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inquired softly.

“This qualifies, doesn't it?” Dar replied with a chuckle, as she teased a shirt button loose.

”Who you calling ancient?” Kerry bit down on a tasty earlobe, feeling the laugh travel through Dar’s body. ”Hmm?” She tickled Dar’s belly button, an area she’d discovered was very sensitive. ”C’mon, I hear a nice, warm waterbed whispering my name.” She nipped the soft skin on Dar’s neck, then glanced up. ”Hey!”

Dar reacted, her body shifting as she straightened up. ”What in...oh.” A soft laugh. ”Chino, what do you think you're doing?”

The puppy was busted, tiny paws propped up on the low table, face covered in bolognaise sauce, wide brown eyes fastened on them in a big, canine ”uh oh.” A thin strand of spaghetti drooped from her mouth, and the pink tongue licked at it.

”Bad puppy!” Kerry scolded her sternly, getting a tail wag. ”No, don’t wag your little butt at me. Bad girl!”

The small, creamy ears drooped and she dropped off the table, sitting down and looking up at them through dark eyelashes. The effect was ruined by a satisfied lip lick, however. Both women laughed. ”Oh, it’s not funny.” Dar sighed. ”But I can’t help it; look at that puss.”

”Yeah, she’s got a better pout than you do.” Kerry replied with a faint giggle.

Both dark eyebrows lifted. ”I most certainly do not have a pout,”

Dar stated sternly.

Kerry traced the warm, coral colored lips with a delicate finger.

”Yes you do. When you want something you know is bad for you,” she teased gently. ”Like that cake I made for your birthday.” The lips edged in a sheepish grin. ”See?” She laughed. ”I love that smile.”

”Does that mean I get the cake?” Dar asked ingeniously. She reached down and tickled Chino’s ears, and the puppy stumbled over, putting her paws up on the edge of the couch and licking Kerry’s arm.

”I bet you’d like some too, hmm?”

”No no no. No chocolate for her.” Kerry rubbed the silky ears. ”I’m glad Colleen agreed to come puppy sit. I’d feel really bad leaving her here with just the island people dropping in once in a while.” She flicked a glance to Dar. ”That is okay, right?”

”Mm hmm,” Dar agreed. ”That works. I was going to see if Clemente could have someone hang out in here, but Colleen's a better choice, even if I do think she’s still a little unsure about me.” She tugged lightly on a lock of Kerry’s hair.

Kerry sighed. ”It's...she just worries about me, that’s all. She thinks it’s great we’re together, but the work thing weirds her out,” She admitted, slowly. ”And it is sort of weird. I feel like I’m two different people sometimes.”

”Mm, yeah, me too.” Dar agreed.

”And I feel so...” Kerry pushed a lock of Dar's hair back. “I get 40

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upset when you get so stressed, like when you were yelling at everyone at the meeting today. My guts hurt me,” she admitted. ”I got so mad at that creep today, I almost slapped him in the lunchroom, and it wasn’t because I felt he was insulting my intelligence. It was just that he was doing something to get at you, and I just couldn’t stand it.”

Dar remained quiet, letting the puppy chew on her fingers while she considered Kerry’s words. ”Sorry,” She finally muttered. ”It’s just the way I do things.”

”I know.” Kerry smiled a little. ”It's just...” She paused. ”Your reputation is based on reality, and I forget that sometimes, because I know you mostly like this.” She put a hand on Dar’s cheek. ”I forget most everyone else sees a different picture.”

Dar exhaled. ”You make me sound very schizophrenic.” She made a wry face. ”And unfortunately, you’re going to have to live with Ms.

Hyde this weekend. I’ll apologize in advance.”

Kerry laughed ruefully. ”Probably better off that way or I’m liable to forget and start hugging you in front of everyone.” She demonstrated, settling more comfortably as Dar returned the hug.

”Mm, that feels so good. ”

”How about we get rid of our plates and keep searching?” Dar rumbled, right into her ear, the warm breath sending a light, pleasant shiver down Kerry’s back. ”I don’t want to think or talk about work any more tonight.”

Kerry murmured agreement as she nipped her way along Dar’s collarbone. She broke off reluctantly and turned to grab the containers, only to find a cream colored puppy with an Alfredo colored nose licking her chops. ”Oh, poo, Dar. She’s going to be sick to her stomach.”

Dar lifted the pasta containers out of Chino’s reach and brought them into the kitchen, putting them in the garbage and dropping the silverware into the dishwasher. Kerry slid up behind her and captured her with a solid grip around her waist. ”Whoa.” The hands slipped up under her shirt and explored her skin, making her knees shiver and almost unlock, and she grabbed the counter momentarily for balance.

Then she turned and met the relentless attack, wrapping her fingers in Kerry’s blonde hair. She ducked her head as the smaller woman pressed up against her, losing herself in the intense passion and letting the complications of her life drop away, fogging her awareness as her heart started pounding.

“I love you,” Kerry said as they stopped to take a breath, “and pretending not to is going to kick my ass.”

“Likewise.” Dar kissed her on the lips, gently nudging her towards the bedroom.

KERRY BECAME AWARE of her surroundings when a sharp crack of thunder rattled the windows. She blinked her eyes open and glanced
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at the clock, realizing that though it was close to dawn, the weather was keeping it very dark outside.

Thunder rolled again, accompanied by several flashes of lightning.

She peeked up to see the dim reflection of the clock’s light against half open blue eyes. ”Sounds nasty.”

”Uh huh,” Dar agreed.

”You’re not considering going out and running in this, are you?”

”No,” Dar mumbled as she ran light fingertips across Kerry’s bare ribs. ”You think I’m nuts?”

”Just checking.” Kerry nuzzled the soft breast she was resting on.

”You’ve been very consistent lately.”

Her lover snuggled closer, and made a soft noise deep in her throat.

”Running is a good way to start out the day. It kinda clears my head and gives me a little time to think.” Thunder grumbled overhead.

”However, this is perfect sleeping in weather,” she muttered.

Kerry eyed the rain lashing against the window, along with the almost constant flashes of lightning. ”Yeah, it sure is.” She slid a knee between Dar’s thighs and went belly to belly with her, curling an arm around her back and exhaling contentedly. ”Well, we have an hour or so before we have to get up, then.”

”Mm hmm.” Dar tugged the covers a little closer, and let her eyes slide shut.

The phone rang.

Dar cursed softly, and untangled one arm, reaching out and capturing the instrument. ”Yeah?”

”Dar, it’s Mark.” The MIS chief sounded pissed.

”What's up?” Dar answered, stifling a yawn. ”Meteor fall on Houston or something?”

”Worse. The overseas gateways are down. Exxon tanker dropped anchor in the wrong place going across the North Atlantic and snagged the cable. Took out three hundred pairs.”

”Ugh.” Dar winced. ”Jesus, can we reroute?” She felt Kerry stir against her, and she stroked the woman’s back lightly. ”Oh shit!

They’ve got a transatlantic sales meeting with four new British clients this morning!”

”I know,” Mark replied, ”that’s why I’m calling. The shit’s going to hit the fan in so many directions, we might as well set up a freaking stand and sell fertilizer.” A soft sound of clicking keys came through the phone. ”One of the pairs that were cut was the admin line. They can’t tell who’s up and who’s down, and they can’t reroute until they get some diagnostics over the cable. It could take hours, maybe all day.”

”Can we buy transponder time and go via sat?” Kerry uttered, very softly.

Dar considered that for a minute.

”Did you say something, Dar?” Mark inquired. ”Thought I heard something.”

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T
ell him? What the hell, he knows she logs on from here all the time
.

”Kerry suggested a possibility. Switch it to a sat conference and rent uplink time.”

”Oh yeah? Uh, tell her I said hi.” Mark’s voice held a touch of triumphant amusement, despite the circumstances. ”That’s...well, they were going to do a multimedia real time. I’m not sure the sat can handle that kind of bandwidth, but it’s a thought. We’d have to reconfigure all the sets here, and there for the different network type. I’d have to put that on the fiber backbone.”

”Is there any other possibility? Other than the reroute, which we have no reasonable ETA on?” Dar inquired.

”Not that I can see, boss. That’s why I was calling you.” Mark replied. ”Got two for the price of one too. Kerry was next on my list of notifies.”

”Please don’t page me,” Kerry mumbled. ”I left it on vibrate and it’s on the dresser. It always scares the crap out of me when it goes off.”

Dar muffled a laugh. ”Okay, contact Intelsat, see if we can get one, no, get two transponders, and bring some of your people in early to go up and reconfigure the presentation system in the big conference room.” She gave Kerry a hug. ”Good work.” she mouthed.

Kerry shrugged modestly. ”I learned from the best,” she mouthed back, resting her chin on Dar’s breastbone with a contented sigh.

”Okay, will do.” Mark replied, amid another clatter of keys and a rumble of thunder. ”See ya in the office.”

”I’ll bring pastalitos,” Dar remarked wryly, ”and lots of Cuban coffee.” She hung up, then sighed as she regarded the dimly seen ceiling. ”So much for sleeping in.”

Kerry didn’t let go of her. ”Why? Is there anything you can do in the next hour there?” she asked, reasonably. ”It’s going to take at least that long for Mark to get someone at Intelsat to answer him, considering they’re in California and it’s only quarter to six here.” She started a slow, teasing rubbing up and down Dar’s belly, running her fingers over the lightly rippled surface in little circles.

Dar hesitated, torn between a natural urge to pounce on the situation, and her body’s insidious desire to remain right where she was, in this nice, warm cuddle, where she could almost feel the affection surrounding her in the circle of Kerry’s arms.

Unsurprisingly, her body won out and she capitulated, resettling her hold around her lover’s body, and exhaling softly. ”You’re right. No sense in going in there just to pace around the carpet.” The gentle stroking was relaxing her and she felt her eyes flutter closed as she eased forward, finding Kerry’s lips waiting for her.

They were both too sleepy to go too far, but they spent a very pleasant half an hour in nibbling and touching each other, until the reluctant gray light warned them of the growing dawn. Dar stretched and rolled out of bed, offering a hand down to her languidly watching
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lover. ”I’m gonna go take a shower. The coffee should be ready.”

”Y’know...” Kerry hopped out of the waterbed. ”It would save time if we showered together.”

Dar’s dark brow lifted. ”Oh it would, would it?” She laughed. ”And save water, too, maybe,” she agreed. ”All right, let’s go.” She lead the way into the bathroom, flipping on the light and ducking into the free standing stall shower to start the water running.

”Mm.” Kerry curled an arm around her, and nipped her waistline.

”You know, Dar, I think the thought of not being able to touch you for two and a half days is making me...um...” She hesitated.

”Horny,” Dar supplied, giving her a quick kiss. ”That’s all right.”

She smiled at the dull red flush that covered Kerry’s neck and face.

”C’mere.” She drew Kerry into the shower, and let the warm, pulsing water cascade over both of them. Then she picked up a natural sponge, added some liquid soap to it, and started scrubbing Kerry’s body.

”Mmm.” Kerry swayed a little, then captured her own bit of sponge and returned the service, rubbing the soft surface against Dar’s tanned skin. She’d gotten halfway around her ribcage before she found herself sliding closer and replacing the sponge with her lips, unable to deny her body’s cravings.

Dar responded, dropping soap slick hands down over Kerry’s hips, pulling her forward and into the intense flow from the shower head.

She let herself forget the time as Kerry’s hands slid up her thigh and then allowed a spiral of passion to take them over, building to a fiery intensity. It left them both shaking as Dar leaned back against the water warmed shower tile and managed to keep her legs from collapsing under her. ”Whoa.”

Kerry sucked in a breath that was half heated skin, and half chlorine tinted water, with the soft tang of their soap on the peripheries.

”Oh...” She caught her breath, and bumped her head against Dar’s arm.

”Guess we’re skipping breakfast this morning.”

Dar chuckled, on an uneven breath. ”Thought that was breakfast.”

They finished showering and got out, wrapping towels around each other and easing into the living room. They could hear faint whines as Chino heard them moving.

”Okay,” Dar sighed, running her fingers through her damp hair.

”Onward to Hell.” She gave Kerry’s blonde head one last kiss. ”Oh Eleanor, you wish you had as much of a life as I do.”

KERRY REACHED OVER and flicked her computer on as she sat down at her desk. She glanced at her inbox and took a sip of fragrant, steaming coffee. Leaning back in her comfortable leather chair and smiling a little, she rested her head against the soft surface as she waited for her computer to finish booting up.

It did, and she was logging in when her phone rang. She punched the button. ”Kerry Stuart.”

”Hi, Kerry? It’s John Brown in Charlotte.” The man’s voice sounded harried but friendly. He was a supervisor in the networking office, she recalled.

”Good morning, John. What can I do for you?” She answered cordially.

”Well, um, I got a request from your office, and I just wanted to check it out with someone. I don’t want to do something then get my ass nailed, if you know what I mean. I tried Ms. Robert’s office first, but she’s not there.”