Luke Marriott…Mechanically Nikki held out her hand and had it enveloped in a much larger one. The stranger’s grip was strong and warm, intensely masculine. He stood holding her hand and smiling down at her, and Nikki felt her secure, dull existence shift on its foundations.

She had never seen a man like this. Never. Not even Scott…

Good grief! What on earth was she thinking of? Nikki gave herself a mental shake, trying to rid herself of the overwhelming impression of-well, there was no other word for it-of masculinity!

Nikki was tall, but this man was taller by several inches. He was strongly built, with fair, unruly curls that looked in need of a good cut. His face bore two or three days’ stubble and his jeans and open-necked shirt were stained with sweat and dust. There was a smudge of dirt across the strong, wide features of his face, and the deep blue eyes laughing down at her in the porch light were creased as though constantly shielded from the sun.

‘Luke Marriott…’ Nikki said blankly.

‘Your new locum,’ the man explained patiently. ‘I know I’m not due until tomorrow but I hitched a lift on a prawn boat rather than wait for the bus.’ He grinned ruefully down at himself. ‘I hope that explains the dirt-and the smell. I’m not usually so perfumed.’

Nikki wrinkled her nose. Now that he mentioned it…ugh! There was a definite smell of old fish about him.

‘The prawn boat was down in Brisbane for a refit,’ the man explained ruefully. ‘One of the deck hands lives here so I filled his place until we arrived. What I’d thought would be a great two days’ holiday turned into a solid two nights working.’ He looked down to his grubby sports shoes. ‘I hate to think what’s on these,’ he grinned. ‘I’ll take them off before I come in. That is-’ he raised his eyebrows in mock-enquiry ‘-if you intend asking me in.’

‘I…’ Nikki shook her head as through trying to dispel a dream. Luke Marriott. She had advertised for weeks for a locum and had been so delighted when this man had rung to accept that she’d asked little further of him except his registration details. But…