The Ultimate Choice

Like chasing her, Kelly thought guiltily. She quickly applied the suction cups for the interferential. 'You've got too many years ahead of you to let your leg deteriorate,' she scolded. 'You're still a young man.'

He made a contemptuous sound.

Kelly felt even more impatient with him. 'I'll bet you're not even old enough to have a hip replacement,' she said scornfully. And that was information that she really did want to know. 'How old are you, anyway?' she demanded.

'Old enough to know better, Kelly Hanrahan.'

The low growl had a distinct bite to it.

Kelly took the bull by the horns, if you're going to keep on kissing me, I want to know how old you are.'

She heard the swift intake of his breath. His body went curiously rigid. He said nothing.

The silence seemed to go on and on.

Kelly was quite certain he was not going to answer. Apparently he had no intention of kissing her ever again. The disappointment she felt was acute enough to make her feel silly and miserable. She started to turn away.

'How old do you have to be to have a hip replacement?'

Kelly glared at him, resenting the diversionary tactic, but his eyes were hooded, revealing nothing of his thoughts or feelings. His face wore an abstracted look.

'Generally they don't like to do them until a person is forty,' she replied tartly.

The silence lasted for fifteen or twenty seconds. 'Then I've only got five more years to go,' he said at last.

Kelly's spirits instantly lifted and she sighed with satisfaction as she worked out the arithmetic. Twelve years between them didn't form an unbridgeable gap. A man of thirty-five was considered in his prime, and women always matured more quickly than men. By her reckoning, that just about put them on a par. There was certainly nothing wrong about her feeling attracted to him or him feeling attracted to her.

She smiled triumphantly as she switched on the machine. 'I want you to relax now and let the interferential do its work. I'm going to attend to some of my other patients. If you have any trouble, just give me a yell,' she said, and even she could hear the exultant lilt in her voice.

Justin St John was starting to bend!

CHAPTER SEVEN

Although Kelly was satisfied that she had won the honours in the first round with Justin St John, it was early days yet, and the end was still very much up in the air. Why had he changed his mind from yesterday, when he had categorically refused any more physiotherapy from her? Why hadn't he attacked her about stealing Rasputin? He hadn't even mentioned it. He had to have some plan up his sleeve.

Kelly conscientiously carried through the exercises necessary for her other patient, but she was extremely aware of Justin St John's presence in the next room. However, with the extra workload that his presence had thrust on her, she was kept busy for the next forty minutes.

Not that he suffered in any way from the lack of her personal attention. Leaving the machine on him for that long wouldn't do any harm, and could only do good. The high frequency waves would help relieve the pain. The low frequency waves would exercise and help correct the atrophy of the underused muscles.

After she had finished with two other patients, she could give Justin St John her undivided attention until ten-thirty. And that would be the danger period. Kelly was aware that if he was going to make some counterstroke against her it would be during this time that it came.

The minutes rolled by all too quickly.

Kelly returned to the cubicle.

For a moment she felt light-headed, much the same as she felt before the penultimate round in a Grand Prix event, when it was essential not only to do well, but to pull out something special that would place her in front of all the other competitors. She took a deep breath and pulled the curtain shut behind her.

She switched off the interferential and removed the suction cups. 'How does this feel now?'

'Better,' he grunted.

'I'll finish off with some resisted exercises and then some ultrasound.'

He complied with all her instructions without complaint. No conversation was entered into by either party as she made him move his leg against the pressure of her hand. But there was a distinct rise of tension in the room. The physical connection that the exercises demanded engendered a very personal sense of intimacy.

'That's enough for today,' Kelly finally said, her voice made husky by a tightened throat. She swallowed hard, then attempted a brisker tone. 'To do any more might stir it up. But when we can get more freedom of movement I'll start you on the weights. I want you here every day…'

'Kelly…'