Chapter 3. They meet.

Almost four months passed and though they did not know it, Erin and William were destined to be thrown together by the circumstances of their lives.



Erin had to deal with two harsh realities. First was coming to grips with the realization that James was gone. Gone. Never coming back. And worse yet was that she didn't even get to go to his funeral. Her parents went and told her it was a moving ceremony. They said that several of his students came to say their goodbyes as did his friends. But she didn't get to go. The one person who loved him and needed him more than the air around her, didn't get to go say a proper goodbye.

Second (and she didn't know if it was worse than James being dead) was the agonizing truth that she was never going to dance again. And the prospect of walking seemed to slip farther away from her with each passing day. As she lay there in the semi-dark stillness of her hospital room trying to fall asleep, all she could really do was listen to the buzz of the pale yellow light in the sterile bathroom off to her left. The sound of it drove her crazy. Why couldn't she remember to ask someone to turn it off?

Erin willed her legs to move, but to no avail. Not that she would have been able to get to the switch so she could turn it off herself; but rather, so she could simply have the satisfaction of knowing that she could do it.if she wanted. But she couldn't and she knew the odds were against her ever being able to jump up out of any bed to do anything.

After three weeks she was nearly ready to pull her hair out by its roots. Thankfully the doctors released to her parents for home care. She felt so worthless knowing that she couldn't really 'do' anything and had to rely on her parents to help her. The next two and a half months were almost as nerve wracking as being in the hospital. The living room was turned into a makeshift bedroom since there was no way Erin could make it up the stairs in a full leg cast. Her parents made sure she had all the 'comforts' an incapacitated girl could want. TV, video games, magazines, and parents who doted on her.

Comforts, damn them. And when Karen and Randy came over all she wanted to do was throw up. Erin was actually mad at the two of them. Why? Because neither one of them 'looked' like they'd been in a car accident that had killed one person and left another irrevocably injured. But when they told her what had actually happened she wasn't sure if she should have cried or blasted them for telling her.

Karen spoke with tears in her eyes, "It was so bad. I remember hurting all over and looking over to see Randy." Her voice trailed away.

Her husband, the quiet, humble banker cleared his throat, "I don't really remember much. I was pretty much out of it until the next day."

Erin could hear the tightness in her sister's throat when she started to speak again, "But I was wide awake." She absentmindedly played with the tissue in her hand, "And I couldn't do anything. I was pinned. When the paramedics came, they told me that Randy and I would be fine." Karen started sobbing so loudly she was barely able to catch her breath. "And then.and then.Oh, God, Erin. I.I'm so sorry."

Even though Erin was pretty sure of what Karen was going to tell her next, she had to know. She had to hear it. "Go on."

Karen sniffled and dabbed her eyes, "I asked them where you and James were because I knew you weren't in the car. And they said you were fine. Bastards."

Erin shook her head. The memory of looking around as she lay in the ditch on the side of the road rushed forward. She remembered screaming and seeing a motorcycle in front of her, its rear tire spinning like a child's top. And then, just as Karen started to talk, she got a flash of something so horrible she felt her blood run cold.

In her mind's eye, hidden deep within her subconscious, was the image of James lying halfway out of the car, his head resting on the pavement. His eyes were closed like he was sleeping. But she remembered seeing the pool of blood oozing away from him toward the ditch, following the practically invisible slope of the faded pavement. Erin knew he was dead right then, but for some reason, her mind told her it wasn't real.

She remembered feeling the gentle rainfall on her skin, but it wasn't real, either. Or was it? Erin couldn't separate what she knew to be fact from what she prayed was fiction. The next thing she really remembered was waking up in her hospital room. She'd been successful in forgetting about it all.until Randy and Karen opened their big mouths.

Karen looked at Randy as he leaned to kiss his wife's hand. Randy continued where Karen left off, "The troopers told us that the accident happened because.well.it was raining you know. And I.well.I." He looked at his wife. Neither of them said a word.

Merle Durant quietly finished what his son-in-law started, "Honey, it seems that Randy ran the red light and there was a tractor trailer coming through the intersection at the same time. It.uh.it hit the Tahoe broadside."

Erin remembered seeing the lights of the truck. They came at her so quickly, blindingly. But the image of the motorcycle tire spinning weighed heavy on her, "The motorcycle.what about the motorcycle? Was the driver ok?" She didn't even seem to hear that it was Randy's fault. Maybe her mind was telling her not to hear it.

"Oh, that." Karen cleared her throat, "He's okay. He skidded out to avoid going into the whole thing. He had on a Kevlar suit." She giggled a bit, "Lucky rich bastard. Only got a broken arm and a sprained wrist. And there were two other cars that hit the back of the truck. But they weren't too seriously injured. Bumps, bruises, cuts and a couple of broken bones."

It was around this time when it dawned on Erin that her father said the accident was Randy's fault. Erin looked at her brother-in-law and was filled with a blind rage. Not at him, though. But rather, at herself. If she hadn't been fucking James and if she hadn't been taunting Randy, none of this would have happened. It was her fault. Not Randy's. James was dead because of her. Erin could taste the bitterness of bile that rested at the back of her mouth.

Erin didn't pay much attention to anything they said after that. She simply 'turned herself off' and fell into a deep depression. She didn't want to see anyone, talk to anyone or eat. The next week was a blur for her.

"Honey," Merle Durant walked into the living room, "the center just called and said we need to go ahead and schedule your sessions since you'll be getting your cast of next week."

Erin stared at the TV and tried to ignore the constant itching on her thigh. Not only did she have a cast on, but she'd had surgery to set the bone with pins and the incision site with its stitches was driving her nuts. Physical therapy? What the fuck for? "Yeah. Okay, Daddy. Whatever." Erin had no idea of knowing that the call her father was about to make to the Grayson Center would change her life forever.



William dealt with Vicki like he always did when she got upset. After sleeping in the guest bedroom and honestly feeling that Vicki just needed to get over 'it', he decided he'd have to do the 'usual' to get back in her good graces. Hence, two days after the 'workroom blowup', which he thought was ridiculous and without merit, he decided to give in and admit he was wrong.

He set his plan in motion shortly after Vicki dashed off to the Grayson Center for the morning shift. He bought her a beautiful bouquet of roses, a box of Godiva caramels, and ordered a meal from Chez Monique to be delivered to the house no later than seven PM. That always seemed to work.

Yes, Vicki was a tad high maintenance, but she was worth it. Well, she was really good in bed, and in the living room, and the car. He grinned as he thought of the 'make up sex' that would surely follow his 'sincere' apology. To make it even better, he bought her a beautiful bracelet. Something shiny always helped Vicki get over things much quicker.

Later that night as they sat there eating a meal that was entirely too expensive for the quality, William thought to himself that Vicki had certainly milked the whole miscarriage thing for all that is was worth. Especially when he saw her staring at her slim, tanned wrist and the beautiful bracelet that now adorned it and the deeply satisfied expression that crossed her face.

He swallowed his asparagus and smiled. How can a bracelet and candy make it all better? Shit. Goddamn her. Maybe it was harsh of him to feel that way, but he was getting tired of her using the miscarriage it against him, to get what she wanted. It was his child, too.or did she forget that? William looked over the rim of his wine glass inwardly smirking as he wondered where the night would fall on his 'Vicki scale'. Seven? Nine? It's been a while.she wants it.be realistic, eight.yeah, eight}

The Vicki Scale was simple enough to understand:

Zero no sex at all, utter denial (a number which he'd been living under for a week now).

3 'Better make the best of it' sex.

5 'A mediocre blow job and fairly good sex'.

7 'A fairly good blow job and damn good sex'.

8 or over made for the stuff of locker room talk.

And sometimes, a few rare times, Vicki would give him an 11, which equaled, 'leave you shaking uncontrollably sex.'

William thought it ridiculous that he had started rating his sex life on a scale. He didn't do that before. Never. He used to think it was so conceited when he heard other guys say, 'she was a 4 or she was an 8'. It always seemed to him that those relationships were on the rocks and destined to fail. Maybe it wasn't a good sign.

Later that night, as they sat on the couch watching some stupid 'chick flick', Vicki 'forgave' William and let him kiss her. Really kiss her, not just one of those 'love you have a good night, sweetie' kisses. He watched her wipe her lip and then dash away. Shit! What did I do now?}

But when Vicki stepped back into the living room wearing nothing but a cut off t-shirt and a tiny red thong, William knew that 'all was good in the neighborhood' and he grinned broadly. Seven, gonna be at least a seven.}

Vicki dimmed the lights in the room and slinked over to the couch much like a fox sneaking up on the hen house. She slid between his reposed legs and lifted his shirt to reveal his tight, rippled abdomen. She trailed her fingers up and down his exposed skin and watched as goose bumps rose on William's arms making the tiny golden hairs stand on end. "God, William, your body is wonderful." Her voice was deep, and silky smooth.

"Thank you." William could tell from the way Vicki moved that she was just as wound up as he was. "Yours is pretty nice, too." He put his hands beneath her arms and pulled her up higher on his chest. As he did so, he could feel her nipples run along his chest. Which was, in and of itself, a nice sensation because her nipples were hard and taut enough to be felt through her both t-shirt and his shirt. Alright He felt her lips land on his and eagerly opened his mouth to let her explore.

Her tongue was hot and he could still taste a blend of caramel and red wine on it. William wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeper, desperately wanting to taste more of the sweetness her mouth held. When the kiss was finished, William grinned and shook his head, "Jesus, Vicki, I've missed this."

"I know baby. I know. And I'm so sorry." She kissed his ear and William felt a tingling sensation run down his legs to his toes. And oddly, that weird 'phantom leg' sensation became more pronounced. It always happened whenever he was sexually aroused. It was like he could not only feel his missing leg, but that he could 'move' it, too.

And he'd been without Vicki's touch for so long. The way William felt at that moment was so much more intense than he could remember it had been recently. Maybe it was because of the fight. Who really knew? Oh, they'd had sex a few times since the miscarriage but he always felt like it was sex given by her as though it were a requirement. It was good. Maybe a 4 but not a 5.

But as Vicki's hands started to explore the lower region of his body, William stopped thinking of the scale and let his mind wander. Her hands, the hands of someone trained in massage therapy, were strong yet gentle. And when she took hold of his already hardening shaft, she started to work her magic on him.

He felt her fingers glide up and down him. She moved them with such ease and skill. He envisioned the only thing that he thought could move with such fluidity. A snake. Maybe a sidewinder as it slithered across the hot desert floor. Or maybe a cobra with its hood revealed as it undulated back and forth in front of its prey. It struck William as odd to equate of her hands to the deadly actions of cold blooded reptiles because when he looked into her blue eyes, he could feel only an intense heat radiating from her.

Vicki kneaded him for a few minutes and could feel him getting so hot she knew she'd better stop. So, instead, she sat up and pulled her t-shirt over her head, revealing her luscious chest. She watched William's expression and grinned, "Wanna little taste, baby?" Even without so much as the tiniest nod 'yes' Vicki knew he did.

She leaned forward and let her right nipple brush across his lips. William reacted instinctively, impulsively, and took the offering into his waiting mouth as he grasped both her breasts with his large hands. He felt her nipple harden under the movement of his tongue and it drove him insane. How could they possibly get any harder? The mere thought of it made him want to seize her other nipple.

He hungrily pushed her left breast firmly beside her right one and ran his tongue across both erect nipples. Vicki moaned and he could feel her body give way to his actions. He felt her shiver and knew that it had nothing to do with being cold. No, not at all.

He knew she wanted him too, but he'd felt he'd been denied what he had craved for too long and wanted to make her wait a bit longer. William stopped kissing her breasts and whispered in her ear, "Vicki you know what I want, don't you?" He heard her say something but it was unclear what her words were; however, he knew simply from her reaction that she understood his subtly implied request.

Without so much as another word, Vicki slithered down William's chest and made her way to his midsection. She laid her cheek against his throbbing cock and felt a wave of unbridled desire course through her. Vicki took hold of his zipper with her teeth and slowly, effortlessly, tugged it down.

Then with yet another effortless, well practiced move, she slid her hands around the waistband of his boxers and swiftly pulled both them and his shorts off in one fluid motion. William lay there on the couch wearing only his shirt. He looked down at the tanned vixen between his legs and felt his cock start to twitch.

And when she took hold of him yet again, only this time a bit firmer, he simply rested his head on the arm of the couch and let her have at him. Vicki wasn't one much for teasing his cock. No, she liked how it felt in her mouth and didn't want to waste time 'playing'. Which he actually sort of missed. All his other girlfriends would play with him.

Instantly he was taken back to the first really good blow job he'd ever had. God, if there was one thing that Janet Winston could do to do better than anyone else he'd ever known, it was to give him the most amazing, awe inspiring, drop to the floor when it was over blowjob. She was so slow, so generous and filled with the want of making him feel good, that sometimes he couldn't physically move when she'd finished. God she was good.

Vicki was good, too. But in a totally different way. She excelled in bringing him to an orgasm with her wickedly fast tongue and deep throat. And that night was no different. William felt her swallow him whole, practically devouring him in flash.

She slid her tongue mercilessly across his shaft and reveled in hearing him inhale sharply. It was like she knew just how far to go before she had to stop, lest the fun end too soon. Vicki started to suck on him like there was no tomorrow, like she needed whatever it was within him to make her whole. And he did love that.

William could feel his heart rate rising and tried to calm his breathing. She really was wholly awesome. Before he realized what he was doing he had her head in his hands and was moving her back and forth on him like a madman. She'd brought him to the edge and he had to an almost uncontrollable need to jump off the narrow precipice that kept him on this side of sanity.

He felt her moaning straight through his cock and he wanted more. William moved her head faster and faster. All those years of strength training gave him such control over her. And he loved knowing that there was nowhere she could go now. He loved knowing that even if she wanted to, she couldn't get away from him. And if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that she didn't want to get away. He could practically feel her desire to satisfy him, or maybe it was more a need to satisfy herself.

William could feel her teeth gently grating against him as he directed her head and he couldn't stop. Faster, harder, deeper. He felt his eyes roll to the back of his head and he was awash in bliss. He pumped her mouth so full, he knew there was no way she'd be able to consume all that he had to offer. And William was right. But God help her, she tried. And when he was totally spent, he could feel Vicki's hot, wet tongue sliding across his abdomen taking in every drop of him that she could find.

William lay there, collecting his thoughts and trying to come down from his orgasm. That was a 9.yep.definitely a 9 He felt Vicki rest her head on his belly and could feel her hot breath blowing across his softer, but not diminished cock. Neither one of them spoke which allowed him to simply lay there enjoying the feel of her breathing on him.

Then, from somewhere deep inside, William felt a great surge of energy. He wanted more. Much more and he looked down at Vicki and had an insatiable desire to go to town on her. Yes, he loved when she would pleasure him; but, nothing drove him wilder than feeling a woman squirm beneath his lips.

He pulled Vicki up to him and kissed her rather hungrily. William loved how Vicki, or any woman for that matter, tasted with a bit of his saltiness still on her mouth. And that made him want to partake of her even more. William firmly but gently pushed Vicki down to the carpeted floor and started to kiss down her body.

He wasted no time in finding his way down to her thong. William slyly remarked as he slid the tiny material off of her legs, "Won't be needing these." He pulled them down and stared at her body.

How he loved looking at her when she was naked. She had the most amazing tan all over her body except for around the neatly trimmed and perfectly shaped triangle of hair that pretended to shield the most sensitive spot on her body. He smiled at her and politely offered her a pillow from the couch, "Get comfortable Vicki."

He watched her grin as she took the small burgundy throw pillow and rested her head gently on it. William smiled and spread her legs apart. You better get comfortable. You're in for it, you know that don't you?}

She was wonderful to see when she was highly aroused and it turned him on like no one's business. William pushed her legs farther apart and looked at the perfectly shaped rosebud before him, and like any good gardener, he wanted to get closer to those delicate petals so as to inhale its fragrance.

William gently placed his thumb on her already pert clit and started to gently massage her. He watched an almost pained look of ecstasy overtake Vicki's beauty queen face. He watched her breasts rise and fall more rapidly and decided he wanted to watch her start to go over the edge. He loved watching her writhe under his touch.

William took two fingers and, like he was searching for the prize at the bottom of a Cracker Jacks box, dove into her. He watched as she bit at her lip trying to contain herself. "You like that, don't you Vicki? Tell me." He stared at her face, knowing that she adored his plunder of her but wanting to hear her say it. He moved his fingers faster in and out of her small opening and rubbed her clit more fervently. "Tell me, Vicki, or I'll stop altogether."

She knew he was lying. She knew he wouldn't stop even if Gabriel came down from Heaven and told him to. And one thing Vicki loved was the feeling of subservience; however, it was something she would never in a million years dream of telling William about. No way.

She had mentioned it to her last boyfriend and while he thought it fun and novel for a while, he soon bored of it and they eventually broke up. All because he didn't want to play her 'treat me like a bad girl' reindeer games. And there was no way in Hell she'd mention it to her soon to be husband.at least not until they'd been married for a while.

William could practically see her thinking, "Come on Vicki. You know you like it. Now tell me."

"Yes, William, I love it."

"See that wasn't too difficult, was it?" He watched as she shook her head to his words and grinned knowing he had total control of her. Why if he really wanted to, he probably could have picked her up and carried her, his fingers were so deep in her. He could also see that she wanted more and, quite frankly, nothing made him feel more masculine than to make a woman have multiple orgasms.

William slipped his fingers out of her and slid down between her waiting legs. He dipped his head down to inhale her. Beautiful And, like a person sampling a piece of chocolate from a box to make sure it was the one that they wanted, he took a quick little taste of her. God, yes. That was all the sampling he needed to do.

She was much tastier than caramels. But as with all fine candies, it is often difficult to keep from gorging oneself. He started to lick her and suckle her madly. Besides, she'd gone after him with such ferocity so he figured that what was good for the goose was good for the gander, or rather, the other way around. He relentlessly went after her, torturing her with his tongue to the point where he could feel the sweet nectar within her start to trickle and he knew she was ready.

He held her hips, pulling her closer, as she pushed herself down onto his greedy mouth. William loved that and when she put her hands on his head, urging him to go on.to not stop, he complied. He heard her start to squeal like a little mouse and felt her hips begin to shake and push violently against him. And then the flood of her hit him. It was wonderful. But more exciting than the taste of her on him was the throbbing that had been growing in intensity between his legs.

William didn't want to wait for her to come back down to earth. No. He wanted inside her right then. She was ripe for the picking so to say. He climbed on top of her and slid inside. William could feel her muscles as they contracted and relaxed around him while he pushed into her. And she was still coming down from her orgasm when he started to move frantically in her.

Vicki wrapped her legs around him and spoke not one word. She couldn't. She was so swept away with him that she couldn't even form words. He saw the expression on Vicki's face and couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit smug. And from the increasing tightness around his cock, he knew she was in the middle of another orgasm.

But he didn't let up. He wasn't about to stop because at that particular moment he had neither the desire nor the inclination to 'ease up' on her. He didn't really care if she stopped breathing at that juncture in there wild romp. It felt too good. William pounded her and thought of how she'd been so uncaring about his feelings about the baby and how she'd denied him the one thing that brought them together like two people in love should be together.

He continued, faster, harder, deeper until an overwhelming darkness enveloped him. And just when he thought he'd be lost forever in a sea of unrelenting night, he saw a brilliant flash of light and felt as if he was falling without a net to stop him. But even if he slammed into the earth at the speed of light, it was well worth it.

William woke up the next morning to the smell of freshly ground coffee and cinnamon and saw that he was still beside the couch only now he had a blanket strewn across him. The wine and the sex wore him out. And he hadn't slept so well in weeks. William grinned at Vicki as he watched her move in the kitchen. That was a 12.bordering on 13. Damn.}

Vicki brought him a cup of the fresh brew and a toasty cinnamon bagel. She kissed his cheek and smiled, "I'm glad we made up."

He bit into the bagel and nodded. Me, too. William sipped his coffee, happy in the knowledge that everything was 'okay' once again between him and Vicki.

And it really was, for a while. Vicki became moody again and, it seemed to William, that she was avoiding him. Sort of like when she was mad at him. What was stranger still was that she didn't act mad. Not in the slightest. Rather, she seemed indifferent towards him. Maybe she's getting nervous about the wedding. God, five months from now and I'll be married.}



"Erin Durant?" William walked into the physical therapy waiting area carrying a patient chart and saw a beautiful but sad young woman sitting in a wheelchair by the huge picture window that looked out onto the reflecting pond at the back of the Grayson Center.

An older woman, obviously her mother, as the younger woman looked to be a near perfect copy of her, stood and turned, "Yes, this is Erin. I'm her mother, Chaselyn Durant." She extended her hand to William.

"Hello, Mrs. Durant, I'm William Fitzpatrick, I'll be Erin's PT for the next few weeks." He turned toward Erin, noting that she'd not even made and attempt to acknowledge him. "Erin?" He shrugged his shoulders slightly and scribbled something down on her chart.

Chaselyn wrung her hands together and watched as the pen moved across the paper. "I'm sorry. She's a bit a.umm.this is quite difficult for her." Chaselyn turned and smiled at her daughter hoping to alleviate the tension.

"Mother, you do NOT need to speak for me. My legs are fucked up, not my mouth." Even though Erin never turned her head, William could see the sour look her face held.

"Erin!" Chaselyn started to apologize once again for her daughter, "I'm so sorry."

William put up his hand, "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it. I've got very thick skin, honest." He smiled at Erin's haggard mother as though to show her he was serious. Then he walked in front of his new 'patient' and smiled, "Erin, you might as well get used to me. You're gonna be stuck with me for a while."

"Great." Erin rolled her eyes and looked up at him with such vehemence the temperature probably dropped ten degrees. "Just what I've always wanted, my own personal pest."

William glanced at Chaselyn and could see tears forming in her weary eyes. He'd seen that same look in his sister's eyes when she took him to PT for the first time. And he knew exactly what Erin was feeling, too. They had so much in common. She was a dancer. He was a runner. Both of them were at the top of their game only to be knocked backwards by some cruel twist of fate.

He knew she was so mad at the world and that she wouldn't care if a truck hit her and ended her mental anguish. William remembered wishing the same thing. And that's why he specifically asked Trey Wells, the director of the PT department, for her case.

There was something so familiar about her case it moved him. But he couldn't let her know that. He leaned close to Erin and whispered in her ear as he smiled pleasantly so as to fool her mother, "Erin, you can get as pissed as you want to and be as bitchy as you like. I don't really give a shit. Got it?"

Erin kept her eyes forward, trying to avoid his. But as he leaned toward her and the sun came in, hitting the tiny golden crucifix around William Fitzpatrick's neck, her eyes were drawn to the tiny icon. She was really pissed with Mr. Almighty and had been so for several months. And it galled her to think that her new 'PT coach' or whatever he was called, was probably some arrogant 'holier than thou' asshole.

When he finished, William stood tall and saw her unphased expression. Jesus, she is going to be a tough one. He was taken aback by Erin's angry stare. Her eyes were hauntingly beautiful. They were golden and reminded him of summer. Then a thought raced through his head and he glanced Heavenward, Is she Your way of reminding me just how much of a shit I was? Great.}

Erin acted as though she didn't care what he had to say to her. But, truth be told, his words ripped through her. And she wasn't sure if she was because she was mad or scared. However, being 'mad' was much easier to deal with than being terrified. Asshole! What are you smiling about? Unable to think of anything utterly derogatory she said the first thing that popped into her head, "Fuck you."

"ERIN!" Chaselyn's jaw dropped. "Oh my God! I am so." But before she could continue to offer her apologies for her daughter's blatant rudeness, William grabbed the wheelchair hand grips and turned the rolling seat toward the double doors of the PT room.

"We'll see you in about ninety minutes, Mrs. Durant. Why don't you grab a soda? Or go outside, it's a lovely day." William was so calm but beneath his façade, he knew he needed to get Erin away from her mother. He knew that Erin was feeding off of her mother's sorrow and that her mother would hover over her like an eagle guarding its egg.

Before either Erin or Chaselyn could respond, he'd pushed the metal 'open' plate on the wall and the double doors to the main PT room spread wide, like a pair of inviting arms. He stopped outside one of the small exam bays, "Okay, Erin, we'll just have a quick 'look see' before we go any further." He locked the wheels of the chair and held out his hands, "Upsie daisy, Erin."

Erin rolled her eyes, "I'm not three, you dip-shit. And I can't exactly hop up you know or didn't you read that fucking chart you keep writing on?" She looked up into his blue-green eyes hoping to see that she'd pissed him off enough to let her have her way and leave. Instead she was struck by how confident and determined his eyes were.

She remembered looking at people that way. Her dance teacher told her long ago that confidence was the one thing that separated good dancers from prima ballerinas. And she did it so well, too. Like she was the 'queen bee' and everyone around her was a worker bee. Not like she was a 'better' dance.but rather, the 'best' dancer. Suddenly Erin felt very small and weak and useless under his strong gaze.

For a brief instant, William saw the delicate features of her face appear from behind her stony mask and for some inane reason, he wanted to give her a hug. She just looked so sad. But he wasn't here to give her hugs or to be 'sweet' and 'understanding'. So, he sighed and said, "Yes, I know that Erin. I've read your file. I know you were a dancer. I know you were in a terrible car wreck. And I know that you have limited sensation in your legs. Now, shut up and take my hands and I'll pick you up."

He held out his hands in front of her for a minute with no response. He sighed deeply and glanced at the clock, "Look Erin, I can do this for another eighty three minutes if you like, but I promise you're going to get really fucking tired of looking at me and my hands after a while."

{No I won't. You'd be pretty nice to stare at. What the.? Erin? What are you thinking? She shook the thought from her head. "Fine! God, Jesus!"

William laughed, "I'm sure they'd be pleased to know that you're thinking of them. Now, put your arms around my neck." He leaned in closer to her and was struck by a soft smell of baby powder and roses as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Damn! She smells like an angel. "There you go, that's it." He put his hands on her waist to lift her and was shocked at how tiny she was beneath her large sweat shirt. Christ, I could break her in two.}

Erin felt herself rising up from the chair and immediately noted how large his hands were. His swift, fluid movement reminded her of being lifted by Kieran Belzer, the principle male dancer at the company. Only William Fitzpatrick was a good two maybe three inches taller than Kieran, probably fifty pounds heavier, much more handsome, and much less effeminate.

And while her own body hadn't moved with blithe grace for months, she could not help but notice the slightly off-balance gait, subtle though it was, of her 'gallant' therapist as he carried her. That's weird. Well, Kieran's got him there. This guy moves like a moose in a tiptoeing contest. Yes, Kieran was a better dancer than most people, men and women alike, dreamed of being. And the thought of seeing her new PT guy chasseing around a dance floor struck her as funny.

William noted that beneath her heavy sweatshirt was a pair of blue shorts. And as he lifted her, one hand slid beneath her knees, "Here we go." William confidently carried her as he walked toward the table. "This shouldn't take long."

While he carried her into the 'exam bay' she pulled one hand from around his neck and placed it on his chest. My God. She could feel all the muscles in his chest. Even though she couldn't 'see' his chest, she knew that he was so much more developed than James. James. I miss you. And that brief thought of James was enough to make her want to cry. Suck it up, Durant. No one cares if you're 'sad', least of all this guy. Thinking of James always made her so sad.

Yes, anger was so much easier to deal with than sadness. All she wanted to do was to go home and go to bed. If she slept the day away, she wouldn't have to deal with physical therapy, or her parents or the few trickles of people who still occasionally dropped by her house to see her. "Look, is this really necessary? I can't fucking walk, okay, Genius. There you go. Exam done." Ha! Asshole! You'll fucking hate me by twelve thirty.}

True, he was exasperated with her attitude. But he could get over that. He'd done it several times whenever he got a challenging patient. However, what he couldn't get over was how shocked he was over how very light she was and how soft her skin was and how utterly feminine she smelled that he didn't really hear her. He looked down at her long legs and got another whiff of her roses and baby powder.

William took a deep breath, which Erin assumed was because she was getting to him. She was. But it wasn't because he was angry with her. Quite the contrary, how could he be angry with someone who smelled so beautiful and soft? He recognized a familiar, rather nice, warm sensation shoot through his body.

He shook his head. No fucking way. Damn, William, you gotta chill out. Shit! Vicki better get home on time today. She'd been away for a week with some of the other PT personnel at a training seminar and he couldn't believe he wanted to have sex so badly. It was more of a feeling of need. That's it Will. It's because Vicki's been gone and you're hard up. Yeah, that's gotta be it.}

William gently set Erin on the table, "Okay, lie back."

Erin smugly asked, "Why? You gonna feel me up or something? Hmmm?"

William ever the consummate professional when it came to his job sighed, "No." Oh, he'd had tiny crushes on some of his patients. No. Not crushes exactly. He likened it to an extreme sense of compassion. A feeling that would 'turn on' at the start of a PT session and end as soon as the person was gone from sight. And those weird attachments usually didn't form until a few weeks after he knew the patients.

However, his body was telling him that his attraction to Erin Durant was more than sympathetic. Not that I wouldn't like to feel you up. Damn, William, maybe you can pick Vicki up at the airport. "I want you to tell me what you feel. Your chart says you've got some sensation. I need to know how much and exactly where."

"Fine, whatever." Erin laid back and watched him place his hands on her left leg. "Nope can't feel it." She lied. Erin could feel things in her upper left thigh. In fact, she had noticed a tingling sensation just a few days earlier but refused to believe it was anything. And, in keeping with her 'I don't want your help' persona, she rolled her eyes.

"Erin," he started, "close your eyes please." He watched as she rolled them once more and complied with his request. "Thank you. Now.tell me what you feel. Keep your eyes closed and point or tell me where you think I'm touching." William watched her face for any expression changes as his hand slowly made its way down her leg. "Tell me Erin."

With her eyes closed, Erin tried to focus on his hands. She felt the warmth and pressure of his hand on her thigh. She sat straight up, "Okay, I know you're touching me about half way down my thigh." She placed her hand directly on top of his.

The touch of her hand on his, shocked him. He stared at her for a second. If Erin felt the same sensation that William did, she certainly didn't show it. He cleared his throat, "Good. Now keep your eyes closed." William slowly slid his hands down her leg, to her knee.

As he waited for her response, if any, he noted how smooth her legs were. Much smoother than if they had been recently shaved or even waxed. Dancer.probably had electrolysis. He smirked as he thought about how some of his friends on the track team had considered 'permanent hair removal' in an effort to gain one one-hundredth of second in speed.

Erin, her eyes still closed thought she could feel his hands near her knee. "There. My knee, I think." She slowly lifted her hand and touched the back of his hand with her fingertips. When her fingers made contact with his skin, Erin was beside herself with.joy.yes, joy. She'd spent so many weeks harping on what she couldn't feel, that she neglected to focus on what she could feel. Without realizing what she was doing, a smile, a real smile grew on her face, brightening and softening it all at once.

That smile was not lost on William. When he saw it and noted that her eyes were still closed, relishing the sensation, no doubt, he felt his own face grow flush. "Good, good." Jesus Christ, you are beautiful. He slid his hands down her to her calf and said nothing.

Erin could feel her pulse pounding in her ears. Calm down, you idiot. It doesn't mean anything. But still, she refused to open her eyes. She was afraid the feel of his hands would fade away if she did. And though the sensation wasn't as pronounced as when he first touched her thigh, she knew he was touching her calf. Wait? Is he massaging my calf? She opened her eyes and saw that, yes, indeed he was.

"What are you doing?" She tried to sound angry or maybe highly annoyed but watching his hands move and, moreover, feeling them was highly.stimulating. Ok, Erin, what is going on with you? What was going on? Who knows. Was it the fact that she was 'feeling' something other than weird tingling sensations? Was it seeing his hands? Was it knowing that no one had touched her or had come anywhere near caressing her in months? She didn't know.

But she was certain of one thing. 'William Fitzpatrick, Certified PT' was very handsome, very gentle, and seemed to have the temperament of the proverbial duck who let water simply roll off his back as opposed to fighting against it. "Excuse me? I said, what do you think you're doing?"

William stopped and smiled, "Well, I know that I've been pinching this muscle for the past ten seconds. It took you a few moments to feel it, right?"

{Pinching? Damn! A slightly sad look crossed her face.

"Hey, it's not a big deal. You felt it and that's all that matters. Close your eyes again, please." When he saw that here eyes were indeed closed, William held his pen and ran it up her foot try to check the intensity of any reflex irritability. He slid it up from heel to toe three times before he saw a 'knee jerk' reaction. "Good."

Erin's eyes flew open. "What was that?"

"Just a test to check for reaction to stimuli. The fact that you felt it is wonderful." William clicked the pen back 'on' and put a little 'X's' in each blank on beside the left foot on the sketch on her chart. "Close your eyes again." He could tell simply by the flush of her cheeks that Erin was excited to know that her left leg responded to stimuli.

However, the hope that was alive for a minute was choked away when he did the reflexive response test on her right foot five times without so much as a twitch.

"Well? Aren't you going to do something?" Erin sighed deeply without opening her eyes. In reality, she knew that he wasn't just standing there staring at her. No, she knew that he was doing something.her right leg just couldn't feel it. Damn it!}

William could feel the frustration she emitted. He would have loved nothing more at that moment than to see her big toe twitch. But no. Nothing. He moved up to her calf and started to massage it. Again, there was nothing to indicate that she could feel his touch.

By the time he made it to her knee and he saw no reaction, William decided to try something a bit more drastic. He took the safety pin out of his pocket, opened it and quickly poked the bottom of her foot. Nothing. Her calf. Nothing. The side of her knee cap.

Erin jumped, "SHIT! What was that?" She opened her eyes and saw the pin in his hand. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Pain. You reacted to pain. It's not the reaction I'd hoped for, but it's a response." Pain, while a good indicator of nerve receptivity is not one of the ways a physical therapist tries to elicit a response. Damn, that sounded so professional. He stared at her and poked the tip of the pin along her thigh. "How about that?"

She grinned, "Yes, I feel it." That's when it dawned on her. Holy shit! I felt that! Oh my God. Oh my God!}

William watched her face light up as the realization that her right leg did react to stimuli overwhelmed her. And then, without trying to bash her hopes into a messy pulp, he carefully said, "Erin, you need to realize that even if this means you have sensation, it doesn't mean you'll be walking anytime soon. And you might always need a cane."

She shook her head, "I know."

His heart melted a tad when she looked at him with her soft, golden eyes and before he realized what he was saying he blurted out, "Your eyes are beautiful, Erin."

That was a compliment she hadn't heard in months. Not since James. "Thank you." It took a few seconds for her to realize that she didn't feel overwhelmed with sadness when she thought of James. Even if it was a peace she felt for only a few seconds. "That's very kind of you."

William saw the stony mask return to her face. "The important thing is to make your legs and your brain to talk to one another while we convince your spine to allow them to converse." As he spoke, William touched his right hand to her cheek, then to her thigh and last, along her low back. His left hand remained on her thigh.

He let his hand linger on her thigh, touching the edge of her shorts, longer than he should have and stared into her eyes again. He knew he could easily see himself falling into those eyes. Keep your hands off, Will. God, are you stupid or what?}

Erin felt his hot hand on her leg and back and got that same, intense tingling sensation deep in the pit of her stomach that she would often get when she saw an intensely romantic scene in a movie or when. Stop it! "Yeah, gotta convince them to communicate." How fucking stupid can you sound, Durant? God Almighty. It's not like he's doing you. That silly, off the cuff thought, made her blush.

William decided it was time to stop the 'exam'. "Let's discuss the regimen you'll be working on. For the next few weeks."

Erin held up her right arm, "What about my arm?"

"That's Occupational Therapy. You'll be working with someone else for that." William turned as if to avoid her next question.

"Someone else?" Damn. "Who?"

He cleared his throat. "Her name is Victoria Bardole. You'll like her. She's my fiancée."

Erin nodded and smiled politely, "Oh."

Not much else was said between the two of them for the remaining hour. Juju Morris came to help William work with Erin at the low-weight station. Or, more correctly, for Erin, the 'no-weight' section. Lifting her own leg would be enough of a challenge for a while.

Before Erin realized it, she was sweating and physically exhausted. But she did it. She moved her left foot. It only took twenty minutes and all the will power she could muster. Holy Christ, why is this so hard? By the time William wheeled her back out into the waiting area, Erin looked like she was ready to take a well deserved nap.right after an equally well deserved bath.

Chaselyn couldn't believe the transformation in Erin from when she'd seen her go through the double doors an hour and a half earlier. Well, that wasn't true. Erin was always a hard worker who thrived on the effort it took to reach her goals almost as much as the goal itself. She kissed her daughter's damp brow. "Let's get you home."

William watched the mother and daughter leave the Grayson Center's physical therapy lounge; and, as the mother rolled his new patient away, William realized he was sad. No, frustrated. Sexually frustrated. God, I can already tell that this is not going to be easy. He returned Erin's chart to his tiny desk and waited as calmly as he could for Vicki to return.



Five forty-five came and went. Vicki should have been home, but she wasn't. Six forty-five came and went. Still no Vicki. He called the airport. Her flight had been delayed by at least two hours. Shit!}

Nine o'clock came. No Vicki and he was so wound up he could barely contain himself. Ever since that girl, Erin Durant, had entered his professional life that morning, William was having trouble focusing on personal things other than having sex. What was it about her? Was it the similarity in their circumstances? Was it watching the dark cloud that loomed over her break apart so that some light could come in? Was it her golden eyes? Her hair? That soft, angelic face?

By ten o'clock William was one giant walking raw nerve. Jesus H. Christ! Vicki, where in God's name are you?!? He actually considered just going to town on himself like he'd been doing for the past week simply to alleviate the need he had. But no. He was bound and determined to wait for her.

He laid in their bed and watched the ceiling fan spin slowly around and around. And even though William tried his best to stay awake, he fell asleep waiting for Vicki to return. His mind raced with thoughts of the day. He started to dream.



.Vicki smiled at him and kissed his forehead, "What are you doing?"

William looked around, confused. This isn't the house. "I was waiting for." He realized he was in the PT waiting room by the huge window that overlooked the pond at the Grayson Center. "Hold on.I.wait."

Vicki walked, or rather floated somehow toward him. William was so confused. "What's going on?"

She laughed, "Work you idiot, work." And then, for some strange reason, Vicki started to peel her clothes off. "Let's go baby."

William was shocked, "Vicki, what the Hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to work. Now come on or we'll be late." He watched Vicki push open the heavy doors to the PT room. "Come on, William." She turned and faced him. But he couldn't see her face. Only the outline of her body, silhouetted in the brilliant sunshine that filled the room. As she walked away from him, he couldn't help but stare at her perfect shape. "Well, are you coming?" She giggled and dashed away.

William tried to catch up to her, but for some reason he couldn't. His legs felt like they were laden with something. Lead, maybe. He stopped and tried to catch his breath. He felt someone standing behind him. And then he felt two cool hands cover his eyes. Someone, a female with a voice he recognized, whispered in his ear, "Guess who?"

He tried to lift her hands away from his face and heard her ask again, "Come on Billy, guess who.try.try."

"Claudia?" William's heart started to pound harder. What was she doing here? Shouldn't she be in Orlando? Did Brody and Claudia come to Atlanta to visit? But something told him, she was not here with her husband and children. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see you Billy. Silly Billy, silly Billy." She took her hands off of his eyes and walked in front of him. She was so beautiful. Angelic. And William couldn't help but put his hand on her cheek. "Did you miss me Billy?" She kissed him very gently on his lips. "I missed you."

William heard a voice, Vicki's voice, calling to him from one of the curtained areas. "Come here, William. Hurry." Her voice sounded urgent and he felt compelled to go to her. "Now."

He ran to her and pulled back the curtain. What in God's name? There before him, on the massage table was Erin Durant asleep and stretched out, wearing her big gray sweat shirt. "Erin? But Vicki why is she here?"

Vicki giggled and reached out her hand to Claudia, who had somehow appeared right before her. "She's a new toy, William. Don't you want to play with her?"

"What in the name of.shit.what's going on?" He looked at Claudia, "What's going on.tell me, please."

Claudia grinned and ran her free hand down his chest to the hot bulge in his pants, "Come on Billy, we know you want her don't you? It's alright you know. We won't tell anyone." She ran her slim fingers across Erin's lips, "She so soft." Then he watched as Claudia leaned and kissed Erin's lips very lightly. "God, she smells so wonderful. Come here, Billy"

He just stood there watching. "Claudia, what are you doing?" He watched his sister kiss her once more and he was awestruck at how badly he wanted to join her. But something about this was so wrong. He walked closer to Erin and his sister and stared at them. Erin didn't move, not one bit. In fact, he had to touch her to see if she was real. He felt her skin. Real, it's her. God, what's going on?}

Vicki's voice called him, "Her legs are so nice. Don't you think so, baby?" William turned and saw Vicki slowly taking her hand up and down Erin's pale, slender, dancer's legs. Then he watched as she started to kiss Erin's legs. Taking time to stop every now and again to look up at him. William was gobsmacked. He felt weak. "Yummy. You do think they're nice, don't you William?"

"Yes, her legs are so nice. I want to kiss her, too." He couldn't believe what he had just said. But faster than a blink, he was there beside Vicki and they were kissing Erin's legs. Holy Mary, she tastes like.cotton candy. William started to have trouble breathing. "Stop, stop. This isn't right."

Claudia stood in front of him, "Come on Billy, you know you want her. Who wouldn't? She's luscious. You like luscious things don't you?"

He nodded.

"Like me, right?" She slowly pulled off her top and revealed her beautiful breasts to him. Breasts that as a hot, hormone driven teenager he used to sneak and look at when she was changing her clothes. She was so fucking hot. All his friends talked about doing her. He couldn't help but look at her.

And one time she actually caught him getting off to her picture. But she didn't see the picture; she thought it was to something on his TV. He remembered how she just laughed, shook her head and walked off saying, "Father Thomas said you'll go blind doing that, Billy." Fuck Father Thomas, fuck rules. God, I want her. He knew it was wrong to want her. William had spent many Saturday afternoons in the confessional at Our Lady of the Lake Church.

"Claudia, please don't do this to me." He could feel tears welling in his eyes and a painful tightness in his pants. "Please."

"Alright Billy. Don't get upset. Look, Vicki wants me." Claudia turned toward Vicki, "Don't you?"

William watched his fiancée take Claudia's hand and then kiss her as if she were kissing him. It was so amazing. It was beautiful. It was making him so hot. He watched their soft pink tongues as they moved them together. He watched Vicki put her hand on Claudia's breast and start to massage it. "What are you doing?"

Claudia smiled at him, "She's doing what you want her to do, Billy. We're doing what you want us to do."

Then William watched in amazement as Claudia went down before Vicki and started to kiss the edge of her lacy panties. He looked at Vicki and saw the same expression on her face as when he would lick her. He looked down and saw Claudia partaking of the woman he would soon call his wife. Jesus Christ, what is going on here? "Stop. Stop! STOP!" He yelled at her and Claudia stopped.

He heard Vicki giggle and looked down into Claudia's blue-green eyes. He saw her lips glistening with the sweetness of his bride to be. William couldn't help himself. He reached down and pulled his sister up to him. Without so much as a second thought, he kissed her lips. She tasted wonderful. It was a mixture of Claudia and Vicki. Everything he thought he ever wanted.

But when he opened his eyes he was not looking into Claudia's eyes. Instead, he was trapped in the hot gaze of Erin Durant's golden eyes.

William woke up. He was drenched with sweat and his mind was racing. He tried to shake it off. Let it go. Vicki'll be here soon. He looked at the clock.

William lay there in the shadowy darkness trying to understand what had just happened. God, Will, it was just a dream. You're just wound up. But why? Why was he so wound up? Erin Durant was a patient.just a patient.

He shook his head when it dawned on him that he'd had a second lurid dream with his sister and that wasn't what he was focusing on. As he lay there trying to sort it all out, he realized he knew why she was on his mind.

He had put his hands on her legs. Moved them slowly as he waited to see her response. He remembered thinking to himself even then that maybe, just maybe he was going just a little too slowly. He also remembered how soft her skin was and how he wanted to keep going up her thigh, to see what lay underneath her little blue shorts.

And dear God, she smelled so soft. Jesus, William. She's a patient. Maybe you should give her case to someone else. But the other part of his body, the one that could make him do practically anything, told him 'No, don't do that. It'll be fine. Trust me.'

He drifted back to sleep only to be awakened by the sound of the garage door opening. He turned to look at the clock. Twelve fifty-two. It's about fucking time! He was mad. Where in the Hell has she been? He was so mad. And he wasn't even sure why he was mad.

A couple of minutes later Vicki came into the bedroom, completely worn out. "God, baby, I'm sorry. My flight was delayed. And I was starving so Trey took me to get a bite to eat."

"We have food here you know." He was so angry. God, she's so fucking inconsiderate. Why didn't she call? "You know, you could have called."

"Jeez, William, my battery died."

"Battery died?" William couldn't believe her. "Didn't Trey have a phone?" She'd been gone for a week and she had to know how much he wanted her. Couldn't she hear it in his voice?

She rolled her eyes at him, "Damn it, William. I'm fucking tired. I'm going to bed now. If you don't want me to go sleep on the couch, then fucking shut up."

William sighed and shook his head, "Sorry. Really."

Vicki turned away from him and went to the bathroom, muttering something he couldn't make out. He watched her close the door. Something wasn't right. Something seemed different about her. She was acting even more aloof now than before she left for her trip. He waited and waited for her to come to bed. Finally, he turned off his bedside lamp and decided to go to sleep.

And as soon as the light was off, Vicki quickly climbed into bed and rolled away from him. She's just tired, William. That's all. His eyelids grew heavy. Images of Vicki and Claudia and Erin raced through his head. William went back to sleep more wound up than before. But he knew he could remedy that quickly tomorrow morning in a nice hot shower.