“Heh.”

“Okay. I surrender.” Dar tried to fend off the puppy, who was now lovingly cleaning her nose. “Hey.”

Kerry unbuttoned her lover’s shirt and started her own licking.


182 Melissa Good

“Mmm. Chino, good idea.” Dar jerked as she nibbled her navel. “This beats eggs for breakfast hands down.”

“H-hey.” Dar swallowed, her body’s reaction sending colorful jolts up and down her spine. “I don’t think I…” She paused as the gentle touch traveled up the slope of her belly, with the tiniest nibble on a rib. “Uh, Ker. I’m still a little…um…”

“Um what?” Kerry advanced, treating Dar’s skin like an ear of corn.

“Hmm?” She slid up and braced her arms, peering straight down at the pale blue eyes.

Dar gave her a wry look. “A little knocked out.” She stroked the soft, fine hair on Kerry’s arms. “That tussle did me in.”

Kerry leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly, then rubbed noses. “Okay.” She sat up and helped her lover to do the same, watching in a little concern as Dar leaned against the wall, looking a bit shaky.

“You okay?”

Dar took a breath and ran her fingers through her hair. “Yeah. Combination of that stuff wearing off and not eating for two days, I think.”

She exhaled. “Nothing a biscuit or something won’t cure.”

“Woof.” Chino heard “biscuit” and got excited.

“Let me guess. With butter and honey on it.” Kerry got up and offered Dar a hand. “C’mon. I could use something solid myself.” She pulled and put her other hand on Dar’s chest to steady her as she rose.

“Okay?”

“Fine.” Dar nodded and followed her towards the kitchen, with the sound of two sets of bare feet and a collection of puppy pattering.

“MORNING, MARÍA.” DAR ducked inside her office and closed the door.

The secretary looked up, a little surprised. “Oh, Dar. Buenos días. I did not think you would be here today. Kerrisita said you felt so bad yesterday.”

She grinned. “Nothing a good night sleep couldn’t cure.” Dar’s blue eyes twinkled. “But thanks for being concerned.” She continued on into her inner office and put her briefcase down, then turned on her PC and unlocked her desk drawer. “You guys hungry?”

The two Siamese fighting fish swam guardedly past each other, eyeing her suspiciously. Dar took a pinch of the fish food, opened the acrylic case, and sprinkled it inside. The fish eagerly snapped at it, and she put the cover on. She tucked the box away and folded her hands as she watched her pets eat.

She hadn’t liked them at first. But as the months wore on, she’d gotten used to their colorful presence and now she liked to spend a few minutes in the morning just watching them, as the water collected the sunlight filtering in from behind her.

The door opened and María walked in, carrying several folders.

“You look very nice today, jefa. That is new for you, I think.”


Eye of the Storm 183

Dar glanced down at the embroidered lace shirt and crisply pressed black slacks. “Um…yeah, as a matter of fact. Thanks.” A surprise from Kerry materialized that morning while she showered. She had come out to find the pretty things laid out on the dresser without comment. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that, she reflected, then sat back, oblivious to María’s busy presence by her outbox, distracted by a sudden realization.

She ran through days in her mind, then exhaled. Her relationship with Kerry had just become the longest one she’d ever had.

“Dar?” María’s voice sounded concerned.

“Hmm?” She blinked and drummed her fingers on the desk. “Sorry. I was just thinking of something. What’s up?”

“I was saying you have the lunch meeting on Key Biscayne today and a briefing at two o’clock. Do you want me to try to move that a little?

Traffic will be terrible coming back from that construction.”

“Um, yeah.” Dar collected herself and turned her attention to the business at hand. She’d have time later to figure out a way to mark, at least privately in her own mind, the milestone. “That’d be fine. Tell Mark I need him and his team to get me the projected traffic patterns before lunch, and schedule a conference call with the overseas group after four.”

“Sí.”

“Oh.” Dar pulled open her drawer and tugged out a manila folder with a name printed neatly on the outside in black magic marker. “Give this personally to Maríana, will you? I don’t want it floating around in the interoffice mail.”

“I will do that now.” María took the envelope and smiled. She paused before the door closed. “Oh. Dar? I thought you would like to know this–Mr. Ankow left yesterday. He said you would hear from him later.”

Hot damn. Dar grinned. “What a shame. Sorry I missed him yesterday.” Guess he didn’t find what he was looking for. Shucks. “Thanks, María.”

She went back to her mail, deleting whole strings of it with piratical gusto.

KERRY RELEASED THE phone button and exhaled, her shoulder slumping as she stared at the desktop under her folded hands. It had been a great morning until that last call, too. She’d gotten a lot done, despite having to put up with a tiny, mischievous little gopher that somehow kept popping up on her screen and munching her windows.

She named it Dar and it snickered.

A rap came at her inner door and she looked up as it opened and a dark head poked inside. “Hi there.” Kerry smiled a little, glad to see the relaxed look on Dar’s face. “How are you feeling?”

“Not bad.” Her boss sauntered into the room and perched on the desk. “Not up to Thai food, but I’ve been working on a bottle of juice all morning. Hasn’t come back up.” She cocked her head. “What’s up with you?”


184 Melissa Good

“What makes you think something is?” Kerry asked.

Dar put a fingertip right between Kerry’s eyes, just over her brow.

“You get a little wrinkle right there when something’s bothering you.”

The pale brows twitched. “I do?”

“Yup.”

Kerry tilted her head. “Well, I just got a call from my father’s lawyer.” The words brought a bad taste to her mouth. “Or should I say, one of his stable of lawyers.” She paused. “He um…made it official that I wasn’t to approach any of the family. That I was considered a hostile witness.”

Dar made a face, then patted Kerry’s hand. “Sorry about that.” She took in Kerry’s dejected shoulders and racked her brains, thinking of some kind of treat to perk her up. “Hey. You owe me a trip to the leather store.”

“What?”

“Didn’t you say you’d be my date for my high school reunion?” Dar teased. “Need to get you into some leather for that, remember?”

“Errrw.” Kerry bit her lip, a grin attempting to escape. “Well, yeah, I did say I’d do that, huh?”

“Yeeesss, you did.”

“You…um…have some place in mind?”

“Yeeesss, I do.” Dar chuckled softly, a definite wicked twinkle in her eyes.

“Uuuuhhhh. I am sooo in trouble, aren’t I?” Kerry squeaked.

“Yeess, you are.” The taller woman ran a light touch down her cheek.

“You talked me into this, Ms. Debating Champion, and I’m gonna hold you to it.” She grinned. “Besides, I bet you look great in nice, snug leather.”

Kerry’s mouth went dry for a second and she was suddenly short of air. She cleared her throat. “Okay. Ah, we could go right after work. Get something light for dinner. How’s that?”

“Sounds great.” Dar smiled. “And Ker?”

She tore her thoughts away from Dar and leather and looked up.

“Mmm?”

“I’d kinda like to be there at the hearing with you, if you don’t mind.”

The green eyes widened and fixed on her, as Kerry sat, struck dumb for a very long moment. “But how can you just—” She stopped, as Dar merely sat, watching her. “You can’t…bu—” A long breath escaped her.

“God, I love you.” Her eyes closed. “Of course I don’t mind.”

Dar ruffled her hair. “Good. I’ve got a couple of meetings this afternoon. I’ll catch up with you on the way out, okay?”

Kerry nodded mutely.

“Clear some time on Monday or Tuesday. I’ve got an eval to go over with you.”

Another silent nod.

“You okay?” Dar held back a laugh, at the wistful look on her lover’s Eye of the Storm 185

face.

Kerry hit her intercom button. “Mayte?”

“Yes, Ms. Kerry?” the girl’s voice came back promptly.

“I’m in a confidential meeting, okay?”

A puzzled pause. “Okay. For how long?”

“I’ll call you.” Kerry clicked the button off, then stood up and put her arms around Dar, hugging her fiercely.

Bewildered, but pleased, Dar returned the hug, giving Kerry’s back a gentle pat. She heard a soft sniffle near her ear and felt Kerry bury her face into the soft cotton shirt she was wearing. “Sorry about the lawyer, Ker. That was a lousy thing for them to do.”

“Just hit home, I guess,” her lover whispered. “I did this to them, Dar. I am a hostile witness.”

There was really nothing Dar could refute that with. “You did the right thing, Kerry.”

“Did I?” Kerry responded softly. “No one cares, Dar. You saw the papers. It’s like, ‘Oh, look. Another one who took bribes. Ho hum.’” She sighed. “I guess I want to have my cake and eat it, Dar. I want justice, and I want them to still love me anyway.”

“Mmm.”

“I can’t have both.”

“No.”

Kerry leaned against her, needing the security, glad beyond measure she could look forward to Dar’s presence in what promised to be a very cold place.

Justice was fine, she acknowledged sadly, but it sure gave lousy hugs.