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Releasing her hands, his fingers began to undo the buttons down the front of her shirt, spreading the fabric aside, feasting his appreciative gaze on her. Her fingers sank into his hair as bent his head, kissing his way over her stomach, making her shiver and her muscles tighten. Lifting his head, he watched her as he traced his fingers round the edge of the lacy tops of her bra cups. She could feel her hardened nipples pushing against the restraining fabric. His thumbs rubbed over them and she bit her lip to keep from crying out at the sensation, wanting to feel his mouth there. Sliding his hands under her, he deftly slipped the clasp free, then he was brushing the fabric aside, exposing her to his gaze. His hands covered her, shaping sensually, making her gasp as he rolled one proud peak between finger and thumb before he bent his head again, taking the needy flesh into his mouth to torment it with teeth and tongue. When she thought she couldn't stand the exquisite torture another moment, he drew her into his mouth, suckling strongly. Ginger arched up, thinking she would die from the pleasure of it, blindly wrestling with his jumper, desperate to feel his skin against her own.

He helped her, tossing the garment aside before turning his attention to her skirt, swiftly removing it, then easing her panties down her legs and dropping them off the bed. As her own fingers fumbled with the fastening of his jeans, he ignored her protest, moving away to stand by the bed. She watched as he stripped off his remaining clothes, leaving her breathless all over again as she looked at the perfection of his body. A very aroused body.

'Please, tell me you were joking,' she whispered hoarsely, clenching her hands to fists to prevent herself reaching for him. 'Please, tell me you have something.'

'Would I let you down?'

A wicked smile curved his mouth as he opened one of the drawers in the nightstand and took out a large bag. Her eyes widened as he tipped it up and an array of assorted condom boxes scattered over the duvet.

'Cam, you're outrageous!'

'The job has its perks. I stocked up on some samples, just in case.' He smiled, kneeling on the bed as he sorted through the packets. 'What do you fancy? Flavoured? R—?'

Ginger sat up and put her hand over his mouth, cutting off the naughty flow of words. She saw the dark fire of passion in his compelling grey eyes as she grazed her hands over the muscled contours of his hair-brushed chest. 'You. I just fancy you.'

'Damn, Ginger. I have no control around you.' He groaned, taking her back down on the bed, his fingers setting out on a tantalising exploration which took her breath away.

The texture of his skin under her own roving hands excited her, his earthy male aroma stirred her senses, and she opened her mouth on his shoulder, tasting him, biting at him, wanting him to hurry.

'I want to love you for hours.' His voice was shaky with needy impatience. 'But I don't think I can wait.'

She dragged her nails down his spine, delighting in the tremor that ran through him. 'I don't want you to wait. I need you inside me.'

Eyes nearly black with passion, he looked down at her for a long moment, his breathing ragged. Her whole body felt as if it was going to explode if she didn't know what it was like to be joined with him. Now.

'Please, Cam,' she begged, writhing helplessly against him.

'Will you still respect me in the morning?'

She laughed at his teasing, at the same time cursing him for wasting time. 'Not if you don't hurry up!'

He reached out, and she saw his fingers were unsteady as he opened one of the boxes. Foil ripped, and she took the protection from him, smiling at his indrawn hiss of breath as she took her time sheathing him, her fingers lingering to stroke and explore.

'Enough.'

His hands journeyed over her body...her breasts, her stomach, between her thighs, making her moan as he stroked her intimately.

'Cam,' she gasped.

'No more waiting,' he promised, giving her a deep, hard kiss. He moved to her and she pulled him closer, biting her lip against her cry when she felt him there, at last. 'Open your eyes, Ginger. I want to watch you as I fill you.'

Scarcely able to breathe, her heated gaze locked with his as she wrapped her legs around him, her nails digging into his back as he united them with one sure, heavy movement. Her body felt impossibly, exquisitely possessed, as if they had been made for each other, a perfect fit. It was blissful. Magnificent. She never wanted it to end.

'Oh, God, Cam.'

'Finally.' He groaned, and the look of intense sexuality and pleasure on his face made her nearly lose it right away. 'You feel so good.'

'Please...' She whimpered as he buried his face in her neck, his stubble rasping against her sensitised skin. Impatient, her breath ragged, every fibre of her being on fire, she arched to him, desperate for him to move. 'Please. Don't stop.'

One hand fisted in her hair and he raised his head, his gaze frenzied with passionate intent as he looked at her. 'I'm never stopping. Never,' he vowed roughly.

His control broken, he slid one arm under her hips, keeping her with him, and she tightened her grip, urging him on. She could do no more than hold on for the ride as he took her on a wildly sensual and erotic journey. Ginger wasn't sure she would survive it. She had wondered what this would be like, had known from their time in London that Cameron was a supremely generous lover, giving and considerate, deeply passionate, excitingly rough yet gentle, too, but she had never before experienced such earth-shattering pleasure, such a tumult of sensation and emotion. She felt abandoned, uninhibited, wild.

'Yes, yes. Please,' she encouraged, her cries growing increasingly loud as he took her from one incredible pinnacle of pleasure to another.

When he finally pushed her over the edge to a shuddering, amazing climax, one that never seemed to end, she clung to him, scared she would faint from the magnitude of it, plunging into an abyss of searing sensation from which she had no idea if she would ever return. Cameron groaned as her body spasmed around him, and he took his own release, calling her name, spiralling with her into the raging vortex of pleasure. As he continued to drive into her, her hands encouraged him, his rough cry of release exciting her, giving her a unique sense of feminine power.

'Dear God.' He collapsed against her, taking a few moments before shifting his weight from her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. His heart pounded as madly as hers, and they both struggled for breath, their bodies trembling. 'Ginger...'

She had no energy to speak, either, no energy to do anything except rest exhausted but deliciously sated in his arms. They dozed, she didn't know for how long, but when she woke up, moonlight cast a silvery glow through the room. Stretching naked on the bed, she suddenly realised Cam was watching her. She smiled, sighing as he shifted, his hands and mouth beginning a new exploration, his gaze assessing her reaction to his every slow, thorough caress, devoting himself to bringing her endless pleasure.

Ginger had no idea how many times they reached for each other in the night. They certainly didn't get much sleep. Sometimes their loving was fast and urgent, sometimes tantalisingly slow and tender. She felt cherished, and she gave Cam as much attention as he gave her. It was perfect.

They were so attuned to one another. The sex was incredible, but so was the closeness they shared, the companionship, the humour between them, the intimacy—and that scared the hell out of her.

It wasn't meant to be like this. Even knowing they had no future, she had allowed herself to get too close, too involved. It was as if they were two halves of a whole, but nothing could change the circumstances of their working lives, which put them on opposite sides of an impossible divide. If it was just herself who would be affected, she could live with it, take the chance and explore where this attraction could go. But hers was not a job she could leave without causing upheaval to others. So many people, who had no one else, depended on her.

She had made a monumental mistake. Selfishly she had taken this night with Cameron, giving in to the impossible passion that pulled them together. Whatever happened now, they were both going to be hurt. Tears stung her eyes as she looked at his sleeping form, her fingers softly brushing a few strands of hair back from his forehead. She didn't want to cause him pain. The kind of pain that was crushing her insides now because she had known this was wrong and yet she had still done it, had given in to her own needs without considering the consequences. For both of them.

Stifling a sob, she slipped silently from the bed and gathered up her clothes. It was time to leave. Now. Before things became any more complicated. Not that they could. For her, at least. Because she had committed the most unforgivable sin of all. Against all her better judgement and common sense, she had fallen in love with Cameron Kincaid, the one man she could never have, the man whose professional dreams she might destroy...or who might destroy hers.

'Pip
, can I have a word?'

The matronly nurse turned from escorting a worryingly thin young girl across to the outpatient registration desk. 'One minute, Cameron, and I'll be with you. I just have to help Tess with something.' Pip smiled, her hazel eyes kind and understanding.

Nodding, Cameron waited with mounting impatience. Anger, hurt, disappointment, fear. He wasn't sure which of the emotions burning inside him was the strongest, but they had all eaten away at him since he had woken up on Sunday morning to find himself alone. He hadn't thought the night in London with Ginger could be improved on, but Saturday had surpassed it to an unbelievable degree. And she had run from him. Again. To say he was ticked off was an understatement. Damn her! How could she switch her feelings, her passion, on and off like that? Did it really not matter to her at all? Had it just been sex? Granted, it had been the most incredible sex he'd ever experienced, but for him it was so much more than just the physical. He wanted Ginger. All of her. Heart, body and soul. And given how commitment and relationship phobic he was, even admitting that to himself scared the hell out of him.

He'd had plans for Sunday. A whole day loving her, getting to know more about her. He had even decided to confide in her about Molly so she would understand his own motivations, his need to do what he did. But Ginger had rejected him once more. It hurt more than he thought possible. He wanted to rail at her, curse the injustice of it, demand some answers, but he was scared that if he pushed too hard he would drive her away completely. Somehow he had to curb his impatience and do all he could to woo her back onside, to ensure he stayed close to her, to persuade her again that, despite the fact they were competing for the Ackerman money, what they had together was too special to throw away. There had to be a way to make things work—yet he was filled with doubt, scared he was going to lose her.

Attempts to contact Ginger at home and the hospital had proved unfruitful and his own appointments had kept him busy all Monday morning. Now it was approaching lunchtime and this was the first opportunity he'd had to collar Pip and seek some assistance and some answers. His gaze strayed around the outpatient seating area where several people were waiting to be called for their various appointments and consultations. A harassed-looking middle-aged woman was having difficulty controlling a couple of unruly boys who were running around annoying other people, especially the large young lady who looked stricken and as if she was about to flee at any moment. Her hands nervously shredded a tissue, and her eyes, on the rare occasions she glanced up, were awash with misery and the threat of tears. He wondered why she was there and why she was so scared.

'Cameron, how are you?' Pip reclaimed his attention, her shrewd gaze assessing as she observed him. 'You look as edgy and unhappy as Ginger is today.'

He sucked in a breath. 'Is she nearly finished with her appointments? I need to talk to her and she's avoiding me. Again.'

'I'm sorry, but she's still busy. Our clinic is running late this morning,' Pip explained, placing a hand on his arm as if she understood his frustration. 'A common occurrence. Ginger always gives each patient the time they need, which means we're usually behind schedule.'

The news didn't surprise him. He knew how caring and conscientious Ginger was. But he only had a short time for a break himself as he had commitments of his own to fulfil and he couldn't wait around much longer in the hope of catching Ginger alone.

'Tell me, Cameron, have you thought what you'll do if you don't win this man's donation?'

Pip's question caught him unawares and he frowned at her in surprise. 'Not really. I'll continue with all the work I have but try elsewhere to gain support for the clinic and do all I can to make it happen. I certainly won't give up.'

'Your work means a great deal to you?'

'Yes. It does.'

'Does Ginger know why?' Pip asked. 'Have you explained to her why you feel as deeply as she does about your patients and your intentions for your own clinic?'

Cameron shook his head. 'Not yet. It's one of the things I want to talk about with her.'

Pip paused a moment and regarded him thoughtfully. 'Did you know that our department is closing next spring?'

'No! I had no idea. I thought...' He broke off. What had he thought? That Ginger would just go on here at the hospital if her own plans for her unit didn't materialise?

'We've already been told our funding is to be cut and our work absorbed into the general psychological service. There'll be no place for Ginger in Strathlochan,' Pip continued, bringing a cold knot of dread to his stomach. 'Not that she cares about herself. She'll be snapped up by any eating disorders centre. What is eating her up is the thought of what will happen to the patients here without specialist care. She feels she will be letting them down.'

Which brought them back to the crux of the whole problem, he realised. 'I can't let my patients down, either, Pip, or my other backers. I can't step aside and not try for the Ackerman money.' Cursing, he ran the fingers of one hand through his hair.