Tropical Storm

Chapter Twenty-one

KERRY LET THE door close behind her, her mind already buzzing with prospective dinner possibilities. Dar had followed along after her, saying she had to make a quick stop. Kerry suspected her boss was just being polite, and giving her a chance to get her act together. But that was okay, she needed it, and it was okay that she had a minute to settle her thoughts. Except they weren’t getting very settled. They bounced back and forth between blue eyes and that lazy smile Dar had given her before they left the office, and she knew her hormones were busy dancing the mamba in her bloodstream which was making it very, very hard to think straight.

“Okay, Kerrison, let’s just calm your butt down now.” She put down her briefcase and took a deep breath. “First things first, change out of this monkey suit.”

Glad she’d had the chance to straighten up the place the day before, she went into her bedroom. She chose a pair of black jeans and a lavender polo shirt, slipping into them and tucking in the shirt and buckling the thin, leather belt. Her reflection looked back at her, and she smoothed her fingers over the dark denim surface and watched as her breathing pulled the soft cotton of her shirt taut against her body. “Well, these aren’t as baggy as they used to be, that’s for sure, but I guess it looks okay.” The jeans fit snugly around her body, attesting to her past few weeks of culinary indulgence, but the effect wasn’t as bad-looking as she’d feared.

As a matter of fact… Kerry blinked at her reflection. Maybe Colleen was right, I’d taken things a little too far. Both Susan and Ray had told her she looked a lot healthier and more relaxed since she’d started working for Dar, and she supposed that was true…if she looked at herself objectively, that is. She was sure her parents wouldn’t agree, though. She straightened her shoulders and ran her brush through her hair. To hell with them, she suddenly decided, as she opened the collar of her shirt a little, exposing her thin golden chain which held a tiny teddy bear charm. “Let’s see. A touch of perfume?” Yeah…

She pulled open her top drawer and removed a small bottle, taking off the top and sniffing it. “Mmm.” She put a bit on her fingertip and touched it behind her ears, then put a playful dab down her cleavage. “God, I feel like a damn teenager on her first date.” She giggled at herself and put the bottle away, then met the steady green eyes looking back at her from the mirror. “I guess it is, in a way, though, because this is the first person I…” She stopped and took a breath. “The first person I’ve ever really cared about.” She gave Tropical Storm 259

herself a little nod of acknowledgment. “There, I said it.” She turned. “Right, Pooh?”

The stuffed, smiling bear held out his arms invitingly. “Not now, maybe later.” She shook a finger at him, then she went back out into the living room and glanced around, making sure she’d remembered not to leave out her laundry or anything like that. “Looks okay,” she told the fish, then she went into the kitchen and stood for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest and thinking. She likes Oriental. Let’s see…I could do fried rice, and… Oh, right, I’ve got that skirt steak. I can stir-fry that with vegetables. Okay.

She was busily chopping things up when a soft knock came at the door and she felt a teasing jolt in her gut. “C’mon in, it’s open,” she called out. The knob turned and she heard someone enter. “I’m in the kitchen.”

Soft footfalls crossed the carpet, and then Dar was just there, in the doorway, filling it. The dark-haired woman had traded her suit for a pair of white denims and a blue tailored shirt, which sported a small bumblebee embroidered on the left breast. She was also carrying an amber bottle, which she held up. “Picked up a little addition,” she advised, her eyes going over Kerry’s slim form. “You look cute,” Dar complimented her a smile.

To hell with them. Kerry smiled back. “Thanks. You look pretty nice yourself. I like the bee.” She peered at the bottle. “Oh, that was a great idea. If you want to let it cool down a little…” She motioned with her head towards the refrigerator.

Dar put the bottle on a shelf and peered inside, half turning and giving Kerry a mischievous look. “You sure have a lot more in here than I have in mine,” she remarked as she closed the door and wandered closer, peering over Kerry’s shoulder. “What’s that?”

“Sauce.” Kerry added a bit of flaked red pepper. “It’s going to be Szechwan beef when I finish.”

“That sounds tasty,” Dar responded, her breath tickling Kerry’s ear.

Oh boy. “Dar? Has anyone ever told you, you’re a really distracting person?”

“Me?” Her boss’s blue eyes widened in surprised innocence. “Um, well, no, actually. I’ve been called a lot of things, most of them nasty, but distracting has never been one of them.”

Kerry blushed and laughed a little. “Well, you are,” she said. “You make it very hard to concentrate.”

Dar looked puzzled but not displeased. “Okay. Well, I don’t want you to cut yourself. I’ll just sit quietly over there.” She ambled over to the small table in the kitchen and slid into a seat, resting her elbows on the surface. Kerry’s reaction to her was just so…different , Dar reflected as she watched Kerry return to her task. She’d always been used to people coming on to her, and she wasn’t shy in doing the same in return, but the combination of sweet affection and barely veiled desire she saw in Kerry’s eyes was something she’d never experienced before.

It was warm, and nice, and she found herself tumbling helplessly under its spell. Distracting? Oh yes. She was finding it very hard to keep her thoughts focused for any length of time, and even when she did concentrate, she found herself taking little side trips into wondering what Kerry was thinking, or 260 Melissa Good what she was doing, or… Dar sighed. Like right now, for instance. She found herself perfectly happy to just be sitting here in Kerry’s presence, watching her prepare dinner. It was such a strange feeling. She watched Kerry’s shoulder blades moving under the soft cotton of her polo shirt, and she let her eyes wander down the slim form, appreciating the curves.

“Nickel for your thoughts.” Kerry spoke, not turning around.

Dar burst into helpless laughter. “Uh, let’s skip that, huh?” She felt herself slightly tongue-tied, and she realized Kerry was having the same effect on her that she was having on the younger woman. It was getting out of control. “So, where’d you learn to cook?”

Kerry heard the hesitant confusion in Dar’s voice, and smiled quietly to herself . Glad it’s not just me. “Well, it’s expected in my family. My mother doesn’t work, she’s always stayed home to take care of us,” she explained. “I had Home Ec and all that in school, but I kind of developed an interest in it when I was in college.” She added some chopped vegetables to her fried rice and stirred it. “We’d have get-togethers. A bunch of us would rotate who cooked.” She glanced behind her and smiled. “When you have a group of critics like that, you learn fast.”

“Ah.” Dar nodded, then rested her chin on her fist. “My mother was an all-right cook, I guess,” she mused. “I never learned, though. I was…probably overly involved with sports and things of that sort when I was growing up.

We spent a lot of time on military bases, too.” She shrugged. “I like hot dogs and French fries.”

“I never actually had a hot dog before college.” Kerry heated up her wok and poured a little oil in it. “Did you ever want to be in the military?”

After a long silence, Dar finally answered in a reflective voice.

“Unfortunately, my father raised me to believe there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. In the military, there are qualifiers to that.” Another long pause, and then she said, “I wanted to do what he did.”

Kerry nodded. “They wouldn’t let you?”

“I’m a girl,” Dar answered, with a faintly sarcastic emphasis. “Hell.” She sighed. “I know they have a point. I know they can’t put mixed groups out in the field, at least not yet, but…” She shrugged. “Water under the bridge. At any rate, to answer your question, yes, I thought about it. I took the ASVAB

when I was a junior in high school, and I got a lot of offers.” She peered at the saltshaker on the table, lost in thought. “I just didn’t think I had the self discipline to commit to that and do what everyone told me I had to do, rather than what I thought I should do.” Her brows quirked. “And I was probably right.”

“Mmm.” Kerry expertly stirred the thinly sliced beef into the wok. “Were your parents upset?”

The blue eyes took on a far-off look. “My father was disappointed,” she stated quietly. “I think my mother was relieved.” She shook her head. “She was an artist. She never wanted me to go into the service.”

“An artist?” Kerry tossed in the sauce and stirred it. “Ah, now I know where you get that doodling style from.” She laughed. “I loved that one picture you made of that dog.”

“I don’t….” Dar stopped and thought about it. “Well, yeah, I guess I do,”

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she admitted, a little sheepishly. “I never thought about that.”

Kerry set down the bowl of fragrant fried rice and put another of the stir-fried beef next to it, then handed Dar two plates. “Here.” She turned and retrieved the plum wine and a couple of glasses and brought them back to the table with her. “Well, the only talent in my family seems to be politics.” She handed Dar a serving spoon. “And law. Neither of which really sparked my imagination when I was growing up.”

The taller woman piled two plates with steaming rice and beef and handed Kerry one. “What did spark your imagination?”

Kerry ate a few mouthfuls before she answered. “Books, mostly.” She exhaled. “I did the usual things growing up. My mother enrolled me in piano lessons, and in gymnastics—the one to give me culture, the other to give me what she called ‘grace.’ ” Kerry’s lips twisted wryly. “I don’t think either did much. I never took to the piano, and I was, at best, a mediocre gymnast.” She chewed thoughtfully. “I can play ‘Chopsticks.’ ”

Dar chuckled. “So can I if I use both hands and both feet, and you don’t listen too closely.” She smiled “This is great, by the way.” She held up a forkful, then she paused to pour them both a glass of wine. “What kind of books do you like?”

Kerry took a sip of the wine. “You’ll laugh, but mostly science fiction…and some historical novels.”

Dar gave her a puzzled look. “Why would I laugh? That’s what most geeks like to read, myself included,” she said in a mild voice. “Not that I have time anymore,” she added with a sigh. “So what led you into computers?”

“I didn’t want to end up as an English teacher,” Kerry replied wryly.

“And I…well, I always had a liking for machinery. I used to take apart things—you know, like phones and stuff.” She laughed a bit. “When I got to college, I realized there was a computer science track that was pretty close to the general English track I was already on, so I double-majored.” She paused and took another sip of wine. “What about you?” It was, she suddenly realized, the first time they’d just sat down and talked about really personal stuff, and she was surprised at how comfortable she felt.

Dar bit a piece of beef in half and chewed it. “What about me? Well, I was always interested in programming—that’s what I studied in school. But somewhere along the way, I decided all those lines of code just couldn’t hold my interest.” She reflected a moment. “Wasn’t enough of a challenge, so I went into system analysis and design and from there, into engineering and operations.”

“Luckily for us.” Kerry smiled.

“Opinions on that vary,” Dar replied dryly. She drained her glass and poured a second. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it.” She toyed with the glass. “I spend a lot of time ignoring the cuts and digs, but it gets old.”

Kerry got up and took their empty plates, setting them in the sink, then returning to put her hands on Dar’s shoulders. “I kind of got that feeling….”

She tried, but couldn’t keep herself from leaning forward, and only barely kept herself from gently kissing Dar’s sleek head. “So, if you start getting complaints that your assistant is whacking people for saying nasty things about you, don’t be surprised.”

262 Melissa Good Dar was touched, and she eased back, pressing her body against Kerry’s and gazing up at her with a slight smile. “That’s sweet of you, Kerry, but I don’t think it’ll do much good.” She lifted a hand and covered the one on her right shoulder, squeezing it gently. “Not that I don’t appreciate the thought, though.”

Kerry drank in her closeness. “It’ll make me feel better,” she objected softly. “Really.” She looked down into the pale blue eyes and saw a softening there, making her give in to her craving and bend her head, finding Dar’s waiting lips with unerring accuracy. A touch traveled up her arm, softly stroking, and Kerry felt her body respond to it, as she closed her eyes and let the gentle probing and tasting continue. It feels so good… She could feel Dar’s fingers slipping up past her elbow and brushing against her side, making her breathing catch. She felt short of breath and her heart started to pound as she eased her own hands lower, touching bare skin.

Everything shifted then as Dar unexpectedly slid an arm around her waist and tugged her down. Kerry found herself in the dark-haired woman’s lap, with those strong arms wrapping around her and every inch of her body tingling in pure reaction. Her own arms slid up around Dar’s neck, then one started traveling down, moving across the slope of her neck muscles, and down her shoulder.

Dar knew she should slow down and take it easy, but her body wouldn’t relinquish its gentle contact. Her hands moved of their own accord, stroking and exploring the warm curves of the body tucked into her arms with insatiable curiosity. She could feel Kerry’s breathing deepen and go ragged and her own wasn’t doing much better. Easy…easy. Not yet. She lightened up on the intensity and felt Kerry do the same, until they broke off, and Kerry buried her face against Dar’s shoulder. “Whoa.” She wrapped her arms around Kerry’s body and held her, rubbing her back gently. “Easy there.”

“Whew,” Kerry muttered, feeling her heartbeat start to slow. “That was intense.” She decided being embarrassed at this point would be kind of ridiculous, so she lifted her head and just looked at Dar. “This is not going according to plan.”

Both dark eyebrows lifted teasingly. “It’s not?” Dar protested mildly. “I thought it was working out pretty well.” She still had her arms around Kerry, but now she loosened her grasp and backed off a little.

“No…um…that’s not what I…uh.” She gave up. “We were supposed to go to the movie first,” she explained wryly, reaching up and pushing back a bit of Dar’s dark hair.

“Oh. Oh, right.” Dar nodded in understanding. “But other than that?”

“Mmm.” Kerry exhaled slowly. “You know, I did a lot of reading. They didn’t mention the fireworks going off in any of it.” Her fingers trailed down Dar’s cheek. “It’s kind of scary.” Her breath caught as Dar captured her hand and nibbled her palm. “But nice.”

“Okay.” Dar considered. “Is this making you uncomfortable?”

A shy smile. “No.” Kerry shook her head. “But I bet it’s making you uncomfortable. I must be squishing you.”

Dar squeezed her, then patted her hip. “Hadn’t noticed,” she confessed.

“Don’t worry about squashing me, I’m a big girl, I can take it.” She let her Tropical Storm 263

hand move down Kerry’s thigh. “You want to go see the movie?”

It was scary. Kerry was nervous, but she appreciated the fact that Dar was willing to let her go at her pace, and wasn’t pushing, wasn’t…forcing. A grim memory filled her mind, and she had to take a moment to force it out before she could consider it any further. “Well…I, um, I have Escape from New York and some microwave popcorn here. We could improvise.”

Dar grinned, a smile that lit up her very blue eyes and made the skin next to them crinkle “Oh, I like that idea,” she agreed. “And dinner was great.

Thank you, by the way.”

“Mmm.” Kerry gazed at her. “Glad you liked it,” she responded, not taking her eyes from Dar’s. They sat quietly like that for a moment, then Kerry cleared her throat. “I guess I have to get up to get that movie, huh.” She regretfully untangled herself from Dar’s grip and stood, taking a deep breath as she moved away from the seductive warmth. Dar followed her into the living room, and she gave her a little tour, mostly to settle her own nerves.

“This is Scully and Mulder and their little friends the Lone Gunmen.” Kerry sprinkled a little food in the tank.

“Let me guess—Mulder and Scully are the gouramies.” Dar laughed.

“Kissing gouramies, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Uh huh.” Kerry grinned and watched their antics. “What can I tell you, I’m a sucker for a good romance.” The blonde woman shrugged. “Silly, I guess.”

Dar rubbed her back. “Nah, I think they’re cute. Though I thought they copped out in that movie.” She chuckled. “And I gotta tell you, the entire movie theatre I was in cracked up laughing when they said FEMA was behind the great government conspiracy.”

Kerry’s brows creased in puzzlement. “That wasn’t a funny part.”

“It was if you went through Hurricane Andrew down here and had to watch them work,” Dar informed her. “Trust me, if they were in charge of the conspiracy, those damn aliens would have gone home in disgust waiting for fresh water to be delivered.”

Kerry laughed and bumped her with an elbow. “I have that movie too, if you’re interested.” She got out the other videotape and turned on the television, then tossed Dar the remote. “I’ll go get some popcorn.”

Dar was momentarily left alone, and she took the time to study the apartment. It was bright, and very unlike hers. There were personal knick-knacks everywhere, including several stuffed animals, and a set of diplomas on the wall. One was from college and the other her certification affidavit. A small trophy attested to Kerry’s debating skill, and there was a bookshelf against the wall which held an assortment of paperback and hard-back books, a mixture of fiction and computer manuals.

It was a cheerful place; the comfortable couch was in a nice shade of light salmon, and the rug was a pale cream, lending a sense of lightness to the interior that Dar found very soothing. A door to the left obviously led to the bedroom, and there was a small bathroom on the other side of the kitchen.

There was a sense of cleanliness and order that Dar found very characteristic of Kerry, and she decided she felt comfortable being here. The scent of freshly popped popcorn attracted her attention and she turned as Kerry reentered the 264 Melissa Good room, carrying a large bowl and a pitcher. She set both down on the coffee table and got two glasses.

“Okay, I think we’re set.” She glanced at Dar, who was seated comfortably on the couch, and hesitated.

With a quiet smile, Dar patted the cushion next to her and waited for Kerry to settle herself before she reached over and turned down the lights a little and started the movie.

Kerry held out for all of the time it took for the opening credits before she snuggled closer to Dar, leaning against her body as the taller woman put an arm around her shoulders. With a sigh of contentment, she pulled the popcorn over and set it half on her lap, half on Dar’s, as they shared the contents.

Much nicer than the theatre, she decided, popping a kernel into her mouth, then snagging another, and glancing up. Dar chose that moment to look down, and Kerry smiled, then held the popcorn up to her lips, stifling a giggle when Dar snapped her teeth down on it and caught her fingers as well. “Hey!”

Dar slowly released her hold, then chewed the popcorn with a little waggle of her eyebrows. That got her another piece, which she held between her teeth as she looked questioningly at Kerry.

Oh. A game. Kerry pulled herself up and took half the piece, letting their lips brush. That tasted so good she decided to try it, and Dar obliged by reciprocating.

They went back and forth a few times, until Kerry forgot to take a piece and just went for Dar’s lips instead. She was curled up on her own couch, in her own apartment, and she felt very safe. Safe enough to forget the movie and concentrate on the sleek body under her fingertips instead as she allowed her hands to slip down Dar’s neck while the taller woman’s free hand curled around her side.

This time she wasn’t afraid or embarrassed. It was like diving into something new and exciting, and she found herself more intrigued than anxious. Dar was a good kisser, she decided as they gently explored each other. A hand stroked her side, and she shifted a little as the touch shifted and brushed gently against her breasts. That was an interesting sensation. Her body liked that. She felt a slow building of sensation and her skin became very sensitive, and when Dar’s fingertips touched the bare flesh at the neck of her shirt, a soft sound of encouragement escaped her.

Dar’s lips nibbled hers then moved away a little. “You doing all right?”

she murmured in Kerry’s ear, brushing the soft lobe with her tongue.

“Great,” she managed to respond.

“You want to keep going?” Dar inquired, running a finger down her cleavage.

A moment of fear, of uncertainty. “I…I don’t know if I…know what to do,” Kerry replied softly, as she found herself drawn to the smooth skin of Dar’s neck, and she nibbled it softly.

“You’re doing pretty good so far,” Dar confessed. “It’s all right, I’ll show you.”

Kerry felt her way down Dar’s body, smoothing her fingers across the curve of her breasts. “Show me,” the shorter woman breathed, surrendering as she felt a pull against her. Kerry soon found herself stretched out on her side Tropical Storm 265

on the couch with Dar gently supporting her. The dark-haired woman settled next to her and captured her lips again, letting one hand travel down her body and tug her shirt free of her belt. Kerry felt the sudden electric thrill as the warm fingers touched her skin and traced a teasing line up her midsection, from her belly button up to the bottom of her bra. Her muscles contracted in sheer reaction, and she found herself plucking at the buttons on Dar’s shirt, getting two of them undone, which gave her access to smooth flesh that she wanted nothing more than to touch, and stroke and…

She felt a trickle of cool air as her shirt was raised, then heat replaced it as Dar’s lips found their way down her throat and her body arched under the touch, a need building in her stronger than anything she’d ever felt before.

The pressure of her clothing seemed unbearable, and she almost cried out when she felt Dar loosen her belt. She felt chilled for an instant after she slipped the denim off, then a rapid heat consumed her as her legs were tangled with the taller woman’s and long fingers stroked up the inside of her bare thigh.

It was like an explosion inside her. She lost track of where she was, she only knew that a pressure was building, a pressure that centered itself around Dar’s touch, and the movement of her lips and the steady, knowing coaxing movement that brought her closer and closer, and finally sent her crashing over the top in a shudder of sensation so powerful that every muscle in her body clenched and shuddered. She could hardly breathe, her body convulsed again and again until it slowly relaxed, drawn on by Dar’s gentle, easy motions. Kerry was shaking, and her hands clutched feebly at Dar, who wrapped long arms and legs around her, and was whispering quiet reassurances.

“Shhh. Easy.” Dar stroked her hair, a little startled at Kerry’s responsiveness. “Easy, I’ve got you.” Dar knew that a physical relationship was often awkward for a while, until people got used to each other. But Kerry had… Damn, it was like I just knew all the right spots to… Wow. She watched the blonde head slowly nestle against her shoulder and she wrapped her arms a little tighter, bringing their mostly bare bodies closer together. “You all right?”

Sea green eyes drifted open and gazed half lidded at her as Kerry nodded faintly. Her hand absently moved up and down Dar’s side, sending tingles up and down her spine. “Fulfill your expectations?” the executive inquired, moving the disordered hair out of her companion’s face.

Kerry moved her touch lower, tracing a series of circles across Dar’s abdomen and shook her head a little. “I had no…I didn’t know what to expect, but…um, you know, Dar, I really, really liked that.” She ducked her head and nipped at the soft skin on Dar’s breast, watching her body react to it. “Now, I wonder…” She slid a little closer, wanting the contact and feeling the taller woman’s breathing catch. “Let’s see if I can…” She nibbled across the surface of Dar’s breast, then let her hands roam, exploring the shape and curves of her and letting her imagination take over.

Dar was so much taller than she was, it was hard to get everywhere. But she managed, pulling out a tortured groan when she used her teeth to good effect, tasting Dar’s skin in place after place, starting with touches at first 266 Melissa Good tentative, then more confident, until she felt Dar’s body convulse and the dark-haired woman grabbed hold of her with an almost painful strength.

She could hear Dar’s heartbeat thundering against her ear, and she gently stroked her as they snuggled into each other’s arms and just rested. It was peaceful. It was familiar, in a way that Kerry really didn’t understand. But she knew that right here, safe in Dar’s arms, she’d found something very special.

Well. Kerry felt a delighted surprise. Yahoo, you didn’t really have a clue.

She took a deep breath of Dar’s scent and exhaled in deep contentment. She glanced up, smiling in reflex at the half smile on the taller woman’s face as she gazed back at her peacefully.

Something was nibbling at the back of her tongue, wanting to be said, and she just couldn’t nudge it forward. It was something she felt when she looked at Dar, something that came from deep within her, a truth of the heart her mind just wasn’t ready to look at yet. Oh well. It would come to her.

“Thanks. That was pretty awesome.”

Dar gazed at her, a small half puzzled, half incredulous smile on her face.

“Likewise,” she murmured . Boy, did she ever have my number. When was the last time that ever happened? Luck? She examined Kerry’s dreamy expression, almost getting lost in it. Whatever… She kissed the blonde woman’s forehead and sighed contentedly.

Guess I did okay, Kerry mused giddily . Wow. It felt wonderful. She glanced up at the angular face and saw interested blue eyes blinking back at her. A warm feeling re-ignited in her guts. “Hey.” She nuzzled a bit of soft, tanned skin. “That bathroom over there has a whirlpool in it. You interested?” One finger idly traced a rib, then moved upward.

Dar chuckled, low and deep in her chest, capturing the roving finger with white teeth and sucking the tip of it. She had a feeling it was going to be long night.

IT’S NOT A dream. Dar heard the faint beep of her pager alarm, and she reached over, pressing the button that would turn the thing off, then she returned her arm to its place around Kerry and let out a tiny sigh. It’s not a dream, not this time.

This time it was real. No strange forest view, or unknown cabin—just herself, and Kerry, and a feeling of quiet pleasure that touched something down inside her soul. It felt so nice to wake up with someone. She’d forgotten what that was like, almost. No. She had forgotten. Deliberately.

It was dark out, and Dar knew she didn’t have a lot of time left before she had to leave and drive home to change before she was expected at the office.

She stifled a yawn and let her eyes drift closed for a few minutes, reveling in the solid, sleeping warmth of her companion, their limbs tangled together as they snuggled together in the middle of Kerry’s bed.

The late-night bath had turned into another long session of intimate exploration, and when they relaxed at last, tired but satisfied, Kerry had simply wrapped herself around Dar’s taller body and turned off the light.

Dar could think of a handful of reasons she should have left, but none of them could override the reason she had stayed. Because Kerry wanted her to.

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So she’d pulled the covers up over them and, surrounded by the clean, sweet scent of the fresh linens, allowed herself to slip into a deep sleep. Which was great, except here she was now, not wanting to budge out of the warm spot she was in and get moving.

Dar sighed, then she opened her eyes and started to straighten her body, hearing a soft murmur of protest from her blonde companion. Kerry took a tighter hold on her. “Hey…” Dar whispered softly in the pink ear near her chin. “Time to get up, kiddo.”

“Uhrm,” Kerry protested incoherently.

Dar rubbed her back gently. “Kerrrrrrryy.”

A sleepy green eye peered up at her. The lashes blinked, then the other eye appeared as Kerry realized where she was. “Oh. Hi, sorry. “ A charming smile gleamed in the faint light coming into the window from the streetlamp outside. “Guess I should let you go, huh?” she said softly.

Dar hugged her, then released her hold. “Take me a while to get across to the island, then back…and I have a meeting with José and Eleanor at nine.”

“Mmm.” Kerry gave her a squeeze, then reluctantly moved away, curling up on sheets suddenly cold against her naked body. “I’m supposed to visit the MTC today. They’re having town halls.”

“Have fun.” Dar reached out and stroked her face gently. “You feeling okay?”

Kerry captured her hand, and nibbled it. “I feel great, thanks. How about you?”

Dar smiled. “Never felt better.” She glanced at the clock. “I better get going. If I stick around here much longer, we’ll both be late.“ She paused, then rolled over, and slipped her hand around the back of Kerry’s neck, kissing her slowly but thoroughly.

They parted reluctantly, and Kerry closed her eyes, nuzzling the hand she still clasped in her own. “Oh sure, now just leave me here,” she teased.

Dar yawned, then rubbed her face. “Believe me, if I had a choice, I wouldn’t,” she responded offhandedly. “But I think someone would notice if both of us didn’t show up for work.”

Kerry snorted softly. “Someone? Jesus…” She fell silent. “We have to be careful, don’t we?”

Dar remained silent, thinking for a bit. “Careful, but not too careful.” She propped her head up on one hand. “I have to admit I’ve never had to…” She thought about their options. “Okay, I think we need to just act normally.”

Kerry nibbled at Dar’s fingertips. “Really?”

Her boss muffled a chuckle. “I don’t think we should hide the fact that we’re friends, I mean. Or that we do the occasional thing after work with each other. If we try to convince everyone we hardly know each other, it’s not gonna work.”

“Probably not,” Kerry acknowledged.

“No matter what, there’s going to be talk.” Dar exhaled. “Does that bother you?”

The green eyes unfocused a little as Kerry considered. “It’s a little intimidating. I know how nasty those people can be. I’m not sure how I’m going to react to that if I get it in the face,” she admitted quietly.

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“Mmm.” Dar paused. “Well, I always found it’s best not to deny anything,” she commented. “When people insinuate things, I just smile at them.”

“Smile?” Kerry’s brows knit. Dar demonstrated, producing a sexy, knowing grin. “Oh.” The blonde muffled a laugh.

“Yeah, they’re never really sure what to do with that,” Dar replied with a smirk. “The more you tell people something isn’t happening, the more they think it is. If you just laugh at them, they’re not expecting that.”

“Hmm.” Kerry nodded. “That makes a lot of sense. Is that your trick—all that self-confidence?”

A slow nod of agreement. “If I believe in myself, everyone else tends to,”

she answered. “No one will say anything outright, but they’ll insinuate.” She chewed her lip. “You could also try the old standard of asking them exactly what they mean, that you don’t understand what they’re asking.”

“Okay, I think I can do that,” Kerry replied hesitantly.

Dar studied her with a sense of quiet regret. “Kerry, if it’s going to be too much, we’ll think of something else,” she told the younger woman softly.

“I…I don’t want this to be tough on you.”

Kerry shook her head vigorously. “No. No, it’s all right. It just takes a little getting used to. I’m not really good at hiding things.” She chewed her lip.

“But I’ll be okay. I never thought I’d…” She paused, thinking hard. “Dar, I really like you.”

“Well, I kinda hoped so.” Dar gave her a wistful little smile. “I kinda hoped it wasn’t just that you thought it would be good for your career.” She maintained a half joking air, but there was pain behind the statement.

Kerry heard it and gently touched her cheek. “You didn’t really think that, did you?”

Dar dropped her gaze to the sheets and traced a little design there. She shrugged. “It’s happened before.” she acknowledged quietly.

God, if I could find the person who did that, I’d take a cocktail fork and poke them so full of holes… Kerry exhaled. “That’s not what I’m about,” she said. “That’s not…” Dar wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I’d rather you fire me right now than have you think that.” She paused. “In fact, I’m not going to give you the option, I’m resigning.”

Startled blue eyes lifted. “Kerry, wait! That’s not what I…”

“I mean it,” Kerry stated quietly. “I can easily get a job working for Colleen’s bank.” She started to scramble out of bed, visibly upset. “I am not going to have you thinking the only reason I…”

“Kerry…”

“No!” Kerry replied sharply. “Is that really what…Jesus Christ.” She headed for the door, anger in the set of her body.

Dar somehow managed to intercept her, catching her gently by the shoulders and turning her around. “Hey.” Kerry was shaking, and she could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes. “Wait a minute.” A pause. “Please.”

The blonde stilled and just looked at her. “That’s not what I thought about you. If it was, I never would have gone this far again.” It was a stark, blunt statement. “Believe me.” She felt the tension relax in Kerry’s shoulders. “I don’t want you to go. I don’t want you to quit. I finally found someone I can Tropical Storm 269

trust, who can take some of this job off my shoulders. If I lose that now, I…”

Dar sighed. “It won’t be good.”

Kerry blew out a breath and put out a tentative hand, stroking the soft skin on the taller woman’s belly. “This complicates everything.” She fell silent for a long moment while Dar merely waited. “I’d rather lose my job than…”

she paused awkwardly, “…than lose you.” Kerry focused her gaze on Dar’s collarbone. “Jesus, you must think that sounds so damn naïve.”

Dar gently put her arms around her and pulled her close. “No,” Her voice was very quiet. “Not at all.” It was, she knew, a big risk. But Dar had always followed her instincts, and her instincts were telling her Kerry could be trusted, despite what had happened before, despite the odds against it. “We’ll work things out. It’ll be okay, Kerry. I promise. It’ll be okay.”

Kerry let her forehead fall forward to rest against Dar’s shoulder. She really didn’t want to leave the company. She really didn’t want to leave Dar, sensing that the executive truly wanted her to stay. “Okay.” She looked up in the dim light, seeing Dar’s features barely outlined as lines of gold and silver, and the splash of crystal that were her eyes. “I’ll try.”

She tilted her head as Dar bent her neck and kissed her, welcoming the soft brush of her lips and the tingle as their bodies moved together. It was so incredible. She’d never expected it to feel like this, not the deep and wild hunger that robbed her of breath and dignity and made her want to rub up against Dar like a cat in heat. The taller woman’s hands slowly moved down her sides and around her back, and she uttered a soft moan against Dar’s lips.

Echoed by its twin, as the dark-haired woman stepped back a little, and stroked the side of her face.

Dar sighed regretfully. “We keep this up, and I’m not gonna make it into work.”

Kerry patted her arm and gave her a wry look. “Uh, yeah. I think I could use a shower myself.” She grimaced. “A cold shower,” she muttered as an afterthought.

Dar chuckled and gave her a light kiss on the top of her head. “Go on, I’ll let myself out. See you in the office?”

“You bet.” Kerry nodded. “I’ll bring pastelitos.” She grinned at the way Dar’s eyes lit up, then the executive winked and padded out of the room, the light from the street lamp sliding in shadows over her naked form. Kerry turned the shower on and let it run. Even over the sound of the water, she heard Dar slip her clothes on, then the soft click as the front door closed.

“Whoa.” Kerry leaned against the washbasin and gazed soberly at her reflection. Surely it was the same person who had looked back at her the previous morning—the same almost babyish, slightly rounded face, the same green eyes. Then why did she feel so different?

Well, okay, so it was the first time she’d ever made love to a woman. And if she had to pick a first, Dar certainly was a good one. She was experienced, but gentle, passionate yet playful. So it was a great experience. Then why are my knees shaking? Why does it feel like butterflies are clustered inside my stomach?

She thought of Dar and felt a fierce blast of emotion grab her, making her lean forward in surprise. What in the hell is going on with me?

“C’mon, Kerrison, get your act together and take a shower. You’ve got 270 Melissa Good work to do.” She sighed, trudging toward the gently steaming water, shocked to find herself seriously considering not getting in it to avoid washing away Dar’s lingering scent. “Good grief.” She sighed and forced herself forward. “I think I’m losing my mind.”