“Whew,” Kerry muttered, feeling her heartbeat start to slow. “That was intense.” She decided being embarrassed at this point would be kind of ridiculous, so she lifted her head and just looked at Dar. “This is not going according to plan.”

Both dark eyebrows lifted teasingly. “It’s not?” Dar protested mildly. “I thought it was working out pretty well.” She still had her arms around Kerry, but now she loosened her grasp and backed off a little.

“No…um…that’s not what I…uh.” She gave up. “We were supposed to go to the movie first,” she explained wryly, reaching up and pushing back a bit of Dar’s dark hair.

“Oh. Oh, right.” Dar nodded in understanding. “But other than that?”

“Mmm.” Kerry exhaled slowly. “You know, I did a lot of reading. They didn’t mention the fireworks going off in any of it.” Her fingers trailed down Dar’s cheek. “It’s kind of scary.” Her breath caught as Dar captured her hand and nibbled her palm. “But nice.”

“Okay.” Dar considered. “Is this making you uncomfortable?”

A shy smile. “No.” Kerry shook her head. “But I bet it’s making you uncomfortable. I must be squishing you.”

Dar squeezed her, then patted her hip. “Hadn’t noticed,” she confessed.

“Don’t worry about squashing me, I’m a big girl, I can take it.” She let her Tropical Storm 263

hand move down Kerry’s thigh. “You want to go see the movie?”

It was scary. Kerry was nervous, but she appreciated the fact that Dar was willing to let her go at her pace, and wasn’t pushing, wasn’t…forcing. A grim memory filled her mind, and she had to take a moment to force it out before she could consider it any further. “Well…I, um, I have Escape from New York and some microwave popcorn here. We could improvise.”

Dar grinned, a smile that lit up her very blue eyes and made the skin next to them crinkle “Oh, I like that idea,” she agreed. “And dinner was great.

Thank you, by the way.”

“Mmm.” Kerry gazed at her. “Glad you liked it,” she responded, not taking her eyes from Dar’s. They sat quietly like that for a moment, then Kerry cleared her throat. “I guess I have to get up to get that movie, huh.” She regretfully untangled herself from Dar’s grip and stood, taking a deep breath as she moved away from the seductive warmth. Dar followed her into the living room, and she gave her a little tour, mostly to settle her own nerves.

“This is Scully and Mulder and their little friends the Lone Gunmen.” Kerry sprinkled a little food in the tank.

“Let me guess—Mulder and Scully are the gouramies.” Dar laughed.

“Kissing gouramies, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Uh huh.” Kerry grinned and watched their antics. “What can I tell you, I’m a sucker for a good romance.” The blonde woman shrugged. “Silly, I guess.”

Dar rubbed her back. “Nah, I think they’re cute. Though I thought they copped out in that movie.” She chuckled. “And I gotta tell you, the entire movie theatre I was in cracked up laughing when they said FEMA was behind the great government conspiracy.”

Kerry’s brows creased in puzzlement. “That wasn’t a funny part.”

“It was if you went through Hurricane Andrew down here and had to watch them work,” Dar informed her. “Trust me, if they were in charge of the conspiracy, those damn aliens would have gone home in disgust waiting for fresh water to be delivered.”

Kerry laughed and bumped her with an elbow. “I have that movie too, if you’re interested.” She got out the other videotape and turned on the television, then tossed Dar the remote. “I’ll go get some popcorn.”

Dar was momentarily left alone, and she took the time to study the apartment. It was bright, and very unlike hers. There were personal knick-knacks everywhere, including several stuffed animals, and a set of diplomas on the wall. One was from college and the other her certification affidavit. A small trophy attested to Kerry’s debating skill, and there was a bookshelf against the wall which held an assortment of paperback and hard-back books, a mixture of fiction and computer manuals.

It was a cheerful place; the comfortable couch was in a nice shade of light salmon, and the rug was a pale cream, lending a sense of lightness to the interior that Dar found very soothing. A door to the left obviously led to the bedroom, and there was a small bathroom on the other side of the kitchen.

There was a sense of cleanliness and order that Dar found very characteristic of Kerry, and she decided she felt comfortable being here. The scent of freshly popped popcorn attracted her attention and she turned as Kerry reentered the 264 Melissa Good room, carrying a large bowl and a pitcher. She set both down on the coffee table and got two glasses.

“Okay, I think we’re set.” She glanced at Dar, who was seated comfortably on the couch, and hesitated.

With a quiet smile, Dar patted the cushion next to her and waited for Kerry to settle herself before she reached over and turned down the lights a little and started the movie.

Kerry held out for all of the time it took for the opening credits before she snuggled closer to Dar, leaning against her body as the taller woman put an arm around her shoulders. With a sigh of contentment, she pulled the popcorn over and set it half on her lap, half on Dar’s, as they shared the contents.

Much nicer than the theatre, she decided, popping a kernel into her mouth, then snagging another, and glancing up. Dar chose that moment to look down, and Kerry smiled, then held the popcorn up to her lips, stifling a giggle when Dar snapped her teeth down on it and caught her fingers as well. “Hey!”

Dar slowly released her hold, then chewed the popcorn with a little waggle of her eyebrows. That got her another piece, which she held between her teeth as she looked questioningly at Kerry.

Oh. A game. Kerry pulled herself up and took half the piece, letting their lips brush. That tasted so good she decided to try it, and Dar obliged by reciprocating.

They went back and forth a few times, until Kerry forgot to take a piece and just went for Dar’s lips instead. She was curled up on her own couch, in her own apartment, and she felt very safe. Safe enough to forget the movie and concentrate on the sleek body under her fingertips instead as she allowed her hands to slip down Dar’s neck while the taller woman’s free hand curled around her side.

This time she wasn’t afraid or embarrassed. It was like diving into something new and exciting, and she found herself more intrigued than anxious. Dar was a good kisser, she decided as they gently explored each other. A hand stroked her side, and she shifted a little as the touch shifted and brushed gently against her breasts. That was an interesting sensation. Her body liked that. She felt a slow building of sensation and her skin became very sensitive, and when Dar’s fingertips touched the bare flesh at the neck of her shirt, a soft sound of encouragement escaped her.

Dar’s lips nibbled hers then moved away a little. “You doing all right?”

she murmured in Kerry’s ear, brushing the soft lobe with her tongue.

“Great,” she managed to respond.

“You want to keep going?” Dar inquired, running a finger down her cleavage.

A moment of fear, of uncertainty. “I…I don’t know if I…know what to do,” Kerry replied softly, as she found herself drawn to the smooth skin of Dar’s neck, and she nibbled it softly.

“You’re doing pretty good so far,” Dar confessed. “It’s all right, I’ll show you.”

Kerry felt her way down Dar’s body, smoothing her fingers across the curve of her breasts. “Show me,” the shorter woman breathed, surrendering as she felt a pull against her. Kerry soon found herself stretched out on her side Tropical Storm 265

on the couch with Dar gently supporting her. The dark-haired woman settled next to her and captured her lips again, letting one hand travel down her body and tug her shirt free of her belt. Kerry felt the sudden electric thrill as the warm fingers touched her skin and traced a teasing line up her midsection, from her belly button up to the bottom of her bra. Her muscles contracted in sheer reaction, and she found herself plucking at the buttons on Dar’s shirt, getting two of them undone, which gave her access to smooth flesh that she wanted nothing more than to touch, and stroke and…

She felt a trickle of cool air as her shirt was raised, then heat replaced it as Dar’s lips found their way down her throat and her body arched under the touch, a need building in her stronger than anything she’d ever felt before.

The pressure of her clothing seemed unbearable, and she almost cried out when she felt Dar loosen her belt. She felt chilled for an instant after she slipped the denim off, then a rapid heat consumed her as her legs were tangled with the taller woman’s and long fingers stroked up the inside of her bare thigh.

It was like an explosion inside her. She lost track of where she was, she only knew that a pressure was building, a pressure that centered itself around Dar’s touch, and the movement of her lips and the steady, knowing coaxing movement that brought her closer and closer, and finally sent her crashing over the top in a shudder of sensation so powerful that every muscle in her body clenched and shuddered. She could hardly breathe, her body convulsed again and again until it slowly relaxed, drawn on by Dar’s gentle, easy motions. Kerry was shaking, and her hands clutched feebly at Dar, who wrapped long arms and legs around her, and was whispering quiet reassurances.

“Shhh. Easy.” Dar stroked her hair, a little startled at Kerry’s responsiveness. “Easy, I’ve got you.” Dar knew that a physical relationship was often awkward for a while, until people got used to each other. But Kerry had… Damn, it was like I just knew all the right spots to… Wow. She watched the blonde head slowly nestle against her shoulder and she wrapped her arms a little tighter, bringing their mostly bare bodies closer together. “You all right?”