200 Harley Street: The Shameless Maverick Read online

  One kiss she didn’t forget!

  Junior surgeon Kara Stephens has been assigned her first high-profile case to help an injured princess. Great news—if she wasn’t working with hotshot Irish surgeon Declan Underwood, the man she kissed at the hospital ball! Declan’s notoriety with women is rivaled only by his reputation as the best reconstructive surgeon around. But his glamorous life in London is a far cry from his poverty-stricken childhood, and Kara’s about to discover that there’s more to her charismatic maverick than meets the eye….

  200 HARLEY STREET

  Welcome to the luxurious premises of the exclusive Hunter Clinic, world renowned in plastic and reconstructive surgery, set right on Harley Street, the centre of elite clinical excellence, in the heart of London’s glittering West End!

  Owned by two very different brothers, Leo and Ethan Hunter, the Hunter Clinic undertakes both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Playboy Leo handles the rich and famous clients, enjoying the red-carpet glamour of London’s A-list social scene, while brooding ex-army doc Ethan focuses his time on his passion—transforming the lives of injured war heroes and civilian casualties of war.

  Emotion and drama abound against the backdrop of one of Europe’s most glamorous cities, as Leo and Ethan work through their tensions and find women who will change their lives forever!

  200 HARLEY STREET

  Glamour, intensity, desire—the lives and loves of London’s hottest team of surgeons!

  Dear Reader,

  When I was invited to take part in the 200 Harley Street continuity I was absolutely thrilled—not only because this is my first ever Harlequin® Medical Romance™ continuity contribution, but because it also meant I got the chance to work closely with some amazing authors and some very interesting plotlines. So a big thank-you to everyone for taking a newbie under your collective wings!

  Declan Underwood and Kara Stephens come from two very different worlds, but both have fled to London to start new lives in their chosen field of burns and plastic medicine. Falling in love is definitely not on the cards for either of them, so it’s very inconvenient when a mutual attraction starts to sizzle!

  Australian Kara was a joy to write: she’s funny and confident and shares my love of shoes. Like many of us, she’ll live with pain in exchange for a decent heel and the softest of soft suede! But she also has a history of choosing the wrong men, so staying away from Declan is her preferred course of action.

  But who can resist a bad-boy Irishman? Farm-boy Declan, with his smoldering good looks and an accent that purrs as sexily as his motorbike, has no intention of getting involved with Kara; his life is already too full of commitments to his career and providing for his mother and four sisters. But that’s where I come in: plotting ways of getting them together even when they don’t want to be anywhere near each other….

  I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  Drop me a line at [email protected] or visit me at www.louisageorge.com.

  Happy reading!

  Louisa x

  Recent titles by Louisa George:

  HOW TO RESIST A HEARTBREAKER

  THE LAST DOCTOR SHE SHOULD EVER DATE

  THE WAR HERO’S LOCKED AWAY HEART

  WAKING UP WITH HIS RUNAWAY BRIDE

  ONE MONTH TO BECOME A MUM

  Also available in ebook format from www.Harlequin.com.

  200 Harley Street: The Shameless Maverick

  Louisa George

  Dedication

  To Kamy Chetty, thanks for all your support, positive words and help with the icky medical details (any errors are totally mine). xx

  And to Jane Beckenham, without you I just wouldn’t be here, writing this—thank you so much for all your support, enthusiasm and words of wisdom and for introducing me to the world of romance books…this one’s for you! xx

  200 HARLEY STREET

  Glamour, intensity, desire—the lives and loves of London’s hottest team of surgeons!

  For the next four months enter the world of London’s elite surgeons as they transform the lives of their patients and find love amid a sea of passions and tensions!

  In April, renowned plastic surgeon and legendary playboy Leo Hunter can’t resist the challenge of unbuttoning the intriguing new head nurse, Lizzie Birch!

  200 HARLEY STREET: SURGEON IN A TUX by Carol Marinelli

  And glamorous Head of PR Lexi Robbins is determined to make gruff, grieving and supersexy Scottish surgeon Iain MacKenzie her Hunter Clinic star!

  200 HARLEY STREET: GIRL FROM THE RED CARPET by Scarlet Wilson

  In May, top-notch surgeons and estranged spouses Rafael and Abbie de Luca find being forced to work together again tough as their passion is as incendiary as ever!

  200 HARLEY STREET: THE PROUD ITALIAN by Alison Roberts

  And one night with new colleague surgeon Grace Turner sees former Hollywood plastic surgeon Mitchell Cooper daring to live again…

  200 HARLEY STREET: AMERICAN SURGEON IN LONDON by Lynne Marshall

  Then, in June, injured war hero Prince Marco meets physical therapist Becca Anderson—the woman he once shared a magical forbidden summer romance with long ago…

  200 HARLEY STREET: THE SOLDIER PRINCE by Kate Hardy

  When genius microsurgeon Edward North meets single mom nurse Charlotte King she opens his eyes to a whole new world…

  200 HARLEY STREET: THE ENIGMATIC SURGEON by Annie Claydon

  Finally join us in July, when junior surgeon Kara must work with hot-shot Irish surgeon Declan Underwood—the man she kissed at the hospital ball!

  200 HARLEY STREET: THE SHAMELESS MAVERICK by Louisa George

  And brilliant charity surgeon Olivia Fairchild faces the man who once broke her heart—damaged ex-soldier Ethan Hunter. Yet she’s unprepared for his haunted eyes and the shock of his sensual touch…!

  200 HARLEY STREET: THE TORTURED HERO by Amy Andrews

  Experience glamour, tension, heartbreak and emotion at

  200 HARLEY STREET

  in this new eight-book continuity from Harlequin® Medical Romance™.

  These books are also available in ebook format

  from www.Harlequin.com.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  ‘MAKE SURE TO get my best side, won’t you now?’ Declan Underwood joked to the army of paparazzi camped on the front steps of Princess Catherine’s Hospital as he parked his motorbike and removed his helmet.

  He smiled towards his clicking, whirring audience, who clearly had nothing better to do than chase ambulances on a sunny summer morning, and tried to hide his growing irritation. The last thing he needed was more unwarranted delays, today of all days. He was not in the mood to be polite.

  Making his way up the pale stone steps, he batted away questions like a tennis ace.

  ‘Is Prin
cess Safia here?’ someone shouted from behind a long lens. ‘Is she going to make a full recovery? Will she be scarred for life?’

  ‘Now, come on, give a guy a break. I can’t hear one for the other.’ Toeing both the clinic’s and his own staunch professional line, Declan exhaled slowly and waited for them to settle. ‘As you know, ladies and gents, my hands are tied. There’s a young girl’s privacy to think of. I just can’t make any comment.’

  Note: make sure the blinds are closed at all times. Move her to a higher floor. Increase security.

  Sure, both the Hunter Clinic and the hospital affectionately known as Kate’s relied on positive press to further their reach and their work, but this was way too much interest in a young girl fighting for her life, regardless of her background.

  Small wonder the Sheikh’s staff had been definitive in their demands to uphold their privacy. If any of Declan’s family had been involved in a tragedy such as this he’d want to protect them too.

  He shuddered and damped down the tight squeeze in his chest. Had protected them, for all the good that had done.

  ‘Come on, Declan, it’s no coincidence that you—the country’s foremost burns reconstruction surgeon—are here and there’s a private flight scheduled to arrive from Aljahar any minute.’

  Was that Fi...something—the journalist he’d spent a few dates with not so long ago? Trying to use her inside contacts to get more information? Tut-tut. Declan flashed her a particular smile. Similar to the one he’d given her as he’d left for the last time, whenever it was, that said, Hey, don’t push it.

  With all the smiling his jaw muscles had begun to ache, but he knew that the Hunter Clinic boss, Leo, wouldn’t want his second-in-command to jeopardise the clinic’s new positive relationship with the media. ‘I’m so sorry, but you all know that I’m in no position to confirm or deny any rumours. You all know too that even if I did have any idea as to the whereabouts or condition of Princess Safia I couldn’t tell you a thing. The Sheikh, quite rightly, is very keen on confidentiality. But I’m sure he and his family appreciate all the concern and will issue a statement as and when appropriate. Now we need to leave the family alone to recover. And I need to go to work. Thank you so much.’

  Closing the door behind him to a barrage of more camera flashes, he exhaled deeply and headed towards the burns unit. Two extensive surgeries, an afternoon clinic and an evening meeting amidst a swirl of media frenzy about a royal with devastating facial burns loomed ahead of him.

  It was going to be a very long day.

  * * *

  ‘You. Yes, you. Stop. Wait.’

  A heavily accented raised male voice out in the hospital corridor drew Declan’s attention from the notes he was reviewing at his desk over his hastily snatched lunch break.

  ‘What’s all that noise on the street? The photographers? Newspapers? His Highness specifically said he wanted Sheikha Safia’s arrival to be discreet. His daughter is suffering and she needs peace and quiet. She is devastated about her injuries...’

  ‘Yes, I understand entirely,’ an unfamiliar voice with an Antipodean twang replied. ‘I have already spoken to Security and they are planning to transfer the Princess through the back door.’ Despite the clipped tones the voice was remarkably calm, smoky. Distinctly feminine. Declan put down the papers and listened.

  The male voice cut in. ‘We understood Mr Underwood himself was going to oversee every detail.’

  ‘Of the surgery and treatment phases, yes, absolutely, but not everything on this list...’

  She paused. Declan heard a rustling of paper.

  ‘He’s not responsible for the sheet thread count, or the menus or the quality of the glassware... I’ll get the services manager to check through all of that...’

  ‘And lilies—we asked for white lilies to decorate her room.’

  ‘Of course. The lilies. Item twenty-two.’

  Not an ounce of agitation.

  ‘Unfortunately we don’t allow fresh flowers onto the burns unit. It’s an infection control issue.’

  ‘No?’

  Agitation rippled off the man’s voice in streams enough for both of them.

  ‘But for the Sheikha you can do such a thing. She never stays anywhere without lilies. Be warned: His Highness expects high standards and he will get them. His daughter is the very most precious thing to him and he hates her to be upset. I insist you bend the rules.’

  ‘And I insist you leave the medical professionals to implement the rules, sir. We have them for a reason. No fresh flowers. The pollen can infect the wounds and make our patients very sick. It’s something we’re very strict about. No exceptions.’

  Declan’s interest was piqued. Management had certainly stepped up their game by employing her. He smiled, imagining a stare-off between the mystery woman and the Sheikh’s aide.

  ‘Is there anything else? Sir?’

  ‘Do not take that tone. The Sheikh is very powerful and can have you removed from your position with just one word.’

  The smile was wiped from Declan’s face. No one spoke to a member of staff in that way—whoever she was, and however spirited.

  He scraped back his chair and walked into the corridor, watching the exchange from a distance, ready to pounce and squash the man if anything got out of hand. He got the feeling the woman wouldn’t thank him for interfering and for what that might imply: that she couldn’t handle it. When she clearly could. Bringing up his younger sisters had taught him to leave them alone with their arguments and only get involved if things got physical.

  ‘Well, I have a few words I could use too...but I won’t.’ With a voice so prickly, he hadn’t expected the woman to be so young and soft. She had her back to him, but something about her rang bells in Declan’s brain. Familiar bells. Warning bells.

  The ponytail of light blonde curls, the neat curves in an ice-pink silk blouse and a straight black skirt that skimmed her knees—just. Sky-high black shoes with a razor-sharp heel that surely no one could feasibly walk in but which made her legs look impossibly long and...deeply sexy. A back as straight as a blade, and that voice...smoky...yes...Australian...?

  ‘Let me assure you, sir,’ she continued, ‘that Safia will receive the finest care in the world here. And if, instead of dealing with your...housekeeping requests, I could finish my preparations for her admission and initial medical assessment, and then actually deal with the injuries she has sustained, we could all make Safia’s stay a lot more comfortable.’

  The aide stared at her as she rallied.

  ‘I’m sure His Highness would not like to hear that the medical team were held up due to lilies? Glassware? I thought not. We are done here?’

  Oh, God. The headache that had bloomed after Declan’s sister’s early morning phone call threatened to return. This woman was on his medical team? Since when? And why had no one consulted him about it? Declan didn’t like surprises. He always liked to know exactly what he was dealing with, and he’d made that damned clear to the powers-that-be.

  The Sheikh’s aide blanched and bowed slightly. ‘Of course. I’m sorry. Of course, Doctor... You know what’s best.’

  ‘Yes. Thank you. We do.’

  As she turned to watch the aide scuttle away her eyes locked on to Declan’s. Her smile slipped completely, and a tinge of pink hit her cheeks. ‘Oh.’

  The first time she’d shown any hint of bother. But then, within a nanosecond, she’d regained her composure.

  ‘Kiss me.’

  A rush of heat and a swirl of memory shook through him. A gold-coloured ballgown that had complemented the colour of the soft curls falling down her back, those startling green eyes commanding his attention, that infuriatingly cocky mouth drawing him in to the most sensual kiss of his life. Only she’d had a sheen of sadness about her too when he’d met her at the bar, knocking bac
k shots. He’d turned it into a game, just to make her smile, which had then turned into something infinitely more interesting.

  When was that? Six months ago? The hospital ball? A kiss he’d never found an equal to since, and a woman he’d caught tantalising glimpses of around the surgical unit, at Drake’s Bar, and once, possibly, he thought he might have caught a brief whiff of her perfume at the Hunter Clinic. The woman he’d never quite caught up with.

  Or even tried to.

  And definitely hadn’t wanted to.

  Because—well...because talking to her, laughing with her, kissing her, had made him want something more. And Declan Underwood never did more.

  ‘Good afternoon, Mr Underwood. Adding spying to your list of legendary talents?’

  ‘You are standing right outside my office. It’s hardly a covert operation.’ Had he ever even known her name? ‘Why are you frightening the life out of my esteemed visitors and masquerading as a member of my team? And where the hell is Karen?’

  Karen. The timid but efficient junior surgeon who didn’t have a bewitching mouth and a dangerous sparkle in her eye.

  The woman’s mouth twitched. ‘White lilies, indeed. If they’re all like him we’re going to have our work cut out. By all accounts Safia’s a little diva. Didn’t you hear? Karen’s been called away to a family emergency and I’ve been shifted over to assist until she gets back.’

  ‘Whoa! Slow down. To assist me?’

  She smiled, but it didn’t look as if she was very pleased about the scenario either. He wondered if she was thinking about that kiss too, and how she’d suddenly lost her cool, or her nerve or both, and left him standing on the dance floor trying to work out which tornado had just hit.

  Just the thought of it set off a burst of inconvenient heat swimming through his veins.

  ‘Yes, the luck fairies have sprinkled dust on us both today. I’m on your team until Karen gets things sorted.’

  Judging by his all too regular experiences of family emergencies she could be away for weeks. His stomach hit his boots. Regardless of what his body might want, mixing work with pleasure was something he avoided at all costs. So he’d be sticking to strictly business.