The Italian's New-Year Marriage Wish Read Free

you and Nick. Perhaps you should just tell him that you love him. Be honest.’
    â€˜What? I don’t…’ Flustered and embarrassed, Kate lifted a hand to her chest and shook her head in swift denial. ‘What makes you say that? Marco, for goodness’ sake…’
    â€˜Nick is the senior partner and my colleague,’ Marco drawled softly, wondering why relationships were so incredibly complicated. ‘You are also my colleague. It is hard to miss the tension between the two of you. Often I am in the middle of it.’
    â€˜Nick and I have known each other a long time.’
    â€˜ Sì , I know that.’ Marco sighed. ‘You’re in love with him. Tell him.’
    â€˜Even if you were right, which you’re not,’ Kate added quickly, her shoulders stiffening, ‘you think I should just knock on the door of his consulting room and say, “I love you”?’
    â€˜Why not? It’s the truth. Speaking as a man, I can tell you that we prefer a direct approach. Feminine games are an exhausting optional extra. If a woman wants to tell me that she loves me…’ he shrugged expressively and lounged deeper in his chair ‘…why would I stop her?’
    Kate laughed in disbelief. ‘Sorry, but I’m just trying to picture Nick’s face if I were to follow your advice.’
    Marco watched her for a moment, noting the dark shadows under her eyes. ‘Your problem is that you have fallenin love with an Englishman and English men know nothing about love. They are closed up, cold, unemotional. Give them twenty-four hours to make love to a woman and they would spend twenty-three of those hours watching football on the television.’ As he’d planned, his words made her smile.
    â€˜Perhaps you’re right.’ She straightened her shoulders, suddenly looking less like a vulnerable woman and more like an efficient practice manager. ‘You’re a good friend. And for a man, you’re very emotionally advanced. It would have been much simpler if I could have fallen for a hot Italian instead of a cold Englishman.’
    Marco thought of his own disastrous marriage. ‘Hot Italians can get it wrong, too,’ he said wearily. Badly wrong. ‘And Nick isn’t really cold, just badly hurt. He carries a lot of guilt. A lot of pain. This has been a bad time in his life.’
    A bad time in both their lives.
    Given the events of the last few years, it was amazing that he and his partner were still managing to run a GP practice.
    Reaching for his coffee, he cleared his mind of the dark thoughts that threatened to cloud the day.
    Not now.
    He wasn’t going to think about that now.
    It was the festive period and he had a punishing workload ahead of him.
    There was going to be no time to brood or even think.
    Which was exactly the way he wanted it.
    Â 
    Amy paused outside the surgery. The fresh sea air stung her cheeks and from above came the forlorn shriek of a seagull.
    She had ten minutes before Marco was due to start seeing patients and she lost her chance to speak to him.
    Ten minutes to finally end a marriage.
    It would be more than enough time to say what had to besaid. And he wouldn’t be able to prolong the meeting because he would have patients waiting to see him.
    Without giving herself time to change her mind, she pushed open the door and walked into Reception. The sudden warmth hit her and she walked up to the desk and saw Kate Althorp in conversation with the receptionist.
    Once, they’d been friends even though the other woman was at least ten years her senior. Had that friend ship ended with her sudden departure? Amy had no doubt that everyone in Penhally would have judged her harshly and she could hardly blame them for that. She’d given them no reason not to.
    â€˜Do you have an appointment?’ Crisp, efficient and obviously busy despite the time of day, Kate glanced up and her eyes widened in