The Billionaire's Unwanted Virgin by Doris O'Connor Read Free Book Online

the
eminent children's hospital, he was also the best children's cancer specialist
in the country. As his personal friend and major benefactor to the hospital
coffers, Lakota had set the wheels in motion the minute he'd realized how
serious little Beth's condition was.   He
knew the little girl was in theatre right now under Spencer's skilled hands,
the man himself having been alerted to her plight the minute the ambulance crew
made the call for help.
    He hadn't told Alice any of this. She
would find out soon enough, because his money had also bought the little girl a
private room and a place on a clinical trial. Whether it was all too little,
too late remained to be seen, but he hoped for Alice's sake, that her niece
would survive the night. Chances of a full recovery were good with the right
treatment, but this current crisis could jeopardize that recovery severely.
    Whatever happened there was no going
back on his plan now. To obtain the information he needed from the hospital
staff, he'd had to announce the nature of his relationship with Alice, and he
could almost hear the pound signs drop when he informed the over-eager
receptionist that little Beth was indeed family, as he was engaged to her
sister. No doubt come morning that little tidbit would be plastered all over
the gossip columns.
    He shook the thought off and concentrated
on coaxing Alice out of the helicopter instead. In no time at all they were
safely seated in the waiting limousine and speeding towards the hospital.   Her entire frame shook when they arrived at
the entrance, her gaze riveted to the little welcoming committee standing
there.
    "Why are they there? It means bad
news, right? I know how this works. The NHS doesn't greet you like that unless
it's bad news." She stopped abruptly, and her fingernails dug into his
arm. "Don't let it be Beth, please."
    "Alice, look at me. Relax.
They’re here to greet me. I took the liberty of phoning ahead. Beth is in
theatre, and in the best possible hands. I can't promise you it will all work
out okay, but she is getting the best treatment possible. I made sure of
that."
    Her eyes widened and sought his, and
she would have stumbled had he not pulled her close to him. So close that the
delicious weight of her breast rested on his arm. It seemed in her haste to get
dressed she had foregone a bra, and his blood heated at the thought of what
else she may not be wearing under those loose fitting clothes.
    "She's in theatre? But, they said
it was too risky to operate, unless …" Her voice trailed off, and she
straightened her shoulders and pushed away from him. "I need to be with Mum.
She'll be falling apart, and you, mister, you'd better tell me exactly what
you've done."
    She glared at him, but he was close
enough to her to feel the slight tremble going through her body. His little
Alice was putting on a brave front, but the terrified expression in her eyes
gave her away. Again that need to protect her from what was coming almost took
his breath away, and he shook his head to clear the unexpected fog of
emotion.  
    Emotions had no say in his dealings
with this. The best thing he could do for Alice and little Beth was to do what
he did best—get things done as efficiently as possible.
    She strode ahead of him now, head held
high, until they reached the little welcoming committee. The fact that they
completely ignored her irked him no end, and he waved the fawning welcome away
with an impatient wave of his hand, and pulled Alice back against him. The blue
eyes of the hospital board executive's personal assistant narrowed in
speculation, and Lakota swallowed the bile rising in his throat.
    "Save the niceties, and fill my
fiancée in on how her niece is doing, will you? I'm not here for a fucking
social visit."
    The platinum blonde's practiced smile
slipped for a nano-second, before she recovered and extended her perfectly
manicured hand towards Alice at last.
    "I am so sorry. Where are my
manners? Beth is in theatre