In Orlando
Emily looked covetously at the huge bathtub in JC’s master bath. When was the last time she had soaked in the bathtub? Oh, the physical therapist put her in the whirlpool, but it wasn’t the same. She longed for a soak in the fragrant bubbles.
JC hadn’t missed the yearning in Emily’s eyes. At her house there was only a handicapped shower accessible by her chair. He would bet a long soak in a hot bath was another thing that had been taken from her by that hit and run driver. Bending to whisper in her ear, he asked, “Wanna take a bath?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have any stuff. Besides I can’t maneuver in and out.
“How about you taking a bath with me tonight. Tomorrow we’ll get you some ‘stuff’.”
The appreciation in her large, luminous eyes said all he needed to know. “I’d love to!”
While the tub was filling, JC retrieved her toiletry bag, putting it within easy reach of the tub. He slowly undressed her, enjoying every inch of bared flesh. “Your skin is so velvety soft,” he murmured as he swept her shorts and panties from her thighs.
“I can undress myself, you know.”
“I know, but I love doing it for you.” Once she was completely naked, he set her in the warm water.
“Mmm…” she purred happily as the comforting water greeted her.
JC made swift work of stripping, then slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her.
Emily pressed her cheek against his solid shoulder, entwining her fingers with his. “You’re a very special man, Joshua Scott Chasez.”
“Not as special as the woman I love.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”
“I would. You’re ‘outa this world’ special, baby girl.”
She didn’t feel inclined to argue the point. Closing her eyes, she let the warm water soothe and relax her.
“You gonna go to sleep on me?”
“No,” she sighed. It was a happy little noise. “I am just enjoying the water and you.”
Well, if he’d had any notions of a tub romp, they were quickly dismissed. Snuggling his face in her silky hair, he closed his eyes. He was content merely holding her. It was impossible to fathom that just days ago he was on the verge of losing her!
“Josh?”
“What, Em?”
“Do you really feel like taking on the aggravation and expense of making your homes handicapped accessible?”
JC raised his head immediately. If she was thinking in those terms, she meant to be in his life permanently! “Hell yeah! We can even build from scratch if we need to.”
“I just know I’ll need some ramps, chair lifts and a fenced in yard for Rory , at the bare minimum.”
“It’s all doable, baby.”
“I was just checking.”
“I’d do anything for you, bright-eyes.”
“Good to know.” She gave another happy, little sigh, then was silent.
JC was nearly giddy with pleasure. Emily was going to marry him!
JC was beaming as he showed Emily the venue for the last concert of the tour -- *NSYNC’s hometown. He explained how the pyrotechniques and the laser lights worked. What part each satellite stage played. How they did costume changes so quickly.
Emily listened intently and asked questions. As his friend as well as his lover, she was interested in everything he did.
Taking a deep breath, he looked down at Emily. He realized he had been rattling at her endlessly. “Sorry, bright-eyes. I get carried away.”
“No, Josh, you have nothing to apologize for. It’s all very interesting,” she assured him.
“This from a girl who can create magic with computers.”
“It’s all very methodical and logical for the most part.”
He grinned. “Must be why it’s over my head.”
“Thought that was my line,” she taunted.
“So, I beat you to the punch.”
“Where will I be?” Emily asked of the concert.
JC sighed. “That’s a problem. People in the pit area stand – and it can get pretty hairy…”
“A seat up there?” She pointed to the first tier.
He shook his head. “Too far away. You could get lost in the crowd.”
“I’m not going to see you perform?”
He brought her chair over and sat facing her. Taking her face between his hands, he gazed into her disappointed eyes. “You will, baby, but it may not be the best seat in the house.”
“Where is that?”
“Down front with security. You’ll have to miss the finale, ‘cuz I’ll want you back here when I get off stage – that okay?”
She nodded. “I guess. You know more about it than I do.”
“I’ll get you some ear protection so you won’t go deaf.”
“This is exciting!” she announced, smiling.
“You are exciting.” JC had meant just a little kiss; but when she surrendered to his touch, he hauled her onto his lap for a more thorough kiss.
“Eh-hem…” Lance cleared his throat to announce his presence. “Excuse me, guys. This is public venue.”
Emily straightened on JC’s lap. “Hiya. Lance.”
JC was relieved that she didn’t seem particularly embarrassed by the interruption. “What’s up?”
Lance shrugged. “I was checking things out for tomorrow. What do you think, Emily?”
“I’ve only seen you guys perform that once. It’ll be fun to see how it all comes together.”
“Do you like any of the opening acts?”
JC shook his head. “She’ll be backstage with me until we’re ready to go on.” He wasn’t all that eager to let her go out into the audience to begin with – he planned to keep her close.
Emily gave his shoulder a teasing shove. “Worrywart!” she taunted with a saucy grin.
His return smile was sheepish. “Yeah, I guess I am where you’re concerned.”
“I’m pretty tough, you know.”
“It’s not that, Em,” Lance told her. “JC has this ‘Daddy’ complex. He likes to ‘take care’ of everyone.”
“Then I guess I’m just one in the crowd,” she laughed.
“No, bright-eyes, you’re the one in the crowd,” JC amended.
“So…what’s next on the agenda?” Emily asked him.
“I thought we’d go home and I’d order dinner in a bit,” JC answered.
“When do we come back here?”
“Sound check tomorrow afternoon.”
“Me? You don’t need me for that.”
“I want you here, Em.”
Well, she had told him to prove that she fit in his busy life – and he seemed perfectly determined to do so!
Emily watched as the lucky few started coming in for the ‘sound check party’ as it was called. She hadn’t understood why JC insisted she be on the stage, albeit in a corner. “Just do it for me, okay?” he asked to forestall any argument.
“How many get to come?” she asked Lance as he walked by.
“Since this is home, around a hundred,” he answered.
“This isn’t your home – not with that drawl.”
Lance grinned at her. “Mississippi is where family is. That’s my real home.”
“And JC?”
“He grew up in the DC area. He moved here at fourteen.”
“So Orlando is his home.”
Lance shrugged. “Tyler is here. His parents are in Chicago. Grandparents still in the DC—“
“Wherever you are is home to me, baby.” JC appeared next to Lance.
Lance moved away as JC stood in front of Emily, his hands cupping her face gently, his eyes tender. “Before you argue – don’t. I want us together, bright-eyes.”
“Me, too,” she told him truthfully.
His big smile was open and genuine. “Thanks, baby girl. Do you know how good that makes me feel?”
Emily gave him an impish grin. “Some.”
He chuckled. “Brat.”
“But you love me anyway,” she teased.
“Yeah, I do.” Moving to stand beside her, effectively shielding her from the gather crowd, JC rubbed her back in a soothing, caring gesture.
Emily slipped an arm about his lean waist. “What’s wrong, Josh?”
“I don’t know how you feel about nosy crowds.” Had he been selfish demanding her presence?
“A little late for that concern, sugar britches. I know you find it hard to believe, but I’m not timid,” she remarked wryly.
Laughter burst from JC – she didn’t appear to have a shy bone in her entire body! “You mean you’re not shy?” he teased.
“Hardly ever.”
They grinned at each other.
“C’mon, ‘C!” Justin called, flicking an irritated glance Emily’s way.
“That boy and I are going to have words,” she muttered once JC had moved away.
Emily enjoyed watching the teasing camaraderie between the men of *NSYNC. All throughout sound check, they joked and tried to out prank each other. It was like watching best friends or brothers. She frowned, realizing she was the cause of any friction between JC and Justin. That made her incredibly sad. JC had said it wasn’t important, but she had the feeling it was monumentally important! Lost in thought, she didn’t realize JC has come up behind her until he whispered in her ear.
“That face is much to beautiful to be frowning that much.”
Emily turned her head to nuzzle him, saying nothing.
“We’re gonna have a little Q and A. You okay here?”
“Sure,” she answered.
“Unless you want to sit with me.”
“I don’t think I’m quite ready for all that entails.”
“That’s cool, Em. I understand.”
And she believed he did. There was no sullen expression, no anger, no pout – just his sweet smile as he moved away.
The guys sat on the edge of the stage, fielding questions. Most of the questions were the same ones they had heard a million times and had the answers down pat.
Then the little blonde down front asked, “Who is she?” and pointed to Emily.
“JC’s girlfriend,” Justin answered tersely. “Next question.”
“How did you meet, JC?” another girl asked.
JC chuckled at the memory. “At a really boring party.”
Emily became aware that she was the topic of conversation. Justin had tried to dismiss her, but it hadn’t worked. Hesitating, she finally summoned the courage to roll forward and stopped right behind JC. She was surprised when he reached back and flipped up the footrests so he could lean back against her legs. The gesture was natural and intimate only a blind person would have missed it.
”Is she going to tour with you?”
“We’ve discussed it, but we’re taking a break from touring.”
“Is it serious between you two?”
“Yes,” was all JC said.
The questions turned to other subjects, for which Emily was grateful. He reached back to grab her legs, pulling them to either side, so he could rest his head against her thigh. Tilting his head back, he gave her such a warm, loving smile, she forgot their audience. Without thinking, she leaned forward to kiss him lightly. Lifting her head, she found him grinning up at her. She saw the pleasure, the love, and the teasing in his eyes.
“JC, did you mind the inconvenience of dating a girl in a chair?” This question came from a teenaged girl in a wheelchair herself.
“There hasn’t been a whole lot. And, no, I don’t mind the extra things. We’re just like any other couple.” He grinned at Emily, then gave the girl an encouraging smile. “There are actually a couple of pluses. Because I help her with her chair, I get to hold her a lot more – and she has this great service dog.”
The girl shyly asked, “Can I give you some pictures?”
“Sure.” JC hopped down from the stage and went to where the girl sat. She handed him some Polaroids of him and Emily. Him standing in front of her, cupping her face as he gazed down at her. One where he had squatted down to talk to her. The last one was where Emily had kissed him. “Thank you. I’ll treasure these.”
The girl beamed.
“Can you stay a little afterwards?” he asked. “You can meet Emily.”
The girl looked to an older woman who nodded. “Okay! Thanks!’
It was hard to tell who the teen was more excited to have a private audience with – JC or Emily. She and Emily swapped stories: how they came to be in chairs, the frustration – then she told Emily her dream.
“I want to be a photographer.”
“That sounds doable,” Emily told her.
“You think?”
“Why not? You don’t need legs to have a good eye. I’ll just bet you get perspectives others miss.”
“You’re right!’ the girl cheered.
“See? Make all those minuses pluses.” Emily watched as Susan’s attention was turned to JC.
“Thank you, Emily,” the mother said. “She doesn’t get to see many positive role models.”
”I’m glad to help. I know how tough it can be to be young and accept you’ll never walk again.”
“She’s seen a lot of bitter, unhappy people. Now, she’s met someone who has grown beyond the disappointment. It doesn’t hurt that you’re dating her favorite guy.”
“We have that in common, too. He’s my favorite guy!”
“And maybe she’ll see being in a chair isn’t a death sentence for relationships either.”
“That is a tough one,” Emily agreed. She smiled in her lover’s direction. “You have to find a wonderful, understanding man.”
Hearing her, JC came to her side with Susan. “But if you believe in yourself and have a positive attitude, they come along,” he added.
“What attracted you to Emily?” Susan asked.
“I didn’t know when I first approached her. She was this serene, open girl. I was impressed by her sense of self.”
“And you stayed after you saw her chair?”
“I asked her to dance. She explained that she couldn’t – even though I could tell she really wanted to.”
Emily took JC’s hand. “So, he picked me up and carried me to the dance floor.”
“How romantic!” the starry-eyed girl gushed.
“It was pretty special,” Emily agreed, smiling up at JC.
JC released Emily’s hand to stroke her hair. “I’m glad I went to that party, even though I had balked about going.”
“Well…We’d best be going, Susan,” the mother stated. “Thank you both for taking the time to talk with her,” she said to the couple.
“Our pleasure,” JC told them. “Thank you for the pictures, Susan. Leave your name and address with one of our people. I’ll send you a little something.”
The girl’s eyes went wide. “Thank you!”
Emily’s eyes misted as she watched her man lean over and kiss the girl very sweetly on the cheek. “Bye.”
JC watched as daughter and mother moved away, then looked down at Emily. This was one time he wished she could stand. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and bury his face in her hair – just to hold her to his heart.
“Oh, come here.” Emily tugged hard and JC landed in her lap.
“Emily!” He was stunned and afraid he’d crush her.
“Shut up and kiss me,” she whispered as she lowered his head.
Awkward as it was, JC met her mouth with his. They lingered, tasted and worshiped each other. He put one hand against her cheek. “I love you, baby,” he whispered before his lips reached for hers again.
“Jesus! Rent a room!” Justin grumbled.
JC lifted his head, smiling at Emily.
Slowly he rose from her lap. “Don’t need to rent one,” he stated, his eyes never leaving hers. “Let’s go to my quiet room.”
“How quiet do I have to be?” Emily teased.
JC laughed. “C’mon, bright-eyes.”
The room was restful. The lighting was soft and dim. There were a couple of chairs and a wide, comfortable-looking sofa.
“I usually nap for a while, then get something light to eat.”
“We won’t be going home until show time?” Emily asked.
JC liked the way she said ‘home’ so naturally. “With the traffic and the crowds, it’d be hard. So, we stay here.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you before. Is there anything you need?”
“Yes.” She held her arms out to him. “You.”
“You so have me.”
He responded by leaning forward until she could wrap her arms around his neck. Lifting her, he carried her to the sofa. They lay side by side, nuzzling, touching, listening to each other’s heart beat.
“This is so nice,” she whispered against his lips. “This is one of my favorite times.”
“Why, baby?”
“The quiet. You and me alone. Nothing to do but enjoy each other’s presence.”
His baby didn’t need the recognition or adoration of a crowd. It was the ‘alone’ time she treasured – and that was so awesome for him.
“You know something, Josh?”
“What?”
“You’re pretty fantastic.”
“Where did that come from?”
“You. You’re so patient and understanding of me.” She stroked back his silky curls. “You have made a lot of adjustments to have me in your life, but you shrug them off. I don’t know if I’d be so understanding.”
“Love is a great equalizer, Em.”
“Josh?”
“Hmm…”
“If we fall asleep, will someone wake us?”
“Mmm-hmm…”
“Josh?”
“Hmm…”
“Can I make love to you first?”
“Oh, yeah…”
Urging him to his back, Emily wiggled on top of him. She began with soft kisses all over his face, then nibbled his neck, carefully scraping her teeth down his throat. Licking at the frantic pulse there, her hands moved under his tee-shirt.
“Let’s lose this.”
Obeying her, JC quickly discarded his shirt. “Em, I—“ His words were cut shirt by a hot, aggressive kiss. The message was clear – she was in charge.
Her talented mouth was everywhere, tongue bathing, blowing her warm breath over his skin to create shivers down his spine. He moaned when her lips returned to teasingly suck at his nipples.
“Baby…”
“Shh…this is all for you,” she whispered along his breastbone, then let her mouth follow his treasure trail. With a little bit of a struggle, she got his jeans and shorts down his legs.
“Em, I want to be in you…” he pleaded softly.
“But I was—“
“Please, baby.”
This was not what she had planned. A little frown creased her brow. “Then I require some assistance,” she grumbled.
JC understood what she meant. He could scarcely believe she was going to go down on him just so she didn’t have to struggle out of her clothes! “It’s okay, baby,” he assured her as he sat up with her straddling his thighs.
“It isn’t fair,” she complained tearfully. “I want to be like other women you’ve known, to be able to make love to you—“
“I don’t want you to be like anyone else, bright-eyes.” He kissed her tears away, then he lifted her shirt over her head. “You’re so damned beautiful.
JC shifted so he was reclining with shoulders against the sofa’s plump arm. He reached down to unfasten her shorts.
“Josh—“ she began a protest that died when his lips covered hers.
He was lifting her free of her remaining clothing, then settled her astride his legs, arranging her legs so she could ride him. “You can still control it, baby,” he soothed.
She traced her finger idly around the swollen head of his shaft, causing him to gasp. “I like loving you with my mouth,” she announced.
“And you’re damned talented at it, too.” He cupped the back of her head to draw her close for another kiss. “But sometimes, a guys needs the intimacy of being joined with the woman he loves.”
Emily levered herself up, positioning herself over JC’s thick member. Coming down on him in a slow glide, they both let out satisfied, soft noises of pleasure when she settled fully on him. For a moment, neither moved, simply enjoying the feel of the other’s flesh so intimately joined.
JC opened his eyes to watch her face as she lifted off, nearly losing him, then came back down. It was a beautiful thing to see, the pleasure, the concentration. “Look at me, Em.”
She opened her eyes to meet his hot blue gaze.
“I want to see you go wild.” JC began to buck up his hips as his hands moved to help her lift off.
“Ah!” she cried softly as his hips forced him deeper.
“Yeah…oh, yeah, baby girl!” he urged as she rotated her hips to grind down on him.
“Josh…” she whimpered helplessly as she began the spiral towards rapture.
“It’s okay, baby. We’ll go there together.”
“Now?…”
“Yeah! C’mon, Em. Take us – Baby!” JC was the first to fall over the edge. He moved his hand between them to stroke her pleasure center. “Now!”
His intimate touch sent Emily after him. “Josh!” Her body went taut, then she collapsed on his chest, panting.
JC dropped tender kisses on her hair and stroked her back as they recovered from their hot, sweet ride. When she stopped trembling, he grabbed the big black robe from the back of the sofa to cover them.
Finally, Emily lifted her head. “About my legs…It really doesn’t matter?” she asked.
“It really doesn’t matter,” he assured her.
With his reply, she snuggled down in his arms with a drowsy smile.
“I love you, bright-eyes,” JC whispered to the beautiful girl who had fallen asleep in his arms. Nuzzling his face in her hair, he followed her into slumber.
JC was still apprehensive about letting Emily out of his sight. He repeatedly told Lonnie to keep and eye on her. Finally, the man let JC know he knew his job.
JC knelt before Emily’s chair. “If you feel like you want to come back in, just let Lonnie know.”
“I will, Josh, “ Emily promised. She knew he was getting separation anxiety – it was kind of sweet. “Do I say ‘break a leg’?”
“No.”
“Well, have a good show.” She leaned forward to buss his forehead. “Love you.”
“Jeeze, JC, let her go,” Justin grumbled.
Emily turned her eyes to JC’s band mate, she’d had enough of his attitude! Her eyes were snapping with fury. “I don’t know what your problem is, but I’m sick of it! Stay the hell out of my face,” she growled. “If you keep pissing me off, one of us won’t survive. I’m like a cat with nine lives – I’ve got seven more to go.”
Justin was speechless – as were JC and Lonnie. The very idea of the tiny girl in the wheelchair taking on Justin was comical!
Lonnie started with a low chuckle. When he looked at JC, they both started laughing in earnest. JC had to wipe tears from his eyes, he was laughing so hard.
“What’s so damn funny?” Emily demanded.
“I’m sorry, baby. You’re so little…” JC tried to explain his amusement.
“But I’m tough.”
“I know. I know.” He bent to kiss her softly. “I love you, bright-eyes. Enjoy the show.” A nod from JC and Lonnie led Emily away.
“You keep that little bitch away from me,” Justin warned JC.
“Watch it, Timberlake,” JC snarled. “Emily has never deserved the way you treat her. Get used to her, because she’s here to stay.”
“You’d choose her over the group?”
“The way I see it, the ‘group’ doesn’t have a problem with her – you do.” JC turned on his heels to finish preparing for their first number. He had to calm down before he said more.
Lance intercepted him, after hearing the altercation. “We all like Emily,” he told his friend.
“I don’t know what Justin’s problem is.”
“Whatever it is, it’s his problem.”
“Thanks, man.”