Free The Silver Fox and the Red-Hot Dove by Deborah Smith

prisoners. I was never allowed to leave the institute without supervision.”
    “What about school, a social life?…”
    “Tutors were brought in. I had classes with several other children like me. They were also my playmates.”
    “Like you? Paranormals?”
    “Yes.”
    “What happened to your parents?”
    Her fingers curled and uncurled in between the cotton packing. Despite her ridiculous appearance,she radiated dignity that took his breath away. But she seemed to be reconsidering her openness. “Why are you asking me these questions now?”
    “I want to know what happened to make you so casual about your body.”
    “Casual?”
    “You act as if you’re accustomed to having people touch you, look at you, do things to you that others might find very embarrassing.”
    She shifted in the chair, looked at him hard for a second, then shut her eyes. “I am accustomed to it all.”
    He winced. He wasn’t certain he wanted to know more, but he was driven to understand her. “I’ve read about the doctor’s theories. He says that paranormal powers are simply an exaggerated form of the electromagnetic energy all of us produce.”
    “Yes.” She opened her eyes swiftly. “We all share such powers. Some people, like me, have more than normal energy, and can focus it. But I’m impressed you know that.”
    “And so he studies the physical and mental aspects as well as the psychic.”
    “Yes.”
    “Which means …” He stopped, an ugly taste in his throat. Her arm was icy under his hand.
    “Which means,” she continued for him, speaking slowly and with emphasis, “that I’ve undergone every medical test imaginable, been studied inside and out routinely all my life, and learned to give up the privacy of my body as well as my mind. Yes, I’m accustomed to being naked in front of groups of impersonal strangers, and yes, I learned
many
years ago to accept whatever was done to me in the name of science. I had no choice.”
    She ducked her head and stared at her lap. He was glad she wasn’t looking at him any longer. He had tears in his eyes. “You’ll never be treated that way again,” he said hoarsely. “I swear it.” Her gaze rose to his face as he continued headlong into hisreckless promise. “I’ll die before I let you go back to that kind of life.”
    A small shocked and anguished sound of amazement burst from her lips. “Audubon,” she whispered. “Audubon.”
    Mr. Rex emerged from a doorway to another garden room. He called, “I really
am
sorry to intrude, but I have to check a test curl. I don’t want her to frizz.”
    “I wouldn’t want to frizz,” she murmured, tears sliding into the white goo as she continued to gaze at Audubon.
    “Absolutely not.” He cleared his throat roughly and stood up. Suddenly her arm warmed beneath his hand. “So you have excess electromagnetic energy,” he said, his voice gruff and distracted. “That hardly explains how miracles happen.”
    “Kriloff believes miracles can be pinned to a display board, like strange insects, then dissected.”
    “He’s a fool.” Audubon drew his fingertips off her skin, and the heat seemed to follow him. His head swam; it was all he could do to stop himself from chasing everyone out of the house and locking him and her in together, alone, so that they could talk and touch and share all the mysteries of their lives.
    “Well talk more, later,” he told her, stepping back shakily. “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”
    She ordered up a small, trembling smile. “Yes. It will be interesting to see what you think of me after all of this … this
fixing
is done.”
    “I think you’re magnificent already.” He left the garden room on rubbery legs.
    The phone console buzzed. Clarice turned toward her rosewood desk and answered the phone. Her side of the conversation intrigued Audubon so much that he found himself leaning forward on the edge of his chair. She tossed the receiver back onto its restand hooted with