Free The Bargain by Christine S. Feldman

But then he shook his head and smiled a half-hearted smile. “The past is in the past. I prefer to focus on the future.”
    “Sure, but — ” Shannon took two steps forward into the room and caught the toe of her shoe on a snag in the rug. She gasped and fell forward, catching herself on the edge of Drew’s desk just as he started to rise to help her. “Sorry,” she mumbled, wishing the floor would open up beneath her and swallow her whole. “New shoes.”
    “Of course,” he said politely, offering her a hand as she pulled herself upright.
    So much for cool and confident. The phone on her desk rang, and she was grateful for the chance to escape. “I’d better, you know … ” She gestured toward the ringing phone.
    “Absolutely. Just — take it slowly.” He flashed her a quick smile and bent over his papers again.
    Shannon stepped carefully out of the room, covering her face with one hand as soon as the door was shut. Smooth as silk, Shannon, she thought sarcastically. Kicking the offending shoes off and under her desk, she answered the phone.
    There was no more talk about the youth center that day. Drew had a late lunch with business colleagues, the phone kept ringing, and Shannon found making eye contact with Drew difficult anyway after the fall in his office. At least she could honestly say to Michael that she had introduced the topic.
    “Have fun on your date tonight,” Clarissa told her with a friendly wave as Shannon left at the end of the day.
    And speaking of honesty …
    Technically, she had said only that she was meeting someone, right? So as long as she actually met with somebody, it wasn’t a total lie. And since she promised Michael she would keep him informed, dropping by his motel long enough to let him know the ball was rolling — albeit slowly — would fit the bill just fine. She searched her memory and came up with the name of his motel. The Piedmont Place. She would swing by on her way home.
    • • •
    A knock on his door startled Michael out of his thoughts, which was just as well. They weren’t very happy thoughts. He put the picture of his parents he had been looking at in the drawer of the nightstand and went to answer the knock.
    “Shannon,” he greeted her with surprise, and he let his gaze travel up the full length of her. A tight skirt and body-skimming shirt confirmed what he had suspected the other day: Nice legs, nice hips — nice everything, really. His eyes finally met hers. “What are you doing here?”
    “Hi,” she said, sounding somewhat wilted. “I should have called first. Sorry.”
    “No, it’s not a problem. I’m just surprised.” He opened the door wider and stepped back to let her enter. “Come on in.”
    “Boy, you weren’t kidding about this place being a dive, were you?” she commented as she stepped inside the room with a wary look around. Faded wallpaper was beginning to peel in places, and there was precious little furniture in the room. What little there was didn’t match.
    “Yeah, it’s old. But it’s clean, if you’re wondering about whether or not to sit down.” He waved an inviting hand at the lone chair in the room, a vinyl-covered lump with stuffing poking free in places, and she sat down in it. “Been shopping, have you?”
    She slipped off her shoes, wincing as she did so. “A little, yes.”
    “Looks good on you.”
    “Too bad it doesn’t feel better. I’ll take jeans over this kind of stuff any day, and my feet are killing me.”
    Michael sat down on the edge of the bed nearest to her. “Rough day at the office, dear?”
    She rubbed one stocking-clad foot with the other. “You could say that.”
    He caught himself staring at her legs and quickly looked back up again before she could notice. “I could rub your feet for you.”
    Most women he offered foot rubs to seemed pleased. Shannon only looked alarmed, and maybe a little suspicious. “No, thank you. You don’t have to brownnose, you know. I’ve already agreed