Read Online New Boss New Year Bride by Lucy Clark - Free Book Online Page B

house-calls this week.’
    ‘The direct approach? Interesting.’ Joss sat up straighter in his chair. ‘No, Dex.’
    ‘Aww, come on. What are friends for?’
    ‘No, Dex.’
    ‘It was initially your turn to do them anyway.’
    ‘That’s right, but I did yours three weeks running, which means it’s now your turn, Dex.’
    ‘But I promise to do your house-calls next week.’
    ‘No, you won’t.’
    ‘You’re right. I won’t. Oh, well, how about I fill in for your clinic next week on my day off? That way you’ll have time to show Melissa a bit more of Didja.’
    ‘Still no.’
    ‘In fact,’ he pressed on, as though he hadn’t heard his friend, ‘you doing my house-calls this week would be a great way for you to show Melissa what it’s all about.’
    Joss nearly choked at the suggestion. Spending all that time alone, in such close quarters with Melissa? He hadn’t been able to control himself in a small kitchenette. He hadn’t been able to resist touching her. How was he supposed to cope in the smaller confines of the ute as they drove around the countryside? To Dex, however, he tried to remain completely unnerved. ‘Actually, I was wanting to talk to you about that.’
    ‘About you doing the house-calls with Melissa? Great idea. I accept.’
    ‘That’s not what I meant. I was talking about you doing the house-calls tomorrow with your sister. Get to know her better.’
    ‘I can’t take her. No. No siree.’ He shook his head.
    ‘She’s your sister, Dex. You’re going to need to open up to her sooner or later.’
    ‘I choose later.’
    ‘Dex, I under—’
    ‘No. You don’t understand, Joss. You have parents who are definitely your parents. You weren’t lied to for almost thirty years by the people you love. You didn’t find out—completely out of the blue—that you have an older sister, that you were adopted!’ Dex thumped the desk.
    Joss watched his friend. He hadn’t seen him this riled-up for a long time.
    Dex took a breath and calmed himself down. ‘Look, I think it’s great that she’s here helping out at the clinic. Scoring ourselves an OB/GYN for a year was a great stroke of genius on your part and one of the major reasons I agreed to her coming. You are also right that it would be good for me to get to know her—just in case one day I need to ask for some bone marrow or a kidney or something. But right now it’s just too soon for me to even be contemplating spending a whole day with her.’
    Joss felt the walls start to close in on him, and wondered if he could try another tack at convincing Dex that spending time with Melissa was a good thing. There was no way he could do it. Such close quarters…That wouldn’t be a way for him to get his libido back under control again.
    ‘I know you’ve been hurt, Dex, but as I’ve pointed out before, none of this is Melissa’s fault. Imagine how she’sfeeling. She comes to town to meet you, to get to know you, and you’ve hardly said two words to her.’
    ‘I’ve said a few more than that,’ Dex felt compelled to point out.
    ‘It’s like ripping a sticking plaster off. The sooner you get it over and done with, the better.’
    ‘Why can’t you take her? You’re the boss here.’
    ‘You’re an equal financial partner, Dex.’
    ‘But you run the show. You know I’m not good at the admin thing.’
    ‘I know, and as the “admin thing” guy, I’m telling you it’s your turn to do house-calls tomorrow, and Melissa will be accompanying you. End of story.’
    ‘Ahh, but that’s where you’re wrong. You see, I think secretly, deep down inside, you really want to do these house-calls with Melissa tagging along. I think you want to get to know her better. I think you want to see if you can find some flaws, some faults—anything to help you to stop thinking about her.’
    ‘What? What on earth are you talking about?’
    ‘You like her.’ Dex waggled his eyebrows up and down in an insinuating manner.
    Joss ignored him and