Page 23 of Embers of Love

Becky looked at her suspiciously. “You never listen to me. What’s changed?”

“I almost died.”

“Fair point, I suppose.” Becky nodded. “Have you had dinner?”

“Yeah, Josephine got me some takeout.”

“Josephine? The two of you got chummy while I was away, I see,” Becky joked.

“Mom.” Ember rolled her eyes in exasperation. She looked away to hide the blush that tinted her cheeks. Her mind flashed back to moments earlier. She could vividly recall the taste of Josephine and how hot she looked with her skirt rolled up and her panties off. And how good it felt when she?—

“Are you okay?” her mother asked worriedly. “You’re red all over. Should I call the nurse?”

“No, Mom, I feel fine.” Ember sighed. Becky had gone full “mother-mode” ever since the accident. It wasn’t a bad thing, but she could be overbearing each time she was like that.

Ember spent another day in the hospital even though she felt fine after that full first day since she woke up in the hospital. The headaches had stopped. No blurry vision. She could move around with no trouble at all. There were just bruises and a few aches and pains. Her mother brushed off her complaints, simply saying the doctors wanted to be certain she didn’t have a concussion before they let her leave. Normally, she would have made a bigger fuss about it, but she’d been subdued—mainly because of Dr. Josephine Mars.

Her doctor was diligent. She made sure Ember was in good health and attended to her needs accordingly. They had plenty of time alone together at the hospital after Josephine was done with her rounds. It was a wonder nobody had caught on to them yet.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. It was time to leave. While Ember would miss having easy access to her lover, she was also eager to return to work. She’d missed the fire station and each time her colleagues came to visit, it reminded her that she had a duty to return to.

Josephine wasn’t around to say goodbye. That was alright, they already made plans to meet at her place later tonight. This time she was accompanied by her mother and Rory.

Rory looked ready to pounce on her with a million questions. Ember dreaded the moment they would be alone together. The young woman would force her to spill everything about her time with Josephine. Ember wasn’t quite certain she was ready for that yet. Thankfully, Rory took her own car while Ember rode in her mother’s SUV.

“It’s a little sad that we didn’t get to say goodbye to Josephine before we left,” Becky mused on the drive to her apartment.

“Yeah,” Ember replied absently, feeling slightly guilty about the secret affair. Her mother still thought they were strangers to each other. The irony of that was Ember knew Josephine far more intimately than her mother did.

Her mom dropped her off at the apartment and pitched in to help her clean up the place before they settled in for lunch. It was a great afternoon where they got to spend time with each and just hang out. Eventually, she had to leave after Ember had reassured her multiple times that she would be fine her own.

Ember’s phone beeped later that evening. A text.

Ready?

Her heart thumped slightly with the anticipation. Yes, she texted back. Ember had invited Josephine to her place. The doctor agreed, which was a pleasant surprise. Ember knew Josephine was very reserved and somewhat averse to taking risk. Their time together at the hospital had shown her that much. But it acted as something of a two-sided coin. Taking risks seemed to turn Josephine on.

On my way. Be there soon, came her response.

True to her words, Josephine showed up at her apartment, dressed in casual clothes. She brought food and it smelled good. Ember smiled when she set eyes on her lover. Josephine returned it with a dimpled smile of her own. Josephine’s lovely caramel hair was tied neatly in a low ponytail. Her dark green eyes sparkled, and she even looked good in the jeans and T-shirt she was wearing. Her breasts looked good under the thin fabric.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hi,” Ember replied. She stepped back to allow her inside. She took the bag from her and dropped it on the kitchen counter. The two sat on the couch, mostly in silence.

“What?” Josephine asked, when she noticed Ember was staring.

Ember shrugged, “I just wanted to take in your face. You look beautiful.”

Josephine blushed. “You’re stunning and I’m old.”

Ember leaned in, placing a chaste kiss on her nose. “No, you’re perfect.”

Having her at the apartment was different. Up until then, they’d never really gotten the chance to be comfortable with each other. It was significantly more intimate and more relaxing. They had the rest of the evening to themselves. There was no rush, no fear, no other eyes were there to stare.

“Would you like to watch a movie?” Ember offered.

“Sure,” Josephine agreed. “Which one would you recommend?”

---