The Rebel Doc Who Stole Her Heart (11 page)

She’d crossed that large black line of control she’d had over her life. Ty had ridden in and her brain had turned to mush. Grabbing a dry shirt out of her chest of drawers, she dragged off the wet one she wore and pulled on a dry one.

The glow in Ty’s eyes had created an unfamiliar heat deep in her that felt so right. It had started a fire in her center that flowed out, ripple after ripple and made her feel alive. The man had a way of unlocking emotions she’d put away. Had her wanting things better left alone.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and went back into the kitchen. Ty was no longer there. Retracing her steps down the hall, she found the door to his room wide open. Ty lay on the bed sound asleep. What little activity he’d done had worn him out. He looked like a small boy, lying on his stomach, his face relaxed. It was a handsome face, all slants and planes. A golden tan covered his back. He was a man who spent time outdoors. The desire to touch him almost overwhelmed her. She wanted to caress that expanse of skin. Instead, she pulled the blanket she’d used during the night over him.

A lock of Ty’s still damp hair had fallen over his forehead. Against her better judgment, but unable to resist, she pushed it back into place.

He shifted in his sleep, moaning as he did. Her heart went out to him. She wanted to take his aches away. He was so beat up that he couldn’t even get into a hot bath to ease the soreness. Moving again, Ty wrapped his arms around a pillow and pulled it to his chest.

Michelle couldn’t remember ever being jealous of an inanimate object before. She wished she could curl up next to his gorgeous body. But she couldn’t.

* * *

Ty found Michelle sitting in the corner of the sofa in her living area. This room was off the kitchen but he’d not been in it before. Decorated in cheerful hues, like the rest of her place, the room also had a cozier feel. Quilted throws hung off the backs of the chairs and the lighting came from lamps instead of the harsher overhead lighting. Books lined one wall and the TV took a less prominent spot in the corner. She had it turned on and was watching an action movie that was about five years old. Even in her movie choices she continued to surprise him.

The sun was setting. Her face glowed in the last of the light filtering in from the window on the far wall. It was the type of light that a photographer dreamt of having when taking a picture of a subject. Michelle looked angelic. Ty couldn’t help but admire her. She was pure beauty.

Michelle must have felt his eyes on her because she looked over the back of the sofa at him.

“Hey.” He came further into the room.

“Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?” She twisted further towards him.

“Much better.”

“Good.”

He moved around the sofa. “Will you help me with this?” He held out his scrub shirt. “I can’t seem to get it on by myself.”

She stood and took it from him. Gathering the material up around the neck, she said, “Lean over.”

He did so and she slipped the material over his head. Lifting his arms, she helped slide the shirt on and down. Her heat warmed him but not once did she touch him. He had no doubt that had been intentional. What was she scared of? There was something there between them, didn’t she feel it too?

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.

* * *

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.

Ty placed a finger under her chin and lifted it so that she had to look into his eyes. “Hey, I’m not complaining. Desire is the most perfect form of flattery. And I’m definitely flattered.”

She gave him a wry smile.

He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “I’ll get the pizza.”

She and Ty decided to eat on the floor in the living room and watch a movie. They found that they were both big fans of action adventure films. She would never have guessed when he’d come into her OR that day that she would have ever had anything in common with Ty. He continued to dumbfound her. By just riding into town he’d tipped her ordered world sideways. Somehow he’d added an excitement to it that she hadn’t even known had been missing.

With the movie credits rolling, she pulled herself up off the floor and started to gather the plates and pizza box.

“Do you always have to clean up? Have everything just so?”

She looked down to where Ty still sat with his back against the sofa.

“Leave it. You’d be amazed at how freeing it is. Bet you can’t do it.”

She dropped the empty box onto the table with a thud and turned to walk away. “Goodnight.”

“I didn’t mean to make you mad.” He sounded truly apologetic.

“It does get old when you’re always making snide remarks about how I live, dress, act.”

“Hey…” Ty made an effort to stand and groaned in the process.

Unable to help herself, Michelle rushed to him. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just stiff from sitting so long. How about giving me a hand?” He reached his hand towards her.