A mirthless laugh pushed at Valentino’s lips, but he refused to let it out. What kind of a person would that make him? Dumping that kind of information in her lapover the phonethen just casually hang up and get on with his day.
He knew how close she was to Harry – he could never have done that.
Meeting her gaze, he said, ‘Some news is better in person.’
She nodded absently and he could tell she understood the sentiment. There was a sadness inside her now and Valentino wished he hadn’t been the one to put it there, and yet he was pleased he was here when she found out.
Another sip or two of wine followed. Peyton seemed lost in her own thoughts and Valentino, comfortable around female emotion of all kinds thanks to his sisters, let her sit with them for long moments.
‘Thank you,’ she said eventually as she refocused on him.
Valentino nodded dismissively before draining the last mouthful from his glass. ‘There’s another reason.’ It had been on his mind since their morning in surgery together.
‘Oh?’ She raised both eyebrows. ‘That sounds ominous.’
Her tone had the hint of teasing and, after the heavy stuff, it felt good. It smoothed the path to what he wanted to talk about. ‘I thought, as we’ll be working together in the coming months, we could… set some ground rules.’
The fact of the matter was that, for the short term when she returned after her leave, he would be her boss and, whether he liked it or not, that meant anything happening between him and her of an intimate nature was not possible.
Not forbidden exactly but not professional, either.
‘Good idea.’ She nodded. ‘I think that’s very sensible.’
Valentino almost laughed at her eagerness. He hadn’t needed to know her for long to know that sensible was her middle name. That the night of the wedding had been well out of her wheelhouse.
‘Number one,’ she said, jumping in first. ‘We’re never going to be…’ She broke off, her earlier bravado deserting her.
‘What, Peyton?’ Valentino tilted his head, daring her to put a name to what they were considering he wasn’t really sure himself. ‘We’re never going to be what?’
A slight bloom of pink tinged her cheeks but, just as quickly, her chin rose. ‘Lovers,’ she said, a little defiantly. ‘Again.’
Valentino smiled at the determined gleam in her eye. He wasn’t sorry they’d beenlovers. If he had his way, he’d be up to explore that a lot more for the time he was here. But that wasn’t his MO. He kept his relationships short, sweet and uncomplicated and this one with Peyton had proved to already be none of those things.
He should be all over her rule. It was just so damn… final.
Still, she was right – they couldn’t be lovers again. Not while they were working together, and one lovers’ tiff could have a ripple effect on the entire department.
‘Agreed.’ He made another cheese and bread combo and handed it to her, gratified to see her eat it without protest. ‘So, let’s be friends instead,’ he suggested. ‘We’re going to be working together and your daughter will be a temporary patient of mine. There’s no reason we can’t be friends.’
She eyed him dubiously. ‘I don’t know…’
‘Oh, come on. You’re friends with Harry, right?’
‘Yes, but…’
‘But?’
Briefly glancing in at McKenzie, she looked back at him. Keeping her voice low, she said, ‘I haven’t slept with Harry.’
Valentino wanted to say she hadn’t exactlysleptwith him either but he was pretty sure she didn’t need flippancy at the moment so he just shrugged instead.
‘You think we can do that?’ she asked earnestly. ‘You and I? Put the wedding behind us and be friends?’
He didn’t know whether to be insulted or annoyed at the question, but it was genuine and he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that part of him at least was a little thrilled by the idea that Peyton couldn’t separate out the lover from the doctor. That she clearly also had problems forgetting about the wedding.
‘Naturalmente.’
She shot him an incredulous look. ‘Do youhavemany female friends?’
