Free Michael's Discovery by Sherryl Woods Page B

Whenever he muttered about all this effort being a waste of time, she sent him a chiding look and demanded even more from him. In the last couple of weeks, he’d learned to keep his mouth shut and do whatever she asked without protest.
    The two hours she spent with him three days a week flew by. And after she left, it took him hours to recover from pushing himself to the limit, but he would not allow himself to quit.
    She thought he was making excellent progress. He disagreed, but kept his opinion to himself. If he so much as hinted that he was discouraged, he was afraid that one of these days she would stop responding with extra work and simply walk out the door. If she did that, she would take his only hope with her.
    Besides, aside from the rigors of her therapy, he enjoyed spending time with her. He liked the way she got in his face, refusing to back down. He liked even more the faint feminine scent she wore. He was beginning to remember just how much he liked havinga woman in his life. Not one special woman, just someone to flirt with, maybe dance with, make love to.
    He sighed, then realized that Kelly was staring at him with a puzzled expression.
    “Where did you go just then?” she asked. “You stopped right in the middle of the eighth leg lift.”
    “Sorry. I guess my mind wandered.”
    “Really?”
    “It happens,” he said gruffly.
    “Of course it does, but you’re usually so focused.”
    He reached for a towel and wiped his face. “Well, today I’m not. Sue me.”
    There was no mistaking the hurt in Kelly’s eyes. It wrenched Michael’s heart. He honestly couldn’t blame her for being on the brink of tears. His mind had wandered down a forbidden path and now he was unreasonably taking it out on her. Why was it that he could look into the eyes of soulless terrorists and remain completely unmoved, but one glance into Kelly’s soft gray eyes and he was lost?
    “Sorry,” he said, apologizing yet again for his thoughtless behavior.
    “Why don’t we quit for the day?” she suggested, her tone neutral. “You’ve been working too hard for the past couple of weeks. You could use a break.”
    Michael was smart enough to acknowledge that she was right. He had been overexerting himself and his muscles were complaining. The last thing he needed was a tear or some other injury that would put his rehabilitation on hold. Nor did he need to risk offending Kelly any more than he had already.
    “I’ll tell you what,” he said, trying to make amends. “I need to go see someone today. If you havetime to give me a lift over there, I’ll buy you lunch on the way.”
    Kelly seemed so taken aback by the suggestion, he couldn’t help chuckling. “I’m not scared to be alone in a car with you,” he teased. “Or in a restaurant. You’ve been on very good behavior lately. I think I can let down my guard for a couple of hours.”
    She gave him a rueful smile. “You have no idea how stressful it’s been,” she responded.
    Michael had the distinct impression that she wasn’t actually joking. He could understand exactly where she was coming from. Despite his overwhelming relief that they’d been adhering to the ground rules about no intimate contact, the strain of it was telling on him, too. Maybe that was one more reason why he’d suggested lunch. He figured they both deserved a reward for their incredible restraint.
    “Probably best not to go down that road,” he told her. “Not when we’ve been doing so well.”
    An expression of what might have been disappointment flashed in her eyes, but then she regained her composure.
    “So where are you going that you’re willing to risk spending time alone in a car with me? It must be important.”
    He nodded slowly. “It is. I’m going to stop by to see the Havilceks.”
    “Your family,” she said at once, her expression brightening. “I met your mother a few times when we were kids. I guess she was actually your foster mother, though, right?”
    He