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Michelle returned to the same spot on the sofa. He took the other end.
“You hungry? I didn’t even wake you for lunch,” she finally said.
“Yeah. I could eat.”
She hopped up as if she was looking for an excuse to get away from him. “I’ll fix you something.”
He grabbed her wrist with his uninjured hand. She stopped and looked down at him. He pulled her down gently, this time closer to him. “You know what I’d really like to have?”
Michelle’s eyes widened and she shook her head.
“A meat-lover’s pizza. Why don’t I buy you dinner?”
She pulled her hand from his. Her look of relief was almost laughable. “Did you think I was going to say something else?”
“No. No, I didn’t. I’ll call for the pizza. While we’re waiting I’ll give those bandages a look. You went to sleep so fast that I didn’t have a chance to change them and I hated to wake you.”
“I buy dinner if you want me to let you look at my stitches.” He raised a challenging brow.
“You make it sound like I want to look at a tattoo on your butt.”
He laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to see it?”
Michelle rewarded him with an appalled look before she stood. “I’ll call the pizza delivery place and get the supplies so I can give your arm and knee a look.”
Ty listened as Michelle spoke into the phone and rattled around in the kitchen. It seemed like forever since he’d heard those sounds of domestic tranquility. It hadn’t happened since he’d lived with his grandparents. His grandmother had made the same noises while his grandfather had sat in the den, reading the paper. They were the sounds of a home.
Bitter-sweet memories filled him. His grandparents had been both surprised and perplexed to see a teenager they’d barely known existed standing at their door. Despite that, they’d invited him in with open arms. It had been the first time he’d ever slept in the same place for over three months. The only time he’d known true stability.
They’d been so old when he’d arrived that he’d not only taken care of himself but often times them too. Somehow doing so had seemed to ease the pain he’d felt at not doing more for Joey. When they’d died within months of each other while he’d been in medical school he’d been devastated. What little foundation there had been in his world had crumbled. The last time he’d heard from his parents had been over three years ago. Who knew where they were now?
Michelle, returning with her hands full of supplies, interrupted his morose thoughts. “Interesting. A surgeon who is prepared,” he said as she laid gauze, tape, and surgical scissors on the low table in front of them.
“It’s just the usual first-aid type of stuff. Nothing special. Everyone has them.”
“I don’t.”
She met his gaze. “And that would be because you don’t stay in one place long enough to have a real home.”
Michelle couldn’t have made a more accurate shot if she’d punched him in a boxing match. She was right. He didn’t, and he wanted it that way. Saw to it that he remained uninvolved.
“Remind me to stop by the drug store and buy a first-aid kit. How does that sound?”
“Smart. Now, let’s have a look at your stitches first then I’ll redo the gauze on your hand and knee before putting antibacterial ointment on those scrapes.”
Michelle carefully cut the gauze and removed the pieces from his arm. She had a tender touch. A mother’s touch. That was a completely random thought. If she ever became a mother it wouldn’t involve him.
“All looks well. I’m going to just put a four-by-four over it but you’re going to have to promise to keep it dry. No hair-washing on your own.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll let you do all my hair-washing.”
She looked up at him with serious crystal-blue eyes. “You know making fun of the person who’s taking care of you really isn’t very smart. They might do something that hurts.”
“I might be worried if it was someone else but I don’t think you have a truly mean bone in your body. Under that armor of designer clothes, sexy shoes and all-business demeanor you’re a softy. You’ve made a major mistake, Dr. Ross. You’ve let your guard down where I’m concerned.”
Her pupils enlarged and she bit her upper lip. He could almost see the cogs turning in her brain. She looked so endearing and mystified he came close to leaning over and kissing her. She blinked and met his gaze again. The realization she’d been caught darkened her eyes.
Ty placed his hand over one of hers. “Hey, it’s not the end of the world. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
She pursed her lips and that old resolve returned to her eyes. “Now you really are making fun of me. Let me see that hand.”
He offered his bandaged hand. She took the same care with it as she had with the other but this time unwrapped it slowly. The last bit of gauze stuck to his raw skin. He winced.
Her head jerked up, eyes full of sympathy. She pressed her lips tightly together as she continued to work. When she pulled the last fragment free she said, “Oh, Ty, I’m so sorry. That has to hurt.”
He looked at the red, angry area of his palm, which no longer had the top two layers of skin, then back at her. Michelle’s eyes were luminous, heavy with tears. The woman did heart surgery and she was crying over him losing skin.
“Hey, don’t cry, Michelle, ma belle. I’m okay.” He brushed her cheek lightly with his uninjured hand.
She didn’t say anything or look at him. Instead she picked up the ointment and started spreading it gently over his wound. Done, she covered it again. She didn’t speak and neither did he.
After she’d rewrapped the gauze she said, “Hold this.” He placed his fingertip where she indicated. Pulling a piece of tape off a roll, she secured the gauze.
“For me to rebandage your knee you’re going to need to take off your pants and I need more gauze. While I’m gone, pull them down and make yourself decent using this blanket. I’ll be right back.”
“It’s been a long time since a woman told me to pull down my pants.” He chuckled at the snort she gave as she left the room.
Michelle soon returned. “Put your heel on the table.”
He did so and she started to work on removing the bandage, all business.
“You know, you have gorgeous hair,” he said.
She gave him a quelling look.
“So you don’t like to be complimented.”
Her fingers continued to work with the same efficiency she did in the OR. “I didn’t say that.”
“Then you do like to be complimented.”
She gave him a pointed look. “What I do know is that I’m used to my patients being sedated and I like it that way.”
He laughed so hard he had to hold his sides because the pain was so great. “You are too much, Michelle.”
“Would you be still and let me finish this?” Her lips quivered in her effort not to smile.
Minutes later she announced, “Good. There’s no redness around the stitches.” She began wrapping the new gauze into place.
Finished with the knee, she turned her back and let him pull his pants back up. Together they applied ointment to his other lacerations. Done, she gathered supplies. “I’m sorry I can’t do something more for those bruises. They have to hurt.”
“Maybe kiss them and make them better,” he quipped.
“My mother isn’t around.” The words were as crisp as the leaves on the ground in fall.
He narrowed his eyes. “What does that have to do with it?”
“The only reason we would kiss is to make her happy.”
Grabbing her, he jerked her against him. His hurt hand smarted but he didn’t care. “I couldn’t kiss you like I wanted to with your mother watching but I sure as hell can now.”
He ran his fingers into her hair and, holding a mass of the sunny threads in his hand, he brought his mouth down to hers. Michelle would know this one was for her and not her mother.
&n
bsp; * * *
Before Michelle could catch her breath, Ty’s mouth seared hers. His tongue broke the seal of her lips and entered. He didn’t ask permission but took. He demanded her attention, her acceptance. She held onto his shoulders, the only stable thing in her spinning world of pure pleasure.
Could she feel more alive? Need more? She was on fire.
Ty’s tongue swept, demanded and conquered. His strong arms pulled her tighter until she leaned against him, almost sitting in his lap. Her fingers bit into the muscles of his forearm in an effort to find control.
It felt so good to be against him.
He pulled his mouth away just far enough to say, “Let go, Michelle. Experience it.”
The dam burst on her control. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her mouth to his again. This time he didn’t have to ask for entrance—she was there waiting with a welcome. She took all he gave and returned it. Blazing need pooled heavy and low in her. She writhed against him, pressing her breasts against his chest.
When he tried to pull away she moaned in resistance. She moved her hands up through his hair and directed his mouth to hers. His deep chuckle ripped through her as well as him, they were so close. Yet they weren’t close enough. Time stood still as he took over the kiss.
The doorbell rang.
Ty’s hands came down to rest on her waist. He gently pushed her away. “I do believe I might have created a monster.”
Michelle stiffened and looked away, embarrassed and angry at the same time. Could she have acted more desperate? Humiliated herself more?
The doorbell sounded again.
