Mercy

Oh, no, she wasn't going to get involved with Theo Buchanan. And so she didn't put on one of the short nightgowns that she usually wore to bed. She got her long blue silk pajamas out of her bottom drawer instead. She buttoned every button, including

the top one. The mandarin collar rubbed the sensitive skin underneath her chin. She reached for the matching blue slippers, but rejected those and found an old pair of thick white terry-cloth slip-ons under her bed. She brushed her hair to get it out of her

eyes, dabbed on a little colorless, moisturizing lip gloss, then hunted through her closet and dug out her heavy white flannel robe. The hem dragged on the floor. The robe had buttons and she secured every one of them. It also had a belt. She double knotted it.

Then she looked at herself in the mirror. Good, she thought. She looked like a nun.

Theo was in the library. He'd unloaded the computer equipment and had it up and running by the time she came downstairs. He was reading something on the monitor. He glanced over the top of his hornrimmed glasses at her when she entered the room, and his gaze froze. In a flash he noticed every little detail about her-how the blue pajamas matched the color of her eyes; how her hair, down around her shoulders, shimmered like russet gold in the soft light; how, without an ounce of makeup, she looked beautiful.

She was dressed for bed… as long as the bed was in Antarctica. Michelle was a physician, but she sure didn't know anything about how a man's mind worked. All those clothes… they just made him fantasize about what was underneath.

His imagination went to work, and he pictured her stripping off each layer before slipping between the covers. Ah, hell, don't think about it, he warned himself. For the love of God, don't think about the soft, warm skin underneath all that fabric.

Michelle walked over to the desk. Feeling extremely self-conscious because of the way he was staring at her, she fiddled with the knot in her belt and asked, 'So? What do you think?'

'Theo?' she asked when he didn't immediately answer. He had a funny smile on his face now and was staring at her feet.

'What's the matter?'

'Are you expecting a snowstorm tonight?'

Her hand went to her throat. 'I was chilly.'

He laughed.

'I was,* she insisted. 'I get cold when the air conditioner is on. I turned it down so you would be comfortable.'

'Uh-huh.'

Now she felt stupid because he wasn't buying her lie.

'Cute bunny slippers.'

'Thank you,' she said. 'If you're finished mocking me, answer my question. What do you think… about my computer?'

'It's ancient.'

'Will you stop staring at my slippers?'

Exasperated, she leaned against the side of the desk and removed the slippers. Theo laughed again when he saw that she

was wearing socks.

'Now what's so funny?' she demanded.

'I was just wondering if you were wearing long underwear too.'

'I don't own any long underwear,' she countered. 'Now, will you answer my question. Does my computer work or not?'

'Where did you get this thing?'

'My brother Remy gave it to me. He picked it up secondhand the last time he was home. I haven't had time to set it up. I've

only been in the house a couple of weeks. John Paul wanted to put another coat of varnish on the floors, and if you knew my brother, you'd understand he does things on his own schedule. I've been using the computer at the hospital. I know this one is outdated, but eventually, when I can afford it, I'll get a newer one.'

Theo angled the screen near the corner of the desk, adjusted the keypad the way he thought she'd want it, then leaned back in

the soft leather chair. 'So, whoever is following you… he isn't some brokenhearted guy you dumped?'

'We've been over that.'

'We're going over it again.'

She didn't argue. 'No, I haven't been involved with anyone. Besides that, I'm a physician. I don't break hearts. I-'

'Yeah, I know. You fix them.'

'No, I refer them.'

His laptop was on the opposite side of the desk. It was a slick, expensive piece of equipment. As she was examining it, a big

red E floated across the screen. It was followed by a single beep.

'You've got mail.'

He reached over, touched a key, and saw who had sent him the message. She read the name before he hit the key and the

screen went blank.

She wasn't sure if he was waiting until later to read the message because he knew it wasn't important or because he didn't want her to read it.

'Who's Noah?'

'A friend.'

'I read the name,' she explained even though he hadn't asked. 'You were talking to him on the phone earlier.'

'Yes; he called. He must have been waiting by his computer, because I just sent him a message a couple of minutes ago, while you were in the shower, and he already responded.'

'If you want to read the message now, I'll go in the other room.'

'No, that's okay. You can read it with me. You won't understand it, though.'

'Too technical?'

Before she could take issue, he said, 'Too Noah. If you knew him, you'd understand. The guy's got a warped sense of humor.'

'You make that sound like a compliment.'

'It is,' he said. 'In his line of work, it helps to be a little warped.'

Theo hit a button and waited. Michelle leaned over his shoulder so she could read the message. It was convoluted, and didn't make any sense to her.

'Is it in code?'

'No,' he answered gruffly. Damn, he wished she'd move back. He could smell the clean scent of her shampoo, feel the heat

from her soft body.

He tensed in reaction. He pictured himself pulling her onto his lap and kissing the breath out of her. Then he expanded the

fantasy until he was thinking about all the other things he wanted to do with her and to her. He'd start with her toes and work

his way up until he had every button undone and he was-

'Who's Mary Beth?'

'Excuse me?'

'Noah said he never thanked you for letting him use Mary Beth the last time he was in Boston. You boys share your women?'

'Mary Beth is a fishing boat. I invited Noah to drive to Bowen to go fishing. I told him about the tournament, and he wants me