Michael's Discovery - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,49
a saint. It’s even worse when you get that chilly don’t-touch-me note in your voice.”
A smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Apparently you like a challenge.”
“What man doesn’t?” he said wryly. “Can you imagine what would happen if you got it into your head to try to seduce me?”
“I…I couldn’t,” she stammered, looking shocked. “I wouldn’t.”
“But not because you don’t want to,” he said. “Or because I don’t want you to.”
“Because it’s wrong,” she said flatly. “That was the conclusion you reached all on your own. On top of that, we’ve discussed this, Michael. We’ve gone over it every which way. I totally agree with you now that it’s a bad idea.”
“I know,” he soothed gently, even as he reached for her again and brushed his lips over hers. “Are you absolutely sure that we ruled this out? I can’t seem to remember anything except how much I want you.”
“When you do that, I can’t remember anything, either,” she admitted, then moaned as he claimed her mouth again.
Michael swore he was going to take only a quick taste of her minty sweetness, but it only made him crave more. “I’m sorry,” he murmured against her lips. “Do you want me to stop?”
“Yes,” she whispered, clearly dazed, then, “no.”
His lips curved. “Which is it?”
“Oh, God, I wish I knew,” she said, closing her mouth over his again.
Her kiss was hot and needy and sent desire ricocheting through him in a way he’d never expected to experience again. Her hands slid over his chest, the touch nothing like the professional strokes of her massages. This left a trail of wicked fire and yearning in its wake.
Michael found himself wanting to experience her pale, smooth skin in the same way. He tugged her T-shirt free from the waistband of her jeans and caressed the bare, hot flesh beneath. He stroked the curve of her breasts with his thumbs, then skimmed a finger across the already taut nipples. She jolted at the touch, then arched into it, a murmur of pleasure low in her throat. He flipped open the snap on her jeans and reached lower, dipping toward her moist, hot core.
“Come up here with me,” he urged, wanting her on top of him, rubbing against the throbbing heat of his own arousal. Right? Wrong? He didn’t care anymore. It was all about the sensation, the need that she stirred in him and the promise of pleasure that was just out of reach.
He had his hands around her waist and was about to lift her when she seemed to snap out of the sensual daze she’d been in.
“No,” she said shakily. “I need more than this from you. I deserve more than this.”
Shaken by her words and by the suddenness with which she pulled away, he simply stared, breathing hard and trying to make sense of what had just happened. Given how many times he’d ended things before they got carried away, he supposed he had no right to complain, but he wasn’t feeling especially rational at the moment, just needy.
“Was this some new therapy technique?” he inquired, hoping to lighten the charged atmosphere.
Something that looked an awful lot like hurt flashed in her eyes.
“Sure, that’s exactly what it was,” she said, the ice back in her voice. “Be sure to recommend me to your friends.”
Before he knew it, she’d grabbed her purse and left without so much as a word of goodbye.
Michael stared after her, his heart thudding dully. “Well, you certainly blew that,” he muttered. Driving her away was getting to be a habit, a truly lousy habit.
He spent a miserable two days worrying and wondering if she’d come back or if she’d send another therapist in her place. He should have realized that Kelly was made of sterner stuff. He’d certainly seen all the evidence of that.
Thursday morning at precisely 9:30, Maggie turned up. “Ready to go to the clinic?” she inquired cheerfully.
He had forgotten all about the damned clinic and Kelly’s edict that further sessions would be conducted there with lots of witnesses around to prevent a repeat of their last couple of encounters. However, he was not about to let Maggie see his dismay. Heaven knew what she would make out of it.
“Let’s go,” he said grimly, reaching for his coat.
After they were in the car, his sister-in-law slanted a knowing look at him. “Anything wrong?”
“What could possibly be wrong?” he asked sourly.
“I thought maybe you were unhappy about no longer having Kelly to yourself for these