His Intern: A Billionaire and Virgin Romance Read online

  I couldn’t lose her - not as an employee for sure. The remainder of my feelings - I wasn’t yet so sure.

  Quickly retrieving her number from my contacts, I hit dial, hoping against hope that she would pick up my call. It rang a few times whilst I paced the sidewalk. It seemed like forever before I heard her voice. I took a deep breath.

  “Julien.”

  “Ellie, how are you feeling?”

  I heard her sharp intake of breath before she considered her answer. All around me, the noise of traffic, people chatting around me as they walked past, annoyed the hell out of me. I just wanted to be somewhere quiet where I didn’t have to strain to listen to her faint voice.

  “I’m fine, Julien.”

  “Ellie, about Friday night-“

  “There is nothing to explain. Please, I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Fuck, I could detect the hurt in her voice. Naturally, not an expressive man, I was somewhat taken aback by my reaction. I hadn’t really cared about anyone, any dates, in about a dozen years. What was she doing to me? I had to make her understand, I had to regain her trust.

  “Okay, but please, don’t quit okay? Heck, I’ll even offer you a pay-rise, please just don’t quit on the clinic.”

  “What?! You can’t offer me professional incentives to stay, just to keep me around personally! Those can’t be the same thing - I can’t have my career be part and parcel of my relationships!”

  Fuck. This was coming out all wrong and now I had her riled up even further.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just….I don’t know what to do here. I don’t want to lose you.”

  Shit. Where did that come from? I held the phone away from my ear, wondering if I had accidentally cut her off, from the silence on her end.

  “Ellie, are you still there?”

  “I’m here, Julien.” I heard her sigh. Was I getting through to her? Would she be willing to hear me out? Just then, a few cars broke into a series of a car horn exchange. I had enough.

  “Ellie, I’m coming over.”

  “NO! Not today, Julien.” Her voice had an edge of hysteria and I backed off, not wanting to push her further away.

  “Will I at least see you at work tomorrow?”

  “Um, I’m not sure, Julien. I just need another day to think things over.”

  I felt my body deflate. I was a man that rarely prayed, but I quickly sent up a silent plea, hoping I hadn’t lost her.

  “Okay, that’s fine. We’ll make arrangements for your cover. Take your time. You should also know that Lawrence and Dr Pieter Van Wyk, Lawrence’s replacement, have arrived from South Africa. I’m sure they’re looking forward to meeting you, soon.”

  “Great. Okay, I’ve got to go, Julien. Hopefully, I’ll see you on Wednesday.”

  We hung up and I stopped pacing the sidewalk. I hadn’t felt this way about someone in a long time and whilst unsure where these new feelings were taking me, one thing I was sure of, was that I wanted a chance to explore this. I just hoped it wasn’t too late.

  Ellie

  I stood in front of my full-length mirror, critically assessing my appearance in my white scrubs. At least they were stylish, compared to the standard ones I was used to. Nina had insisted the nurses get designer-labelled scrubs, which were especially created for B&F MediSpa - I scoffed at the thought - as if the designer scrubs could make you a better nurse.

  Picking up my bag, I slowly dragged my feet out of the apartment, setting off for work, a feeling of dread pooling in my stomach. I felt like such an idiot. I surely must be the subject of much amusement to Nina and her colleagues after what went down on Friday evening. I mean, Jesus, why was I so blinded in thinking someone like Julien Berthou would be interested in me? For goodness sake! I sighed deeply as I stepped onto the bus, taking a vacant seat near the window. Once again, to my annoyance, I felt the sting of tears prick at the back of my eyelids and I quickly blinked them away. No more tears. God knows I had shed enough tears over the weekend. It wasn’t so much that I was in love with Julien or anything; it was the fact that I trusted him. For all I knew, he could have been wooing numerous other women on the side and I let my stupid naivety actually believe that he was into me. I shook my head as I continued to gaze out the window, lost in my thoughts and oblivious to the passengers around me. Sure, he tried to call me yesterday, even appearing sincere but I was still very wary. From now on, I wanted to steer well clear of him and Nina - I came here to learn and to hone in on my nursing skills - not looking for a relationship. I thought about my conversation with Kate on Saturday morning. I was woken up from my deep slumber, having only fallen asleep a few hours earlier. My head was pounding from the copious glasses of wine I had consumed and I groaned as I reached for my phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Ells? It me! I tried on the off-chance, didn’t expect you to be home…I thought you might be staying over at a certain doctor’s house?” She giggled on the other end. “Spill, tell me everything!”

  “Nothing happened, Kate. I was back home just after seven.” I spoke in a low voice, trying hard to keep the pain from pounding on my temples.

  “What? But I thought you had a date with Julien? I mean, I got your text photo - you looked stunning last night. What happened? Emergency?”

  I laughed bitterly. “Something like that. He had an emergency meeting with Nina beforehand and I walked in on them in a passionate embrace.”

  Kate was silent on the other end. When she spoke, her voice was rife with confusion. “What? I don’t understand, Ellie. What are you talking about?”

  I felt the tears seep out of my eyes as I replayed the scene I walked into. Kate didn’t interrupt as she heard me out, apart from a few sympathetic noises.

  “I got totally played, Kate! I am such a stupid, bloody idiot for thinking that someone like Julien Berthou would be interested in me.” I reached for a tissue and blew my nose loudly.

  “Oh, Ellie, I’m so sorry, honey. Did he explain what happened?”

  “No, I ran out of there and luckily there was a cab outside the building. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait.”

  “Do you think you should call him to find out what’s going on? Has he called you?”

  “Yes, he’s tried quite a few times but I’ve just ignored him. I have no intention of giving him the time of day again, Kate. He and Nina deserve each other!”

  “Maybe you should hear him out, Ells? Perhaps there is a plausible explanation?” Her voice sounded unsure but I appreciated her efforts.

  “It’s okay, Kate. I’ve been really naive. Stupid, really. I just don’t get it…I really thought he seemed to care about me. I’m so dumb.” My voice cracked and I took a deep breath, not wanting to upset Kate too.

  “Come home, Ellie. We are so short staffed at the hospital - you’d get a job as soon as you step off the plane.”

  “I wish I could, Kate. But, I don’t know…quitting is not my nature, you know? Let me think on it, see how I feel over the next few days.”

  “Good plan. I hate to do this, but I have to run - my night shift is starting soon and I need to leave now or I’ll be late for the handover meeting.”

  “Of course, Kate, please go. Don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll call you in a few days.”

  We hung up and I tried to go back to sleep, which ended up being a completely futile exercise.

  I got off the bus and walked the remaining five minutes to the clinic. My heart started to pound as I approached the entrance but I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I had done nothing wrong. I was a damn good nurse, a hard worker.

  I smiled as I walked past the receptionist who was on the phone but still looked up to give me a friendly wave.

  As I made my way to my station, I wearily looked around, hoping that I wouldn’t bump into either Julien or Nina. My heart sank as I approached and spotted Penny, deep in conversation with the witch, herself. I had no choice but to continue, I couldn’t hide from the head nurse forever.

&
nbsp; I looked into Penny’s eyes, which were filled with concern the moment she caught sight of me behind Nina. Nina spun around and her smug face transformed into a false look of sympathy.

  “Ellie. How nice to see you again. We weren’t sure if you’d be back. I mean, back today.”

  Nice faux pas, bitch. I cleared my throat. “I’m feeling much better.” Thankfully my voice sounded clear and professional.

  “Good. Well, Penny will get you up to speed with the patients.”

  Penny nodded as she watched Nina pick up her folders. “Oh and Penny - will you introduce Ellie to daddy and Pieter at some stage today?”

  “Sure, they’re just finishing up a meeting - we’ll stop by shortly.”

  Nina flashed us both an overly bright smile and walked off in the direction of her office. I exhaled the breath I had been holding.

  As soon as she was out of sight, Penny stood up, immediately wrapping me up into a hug.

  “We can’t talk now, but let’s catch up over lunch, okay? I just need to tell you that it’s not what you think…I’ve scheduled our lunch break at the same time.”

  I hugged her back, grateful for her support.

  “Sounds, good, Penny. Thank you. And I’m sorry for not being particularly receptive on the phone over the past couple of days. I just had some things to work out by myself.” I looked into her warm brown eyes, silently thankful for her friendship.

  “I understand completely, sweetie. I thought it would be better to talk face-to-face anyway.”

  Penny debriefed me with the patients for the next half an hour and then she glanced at her watch.

  “I think both Dr Fowler and Dr Van Wyk should have finished their meeting by now. Are you ready to meet them?”

  I smiled. “Sure, let’s go.”

  I followed Penny down the hall and into the meeting room. She tapped lightly and then entered, smiling at me over her shoulder.

  “Lawrence, Pieter, I thought you might like to meet, Ellie, our intern from London.”

  She motioned for me to enter the room and I nodded, sliding past her. The first thing I saw were two well-dressed doctors sitting at the conference table, files splayed all around them. The older of the two, who I presumed to be Lawrence Fowler, took off his glasses and smiled at me. The younger doctor, deeply tanned with warm brown eyes, stood up. He was tall, with sandy blond hair and slim. To most women, I’m sure he would be considered very handsome, but I couldn’t help but think that he didn’t have the heart-stopping looks or presence that Julien commanded.

  I stepped forward, holding out my hand.

  “Dr Fowler and Dr Van Wyk, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Dr Van Wyk gripped my hand in a firm handshake. For some reason he immediately made me feel safe and relaxed.

  “Ellie, good to meet you. Please, call me, Pieter.” He smiled as he released my hand. I turned to Dr Fowler who also scraped back his chair, holding out his hand to shake mine.

  “Ellie, I’ve heard so much about you from the team. Good to have you here.” His smile was genuine as he shook my hand. I took in his appearance from his tailor-made suit to his manicured nails. This man clearly enjoyed the finer things in life.

  “Thank you, Dr Fowler - “

  “Lawrence, please.”

  “Thank you, Lawrence. I’m really enjoying working in a reconstructive setting.”

  “It must be very different to the NHS back home?”

  I laughed lightly. It was a world apart. “Yes, Pieter, very much so. I’m used to working under very different conditions.”

  “Yes, I’m sure it’s been quite a transition but I hear you’ve picked things up very well. Perhaps at some stage this week we can get together and talk further? I believe you are here for a year?”

  “Yes, that’s correct, I’m contracted for a year. And perfect, I’ll look forward to having time with you both.”

  I turned to Penny, waiting for her to exit the room. Our introductions were over for now and I was anxious to check in on a couple of my patients.

  Penny spoke for a couple more minutes and then we left them to it, shutting the door gently behind me. I exhaled, hoping I had made a good enough impression.

  “Do you think they liked me?” I stopped walking and Penny froze in her tracks.

  “Like you? Of course they do, Ellie! They’ve heard nothing but fantastic things about you. Why do you think they wanted to meet you first thing this morning?” She smiled at me, giving me the confidence boost I so needed. I prided myself on my job and would hate for my personal life to shadow my career.

  “Thanks, Penny. They seem lovely.” We continued to her desk and I collected my paperwork.

  “See you at one o’clock for lunch.”

  I sat across from Penny, picking at my chicken salad. My appetite was still not fully recovered, so I replaced my fork and picked up my sparkling mineral water. Up until now, we had made small talk, but I could see that Penny was dying to address the real issue we were here - Julien.

  “Talk, Penny. I can see you’ve got questions to ask.”

  Penny slowly put down her fork and looked at me with deep concern.

  “I’m worried about you, sweetie. Clearly, you’re not yourself.”

  “Has it affected my work?” I knew I wasn’t quite with it but I seriously hoped it hadn’t rubbed off on my patients.

  “No, no, no. Not at all.” Penny gave me a reassuring smile and I let out a breath in relief. “I’m just saying that I can see you’re upset and obviously you’re probably wishing you were anywhere else but here.”

  I smiled at my friend. She already knew me so well. “I’ll be okay, Penny. I guess I just feel so freaking stupid right now and I can’t help but think that everyone is whispering behind my back.”

  Penny reached over to pat my hand gently. The act of kindness brought a tear to my eye and I quickly brushed it away with my free hand.

  “It’s not what you think, honey. I spoke to Julien after I caught a glimpse of you running out of the side exit. I wanted to come after you but couldn’t leave my station so the first chance I saw him, I cornered him.”

  I snapped my head up. “You spoke to him? On Friday night?”

  “Well, it was more like, What the hell have you done?”

  I smiled at the thought of my friend sticking up for me like that. I’m not sure any other nurse would have the guts to speak to Julien like that.

  “What did he say?”

  “Nina jumped him, Ellie. Just as you were about to walk in, she must have heard you coming down the hall in those fancy heels you were wearing.”

  I snorted looking away. “Yeah, right. I’m not sure I believe that, Penny. I mean, why was I thinking that he could really be interested in me? I mean come on, I’m just a lowly intern!”

  “Ellie, if you were my daughter, I’d put you across my knee. Don’t you dare speak about yourself like that - you are a credit to B&F - we’re thrilled to have you here.”

  I shook my head, not in the mood for any more compliments about my skills at work. For just this once, I had wanted my personal life to be on par. Clearly, I had failed miserably.

  “I can see the hurt and anger on your face, Ellie. But you’ve got to believe me. I think I’m a good judge of character - don’t get me wrong, I’ve never approved of Julien’s personal life, but let me tell you something - he was a broken man on Friday night.”

  Could I really believe what I was hearing? “Really, Penny? I don’t think I’ve ever seen any form of weakness in Julien for the two months I’ve known him.”

  Penny picked up her water glass and took a long sip whilst I patiently waited for her to continue.

  “Trust, me, he was broken. He kept saying that Nina did this on purpose, that she was literally on him for less than twenty seconds, before he pushed her off and ran to chase after you. But apparently it was too late as he saw you in the back of the taxi as you sped by him.”

  “Well that part is true. I couldn’t wait to g
et away.”

  Penny nodded, sympathetically. “Understandably.” She speared a piece of her chicken. “So, what are you going to do?”

  I sat back in my chair. “Honestly, Penny? I don’t know. I’ve even considered going back home - “

  “What! No, you can’t go, Ellie!”

  “Relax. I’m not a quitter - at least with my work, anyway. I just don’t know how to get around this, you know? I don’t want to be the girl that everyone talks about as Julien’s bit on the side. My career is so important to me, I’ve worked my arse off to get to where I am today.”

  I thought about my dad back home and suddenly felt very homesick. What I wouldn’t do to have his arms wrapped around me.

  “I know it’s hard, sweetie. You’re in a foreign country, miles away from home. I guess you feel very betrayed right now too. But I find the best way to deal with situations like this is to face it head on. You need to talk to him to clear the air.”

  “I know, I know, Penny. I’m just not sure that I could face dealing with it right now. I mean, both Lawrence and Pieter are also in the clinic too and I really want to concentrate on my work - I’d hate for them to think I’m just some floozy after Julien’s money. Or just someone to warm his bed at night.”

  I felt a flush of heat spread across my face at the last sentence. Damn my body for betraying me like that. But God, the thought of being in his strong arms again, the way he made me feel as I had pressed up against his rock hard chest, which I no doubt would be as chiselled as my vivid imagination. I pictured his lips, his steely blue eyes which had darkened as we kissed…the bulge I felt against my stomach and the smirk that followed, telling me in no uncertain words how he desired me. Shit, I shook my head slightly, clearing my mind of my wondering thoughts.

  “Okay, honey, it’s your call, but sooner or later, this conversation is going to come up and you’d better be prepared. Julien’s a determined guy, he won’t take no for an answer.”

  “Fine, I’ll speak with him, Penny. But not yet - maybe in a couple of days or so, when the gossip dies down.”