Read Online The Natural [Answers 3] by Christelle Mirin - Free Book Online Page A

collapsed onto it, still naked and comfortable in their nakedness.
    “What’s up?” Wilder asked, crossing one ankle over the opposite knee.
    Micah walked into the room where they had just held their session with Dawn, snatched his briefs and jeans from the shelf where he had stashed them, and returned to the living room. Balancing on first one foot, then the other while getting partially dressed, he poured out his thoughts about Dawn.
    “I don’t know if you two have feelings for this girl or not, but I have to admit, I’m a little in love with her.” He sucked in his stomach and buttoned his fly. “I don’t want to lose touch with her after this weekend. As a matter of fact, I’m considering taking myself off this case.” He dropped down in an easy chair opposite the couch.
    “You’re that involved? You’d really take yourself off the case?” Hunter raked both hands through his hair, holding it back from his face.
    Micah nodded. “I’m going to talk to Adam about it. He’s the person in charge of scheduling all of us. If he thinks my feelings for her will affect her treatment, I’ll bow out of this weekend.”
    “For one thing, Adam has no room to talk if he says having feelings for a client is reason to take a therapist off the case.” Wilder rose from the couch and disappeared through the doorway to the other room. “After all,” he called out, “look what happened between him and Tess.” He reappeared in the doorway, dressed in jeans and pulling a shirt over his head. He flipped his hair out of the collar of the shirt and shrugged. “I don’t think Adam could logically have anything to say about it. And anyway, in case you’re wondering,” he said, returning to sit on the couch beside his brother. “I’m quite attached to the woman myself, and there’s no way I’m giving up any opportunity to be with her.”
    “Is that really ethical?” Micah frowned, his emotions warring with each other. He didn’t want to relinquish any chance of being with Dawn either. Something inside him told him she was the right woman to share his life. But then, his being a therapist, he knew falling in love with a client was taboo.
    “I don’t want to get into some big discussion about ethics.” Wilder waved a hand dismissively, palm forward, toward Micah. His frustration showed not only in his movements but on his face in the way he was frowning with his eyebrows drawn together. “Look, we all know having an emotional attachment to a client is supposed to be out of our treatment boundaries. What we need to be discussing right now is whether or not we feel strongly enough about her to continue with the way we are going and jeopardize our jobs or try our best to keep each other in line and never reveal our true feelings about her.”
    Micah rubbed his chin, weighing Wilder’s words. Wilder was direct and to the point. Micah felt that was the way they needed to be.
    Hunter rose from the couch, stretching his arms over his head and letting out a groan. After he dropped his arms back down, he turned to look at Micah. “I’m going to find my clothes. Don’t decide anything until I come back.” He walked around Micah’s chair, heading for the treatment room.
    “You’ve been pretty quiet, Hunter. What gives?” Micah looked over his shoulder toward him.
    Hunter stopped, turning slightly. “The way you two are going at it, I have a feeling I’m going to end up being the tie-breaker when this whole thing comes to a vote. So, I’m listening to both of you.”
    “Which way are you leaning?” Micah couldn’t tell from Hunter’s expression.
    “I don’t know for sure yet.” He turned his back and walked into the other room.
     
    * * * *
     
    Hunter wasn’t sure that the earth was still round and the sun would rise again in the morning at this point. He’d never been so conflicted in his life. He grabbed his clothes from the shelf where they always stashed them and hurriedly put them on. He didn’t