The worker blinked, surprised, and glanced at them. ”Um, Monday night, Tuesday morning. Why?”
”Thanks, we were just curious.” Kerry smiled at him. ”C’mon, Dar.
I hear a Jacuzzi calling my name.”
”Right,” Dar agreed, shaking her head at the screen as cactus floated by past the reporter. ”I wonder if that’s causing us any problems?”
Kerry tugged her forward. ”I’m sure they’d call if it was,” she assured her lover.
”Right,” Dar murmured again, as they walked away.
THE WARM WATER felt absolutely wonderful, Kerry decided, as she squirmed around to let the jets rush against her ribs. She watched Dar approach bearing a couple of nicely chilled glasses. Not that she noticed the glasses, especially, since her eyes were mostly fully engaged by her hormones due to the fact that her lover was jaunting around the 250
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cabin buck naked.
”Here.” Dar sighed, handing her a glass and seating herself, stretching her long legs out and letting her head rest against the edge of the tub. ”Boy, that feels great.” She paused, expecting an answer, then glanced over when all she got was silence. ”Kerry?”
”Sorry.” Kerry took a sip of the chilled champagne and swallowed it. ”Just thinking.” She wiggled her toes contentedly and exhaled. ”I suppose it could have been worse. We could have gone skiing.”
”Probably would have been me that slammed into a tree then,” Dar remarked. ”How’s your shoulder?” She peered worriedly at the muscled body part in question, examining the bruise that covered Kerry’s arm. ”You sure nothing else hurts?”
”Dar, can I ask you a question?” Kerry peered at her. ”How can a person so oblivious of their own physical well being be so damned solicitous of mine?”
Dar stopped, and drew back in silence. ”Sorry,” she muttered.
”Didn’t realize I was bothering you.”
Kerry studied her, a little bewildered. ”No, it doesn’t bother me. I just didn’t expect that of you.”
Dar gave a little nod, and took a sip of her drink. Truth be told, she hardly knew why she was so damned concerned herself. The woman was obviously all right, so she should just back off and let her be. After all, that’s exactly what she’d want in Kerry’s place, right?
Right. She hated when people fussed over her, and here she was being the biggest fusspot this side of an old fashioned nursery nanny.
No wonder Kerry was annoyed. With an effort, she relaxed, and closed her eyes, trying to recapture the good mood she’d been in at lunch.
She was surprised when a warm body fit itself around hers unexpectedly, and her eyes popped open in startlement, to see two pale green ones peering back at her from a very close distance. ”Uh, hi.”
”Hi,” Kerry answered, with a quietly apologetic look. ”Sorry. I assumed that because you hate people pawing over you that you naturally would just expect everyone else to buck up and pretend gaping head wounds are nothing.”
”No,” Dar acknowledged quietly. ”I don’t expect that at all.”
”Good. Then could you give me a hug, please? I really feel like crap. My legs are killing me, and my entire back feels like an accordion,” Kerry sighed. ”And what kind of good drugs did you bring that might help?”
Dar felt a curious smile crossing her face as she put her glass down and folded her arms around her lover, then lifted her, gently cradling her in the frothy water. ”Let me take some tension off your back, then,”
she replied, as Kerry nestled her head against one of Dar’s shoulders.
”Just put your arms around my...yeah.” She gently stretched Kerry’s body out, working the stiffened muscles with one hand while supporting her with the other. ”I’ve got some Percogesic. It’s a pain Hurricane Watch
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killer and a muscle relaxant. How does that sound.”
”It sounds great,” Kerry mumbled. ”But I feel much better already.
I think you’re one kick ass drug yourself, Dar.” She snuggled closer, absorbing the clean, chlorine tinted warmth of the water, and the even warmer silkiness of the skin she was nestled against.
Dar felt a sincere, thorough sense of relief. ”Well, I doubt it.,” she joked. ”The AMA would never approve me, that’s for sure. Let’s get you out of here and comfortable, okay?”
”Sure,” Kerry agreed amiably. ”Wh— Dar!” She grabbed a tighter hold as she was lifted out of the Jacuzzi. ”Stop that, you’ll hurt you knee!”
”Nah.” Dar stepped carefully out of the tub. ”Grab that towel,” she instructed, then carried Kerry out into the nicely warmed cabin, and set her on the bed. Taking the towel, she knelt. ”Hold still. This won’t hurt.”
”Bu...” Kerry spluttered, then subsided, slowly relaxing as Dar dried her gently.
It was remarkably erotic and she had a hard time keeping her hands still, as the towel brushed against suddenly sensitized skin. She had to force herself not to react, force herself to let Dar take complete control.
To trust completely.
Her breathing slowed, and she let herself become aware of Dar’s close presence, to feel the warmth as her still damp skin brushed by Kerry’s hand. She could hear the soft breaths, and the whispery sounds of Dar’s hair as it slipped over her bare shoulders. She could smell her, that inimitable faintly spicy musk that clung to her lover’s skin, along with the chlorine scent of the water. Her world stilled for a perfect instant.
And then lips touched hers, and the towel’s rough warmth was replaced by knowing fingertips that traced a path across her skin leaving a shiver of anticipation in their wake. She let her eyes slide open, to see Dar’s looking back at her, a teasing grin moving her lips.
One long finger came up and balanced itself on her nose. ”Don’t go away,” Dar told her softly, as she stood and went to their baggage, coming back with a bottle and a cup of water. She knelt down again and shook out two pills, handing them to Kerry. ”Here.”
Kerry gazed at her, mesmerized. ”Do I need these?” she asked softly. ”It doesn’t hurt anymore.” She reached out and bypassed the pills, resting her hand on Dar’s cheek. ”I just need you.”
Dar put the bottle down without breaking eye contact, and eased down on the bed, stretching her body out next to Kerry’s and laying a hand on her stomach. She felt the muscles contract under her fingers, and watched as the pale green eyes darkened at no more than that light touch. ”All right.” She leaned over and brushed her lips against the soft curve of a breast. ”I can’t guarantee it’s going to be relaxing, though.”
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She moved up, feeling the sudden intake of breath as Kerry felt the teasing pressure. ”You sure you’re up to it?”
Kerry finally let her hands loose, and they greedily reached for Dar’s close presence, tugging her closer as her body growled with desire.
”Guess that answered that,” Dar chuckled low in her throat, and succumbed to the insistent tug, feeling a warmth of connection between them that was pulling her closer, and closer, until she could swear...
That they were simply two halves of a whole.
Of course you are. Her mind whispered at her, as she let go and allowed the passion to take her, hearing a faint, knowing chuckle somewhere deep in the back of her mind.
Chapter
Nineteen
“YOU’RE BEING QUIET.” Kerry commented, glancing over at Dar as they mounted the steps to the lodge. Her hands were tucked firmly in her pockets against the chill air, and her breath escaped as puffy clouds of vapor.
Dar also had her hands hidden, and she sniffled a little against the cold. ”I’m not, generally speaking, a noisy person,” she responded mildly. ”I was just thinking, that’s all.” She reached out and pulled the heavy door open, then inclined her head for Kerry to precede her.