Dear Reader. Finally.Chapter 5.and it only took me 6 weeks to write it! The pressures of 'daily life' have a nasty way of keeping one away from things like writing! I hope you enjoy. Please let me know. (Oh, and for those of you who read Chapter 4 and came across a very odd paragraph.you're not crazy.it wasn't supposed to be there! I thought I'd deleted it; but, alas, I didn't it. And for that crazy error.please accept my humble apology!)

Chapter 5. Physical therapy for the mind as well as the body.

William had to get out of the Grayson Center, and soon. Soon, as in.if he didn't leave as quickly as possible he thought he would scream. And when he was done with his last patient, Tiffany Little, a woman who's moniker didn't fit her physical stature, he was out the door as quickly as he could get his car keys out of his desk.

He drove to the park and donned his 'running leg' and then William ran. It felt so good to run, even if it was ten times slower than he ever ran before the accident. True, he moved with and odd gait due to the hydraulic, man-made joint at his knee but didn't care. He was running and that's all that mattered.

And dear God, did he ever need to run. The memory of touching Erin, of feeling her let herself go in response to his gentle torture had made him almost wish he'd not done it. The thought of her was driving him crazy. In his mind's eye he envisioned getting lost in that beautiful body of hers. The mental picture alone made him want to pull out her file, get her address and go to her. But he knew he couldn't do that. No. You're fucking crazy, Fitzpatrick. You gotta stop thinking about her.}

He ran faster and tried to come to grips with his emotions. He was getting married in a month. The marathon was coming up in three weeks. And then there was Erin. William tried with all his might to will himself to stop thinking of how soft Erin felt. And how blissful she looked as he touched her. And how much he had wanted to climb on top of her and make her his own.

No.those were all things he had to stop thinking of. After all, William wasn't stupid. He couldn't jeopardize his future with Vicki over some crush. And that was all that it was, right?

William's side started to hurt as he ran. Pain. Somehow he thrived on the awful burning at his side. It reminded him that he was alive. Jesus Christ that fucking hurts. His head was screaming at him to slow down, but he knew he had to keep going. Run through it, William. Run it out. Eventually the pain would melt. Eventually.

{Shit! That fucking hurts. His whole left side felt like it was cramping. But, he persevered. By the time the pain finally faded away William was so tired he wanted to fall down on the ground and catch his breath.

Then.the "high" kicked in. That awesome warm rush runners feel when they cross over the invisible threshold between pain and personal triumph. It felt so good. As he felt the endorphins course through his body giving him that natural high, a broad smile crossed William's face.

Slowly the sensation faded leaving William riding on the edge of all the emotions he'd been feeling for the past few days. Was it the wedding? Was he getting the proverbial 'cold feet'? Or was it just Vicki? She'd been acting so peculiar this past week. Then, well, there was always the Erin issue.

Somehow, it always came back to her. Christ, Fitzpatrick, you've got to talk to her and tell her. Fuck, what are you going to tell her? Huh? Gonna say, 'hey, sorry for finger fucking you the other day. You think we could just forget it happened? He stopped running, leaned forward and stared at his feet. William could feel the sweat dripping down his face and watched it slowly roll down and off his nose. Damn it. What have you done? He stood upright and stared at the path ahead of him. Shit!}

William, his hands on his hips and breathing like he always did after a good run, made his way back to his Jeep. Along the path, he noticed a little boy staring at his leg and grinned. The one thing that he'd been so paranoid about as a teenager, people staring at him.or rather his leg, was now something he was used to. He waved and said, "Pretty cool huh?"

The boy smiled and nodded, "Can you really run with that thing?"

"Yes, I can." With that he dashed away from the boy, still grinning. God, William, you're such a fucking show off}.

He climbed into his Jeep and set off toward home. As he drove, he thought of Vicki. She was a beautiful woman and he loved her. There was no doubt about that. But the feelings he had for Erin confused him. William dwelled on the whole 'thing' as he made his way home. He stared down at this hand and recalled the glistening wetness that had covered his fingers just a few hours earlier.

William remembered how effortlessly his broad fingers had slipped into Erin and the look of sheer wanton desire on her face as he dipped deeper and deeper into her. He could still see the soft open 'O' her mouth made as he brought her to the edge.

And then he recalled how badly he wanted to kiss her. To simply feel her lips against his. Holy shit, you're fucking crazy Fitzpatrick But crazy or not, he also thought about how seriously he'd wanted to put his fingers to his lips to get a taste of Erin. But no.he'd denied himself. And now he regretted it. Damn.}

He pulled into the garage and sat in his Jeep, thinking. Vicki opened the door and called out to him, "Hey, baby. Good run?"

William looked up and saw Vicki carrying a bottle of wine and wearing very tight t-shirt that rode high on her flat belly and a very tiny pink thong. He looked at her and suddenly remembered one of the reasons why he'd fallen in love with Vicki. She was so comfortable with her body. It made him want to take her right there in the garage. In fact, the thought of her back resting on the cool smooth cement made him so hot, he felt his face grow flush.

He didn't even care if crabby old Mr. Springs got a peek at them. Hell, it would probably do the sour puss some good. Damn. She looks so good. William watched as she sauntered over towards him. As she stepped closer he could easily make out the luscious pink that were her areolas and, what was even better, he could have sworn he saw her nipples hardening as she got closer. She wants it. Yes. Yes. William knew in that brief instant that all the tension, all the frustration he'd been dealing with for nearly four hours now, would soon have an outlet.

Vicki smiled at seeing him becoming so obviously flustered. But she had no idea just how very much he needed her. Not wanted. No. Needed. He needed to feel his shaft plunge deep inside her. Needed to feel her muscles contract around his cock. Needed to taste her lips on his and smell the fragrant conditioner she used on her thick hair.

And even though she had no idea how badly he really wanted her to give herself to him, Vicki knew he wanted her. Yes, she knew that look. She'd seen it plenty of times before, although, maybe this evening it looked a bit more intense. And that meant she'd feel very good, very soon.

What was unknown to William was that he was, for her, exactly what she needed. And for Vicki, just as with William, 'needed' was the right term. Her mind and heart were tied in a knot so large and complicated she wasn't sure she'd be able to ever untie it. But she knew that with William's touch, his lips and his strong hands she'd be able to let go of some of the confusion she, herself, was trying to deal with.

Yes, she loved William, with all her heart and soul. On that point, there was no confusion in Vicki's mind. But she couldn't deny that there was something missing. She thought that maybe should could 'find' it.whatever it was.in Trey's arms, or rather, his bed. But no. And now.now she felt like she was trapped. Trapped between the man she thought she knew she wanted and the man who was willing to give her things she thought she needed.

There she was, caught between a love for William which she couldn't deny and an attraction for Trey which she wished she could forget. Yes, Trey was something, or rather someone, who offered her a chance at fun with no strings attached and those invisible 'strings' seemed to be choking the life out of her.

But right then and there.as she stood in front of William and put the glass of wine to her lips, Vicki only wanted the man she loved.not the man she'd recently come to enjoy. She took a small sip of the wine and kissed William.

He carefully parted his lips and tasted the sweet Chianti rush through his mouth as Vicki's tongue, heavy with the intense red flavor, wrestled with his. Damn, she tastes so good. William wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. He could feel her nipples pressing into his chest and it made him desperate to feel one on his tongue.

William pulled away from Vicki and took the glass and bottle from her hands which he carefully set on the cement garage floor. He slid his hands up her shirt and ran his thumbs over her nipples. The feeling against the sensitive portion of his thumbs made him weak in his knees. "Christ, baby, you are too good." He pulled the top up and over Vicki's head and looked down at her beautiful, perfect chest.

He wasn't sure what he wanted to do more: suck on those beautiful nipples or just push her up against the wall and fuck her until she screamed for him to stop. His needy cock begged for him to take her. Do it William. She wants you to. Go on do it. But his rational mind pleaded with him to stop. Wait William. Resolve one issue at a time. Don't let sex cloud your judgment. Lucky for him his cock won the argument.

William took Vicki's hand and went inside the kitchen. She'd barely pulled the door closed behind them before he was kissing her all over. Her neck, ears, breasts. He wanted her so badly he ached. He felt her hands on his shorts tugging at them.

Vicki needed to feel him. To let her fingers touch him.and not to compare him to Trey or anything as crass as that; but rather, to remind her that he was the one she really wanted. Remind her of what she believed to be true, that William was the only one who could really satisfy her. As she pulled his running shorts down and took hold of him she was a bit shocked at how hard he was for her.

She felt a bit light headed. Maybe it was the Chianti or maybe it was just the intensity of her desire but she thought for sure that she was floating. And when William pushed her up against the side of the refrigerator, the sound of falling magnets and the feel of the cold metal against her hot skin made her gasp.

William felt the tiny magnets fall at his feet but he didn't care. And when Vicki wrapped her legs around him all he wanted to do was fall into her. He knew that with all that had gone on today, what he'd felt with Erin and what he was feeling right then with Vicki he probably wouldn't be able to hold out for long. And he didn't want to. He just wanted in her. William simply wanted to return to that place that was his. That one place where he felt safe and totally sure of what he was doing and how he felt.

He slipped into her and watched as Vicki's eyes closed in rapture. And then something happened. When William looked at her, her eyes closed, her mouth slightly opened he remembered something. And it was barely a wisp of a memory.

It was the image of Erin, with her eyes closed and her body reacting to his touch, that danced across his mind. No, no. Not now, William. He closed his own eyes and tried to force the hint of a memory to go away. But he couldn't.

As he moved in Vicki, his bride-to-be, he couldn't shake away the one thing he was trying to escape, that intense attraction for a woman he barely knew. And he couldn't believe how good the mental torment he was undergoing made him feel. He could hear Vicki's moaning and felt her muscles contracting around him, but with his eyes closed he could see the soft, lonely, sad face of Erin Durant and it made him want to cry.because it felt too good.

He wanted to open his eyes, he really did. But something inside him told him to keep them shut. Told him to hold on to the image of the woman he really wanted to be inside of at that moment. He felt so ashamed of himself but the satisfaction outweighed his guilt. The release he'd been praying to happen for the past few hours was so close. He didn't want to ruin it with feelings of guilt so he did what all guilty people do.he refused to acknowledge it any further. It was building and he didn't want it to stop.

Vicki's inner demons toyed with her. William, no doubt, was the man she loved and by God, was he ever a good lover. She held her breath as could feel the massive refrigerator shake with each powerful stroke William set in to her. He really was amazing. And to think of all the things he'd overcome to become the man he was right now. The man who loved her unconditionally. The man who she prayed would never find out what she'd done. The man she was going to marry whether she wanted to or not. Shit. What are you doing Vicki? You've got to tell him. No. No, you can't do that. It'd kill him. No. Tell Trey it's over. That's it. It's over. Tell him thanks, but you can't do it any more. That's it, tell him that. Tell Trey tomorrow.}

She wanted to listen to her heart. But other parts of her body were in control and their voices were much louder than her conscience. Vicki fought to keep her sanity in check and her mouth shut. She was terrified that she'd call out Trey's name. And that fear only added to the thrill of it all. Her hips started to rock into William's. She knew she was close and it was magnificent.

Vicki felt her toes and finger tips start to tingle first. That's how it always started. And then like a bolt of lightning, she felt the powerfully overwhelming sensation that made her cry out, YES! And then, as though her body had become possessed by some unseen succubae, she felt herself come with such force that she thought for sure William would fall over in the wake of it all.

But he didn't. William had wrapped his arm around her waist and pushed Vicki down onto him with such force he halfway worried that he'd hurt her when she screamed. But he'd heard that scream before. That was a scream of rapture and it was like music to his ears. The image of Erin faded.but so, too, did any thought of Vicki. Amazing.

For in that brief instant, all conscious thought flies away from a person and is superceded by a pure, unadulterated need for carnal fulfillment. And in that moment.that long blissful moment, William didn't have to think of anyone or anything. He simply let himself forget who he was and why he'd been so rapt in contemplation. Yes, pure bliss. And when he came, he heard Vicki cry out again and again, "Yes, William, yes. God, yes."

And, as the intense feeling of gratification waned between the two of them, William felt a rush of cold air. One quick look and he saw the culprit.he and Vicki had been so 'into' the moment, that the door to the freezer had opened and frosty air spilled from the opening. He looked at Vicki, smiled and slammed the door shut. "Good thing we didn't go much longer. All your fudge ripple ice cream might have melted."

Vicki laughed and rested her head on his shoulder. "Can't have that. No, no! Not my fudge ripple!" She felt the skin on her back pull away from the refrigerator and then felt William pull away from her. A powerful chill rattled Vicki's body as her feet came set upon the cool, oak hardwood floor.

William kissed the top of her head, grinned and started to say, "You and your icecr." but was stopped by the ringing of the telephone. He glanced at the Caller ID display. 'Mom-n-Dad' shown on the screen. Great. He knew Vicki was about to be sucked into a long conversation about the wedding, a conversation that he didn't want to be a part of.

Vicki smiled at him and grabbed a jacket from the coat rack. Three rings and the answering machine picked up, "Victoria, I know you're there. It's after six. Come on, pick up the phone." There was a pause. "Victoria, I'm just going to call you back. Now, come on, pick up the phone. Your Aunt Ruth called and." Vicki grabbed the phone and listened to her mother go on and on about how dear Aunt Ruth was refusing to come to the wedding if Uncle Isaac was coming, too.

Vicki rolled her eyes and shooed William away. A motion he gladly jumped on. Thank God. William stepped back into his shorts and waved at her.that 'better you than me' sort of wave.

The golden light that dripped down the walls of their condo told him that the sun was making its descent into the slowly approaching night. Another day was coming to an end. Another day closer to the end of the rest of his life. As he made his way down the long hallway he chanced to look to his left and saw Vicki's wedding dress hanging up in the guest bedroom. A quick look beside it and he saw his tuxedo resting on a hanger next to the ornate gown. He turned and looked back at his bride to be. Soon, they'd be all 'official'. An unexpected shiver ran down his spine. Nerves, that's all.}



Sleep eluded Erin once again. Only tonight, as she stared up at the slowly turning fan blades, Erin's mind wasn't filled with dread and gloom. No. Ever since William had laid his hands on her this afternoon, something deep within her seemed to be trying to find its way from behind the dark veil that had been draped over her for what, to her, seemed like an eternity.

She lay there recalling how it felt to be touched. Recalling how it felt to feel. She could still sense his hands on her, touching her, causing that pleasantly familiar warm sensation to wash over her. And even though Erin didn't want to admit it at first, it had felt so very good. And no matter how she tried to deny the overwhelming effect it had on her both physically and emotionally, Erin knew William had helped her.

William, that annoying ass who had chided and cajoled her into working that first day. That ass who had told her he didn't care how mad she got at him. That ass who refused to just let her give up. William Fitzpatrick, that ass who had reminded her that she wouldn't fall apart if she felt good, if she felt human, if she felt like a woman again.

The fan blades continued their sluggish journey around the delicately etched light covering above her. Erin felt her eyes grow heavy as she watched them cut through the silvery moonlight that shone through the giant picture window behind her. Every now and again the room lit up for a moment.

A storm was headed her way. And there was nothing like a summer storm in Atlanta. The hypnotic lure of the fan blades and the occasional flash of light beckoned her to close her eyes, to fall asleep, to dream. And, within minutes of allowing her brain to stop thinking and racing, Erin was soon in a deep, restful sleep.



William looked at the bedside clock and took another deep breath. Eleven thirty, fucking wonderful. He had lain in bed and stared at the dancing shadows on the wall across from him for nearly forty-five minutes. When Vicki had finally finished yet another ridiculously long conversation with his soon to be mother-in-law, it was well past eight o'clock. Sesame chicken, egg rolls and fortune cookies filled their bellies along with the rest of that wonderful wine. And by the time all was said and done, William was utterly worn out.

The mental marathon he'd run, the 5 miles he'd physically run, and the sexual relay he and Vicki had taken part in had taken a toll on his body. All he wanted to do was sleep. But he found it almost impossible to stop thinking. Gotta go to sleep, Fitzy. Just close your eyes. However, closing his eyes and actually going to sleep were two entirely different things. But he knew, if he just closed his eyes, he'd be one step closer to sleeping. So he glanced one last time at Vicki, her back was to him, and then closed his eyes to the day

Vicki was wide awake. She'd been staring at her engagement ring since she kissed William goodnight and turned off her light. She felt like there was a heavy weight resting on her chest and feared that if she closed her eyes, it just might crush her. Irrational, Vicki. God, you're so fucking stupid. You're getting married in twenty seven days and you're acting like a fucking idiot.}

She felt hot tears collect on her pillow. No matter how she looked at it, there was no way to deny what a terrible thing she'd done. Trey. Shit. Once was a mistake. Twice was stupidity. Three.four times, that was outright immoral. And it really was all her fault.

Yes. Her fault.not Trey's. Vicki could hear William's breathing start to become more regular and a rush of memories filled her weary mind. She remembered how the first time she and Trey had 'all out' sex was while they were away at the convention. But more than that, Vicki couldn't help but recall what had happened prior to that trip. She remembered how it all started.that day.

.Trey sat beside Vicki in the staff meeting and couldn't help but notice how beautiful Vicki's breasts were in the low cut shirt she wore. As the Accounting Director spouted off a list of numbers Trey stared at the hollow created by her softly tanned breasts.

Vicki looked at him and saw him. She knew he had a thing for her and she didn't do anything to stop it. Why? Because it made her feel good. If there was one thing that Vicki craved more than anything, it was attention from men. Even when she was younger, she loved to see men drool over her. So much so that she often dated men much older than her.

Some people might have thought she was a bit promiscuous as a teenager, but not Vicki. She knew what she liked and went after it. And she liked older men. But when she found William, he was just a couple years older and he was everything she thought she needed.

That intense desire to have men fawn over her seemed to vanish when they became a couple. But after she and William got engaged, that odd need slowly crept back into her life. And now, Trey, a man a good ten to fifteen years older than her was right beside her and she knew he wanted her. Vicki nonchalantly shifted in her seat so that he could see a bit more of her breasts.

When the meeting was over and everyone started to leave and head out for lunch, Trey stayed behind. When asked if he was going to go out to do the 'usual' he replied, "No, not today. Not really feeling like Mexican. I'll just grab something here." Trey laid his head down on the cool table and tried to think of things other than fucking Vicki.

Vicki walked back into the conference room and stood next to him. She looked down and smiled. For an instant she almost said 'Trey, I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression.' but she didn't. Instead, the wanton side locked Vicki's rational voice away and then coaxed her to say, "Would you like to touch them, Trey?" She almost couldn't believe what she'd said. What in the hell are you doing, Vicki?}

Trey sat up and said quietly, "Vicki, you can't be serious." He looked at her like she was crazy.

"Why not?" Vicki started to unbutton her shirt. "Oh, come on. You've been dying to see them. So why not?"

"Because you're getting married in.what.six weeks." Though he spoke the words, it was apparent that Trey didn't want her to stop taking off her shirt.

"Yeah, yeah. But I'm not married yet. And besides, what harm can a little peek do?" Vicki winked at him. Her bra was a front clasping one and she expertly undid the slide hook in one swift motion. Her breasts, those beautiful, perfectly round breasts of hers, were free. "Go on.I know you want to."

Trey was sweating. He was torn between doing what was right and giving in to his desires. "Vicki, I can't. I'm your boss. I can't."

"Don't worry Trey, I'm not trying to trick you or anything" She took his hand, it was shaking, and put it to her breast. She heard Trey inhale deeply and sigh as he ran his finger across her nipple. "How's that?"

"Oh, God, Vicki." Trey reached up with his other hand and took hold of her. "God, you're beautiful."

Vicki leaned down and kissed him. As soon as she did it, she knew it was wrong. But it felt so good. His tongue was smooth and wrapped around hers so easily. She wanted more of his kiss so she straddled him and sat on his lap.

Trey slid his hands up the back of her shirt and felt her smooth skin. Trey kissed her deeper, "We shouldn't." he slid one hand down between her legs, "be doing." he rubbed her though her jeans, "this, Vicki."

Vicki didn't care. His hand felt so good and his kiss was so passionate. Not that William's kisses weren't passionate, too. But this kiss was different, it was dangerous. She pulled away from him and put her finger to her lips, "Shhh."

And then, just like a cat slinking off a couch, Vicki slid down between Trey's legs and looked up at him. She grinned and unzipped his pants, "It's lunch time, Trey." Vicki could see the top of his swollen cock-head and grinned. She tugged on the front of his silk boxers and seductively licked her lips.

Trey looked down at her. "What are y." But before he could get the words out, Vicki had him in her mouth. She sucked on him and licked him. Trey could barely contain himself.

And for Vicki, the thrill of it all was so intoxicating. But she knew that whatever she did.she couldn't have 'sex' with him. This was all for the fun and thrill of it. That's what she wanted anyway.fun and thrills. She heard Trey start of moan. He was desperate to keep quite. Anyone could have been in the office. Someone could have heard. And the idea of knowing that made Vicki suck harder on him.

Trey grabbed the edge of the chair and dug his fingers in. "God, Vicki. Please don't stop." He was so close and he wanted it so badly. He took one hand from the chair and put it on her head. He ever so gently pushed her head down further on him. "Please, please, please don't stop."

Vicki loved the idea of him begging her to go on.so she did. She fucked him with that beautiful mouth of hers like she was devouring the most succulent lollipop in the world. She felt his other hand come to rest on her head. He was ready and Vicki wanted it, too.

As he sat there letting her feast upon him, he felt the joyful pressure building deep with in his cock and he wanted to release it. She was going at him like a starved baby on a bottle. Her actions screamed out, 'feed me, feed me.' And he wasn't about to deny her. He felt his hips starting to thrust up towards her. He could feel the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat. Finally, thankfully, he was able to let it out.

He had to grind his teeth together to keep from screaming out because it felt so good. He pumped her mouth and throat with everything he had. It was so good. He felt amazing.

And Vicki loved every bit of it. Not just the action of the blow job, which she really did enjoy. But the thrill of wondering if someone would see them. The thrill of knowing she was being so bad. And.the dread.yes, the dread, of knowing that soon she'd be married and lose the 'right' to play. She feared that marriage would do that to her. But the little voice that had been silenced by her need to be desired finally found its way out of the darkened corner of her mind. What are you doing? You're going to ruin it all. Stop. Stop.}

Vicki stood up and wiped the corner of her lips. "There you go, Trey. I hope you liked it." She started to button her shirt as more of her sanity returned. "You know, this was a one time thing. Right?"

Trey sat there, his cock resting out in the open air, and stared up at her. It took him a moment to find his voice. And when he did, it was weak, "Yea.uh, yes. Yes." He adjusted himself, zipped his pants back up and watched Vicki leave the room as calmly as she'd entered it. He laid his head back down on the table once again. Only it wasn't in frustration.rather it was sheer exhaustion.

And that was how 'it' all started. That one day. That one reckless, stupid day. Goddamn that day. Goddamn how guilty she felt. Goddamn it all.

She listened to William's breathing. He was asleep now. More tears dripped down onto her pillow.

She'd tell Trey tomorrow. Yes, that's it. She'd call him tomorrow and tell him that it was over. You've got to, Vicki.you've got to. Besides it's really nothing but a wild fling. One last hoorah before you get married. She heard the wind blow the tree limbs against the condo. Great, it's going to rain again. The room lit up. Another storm was coming. Great, that's just fucking great. I've got my final fitting tomorrow.}

She watched the room light up once more and saw what she thought was the shadowed figure of a withered old woman against the wall. A quick reality check and she saw that it was really just a clump of tree limbs silhouetted against the wall thanks to the lightning. Okay, I'll tell him on Monday. No need to ruin both our weekends. She listened as the rain started to pound on the windows. Yes, Monday. Vicki fell asleep.



Monday arrived like all Mondays arrive.too soon. And for the first time in nearly seven months, Erin had been unhappy to see the weekend depart. The storm that pelted the area on Friday had cajoled thousands of flowers to come into full bloom on Saturday. And by Sunday, her mother's garden was alive with butterflies and bees and various other insects.

As she watched her mother toil over what to do about the aphids that were slowly destroying her prize winning roses, Erin remembered what it was like when she was a little girl. She glanced over at the play set her father had built for Karen and her when they were younger and smiled knowing that her dad would be busy later in the afternoon putting a new coat of honey-tinted wood stain on it so that Karen's little ones could enjoy it just like they did when they were little.

Erin remembered standing on the edge of that play set and jumping full force for the rope that hung in the giant oak tree and then hearing her mother screaming at her, "Young lady, you'd best not do that again! You're liable to fall and break your neck and then where would you be, huh? Tell me that young lady. Where would you be?" Erin stared down at her sandaled feet and shook her head. Right here, Mama. I'm right here.}

She could have let herself fall into despair right then and there. But she chose not to. Especially since Karen and Randy had arrived with their kids. No, Erin, you can't let them see you down anymore. Debra and Kyle were so adorable and they couldn't really understand why Aunt Erin was so sad.

And even though Erin had given her niece the cold shoulder, Debra, six years old, acted as if Erin was going to get up at any moment and do a 'pas de deux' for her. Debra was such a good girl and as Erin watched her run around the backyard, she clung to the tiny shred of hope that maybe one day she would not only be able to walk but that she maybe she'd have kids, too.

Randy walked over to Erin and stared down at her. Erin glanced at Karen and could tell from the look on her face that she and Randy had been 'having words' as her mother put it. Which was actually a polite way of saying that they'd had some kind of argument. That, along with the tension that lay between Erin and Randy now, rested heavy on her. Every time Erin looked at Randy she couldn't help but remember the look in his eyes as they reflected in the rearview mirror while she and James were making love.

The thought of those eyes and her blatant sexual toying with Randy always made the next image so much more painful. Those lights. Those bright lights coming straight for her. Then that last look at James before the impact. It made her sick. But she had to get over it. She had to or it would eat away at her forever.

Erin squinted as she looked up toward her brother-in-law, "Hello, Randy."

He held a cocktail glass in one hand, bourbon most likely, and nodded. "Hey."

Erin shifted in her seat, "How's everything?"

"Fine." He nodded again and the laughed, "Well, no, not really. Your insurance is suing me." Erin's jaw dropped. He stared at her. "What? You didn't know? Lyn and Merle didn't tell you?"

"No, I.I had no idea. Why?"

Randy downed his drink in one huge gulp, "Cause it's 'my' fault, Erin. I thought you knew that. All of this. You, James, that fucking asshole on the motorcycle. All of it. My fault.alone." He ran his hands through his hair and stared at Erin a bit harder.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't know." Erin suddenly felt very small with Randy staring down at her. "Really."

"Yeah, yeah." He started to walk away but was stopped by Karen.

She looked at Erin and smiled politely, "Did Randy tell you the news?"

{Why in the hell does she sound so fucking pleased? My insurance company is suing them. "News?"

Karen's lackluster smile grew instantly broad, "I'm pregnant! Isn't it wonderful?" She kissed Randy on the cheek and stared at her little sister waiting for a reply.

"That's.that's great, Karen." Erin looked from her sister to Randy and then back again. He did not seem to genuinely share the joy that Karen so obviously felt. "I'm happy for you, really."

Karen took the empty glass from Randy and scolded him, "You know that you're not supposed to be drinking." She turned to Erin and said, "If he were to get pulled over with so much as a whiff of liquor on his breath, our insurance company would drop us like a hot potato!"

Erin shook her head, "Oh, God, Karen.I'm so sorry about all that. Randy just told me."

"There's no need to be sorry. That's what we pay those big ass premiums for. But to be on the safe side, we've decided to not give the insurance company ANY reason whatsoever to even have so much as a whisper of a reason that they can use to drop us." Karen was so chipper. Hormones. Amazing things. Erin sighed. Well, she could be a tart bitch like she was with Kyle}

Erin started to tell her sister and Randy that they didn't really have to worry. That she was sure this would all be resolved soon, but Chaselyn called out to Karen, "Sweetie, come look at what Deb's doing." Karen kissed Randy and Erin both before dashing away.

And there they were again, alone.and Erin felt so odd. "I'm happy for the both of you."

Randy knelt down and put his hand on Erin's knee, "Really? You're happy? Is that something 'new' you're trying out? Cause I was sort of getting used to the sour ass bitch that you've been these past few months."

Erin looked down at Randy's hand and felt an uneasiness come over her. His speech was a bit slurred. Erin's mind rushed to make sense of Randy's dark demeanor. It's the insurance stuff. He just had more to drink than he should have, that's all. "Yeah, well, I've decided I'm tired of her. I want to be like I was." She could smell the bourbon on Randy's breath, "Well, as close as I can be to like I was."

Randy smiled and pushed his hand up Erin's thigh a bit more and gently squeezed, "Good. I like the old Erin." He leaned very close to her and whispered in her ear, "I like her a lot."

Erin pulled away from him as her hand curtly pushed his hand off of her leg. "Randy, I think you've had too much to drink. Maybe you should get some barbeque or something. Daddy's just finished with the ribs, you know."

Randy smiled at her and laughed, "Yeah, you're right Erin. Maybe I do need a little something to eat." He stood and started to walk away from her, "Oh, and don't worry, Karen's gonna drive home so I think I'll get another drink."

Erin felt a wave of hot dread wash over her. Randy was such a mild mannered man. A man she used to tease, relentlessly so, with her words and deeds. And Erin suddenly wished she could take it all back. All the innuendos. All the glances. All of it. But she knew she'd never be able to take it back. And she knew that the years of her teasing him were coming back to haunt her. Fuck. She put her head in her hands and tried to collect herself.

Later, as the family sat around the picnic table eating barbequed spare ribs and roasted corn on the cob, Erin started to feel better. Especially when she looked over and saw Randy holding Karen's hand. Just the booze.that was all. Erin felt a weight lift off her shoulders. And then she felt something quite odd. Her knee, rather the area just above her right knee was hot.

And then she felt something she hadn't felt in quite a while. What was that? She glanced down at her knee and saw that the bowl holding the hot, thick tomato based barbeque sauce had been knocked over and the sauce had fallen onto her leg. She reached out to wipe it away and as soon as her fingers touched the sauce she felt them burning.

She yelled out, "Shit!" and quickly put her finger in her mouth to stop the burning liquid. That's when it dawned on her that the sensation she was feeling on her leg was pain. And it really hurt. "Christ, that's hot! It's burning me!"

Debra jumped up, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry Aunt Erin. I didn't mean to. I did it on accident!" Debra looked over at her mother and then back at Erin. She looked absolutely horrified.

Chaselyn dashed from the end of the table to Erin's side and started to help her get the hot liquid off her leg. As her mother worked to dab up the barbeque sauce, Erin turned to Debra and told her it was okay, that she understood and that it wouldn't hurt too long. Chaselyn stood up and turned to Erin, "You felt that? On your leg, you mean?"

Erin was busy trying to wipe up the sauce that had oozed beneath her leg. She mumbled, "Great! Now I'm gonna be all sticky." She poured her ice water over her leg and dabbed at the edge of her now stained skirt. "Great! Just great!"

"My Lord, Erin." Chaselyn looked as though she was nearly ready to fall over, "Erin, don't you realize what you just said?"

Erin stared at her a moment or two before it dawned on her, "Holy shit. Sorry. But, you're right." And from that moment on, Erin didn't really care how badly stained her skirt was or that she was probably going to have a nasty blister on her leg.because she knew she could feel the pain and that's all that mattered. And it wasn't like when William had stabbed that damn pin in the side of her knee. No, this was much more of a 'broad' sensation. Not a sharp 'ouch' but a pain that spread out and radiated across the surface of Erin's leg.

She couldn't believe it. But what did it mean? Was this it a fluke? Was it like the doctor's had said. 'Yes, there's still some swelling along the lower spine and there's some damage, but nothing that should be permanent.' And. 'when your body is ready it'll heal itself'

But she wasn't about to let her hopes soar, not yet. No, not yet. She chose to downplay it, "Mama, good grief. It was fucking hot."

"Erin! Language!" Chaselyn sounded like she was talking to a teenager and quickly corrected herself, "I mean, Erin, remember there are little ones near."

Erin glanced at everyone at Karen, "Sorry."

Karen jumped up and hugged her sister, "No worries, baby sister. None at all." She squeezed Erin so tightly she had a hard time catching her breath. Karen smiled at Randy, "Isn't this just wonderful, Randy? Wonderful!"

Randy took a long swallow from his third glass of liquor, "Yeah, wonderful."

The topic of conversation at the table shifted from Erin's leg.to the annoying flies that continually harassed them.to Chaselyn's garden. And as she sat there Erin tried to concentrate on the people and the words around her, though she couldn't help but glance down at her leg and wonder if it was all a fluke. Stop thinking it's always the worst. Remember what William said about pain. About how it tells us that something is getting the signal to the brain.}

Now, all she needed to do was to get the reverse to happen. Meaning, get the signal from the brain to her legs. That, she knew, wouldn't be as easy as getting burned. But at least there was that little glimmer and that's really all she could handle at that particular point in time.



Erin sat in Dr. McFadden's office and stared at her feet. She'd never been to the 'medical' part of the Grayson Center before and for some reason, she felt rather small sitting on the examining table. Dr. McFadden stepped in and nodded toward Erin and her parents. She suddenly had a flash of a memory when she was nine years old and had to get her tonsils removed. It felt just like that, only she was bigger, her parents were older, and this wasn't some little elective surgery that they were discussing.

Dr. McFadden spoke more to Chaselyn than she did to either Erin or Merle. Chaselyn had already started thinking that Erin would be up and running in a matter of weeks. However, to everyone else, the 'burning' sensation was definitely a positive sign but not one to base all their hopes on. As he spoke Erin stared at the wall and thought of all the nights she'd laid in bed praying for a discussion like this one. A discussion that, though it wasn't one hundred percent 'good' was at least a start. After the appointment, Dr. McFadden shook all their respective hands and offered expressions of good luck and better physical progress until their next appointment.

Erin glanced down at her watch. Eleven fifteen. In forty-five minutes, she'd be in the physical therapy room with William. Her heart started to race at the thought of it. But was it the thought of seeing him? The thought of remembering how he'd made her feel? Or the idea of telling him about what had happened to her over the weekend. No matter, her heart still raced.and it had been quite a while since she'd felt that type of anticipation.



William pulled in to his parking space at the Grayson Center and sat in his Jeep staring at the beautiful water fountain ahead of him. What are you going to do? Christ William, you're going to see her again today. What are you going to do? He rested his head on the steering wheel and prayed for something to help him. But there was no sign.

However, Edward Lancer, a fellow PT knocked on William's driver side window, "Hey, William, you okay?"

William looked over at Edward and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, that's all." William stepped out of the Jeep and walked with Edward into the building.

"Yeah, I remember what it was like before Lisa and I got married. Jesus, the way she ran around here and there. Oh, and then she'd start talking about this and that.God, I about went nuts!"

William laughed, "Yeah, I suppose you're right." If only it was that simple. If only he was feeling the stress of the upcoming wedding. But he wasn't. William decided to change the subject. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask, what'd you get out of that conference?"

Edward laughed, "Freebies and food. Some physical therapy guru rambled on and on about shit we'd never actually do!" Edward opened the door to the physical therapy offices. "I'm just glad we didn't have to stay for the entire conference. Three days was enough for me!"

William laughed and then stopped in his tracks, "Three days?"

"Yeah, why?" Edward grabbed his patient roster.

William shook his head and stared at his own patient roster, "Oh, nothing. Just thinking how nice it would be to get three days away from here." He picked up the roster and nodded a goodbye to Edward. Three days? But Vicki was gone five days. William stared across the PT room at the equipment that he needed to set up for his first case, Jenna Myers, knee reconstruction.

{Three days? What in the hell.why was she gone for five days? William headed to the PT room and saw Jenna with her two sisters and their Pekinese dog. "You know, animals aren't allowed in here." Jenna looked at her sisters and rolled her eyes. The two girls and their little dog left the room.

Jenna, a sixteen year old tennis player, flirted mercilessly with William. "You know, you've got such nice hands, William.I like that cologne what is it?.Hey, do you think you could come watch me play after my knee gets better?" To wit, William just smiled and did his job.

It was easy for him to tune out the childish banter from Jenna. Because when he looked at her, he saw a child. And that simply didn't turn him on. He inwardly laughed, Good thing it's not Paul. He'd have her in that hot tub in no time flat. A grin crossed his face.

Jenna smiled up at him with her big blue eyes. "So will you come to one of my matches?"

William laughed, "No, Jenna, I can't. Sorry, conflict of interest." That sounded so 'official' and it seemed to work because Jenna looked rather down trodden after he said it. William glanced at the clock. It was almost twelve. It was almost time to see Erin again. He felt his throat grow dry with anticipation.

When he finished up with Jenna and sat down to write down her progress on her chart, William realized that his heart was beating faster than normal. What is wrong with you? Christ! Okay, that's it. You're going to have to talk to her and tell her that you were out of line the other day. You've gotta, William. Damn.}

William stepped out into the lobby and saw Merle and Chaselyn sitting with Erin. Chaselyn looked like she was going to bounce out of her seat. What in the world?}

Erin saw him standing in the doorway and tried to keep herself calm. The last thing she needed right now was her mother finding out that she had a 'thing' for William. A 'thing'? Was that what it was? Erin wasn't even sure if it could be classified that way.but something definitely happened to her when she saw him. Good grief, if her mother thought that Erin was showing interest in another person, well, it'd be like the sun and moon coming to rest on the Earth for Chaselyn. And Erin wasn't sure if her mother could handle any more 'positive' news.

William walked over to the trio and smiled, "Hello, Erin, Mr. Durant.Mrs. Durant."

Chaselyn hopped out of her seat, "Hello William! So good to see you again." She hugged William. And he was taken aback by her action.

Erin sighed, "Mother, please." She looked up at William and shook her head, "Mama's a bit beside herself today." Then Erin laughed.

William was once again stunned. But not by Erin's mother, rather by Erin's sweet laugh. It was so pure and soft and it made his heart race even more than it already had been racing. "She is? What's going on? Did you win the lottery?"

Chaselyn grinned, "No! Erin burned her leg!"

"Excuse me?" William looked confused.

Chaselyn started spewing forth an explanation that went by so quickly it left everyone's head in a spin. "Erin burned her leg yesterday with sauce and she felt it and it could be a good thing because it was a feeling and we just went to the doctor. But he said not to get too excited, but I don't care what he says, I'm excited and that's that!"

Merle put his hands over his wife's, "What Lyn's saying is that yesterday, Erin got burned on her leg with barbeque sauce and she felt the burn. So when we went to the doctor today, he said that it could be a good thing. Said it could mean that the swelling is down enough now for Erin's nerves to start working right."

William shook his head, "Oh, alright. I get it. Well, that's great, really." He looked into Erin's golden eyes and felt the world around him slip away, "Ready to go for your workout?" Erin nodded. He went to push her wheelchair only to be stopped by Chaselyn.

Chaselyn beamed, "You know, I thought that I'd come today so I can see what you're doing. That way Erin can work on the exercises at home."

William looked from Chaselyn to Erin and then to Merle. He smiled, "Sure, yeah, that sounds like a great idea." Damn it. How're you gonna talk to her now? The quartet made their way back to the PT training room and William went through all the steps of being a good PT.

Merle and Chaselyn paid close attention to everything William said and asked him lots of questions. For a while, Erin felt like she was invisible but on the occasions where William would have to touch her hand or move her leg to position it, Erin knew from the electricity in his touch, that he knew she was there.

Erin wanted to talk to him. To talk about what had happened. To tell him.thank you. And occasionally she would look up and into his blue-green eyes but she tried not to. Because every time she did she could feel her face grow flush.

At the end of the session, William, desperate to find a way to get a few moments alone with Erin thought of a way to steal a bit of time to be with her. "You know, Mr. and Mrs. Durant, if you go to the front desk and tell Tabitha that you need to get you a set of exercise bands, she'd be more than happy to find you a set. That way you can work with Erin at home on some of the things we've done today." He knew it would take Tabitha a good ten to fifteen minutes to find the set of bands and another five or possibly ten minutes to fill out the paperwork so they could take them home. Especially since Tabitha wasn't the 'sharpest tool in the shed'.

The Durants smiled and did exactly as he suggested. And as soon as they were through the double doors William turned to Erin and said, "Can I talk to you?" He glanced around the room and saw Edward working with another patient, "Alone?" Erin nodded. William rolled Erin to the far side of the room and made sure that they couldn't easily be seen.

Once the two of them were out of earshot and for all intents and purposes 'alone' William stood over Erin and couldn't think of anything to say.

Erin broke the silence. "William," she was shocked at how odd her voice sounded, "I.I.thank you.for what you did."

William closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Looking down at her, she seemed so soft, so fragile. He pulled a chair up next to her and sat down. "You're.I mean.I shouldn't have.I mean, I just wanted to." Where was the speech he'd formulated in his mind? Gone. Gone and in its stead, the words of a blithering idiot spilled out from his mouth.

Erin smiled, "William, I understand. Really." She put her finger to hip lips to quiet him and was shocked at how touching him made her feel.

William felt her long cool finger rest against his lips and he wanted to cry out. Instead he took her hand in his and put it to his cheek. Her skin was so soft. So pale. He stared into her eyes and found himself lost in their golden fire.

As though he was being pulled by some unseen puppeteer, William leaned in toward her and the heady scent of baby powder and roses filled his nostrils. Her lips were so close to his. If he just leaned a little closer, he would be able to touch them.

Erin felt his strong hand take hers and she looked into the deep blue green of his eyes. She felt herself falling into them and she didn't care if she drowned. His lips were so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her.

And then, as if they'd been drawn together by some invisible force, their lips met. William felt the rose petal softness of her lips open under the pressure of his own mouth. Her soft, silky tongue touched his and he closed his eyes to the world around him. Her kiss was so.everything. It consumed him and he didn't want it to stop. He felt her cool hands touch his cheeks and hold him to her.

If she was a flower, she was a passion flower and he was a bee wanting so badly to get to the core of her. Only he knew the true essence of her lay deeper than where he was. He wanted to take her away, to hold her, to search her until he found the very center of her. But he also knew that how he felt for her wasn't 'right'. He knew that. But it felt so right.

Erin melted into him. She felt weeks of sadness drip down and away from her like an icicle in the bright afternoon sun. She loved how it felt to feel warm again. And she didn't want it to stop. She opened her mouth more and let him kiss her even deeper. She felt his arms wrap around her and pull her closer to him. Erin knew that it would end soon. And not just 'soon' as in, a few moments from then. She knew he was going to marry Vicki. She knew it, but she didn't want to believe it.not right then. For the next few moments she wanted their lives to be suspended in the nirvana she'd found.

As the kiss ended and they pulled away from one another, not one word was spoken. What would they say? What could they say? This.whatever 'this' was, wasn't permanent and they both knew it. They stared at one another, wondering what to do next.

But they didn't have to wonder very long, as reality reared its ugly head and the sound of voices, familiar voices, on the other side of the room flooded their ears. Erin sat back in her wheelchair and closed her eyes. William stared at her long, graceful fingers and wished that they were intertwined with his own. Something about all this wasn't very fair.

To him, he felt like he was being tested by some unseen force. A force that lay in wait for him to falter. To slip and give in to the passion that bubbled just beneath the surface of his skin. William didn't want to do that. He loved Vicki, didn't he? He was going to marry her. He was going to spend the rest of his life with her.

William stood and cleared his throat. "Erin, maybe." he didn't want to say it. But he knew he had to, "Maybe you should get a different therapist." He almost choked on the words as they came out of his mouth.

Without so much as a word Erin nodded her head and put her hands down to the wheels of her chair. She felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer to her heart and had beaten her will back down. She rolled away and toward the exit. Erin couldn't blame him. Of that she was certain. She wasn't stupid enough to think that he'd stop his life for her, a girl he barely knew. Someone who was.broken. Especially since Vicki was.well, absolutely perfect.

As the heavy doors slowly opened before her she turned to William and smiled, "It's alright. I understand. Noon wasn't good for me anyway." She wheeled out of the room. And though she felt like crying she didn't let one tear fall from her eyes. No. She'd done all her crying. And she was tired of it.

Erin spotted her parents at the front desk with Tabitha and took a deep breath. "Hey, you get the bands?"

Chaselyn beamed at her daughter, "Yes. Now we can work everyday to get you up at 'em."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Erin laughed at her mother's enthusiasm.

Tabitha opened up the appointment book. "Next Wednesday at noon, right?"

Chaselyn smiled, "Yes, indeedy!"

Erin held up her hand and said, "No.I'd rather come around eight in the morning."

Her mother turned to her and looked somewhat shocked, "But honey, I don't think William comes in until eleven or so." She turned to Tabitha, "Right?" Tabitha nodded.

Erin sighed, "So? It's not like William has some kind of mystical powers or something. I'm sure the other therapists are just as good as he is. Besides, I'd just rather get it over with as soon as possible."

Merle saw that Chaselyn was about to protest and he put up his hand. "Now, Lyn, if Erin doesn't want to come at noon, it's alright. Besides, I can think of much better things to do at noon.like get lunch. Are either of you starved, cause I sure am!"

Erin smiled, "Yeah, Daddy, I am. So, Tabitha, what have you got for Wednesday at eight?"

Tabitha looked, "Well, Louise is here. She's really great, too. She works with the local high schools as a trainer and has some great exercises. Oh, but you'll be here tomorrow at ten for your arm, right?"

"Yes.I will. And I suppose Louise it is." Erin smiled so broadly she thought her face would crack. If there was one thing being on stage had taught her, it was to smile, even if you were in pain. She'd smiled through broken toes and blisters, but smiling to cover a bruised heart somehow seemed so much harder.

As the trio headed toward the ornate lobby, Erin turned back briefly enough to see William standing at the PT room doors, a clip board in his hands. And though she thought it was impossible, she felt her heart break a little bit more. Stop it, Durant. Stop.}



William went through the motions of the rest of his day, but he wasn't really 'there'. All he could think of was how he felt. This is fucking stupid, Fitzpatrick. Whatever 'it' was you felt for Erin Durant is over now. She's gone. Let her go. He kept telling himself that over and over again. He figured that if he said it enough, it would be true.

Through out the day he couldn't shake the feeling that there was a dark cloud looming over him. And as the four o'clock hour rolled around, William felt utterly exhausted. He simply wanted to go home and rest. He sat at his desk and pulled out his phone to call Vicki. She didn't come in on Mondays and he wanted to make sure she'd be home when he got there.

He dialed her cell-phone number and waited for it to ring. It was so quiet in the office as he sat there waiting for her to pick up the phone and say hello. And then, William heard something that confused him. He heard the familiar ring of Vicki's phone. "What the hell?" He hung up the phone and sat there for a minute or two. Was it his imagination?

William dialed the number again and waited. He heard the little ringer song and stood up. William looked over his shoulder and it dawned on him that the sound was coming from Trey's office. He went to the door and even though it was slightly ajar, he knocked on it. There was no response. He pushed the door and looked around. No one was in Trey's office.

He went to Trey's desk and dialed Vicki's phone again. He waited and listened for it to ring again. When he heard the ringer go off, he looked over at the small couch to the far left of the room and saw her phone lying on the cushion. William picked it up and looked at it. "Weird." Probably fell out of her bag or something. He tucked the slim silver cell-phone into his back pocket and left Trey's office.

He had not one iota of a reason to think anything other than that it had fallen out of her bag.and why should he? Vicki was, if anything, one of the most honest, trustworthy people he'd ever know. No one could hold a candle to her on that note. Well, no one other than Claudia. But then again, Claudia was altogether a different species of woman in William's eyes. He left Trey's office, making sure to pull the door closed behind him.



Vicki stared at her hands and waited patiently for Trey to get off the phone. Gotta tell him. Gotta tell him, now. Why did she feel so cold? Was she nervous? Why should she be nervous? After all, Trey knew this wasn't something that was going to be long term. Hell, it had lasted longer than either of them thought it would. Maybe it was because she thought she was going to hurt his feelings or something. Yes, that had to be it.

Trey smiled at her as he talked with the Human Resources person about one of the PT's who took four days off for a funeral. He rolled his eyes as if to say, 'assholes.heartless assholes.' When he finally put the telephone receiver back in its cradle, Vicki thought that her heart was going to explode.

Trey went to the door and checked to make sure it was locked. When he turned to Vicki, a broad, knowing smile crossed his face. "Now, Vicki, what is it that has you looking so.so, concerned?" He sat down beside her and put his hand on her knee.

She whispered, "This." Vicki looked up into his eyes and quietly added, "Us. This has to stop. I can't do this anymore."

Vicki expected Trey to get upset and yell or something. But he didn't. Instead, Trey put his hands on her shoulders and started to gently massage them. "Vicki, what's wrong? Did something happen? Did William find out something?"

"Did William find out something? Are you serious? If William found out something, I wouldn't be here right now. I don't know where I'd be.but it wouldn't be here." Vicki felt like her throat was tightening up on her.

Trey slid his hands up and down her arms, "Well, if William isn't the problem.what is?"

Vicki could feel tears growing in her eyes. Why was she so upset? It wasn't like she was in love with Trey or anything. It was just some stupid affair. "Me. I'm the problem. I should never have.God, Trey, this is all my fault. I'm so sorry. I just don't think I can do this anymore."

Trey pulled her close and let her rest her head on his shoulder, "It's okay, Vicki. If you don't want to do this anymore, I understand. Really."

Vicki pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "What? Are you being serious? It doesn't bother you?"

"I didn't say that." Trey smiled at her, "Of course it bothers me." He wiped a tear off of her cheek, "Vicki, these past few weeks have been wonderful. I can't begin to tell you how you've made me feel. But, I'm not stupid. I wasn't expecting you to run away from William because of me." He laughed, "In fact, if you did, I'd probably be a bit weary of you."

Both he and Vicki laughed at his last statement. "I thought you'd be so upset. I don't want to hurt you, Trey."

Trey kissed her forehead, "Vicki, baby, I know you'd never hurt me.not on purpose. It's not in your nature." He slid his hand down her back and tenderly massaged the tight muscles at the small of her back. "My God, baby, you're so tense. This has really been worrying you hasn't it?"

Vicki felt his fingers gently kneading the tight muscles of her back and nodded. She rested her head on his chest and let him continue to massage her back. There was something about Trey that made her feel so good. She could hear his heart beating as she sat there. Then, without even thinking, Vicki slid her hand up his chest and could feel each of his muscles. He was so unlike William.

William was chiseled and, for what it was worth, pretty damn perfect save his leg. But Trey wasn't anywhere near perfect. He wasn't nearly as tall as William. Wasn't nearly as ripped as William. Wasn't nearly as athletic as William. But in every other way, he was as good as or better than William.

Before Vicki realized what she was doing, she'd put her lips to his and started to kiss him. This was not the kiss of a woman who was trying to say goodbye. Her kiss was deep and earnest and begged Trey to ignore her words. Damn. Betrayed by her own lips. What would she do now?

Vicki had one thing on her mind at that particular moment. And looking into Trey's eyes told her that he was thinking the same thing. Vicki felt Trey tug gently at her shirt and pull it out from beneath the waistband of her skirt. He slid his hands up and expertly pulled the shirt over her head. And Vicki made no attempt to stop him.

In fact, she tugged at his shirt and pulled it off of him just as fluidly as he helped her out of her top. Vicki undid her bra and let it slip down around her wrists. Trey took her breasts in his hands and kissed them. Vicki was lost in the feeling of his lips on her.

As he kissed the soft tender flesh that was before him, Trey let his hand slide down beneath, Vicki's skirt and took hold of her thin cotton bikini underwear. He pulled them down off of her and slid his hand between her legs. He heard her moan softly as he started to play with her.

Trey gently pushed Vicki back onto the couch and whispered in her ear, "Do you want me to stop, Vicki? Tell me, and I will." Vicki never opened her eyes, never said a word.she just nodded for him to continue.

Trey was beside himself with joy. When Vicki had said she wanted to end their relationship, something inside of him wanted to cry out, NO.but seeing her react the way she was right then and there told him that she didn't really know what she wanted. But he knew he wanted her. He wanted to make her his, permanently. But that wasn't likely to happen. So he was going to take every minute he could with her and enjoy it to the fullest.

He knew it wasn't right to think that way. But he'd been watching Vicki from the first day she'd stepped into the Grayson Center. He'd wanted her so badly and now that he had her, he didn't really want to let her go.

Trey unzipped his trousers and pushed them off his legs. The only thing between them now was the skirt that Vicki wore. He pushed it up and sighed, like he always did when he caught sight of her. He hated the thought that William got to enjoy Vicki the way that he did. In fact, it drove him crazy. But right now.he was the only one around. William wasn't even at work yet. And Vicki was his for the taking.

He wanted to slip down between her legs and partake of her. But he knew that could be very risky. Hell, what he was doing right now was pretty damn risky.but Vicki had a tendency to get rather vocal when he played with her using his mouth and he couldn't risk having her yell out. It could bring the whole office and the security guards, too. Later, Trey. Later.}

Instead, Trey wasted no time in sliding between her legs and filling her up with all of him. He could see that Vicki wanted to cry out, so he put his mouth over hers and kissed her so deeply the cry was lost in the depths of his throat. Christ, she felt amazing.

Vicki wrapped her legs around Trey and pulled him as deeply into her as possible. He felt so good inside her. He moved so purposefully. He was so unlike William. Don't think of him. Don't. Not now Vicki. No. She let the brief feeling of guilt fly away from her. There would be plenty of time to feel guilty later on, anyway.

Trey moved in her like a man with purpose. And Vicki felt every single stroke like it was the first and last all rolled into one. It was magnificent. Maybe it was the fear of being found out. Or maybe it was simply that Trey was one fucking good lover. She didn't know. And she didn't really care.

Trey felt her getting close. He'd learned quickly to tell when her body was ready. He could feel her muscles start to contract around him. She gritted her teeth and her back arched so fully that it actually lifted Trey's body and put him in a position that made him want to cry out in joy. Jesus, girl, how do you fucking do that? He couldn't hold on much longer and he didn't want to. He slammed into Vicki as powerfully as he could. It was awesome. He saw lights flicker around him and felt like he was falling down a dark mine shaft.

Vicki wanted to scream. She was in that place where there is nothing good nor bad. Right nor wrong. It just is. And it is awesome. She knew she'd crash soon and it was the freefall that she was praying for. She inhaled deeply and then it happened. Her body climaxed and she felt herself flooding out and mixing with the flood that was Trey. Was it wrong? Yes. Did she care? Yes. Did she want it to end? No.



William had no idea that Vicki's phone had fallen out of her skirt pocket as Trey made love to her. And why would he? He stared at her phone and then at his own watch. Five thirty. Only an hour more and he could leave. One more patient and he could put the day behind him.

As he worked with John Tripper, an elderly geriatric patient, he watched the hands on the clock in the PT room move so slowly he could have sworn they were going backwards. He silently prayed for guidance. And did he ever need it. William felt so confused. His heart told him one thing while his head said another.

His rational side begged for him to let go of the idea of the broken dancer who needed him while his irrational side screamed at him to go after her. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Erin's face and could feel her lips on his. It was like she'd been burned into his soul and he realized that he was craving her. Jesus, William. What is wrong with you?}

What was happening to him? Why did he kiss her? Why did he suggest that she stop seeing him? Why?

Finally, the hands of the clock hit six thirty. His day was done. William didn't even finish filling out his end of the day report. He just gathered up his things and left the Grayson Center. It was another hot, sticky night in Atlanta. The smell of a late afternoon storm lingered on the air.

{Go home. His mind told him to go home, kiss Vicki, eat dinner, watch a movie and go to bed. But his body told him to go to Erin. To talk to her. To find out what it was about her that was driving him so crazy. He sat in his Jeep and stared at the address he'd written down. Would he listen to his heart? Or would he listen to his head? William turned the key and felt the Jeep grumble to a start. What would he do?