“You’re wrong about her, Brad. She’s too good for both of us.” She stepped quickly around Brad’s surprised figure and stalked away from the ring.

Brad laughed as she straightened up, still looking at Dane’s retreating back.

“Why don’t you leave her alone?” Caroline asked angrily. She had seen the end of their encounter as she brought Maia back from the ring.

“Why, Caroline,” Brad said soothingly. “What have I done?”

“You know damn well what you’ve done. You bait her and push her whenever you can. Why don’t you just let her be?”

“Because she’s too much fun to let go of. Besides, it’ll teach her some discipline.”

“You bitch!” Caroline said, seething with rage. “You tried that once and nearly killed her.”

Brad smiled coolly at Caroline. “Don’t forget, she asked for it.”

“Not like that, she didn’t! What you did to her—” Caroline took a step toward her as Brad turned to leave, but was halted by a tug on her arm.

“Let her go, Caroline. You can’t change her. Dane will have to find her own way to deal with her,” Anne said quietly.

Caroline gazed from Brad’s retreating figure to her lover, allowing her anger to dissipate. “My god, when did you grow up? Have I missed it all these past few years?”

Anne slipped her fingers into Caroline’s and smiled a little ruefully. “I think you’ve been so worried about how young I was, and that I might run off in a frenzy after someone else, that you never noticed it was you I’ve always been crazy about.”

Caroline closed her eyes for a second. “All right, lover, you win. But, we have two more dogs to show. And—”

Anne took a deep breath, “You’d better go see to Dane.”

Caroline kissed her swiftly, not caring how straight the crowd of people around them might be. “You’re right again. I’ll catch up to you later. And I won’t forget what I have in mind for you.”

She found Dane back at the van, sitting on the tailgate smoking a cigarette. Caroline sat beside her, slipping her arm lightly around her waist.

“Maia won, Dane.”

“Good. She deserved to.”

“Anne’s showing next. I know she’d like you to be there.”

Dane nodded, her face set. She stared blankly ahead, her body as taut as a finely tuned bowstring. “I’ll be there.”

“Can’t you just close her out, instead of the rest of the world?” Caroline said softly.

“I can’t. She reminds me of what I am—or what I’m not anymore,” Dane said bitterly.

“No!” Caroline shouted. “She does not make you who you are—she can’t do that. You were nearly destroyed, and you’ve come back from it. I know what that took. I was there, remember?”

Dane stood and shook her head at Caroline. “It doesn’t matter. There’s nothing left of me. She wants Kyle and she’ll have her, because I have nothing to offer her.”

“Oh, Dane—you’re so wrong. Won’t you try, just try with Kyle?”

“I can’t, Caroline. I can’t fight Brad for her—besides, I don’t care anymore.”

“You mean you don’t want to care anymore, Caroline said harshly.

Dane shrugged, her face not revealing the despair that threatened to choke her.

“Come on, let’s go watch Anne them show how it’s done.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

KYLE FOUND A SEAT on a shady knoll above the show ring. She had been strolling about, watching the events, and trying to figure out what was happening. She realized that the animals were grouped by sex and age, but exactly what made one a winner eluded her. They all looked perfect. The obedience trials being held in the ring below were much more interesting for her. The dogs were given a series of commands, sometimes separately and sometimes in a group. As one, they responded with flawless control. The dogs were powerfully built, obviously intelligent, yet perfectly attuned to their handler’s commands. Kyle found the bond between animal and master exciting. It seemed so much deeper than love alone.

As she watched the choreographed movements below, she flashed on her last night with Dane, recalling the great distance between them even as they were so intimately connected physically. She knew now that she longed for some invisible chain that would link them even in their separateness. She hadn’t seen her since, despite her hope that Dane would appear at the bar or call her.

She sighed, lit a cigarette, and was reminded of her lost lighter. It still aggravated her to be parted from it. She lost track of time as she followed the events below her, relaxing in the heat of the late afternoon. Suddenly the sight of a familiar figure approaching the ring interrupted her reverie. An announcement was made, but she lost the words in the wind. Dane’s figure, however, was unmistakable. She wore black jeans and a short-sleeved, open-collared white shirt. Close to her side was a very handsome, muscular dog. As Kyle watched, her attention divided between the beautiful animal and Dane’s equally beautiful face, Dane put the animal through some preliminary maneuvers. The crowd murmured with appreciation at the dog’s split-second responses to Dane’s commands. Even from a distance, Kyle could see that Dane controlled him purely by hand signals. Then a man entered the far side of the ring. The dog remained, tensely alert, as Dane walked slowly away. The stranger approached Dane rapidly, his arm raised aggressively. Instantly the dog responded to a signal from Dane and attacked. Kyle drew a sharp breath as the dog raced toward the man, only to exhale quickly as the powerful animal drew up short between the stranger and Dane. He held the man at bay with threatening growls and short rushes toward him, but never touched him. At Dane’s command, the dog slowly moved the intruder toward the judges’ table, whereupon Dane called him back to her side. The crowd was obviously pleased and gave a brisk round of applause. Dane then walked to the side and returned with a heavy protective garment covering her left arm. At still another signal, the dog launched himself ferociously at her, all semblance of restraint gone. Kyle shuddered as she saw Dane’s slender body rock from the shock of contact as she threw her arm up at the last second. The dog’s heavy jaws clamped around her arm as he brought his considerable weight to bear against her. Their struggle seemed endless as woman and dog joined in a contest of strength and will. Then, as quickly as it had begun, it was over. Dane raised her right arm, and the dog immediately released, sitting with his eyes fixed on Dane’s face. She praised him with a vigorous pat on his solid shoulder as she led him from the ring.

Kyle walked up to her as Dane was finishing a conversation with one of the judges.

“That was very impressive,” Kyle said softly as the judge turned back to the ring.

Dane looked at her in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Kyle smiled. “Just happened to be in the neighborhood?”

Dane smiled, but her eyes were cool blue slate. “Way out here?”

Kyle shrugged. “Actually, Caroline told me about the show a few weeks ago after a discussion group.”

Dane grimaced. “Still going to those, huh?”

“When I can.”

“Learning anything?” Dane asked, starting to walk away. Kyle followed.

“Some. You’d be surprised at the things that women think about, and do, for that matter.”

“Would I?” Dane said, stopping to look at Kyle. “There’s not much I haven’t seen.”

Kyle was not intimidated by Dane’s curtness. “Oh, I’m sure of that. I only meant to suggest that a lot of women who might not ever act out their feelings about power nevertheless think about it. And recognize some of those same elements in their own lives.”

“Great,” Dane replied, reaching for a cigarette. “I’m so happy that more women appreciate my life-style.” She lit her cigarette and leaned to light Kyle’s as well. She was startled by Kyle’s quick grasp on her wrist.

“That’s my lighter,” Kyle said.

Dane, too, stared at the black and gold lighter in her hand. Nonchalantly, she dropped it into Kyle’s palm. “I know. You left it upstairs at ‘Encounters’ when we were there.”

“Why did you keep it?”

“I don’t know—a souvenir? My bedpost is full.” Dane said coldly. Because it’s yours

Kyle stepped back as if struck, quickly searching Dane’s face with dark, angry eyes. “You’re a son of a bitch, Jorgensen.” She turned her back and started away.

Dane looked after her for a split-second, suddenly sorry for her words. “Kyle, wait!” she called before she had time to think. When Kyle turned back, Dane could see that her face was pale.

“Look, I’m sorry.” Dane wanted to tell Kyle it soothed her just to reach in her pocket and find it there. She just couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

Kyle sighed and resumed walking beside her. “Why do I feel like you’re always trying to push me away? Do I have to humiliate myself by telling you I want to see you?”

Dane continued staring straight ahead, acutely aware of Kyle’s body so close to her own. “I thought you’d have other things to occupy your time.”

“Do you think I spend all of my time looking for a bed partner?” Kyle said quietly, determined to get through to Dane.

Dane laughed. “When you aren’t busy fighting off the offers.”

Kyle laughed, too. “I do go out—mostly just to test my own feelings. To see if what I’ve been thinking is real to me when I’m actually living it. But I don’t need to sleep with someone to find that out.”

Dane sighed as she put Troy up into his crate in the van. “You think too much, Kyle.”

“Sometimes. Are you done here today?”

“Just waiting for Caroline and Anne to come back.”

“Tell them you’re leaving with me. I’ll make dinner at my place.” Kyle surprised herself with her own words, but as soon as she said it, she knew she wanted more from Dane than occasional encounters in bed.