Page 17 of Diagnosis Attraction

Now, he suddenly had what he had always been searching for, from a woman who was a stranger.

In her memory, he saw another scene. She was an adult now, bending over a bed, comforting a young and beautiful Asian woman who turned her head away and wouldn’t look her in the eye.

All of the memories—his and hers—made him sad. It was much more gratifying to focus on the here and now—on the woman he cradled in his arms.

His head had started to pound, but he ignored the pain as he moved farther back into the shed, taking her with him. The door was at an angle that made it close behind them, sealing them inside. In the dark, they clung to each other for support and a whole lot of other reasons.

He hadn’t admitted it, but he had needed more from the moment he touched her. Now, in this dark, private space, he couldn’t resist the pull. Unable to stop himself, he lowered his mouth to hers for a kiss that was almost frantic. His lips moved over hers, and he smiled when he realized she’d been tasting the dish she was cooking on the stove.

But he stopped thinking about the chili as he stroked his hands up and down her back. Needing more, he lifted the hem of the tee shirt she was wearing and slipped underneath, flattening his fingers against the warm skin of her back, loving the feel ofher and loving the contact that was so much more than he could put into words.

He knew he was arousing her, just as she knew she was arousing him. Holding her, kissing her, touching her was so very sexual, even with the underlayer of memory from her past and his.

He’d made love with women, looking for something that he was sure he wasn’t going to find. Sex had always been physically satisfying, but there had invariably been something missing, the same disappointment that had dogged his life.

Again, he knew it was the same for her. Searching and never finding. Until now.

It wasn’t like I went out and slept with a bunch of guys.

I know. I was just thinking how it was the same for you. Disappointing.

The exchange stunned him. Neither of them had spoken aloud, yet he’d clearly heard her respond to his thoughts. And he had responded to her.

That was enough of a shock to make him drop his hands and step back. What was he doing? What were they doing?

He was glad he had broken the contact when the door of the shed opened. Whirling, he found himself staring at Polly Kramer.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“No. We were just coming back to the house,” Matt managed to say, hearing the thick quality of his own voice and not quite able to meet the woman’s eyes.

“Are you all right?”

Elizabeth ran a hand through her hair. “Yes.”

Polly turned back to the house, and Matt waited for a beat before asking Elizabeth.

“Does your head hurt?”

“Yes. What do you think that means, doctor?”

He laughed. “I can speculate, but I don’t know.”

By mutual agreement, he turned and walked out of the shed, and she followed. He didn’t have to see her to know she was walking behind him.

He wanted to talk about what had happened between them. Sexual pull. Memories. And something even more startling. Actual words were exchanged in their head.

“You heard what I said?” he asked.

“Yes.”

There was no need to explain thathe was talking about the silent exchange.

“I turned the chili down,” Mrs. Kramer said when they entered the kitchen.

“Thank you.” Elizabeth went straight to the pot, stirred it, and tasted.

“How is it?” Matt asked, his voice still sounding not quite normal.

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