Straight From The Hip. Сьюзен Мэллери

the room and stopped. From there, she went first to the sofa, then back to the middle. She crossed to the window and returned to the center.

      She was learning the room. By the time she was finished she would know where everything was and find it easily. In a couple of days she would be able to hurry through the house like everyone else.

      Even as he watched her turn and pace and count, he was distracted by her long bare legs. Her shorts barely covered her butt and her tight T-shirt outlined her full breasts. Normally he would have been able to ignore her athletic body. Normally he could appreciate the show and move on. Normally he hadn’t spent a long, agonizing night lying next to a beautiful woman, her legs tangled with his, her head on his shoulder, her breasts nestling against his arm.

      He told himself that the price was worth it. She’d proven her strength—not only in avoiding a crash and burn after her nightmare, but by being able to move on from their fight. He’d taunted her. She’d risen to the bait, but hadn’t gotten trapped in anger. She was strong and determined—someone he could admire. Now if only he could see her naked.

      Stop it, he told himself. Izzy was a client, someone he was helping. He had no business thinking about kissing every inch of her, of touching her until she begged and then losing himself in her. It was unprofessional. It was sexist. And being hard all the time was damned unpleasant.

      The point of all this was she hadn’t given up, which meant she was one step closer to having the surgery. There were more—

      “You have some serious stalker tendencies,” she said, turning to face him. “It’s borderline creepy. You should go talk to someone about it.”

      “I’ve been here ten minutes. Why did it take you so long to figure out you weren’t alone?”

      She continued finding her way around the room. “My bat sonar isn’t fully installed just yet.”

      “You need to work on that.”

      “You need to get a life. Do you watch me in the shower?”

      The image dropped into his brain and there was no way he could ignore it. “Do you want me to?”

      She tilted her head slightly. Her long, dark, curly hair tumbled over her right shoulder. She walked toward him, stopping only inches away. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

      “You need a woman. Seriously. It’s bad enough that the blind girl can figure it out. That’s got to be embarrassing.”

      It was, but he wouldn’t admit it to her. “I’m playing your game. That should make you happy.”

      “Maybe. I take it you don’t have anyone you’re seeing right now. I’m guessing it’s a geographic thing. It’s hard to date when your life is in the middle of nowhere.”

      “My work keeps my busy.”

      “So you’re between relationships? Or are you the type who doesn’t get involved?”

      Why were they talking about him? “I don’t get involved.” Why was he answering her questions?

      Her eyes were hazel, the irises a kaleidoscope of color.

      “So typical,” she said. “Were you burned by love? Did someone break your heart?”

      “No.” No one got close enough to break anything. “What about you?” he asked. “Why aren’t there a pack of guys at your beck and call?”

      “I prefer one-on-one to a pack,” she said. “I don’t do serious, either. It’s too much trouble. I like my men easy and pretty. Although I guess pretty is less important than it used to be.”

      It was as if a light clicked off inside her. One second she was flirty and confident, the kind of woman who made men look even when they didn’t want to. The next, her shoulders slumped, her chin dropped and her energy faded.

      She turned away, obviously lost in defeat.

      He grabbed her arm. “Don’t,” he told her. “Don’t give in. You have to stay strong. It’s worth it.”

      “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

      “Yeah, I do.” He wanted to shake her until she figured out there was a process and she had to keep moving forward.

      “Were you really going to let me go home?” she asked.

      “You could have gone home.”

      “You were a bastard on purpose. I suppose I should thank you.”

      He would like it better if she were yelling or throwing things. Anger had power behind it. This acceptance would kill her…or at least keep her from getting well.

      “Don’t thank me,” he said, frustrated. “Get pissed off. Yell at me. Hate me.”

      “Why? You haven’t done anything wrong.”

      “Sure I have.” He was a guy—there had to be something he’d done. “I think you’re an idiot for wasting the opportunities you’ve been given.”

      “Like I’m buying that.” She pulled free and turned to leave.

      “You’ve wasted your life. You’re a Titan. You could have done something with all that money, but you haven’t. You’re useless. Being blind just makes it obvious to everyone else. Because you’ve always known the truth.”

      She turned back to him, her expression more annoyed than angry, but at least it was better than defeat.

      “You have some serious psychological problems,” she told him. “I don’t think your geography has anything to do with why you’re not in a relationship. I think it’s you.”

      “What’s your excuse for being alone? Since when are relationships too much trouble for a woman? It’s what you all live for.”

      “You are seriously grasping here.”

      “Whatever works.”

      “What’s your end game?” she asked.

      “For you not to give up.”

      “And then what? Do I get a cookie?”

      “You get your life back, Izzy. That has to be worth something.”

      “According to you, it isn’t. I’m useless.”

      “So be mad at me. Have something to prove.”

      “You know, you need a strategy,” she told him. “Right now you’re just bouncing around from point to point. There’s no cohesive argument here.”

      “I’m thinking on my feet.”

      She smiled. “Not your greatest strength, huh?”

      He relaxed a little. “I do okay.”

      “The people who say that are your employees, aren’t they? You have to pay them a lot of money to get them on your side.”

      “You’re saying I don’t inspire loyalty?”

      “I’m saying you have issues.”

      “So do you.”

      “One or two.”

      “Like not having the surgery.”

      She poked him in the chest. “We are so not having that conversation.”

      The fire was back. Good. As long as she stayed strong, she would make it.

      “We have to have it sometime.”

      “Not today.”

      She looked at him. If he didn’t know better, he would swear she could see everything. Her eyes were so damn beautiful…just like the rest of her. Without thinking, he reached toward her and cupped the side of her face. Her skin was smooth and soft.

      “You can’t hide from