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gone now too, the hostility beating at her back bringing her to question again whether staying here, going through this again, and again and again was a good decision for any of them.

Maybe she could convince Kerry they should go somewhere else, after they got the current problem sorted out. Fix this one last thing, and then give the company the finger? Dar keyed the elevator.

Having Alastair fly out had been great for her ego, but in the long run, what was the point? She turned and regarded the three sales and marketing executives fuming silently behind her and wondered aloud.

“What in the hell do you want from me?”

“What do we want?” Eleanor blurted. “What does that mean? We want the company to run right, and to make money. What in the hell do you want?”

“To screw her little staff whore,” Steven said. “Glad the company pays for it. What else is in your budget the stockholders don’t know about?”

Dar could hear her heartbeat thunder in her ears suddenly, and she was forcibly reminded of the temper she’d inherited along with her height and looks from her father as her body tensed and she felt the blood rush to her skin.

Then she thought about having him restored in her life, and what priority that should have, and about the lessons he’d taught her while she was growing up a scrappy, wild kid.

Never hit somebody cause you’re mad, Dar. Andrew’s voice echoed softly as they waited in silence for her response. Hit ‘em cause hurting

‘em’s gonna get you something back. “My budget’s public knowledge with the rest of the filing,” she said in a voice that was strangely calm even to her own ears. “But we’ll discuss it when I get back.”

“Dar.” Eleanor now looked a trifle uncomfortable.

“Fuck you.” The door opened and Dar entered the elevator, pressing the close button, and keying her badge at the same time to force them shut before the rest of them could react, leaving her in silence for the ride down to the bottom floor.

THE PLANE WAS quiet, being only half full, and Dar took the opportunity to relax in her comfortable seat, a glass of white wine balanced on the console between herself and Kerry.

The blonde woman was curled up half on her side, a soft, blue blanket tucked around her as she idly watched Dar’s profile. ”We’ll have to go out to the office as soon as we get there,” Dar commented, laying a casual hand over Kerry’s. ”It’s going to be a long night.”

”Okay,” Kerry mumbled, shifting over and curling her fingers around Dar’s. ”As long as I can spend it with you, I don’t care how long it is.” She closed her eyes and exhaled.

Dar gazed at her quietly, absorbing the unexpected compliment.


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”Thanks,” she finally said, softly. A sea green orb appeared, and studied her. ”That was a really sweet thing to say.”

Kerry blushed gently, and closed her eye again, giving the fingers held in hers a little squeeze. ”You bring out the poet in me,” she admitted softly. ”It’s the weirdest thing.”

”Oh really?” Dar rolled half onto her side, facing Kerry. ”Got any handy?”

Alarmed green eyeball. ”Any what handy?”

”Poems,” her lover replied, a wicked twinkle in her eyes. ”You said I brought that out in you. I know you’re writing them. I’d love to hear one.””B...” Kerry’s brain ran around in circles for a minute. ”I, b...”

”Well, that sort of rhymes, yeah,” Dar mused. ”Doesn’t have much emotional impact, though.” She took a sip of her wine. ”Is that one of those haiku things?”

Kerry laughed softly. “For Pete’s sake, Dar. Most of my poems are so corny.” Lips very gently brushed against hers, and she tasted their sweetness.

”They’re not corny,” Dar rumbled into her ear. ”I think they’re incredible.” She kissed Kerry again, glad of the dimmed cabin lighting.

”Just like you.”

”Mm...” Kerry found her hands moving irresistibly towards the warm body next to her. ”Now which one of us is the poet?”

IT WAS A dark and stormy night. Kerry rolled the words around inside her head, as she peered through the darkness surrounding them.

They’d gotten to the airport safely, and retrieved a rental car, then headed out to the networking office.

”Pretty remote out here,” Dar commented, the small muscles on the sides of her face tensing as she tried to see through the rain. The road was a two lane blacktop, bordered by trees and rolling up and down hills. Only the very occasional street lamp appeared out of the gloom, and the rain was so hard it reflected Dar’s headlights into a blurring glare.”You said it,” Kerry agreed. ”Something like the area I’m from, but more hilly.” She hung onto the strap as Dar took an unexpected curve, then blinked as the road banked down and to the left. ”Whoa.”

”Yeah.” Dar nibbled her lower lip. ”I don’t do hills very much, sorry.” She consciously slowed down, and ran a hand through her hair, wishing it was light out. ”It’s not that much further, though— Whoa!”

The car slid out from under her control, and she instinctively steered with it, resisting the desire to slam on the breaks. They did a three hundred sixty degree turn, and almost went off the road before Dar wrestled the car around straight, and slowed down almost to a crawl.

”What in the hell was that?”


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Kerry put a gentle hand on her arm. ”Ice.” She exhaled. ”Um, you want me to drive? I think I’m a lot more used to it than you are. They probably don’t have icy roads much in Miami.”

Dar considered that, then prudently pulled off the road and stopped, tugging her jacket up before she opened the door. ”Okay.

Yeah, we get rain slicks, but nothing like this.” She exited out into the frosty rain tinged with sleet, and exchanged places, settling into a cloth seat still warm from Kerry’s body.

It was a surprisingly sensual moment, especially since she caught her lover’s scent still clinging to the fabric. She sat back, a little bemused, and watched Kerry adjust the seat so her booted toes could reach the pedals. ”Sorry. I should have moved that.”

Sea green eyes suddenly glanced up, a hint of mischief in them. ”Or you could have just stayed there, and I could have sat in your lap.”

A dark eyebrow crawled up Dar’s face almost into her hairline. ”Oh really?” She was tempted, then sighed. ”Maybe after we get outta there.

It’d be a little conspicuous pulling up to the site like that.”

Kerry finished her adjustments, then put the car in drive and slowly pulled out. ”Mm, yeah, I guess.” She studied the road. ”Straight ahead?”

Dar nodded. ”Yeah, turn right onto the next major cross road. It has a state highway sign.” She let her head rest against the seat back and stretched her legs out, giving Kerry a look as she reached down and adjusted the passenger seat all the way back. She decided she liked being a passenger, because it gave her the opportunity to study her lover’s profile at her leisure, admiring the slightly upturned nose, and the smooth line of her jaw, the muscles shifting a little as she concentrated on the road.

Kerry was painfully aware of the eyes on her, and she fought the instinct to fuss with her hair nervously, which was a habit of hers.

”Um...” She tried to think of something to distract Dar. ”So, what are we going to do when we get there?”

”Well.” Dar folded her arms across her chest, pulling the leather of her jacket tight around her body. ”It depends on what the situation is.

Probably we’ll have to push a few people around, kick a little ass, get nasty... Hey, Kerry?”

”Kick ass, take names, be nasty, huh?” Kerry flicked a glance her way. ”What?”

”You’re really cute.” Dar grinned.

The car slid sideways with Kerry hanging on and cursing for several very long moments before she regained control of it. ”Dar, don’t do that,” she pleaded, willing her blush to recede. ”We’re going to end up in a ditch.”

Dar chuckled softly. ”Sorry.” She fell silent, and let her companion concentrate on navigating the slick roads.

The dark countryside passed slowly, broken only by the occasional Hurricane Watch

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car or truck going in the other direction. It was another hour before Dar nodded towards a half hidden driveway. ”In there, see where the arc lights are set up?”

Kerry nodded. ”Yeah. Wait...oh, yeah, I see the road. Okay.” She steered the car into the parking lot, seeing several trucks hazily in view through the rain. ”Looks like a circus.” Groups of people were milling around, and she parked near a large clump of them, putting on the parking brake carefully and unbuckling her seat belt. ”Well boss, now it’s your turn.” She glanced at Dar, who was watching the activity with sharp, shifting eyes.

”Right,” Dar murmured, letting the warmer side of her personality slip away, and calling up the cool aggressiveness she knew she’d need to deal with the situation. ”Okay, you got your cell and the laptop, right?”

Kerry nodded, watching her in uneasy fascination. ”Yes.”

”Right. Let’s go.” Dar zipped up her jacket and opened the car door, slipping outside into the rain and closing it behind her.

”Okay then,” Kerry murmured, tucking her phone into the pocket of her jacket and picking up her briefcase. She ducked out the driver side door and closed it, keying the lock and striding after her boss, who was already halfway to the building.

“ALL RIGHT, SO when can we get in there,” Dar said, standing under a dripping tarp in the very center of the building’s front lawn.