when Carrie gave her a hesitant smile was she able to walk in, pausing to wipe her feet on

the rug before going into the sunroom.

They stood there, several feet apart, both staring, both silent. Finally, Carrie tilted her

head, eyebrows raised.

"Are you sorry?" she asked quietly.

Jill shook her head. "No." Then, "Are you?"

"No, not... not at all."

Jill nodded, her hands clutched together nervously in front of her. She finally asked the

one question that had been haunting her all night, all morning.

"You've been with a woman before, haven't you?"

Carrie was obviously startled by the question and she drew her brows together.

"Why do you say that?"

Jill met her eyes, holding them. "Because when you touched me, it was... it was a familiar

touch."

Carrie let out her breath then slowly nodded. "Yes."

Jill didn't know what to say, didn't know what to make of the sharp pain that pierced her

soul. For some reason, she wanted the answer to be no.

"Come inside. Let's talk. I'll tell you about it."

Jill wasn't sure she wanted to know the details, wasn't sure she could handle it. What if it

was someone like her? Someone just drifting along in her marriage, someone looking for

something more in life, something more in a relationship?

"Jill?"

Jill looked up, nodded and followed Carrie into the cottage, followed her to the tiny

loveseat in the sitting area. But before she could sit, Carrie took her hands, pulling her

close. Jill closed her eyes, moving into the embrace, letting her arms slide around Carrie's

waist, letting her body reconnect with Carrie's.

"I was afraid you weren't going to come today," Carrie whispered into her ear.

Jill shook her head then slowly pulled away, meeting Carrie's eyes. The desire she

remembered from yesterday was still there.

"Kiss me," she murmured, closing her eyes again as Carrie's lips moved lightly, softly

against her own. She moaned, all the emotion, all the excitement returning at her kiss. Her

mouth opened, wanting more, but Carrie pulled away.

"We should talk," she said, her breath coming as fast as Jill's.

Jill stepped out of her embrace, embarrassed by her desire. "Yes, okay. You're right."

Carrie walked into the kitchen, picking up the two glasses she'd filled with water earlier.

She handed one to Jill, then joined her on the loveseat. Jill reached out and took her hand,

letting their fingers entwine.

"Tell me."

Carrie nodded and cleared her throat. Jill was surprised at her own nervousness, her

apprehension as to what Carrie would say.

"I can imagine what you're thinking," Carrie said, smiling at the look of embarrassment on

Jill's face. "But it was a long, long time ago. In college," she said. "I had just met James,

had just started dating him. We went to this party, our first party together. And there

was this girl there, she was a few years older than me, a senior," she said. "Anyway, she

flirted shamelessly with me. Before the end of the night, she'd managed to steal a kiss and

walk away with my phone number." Carrie met Jill's eyes, holding them. "And two nights

later, I slept with her."

"But James?"

"I didn't quite know what to do with James and I certainly didn't know what to do with

her. She was just so exciting, so different. But three weeks later, after being with her

nearly every night, she up and left. Quit school and took a job in Los Angeles, just like that.

She barely said good-bye. And I was devastated." She shrugged. "And James was still

there, still wanting to date me. I convinced myself I had temporary insanity and went on to

pretend the whole affair never happened."

"And James never knew?"

"No. But we weren't sleeping together. It was a long time before I could sleep with him."

"And... and no one since then?" Jill asked quietly.

"No. Honestly, the thought never even crossed my mind. Not until I met you," Carrie said.

She squeezed hard on Jill's hand then brought it up to her lips. "And once I realized what

it was I felt for you, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was like I was going to die if I

didn't touch you."

Jill slowly shook her head, her eyes staring at the lips that had just brushed against her

palm.

"I don't... I don't know what to say."

"Tell me how you feel, Jill. Tell me if you feel guilty for what we did. I'll understand. Tell

me if you don't ever want to ... to make love again," she whispered. "I'll understand that

too. Just tell me. Don't let me sit here and speculate, like I've been doing since you left

yesterday."

"No, no, I'm sorry. But I'm not certain how I feel. I should feel guilty, shouldn't I? But I

don't. Not really." She caught her breath. "The thought of not seeing you again, not being

with you again... it's not an option." She held Carrie's eyes. "Is it?"

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Jill looked up as the kitchen door opened, surprised to find Arlene in the doorway. She

closed the lid on the pot as she glanced at her mother-in-law, wondering at her

unannounced visit.

"Hello," Jill said. "Usually it's only Angie and Craig who don't bother to knock when they

come in that door," she said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Arlene ignored her comment as she walked into the room. "Dinner?"

Jill nodded. "Soup."

"To hear Angie tell it, you seldom cook dinner."

Jill frowned. "I cook dinner every night. Well, every night that someone's here to eat it."

She moved away. "Which is not often," she added.

"Yes, well, I'm wondering if you have a minute to visit," Arlene said.

'Visit?"

"Yes. I'm worried about you. About you and Craig."

"What in the world for?"

Arlene clasped her hands together then released them. She shook her head slowly before

answering.

"He tells me something's wrong. He says it's been... well, it's been awhile since you've . . .

well, since you've been intimate. I know that part of your marriage is none of my business

but—"

"You're right. It's none of your business," Jill said as she walked to the door. She held it

open. "It's absolutely none of your business."

"My son is my business."

"Well my sex life is not."

"Jill, you're like a daughter to me, you know that, right?"

Jill barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She could not, however, resist a sarcastic

laugh. "Sure, Arlene."

"Of course you are. And if you're having some issues now, some problems, I'm here for

you."

"Issues?"

Arlene took a step closer, her voice low. "If you're seeing another man, it's only fair that

you let Craig know."

Jill took a deep breath, hating the fact that her heart was pounding nervously. "Arlene, as

you said, this is none of your business. But rest assured, there's not another man involved."

"Then what is it?"

Jill glanced to the ceiling then closed her eyes. "I'm not having this discussion with you. If

Craig has questions, he can ask me. But I refuse to go through you." She opened the door

wider. "Now, if there's nothing else."

Arlene walked past her to leave but paused at the door. "You best be careful," she said

quietly. "A man like Craig may find he's wanted elsewhere. What you won't give him,

someone else will."

She turned and walked away before Jill could reply. She stood there, watching her motherin-

law as she moved down the driveway. She finally went back into the kitchen, lifting the

lid and stirring the soup without thought, wondering what in the world she was going to do.

She couldn't go on like this for long. Craig would demand answers. Answers she wasn't

prepared to give.

In fact, she and Carrie hadn't spoken at all about their lives, their husbands, their

families. What in the world were they going to do?

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Jill lay still, lazily watching Carrie's hand as it moved across her skin, inching closer and

closer to her breast. Her eyes slid closed when it reached its destination, a smile forming

as she felt Carrie's thumb lightly rub across her nipple.

"Your skin is so soft," Carrie whispered, her mouth replacing her fingers upon her breast.

"God, I love when you do that," Jill breathed, her chest arching against Carrie's mouth.

Such an intimate, gentle gesture, something she was not used to in her marriage.

"I love the way you taste," Carrie said as her lips moved across her skin.

Jill spread her thighs, her hands at Carrie's hips gathering her close again. They didn't

have time, yet Jill couldn't deny her body, couldn't forsake her desire just because the

clock ticked closer and closer to two.

But Carrie's hands stilled, her mouth left Jill's breast, returning once to place the

briefest of kisses there.

"It's time," she whispered.

Jill groaned, searching for Carrie's hand, pulling it quickly between her legs, holding it

there. She arched against it, loving the feeling of Carrie's fingers as they entered her.