The Accident
“Two weeks!” JC protested when Emily announced she planned on going with Alyssa and her family to the Larsen lakeside vacation home.
“Yes,” she said calmly.
“But I’m home for almost a month, Em. I thought we could be together.”
“Nice that you made those plans without consulting me,” she quipped. It irked her that he had taken for granted that she’d fall into his plans without her input.
He supposed he had been thoughtless. “I’m sorry, baby. I just want to be with you...”
“You could come along,” she hinted.
“I’ll have to be in the studio most of the time.”
“It’s our family vacation, Josh. I can’t just up and not go. Alyssa won’t go out on the water since Mom and Dad died…”
JC squatted down in front of her, his hands on her knees. “I understand, baby. I’ll miss you like hell.” Sadly enough, missing Emily had become a familiar feeling in his life.
“You can help me pack. I can get done faster and have more time for – other things.” She grinned at him.
He got to his feet and waved towards her bedroom. “Lead the way. Packing is something I know about.”
“Are there any cute guys up there?” JC asked idyll as he eyed her closet.
“Usually. It changes every year,” she replied absently as she dug her under things out of the drawer.
“Take this.”
Emily laughed when she saw what “this” was. A long black skirt with matching turtleneck sweater. “I’d roast in that! While you’re at it, the chastity belt is in there somewhere.”
Chuckling, he pretended to look. “Where?”
She rolled over to the bed and dumped her garments next to her suitcase. “I promise you no man ever looks at me twice,” she assured him.
“You didn’t say they were cute, stupid and blind,” he retorted softly.
“Joshua, you are wonderful for my ego.”
“More than you ego, I hope.”
“Yes, but it was my feminine ego that took the biggest hammering.” She held up her arms to him, their signal that she wanted him to hold her.
Without hesitation, JC bent to let her arms go about his neck. Straightening, he lifted her from her chair and guided her legs about his waist. He turned and sat on her bed. “What is it, baby?”
“I just wanted your arms around me – and I wanted to hold you.”
“I like you holding me.”
If there was one thing Emily was good at, it was knowing when they were equally vulnerable, equally in need of comfort.
“I don’t even look at other guys, sugar britches.”
“I know, Em…”
“And they don’t look at me.”
“Like I said blind and stupid.”
“No, just not sensitive and wonderful.” She rubbed her nose to his. “Is it okay if I don’t dress in a shroud now? And leave the chastity belt at home?”
JC chuckled, dropping a kiss on her nose. “I supposed so – only if you wear a sign that says ‘TAKEN’.”
“How big a sign?”
“Sandwich board with large lettering.”
“I’ll be a rolling sign!”
“That’s kinda the idea, bright-eyes,” he teased.
She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, kissing him hungrily. “No sign, no shroud, no chastity belt. I’ll simply tell everyone I meet I already have the most fantastic lover in the world,” she told him huskily.
“Works for me, baby.” JC twisted to lay her back on the bed and came over her.
“This isn’t exactly helping me pack,” she reminded him.
“Later.”
Emily leaned back and lazily let her fingers dangle in the water. She had accompanied Doug and Ben on their late evening fishing expedition. Ben rarely caught any fish yet never tired of fishing. That was probably fortunate. Her prissy, fastidious sister wouldn’t clean fish – let alone cook one that wasn’t from the market! Emily mused, she could catch more fish than Ben, feeling the fish investigate and nibble at her fingers.
She must have heard the roar of the large engine the same time Doug had noticed the huge speedboat baring down on them. “Emily,” he said in a soft panic as she straightened. The only thing she had time to do was snatch Ben from the center of the boat.
“Aunt Em!” Ben’s cry came from a great distance. “Auntie Em!”
Shaking away the fuzziness from her brain, Emily drug she back to full consciousness. The boat – it had been split in half. She and Ben had hit the water together.
“Em!” the boy pleaded.
Opening her eyes, she saw the devastation around her. Ben was losing his battle to stay a float while holding on to her sleeve to keep her from going under.
“Let go now, tiger.” She smiled to assure him she was all right. “Thanks. We’re even now.”
Relief flooded his small face as he released her.
Darkness was rapidly taking over the lake and no one else was on the water – no one but them. Emily managed to put Ben up out of the water on a piece of wreckage. Grabbing a floatation cushion, she buoyed herself as she towed Ben over to the unconscious Doug. It was much more difficult to maneuver her much larger brother-in-law onto a larger portion of the shattered boat. The effort exhausted her. Doug’s pulse was strong, but he had a nasty gash on the side of his face. Pulling off Doug’s belt, she attached Ben and Doug’s floats together as best she could.
“What about you?” Ben asked tearfully.
“I’ll be fine.” Emily gave him a brave smile. She could barely lift her arms. Taking the seat floatation cushion, she slid her arms into the strap like a backpack; this would keep her face out of the water for the time being.
Emily lost track of time. Night deepened. She was cold and sleepy…JC wasn’t going to like this – was the last thought before blackness claimed her.
“JC.”
“Josh, this is Alyssa. Sorry to bother you…”
Why was Emily’s sister calling him? Most of the time she was barely cordial! “Not a problem. What can I do for you?”
“Emily’s been in an accident—“
“What? Is she all right? Where is she?”
“We’re up at the lake. She’s at the local hospital.”
“I’ll leave right now.’
“Josh, she hasn’t regained consciousness…”
”I’ll get there!”
“Where is she?” JC demanded when she spotted Alyssa.
Alyssa crumpled against him, sobbing softly.
“Hey, it’ll be okay,” he assured her, patting her back awkwardly.
“I could have lost everyone.”
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“I pieced it together from Ben and Doug. Doug and Emily took Ben out on the boat…It’s just a little thing, hardly bigger than a row boat...A big cruiser ran over them…Doug was knocked out…Emily got Ben up on a piece of the boat…She did the same for Doug, I guess…She was so weak by then, she couldn’t pull herself out of the water…” Alyssa began crying harder. “I should have wondered where they were sooner!”
“You know Emily would say you bear no blame.” JC knew that for a fact.
“She was in the water so long…She has hypothermia…”
“Doug and Ben?”
“They are banged up. Doug had to have stitches…But they’re okay. It’s Emily who’s in danger now.”
He nodded. “I want to see her.”
Alyssa led him to a hospital room with beeping machines. In the bed was a tiny figure with blue-tinged lips and a large bruise on one pale cheek.
JC stood by the bed, gazing down at Emily’s still form. He couldn’t lose her now. They had come so far! “Hey, baby, it’s Josh.” He smoothed his hand over her hair. “I let you out of my sight for a couple of days and look what happens.” He sighed shakily. This did not look good. “Bright-eyes, this is scaring the hell out of me…”
Quietly, Alyssa left the room.
“Baby…” he whispered. Pulling a chair close, he sat by the bed, taking one of her chilled hands between the two of his large, warm hands. “You mean the world to me, Em. I need you in my life…Who’ll call me ‘sugar britches’? You’ve been my number one fan and you’re the one I need at the end of a lousy day. Your smile. Your touch. Your caring. You’ve spoiled me for anyone else, Emily.”
After an hour of tender monologue, JC laid his head against their clasped hands. He closed his eyes to will her back to consciousness.
Emily heard JC’s pleading voice through the cocooning darkness of her mind. JC could do better than a girl in a chair. She had been so ready to let it all go: the struggle for normalcy; the stares of the uncaring, ignorant people; being thought of as a lesser person because her legs didn’t work. It would have been so easy to float away on that tide of darkness…But her love was calling her back.
“Please, bright-eyes, come back to me…I need you…” his soft voice was telling her.
She had heard his quiet plea to heaven. “Please, God, take whatever you want from me, just let me have Emily back.”
JC felt a clumsy hand stroke his hair. Lifting his head, he found bright, sapphire blue eyes gazing at him. “Emily!” he cried out with happiness and relief. He gave her a quick kiss, then jumped to his feet and ran to the door. “Alyssa! She’s awake!” he announced to the woman pacing outside the door.
“Thank God!” She followed him back into the room.
“Lis, get somebody to get this crap off me,” Emily commanded of the wires, IV tubes and the oxygen being forced up her nose.
“Sounds like she back fully.” Alyssa laughed. “I’ll go for the doctor.” She left the room in search of someone to assist her sister in her request.
“Hey, baby.” JC approached the bed and took Emily’s hand. “Thanks for coming back to me.”
“That’s why I came back,” she told him quietly.
“I really think we need to talk about making this a permanent arrangement.”
“Me in bed?”
“You in my bed – for the rest of our lives, bright-eyes.”
“Josh—“
He shook his head. “Not this very moment. It is something we needed to discuss when you’re stronger.”
Emily loved JC, but she had her doubts about marrying him. He was much too vital a man to be tied to her. He needed a mate who could dance, run and play – and Emily only did those things in her dreams.
The appearance of a doctor, a nurse and Alyssa prevented her from having to think more about it.
“Aunt Em!” Ben raced into Emily’s hospital room and scrambled up on her bed.
“There’s my hero.” Emily hugged the boy.
Alyssa and JC looked at each other from opposite sides of the bed.
“Hero?” Alyssa questioned.
“I was knocked out momentarily by the impact.” Emily ruffled her nephew’s blonde hair. “If Ben hadn’t kept my face out of the water, I would have drowned.”
The significance of the sentence wasn’t lost on Alyssa. If Emily had died immediately, she wouldn’t have been able to rescue Ben and Doug. All of her family would have perished! “Oh, my God!”
“You gonna be sick, Mom?” Ben asked when she paled.
“No…I – uh…”
“Hey, tiger,” JC broke in, “let’s see if we can find some ice-cream in this place.”
Ben reached for JC’s outstretched hand. “Can I, Mom?”
Alyssa gave a wan smile and nodded. “Sure.”
Bending over to kiss Emily, JC murmured, “You just be okay, baby.”
With misty eyes, she whispered, “Thank you.”
Swinging the boy up to ride his shoulders, JC asked, “What flavor do you like?”
“Strawberry!” Ben cheered as they left the room.
“You keep rescuing my son – and now my husband,” Alyssa said to her sister.
“Ben is the hero here.”
“He did a very brave thing, but you risked yourself to save them – and we nearly lost you again.”
“You didn’t know? I’m part cat. I have nine lives,” Emily quipped to make light of the heavy situation.
“You’re down to seven now, Cat woman.”
“Family is family. You do what you have to do.” Changing the subject, she asked, “How’s Doug doing?”
“They said they’ll keep him one more night and he can go home in the morning.”
“Then we’re going home?”
Alyssa shook her head. “I’m all for it, but Doug and Ben want to stay.”
Emily truly did not. “I see you’ve buried the hatchet with Josh.”
“The minute I called him, he dropped everything to get here. He’s been a godsend with Ben – and you. You didn’t so much as flutter an eyelash until he got here. I can’t argue with the end result. He clearly adores you, Emily.”
With JC’s proposal still fresh in her mind, Emily had nothing to reply. “He’s probably got to get back to the studio.”
“I don’t believe that’s his primary concern of the moment.”
Neither did Emily.
At her silence, Alyssa stroked back her sister’s hair. “Tired, Em?”
Emily sighed, “A little.”
“Being a legless super hero can be tiring work,” the older sister teased gently.
“Know what they call Emily in the water?”
Alyssa was taken aback and frowned a little at her sister’s quip. “What?”
“What do they call Emily in the water? Bob.”
Alyssa gave her a weak smile. “Emily,” she scolded.
“Cheer up, Alyssa. I’m the one in the hospital bed.”
“Be serious, Emily. You were nearly killed.”
”All I ask is that you find the jackass that did this. He’s a menace.”
“She was a drunken, scared teenager.”
“Crap.”
“She didn’t have permission to take the boat out – much less drink out of the liquor cabinet.” Alyssa shook her head. “And I think she was more devastated by the fact JC Chasez is furious at her, than the fact she nearly killed the three of you.”
Emily gave a grim chuckle. “I don’t think she has her head on straight.”
“Obviously not,” came a low, male voice from the doorway. JC wanted to grab Emily and hold her forever, to keep her safe. This accident made him realize how much Emily meant to him – too much to ever lose.
“Where’s my nephew?”
“Eating a strawberry sundae under the watchful eye of his father.”
“Well, I’m going to see how big a mess he manages to make,” Alyssa announced.
“Lis…” Emily didn’t want to be left alone with JC. He made her weak – she could end up agreeing to marry him if he used enough of his sweet persuasion.
“Go on ahead. I’ll entertain Emily,” JC assured Alyssa.
When they were left alone, JC sat on the bed. He traced her delicate features with his fingertips. “I can’t believe how close I came to never seeing you again…never touching you…” He leaned forward to kiss her ever so softly. “Never taste your lips…Baby, I was scared out of my mind.”
“I’m sorry, Josh.”
He smiled tenderly. “Not your fault.”
“I’m okay…”
“I know, but…Hell, when Alyssa called I turned into a babbling idiot.”
His quiet voice, husky with emotion drew Emily forward like a magnet. She put her hands on his chest as she leaned close.
“Baby…” JC lowered his mouth on hers. He sipped at her lips, taking sampling tastes. His tongue teased the seam of her lips, gaining entrance only to trace and taste every bit of her sweet mouth.
Emily was lost to his magic. Moaning softly, she allowed herself to be dragged across his thighs. She reached up to bury her hands in his dark waves as he nibbled at her neck.
“I love you,” he purred against her ear. “You have to be mine, bright-eyes. All mine. All of the time. Forever.”
She said nothing, snuggling her face against his neck, dropping her hands from his hair.
“I know. Here you are, just out of a coma, and I’m babbling.”
“I like listening to your voice,” she whispered – just not what he was saying. Oh, she liked the idea of forever with JC; she just didn’t see it working. A very busy, active man who traveled so much needed a more mobile mate.
JC continued to hold and nuzzle her. After nearly losing her, this was a treasured moment – her happy sigh was reward enough.
Unseen, Alyssa peeked in on the couple. It didn’t take a genius to notice how tenderly JC held her sister. And if Emily objected, her body would not have been laying so soft against his. There was no doubt in her mind – this was the right thing for Emily, a man who cherished her despite the fact she would never walk again. Without a word, Alyssa closed the door to leave the couple in peace.
When JC made the offer to take Emily back home after she left the hospital she was certain that Alyssa would protest. She was surprised when her older sister graciously accepted. Doug and Ben had wanted to remain at the lake despite the accident. Alyssa had brought all Emily’s belongings as well as Rory to the hospital on her release date.
“I can’t believe it,” Emily muttered as she finished dressing.
“Believe what?” Alyssa asked.
“You’re letting Josh take me home.”
“Why not? I think he has proved himself – especially when he came up here and sat with you for hours.”
“Alyssa, he wants to marry me,” Emily told her with an edge of panic in her voice.
“That’s wonderful!”
“No, it isn’t.”
“It isn’t? He’ll take care of you—“
Emily cut her off. “He is too young to be ‘taking care’ of me. He has a long vital life ahead of him.”
“So do you!”
“Alyssa—“
With a quick rap on the door, JC wheeled in Emily’s chair. “I hear a beautiful lady needs her wheels.” He smiled warmly at Emily.
Emily touched her bruised cheek. “I don’t know about beautiful…”
“Bright-eyes, you’re always beautiful to me.”
Alyssa could see the adoration fairly glowing from JC’s eyes when he looked at her sister. “Well, I’d better get going.” She hugged Emily. “Take care, Em.” To JC, she said, “Thank you for seeing Emily home.”
“My pleasure. Thank you for calling me.”
“Bye!” Alyssa left the room.
“Ready? Rory’s in my car and rarin’ to go.” JC leaned to give Emily a soft kiss. “What’s the matter, baby? You look lost.”
Emily didn’t know what to say. She felt lost. If she told JC she wouldn’t marry him, would he just leave? Or would he accept her verdict? She merely shook her head. “I’m ready as soon as I get my shoes on.”
He gently put her sandals on her feet and fastened them. Then he ran his hands up her legs left bare by her shorts.
“What are you doing?” she demanded breathlessly as he caressed the inside of her thighs.
“Making sure you’re in one piece.”
“The doctors already did that.”
JC moved to stand between her legs. “They don’t know your body like I do,” he reminded her huskily. Moving his hands to her back, he drew her against him. “Em, I was so damned scared when Alyssa called me. I broke every speed limit from here to LA.”
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Baby, I would do anything for you.” He took her face between his hands and kissed her lingeringly, his tongue stroked hers – the entire kiss spoke of tenderness and caring.
Despite herself, Emily twined her arms around his neck, pressing closer.
When he broke off the kiss, he pressed her head against his chest, letting her feel the frantic thudding of his heart. Could she hear the love he felt for her in every beat?
“We’d better get going or they’ll charge an extra day,” she murmured, pulling away. “A hotel is cheaper.”
JC lifted her into her chair and wheeled her out of the room. “I wasn’t planning to jump you.”
Emily tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “Darn!” she giggled.
He grinned. “I can arrange it if you really want to.”
“Yes,” she whispered, her eyes growing serious.
“Bright-eyes…”
“I really want to, Josh.” As long as she could, she wanted to be with him. Why had she let herself fall in love with him when there was no possible future?
JC found a little motor inn about half way between the Lake and Los Angeles. He explained that Rory was a service dog as well as a pet. The plump, motherly woman behind the desk was sympathetic when she saw Emily’s chair. The gravel path leading to the small cabin was too rough for Emily, so JC scooped her up and carried her in. In the back of his mind, this seemed like an incredible place for a honeymoon.
Emily looked around at the rustic décor and large bed. She would be content to stay here for some time. “Josh, do really have this time to take off?”
“I’ll have to get back tomorrow, but one more day won’t kill anybody.”
“Are you sure?”
He set her on the one big over-stuffed chair. “I’m sure. I’ll go get your chair.”
Rory wandered in and sniffed around. Finally, he settled on the hearthrug in front of the small fireplace.
Once her chair and luggage had been brought in, JC pulled the quilt back to the bottom of the bed. “Need to use the bathroom?”
“Yes, please.”
Putting her in her chair, he asked, “Do you still want this, Em?”
“Oh, yes,” she whispered. “I want you in me.”
His mouth kicked up at the corners. Emily put it right out there. How had he gotten so lucky? Watching her grab her smallest bag, his eyes followed her until the door closed between them. When they got back to Los Angeles, he was going to buy her a ring and propose to her properly. No one seemed to understand why he had fallen in love with a woman in a wheelchair. They didn’t see what she brought to his life. Emily was his port in the storm he called his life, his safe harbor. She was also his teasing playmate when he needed distraction from his all too serious focus. She was his giving, caring, potent lover – there was certainly no denying her sex appeal!
He lit a fire in the fireplace and pulled the curtains closed to put the room in twilight. The only thing missing was a bottle of wine.
Unhurriedly, he removed his clothes, save his black boxer-briefs and climbed onto the bed.
“This looks comfy,” Emily remarked of the scene that greeted her. She wore a simple, short gown of navy blue satin.
JC rose to place her on the mattress and moved in beside her. Sliding one thin strap of her gown from her shoulder, he caressed her with warm soft lips and gentle fingers. “I’ve missed you, bright-eyes.”
“It’s only been a week.”
“Too damned long.”
“It’ll be even longer when you’re touring again,” she reminded him.
“No, it won’t. I’ll take you with me whenever possible.”
“I have no say?”
“Of course, you do. But I want you with me.” Sliding his hand down her body, he reached to slip it beneath her gown, caressing the top of her thighs.
“But Justin doesn’t seem to like me.” She knew Justin and Chris were his bus mates. “And I don’t know if I could maneuver my chair…then there’s Rory—“
JC laughed. “Okay. Okay! I’ll buy another damned bus and trick it out to your specifications.”
“That’s expensive.”
“I can afford it.”
“Just to have a girl with you?”
“Not just a girl. You.”
“Josh—“
His mouth closed over hers, kissing her breathless. He smiled against her lips when she gave a helpless whimper of pleasure. He didn’t know why she felt she needed to fight him. It was almost as if she believed they didn’t deserve to be together. When he raised his head, he muttered, “Let’s get rid of the gown.” He stripped it from her body with one smooth move.
“Josh, I can’t be the lover you deserve,” Emily stated softly.
“What!” he demanded, surprised at her announcement. “You’ve been more than enough for me.”
“I – can’t – well – different positions…”
“I never asked you to be an acrobat, Emily.” Her dark frown and sad eyes made his heart ache. Why was she feeling inadequate after all this time? “I love you, baby. That’s all that matters to me.”
“Maybe now. In a couple of years—“
“I’ll still be crazy for your sweet, little body,” he assured her.
“Josh, I—“
“You wanna ride? We can do that.”
“No, we can’t.”
“Wanna bet?” he challenged. “We just have to use a little imagination.” Rolling away, he discarded his shorts. Lying on his back next to her, he lifted her on top of him. “Put your hands on my chest and raise yourself up.”
Doing as she was told, Emily rose to an upright position as he arranged her legs. “Now what?”
“You ready?” He slipped a hand between them; she was slick and swollen. “Lift up a little.” When she did that, he positioned himself so she came down with his manhood filling her.
“Mmm…” she purred.
“Yeah, this works pretty good.” Bucking his hips upward, he thrust deeply into her.
“Josh!” Emily adjusted her hands for better leverage and began to move on him.
“Sweet! Baby, that feels so good.” JC’s hands moved from her waist to caress her breasts. “My sweet, bright-eyed baby, you’re all the woman I’ll ever need.”
Emily bit her lip, holding back her protest.
JC smoothed her hair as they lie in bed, basking in the afterglow of lovemaking. “Baby, what got you to thinking that we can’t be forever? I don’t buy the ‘one position’ story." Especially since she had proved to be athletic on top!
“I don’t want to hold you back.”
“From what? My career is just fine. I won’t always be performing on stage. I plan to do a lot of behind the scenes stuff.”
“Josh—“
“Emily, I can’t be without you. Do you have any idea how scared I was when Alyssa called me? I was freaking all over the place.” He nuzzled her cheek. “What we have is more than physical. You’re in my soul, baby. The idea that you don’t want me—“
“I never said I didn’t want you, sugar britches. I’m just not so sure forever will work.”
“I’m willing to bet it will.”
She said nothing to that. Closing her eyes, she snuggled her nose against his neck to sleep.
“That only let’s you escape momentarily, Em.”
The truth was she wanted him to be right. She wanted to stay with him forever – but it wasn’t possible. She placed her hand over his strongly beating heart.
Immediately, JC laced his fingers with hers. Something was bothering her and she wasn’t letting him in. He was willing to wager that all her arguments had yet to get to the root of her objection. “Baby, don’t let go,” he pleaded softly.
Emily let a tear slip down her cheek.