. A subtle...invitation? To what exactly, she wasn’t sure, but more worryingly—she really wanted to accept that mystery invitation.
‘It might help smooth over the deep insult of thinking my research was more bravado than substance,’ she replied, matching his tone and energy.
Niko took a sip from his drink, his eyes never leaving hers, and a shiver clawed down her spine when his throat moved with a swallow. How was this even something she noticed about him? He must have caught her eyes wandering down to his throat, as his smile turned into a smirk.
‘My apologies. I’ve certainly come across as brash. My sister says I have the tendency to go straight to the point, where others like to express themselves with more finesse.’ The look in his eyes sent a similar jolt through her as his touch had.
Tucking away that bit of personal information, she went on, ‘Okay, say I forgive you and you profess great admiration for my work now. How can I trust you won’t change your mind again?’
His low laugh skittered across her skin, and it was infectious enough that she joined in. ‘Now you’re getting ahead of yourself. I said I was impressed. It’s a bit of a leap to go from that to great admiration. Maybe if we got to work together, I could verify some things for myself.’
His eyes dipped to her collar again as he said that—and then dipped even lower. Sparks travelled along the path his gaze took, and her breath caught when he lingered on her mouth before coming back up. What he wanted to verify had nothing to do with medicine. When had been the last time anyone had flirted with her this brazenly? Camila couldn’t even remember. Not since she’d devoted herself wholly to her research. Men were a distraction—and a challenge she wasn’t comfortable with. Over the years, her lovers had been few and far between, as she never wanted to get entangled, knowing casual was all she had to give. Camila had given up many things in her devotion for her research. All her friends were people working with her, same with her flings.
With the demanding schedule she put on herself, there wasn’t time for anything else. She didn’t want to take any time away from it. People had to fit around her life and oftentimes didn’t understand why she was so uncompromising.
That was until a handsome stranger flirted with her at a bar, and even the simplest of suggestions had her blushing. Maybe more exposure would have meant she wasn’t so susceptible to his flirtation. She still couldn’t imagine herself in a domestic setting the way her mother had wanted her to live her life. But something about Niko told her he wasn’t searching for that, either.
‘What would you like to verify?’ Camila asked, pushing away the voice in her head, telling her to leave.
‘Hmm...’ Niko hummed, his hand slowly extending across the bar—towards her. ‘You need a delicate hand for this sort of work, so that would be important to know. From your conversation, I can tell your bedside manner is excellent. Now...if you’re interested in surgery, even as an observer, we would need to test your stamina. Surgeries can run long.’
Her mouth went dry as his voice dropped even lower. Around them, people were chattering, glasses clinking and feet shuffling—but Camila could only hear him. ‘You’d like to test my stamina?’ she asked, and the darkening of his eyes told her that her own thoughts around how he’d like to do that matched hers.
It wasn’t panic making her heart beat faster, but...excitement? The men she usually met were directly connected to her work because those were the only people she ever met. Medical conventions had her far too busy to even contemplate making a connection that wouldn’t serve her research. But Niko... Something about him was magnetic.
Niko’s eyes shifted away from her for a second, but it was enough for her to catch it—and let out a deep sigh when the familiar face of the press manager of this event came towards them.
‘It was only a matter of time,’ Niko said, and she was certain a hint of regret wove itself through his voice.
Regret she sensed unfurling in her own stomach. Camila wasn’t ready to slip back into her duties as a researcher and doctor. Not when Niko had made it too easy to just...be. Not worry about how she was portraying herself or who she was trying to impress.
‘Seems like our time is up.’ Camila paused, deciding whether she should ask him to wait. But that thought went as quick as it came to her. Of course not. He would find another person at this party, one that was far easier to get into bed—probably better at it, too. Why would he wait for her when they’d only known each other for thirty minutes?
‘It was nice meeting you,’ she said to Niko, and turned around with her best press smile as she intercepted the man sent here to lead her to the journalists eager to talk about her work.
One question from the journalist who had somehow scored an invitation to a party she had been promised would be ‘doctors only’ had turned into an entire question-and-answer session.
The notoriety was the aspect of her research she enjoyed the least, but she had to admit that it opened a lot of doors that had remained shut before people began paying attention to her. But even throughout the interviews, her mind kept wandering back to the man she had met—and the effect he was having on her. Camila wondered who he’d chosen to go home with, because there was no way he was going home alone. Lucky lady...
Exhausted from far too much talking, she now sat on a couch tucked away in a corridor that led to the washrooms, hiding from whoever else wanted to speak to her. Her social battery was all but dead.
Footsteps sounded in the corridor, and Camila quickly dug her phone out of her purse, pretending to be engrossed in whatever was on it so that this intruder wouldn’t think about talking to her. Her stomach flipped when the steps slowed and then fully stopped—right on the side of the couch she was occupying.
‘I thought you had left,’ a familiar voice said, and her eyes shot up to collide with the brown-green eyes she had been peering into earlier in the evening.
‘Dr... Niko,’ she said, her shoulders relaxing at the small smile on his lips. Heat almost instantly rose in her, leaving her in this space of strange desire for him she’d slipped into throughout their chat. Of all the conversations she had forced herself through, the short one with him had been the only one that didn’t require any effort.
‘Just Niko is fine—if I can call you Camila.’
She huffed a laugh, then nodded and indicated the space next to her on the couch. She’d been ready to jump on him at the end of their conversation. Calling her by her first name seemed rather tame. ‘You would be doing me a favour. These conferences and discussions are always so formal. We’re all doctors here. Can we acknowledge that and drop all the honorifics?’
‘If I didn’t know any better, Camila, I would think you’re hiding.’ Hearing her name from his lips sent a shiver through her body, and she took in a sharp breath to keep it at bay. This was not a reaction she was used to, even with a man as objectively attractive as Niko was.
There was one thing her mother had taught her—that men got bored rather quickly and would chase after the next skirt, regardless of what commitment they had made. The remarks of her mother had travelled with her, making sure every fling never ended up being more. She’d told herself she didn’t mind. That work came first anyway. That she wasn’t interested in just being someone’s wife. But even such a simple flirtatious exchange like this left her feeling out of her depth, because all she could hear was her mother’s voice warning her of the same heartbreak she had experienced.
They all got bored, eventually. She knew this had to be true for Niko as well, even though he didn’t make it seem that way. But how reliable was a man picking up women at the after-party of a medical conference? Why did she even care? It wasn’t like she was looking for a boyfriend. Her life was fine as it was.
‘And I guess you couldn’t help but intrude on this poor soul’s only respite?’ She put a playful lilt into her voice, and Niko laughed.
‘If you put it like that, I definitely want to linger around a bit more.’ A spark entered his eyes, and his hand slipped below his jacket. When it came back up, he held a slender flask between his fingers. ‘Let me provide you with some liquid encouragement for your troubles.’
Camila hesitated when he unscrewed the flask and held it towards her. Their fingers touched as she took it, and the electricity zinged through her, as if amplified by that small touch. She raised the flask to her nose, taking a whiff. Sweet notes of spices and oak drifted up her nostrils. A fruity wine?
She watched him as she brought the flask to her mouth, tipping it over until the sweet liquid hit her tongue. The taste was nothing like she expected from alcohol coming out of a flask, and when she lowered it and looked at Niko, she caught a spark of something in his eyes. Though she didn’t know what to call this silent intention, it was enough to send another shiver crawling down her spine.
‘You keep wine in a flask?’ she asked, smiling.
‘Not quite wine. Metaxa is a brandy that is flavoured with wine. The perfect after-dinner drink.’
‘Metaxa...’ Camila repeated the word, unfamiliar with it. Then again, the only time she ever had something to drink was if she was on a date—which didn’t happen often, especially not these days. ‘Are you in the habit of bringing flasks to medical conferences?’
‘Oh, yes, absolutely. How else would I get through talking to so many boring people if I didn’t make a game out of it?’ He took the flask from her, and Camila watched with the focus of a predator as he raised it to his mouth. His throat bobbed as he took a sip, savouring the flavour with a soft hum that shot to a place somewhere deep inside of her. ‘Plus, I delight in the thought of what my father would have said if he knew his son was getting drunk while talking to important people in the cardio field. A bit of an extra kick I get at his expense.’
Her eyes rounded at his words, their meaning ambiguous. ‘Is your father a cardio surgeon as well?’
The spark in his gaze banked when she said those words, as if she had stepped over an invisible line. ‘He was, yes.’ Niko’s voice turned icy when he said that, and Camila resisted the urge to pry. He’d used the past tense, which could mean many things. But there was a conflict in his eyes as he said that, and some instinct inside her told her he’d not get the chance to resolve that conflict—and that she shouldn’t ask any more questions. Which was just as well, because if there was one thing she understood, it was issues with a parent that remained unresolved.
Screwing the flask shut, he slipped it back into his pocket, and when he turned back, whatever had been bothering him had vanished from his features, and in its stead was that intention again that Camila couldn’t quite get. Or rather, what she wanted it to mean was so far out there that she couldn’t quite believe it. The fires underneath her skin kept on increasing with every glance of his.
‘I’d rather hear more about you,’ he said as he leaned in, his breath skittering over her cheeks.
Her? Camila hesitated, the mix of his proximity and his scent in her nose making it harder to think. ‘What is there to tell? My lab is in Switzerland, where I was born. They printed my biography in the accompanying material of the conference,’ she said, not really knowing what else to say.
Niko seemed to pick up on that as well, for he barked a laugh. ‘Yes, yes. You are a Brazilian-Swiss cardiologist who has spent some time studying in the UK before opening her own lab.’ He waved a hand in front of his face. ‘I’m not looking for the information that can be learned from someone’s biografia.’
His accent changed at the last word, catching Camila’s attention, and bringing the question to her mind where he might be from. The name Niko wasn’t giving her enough indications. Maybe that was for the best. They could leave whatever was between them here in Vancouver.
‘Then ask me a question. What do you want to know?’
The smile on his lips sent sparks flying across her skin. It was filled with the same intention she could see written in his eyes. She realised she had just given him permission to ask any question that might be rolling around in his brain.
‘What do you like to do for fun?’ he asked, and Camila blinked at that. Not the question she had expected.
‘What do I...?’ Her voice trailed off as she contemplated the question. ‘I’ve not had much of a life outside of my research for the last few years.’
Was that sad? Camila wasn’t sure. Her dedication to her research had begun the moment she went into medical school—wanting to prove to her mother that being a wife wasn’t all that she could be. She wanted to show her what she could do, however futile that might have been. But Mariana had been less than impressed, to the point where Camila didn’t know why she kept trying. She eventually accepted that their relationship would never be more than a polite conversation about the weather and dodging questions about her personal life. Because those always ended in a lecture about her father leaving them for another woman—and that Camila should make peace with that fate as well.
Was that why she’d never bothered to let her relationships go beyond the surface level? She didn’t know, had never felt secure enough to examine these feelings. Work was all she needed, even if that meant she now didn’t know how to answer the question from this handsome man.
And good God, he was very handsome, and now close enough that his gentle scent of sea and earth drifted towards her. An intoxicating smell that made her feel light-headed.
‘Maybe if you tell me what you like to do for fun, I can learn from you,’ she said, grasping at the first thing entering her mind.
His smile broadened and the spark entering his eyes had her thinking he had somehow wanted this to be her answer. Did he already have something in mind to teach her?
With his arm draped over the back of the couch, Niko unfurled his fingers until they were right by her shoulder. He said nothing for a few seconds, then he wound his index fingers through a strand of her hair, gently caressing the curl with his thumb. His eyes were fixed on his hand, as if he had to watch what his fingers were doing, and when he finally looked up at her, Camila gasped at the intensity of his gaze.
‘I’m not sure it’s polite to say what I would like to do when we have just met,’ he said, his voice low and filled with gravel.
The answering squeeze of her core was enough to let her know how she felt about this proposition. Somehow, Niko possessed a quality that didn’t require any effort from her part to hold the conversation. After the week she’d had at the conference, she hadn’t thought she would be up for a casual night of sex. It might not be a traditional social encounter, but it still required effort and communications—things that were severely hampered when her social battery was on zero like it was right now.
But with Niko... The conversation hadn’t felt stilted or like a chore at any point. No, somehow the rising heat between them had infused her with such fierceness that Camila didn’t even feel tired any more. The slight buzz probably helped as well.
She bit her lower lip when his fingers grazed her shoulder as he gathered more of her hair, and from his sharp inhale, she knew that her small gesture had the desired effect.
‘I would be down for some of that fun,’ Camila said, tilting her head to the side so that his fingers connected with her cheek.
Niko released a slow breath, his fingers moving against her cheek until his hand cupped her face, strands of her hair still weaving in and out between his fingers. Camila’s breath stuttered when he leaned close enough that she could see where the green of his eyes faded into brown.
‘My suite is upstairs,’ he said, his face so close now their noses almost touched.
A suite in this hotel? That was far more than she had been willing to pay for accommodations. Her hotel wasn’t far from the venue of the conference, but even her double room struck her as lavish. How was he able to afford that? Where had he said he worked?
The thoughts left her head as an electrified wave washed over her when Niko closed the remaining space between them and brushed his lips over hers. Questions she didn’t remember to ask the next morning when she snuck out of the suite before sunrise.
