Ah. "Thanks." Dar headed off down the corridor arriving at the sturdy glass and steel doors that blocked off the west side viewing platform. Looking through them, she spotted Kerry at once, leaning against the railing and just looking out into space. "What on earth is she doing?"
She pressed her nose against the glass and watched as the breeze blew Kerry's pale hair back and fluttered her silk blouse tight against her body. The tickle in her guts became a burn, and she felt a little short of breath as she shoved the door open against the wind and emerged onto the patio. "Hi."
Kerry turned. Her expression altered from surprised to muted delight in an instant, and she smiled as Dar walked over to her. "Oh, hi."
"Whatcha doing?" Dar leaned on the railing next to her. Her eyes casually met Kerry's and held there, as the sunset gilded her profile.
"Um...not much." Kerry laughed softly. "Just watching the sun go down." She indicated the orange orb, which was painting the western sky every shade of bad sherbet imaginable. "It's so pretty from up here, isn't it?"
"Absolutely." Dar said, a moment before she took her eyes from Kerry's face, and glanced at the horizon. To her surprise, the view was more interesting than she'd imagined, and she stood there in silence as the shifting rays constantly changed the vista as they watched.
Kerry leaned against the rail next to her, their shoulders almost touching.
Dar wondered if she yelled loud enough, would the world stop turning so she could enjoy the moment just a little longer? It certainly beat the quiet, lonely drive home.
"Um...did you...need me for something?" Kerry asked suddenly, hesitating over the words. "I...I mean, were you looking, uh, or were you just..."
Uh oh. Dar felt totally at a loss. Make up a lie? Not answer? Glib answer? Jump over the railing? "I was just..." She finally got out, clamping her jaw shut after that with an audible click.
Kerry looked at her, a tentative grin appearing as she returned her gaze to the sun. She cleared her throat after a moment. "You know the pre-registration for the networking convention opens up tonight. I was thinking of heading down there early to get my paperwork done." Her eyes moved back to Dar's face. "Are you interested?"
A smile formed on Dar's face, as the sun slipped reluctantly under the horizon. "Absolutely."
Ah, sunsets. Dar smiled at the memory, wondering why it had taken her so long to appreciate them.
Possibly because the sun never set over the water where she'd been living. They'd deliberately picked the west side of the island when they'd bought the cabin to address just that subject. Kerry loved sunsets over the water and though it made it more difficult to reach the cabin since they had to go round the key, it was worth it.
The breeze carried a brief wisp of citronella coming from the candle burning near the post and for a brief moment Dar found herself wishing intensely that every day could end just like this.
Ludicrous, she knew. Dar sighed, and picked up another berry. Besides, if they were all like this, how could moments like now be special? She rested her head against Kerry's.
"You know something?" Kerry continued her gentle rocking. "When I was a kid, I used to go down to the lake near my house and just sit there, watching the sun go down. It wasn't nice like this is, but there always was that little peaceful time when it was happening where everything sort of stood still."
"Mm."
"I wondered for a long time if I would ever have anyone to share that time with." Kerry went on in a soft voice. "I was so completely alone surrounded by all those people and my family."
Unsure of what to say to that, Dar took a safe compromise, and reached out to clasp Kerry's hand, twining her fingers with her partner's.
Kerry exhaled, shaking her head slightly. "I am so blessed."
Dar absorbed the words, finding them even warmer than the residual sunlight. "We," she put in a slight correction, "are so blessed."
"Mm." Kerry selected a berry and bit into it. "That we are." She agreed.
They shared a few more berries, and Dar even threw one over to a gull bold enough to traverse the space between the dock and their porch. The bird picked up the offering suspiciously, then bolted it down with a raucous squawk. "Everyone's a critic." Dar commented.
"I don't think they usually eat strawberries, do they? I thought they eat like...dead fish and tormented baby turtles and things." Kerry split a huge berry in half and offered Dar a portion, smiling when it was taken from her fingers and the juice licked off them in the bargain. "Know what I want to do tonight?"
Ah. Easy question. Dar shifted and half turned, curling her arm around Kerry and kissing her on the lips, tasting the sweet tang of the strawberries as their tongues met. "Yes."
"Hmm...I could have meant Scrabble." Kerry whispered, her fingertips tracing the side of Dar's face with a light touch.
"Or Twister." Dar teased, kissing her again.
"We could combine the two and I could stick letters on you with peanut butter."
"Ooo...romance." Dar slid off the bench and rose to her feet, holding out a hand to Kerry. "Mix that with some fudge and we could infringe on Reese's patents."
"Oo." Kerry mimicked. "Now doesn't that sound sexy?" She got up and put her hand in Dar's, muffling a giggle as she was wrapped up in a pair of long arms and hustled toward the doors to the cabin. "Honey, you can infringe on my patent any time you want."
Dar held the door open and they eased past Chino, trading the languid warmth for the pleasant chill of the cabin. She put the bowl of berries down and concentrated on Kerry, running her thumbs down her collarbone before lacing her fingers behind her neck.
Kerry moved closer, slipping her hands under Dar's t-shirt and sliding it up to expose most of her torso. She angled her head and nibbled the curve of one breast, while she reached around to unhook her partner's bra.
Dar slowly moved them both in a rambling arc heading for the bedroom. She unbuttoned Kerry's shorts and they both laughed softly as the garment obligingly dropped around her ankles, nearly tripping her.
She stepped out of them as Dar eased her shirt up over her head and tossed it on top of the shorts then ducked her head as Kerry removed the t-shirt she was wearing and tossed it even further.
They went through the doorway into the bedroom in each other's arms, Kerry depending on Dar's navigation skills to keep them on course as she lost herself in a moment of passionate head rush. She concentrated on the warm skin under her lips and fingertips instead.
Dar did a good steering job, and a moment later they tumbled into the waterbed. She rolled over onto her back and felt Kerry's thigh slip between hers, their bodies pressing against each other. The surface flexed under them, as Dar ran her hands up Kerry's sides and eased her fingers between them to cup her partner's breasts.
"Grrrwow." Kerry responded, biting her earlobe gently. She nibbled Dar's pulse point then worked her way up over the curve of her jaw to her lips. She indulged in a leisurely kiss as she stroked her fingers lightly down Dar's torso, tracing the bumps and ripples of bone and muscle that shifted under her touch.
The best part, Dar always found, was the look in Kerry's eyes when they were being intimate. There was such a mixture of desire and joy there, passionate yet loving. It made making love the sweetest of confirmations. She let one hand drop down to Kerry's bare hip, her thumb running over the line of her pelvis before sliding lower to tickle the inside of her thigh.
The lips exploring hers parted slightly, a gust of air escaping as Kerry exhaled, then drew in a deeper, faster breath. Her body shifted as Dar tickled her again, and they rolled over onto their sides as they slid against each other.
Lying down, her height disadvantage didn't matter. Kerry felt her guts igniting as Dar teasingly explored her and she reciprocated, working her way down her lover's long body as Dar placed a series of tiny bites across the back of her neck.