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The entire ride back home was dreadfully silent. Amy held her tongue as she glanced over at Adam, his eyes focused on nothing but the road ahead out the windshield as he sat still as a stone in the passenger's side of the car. She bit her lip, noting that her hands were trembling as she steered. She hoped she would be able to hold up, at least until they arrived back home.

Not a word was spoken between the two as they finally reached the house, the redhead parking in the driveway. She hurried out, her breath held as she held back the tears she felt threatening to break through. Adam, on the other hand, appeared stony-faced as he exited the vehicle and made his way up the walk to the house. He still didn't speak as he dug the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

Amy kept her concerned gaze on the back of his blond head, her heart thundering in her chest. She had plenty to say. She knew a million fears were still zipping through his mind, and she *had* to say something. As she pushed the door closed behind her, she opened her mouth to speak, but the tall Canadian actually beat her to the punch.

"I... God, I..." He shook his head gingerly, a wince crossing his sharply handsome features. He was in a state of shock. "... It's exactly what I was afraid of. And Dr. Cohen confirmed every one of my fears... I-"

"No," the redhead protested, her heart nearly bursting in the confines of her chest. She felt such a deep, sharp pain for him, for all the love she held for this man. She reached out and tugged on both of his hands, leading him to the couch to sit down. They both ignored Luger and Branny for the moment, although the two dogs were begging for attention. "Baby, you are *not* going to be paralyzed..." She shook her head emphatically. "... You are *not* going to end up in a wheelchair! Listen to me, Adam," she said firmly, surprised at the strength in her voice. She gazed up into his sad green eyes, and their eyes locked and held. "Here's what we're gonna do... We're gonna call Dr. Lloyd Youngblood - he did my neck surgery last year, and he's done so many other neck surgeries, as you know."

The blond man kept his serious gaze on hers, quietly listening to every word.

"He's going to patch you right up and bring you back to a hundred percent - no, he'll put you at a hundred and *ten* percent!" She blinked all her emotion, but managed to keep herself in check as she gazed deeply into his grave emerald eyes. "Baby?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding slightly. "You're right... I know what kind of reputation Dr. Youngblood has." He ignored the still nagging fears in his head, only wanting to focus and concentrate on the beautiful woman before him. And then, without a word, he rose and pulled gently on her hand to stand her up as well. Untangling his hands from hers, he reached up and took hold of her head, cupping his hands against her cheeks, and gingerly lowered his head to hers, taking her lips in a demanding, hungry kiss.

Amy was nearly swept off her feet by the intensity of it - not to say he wasn't usually intense as it was. She wound her arms around him, being careful not to come in contact with his head or injured neck, and returned his passion with equal fervor. Somehow, she managed to drown out the sound of the voice in her head that held all the terrors about his condition, and suppress the tears that still threatened her.

The blond man groaned as he held her more closely against his body, his kisses becoming hotter, still more demanding. All he wanted for the moment was to forget... He only wanted to continue kissing her, take her to the bedroom and make love to her for hours - feel some semblance of normalcy while he still *could*. And then, his heart making the decision for him far more than his head, he broke the searing kiss and swept her up in his arms.

The redhead let out a surprised exclamation, fear coursing through her at the fact that he had picked her up. Pretty soon, he wouldn't be allowed to lift anything heavier than a pound or two. She glanced up into his face searchingly, her heart in her eyes.

"Adam, p-put me down."

"No," he insisted. "At least not until we get to the bedroom." With those words, he carried her through the living room and down the hallway to the master bedroom. The pain still shot up his upper spine, but he ignored it. Damn it, he didn't want anything to spoil these moments.

Once in the room, he set her down gently, and he fought off a wince as more pain coursed through him. But he didn't care just now. Fuck it. He managed to lower his head to dominate her lips again, his tongue hot and slick as it slid into her mouth and tangled with her own. He raised his hands up the sides of her body to cup her face, tilting her head at an angle so as to allow for even deeper access. He was throbbing, already rock-hard, and he rubbed against her, showing her.

The redhead saw colors swimming behind her eyelids, her breath lost as she felt the heat emanating from his lower body. She gasped as she felt his hands moving from her face to roam over her body again. She felt his fingers suddenly working quickly on the button of her pants. His urgency absolutely took her breath away.

In no time, the blond man had her out of her clothing, and her bra and panties quickly followed before he went for his own garments. His great need was far more than evident as her gaze swept over his body, lingering the longest on his throbbing hard-on. God, he wanted her.

When he was fully naked, he pulled her to him again, his mouth capturing hers in another hot, passionate kiss. He couldn't take this much longer, couldn't withstand not being inside of her any longer. His need was so great, he let out an almost pained moan.

Hastily, Adam turned Amy around, gently but firmly positioning her down against the bed, her gorgeous, nude back to him. He was practically salivating as he stepped directly up behind her, and he gripped his sensitive member and entered her.

A gasp escaped the redhead at the feel of him suddenly inside of her, and she raised her head, arching her back slightly as he began to thrust roughly. It felt so very good, she thought she might lose herself. It was difficult to keep upright as he became more demanding, almost merciless, even, and she gripped the edges of the bedsheet.

The tall blond man groaned at the combination of the pain in his neck and the extreme pleasure of being inside of her. Damn it, he guessed he really shouldn't be bending over like this while he had this injury. He hated his predicament! Why did this have to happen to him? Why had it have to had happen to Amy? Why, why, why? A million whys flitted through his head, and after a few minutes, he growled and finally gave up.

Amy gazed at him from over her shoulder as he suddenly pulled out of her, and she noted the unhappy expression on his face. It tore at her heart. To tell the truth, she'd been so very close to orgasm, and the loss of him inside of her was unsettling - but damn all that. He was obviously hurting, and upset.

"Oh, baby," she said softly as she turned around to face him. She stroked his cheek tenderly, then pulled him down by the hand to lay down on the bed with her. His expression seemed stony as he simply laid back, his head flat on the pillow. His normally brilliant green eyes seemed to her so hollow.

She bit her lip, her gaze sweeping over his long body, and repositioned herself over him, straddling him. She lowered her head to his, kissing him gently at first, deepening it as he responded with equal fervor. She felt a small smile coming as she felt him throbbing, still so very hard, against her. And then, as they continued kissing, she reached down between them, gripping him, and guided him inside of her. If he couldn't do it in any other way for now due to his neck, then *she* would take the lead.

An almost relieved sigh emerged from Adam's lips, a deeper sound of pleasure escaping him as the redhead moved faster, riding him with deep, regular strides. His gaze instantly met hers, and he swallowed hard, noting the pleasure on her face. He knew she'd been close before, and he'd hated himself for pausing while she'd been that damn close. But now - now, she was even closer. And come to think of it, that was all he needed to experience.

Amy suddenly let out a drawn cry, his name following as she came. She arched against him, and he loved every second of it, her name spilling from his lips as well as he followed mere seconds later. He held her down to him, spilling himself into her, seeking her lips hungrily. It seemed to go on and on.

Afterward, they lay side-by-side, and he kept kissing her. All he wanted to do was continue kissing her the entire night through. She was the most beautiful and wonderful distraction in the world... And he just wanted to keep kissing her.