The Army Doctor's New Year's Baby (2 page)

Megan tore
her glance from Daniel Fabian's retreating back with a little sigh of longing
and edged towards her friends through the excited group of women who were
waiting for the auction to start.

Olivia
Knight raised her elegant eyebrows as Megan approached. "You're a dark
horse. I didn't know you knew Sean's brother."

Megan
laughed. "I don't, really. My brother rather dropped him in it. Daniel was
too much of a gentleman to refuse to escort me."

Olivia's
expression grew serious. "Sean's told us lots of tales about Daniel's busy
social life. Apparently he was a cosmetic surgeon to the stars before he joined
the army. He doesn't sound like a settling-down sort of guy. Do be careful. I'd
hate to see you hurt."

Secretly,
Megan would love the opportunity to get close enough to the gorgeous Daniel
Fabian to risk being hurt. But that was unlikely to happen. Men with Daniel's
looks did not date parochial doctors with ginger hair and freckles who lived in
the middle of the Scottish Highlands.

She glanced
over her shoulder to see Daniel talking to a tall, willowy woman with masses of
mahogany hair. They were laughing together, obviously friends if not more. No,
Megan stood no chance with him at all.

"Actually,
I rather like him, and he
is
easy on the eye." Alice Knight
grinned. "He's sitting at our table. It would be great if he bids on you,
Meg. Then we'll all be able to sit together."

Megan's
brother Blair came up behind Olivia and Alice and put his arms around their
shoulders. "Do I hear you three plotting? Don't tell me you Knights have
fixed the auction again."

He kissed Alice's and Olivia's cheeks then hugged Megan, lifting her off her feet like he had ever
since she was a little girl. "Behave yourselves, ladies, and have fun.
We're about to start. Talk to you shortly."

He headed
back to the stage and called for everyone's attention. The lights glinted off
his shiny dark hair, his smile bright, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. He
was passionate about his charity for children who'd lost parents to conflict.

"Ladies
and gentlemen, please take your seats for the charity auction to benefit the
Heroes' Kids Fund." He turned and extended a hand. "These beautiful
women are looking for dinner partners to share the evening with. So be ready to
dig deep in your pockets as the bidding is about to start."

A pretty
young woman with silky blonde hair and blue eyes stepped up first.

Blair
grinned at her and took her hand. "Miss Charlotte Maitland tells me she
likes vampires, so if you know anything about vampires, this is the girl for
you."

"Does
Dracula count," a male voice shouted from the back, making everyone laugh.

"Who
will start the bidding? Am I bid fifty pounds?"

Male hands
shot up all over the ballroom. The price rapidly rose to seven hundred pounds
until she was sold to a young officer Megan didn't know.

Three more
women went up. The bidding continued, then Alice Knight stepped up beside
Blair, delicate and pretty, her blonde hair caught back in diamante clips, her
blue satin dress emphasizing her slim figure.

A couple of bids
came from the front of the room, then Alice's husband, Cameron Knight, stood.
"One thousand pounds," he announced in a tone of finality. Before
Blair even declared the auction over, Cameron was already threading his way
between the tables to claim his wife.

He handed
her down the stairs, then kissed her to a round of applause before he led her
back to their table.

Next, Olivia
Knight joined Blair on the stage, stunning in a burgundy dress with a diamond
and ruby necklace and matching bracelet. Her long dark hair flowed loose down
her back. She was so elegant and self-assured, confident in the knowledge that
her man loved her and would bid whatever it took to spend his evening with her.

A little
sigh whispered between Megan's lips, and she pushed away a stab of envy. How
she wished she could find a loving husband like her friends.

The bidding
started quickly, rapidly reaching a thousand pounds. At that point, Radley
Knight rose to his feet. The room fell silent as if no one else dared challenge
a colonel, now that he'd made his intentions clear. "Two thousand
pounds," he said in ringing tones as he headed towards the stage.

"That's
about five hundred quid an hour," someone shouted, raising a laugh from
the crowd.

"And
worth every penny," Radley quipped as he claimed his wife's hand to lead
her back to their table.

Blair
turned, his gaze finding Megan. He nodded and the young officer who was
assisting handed her up the stairs.

"Now I
have the pleasure of presenting my lovely sister, Dr. Megan Mackenzie. What am
I bid to spend the evening with a bonnie Scottish lass?"

Although
Megan willed herself not to blush, her cheeks heated. It was a curse of her
coloring that she did not blush well. She pasted on a smile and kept her hands
still, resisting the urge to fiddle with her sash.

Blair
continued. "We army doctors think we know about danger, but if you want to
hear some hairy stories of rescuing casualties from dangerous situations, this
is your girl. Megan works with mountain rescue in the Scottish Highlands."

"Five
hundred pounds." Major General Knight's baritone boomed deep and clear
through the momentary silence in the ballroom. She'd known good old Uncle
George all her life; he was one of her father's best friends. She could always
count on him to start the bidding on her.

"Six
hundred," another man said, although she didn't catch who.

"Seven
hundred," Uncle George countered.

Silence fell
and Megan's heart beat a rapid tattoo in her chest. This was the truly
nerve-wracking part of the auction, standing up in front of 250 people praying
for bids.

She'd made a
conscious effort not to look at Daniel, but now her gaze skated over the
upturned faces in search of blonde hair, blue eyes, and a warm smile.

He sat at
the table with her friends, an empty seat beside him. Her breath caught; for a
moment she struggled to suck in air. The woman Daniel had been talking to was
not with him, she was seated next to his brother, Sean.

Daniel
leaned back in his chair, a lazy smile on his face as he watched the
proceedings. She tore her gaze away from him and let it drift unseeing over the
mass of people. Her chest ached with longing—if only he would bid on her. When
the clock struck twelve tonight and kisses were exchanged to celebrate the New
Year, she wanted to be sitting beside Daniel Fabian.

The bidding
continued. Another of her father's friends offered nine hundred pounds for her,
then silence fell. Megan consciously drew in a breath and pushed it out, her
heartbeat marking off the seconds. Any moment now, Blair would declare her
sold.

Her fingers
flexed on her purse, crushing the soft fabric. Much as she appreciated her
father's friends supporting her, it was humiliating to be passed over by the
younger men. They all probably had their sights set on the pretty young
daughters of the senior officers who were still waiting in line.

"Three
thousand pounds." The words echoed around the room. Clothes rustled and
chairs scraped as everyone turned to see who had bid such a large amount.

Daniel rose,
the lights glinting off his blond hair. Giving the impression he enjoyed the
limelight, he stepped behind his brother's chair and ambled between the tables,
obviously in no hurry, a self-assured smile on his face.

"Sold
to Major Fabian," Blair announced. There was a moment's stunned silence,
then applause broke out and rippled through the crowd.

Megan
trembled, her legs suddenly unsteady. She gripped Blair's arm for support as he
led her to the top of the steps. "Way to go, Meggie," he said under
his breath. "Highest bid of the night by far."

Then louder
he said, "Major Fabian has set the bar high, gentlemen. Let's see if we
can top his generous donation before the night is out." He passed Meg's
hand to Daniel and stepped back.

Daniel
glanced up at her, his blue eyes twinkling with pleasure. "Will you join
me, Dr. Mackenzie?"

Despite the
mad jig of her heart and wobbly knees, somehow she hung on to her composure.
"I'd be delighted to, Major Fabian."

His warm
fingers gripped hers to guide her slowly down the stairs and back between the
tables.

Alice grinned as Daniel pulled out the chair for Meg.

"Wonderful.
I'm so pleased you're at our table."

Radley and
Cameron Knight both greeted her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. They had
been at school with her brothers and she'd known them all her life.

Daniel
introduced her to his brother, Sean, who sat on her left with his wife, Kelly,
the woman with the mahogany hair.

She placed
her purse on the table and waited until the auction recommenced, then leaned
towards Daniel. "Thank you for rescuing me again," she said softly.

"It's
my pleasure." His fingers brushed the back of her hand, the lightest of
caresses, but she felt that touch in every fiber of her being.

Her heart
fluttered like a moth in a bottle. What was it about this man that had her in a
spin? It wasn't just his good looks, although they helped.

She tried to
concentrate on the auction, clapping politely after each woman was sold, yet
most of her attention focused on the gorgeous man at her side as if her body
had realigned itself to his wavelength.

She adored
the Scottish Highlands, adored the rugged wild countryside, the mountains, the
snow, and the wildlife. But at this moment, she wished with all her heart she
lived closer to civilization, closer to where Daniel lived. She longed for the
chance to get to know him better. But that would never happen.

Her
responsibilities, her mountain rescue work, and everything that mattered to her
were in Scotland and always would be.

She must
make the most of her few hours with Daniel, because they might be all she ever
had.

The evening
passed in a blur of happy conversation and laughter as Megan caught up with the
news about her friends' children. Sean Fabian and his wife, Kelly, had adopted
a six-week-old baby boy just before Christmas. Kelly passed her mobile phone
around to show off photos of their three children.

After the
main course of dinner, Sean and Kelly wished everyone a happy New Year and left
before dessert, so eager were they to be home with their new baby, Liam, and
their twin girls.

Whenever she
could, Megan snatched moments of private conversation with Daniel. He asked her
about her work with Kindrogan Mountain Rescue. She related some of the most
dangerous rescues to impress him.

"So
tell me, how do you know Duncan?" Megan felt as though she had been
talking about herself all evening. It was time she found out more about Daniel.

He glanced
down and straightened his napkin, the light shining off the lighter streaks in
his blond hair. "I met him at a medical conference in Canada a few years ago, before I joined the army. His work on freezing-cold injury
interests me." He paused for a second as if thinking, then met her gaze
with a slightly strained smile. Was he uncomfortable talking about himself?

"His
line of work has personal relevance for me. I'm a bit of a snowboarding junkie.
I trained as an instructor between school and college and passed my level two.
It gave me the chance for lots of riding freestyle, off-piste, and backcountry."

"And
plenty of après ski as well, I imagine," Megan added, hoping to turn the
conversation to his social life. She didn't really want to hear about all the
girlfriends Olivia had hinted at, but at the same time she did want to know
what sort of man Daniel was.

At that
moment, the lights dimmed and the band that had set up on the stage started
playing. A number of couples rose and stepped onto the small dance floor in the
center of the room.

"Would
you do me the honor?" Daniel said, rising and holding out his hand. She
had the impression he was avoiding talking about himself, but she often
overanalyzed things. Relax and enjoy the evening, she told herself.

Daniel's
arms came around her, strong and warm. As he eased her into his embrace, her
rational thoughts slipped away. She drifted into a dreamy heaven against his
chest, imagining he was really hers and he cared about her. She had known him
for only a few hours, yet already she was halfway in love with him.

She leaned
her head on his shoulder and breathed in the spicy smell of his aftershave as
the singer crooned. They circled the dance floor with the other couples,
enjoying the strange intimacy of being in each other's arms amid the crowd. She
could not imagine a better way to bring in the New Year.

Daniel
seemed in no hurry to sit down again. They danced together for at least an
hour, swaying to the rhythm. She wished the evening could go on forever, but
eventually the music ended and her brother Blair stepped up to the microphone.
"Charge your glasses, ladies and gentlemen. It's five minutes to
twelve."

Daniel took
her hand and led her back to their table, where fresh flutes of champagne
waited for them. He picked up hers and handed it over, then lifted his own.
Blair started a countdown as the chimes of Big Ben were broadcast into the
ballroom. Everyone joined in, cheering when they reached midnight.

"Happy
New Year!" Blair shouted over the joyful hubbub as people congratulated
each other.

Daniel
tapped his glass against hers. "Here's to new beginnings," he said.
Then he set down his drink and drew Megan into his arms.

Her heart
thundered and she could barely draw breath.

"Happy
New Year, sweetheart," he whispered as he held her close. She melted into
his arms, resting her palms against his shoulders. He bent his head and his
lips brushed hers in a sweet kiss that was over far too soon.