Tropical Storm

Chapter Twenty-eight

KERRY WOKE UP with a sure, comfortable grip around her, and she kept her eyes closed as she absorbed the sensation of being naked and tangled in Dar’s embrace. It was warm, and she could feel the gentle rhythm of the taller woman’s breathing moving against her where Dar was pressed up against her back. She thought about her dream. It was strange; she’d had a few of these weird ones lately, where she seemed to be seeing through someone else’s eyes, in situations completely unfamiliar to her, but which seemed as comfortable as the nice well of contentment she found herself in right now. Weird. She exhaled, feeling Dar’s grip tighten a little, and she lifted a hand to lazily stroke the powerful thigh tucked in back of her own . It felt nice, the skin all soft and velvety over the strong muscles that shifted a tiny bit under her touch. She felt Dar’s skin pressing against hers, the contact increasing and relaxing ever so gently as her lover breathed in a comforting rhythm she found almost hypnotic. Nice.

Kerry let her eyes drift open a bit, taking in the morning sunlight that bathed the room and judging it to be about nine o’clock. She glanced around, remembering what the room had looked like last night, and managed to retain a good feeling about how her friends had so carefully returned it to its original state. Even the clothes pulled out of her drawers had been neatly folded and put back. Probably more neatly than they were originally, she wryly admitted. She should feel horrible, she knew that—and her poor fish. Kerry imagined coming home to all that alone, and she shivered, glad of Dar’s close presence.

It was nice to have someone she could share things with.

A tiny tickle edged around her ear, and she giggled in startlement. That was followed by a low, almost soundless chuckle that echoed perfectly the one in her dream. “That tickles,” she accused, enjoying the sensation thoroughly.

“I know,” Dar replied, nibbling further. “How are you feeling?”

Kerry hummed deep in her throat. “Nice,” she replied dreamily. “I like waking up like this.” She sighed contentedly. “Especially after last night.”

“Glad you postponed your scuba lesson,” Dar commented, moving further down her neck and smiling a little as the blonde woman’s body arched against her. “We have fish buying to do.”

Kerry rolled over and snuggled closer, letting her hands roam freely over Dar’s body, curiously exploring the planes and curves of it. “What’s that from?” She traced a long, thin scar that started just below the taller woman’s breast and ended near her hip.

“I was tree climbing,” Dar admitted, glancing down wryly. “I went to 358 Melissa Good jump for a branch and missed. I scraped up against the trunk. There was an old nail there and I sliced myself up pretty good.”

“Oh.” Kerry ducked her head and kissed the spot. “Bet that hurt.”

“I was screaming like a banshee, yeah.” Dar chuckled. “I’ve never liked hospitals—had to go get stitches and a tetanus shot the size of a harpoon.”

“Ouch.” Kerry winced, then continued her exploration. “Can I ask you a personal question?” She peered up at her companion, who raised an eyebrow at her. “Well?”

“Sure,” Dar replied with a grin. “How much more personal can we get here?” She traced a line down Kerry’s throat, tickling her pulse point.

“How old are you?” Kerry rested her cheek on Dar’s belly and blinked at her.

A sheepish grin covered the dark-haired woman’s face. “I’ll be thirty in about a month or so.”

“Son of a bitch.” Kerry laughed. “I knew it. You just act like you’ve been running the world for years.” She paused. “When’s your birthday?” she coaxed.

“Uh-uh, I never tell anyone what day it is.” Dar shook her head.

“Why?”

“Just because.” The pale blue eyes flickered. “I don’t like fusses.”

“Mmm.” Kerry drew a circle on the soft surface she was resting on.

“Please tell me?” she asked quietly. “It’s no fair, you know mine.”

Life isn’t fair, Dar almost retorted, then she sighed. After all, what did it matter if Kerry knew? She’d probably actually get a card or something from her. That would be different. “Christmas Day.”

The blonde blinked in surprise. “Really?”

Dar nodded. “Yep. So you could say I’ve never really had a birthday, because there’s no point in making anything separate. You know?” She’d gotten over feeling bad about that years and years ago. Right?

“Hmm.” Kerry drew another circle, then watched her hand move in idle patterns on the tanned skin. “Would you be really pissed off at me if I made you a party?”

Dar remained quiet for a bit, then she raked her fingers through Kerry’s pale hair. “It’d be a pretty damn small party,” she told her friend. “I think I’d rather celebrate Christmas.”

Kerry held her peace. For now. “Okay. Well, I guess some breakfast is in order. I think I have some cinnamon toast left.” She rubbed Dar’s skin.

“Mmm. We could be adventurous and let me cook,” Dar replied playfully. “And you’ll see why I always have corn flakes for breakfast.”

“Those.” Kerry poked her, “aren’t,” another poke, “Corn Flakes. They’re Frosted Flakes, and they are so unhealthy for you.”

“Yeah, but they taste g-r-reat,” Dar shot back immediately, rolling the R’s on the great and sounding very much like the commercial. “And besides, I’ve been eating them since I was a kid, and it certainly didn’t stunt my growth.”

She spread her arms out and indicated her tall frame. “Now, you, on the other hand…”

“Uh uh, don’t you start!” Kerry warned, with a laugh. “I always got told drinking alcohol would stunt my growth. I didn’t touch a damn drop until I Tropical Storm 359

got to college, and look where it got me?”

Dar grinned back, tracing a line down her arm. “I think you’re the perfect size.”

Kerry snorted. “For what? Shortstop?”

Dar slid her arms around her smaller companion and lifted her up, rolling over and settling her into place, sprawled on top of her, with Kerry’s head tucked against her shoulder. “For that.” She closed her eyes and hugged the blonde woman to her, feeling Kerry’s body go limp and relaxed against her own. “See? Perfect fit.”

Kerry had the sudden urge to burrow into the taller woman’s soft skin and never let go. “Yes, but can you breathe?” she murmured softly, knowing the answer by the steady movement under her.

“No problem,” Dar assured her, rubbing a hand gently up and down Kerry’s back. She fell silent as peace flooded over her, completely foreign to anything she’d ever known. She had no desire to do anything but stay right here with the blonde woman, trading touches and the exploratory kisses Kerry was planting on her chest. There was no restless urge to move, no desire to be up and going, just a warmly sensual place she had no intention of leaving. Her hands moved slowly up Kerry’s sides, tracing the curves.

Kerry sighed in pleasure. I definitely like waking up like this.

“HERE, AT LEAST make me feel better by drinking some orange juice.”

Kerry put a glass of the fragrant orange beverage in front of her.

“I can’t drink that, Kerry,” Dar informed her, munching on her toast. “It’s un-Floridian, we leave it all for the tourists and the export trade. Why do you think it costs so damn much here?”

“Dar.” Green eyes gave her an amusedly exasperated look. “Drink the damn juice.”

That got her a bright grin. “You’re feisty this morning,” the dark-haired woman commented.

“It’s not morning,” Kerry pointed out wryly. “Not that I’m complaining, it’s been a while since I’ve slept in.”

Dar sucked on her juice and nodded. “Me too,” she agreed in mild surprise, feeling very relaxed. “Why don’t you grab a shower, and I’ll log in to see if there’s anything going on I need to take care of.” She leaned back and stretched, feeling her shoulders pop into place.

Kerry leaned over her, thoroughly enjoying the taut stretch of the cotton fabric against Dar’s body. Her lips found the taller woman’s and lingered, tasting the cinnamon from the toast she’d been chewing, and the tartness of the orange juice. Before she knew it, Dar’s arms had slipped around her and tugged her down on her lap, and Kerry’s hands were insistently sliding under the thin cotton.

They broke off amidst trailing touches and ragged breathing. “Whoa.”

Kerry let her forehead rest against Dar’s. “We’re not really getting very far today, are we?” She sucked in air as her hands returned to the warm skin she couldn’t seem to stop touching. “Sorry.”

Dar smiled at her, through lazily half-lidded eyes. “Don’t apologize, it 360 Melissa Good feels great.” She nuzzled Kerry’s neck, then nipped lightly at the neatly outlined breasts under the soft fabric, drawing a soft, incoherent sound from the blonde woman. “Ooo, I like that noise,” she purred, then relented, and simply hugged her lover. “Okay, okay, we’ve got plenty of time to indulge.

Let’s get our chores finished.”

Kerry was very close to telling her to toss the chores, then she sighed and hugged Dar back. “Right, okay, I was going to go shower.” Reluctantly, she unwound herself from Dar’s embrace and stood. “Be out in a minute.” She started to move off, but found her shirt being tugged from behind. “Hmm?”

“Want some help?” Dar inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

A sigh. “Good thing I don’t pay for hot water, I think.” Kerry held out a hand with a grin. “C’mon.” Well, she rationalized, at least we’re sort of making progress towards the fish store.

IT WAS A Petsmart. Dar glanced around her approvingly. She liked Petsmarts because they weren’t puppy mills. They hosted shelter adoption centers, and they had fifty-two different colors of dog collars. She didn’t know why that was important, except that she hated to think she was being forced into something, and that big a variety pretty much insured you could pick what you wanted. They also let people bring their pets inside, and it was interesting to note that people generally picked dog breeds that matched them.

She watched Kerry browse the aquarium aisle as a woman with an Afgan hound walked by, the dog’s nervously coquettish air matching her owner’s with uncanny precision. Next came a man with an unlit cigar and no neck walking a bulldog. Amazing. Then she spotted a woman strolling down the bulk dog food aisle with a small, golden cocker spaniel. She examined the dog, then, casting a glance at her companion, she slipped after the woman silently.

Kerry paced back and forth, peering into the tanks trying to decide which ones to pick. “Do you have any gouramies?” she asked the patiently waiting boy in the red vest who was holding a small case filled with water and a net.

“Sure, over here.” He pointed to two large tanks to her right. “There are some big ones in there.”

“Mmm.” Kerry examined the fish. “Okay, okay. That one.” She pointed, then realized Dar was behind her. “That’s a nice one, isn’t it?”

“Yep,” Dar agreed, putting her hands behind her back. “That’s a nice one, too.” She pointed at a brightly striped gouramie near the tank’s filter.

“Okay, and that one.” Kerry smiled at her. “Thanks.” She looked into the next tank. “Do I want guppies again?”

“They’re easy to take care of,” Dar offered. “Goldfish are nice, too.”

Kerry gave her a look, then glanced up. “Oh, hey, Siamese fighting fish.”

She blinked respectfully at the luridly colorful, solitary creatures each in its own bowl. An idea formed. “Dar, you should get one of these.”

“No.” Dar shook her head. “I don’t have pets.”

“It’s not a pet.” Kerry turned and concentrated on convincing her. “Think of it as…a, um, a business strategy. You can keep it on your desk.”

“Kerry, I don’t have pets. I especially don’t have pets on my desk,” the Tropical Storm 361

taller woman replied sternly.

“C’mon.” Kerry spotted a double tank. “Oh, no, this one.” She pulled it down. It was a clever construct, with intertwining lucite tubes that let its inhabitants see but not touch each other. “Look, you can get two. I think it would be good for you, Dar. Something nice and relaxing to look at on your desk.”

“Kerry,” Dar’s voice dropped ominously.

“Listen, I’ll feed them. They’ll just look so pretty in your office. You can get a blue one and a red one. Think of how relaxing they’d be to watch.”

The taller woman turned to the watching attendant. “Do they eat human flesh?”

The boy’s eyes bugged out. “Uh. I…they eat, uh, brine shrimp, ma’am, but I guess…I mean, if you fed it to them in tiny bites.” He swallowed. “Like if you ground it up or something.”

Dar wanted to bark a refusal, she really did. She didn’t have time for fish, or pets, or… The green eyes facing her blinked beseechingly. No, no… Fish had no place in her life; nothing like that did. Kerry tilted her head a bit, and put a hopeful smile on her face. Oh shit. “Fine.” She gave up. “Put ’em in a bag or something.” She gave the mischievously delighted Kerry a dour look. “I’m warning you, I’ll end up knocking them over. I’ve got the worst luck with pets.” She winced, imagining the comments she’d get from the rest of the staff.

Then she considered. Siamese fighting fish. Her fingers drummed against her thigh. Maybe that won’t be so bad after all. She grinned. Here, José, give me your finger. Oops, did I prick you? Sorry, didn’t realize I was holding a needle. Oh, here, just put your finger in here to wash it off. “Heh heh.”

“What’s so funny?” Kerry was busy picking out two of the biggest, prettiest fighting fish she could find.

“Oh, nothing.” Dar cupped her chin in her hand. “You up for some lunch after this? I’m starved.”

Kerry gave her a look, then gathered her choices and proceeded towards the checkout lane. “Sure. What’d you have in mind?”

“Dunno.” Dar chuckled softly to herself. “How about some burgers?”

“Mmm, okay,” the blonde woman agreed. “Did you get some shrimp for your fish?”

Dar juggled the box. “Yep. Do you know what these really are?” she asked teasingly.

Kerry peered at the container. “Yes, brine shrimp.” She got to the counter and put her stuff down.

“Nope, they’re Sea Monkeys.” Dar took possession of her fish and their case, and pulled out her credit card, passing it over to the woman. She took advantage of the fact that Kerry was staring, aghast, at her fish’s food, to make a circling gesture over Kerry’s fish too and give the clerk a smile.

“Sea Monkeys?” Kerry squeaked. “Those cute little things that have families and do tricks?” She grabbed the container. “Dar, you can’t feed your fish Sea Monkeys!”

Dar snatched it back. “Yes, I can.” She gave her companion a piratical grin. “Just be glad you didn’t talk me in to a python.”

Kerry stared at her. “What do they eat?”

362 Melissa Good

“Bunnies,” Dar told her seriously as she took the slip from the clerk and signed her name. “Nice fluffy ones.”

“Eeewwww!” her shorter companion let out a squeal. Then she turned to the clerk. “Do they?”

The clerk nodded sadly at her. “Oh yes, ma’am. And they go down tail first, the last thing you see is their twitching little noses.”

“That’s it.” Kerry slapped her hand on the counter. “I’m out of here.” She looked up expectantly. “How much?”

The clerk glanced at her, then up at Dar. “Um…” She cleared her throat.

“I took care of it,” Dar said quietly. “You were too busy squealing.”

Kerry put her hands on her hips and looked first at the clerk, then at Dar.

“I will get you for that,” she warned, then shook her head. “Thank you,” she added, picking up the bags. “Now, let’s get out of here before you start telling me they feed the parrots live mice.” She stalked out, leaving Dar to exchange amused looks with the clerk, and pick up her own purchases. Dar strolled out after her, feeling quite pleased with herself—for several reasons.

IT WAS CLOUDING over by the time they got back to Kerry’s apartment, and Dar tipped her dark head back to regard the clouds as they walked towards the door. “Looks like a front’s coming through.” The wind rose and whipped their hair around them. “Good thing we’re not out on the water, this could get nasty.”

“Brr.” Kerry hopped up on the sidewalk. “I must be getting used to the warmth down here, that wind feels cool.”

Dar only barely kept herself from wrapping a friendly arm around the smaller woman. Jesus, Dar. she admonished herself. What the hell happened to the ‘I don’t like to be touched’ person you used to be? All it takes is one five-foot-four-inch blonde with pretty eyes to turn you into a huge, dripping pile of mush? “Yeah,”

she commented simply.

“Well…” Kerry keyed in her new code and opened the door, standing back to let Dar enter. “I, um…” Suddenly, she didn’t want Dar to go home.

“Hey, I picked up some stuff the other night, to try a new recipe. You game?”

There was so much she had to do at home, Dar reflected. Work lists and projects she had to take care of. She could see the imperfectly hidden hopefulness in Kerry’s eyes, though, and she smiled inwardly. “I’d love to, but I’ve got to log in and take care of some stuff.”

Kerry smiled happily. “Computer’s all yours. I’ll get the fish put away.”

She gestured toward her desk, and moved past it to put the packages down on the dining room table. “Listen, I picked up a copy of the X-files movie. We could watch that afterward.”

Dar settled into the comfortable desk chair and flipped the computer on, cracking her knuckles lightly. It felt good to be part of someone else’s plans for a change. “Hmm, I’d like that.” She waited for the connection to complete, then logged in and set her mail to downloading while she started up a session with the mainframe. “Oh, crap.” She reviewed an Urgent Notify. “Ouch.”

Kerry finished tucking the containers of fish into the tank without opening them, allowing the temperatures to equalize, then she wandered over Tropical Storm 363

and peered at the screen. “What’s wrong?”

“Damned airline tried to backup its print servers…and blew one.” Dar sighed. “All of domestic printing is down for them.”

“What does that mean?” Kerry asked curiously.

“You ever check in at an airline counter?” Dar asked as she flicked through the report.

“Sure.” Kerry laughed. “A lot of times. Why?”

“You ever need a boarding pass?”

“Yeah.”

“You ever need your bags tagged?”

“Sure.”

“You see all those lists the stews check passengers off on?”

“Um…”

“Ever had to buy a ticket at the counter?”

“I’m getting a clue here, Dar.” Kerry patted her shoulder. “What do they do if this stuff’s down?”

“Hand write everything.”

Kerry blinked. “Oh my god, I’m glad I’m not at Newark.”

Dar turned her head and gently kissed the hand resting on her shoulder.

“Me too. It’s going to be a lousy night to fly.” Mushball. The hand lifted and caressed her cheek. “This close to the holidays, too.”

“Can you do anything?” Kerry asked, enjoying the feel of her soft skin.

About what? Dar wondered. Oh, right. The printers. “Well, it’s their server.

We just carry the data.”

“They don’t have a backup?” Kerry asked. “Where are those servers?”

“Charlotte. They maintain them long distance.” Dar leaned back against her.

“Do we have a backup we can lend them?”

Dar crossed her arms and thought. “Hmm. Damn thing’s a beast box—

quad Pentium II, hundred twenty eight megs of ram. They have a RAID five array on the thing, and normally they’d just plug the array into the backup box. But they upgraded the operating system on the primary and hadn’t gotten around to doing the backup yet. And, they have different controller cards.”

“Not supported?” Kerry winced.

“Nope. They’d need a duplicate of their existing box.” She closed her eyes and concentrated. “Let me think.”

Kerry obliged, massaging her neck lightly with a gentle touch. “When we were doing the Disney project, I thought we had some pretty powerful resources up there—those Alpha boxes I was plugging into, for instance.”

Dar cocked her head. “I wonder…” She reached over and typed a request in the database. “No, those are dual processor, but… Wait a minute.” She drummed her fingers on the desk, then unclipped her cell phone from her belt and dialed a number. “Brent? Dar Roberts.” She glanced at the screen. “Listen, you’ve got a backup server we use for the Sprint account, right?”

“Well, yes, ma’am, we do,” the man answered hesitantly. “Haven’t used it in forever, but it’s still back there.”

“Good. Dust it off and get it over to the server room,” Dar told him.

364 Melissa Good

“Disconnect it from their backup lines, under my authority.”

“Okay.” The man was more than happy to comply.

Dar hung up and dialed again. “Isis? Dar Roberts here. I understand you’ve got a little problem.”

“A little problem?” The woman’s voice was clearly incredulous. “I don’t have a single printer working in all of the continental United States. That’s not a problem, that’s a high-order cluster, Dar.”

“What’s the prognosis?” the tall executive asked, circling the listening Kerry with one arm.

“Don’t ask. They’re trying to build a duplicate, but it’s going to take HP

about six hours to fly the controller board out there from Washington State.”

The woman sighed.

“What’s a ten-minute uptime worth to you?” Dar drawled.

“If you’re joking, Dar, I’m going to fly to damn Miami and punch you,”

Isis replied. “What’s it worth? My undying gratitude.”

“I have a backup server set up in Charlotte, you’ll just have to plug in your array. It’s got the same architecture as your old one.”

“God bless you, Dar. Goodbye, Dar.” The woman spoke rapidly and hung up.

Dar chuckled, then turned to her companion. “Very good idea, Kerry, thank you.” She gazed fondly at her. “The traveling public thanks you.”

Kerry grinned. “Hey, I do my best.” She gave Dar a quick hug then went back to the fish, setting up Dar’s tanklet while her boss continued to check her mail. The fighting fish were swimming in their little bags, watching her suspiciously. She waved at them as she cleaned out the tank, and filled it with fresh water. “You think this stuff will make the water okay?” She held up the container of bacteria they’d gotten.

“Hmm?” Dar turned around and peered at her. “You’re asking me?” She chuckled softly. “I think it’ll be okay. The guy said they’re pretty sturdy fish.”

She turned back, hesitating before she opened up the file Mark had sent her. It was a complete, a very complete, outline on Kyle Lewis. “Did you know Kyle was discharged with prejudice from the Marines?”

Kerry looked up with a start. “Oh, I forgot you did that. Um, yeah, I did.

He really resented that, but I never knew why. He just used to tell people he’d been set up.” She put the top on Dar’s fish, and smiled at them. “There you go.”

The two fish explored their new home suspiciously, immediately heading for the twinned bridge where they could keep an eye on each other. Kerry wandered over to where Dar was sitting again and perched on the corner of the desk. “Yeah, that’s him.”

The picture Mark had included was of a handsome, sharply featured man with silvered hair and direct, intelligent hazel eyes. Dar glanced over his record, then flicked her eyes to Kerry’s face, which was cool and expressionless. “He was in charge of a training exercise that went bad—six men died and three were wounded.”

Kerry nodded a little. “You think he was framed? That’s what he says.”

A shake of her head. “I don’t know. Based on the report, it seems pretty cut and dried. He told the group to go ahead into an area that had been Tropical Storm 365

blocked off as off limits due to a live mining exercise,” Dar said softly. “Two of the three injured had their legs blown off.”

The blonde remained silent, then they both looked up at a tap on the door. “You expecting someone?” Dar asked quietly.

“Colleen’s out shopping, she thought I wasn’t going to be here today,”

Kerry answered, just as quietly, as she moved across the carpet and peered out the security hole. Her eyes widened. “It’s Kyle,” she mouthed back to Dar.

Another tap. Dar motioned her back and she came to her side.

“Tell him you’ll be right there,” Dar whispered.

Kerry licked her lips, her heart pounding in reaction to seeing Kyle’s face.

“Coming!” she called out. “Hold on.”

Dar had closed out her sessions, and now she took Kerry by the shoulders. “All right, just take it easy. I’ll duck behind the door there, and you just let him in and pretend nothing happened last night.”

Kerry sucked in a breath. “I think I can do that.” She nodded. “He’s probably here to take notes and report back.”

“Probably. You keep calm. I’ll be right here. Trust me, Kerry, if he touches you…” Dar left the threat unfinished.

The blonde woman kissed her lightly. “My hero,” she said with quiet insistence. “Okay, you go hide, let me let the slimeball in.” Dar’s presence gave her courage, and she watched her companion tuck herself away behind the bathroom door while she padded over to the front door, taking a deep breath, then pulling it open.

Hazel eyes immediately fastened on her, running over her as though she were a racehorse. Kerry stiffened in pure reflex. “Oh, hello, Kyle. I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I bet.” He smiled at her. “Can I come in?”

“Sure.” Kerry stepped back and watched him enter, getting a whiff of his distinctive cologne as he passed. He was dressed in a sport coat and slacks and was impeccable as usual. “What brings you to Miami?”

“Oh, this and that for your father—as usual.” He turned full circle, regarding the room with a slightly puzzled air. “I thought I’d stop in and see how you were doing.” Now his eyes came to rest on her. “You’re looking good. Put on a little weight, though, haven’t you?” Another smile. “Your mother will be devastated.”

Kerry perched on the corner of the couch, very aware of the silent presence at her back. “Actually, I feel better than I have in a long time. I think I was a little too thin before.” She met his eyes unflinchingly.

“Tch. Not according to your mother.” He shook his head. “You don’t want to disappoint her, Kerry, you know how important appearances are to her.” It was funny, Kerry thought. Not a sound came from Dar, but she could swear she could hear the taller woman’s teeth grinding together. Hers were.

“Well, she’ll just have to live with it, I guess. I leave on Wednesday.”

“Oh yes, I heard you told her you were thinking of staying.” Kyle looked around again. “Nice place, can’t say I blame you.” He looked back at her.

“Now, you know that’s not going to happen, right?” His voice was friendly and sweet. “It’s time you came home and settled down, Kerry. They’ve 366 Melissa Good planned the wedding for April.”

Kerry looked right at him. “That’s a matter between me and my parents, Kyle,” she stated softly. “So I guess I’ll be talking to them about it next week.”

Kyle came up to her suddenly and frighteningly fast. “You’re going to be a good girl, aren’t you?” he asked softly. “You’re not going to get your father upset now, hmm?”

Kerry swallowed, feeling a lifetime of concession laying on her like a blanket. “I hope not, but as I said, that’s between them and me.” She deliberately remained seated, her arms crossed on her chest. His eyes bored into hers, and Kerry knew if Dar hadn’t been there, she would have been in a lot of trouble.

A fingertip found her chin. “Be good,” he warned softly. “I don’t like having to deal with your father when he’s upset. It makes me…anxious.”

Kerry looked past his eyes and up, and found herself staring into a pair of pale blue chips of ice, framed by a set, furious face so close behind Kyle, it was a wonder he didn’t hear her breathing. “Kyle, go home,” she said quietly. “I’m not a kid anymore, and you’re not my keeper.”

He breathed on her for a moment, hesitant. “Now I know you’re going to have to come home. This place isn’t good for you, Kerry.” He reached out to grip her jaw in a sudden, savage move.

It never completed, as he found his wrist held by long, powerful fingers.

Slowly, he turned his head and found his eyes captured by incredibly blue ones in the face of a stranger. “Who the fuck are you?”

Dar smiled, with a total lack of humor. “A friend.” She released his hand, then moved a step closer to Kerry. “Who doesn’t like to see other friends being manhandled.”

“Lady, I don’t know who in the hell you are, but you’d do better for yourself to keep out of my business,” Kyle told her. “Got me?” His voice dropped in menace.

“You know, my father had a name for people like you,” Dar replied in a conversational tone. “But you probably don’t want to hear what it was.” She gave him an amused look, very obviously not intimidated by his threat.

He studied her. “Oh, let me see here, are you Kerry’s… special friend?”

His mouth twisted into a sneer.

“No, I’m far worse than that,” Dar responded with a smile. “I’m her boss.” She handed him her business card. “Here, make sure you spell the name right.” She moved a step closer to him. “Now, are you done threatening, browbeating, and insulting my employee?”

Kyle flicked his gaze at the card, then up at her face. “Be careful, Ms.

Roberts. This is family business, and you’re not welcome in it.”

Ice blue eyes stared back at him unflinchingly. “Be careful, Mr. Lewis.

You’d be surprised at what businesses I choose to take an interest in,” Dar replied very softly. “Or what happens when I do.”

He chose not to answer that. Instead, he turned to the silent blonde woman at Dar’s side. “Well, always nice to see you, Kerry.” A forced smile shaped his lips. “It will be good to have you home on Wednesday. Perhaps we can continue our discussion then.” He pocketed Dar’s card, then turned and walked to the door, yanking it open, then exiting and slamming it behind him.

Tropical Storm 367

A momentary silence fell, then Kerry sighed. “Well. That was pleasant.”

She turned and gazed at her companion. “But it could have been a lot worse, thanks.”

“Obnoxious little son of a puta,” Dar cursed disgustedly. “Piece of…” She exhaled. “What a horse’s ass.”

Kerry leaned against her. “Yeah.” She sighed. “He certainly is. This coming weekend’s not going to be pleasant.” Briefly, she contemplated not going and was startled at how tempting that was. “I’d rather be here, eating turkey roll on white bread and watching that watchamacallit marathon they’re doing on cable.”

“Well…” Dar kissed her forehead. “If you decide to cop out, let me know.

I’ll stick around and come share turkey roll with you, okay?”

Kerry circled Dar with her arms. “You don’t know how tempting that is, but I have to go. I’ve got to get this over with.” She sighed. “And tell them I won’t be home for Christmas.”

Dar hugged her back. “I’ll be there with you in spirit, you know that, right?”

Kerry looked up at her. “I know that,” she murmured in wonder.

“It…helps. I never could have answered him like that otherwise.”

The dark-haired woman brushed her bangs back gently. “You did a good job of it,” she informed Kerry. “He was looking to push your buttons.”

“Mmm.” Kerry let her head rest against Dar’s shoulder. And he did, too. It was just like there was a warm layer between her and his words, even the meanest of them. “Always has to get his digs in.”

Dar looked over her shoulder without really seeing anything, her mind on strategy. “Maybe it’s time someone did a little digging at him,” she commented. “C’mon, let’s go cause some trouble.” She lead Kerry back to the desk and sat down. “He have a favorite airline?”

“Delta, but…” Kerry peered at the screen as Dar activated a session.

“Delta, today, from here to DC…his name… Ah.” She typed in a sequence and pulled up something. “There you go, there’s his flight PNR for his return.” She looked at Kerry mischievously. “You know what you can do in here?” A shake of the blonde head. “This.” Dar typed in a four-letter sequence and the screen disappeared. “Poof. He no longer has airline reservations.” She smiled at the screen. “Welcome to the Information Age, Mr. Lewis.” Kerry covered her eyes.

DAR THREW ENERGY into finishing her work list, clearing out several items in a row and keeping half an ear on Kerry, who was puttering around in the kitchen. She knew Kyle’s visit had unsettled Kerry, and she impatiently answered some of the dozen or so urgent mails she had waiting, anxious to get them out of the way so she could go back to… Go back to what, Dar? Playing around? Her lips quirked . Yeah. So much more interesting than telling José he had to go back to the drawing board on two accounts and typing in an official answer to the complaint lodged against her by Peter. Jerk. She sighed and rubbed her forehead, considering how to phrase the response. “He screwed up the account, Alastair sent me out there to bail him out, and I did. What’s 368 Melissa Good the problem?” She drummed her fingers on the keyboard and then backspaced. “No, she’d kill me if I said that.”

“What’s wrong?” Kerry appeared, resting an arm on her shoulder. Her hand had a soft cotton mitt covering it, and she was carrying a mixing spoon which smelled very distracting. Dar immediately licked it and grinned at the smaller woman’s squawk of surprise. “Dar! Cut that out!”

“Mmm. Whatever that is tastes great,” the dark-haired woman replied.

“This. Peter filed a formal complaint against my conduct and I have to answer it. I’m trying to find a politically correct way to say ‘bite me’ and not have Mariana pull her hair out.”

“It’s meatball sauce. I’m trying a new recipe for spaghetti and meatballs,”

Kerry answered absently, peering at the document. “I figured that was pretty safe.”

Dar’s eyes brightened. “Haven’t had that in a while,” she stated. “I don’t usually order it in restaurants; the meatballs generally taste like pressed oatmeal.”

Kerry nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Hey, listen, why don’t you say that you were asked to evaluate the situation, and the client decided they wanted to negotiate with you directly.” She glanced at Dar. “That’s what happened, right?”

“More or less,” Dar acknowledged. “Truthfully, Gerald Easton is an old friend of my father’s. He’s known me since I was a kid.” She sighed. “He just really didn’t like Peter’s style, so he called and bitched at Alastair.”

“Hmm.” Kerry exhaled. “Okay, you can say that you had prior experience with that contract, and the client felt more comfortable dealing with you.”

A faint smile curved Dar’s lips. “You’re pretty good at this stuff.”

Green eyes twinkled. “Debating, remember? You have to sometimes say the same thing four different ways in order to get your point across.”

Dar laughed. “I’d love to have seen you up there. Nothing I like better than a good debate.”

Kerry blushed a little and grinned. “The contest I won was the one thing my father came to. It was pretty high profile, and he had such a good time doing the chip off the old block thing in the audience.” She looked a little sad.

“It felt good to win that.”

“You ever think of going into politics yourself?” Dar inquired.

A soft snort. “No way. If I’d wanted to spend my life deceiving people I’d have gone into marketing, thanks.” She gave Dar a wry look. “You’re not going to tell me you think public servants do it for the pleasure of serving their fellow countrymen, are you?”

“No.”

“Whew. I didn’t want to burst that bubble for ya, let me tell you, Dar,”

Kerry informed her. “It’s a disgusting business.”

Dar grunted softly. “Tell you what, why don’t you type up an answer for me, and I’ll go stir your sauce.” She slipped out of the chair and plucked the spoon from Kerry’s hand. “Fair trade?”

Kerry sat down, the chair warm from Dar’s body and glanced up. “Try not to eat it all, okay?” she teased, getting a flash of a smile in return as she Tropical Storm 369

turned her attention to the screen.

Dar padded into the kitchen, lifting the cover off a cast iron pot on the stove and releasing a moist cloud of garlic and spices into the air. “Ooo.” She stirred the sauce gently as she thought about the report that had come back about Kerry’s father. The usual, mostly. Minor kickbacks, some reported bribery, nothing concrete. But there were two anonymous bank accounts she was investigating further, and a very strange series of transactions from what looked like a private credit line in his name only. No sense, she’d decided, in letting Kerry see the report until she was finished and had something concrete.

And then what? Dar exhaled. Despite everything, she suspected Kerry still loved her parents, and her family. Doing something to hurt her father would hurt her as well, and as much as Dar wanted to slam the man for what she considered a disgusting persecution of her friend... Would that really serve a purpose? Maybe the information would come in handy to her, though, in her arguments for staying here. And I want to give Kerry all the ammunition for that I can, right? Of course, there was always the possibility it wouldn’t work. That Kerry would allow herself to be persuaded to leave. That’s what you’re afraid of, isn’t it? Dar’s eyes closed as she absently stirred the sauce. You’ve only known her for a month, Dar, the thought of living without her can’t possibly hurt you that much. But it did.

She felt so comfortable with Kerry. Her usual wariness around people seemed to evaporate around the blonde woman, and she found herself basking in the warmth of a true friendship for the first time in a long while.

She hadn’t suspected she missed having that in her life quite as much as she did, and now something was threatening that. She didn’t respond well to threats. They made her want to do crazy things like beg Kerry not to go home.

Or go home with her. Oh yeah. She laughed uneasily to herself. That would win a popularity contest, you just show up at her parents’ house. Let’s see…um… “Hi, the company is instituting a new program in which supervisors must visit all of their employees at least once over the holiday, and I’m starting with Kerry. Do you mind?”

Yeah. She was so involved in her thoughts she didn’t even hear Kerry calling her name until a warm hand touched her back and she jumped. “Wh— Oh, sorry.” She stepped away from the stove and handed Kerry back her spoon.

“Here. I was just…um…”

“A million miles away,” Kerry supplied, gazing at her curiously. “You all right?”

“Yeah. I was just thinking, that’s all.” Dar chuckled. “You finished in there?” She was a little embarrassed to have been caught daydreaming. “I, um, I’ll go take care of that other stuff.”

Kerry gave her a worried little frown, but nodded. “Okay, yeah, take a look at what I wrote. See if you like it.” She patted Dar’s side. “Do you like garlic bread?” Dar nodded. “Silly question. I guess I’ve got some of those breadsticks in the freezer. I’ll put them up, too.”

The taller woman chuckled. “You like doing this, don’t you?”

Kerry shrugged. “I guess, I mean…I don’t think I’d bother for myself. In fact, I know I wouldn’t. I generally just come home from work and grab some 370 Melissa Good carrots or something, but it’s nice to take trouble for someone who appreciates it.”

Dar regarded her seriously. “I do appreciate it,” she replied quietly.

“Very much so.”

That got her a big smile “I know. I noticed your kitchen doesn’t get used much,” she teased gently. “I have nightmares thinking of you there with your Egg McMuffins and chocolate milk.”

Dar laughed in pure reflex. “Nah, you’ve got me all wrong.” She shook her head solemnly. “It’s Croissanwichs or nothing.”

A poke. “You should take better care of yourself.” Kerry mock scowled.

“That’s going to catch up with you one day.”

“Play hard…die young,” Dar half joked.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Kerry replied very seriously. “I’d like to have you around for a long time.” An awkward silence fell, as stunned blue eyes looked at her. “I’m sorry,” Kerry finally muttered. “That’s an incredibly presumptuous thing for me to say.” She turned back to the stove and bent over the pot, only to feel hands grip her shoulders gently.

She went still and didn’t resist as Dar turned her around, and she met the pale blue eyes now gentled as they studied her face. “You know, when you came in here, I was wondering what in the hell I was going to do if you did decide to go home,” she murmured softly. “And I was trying to figure out how someone I’ve known for less than a month could become so important to me.”

“Oh,” Kerry replied.

“So, no, it wasn’t presumptuous. It’s nice that you care,” Dar added shyly. “It feels kind of strange, but I think I like it.”

Kerry let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good.” She reached up and interlaced her fingers with Dar’s. “Because I can’t help feeling that way, and I’d hate to be driving you crazy or anything.”

Dar gave in to the insidious craving and hugged her. “Nah.” She released her and stepped back, then smiled. “Let me go finish.” She turned and left the kitchen.

Kerry sucked on the end of her spoon in thought as she turned back to her sauce, and a small, incredulous smile slowly inched its way across her face. Dar went back to the desk and dropped into the chair, propping her chin onto her hand and peering at the screen. She let her eyes scan over the words three times before any of them penetrated. Then she let her eyelids flutter shut and just took a moment to collect herself, feeling a wealth of conflicting emotion battering at her. Half of her was scared shitless. The other half, which was this strange, new, alien-from-outer-space half, wanted to drop to her knees and pledge lifelong devotion to this poor woman she barely knew. “I’m a little old for this hormonal crap, aren’t I?” she muttered to herself wryly. “I haven’t felt like this since I was twelve and had my first crush.”

She rubbed her eyes, then forced herself to concentrate on the screen, this time actually reading it. “Oh, nice job,” she complimented the absent Kerry.

“Yeah, I like it.” The response was very reasonable and politely worded. “Of course she’s gonna know I didn’t write it.” Dar chuckled softly. “But that’s Tropical Storm 371

okay, the mark of a good manager is knowing where to use their resources, right?” She raised her voice. “Nice work.”

“Thanks,” came floating back, and Dar could all but hear the smile in the word as she hit the Send key and sent the reply on its way. Then she settled down and plowed through the next several issues, trying to ignore the intriguing scents wafting in from the kitchen, only stopping for a moment as thunder rolled overhead. “Hmm.”

Kerry entered, also listening. “Sounds nasty.” She leaned on the back of the chair. “You finished? Dinner’s ready.”

“So I smell,” Dar agreed as she straightened. “Yep, I told off six people, canceled three meetings, and sent two scathing replies to people who should have known better.” She sighed. “Not a bad day.”

“Did you really?” Kerry gave her a look.

Dar nodded wryly. “Yes, I did.” She stood up and stretched. “But don’t worry, everyone’s used to it. If I didn’t do that, they’d think something was wrong with me,” she advised the blonde woman. “You want everything out here on the table?”

Kerry hesitated, then grinned. “Well, I’ve got this big platter thing. I thought it might be fun if we just use that and share it. It’s got little legs, we could bring it over to the couch and watch the movie.”

“Hmm.” Dar’s voice dropped to a low, speculative growl. “I think I like that idea.” She smiled abruptly. “I wonder if we can do that Lady and the Tramp thing.”

“The wh…” Puzzled blonde brows knit, then cleared. “Oh…oh, you mean with the spaghetti?” Kerry’s eyes lit up. “Well, sure, we could try it.”

She laughed. “C’mon.” They went into the kitchen together, laughing.

“IT WAS A cop-out,” Dar mumbled, gazing at the screen “Bee, my ass.”

Kerry giggled. “C’mon, they couldn’t have them kiss. The world would end, monsters would explode out of everyone’s chest, the Cigarette Smoking man would quit.” She tilted her head back and accepted a gentle assault on her lips. “Glad we don’t have the same problem.”

“Me too,” Dar agreed with a chuckle as she leaned back against the couch, with Kerry’s body cradled against hers as they watched. “God, I’m stuffed, that was really good.”

Kerry stretched back against her and sighed. “Me too. And thanks, that recipe really worked out.” She glanced up, then laughed and reached up to wipe a bit of sauce off her companion’s face. “Except that spaghetti thing was messy.”

“Mmm. So what was the secret of those meatballs?” Dar inquired. “They were so light, did you put feathers in them?” She gave the smaller woman a squeeze, then rewrapped her arms around Kerry’s middle.

A soft snort. “You won’t believe it, but the secret is milk,” Kerry admitted with a laugh.

“Milk?” Dar protested. “You put milk in meatballs?”

Kerry rested her head back against the soft cushion of Dar’s breast and smiled. “Yep. You mix a splash of milk into the pound of hamburger, then add 372 Melissa Good the Italian breadcrumbs to it to soak it all up,” she stated smugly. “And an egg.” A pause and a glance at Dar. “And, um…a little brown sugar.”

Dar laughed. “Milk, eggs, and brown sugar—sounds about my speed.”

She sighed. “Whatever it was, it was great.” She turned her head as the phone rang, and they exchanged looks.

Kerry turn the sound down and picked up the cordless phone. “Hello?”

Her mother’s voice echoed in her ear. “Hello, Kerry?”

Like who else would be answering, hmm? “Hello, Mother.” She kept her voice somewhere between cordiality and wariness. After all, the woman had hung up on her the last time.

“Dear, I’ve been thinking.”

That’s a first. “Yes, Mother?” She held the phone so Dar could hear, not hard since the taller woman was practically wrapped around her.

“Perhaps I was hasty the other night. I’ve spoken with your father, and while he’s very upset, he says he’s sure you’ll calm down and be able to talk with us about this when you come home.” Her mother’s voice sounded smug.

“I’m sure we can come to an arrangement. We understand you must have gotten attached to your new friends down in that place.”

Attached? Kerry glanced down to the strong arms cradling her. “Well, yes, Mother, you could say that. And I am wrapped up in some really interesting things right now.” Dar snorted in laughter, burying her face into Kerry’s neck for a moment and tickling her. Kerry bit her lip to keep from giggling.

“Certainly, certainly. We’re all grown up here, and we’re so looking forward to seeing you. Brian misses you terribly.”

Really? He hasn’t called once since August. “I’m sure he does, Mother,” she replied.

A momentary silence, then her mother cleared her throat. “You seem distant, dear. Am I interrupting anything?”

Kerry tilted her head back as a nibble touched a nerve. “No, no. Um, I was just watching a movie.” She swallowed, then closed her eyes as Dar’s hands wandered up her belly, exposing her skin to the cool air conditioning.

“Oh. Well, we’re watching War and Peace.” A sigh. “Your father does so love that one.”

“I’m sure he does,” Kerry managed to answer. “ I’m watching the X-files.”

“Kerry, you know what I think of that show,” her mother’s voice was disapproving. “Disgusting. So disrespectful of the government. Why, did you know your father once wrote a letter to that horrible man who puts it on, and he got a note back telling him to go and take some drugs?”

Mental note, Dar decided, send fan mail to Chris Carter.

“Well, Mother…” Kerry let her head go limp against Dar’s chest as the gentle nibbling reached around her throat. “It’s, um…just a TV show.” The roaming fingers traced teasing circles around her breasts, and she let out soft, incoherent sound.

“What was that, dear?” Her mother’s voice nudged her.

“Um…just something I was watching,” Kerry replied, giving her lover a beseeching look. “Nothing you’d want to hear about. Oh yeah, did Kyle get home all right?” She put a twist into her voice. “It was so nice of him to stop by while he was down here.”

Tropical Storm 373

There was an awkward pause. “Was he there, dear? I didn’t…well, I’m sure if he was in the area, of course he stopped in to see you. You know how fond of you he is.” There was a muffled sound. “Roger, did you know Kyle was in Florida? You did? Oh … Well, no… Kerry was just mentioning it.

What?”

Blue and green eyes exchanged conspiratorial looks.

“Oh, goodness, the poor man.” Kerry’s mother came back to the phone.

“Poor Kyle, there was a mix-up at the airport. His reservations got lost somehow, and he had to drive to Tampa in order to catch a flight up here.

He’s waiting in Houston right now.”

“Gee. That’s awful,” Kerry intoned sincerely. “Only connecting flights, huh?”

“Apparently so. Well, I’m glad he had a chance to see you.” Her mother sighed.

“Oh yes, it was wonderful,” Kerry replied softly. “He even got to meet my boss.”

“Really?”

“Um-hmm. She was over here working with me on a project. She gave him her business card. Make sure Daddy gets it, okay?”

“Oh, well, of course.” A pause. “Is that normal, dear? I thought you worked in an office.”

“I do,” Kerry replied. “But I had this extra thing going, and Dar takes a very…” She flicked a glance at the tanned face peering over her shoulder,

“…personal interest in things.” The grip around her tightened, and she winced, covering the receiver. “Not so tight, I’ll lose my dinner,” she whispered softly, sucking in a breath as the hold loosened. Then Dar’s hands playfully unbuckled the thin belt she was wearing, and undid the button holding her jeans closed.

As fingers started a gentle, soothing massage, “Better?” a ghost of a word reached her ears.

“Mmm.” Kerry relaxed and pressed the phone to her ear. “What was that, Mother?”

“I said, did you get the tickets?” Now her mother sounded a bit annoyed.

“Yes,” Kerry replied. “I got them the other day.”

“All right, well, I’ve got to go make some coffee for your father. We’ll see you on Wednesday, dear.”

“G’night, Mother,” Kerry replied politely, then hung up, and put down the phone as she reached behind her and tangled her fingers in Dar’s hair.

“You’re a troublemaker.”

A low, sexy chuckle made little shivers go up and down her spine. “You betcha.” She captured a tasty earlobe and bit down on it gently. “Was that an apology from your mother?”

Kerry shrugged. “I guess, she hates conflict.”

“Hmm.” Dar rested her chin on Kerry’s shoulder. “Hell of a way to spend Thanksgiving.”

Kerry wrapped her arms around Dar’s and sighed. “I get a stomach ache just thinking about it,” she admitted. “I wish I could pack you in my suitcase and take you with me. It’s going to be the longest five days of my life.” She 374 Melissa Good thought about not going, again, and spending the holiday with Dar instead.

Oh boy. It was like a little puppy inside her started wagging its tail, and she had to stifle it. “It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion.”

Dar fought off an almost overwhelming desire to protect her lover from the anger and strife she knew she was walking into. “I wish you could pack me in there, too,” she quipped wanly. “I’d love to see their faces when I popped out.”

Kerry started laughing. “Jesus, that’s a mental picture.” She paused. “So, tell me about this place you’re going to?”

“Well, like I said, Gerry’s an old friend of the family. By the way, he’s the one who gave me those two contracts that saved Associated,” she said. “He invited me up for the weekend. He’s got a son I get along with really well. His family’s sweet, in an old-fashioned, service family kind of way. I don’t know.

“Is his son cute?” Kerry inquired curiously.

“Mmm, yeah, if you like the crew-cutted earnest type. He’s a Navy pilot who just got assigned carrier duty,” Dar replied. “We more or less grew up together. I know Gerry would like it if we were closer, but…” She chuckled.

“You know how that goes.”

“Mmm.” Kerry sighed. “I think you’re going to have a much better time than I am.”

I doubt it, Dar mused silently. I’ll be worried about you the whole time. “Well, next Thanksgiving, we’ll have everyone over at the Island, how’s that?”

Kerry paused in silence for a moment, then she turned her head and regarded Dar with a shy smile. “All right,” she agreed. “That’ll give me something to think about while I battle through my parents’ plans.” She half turned and snuggled into Dar’s chest, playing with the taller woman’s buttons idly. “Damn, I wish this coming week were over with already. I’d give anything for it to be next Sunday night…with all that behind me, and…” A sigh. “I’m so dreading this.”

Dar stroked her hair awkwardly. “I know. Hell, it’s almost even giving me a stomach ache,” she responded. “But hey, it’ll be over in a week, then…we can…um…” She cast around for something she knew Kerry would like. “Plan a Christmas party, okay?”

Kerry slid her eyes up the long, firm neck, and over the bump of Dar’s jaw, up until she was meeting those pretty blue eyes. “Mmm. How about a birthday party?”

Trapped. Augh. “Bu…” Dar nibbled a lip. “Ke…” The green orbs gentled and pleaded with her. “Oh, okay.” She sighed, defeated.

Kerry smiled and patted her chest. “Nothing on earth would make me miss that.” She hugged Dar close. “To hell with Thanksgiving.”

Dar grinned fiercely to herself. Now that was worth having a birthday for.