Michael's Discovery - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,61
was in pain?” he snapped.
The man’s determination to be a stoic no matter the cost exasperated her beyond belief. She regarded him with amusement. “Are you saying you’re not?”
“No more than usual,” he insisted.
“Okay, then, get on your feet and let’s get out of here.”
The withering look he shot her would have terrified most people. Kelly simply stood there and waited.
“Okay, dammit, get the pill,” he said, his voice tight with fury. “Just one.”
She brought back the pill and a glass of water. “Why don’t I fix dinner right here?”
He shook his head. “Absolutely not. I promised you a celebration.”
“Michael, we can celebrate right here. It’s private. The refrigerator’s well stocked. I can whip something up in no time.”
“It doesn’t seem like much of a date.”
“It works for me.”
His gaze searched hers. “You really wouldn’t mind?”
“Being alone with you? Hardly,” she said lightly, then fled to the kitchen before he could react.
She heard the whispered glide of his wheelchair as she was pulling dishes from the cabinet, then the locking sound of the brake. When she finally turned around, Michael was struggling to his feet.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, starting forward.
“Stay where you are,” he commanded.
“But—”
“Just this once, do what I ask,” he said, slowly walking toward her. “And set those dishes down.”
She regarded him with confusion. “Why?”
“Because if I do this right, you’ll just wind up dropping them,” he said, his expression solemn.
Filled with a sudden rush of anticipation, Kelly set the dishes down with a thump just before Michael drew her into his arms. He tucked a finger under her chin, searched her face intently, then lowered his mouth to cover hers.
Tenderness exploded into urgent need. Years of pent-up longing gave way to the thrill of satisfaction as Michael’s kiss turned dark and dangerous. This was the way a man kissed a woman he wanted, Kelly thought as her senses went spinning.
“I want you,” he murmured against her lips. “I’d intended to do this right. A little wining and dining the way you deserve, then trying to coax you back here and into my bed. If it’s a lousy idea, tell me now.”
Kelly could barely breathe, barely think, her heart was pounding so hard. “It’s the best idea you’ve had in years,” she said with conviction.
“Dinner?”
“I’ll turn off the oven.” She met his gaze. “Condoms?”
He grinned at that. “In the nightstand.”
“Which means we have to get to your bedroom,” she said.
For an instant, he looked uneasy. “The gallant thing would be to carry you,” he said.
She glanced toward the wheelchair. “I could always ride in your lap.”
For an instant, she thought he might refuse her out of stubborn pride, but then apparently the possibilities began to intrigue him. He sat and she settled into place, wriggling a bit in the process.
“Watch it,” he warned.
She regarded him with deliberate innocence. “Am I bothering you?”
“Sweetheart, you’ve been bothering me since the first day you walked through my front door all full of sass and determination.”
“Is that so?” she asked, pleased. “Then your patience is amazing.”
“I thought so.”
The trip to the bedroom took a whole lot longer than it needed to, simply because Kelly did her best to bother him along the way.
“Game’s over,” he said when they were beside the bed.
Kelly met his gaze, let the heat between them build to a slow simmer, then shook her head. “No, Michael. It’s just beginning.”
Chapter Thirteen
Over recent months, Kelly thought she’d learned just about everything there was to know about Michael’s body. After all, she’d massaged him, she’d seen his undeniable reaction to her touches. She knew the power of his shoulders and arms, the slowly fading scars on his legs, the less visible scars from old injuries he’d refused to discuss. But all of that had been different. She’d forced herself to hold back, to try not to react to him as a woman. She’d been at least moderately successful.
Now, however, she was able to give free rein to her curiosity, to caress his hard muscles and explore his body far more intimately than prior prudence had allowed.
In the bedroom, he shifted from the wheelchair to the edge of the bed. Kelly knelt beside him and tugged his dress shirt free from his slacks. For the first time, she realized how much care he’d taken with his appearance tonight.
“It’s almost a shame to get you out of this,” she said, even as she began undoing the buttons. “You look incredibly handsome. The blue matches your eyes.”
“Is that so?” he said,