Thin Ice (17 page)

"Easy, honey, easy."

He stiled and she relaxed, dropping her chin to her chest.

Tentatively, she gathered him close. He smiled against her skin.

Tentatively, she gathered him close. He smiled against her skin.

“That's it, Emily. Just tel me what you want. Show me. I won't do anything you don't like."

His husky promise melted the last of her reservations. Wordlessly she guided him on a slow, sensual journey of discovery that brought her more pleasure than she had known was possible. He folowed her lead until he had her nerve endings so sensitized the mere hint of his breath on her skin had her whimpering in response.

Eric eased her back onto the bed. He slipped his fingers inside the waistband of her sweatpants and gave a light tug. “Lift up, sweetheart. I need to find out if the rest of you tastes this good."

Within seconds her pants were a heap on the floor, Eric warm and naked beside her.

"Oh, Emily, you're so damn wet."

She smiled dreamily. “I can't imagine why."

Eric rumbled with low, satisfied laughter. Emily opened her eyes to find him propped on one elbow, shaking his head. “I had no idea you'd be this much fun in bed."

Emily grinned. “Neither did I."

He smoothed her hair away from her face. “We're going to be so good together."

She lifted a hand to his cheek. “We already are."

She lifted a hand to his cheek. “We already are."

He kissed her palm, her wrist, her inner elbow. Then swore.

"Eric? What's wrong?"

Deep apology entered his eyes. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that I, uh, didn't bring anything. As in I wasn't planning on this tonight?"

That he hadn't come to see her with sex in mind pleased Emily enormously. She raised her eyebrow and offered a sassy grin.

“Then it's a good thing you're in bed with a doctor.” She roled across the bed and reached for her briefcase on the floor. “I just happen to have some samples you might like to try on for size."

Eric stared. “You carry condoms in your brief-case?"

Emily popped open the locks, puled out a foil packet and wiggled it wickedly in front of him. “You're not the only one who gives lectures and passes out souvenirs afterward, Mr. Cameron."

His expression turned to one of delight. “You lecture about sex?"

"About safer sex,” she corrected primly. “Once a month at the Women's Health Connection.” She continued her spiel just as primly. “It's part of a program the hospital offers as a community service to women looking for advice on a variety of health-related topics. Diet, exercise, coping with stress..."

"And sex."

Emily broke into a wide grin, loving his delight. “And sex."

Eric shook his head in amazement. How ... did I ever get so lucky?"

The catch in his voice told Emily the question had nothing to do with sex or condoms, and everything to do with the need that had drawn them toward this moment since the night they'd met. The need she had refused to examine, for fear of what she would find.

But the time for fear and mistrust was over. Emily closed the briefcase and set it back on the floor. Her heart in her eyes, she offered Eric her hand. “I'm the lucky one."

Eric wasn't sure if he'd found heaven or hel. On the one hand he'd just made the most amazing love with the one woman who had captured his mind, heart and soul from the moment he'd met her, and on the other he couldn't tel her how he felt about her.

He didn't dare. Not until she had a chance to experience what life as his lady would be like. No way he'd risk teling Emily he loved her until he was sure she knew what she was getting into and accepted it, warts and al. He didn't expect her to pack up her medical bag and folow him around the continent—but he did think she needed to take a fair shot at seeing what his life was like, both she needed to take a fair shot at seeing what his life was like, both on and off the ice. It wasn't glamorous by any means; at times it was downright ugly.

Then again, maybe it would be better to keep her separate from his work. Keep her and Robbie protected from the fickleness of the media and fans, the volatility and crudity of his teammates, the explosive hostility of his opponents and their fans. The Saints were riding high, now, but a team was only as good as its last game and they couldn't keep winning forever.

But that would mean he'd hardly ever see her.

She stirred beside him. “You're awfuly quiet."

He tightened his arm around her, kissed her hair. “Just thinking about the game."

Her fingers feathered playfuly across his chest. “Sorry, Bud, you're not alowed to think about work when you're in bed."

He chuckled. “I like the way you think. Speaking of work, what happens to Robbie when you have to go in at night?"

"Anna stays with him."

"She comes over in the middle of the night?"

"She's been doing it for years."

Eric stared. “No wonder she's so special. That's one hel of a Eric stared. “No wonder she's so special. That's one hel of a babysitter you've got. You don't happen to pay her in gold?"

Emily couldn't help but laugh. “I don't pay her at al. Unless you count outrageously lavish gifts at Christmas and for her birthday.

She takes care of Robbie because she loves him."

"Would you mind if I asked what her husband thinks of al this?"

Emily smiled, enjoying herself. “Augustus? He's usualy the one who cals her in the middle of the night and tels her I need her to come over. She's married to my boss."

"The white-haired guy?"

"They've been married for two years. Before that, she lived with me. And before that, I lived with her. She's a retired pediatric nurse and the closest thing to family I've got in this area. Any more questions?” she asked with another smile.

"Just one. Are you on cal tonight?"

"Nope. Augustus gave me the weekend off.” Her green eyes sparkled with mischief. “So we've got at least eleven more hours to get to know each other better."

"Eleven?"

"You're leaving at one, right? Wel, it's two now, so...” She levered herself onto his chest. Her long hair formed a rippling veil of silk herself onto his chest. Her long hair formed a rippling veil of silk around them that blocked out the rest of the world. “Got any suggestions as to how we should spend the next eleven hours?"

Eric grinned in delight. “That, I do."

Fifteen minutes later the telephone rang.

With a scowl, Eric looked up from where he was nibbling on Emily's toes. Emily delighted in the view, even as her heart sank.

Naked, with his hair mussed and jaw dark and shadowed, Eric reminded her of a pagan god. Maybe it was a wrong number. One could only hope. The phone rang again.

"Don't answer it,” Eric whispered.

Emily grinned at the conspiracy in his voice, then wrinkled her nose.

“Sorry. I have to."

He slid her arch along the stubble of his cheek, sending spikes of sexual energy up her leg. “Why? You're not on cal."

"Doesn't matter. I stil have to answer it."

"Not even when I do ... this?"

"Eric! Come on,” She laughed and scooted upright, then squirmed away from his clever fingers as the phone rang a fourth time. “It might be Robbie."

"At this hour?"

"Accidents happen. Helo?"

A long silence echoed across the line, folowed by someone clearing his throat. “Er ... sorry to do this to you, Em."

Emily sagged against the pilows. “What is it this time, Augustus?"

"Twenty-two car pileup. They've been bringing them in for two hours. Hanson didn't show, and I had to send two residents home with the flu—"

"I'l be there as soon as I can."

He paused. “I owe you, Emily."

She looked at Eric, who sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed, her foot cradled in his hands. “That you do,” she said, and hung up.

She met Eric's eyes and sighed, not for the first time in the past few months resenting the demands of her career. Maybe it was time for a change. But trauma medicine was al she'd ever wanted to practice, and she doubted an ER existed with enough doctors on staff to alow her the luxury of regular working hours. Turnover in the field was horrendous.

So was burnout.

She sighed again. “I have to go to work."

She sighed again. “I have to go to work."

"I'l take you."

She smiled, touched. “Won't work. I could be there for hours."

"Or not get there at al."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't like the idea of you driving in this weather, Emily."

She lifted an eyebrow at that. “Oh?"

"Yeah, oh.” He jerked a thumb at the window. “Take a look. You can't even see through the window. The roads are probably sheer ice by now."

"Eric, I've driven on ice before."

"Not when I was around."

So. A few hours in her bed and he was already trying to run things.

“Listen, Eric, I appreciate your concern, but—"

"Concern? I make my living on ice, Emily. It's dangerous out there.

I'm not just concerned, I'm terrified at the thought of you out there alone in a car with balding tires."

"And we're going to be safer in your little car?"

"I drove my Explorer tonight. I wouldn't take the Boxter out in this."

"Oh.” She couldn't argue with that. “Okay, let's go."

The roads were a nightmare. They made the trip to the hospital in grim silence, Emily not wanting to distract Eric's driving, Eric too intent on getting them there in one piece to offer much in the way of conversation beyond an occasional curse.

He puled up to the main ER entrance. “I'l let you off here and park the car."

"Eric, you can't stay. I could be al night. You need your rest.

Augustus can take me home."

Eric's response was a kiss that made her body burn and a husky warning to “Get inside before I turn around and take you back to bed."

Breathless and flushed, she sailed through the ER doors just as Augustus was coming down the hal.

"Emily! Thank God you're safe."

She shrugged out of her coat and eyed the clipboard he carried.

“Sorry it took so long. The roads were a mess. Where do you need me?"

He paused, and Emily looked up to find him staring at her hair.

She'd puled it back with barrettes instead of confining it in her usual smooth chignon. “Your hair. It's..."

She smiled. “Curly. I've heard. Now, where do you need me?"

"Nowhere, at the moment. We've stabilized everyone who's come in so far and either sent them upstairs or home, but another chopper's due any minute.” After another glance at her hair, he filed her in on what to expect.

Satisfied she knew al she needed to know for the time being, she nodded. “Good. I've got time for coffee."

Augustus headed for the nurse's station while Emily headed for the coffee pot in the staff lounge. She poured two cups and returned to the deserted waiting area. Half a minute later, Eric strode through the door, his hair wet and windblown, his eyes scanning the corridor ahead of him.

"Over here."

He frowned and changed course. “Where is everyone? I thought the place would be jumping."

"A chopper's on its way. Coffee?"

He accepted his cup gratefuly, took a long swalow and studied his surroundings. “It's so quiet. Almost eerie."

"The eye of the hurricane,” she murmured, then sipped her coffee.

"The eye of the hurricane,” she murmured, then sipped her coffee.

On the heels of her remark came the approaching wail of a siren.

They turned to watch as an ambulance, lights flashing surrealisticaly in the driving sleet, roled past the front entrance and disappeared around the corner of the building.

Emily finished her coffee and mentaly geared herself up for the long night ahead. “Time to rol."

Eric draped an arm across her shoulders and brushed her temple with a kiss. “I'l see you later."

She nodded, then leaned into him for a moment to draw on his strength. It wasn't until she turned away and faced Sarah Ferguson's slack-jawed stare that she realized what she'd done. By arriving with Eric in the dead of night and cozying up to him in the middle of the waiting room, she'd as good as announced on the PA system she was sleeping with the man.

Nothing she could do about it now. She sent Sarah a look that promised an explanation later—an explanation she planned to do everything in her power to avoid—and went to work.

Four grueling hours later, Emily wished she'd never become a doctor. It hurt too much. She'd done everything she could, but on nights like this it wasn't enough. God knew she wished she could numb herself to the pain when she lost a patient, but it never worked that way. She trudged out to the reception area to see if by some miracle Eric was stil there. She'd caught a glimpse of him some miracle Eric was stil there. She'd caught a glimpse of him earlier in the hal, just as the last two accident victims had arrived by helicopter. Neither had survived, but even before the code blue team had ceased resuscitation efforts, two ambulances bearing victims of an apartment house fire had arrived to take their place.

The team had succeeded in saving the fire victims, but the effort had sapped Emily of most of her strength. She needed an infusion of Eric's strength and didn't care if half the hospital witnessed it this time.

She found the waiting room filed with anxious relatives, but no Eric.

Clamping down on her disappointment, she stopped in a treatment room to assure the terrified parents of her most recent patient that their daughter was receiving the best medical care possible, then shuffled back to Augustus’ office to see if he was ready to leave.