”Ew,” Kerry replied. ”That’s not fair.”

”Nah, we’ll be out on the boat. That’s why god made cell phones,”

Dar chuckled. ”How’d your night go?”

Kerry rolled over, and let her head rest on the sofa arm. ”Well, I got home, and put together a little dinner for us, then I stuck that in the frig and took Chino for a nice long walk.”

”I could live on Frosted Flakes. You didn’t have to do that,” Dar protested gently.

”You cannot live on Frosted Flakes, Dar Roberts, so hush,” Kerry shot back. ”So, then I went over to the gym and worked out for a couple of hours. You know, I like that gym, Dar.”

”Yeah, I haven’t seen much of it lately,” her lover responded ruefully. ”But it’s pretty well stocked. They’ve got a circuit there I really like. The gym by work doesn’t have it.”

”Mm...yeah...then I got home and took a shower, and now I’m just watching Steve Irwin, and waiting for you,” Kerry concluded.

Dar couldn’t help the silly little grin that crossed her face at Kerry’s words. ”Waiting for me?”

”Yep,” Kerry confirmed. ”Chino and I are right here, watching the door.”

A soft laugh. ”Well, I’m pulling into the parking space right now, so guess I’ll see you in a minute.” She hung up and got out of the car, closing and locking it and heading for the condo entrance. At the door she paused, reflecting.

How many times had she come home, just like this, to a quiet emptiness? How many years had it been? The idea that someone was in there…god.

Thoughtfully, she keyed in the lock and opened the door, stepping inside as a scrambling puppy and a smiling blonde greeted her. ”Hey guys.” Dar dropped her briefcase and knelt, playing with Chino for a moment before she stood and faced Kerry.

”Hey, here, let me take your jacket. You look wiped.” Kerry reached for it, only to have her hands caught and held, as Dar stepped closer to her. ”Wh—”

Dar released her hands, and let her arms rest on Kerry’s shoulders, gently interlacing her fingers behind the smaller woman’s neck. She gazed into the puzzled green eyes, and wished she had the words to fit the emotion she could feel balling up inside her. She tried, but nothing would come out, so she merely drew Kerry’s head forward and gently Hurricane Watch

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kissed it. ”Thank you.”

”Dar?” Kerry asked softly, pulling back a little and giving her a worried look. ”Are you okay?”

There was really no way she could explain. ”Yeah.” She managed a smile. ”Just been a long day, that’s all. ”Awkwardly, she dropped her hands, then backed off a step. ”I’m going to go change. I think I need some coffee.” She rubbed the back of her neck wearily. ”Haven’t had a headache like this in a while.”

Kerry cocked her head to one side. ”Mm...let me help.” She gently drew Dar into her bedroom, and peeled off her jacket, draping it neatly over the back of the chair near the dresser.

”I am capable of taking my own clothes off,” Dar protested mildly, finding herself intrigued by the absorbed look of concentration on her lover’s face.

”Well, sure, I know, but it’s a lot more fun for me if I do it,” Kerry replied, working the buckle loose on the thin, ornate belt then reaching around to unbutton Dar’s skirt. ”Because if you do it it’s just like...well, you know, changing. But if I do it...” She slid the zipper down, and removed the skirt, leaving Dar in her silk blouse.

”If you do it...” Dar repeated softly, tracing the line of her jaw. ”It becomes a lot more interesting.”

”Right,” Kerry agreed, slowly unbuttoning the shirt and letting it fall open, releasing a scent that was mostly Dar, and a touch of perfume.

She slid her hands under the fabric and let her fingers slide up the smooth, powerful back, clucking softly at the tension she felt there.

”C’mon, lie down.” She gently peeled the shirt back, and Dar let it fall down her arms to the floor, feeling the slight chill as the conditioned air brushed her skin.

It felt like a dream, really, but Dar couldn’t find it in her to protest.

She allowed herself to be led over to the waterbed and gently pushed down onto it, feeling the surface give under her weight. She rolled over and spread her arms out a little, feeling the cool air suddenly warm on her back as Kerry settled over her, straddling her hips.

Fingers slipped under the hooks of her bra and released it, then smoothly rubbed the area. Kerry’s hands were warm, and strong, and Dar felt the stiffness relax almost immediately as her companion started to work, kneading her shoulders and wringing tiny murmurs of appreciation from her. ”Ungh.”

”God, you really are tense,” Kerry commented softly, sliding her hands up Dar’s back to her neck and shoulders, which eased grudgingly under her touch. ”We’ve got to get you a recliner for your office or something.” She felt Dar chuckle, the vibration felt through her fingertips as they eased around Dar’s ribs.

”Hey.” Dar chuckled again.

”Whoops, sorry, forgot you were ticklish there,” Kerry teased, hitting the spot again on purpose, just to hear the laugh. She reached 302

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over and got a small bottle of oil from the night stand and uncapped it, putting a little on her fingertips and rubbing them together before she started back to work. ”How does that feel?”

The oil left warm traces across her skin, and Dar let out a long, satisfied breath. ”You’re the best.”

Kerry regarded the smooth, tanned back with a distinct feeling of pleasure. ”I am?” she queried. ”The best what?”

”Everything,” Dar mumbled. ”The best assistant, the best cook, you give the best massages...”

Kerry chuckled delightedly. ”That’s really cool. I’ve never been the best at something before, except debating,” she amended. ”But that doesn’t really count. All it means is I can win arguments.”

Dar folded her arms, and rested her chin on them, glancing back quietly. ”You’re my best friend,” she added, with a touch of wistfulness.

”I never thought about having one of those until I met you.”

Kerry gazed down at her, then she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the center of Dar’s back. ”I’m glad you feel that way.” She moved up and put another kiss a little higher. ”Because you’re my best friend. And the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life,” she uttered softly, right into Dar’s ear.

A gentle smile in return. She rubbed Dar’s shoulders lightly. ”Turn over so I can get the front.”

That got her a saucily raised eye brow, as Dar twisted under her, and she was suddenly face to face with those amazing blue eyes, and a bare, powerful body trapped neatly under her own.

Whoa. Kerry put her hands down lightly on the flat belly, spreading her fingers out and starting a gentle, rhythmic massage. God, Dar is so strong. She could feel it, as she moved up across her collarbone to her shoulders, feel the thick, powerful muscles just under the skin that flowed into her upper arms. Kerry leaned forward to get enough pressure, and found herself looking almost straight down at those twinkling, amused blue eyes. ”You know...” She paused, holding Dar down, and feeling the faint motion under her fingertips. It was almost scary. Almost intimidating.

”What?” Dar asked, watching her face.

”I think I know how Steve Irwin feels when he’s on top of a crocodile,” Kerry told her.

Both dark brows shot up. ”Gee, thanks,” Dar drawled. “I love you too, honey.”

”No, no, no. I don’t mean you look like a crocodile, Dar.” Kerry laughed. ”It’s just that they’re always so much stronger than he is, and you get the feeling that at any moment, the croc might— Whoa—

yeow!”

Kerry felt the room whirl, then a heavy, warm weight settled over her. She cracked one eye open to see a blue orb inches from her. ”Uh oh.”


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”Might turn the tables?” Dar asked, with a seductive grin, as she leaned forward and pinned her lover down, taking a gentle nibble at her neck. ”Like that?”

Kerry felt her breathing go ragged. ”I’m pretty sure a croc nibbling his neck doesn’t make old Steve feel like this,” she responded, swallowing a few times. ”But yeah.”

Dar rolled back over, and allowed Kerry to resume her place. ”I kinda liked it this way.” She reached a hand down and stroked Kerry’s calf. ”Where were we?”

Kerry slid up and found her lips. ”Right here.” She felt Dar’s hands start to roam, lifting up the light t-shirt she was wearing and letting the cool air brush against her skin. ”I was just about to say...” She tasted Dar’s lips again, then slowly lowered herself down, feeling the instant heat as their skin touched. ”That I love you.”

Dar soaked the feeling up in quiet wonder. ”I love you too,” she responded, on an irregular breath. ”And I always will.”

DAR AWOKE ABRUPTLY, disoriented for a minute as she caught her bearings, and shook the sleep out of her eyes. ”Wh—” The bed next to her was empty, though she could still, faintly, catch Kerry’s scent on the sheets, and she put her head back down, wondering what had woken her up so violently.

The fragments of a dream faded out of her consciousness, something dark and vaguely frightening, and she thought she remembered walking down a long, dusty road at night, all alone, in tears.

Ugh...what was that? Dar shook her head to clear it, then put the thought aside. Can't blame it on dinner, since we skipped it, just one of those weird ones, I guess. She exhaled.

Then she cocked her head, and listened, expecting to hear Kerry moving around in the bathroom, or maybe coming back from the kitchen. She heard neither, and her brows contracted. She’s a big girl, Dar. She can probably handle getting milk by herself. She sternly told the niggling anxiety.