The Pleasures of Spring Read Free Page B

else caught his eye. Her hair had moved.
    Andy put up his hand and touched it. The brown wig slipped, revealing bright red hair.
    Stunned, he stepped back, staring at her. It had been so long since he had last seen her, but there was no doubt who it was. The furious blue eyes belonged to the woman who had led him a merry dance for over a year. She adjusted the wig, tugging it back into place.
    ‘Roz O’Sullivan?’ he asked, just to make sure.
    He thought he heard, ‘Busted!’ under her breath before she straightened her shoulders defiantly. ‘Roz Spring, actually.’
    It was her! This was the brat who had stolen a fabulous jewel from a museum in Switzerland by impersonating her sister and had been on the run ever since. Andy had caught her once and dragged her back to give evidence at her sister’s trial, but she had given him the slip right after by climbing through the second-floor window in the judge’s chamber.
    And here she was, glaring at him through narrowed eyes. Eyes which had kept him awake more often than hewanted to admit, but he knew this was one woman he couldn’t pursue. Even if she weren’t as slippery as wet soap, as trustworthy as an election promise and as cunning as a cat smelling tuna, she was off-limits: Roz was a wanted woman. He’d been on a watching brief for Moore Enterprises for the past year, with orders to pick her up if she crossed his path. The fact that Roz was his boss’s sister-in-law irked Niall Moore more than he would admit.
    But now Andy had her, although her distended abdomen troubled him more than the fight. How could Roz Spring be pregnant?
    The usual way, fuckwit!
    For some reason, he didn’t want to think about Roz O’Sullivan or Spring, or whatever she called herself, with some strange man. Not that it was any of his business. She was nothing to do with him and never could be.
    He caught her arm. ‘You gave me a good run, but it’s time to come in.’
    Andy half expected her to fight him, to try to pull away and escape from him. God knows she could run. Instead, she doubled over and moaned. ‘Oh, Oh!’
    The stains on her dress and the pool of liquid on the floor made his stomach clench. ‘Jesus, you’re in labour? You’re going to have the baby?’
    Maybe it was the panic in his voice, but she had a hint of laughter in her eyes. ‘Not quite, but if you don’t get me out of here soon, I will.’
    It couldn’t be fucking easy, could it?
    Andy ushered her along the walkway and down the stairwell. The lifts had already been shut down as part of the police emergency response. He pushed down on thebar of the security door and they were immediately greeted by an ERU team.
    Ignoring her protests, he lifted Roz up in his arms. ‘My wife is in labour. The shock …’
    ‘An ambulance is on its way, sir.’
    Still carrying Roz, Andy pushed his way through the crowd. A smattering of applause came from the group of schoolchildren behind the police barrier. Shit. He couldn’t afford to get caught up in this. Across the street, a taxi pulled up and Andy dodged the oncoming traffic as he ran for it. God, but she was heavy. Babies were small creatures, weren’t they? How much weight did a pregnant woman gain?
    He eased Roz to her feet and yanked open the door, ushering her into the back seat of the cab, before sliding in beside her. ‘Which hospital?’
    ‘None. Get me out of here.’ She glared at him like a feral cat.
    Maybe she was in shock. He tried again, more patiently this time. ‘We need to get you to hospital, but you have to tell me which one.’
    More glaring. She clutched her damp dress, raising her skirt away from her and in the process displaying a pair of shapely legs.
    You’re a pervert, McTavish
. Andy tried to avert his eyes, but a sick fascination prevented him. He caught a glimpse of dark red panties.
    Yep, you’re definitely going to hell
.
    ‘Hey. My face is up here,’ Roz snapped. ‘And I don’t need a hospital. I need to lie down for a