James grinned. “Aaron’s gonna run mad, Ian. And Doctor says you have to help me use the bathroom until I’m better.”
Dr. Thorne’s eyebrows rose. “I did?” he asked.
“Sure you did,” James made a sound somewhere between a giggle and a snort. “You said no heavy lifting, did you not?”
Ian’s chin dropped to his chest in aggrieved drama. “You’re going straight to hell,” he muttered under his breath. He straightened his shoulders then viewed the prescription with a jaundiced eye. “So this’ll help with his delusions, Doctor? I think he’s going to need something stronger given that wee bit of miscalculation.”
Clearing this throat, Dr. Thorne tried unsuccessfully not to laugh at the pair and signed the printed letter. Ian sent the fax then called to leave a message on the attorney’s voice mail announcing its impending arrival.
The doctor accepted a sociable cup of coffee and after he left, James and Ian got busy. They called Bryce, DJ and the others, telling them about the medical statement to be released. James suggested each band member get his own medical statement and fax it to Aaron.
In less than an hour, James was yawning again just as Beth wandered out of the bedroom. Ian was still typing up the correspondence while James draped his long frame across one of the plush recliners, his back to the door. Quiet as a mouse, she slipped up behind his chair, wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his cheek. He covered her hands with his and smiled up at her. “Good morning, love.”
Ian glanced up from his computer screen. “Good morning, Beth,” he smiled. Leveling a steely gaze on James he added, “Don’t get too comfortable, you’re going back to bed straightaway.”
James gave him a disdainful look, arching an auburn eyebrow. “You’re not my ma, Ian, so don’t start actin’ like it.”
“And it’s a damn good thing I’m not,” Ian retorted, “‘cause I’ll put your ass there and duct tape it down if necessary. She’d be all nice about it.” His mimicking voice rose to a high pitch. “Oh, pleeeease, Seamus, hie ye off to bed now so that I can sit vigil beside you and hand feed you tea and dumplings. Christ.” He snorted. “Go back to bed.” He waved a dismissive hand at Beth, not looking up from the computer, “And take that one with you. The two of you together are steaming up my screen.” Ian bit the inside of his cheek in his struggle to maintain a straight face.
Turning to Beth, James whispered loud enough for Ian to hear, “We all think Ian wasn’t held enough as a child. It’s made him somewhat…ah…difficult,” and taking her by the hand he dragged her laughing from the room while Ian growled at them over the top of the flat monitor.
* * * *
Once he was certain they were out of earshot, Ian chuckled and reached for the phone. Lily came into the office bearing two steaming mugs of coffee and some sweet rolls on a tray. She looked around, confused. Ian noticed her expression and asked, “Is something wrong, sweetheart?”
She shook her head. “I thought James was still up. Funny, I thought I just heard your mother in here.” When Ian’s eyebrows shot up incredulously, she giggled and set a mug down in front of him along with the plate of rolls. “Tea and dumplings?” she asked pointedly.
Mortally offended, Ian drew himself up and huffed, “Ma always mollycoddled him. All he had to do was sneeze and she’d toss him in bed and pour soup down him. Me? The very specter of death by pneumonia upon me and what I got was soup’s in the kitchen dear, and bring us back a cuppa when you go down,” he mimicked again.
Lily walked around the desk and threw her arms around him, doing her best not to make light of her affronted husband’s beleaguered childhood. “Poor baby. I’ll toss you in bed and feed you soup if you want.”
He pulled her into his lap and unable to contain it any longer laughed, “Just toss me in bed. I’ll give the soup a miss.” Slipping a wandering hand under her t-shirt, he felt for her bra clasp and unfastened it with a practiced snap of his fingers.
Gasping, she pushed his hands away and laughed, “I need to get ready for work.”
“Aye woman, but your husband needs you first, I recall a vow you made…” His phone call forgotten, he stood up taking Lily with him and strode purposefully to the master bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them.
* * * *
Beth’s ears perked up at the feminine giggles in the hallway culminating in the slam of the door. When she didn’t hear anything else, she laid her head back down on James’s chest. He had fallen asleep within minutes of lying down, still exhausted from the night’s activity. The long auburn lashes swept his cheeks, almost hiding the dark smudges beneath his eyes. Straight patrician nose with ….she looked closer. He’s got freckles! Beth’s eyes lit up in delight at the boyish sprinkling of brown dots just across the bridge of his nose. His light beard was so soft; she couldn’t resist trailing her fingers across it.
He’s exhausted, she thought, suddenly angry with his management for allowing his health to deteriorate this far. She brushed back a strand of hair that was in danger of falling into his eyes and he sighed softly, turning his head towards hers. She snuggled in a little closer and his arms closed protectively around her.
Still asleep, he rolled to face her. Following his lead she turned too, allowing him to fold himself around her and rest his chin atop her head. It was her turn to sigh and revel in the tranquility of the moment, and it wasn’t long before she too was asleep.
Beth awoke several hours later to a strange, tugging sensation. James raised his shaggy head to look at her through sleepy eyes as his mouth released her nipple with a soft pop. “Oh good, you’re up,” he said, his lips curving into a charming smile.
Beth giggled and ruffled his hair. Her eyes widened at the insistent nudge against her side. “Oh…” she whispered, “and you’re up too, I see.”
James made a snuffling noise and dove under the covers like a demented red gopher. She shrieked in alarm then slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the loud sound. “Not to worry, they’ve both left for work,” came the muffled reply from underneath the down comforter.
Reaching underneath the comforter she grabbed two fistfuls of auburn hair and tugged, insuring his cooperation to resurface. “You’re supposed to be resting,” she admonished.
“There is that,” he said with a resigned sigh, laying back down next to her. A devilish grin swept across his face and with one fluid movement he pulled her on top of him. “Then how about you do the work and I’ll lay here all quiet like and tell you how splendid you’re doing?” he offered helpfully. She looked uncertain until he whispered, “Like this, sweet.” He slid his hands down her back and cupped her bottom, grinding his hips against her. “You can go as fast or as slow as you like, my darlin’.”
Beth liked the idea a lot and moved her legs gingerly to accommodate him. With his full length inside her she began to move slow and tentatively, watching the nuance of expression flicker over his face. She was intensely aroused, made even more so by watching the impact of her movements on him and compounded by his thumb teasing the tiny bud he found so fascinating. She eased into a teasing rhythm. Fast then slow, fast again and abruptly slowing down to long sensual strokes that had him panting and groaning. “Aw, Jaysus, darlin’ you’re killin’ me here,” he moaned.
She smiled a secret womanly smile as he tugged her down to bury his face between her breasts. He said something so muffled she couldn’t make it out. “I’m sorry, what?” she breathed.
Her answer was a long, low growl. Wrapping both large hands around her waist, he assumed control and drove into her with mindless precision. She could feel the huge wave building until finally it broke over them, whirling and spinning out of control, sweeping them along like leaves in a windstorm. She cried out his name over and over again and he held her tight as they both exploded into oblivion.
“I love you, Lisbeth” he rasped out, his entire body shaking from the force of his climax.
“I love you, Seam-OH!” she gasped and before she knew it happ
ened again. Another orgasm rocked her to the core and she sobbed from the intensity of it. They clung together as the minutes ticked by until bit by bit their bodies began to relax again.
Beth eased over to his side and saw that he was watching her with a very satisfied smile on his face. “You’re far too good to me, darlin’,” he murmured, giving her an affectionate squeeze. Before she could say anything he put a finger to her lips. “Say nothing, mo chroi. I just want to look at you,” he said softly. “I want to always remember this moment. No matter where you go or what you do, I don’t think it’s possible for you to be any more beautiful than you are right now.”
Beth lowered her eyelashes and wondered what shade of crimson she was turning this time. “I don’t think–” but he silenced her again with a gentle kiss.
* * * *
The day went downhill for Aaron after discovering that the source of his new ulcer had absconded in the night, taking the cash cow with him. The frantic call from Marie advising him of the white river of incoming faxes was just icing on the case. On Aaron’s barked orders she emailed them to him and his attorney, Nathan Reynolds.
In his makeshift hotel room office, Aaron stared in disbelief at his laptop screen. Each email said the same thing in varying language - the members of Horizon were under medical supervision for exhaustion until further notice. When the phone rang, he didn’t bother checking the ID. “What?” he snapped tersely, still reading the latest missive.
Unperturbed, Nathan asked, “Did you get the faxes?”
“Yeah. What am I going to do, Nate?” Aaron groaned. “I got venues and promoters calling; my phone’s ringing off the hook. What am I supposed to tell them?”
“Not a lot we can do,” said the attorney. “If you threaten legal action to get the band back into the fold, it’s going to create a shitstorm of bad press. James has already been hospitalized once. The media was all over that. It’s not a stretch to think the whole band is wiped out.”
“Do we have any legal options?” Aaron asked, not even slightly hopeful at this point.
“Not really. It’s in the contract that medical necessity can negate the validity of said contract. Drug overdose is one thing. That’s considered to be self-inflicted. Exhaustion created by overbooking, that’s something else. From what I can see, Kelly’s doctor covered every fine point in the statement he released,” Nathan said, grudging admiration evident in his voice. “We’ll keep looking, but for right now it’s airtight. You don’t have a band until they’re no longer under a doctor’s care.”
That fucking Irish bastard, this is his doing. “I guess I’ll need to make a statement to the press,” Aaron sighed. “How fast can you get it ready?” He stared up at the ceiling in hopes it would cave in on him when an idea suddenly struck. “Do we even know where the band is?” he asked.
Papers rustled in the background. “These faxes are all coming from the UK, except for….this one,” Nathan replied.
Aaron crossed his fingers. “Who’s still in the US?” he asked cautiously.
“It appears Kelly might be. His fax came from an 813 area code. That’s Florida, isn’t it?”
Aaron’s smile was broad. “It is.”
* * * *
James stretched like a cat then headed for the kitchen, intent on raiding the fridge. The apartment was quiet, Beth having just left for work. Even Bella was nowhere to be seen. Rounding the corner, he helped himself to a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, peeked into a couple of covered plates and was just about to pull one out when his phone rang. Clutching the water, he sprinted back towards the bedroom and answered after grimacing at the caller ID. “What, Aaron,” he said flatly.
“How’re you feeling, James?” the manager asked bluntly.
“How am I feeling, he asks,” James snorted with disgust. “Tired, Aaron. I believe I mentioned that. You got the medical statement, I’m guessing?”
“Yes, I did, along with statements for the entire band. What are you trying to do? Give me a fucking heart attack? How could you do this to me? After all this time, after all I’ve done to help your career–”
James interrupted before Aaron could finish that thought. “I’m sorry. I didn’t pack enough duds for this guilt trip. I told you this months ago. Here’s me thinking I was having a real fucking heart attack and you’re more worried about trotting me out for pictures with the press.”
Aaron heaved an exaggerated sigh. “So when are you coming back?”
“When I’m rested. When I feel better. When I’m ready. And not a bloody second before,” he added for emphasis.
There was a long pause. “Where are you?” Aaron asked casually.
James instantly went on the defensive. “Why? Planning on sending me a get well card?” When no immediate response came, he changed the subject. “I’ll be in touch to let you know how I’m doing. I’ve got tests at the hospital in the morning.”
Aaron tried again. “I’m worried about your security. If you just tell me where you are, I can send bodyguards…”
“Spies, you mean. No, I’m secure right where I’m at. You needn’t worry…”
“Goddamnit, James. You tell me where you are,” he bellowed. “We are still under contract with each other, and I demand to know…”
James drew in a deep breath to suggest–at maximum volume and in the strongest possible language–what Aaron could do with his demands. Instead, he sputtered in alarm when Ian neatly plucked the phone from his hand, turned it off and tossed it onto the bed with an unrepentant grin. “Hungry?” he asked, heading back towards the kitchen. “I’m thinkin’ you didn’t hear me come in over all the yelling. Aaron sounds a mite put out.”
“Sneaky bastard, what kind of ninja shit was that? Ought to put a bell around your neck,” James grumbled as he followed him down the hall, but then brightened instantly when they rounded the corner into the kitchen. “So, then…what’s for lunch?”
19
After dinner several days later, Bella and the brothers were relaxing on the sofa in the great room. James had custody of the TV remote while Ian sketched. “Got any suggestions on a nice place to live around here?” James asked, stretching out on the immense sectional. He gave Bella a scratch under her chin. “Don’t want to be wearin’ out my welcome, do I, sweet girl,” he crooned to the black cat. Bella’s adoring look plainly said she didn’t care if he ever left so long as the petting continued.
Ian didn’t look up from his sketchpad. “Besides these apartments?” he asked absently. “These are the only ones I really know anything about.”
Lily plopped down in between them and poked her husband in the ribs with a slender finger. “Tell him already, I can’t stand it.”
Ian jerked from the manicured assault and Bella fixed them both with a withering glare at being disturbed. “Stop that. You’re distressing my cat,” he admonished. He caught her hand before she could jab him again and said to James, “Lily’s done a couple of readings for you. She says you have a new home in your immediate future.”
James sat up and looked at Lily with renewed interest. “So where’s this new home, then? I wanted to find out about these apartments, if there were any open. I like the floor plan, and the security seems good…”
Shaking free of his grasp, Lily poked Ian again and growled, “Tell him or I will. Never mind, you’re too slow.” She turned to James and said, “Ian’s already called around to find out what’s available in this development. As luck would have it, the people in the apartment across from us just put theirs up for sale.”
“I have the name of the realtor if you’re interested. If not,” Ian shrugged, “I’m sure they can find something else for you that you and Be…that you’d like.”
James lowered his head and caught the grin threatening to escape. “I’ll give them a call in the morning to see what they can do for me. Maybe Beth would be willing to help me pick out some furniture and things.”
Lily smiled at that thought. “Just because all your t
ests came back okay doesn’t mean you get to go out and overdo it; you’re still supposed to be resting. I’m sure between us all we can get you set up.”
“It would be nice to have you close by again,” Ian said, winking at James. Lily leaned over to look at what he was working on, and although it wasn’t finished, there was no doubt it was a preliminary sketch of James and Beth locked in a passionate kiss. She beamed back at James. “Beth’s coming over after work, right?”
He nodded. “She loves you guys, but I think she feels like she’s imposing being over here so much. Maybe when I have my own place…”
Ian arched an eyebrow. “What exactly are you planning to do about the girl, boyo?”
James returned a cocky grin and waggled his own eyebrows. “‘Tis naught of yer concern, Paddy.”
Lily never saw the tasseled missile that rocketed past her to smack James squarely in the head. He rolled off the couch with a solid thump as Ian warned in a fast thickening brogue, “Best mind yerself. Call me Paddy again and I’ll twist yer fuzzy head off.”
The muffled voice drifted up from the floor. “Ah, ya great feckin’ amadan, you’ve gone and killed me, so you have.”
“Yer claimed, bucko,” Ian growled, executing a masterful leap from the couch and onto the prone body. Bella dove for cover and the wrestling match began in earnest, the gleeful brothers rolling around on the floor crashing into and knocking over furniture.
“Resting, remember? You’re acting like a couple of children,” Lilly chided, jumping to rescue a teetering wine glass from falling to the floor. “Ian, really, he’s not well. James, you let him go right this minute. Both of you....stop it and behave!”
Lily’s protestations fell on deaf ears, but when Ian pinned him she couldn’t help but giggle as James moaned dramatically, “Jaysus, now you done it. I’m bleeding, Ian. Room…growing dark…” His eyes fluttered closed and his head went limp.
Ian peered down at him doubtfully. “You’re not bleeding, ya lying eejit.” James’s eyes flew open as he grabbed Ian in a headlock, and the wrestling commenced again.
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