Saturday had been the longest damn night of Michael’s life. He’d refused several offers of company and spent the entire evening brooding over what Kelly and her date might be up to. The mere fact that she even had a date was annoying. Granted, things between the two of them were a little uncertain, but all that heat had to mean something. How could he have misread the signals between them so badly? Why the hell had she felt the need to take off with that pretty-boy doctor? What did he have to offer that Michael didn’t, besides a body on which all the parts presumably worked?

Just thinking about what the two of them could be up to soured his mood. His bad temper didn’t improve on Sunday or Monday. In fact, by the time he got to the rehab center on Tuesday morning, he was half out of his mind with imagining the worst—that she’d gone and fallen head over heels in love with that annoying, expensively dressed jerk of a doctor. He wasn’t prepared to examine why that seemed to matter so blasted much to him.

As Kelly approached him, Michael studied her face, looking for evidence that something had changed. She looked a little wary, a little pensive, but other than that, he couldn’t read anything into her expression. When she finally met his gaze, she managed to muster an unenthusiastic smile, then went into what he’d come to recognize as her crisp, no-nonsense professional mode.

“I thought we’d try getting you out of that chair today,” she chirped cheerfully. “Are you game?”

Michael debated calling her on the phony attitude, but her plan for the day caught his attention. “I’ve been getting out of the chair,” he pointed out.

She gestured toward the parallel bars where he’d first seen Jennifer struggling to walk. Hope—along with something that felt a whole lot like panic—swept through him.

“You want me to walk?” he asked incredulously.

She did smile at that. “Hasn’t that been the idea all along? I thought you were chomping at the bit to get back on your feet. I think you’re strong enough now. Your arm and shoulder muscles were already in great shape. The weight work has strengthened your leg muscles the last couple of weeks. It’s time to start standing on your own two feet again, Michael. I’m not expecting you to run a marathon. Standing up for a few minutes to put some real weight on that leg will be good enough.”

“But…” The protest died on his lips. This was what he wanted, maybe too much. What if he stood up and fell flat on his face?

“You’re not going to fall,” Kelly reassured him, as if he’d voiced the fear aloud. “You’ll have the bars to hold on to and I’ll be there.”

Falling into her arms was not an option. He’d never survive the humiliation of it. He weighed that against the cowardice implied by not trying at all. It was no contest. He had to do this, and maybe it was better that she’d taken him totally by surprise. He hadn’t had to spend the whole weekend worrying about it.

Totally focused now, he met her gaze evenly and gave her a curt nod. “Let’s do it.”

She guided his chair to the bars, then placed herself between them and in front of him. “Want some help getting out of the chair?”

“No,” he said tersely. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it on his own. He needed to learn to rely on himself again, the way he once had without giving it a second thought.

Kelly shrugged off his tone and gestured for him to get up on his own.

Michael set the brake on the chair, then reached for the bars and pulled himself up, grateful for the years of SEAL training that had, indeed, kept his shoulders and arms powerful. But once he was upright between the bars, his legs felt as wobbly as a newborn’s, despite all the work they’d been doing to strengthen the muscles.

“Just take a minute and steady yourself,” Kelly said quietly. “Remember this isn’t some sort of test on which you’re going to be graded. A step or two will be enough. Let’s see how that injured leg takes to having some weight put on it.”

Michael held himself upright by sheer will, terrified to put any weight at all on his bum leg. What if the surgeries and the pins weren’t going to be enough, after all? What if the bones hadn’t healed sufficiently? What if he crumpled to the floor right here? He could tolerate whatever pain there might be, but not the disappointment of failing, especially in front of Kelly.

But what if he didn’t fail at all? He clung to that thought as he sucked in a deep breath and put his foot down gingerly. Slowly he began to put a little weight on it. To his relief, nothing immediately snapped in two. His bones and the various pieces of hardware the doctors had installed were apparently strong enough to keep him upright, at least. He added a little more weight until he was evenly balanced on both feet. It was an odd sensation, scary and exhilarating at the same time. Who would have thought that just standing up would give him such a sense of accomplishment, after the thousands of far more strenuous exertions to which he’d subjected his body?

Standing there, clinging to the bars with a white-knuckled grip, he ventured a glance at Kelly. Seeing her from this perspective—the way a man ought to be able to look a woman straight in the eye—made him want to drag her straight into his arms, but he forced the wistful thought aside.

“Looking good,” Kelly said, giving him an encouraging smile. She backed up a step. “Now come here.”

He met her gaze. “What’s the incentive?” he asked, a deliberate dare in his voice.

One brow arched. “Walking again’s not enough?” she asked.

“I was thinking such a momentous stride forward in our therapy ought to at least net me a kiss.”

She frowned at that. “Take the step, then we’ll talk about it.”

“A peck on the cheek, then,” he coaxed, enjoying the patches of color blooming on her face. He studied her with a considering look. “What’s the harm, unless you and the good doctor are now an item?”

Her cheeks paled. “Leave Dr. Burroughs out of this.”

Michael promptly took heart. “Bad date?” he inquired sympathetically. “I could have told you that. The guy is obviously too self-absorbed to be good company.”

Kelly scowled at him. “I don’t know how you came up with that,” she snapped. “He was very good company. And why are we talking about him at all? You’re supposed to be concentrating on taking that first step.”

“Frankly, right this second, I’m finding this conversation a whole lot more fascinating,” he said. “Something tells me you didn’t have a good time.”

“And you find that something to gloat about?”

“No, I merely find it interesting. Tell me, how did it go?”

Her scowl deepened. “Why are you pushing this? My date is none of your business.”

“That’s not the way I see it,” Michael told her.

She gave him an impatient look. “I do.”

“Come on, Kelly. I think I have a right to know if the woman who’s been willing to risk her professional reputation to kiss me has found some other man she’d prefer to spend her free time with.” He gave her a considering look. “Well, have you? Are you planning on spending more evenings with the preppy doctor?”

“If you must know, the answer is no. I won’t be seeing Dr. Burroughs again.”

He grinned, not even trying to hide his relief. “Glad to hear it. Does that mean I get my kiss?”

Suddenly the ice in her eyes seemed to melt. She gave him one of her more irrepressible grins. “If you can catch me,” she said, backing up another step, then one more for good measure.

Michael’s grin spread. “Sweetheart, don’t you know you should never dare a SEAL?” If it took every last ounce of strength he possessed, he was going to meet her challenge. He’d been obsessing about kissing her all night long. He wasn’t about to lose his chance now.

The first step was awkward and painful. It was impossible to imagine that walking, running and mountain-climbing had once been second nature to him. Sweat beaded on his brow and the muscles in his arms quivered with the tension of holding himself upright.

Thank God, he had long legs. He could reach her in one more stride. He took that step thanks to sheer grit and determination. As he steadied himself, he closed one hand over hers where it rested on the bar and gazed deep into her eyes.

“Pay up,” he said softly.

There was no mistaking the heat that flared in her eyes as she lifted herself on tiptoe and brushed a quick, disappointing kiss across his lips.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” he whispered against her mouth, leaning heavily against one bar, while he slipped an arm around her waist and held her tight. “I caught you fair and square. Now, pay up with a kiss that means something.”

He heard her breath hitch, felt the heat radiating from her as she sighed and leaned into him, her breasts soft against his chest, her lips parted under his.

“Better,” he murmured, as he plunged his tongue deep inside to taste her…to claim her.

When they were both breathing hard, he released her, then realized that the kiss had drained him of every last ounce of strength. Cursing his weakness, he struggled to turn himself around and make his way back to his wheelchair, angrily brushing off Kelly’s offers of assistance.

Only after he was safely seated again did he allow himself to meet her gaze. To his amazement, she was grinning broadly.

“What?” he growled, feeling like a toddler who’d taken his first brave step, only to land solidly on his backside.

She regarded him as if he were crazy to have to ask. “You walked, Michael! You did it!”

As the enormity of that sank in, his irritation faded and a grin began to spread across his face. “By God, I did, didn’t I?” He’d felt less triumphant after surviving a dangerous mission. He met Kelly’s gaze. “If I could dance you around the room, I would.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said. “Something tells me it won’t be long.”

Meeting her gaze, wanting her, Michael knew that no matter when it happened, it wouldn’t be nearly soon enough.

 

Those first couple of faltering steps could be either the beginning of something or the end, Michael concluded when he had time to himself later that night. In a few weeks, Kelly would start cutting back on his therapy, leaving him to his own devices while she moved on to use her considerable skill with another patient who needed her more. As badly as he wanted to feel whole and able-bodied again, the prospect of losing Kelly forever was out of the question. He didn’t know why he was so sure of that, but he was.

Whatever the pace of his recovery from here on out, he was going to have to make damn sure that Kelly stayed in his life, at least until he could figure out the hold she seemed to have over him. There would be no more little adventures for her with the Dr. Burroughses of the world. He wanted to be the one who occupied her thoughts and her time.

For a man who’d spent much of his life being totally driven and goal-oriented, this was just one more challenge to be met. Like any SEAL mission he’d ever planned and executed, it was a matter of logistics and precision. He intended to start with his Thursday therapy session, since that was the one time he could be guaranteed that she wouldn’t bail on him. He was going to dazzle her with his progress, then set out to capture her heart.

For the forty-eight hours between sessions, he practiced standing until he could remain upright and steady without grabbing on to the nearest stable object to break an impending fall. By the time night came, his muscles ached from the strain and his leg was giving him fits, but it was a small price to pay.

On Thursday he wheeled himself into the rehab center with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose. Kelly seemed to sense the change in attitude, because she studied him with a quizzical expression as he hefted himself out of the chair and onto the parallel bars without being asked.

“I gather you’re ready to start,” she said, a spark of amusement in her eyes.

“I am,” he said firmly. “Back up.”

She hesitated. “I think it’s better if I stay here.”

He scowled until she finally shrugged and backed away, leaving nothing to impede him should he actually be able to manage to walk the entire length of the parallel bars. Gritting his teeth, Michael took the first step. It was actually easier than it had been at his apartment without any solid support to cling to. His confidence grew with the second step and then the third.

“Michael, don’t push too hard,” Kelly warned as he kept coming. “You don’t want another injury now.”

“I’m not going to fall,” he insisted, his voice tight as he tried to gauge the remaining steps. Four, maybe. Three, if he could lengthen his stride to something better than these shuffling half steps. He sighed. Maybe he’d better settle for baby steps, as exasperating as that was. It was better than falling flat on his butt at her feet.

He noted that despite her warning, she hadn’t rushed forward to cut him off, but she was holding her breath.

“You know, if you don’t let out that breath you’re holding, you’re going to turn blue,” he admonished lightly.

She sighed. “Sorry. I’m just afraid you’re moving too fast.”

He snorted at that. “I’ve seen snails move faster.”

“You know what I mean, Michael.”

All the while they bickered over whether or not he was overexerting himself, he kept moving forward with his awkward, shuffling gait. And then he was there, toe-to-toe with her, close enough to see the spark of admiration in her eyes, despite the admonitions tripping from her lips.

His legs were protesting the strain he’d put on them. His powerful arms were the only things keeping him upright, which meant he had to get through this next part in a hurry. Still standing, he met her gaze.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow night,” he suggested.

She blinked rapidly. “What?”

“It’s not a difficult concept. I asked you to have dinner with me.”

“Why?”

He grinned at her reaction. “The usual reasons. Man meets woman. Man is attracted to woman. He asks her on a date. That is how it goes, isn’t it? I’m not that much out of touch.” He shrugged, trying not to make too much out of it. “Besides, I think we’re past due for a celebration. You certainly deserve one for putting up with me all this time.”

“Tomorrow’s Friday,” she pointed out.

Michael grinned. “I know that.”

“You usually go to the pub on Fridays, and I told you how I feel about going there.”

“You don’t want to give my family any ideas about the two of us,” he recited. “I know that, too. This is a date, Kelly. I’m asking you out on an honest-to-goodness date. No pub. No family. Just the two of us. You’ll have to drive, but other than that I’m in charge for a change. We’ll go wherever you want. Someplace fancy with candlelight and good wine. I’m afraid dancing’s out, but who knows, maybe I’ll buy you a corsage.”

She laughed then. “Nobody buys corsages except for proms.”

“Too much?”

“Definitely.”

“Champagne, then. What do you say?”

She took so long answering that he thought she might actually turn him down, but finally she nodded. “I would love to go to dinner with you, Michael. What time should I pick you up?”

“Seven sound okay?”

“Perfect,” she agreed more eagerly. “I’ll pick the place and make a reservation.”

He shook his head. “Tell me. I’ll call. I need to remember how it’s done.”

“I think it will all come back to you fairly quickly,” she said wryly.

Her belief that he’d been a bit of a scoundrel was very flattering, but the truth had been something else entirely. Before joining the navy, he hadn’t wanted to get distracted by a woman. During his years as a SEAL, the unpredictability of his life had kept him from getting too close. His relationships had been hot and steamy for a time, but there wasn’t one he could look back on as being remotely meaningful.

“This is different,” he told her with total sincerity.

“How? Because it’s been so long?”

“No.” He met her gaze and felt the familiar thunder of his pounding heart. “Because it’s you.”

 

Because it’s you. Because it’s you.

Kelly couldn’t seem to stop Michael’s words from echoing through her head. What had he meant? It had almost sounded as if he was genuinely worried about getting it right because she mattered to him in some way all the other women had not.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she muttered as she tossed aside what had to be the tenth outfit she’d tried on. She had deliberately picked an informal restaurant, despite Michael’s offer of champagne. He was still taking occasional pain medications and had no business drinking more than the occasional beer he indulged in with his pizza at home. Besides, her wardrobe was far more suited to casual than fancy.

Even so, she couldn’t seem to find a blasted thing in her closet that satisfied her. She finally settled for a sage-green cotton sweater that somehow made her gray eyes seem more the soft green of jade. She added a pair of camel-colored wool slacks and a gold locket that her mother had given her for her thirteenth birthday. Inside, still, was a tiny picture of Michael she’d clipped from a snapshot that had been taken of him and Bryan on a trip to Cape Cod that summer. She’d kept that locket in her jewelry box for years, but something told her tonight was a perfect night to bring it out again. Of course, if he happened to ask what was inside, she’d probably die of embarrassment.

Michael’s exuberant mood from Thursday afternoon had faded by the time she arrived to pick him up. His face was tight with pain. She took one look at him, assessed that he was paying for having overdone it the day before, and firmly closed the door behind her.

“Did you take your pain medication?” she asked as she moved briskly past him and headed for the kitchen where he kept the pills.

He shook his head.

She whirled on him. “Dammit, Michael, that’s what the medication’s for.”

“Who said I was in pain?” he snapped.

The man’s determination to be a stoic no matter the cost exasperated her beyond belief. She regarded him with amusement. “Are you saying you’re not?”

“No more than usual,” he insisted.

“Okay, then, get on your feet and let’s get out of here.”

The withering look he shot her would have terrified most people. Kelly simply stood there and waited.

“Okay, dammit, get the pill,” he said, his voice tight with fury. “Just one.”

She brought back the pill and a glass of water. “Why don’t I fix dinner right here?”

He shook his head. “Absolutely not. I promised you a celebration.”

“Michael, we can celebrate right here. It’s private. The refrigerator’s well stocked. I can whip something up in no time.”

“It doesn’t seem like much of a date.”

“It works for me.”

His gaze searched hers. “You really wouldn’t mind?”

“Being alone with you? Hardly,” she said lightly, then fled to the kitchen before he could react.

She heard the whispered glide of his wheelchair as she was pulling dishes from the cabinet, then the locking sound of the brake. When she finally turned around, Michael was struggling to his feet.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, starting forward.

“Stay where you are,” he commanded.

“But—”

“Just this once, do what I ask,” he said, slowly walking toward her. “And set those dishes down.”

She regarded him with confusion. “Why?”

“Because if I do this right, you’ll just wind up dropping them,” he said, his expression solemn.

Filled with a sudden rush of anticipation, Kelly set the dishes down with a thump just before Michael drew her into his arms. He tucked a finger under her chin, searched her face intently, then lowered his mouth to cover hers.

Tenderness exploded into urgent need. Years of pent-up longing gave way to the thrill of satisfaction as Michael’s kiss turned dark and dangerous. This was the way a man kissed a woman he wanted, Kelly thought as her senses went spinning.

“I want you,” he murmured against her lips. “I’d intended to do this right. A little wining and dining the way you deserve, then trying to coax you back here and into my bed. If it’s a lousy idea, tell me now.”

Kelly could barely breathe, barely think, her heart was pounding so hard. “It’s the best idea you’ve had in years,” she said with conviction.

“Dinner?”

“I’ll turn off the oven.” She met his gaze. “Condoms?”

He grinned at that. “In the nightstand.”

“Which means we have to get to your bedroom,” she said.

For an instant, he looked uneasy. “The gallant thing would be to carry you,” he said.

She glanced toward the wheelchair. “I could always ride in your lap.”

For an instant, she thought he might refuse her out of stubborn pride, but then apparently the possibilities began to intrigue him. He sat and she settled into place, wriggling a bit in the process.

“Watch it,” he warned.

She regarded him with deliberate innocence. “Am I bothering you?”

“Sweetheart, you’ve been bothering me since the first day you walked through my front door all full of sass and determination.”

“Is that so?” she asked, pleased. “Then your patience is amazing.”

“I thought so.”

The trip to the bedroom took a whole lot longer than it needed to, simply because Kelly did her best to bother him along the way.

“Game’s over,” he said when they were beside the bed.

Kelly met his gaze, let the heat between them build to a slow simmer, then shook her head. “No, Michael. It’s just beginning.”