Melissa Good - Tropical Storm

THE SOFT SOUNDS of motion from the kitchen floated to her ears as Dar lay limply on the couch, about as totally relaxed as a human being could get and not dissolve into jello. She kept her eyes closed and let her mind drift from subject to subject, nothing really making an impact on her conscious mind.

Kerry, though relatively inexperienced, certainly seemed to have her number down pat. Dar stretched a little and relaxed again. That had never happened before. Usually it took time, to get to know the other person’s likes and dislikes, and have hers learned as well. Not this time.

Dar put her hands behind her head and exhaled, glancing down at her half-clad body. It was almost as though they were just…

“Hey.” Kerry poked her head out and smiled, letting her eyes linger over the long, bare legs extended on the couch. “You hungry?”

Dar enjoyed the look, indulging her ego guiltily. “Are you?” She lifted a saucy eyebrow and broke into a laugh as Kerry blushed a deep red. Dar found the mixture of gentle innocence and barely veiled desire incredibly attractive, and she rolled up and off the couch, padding over to where her lover was standing. The green eyes dropped as she approached. “Hey.” She gently laced her fingers through Kerry’s hair and tipped her head back up. “You’re beautiful when you blush.”

Kerry gazed at her, lips twitching a little. “I am?” she murmured softly.

Dar traced the flushed skin, watching Kerry’s eyes flutter closed as she leaned into the touch. “Yes, you are,” she answered honestly, smoothing the fair hair back. “But I’m sure you’ve heard that before.”

Kerry shook her head. “No, I usually get described as, um, ‘cute.’ ” She let her eyes open and smiled at her taller companion. She wrinkled her nose.

452 Melissa Good

“Now you, on the other hand…” She reached up and brushed a fingertip over Dar’s cheekbone. “Wow.”

She was rewarded with a faint blush of her own. “Don’t you tell me you’ve never heard that,” Kerry chided with a grin.

Dar put her arms around her lover. “Never from someone I really wanted to hear it from before.” The words slipped out, startling her, and exposing a rawness she hadn’t really intended.

Kerry just hugged her back, giddily flattered. “C’mon, I’m going to burn something.” She slipped an arm around Dar’s waist and pulled her into the kitchen.

“So, what did you conjure up?” Dar asked as she sniffed interestedly at the pot bubbling away on the stove. “Looks like stew.”

“Ooo.” Kerry patted her. “Right guess, first time. Well, given what I had to work with, it was all I could really do. It’s got those two packages of the shish kebab meat you had in the freezer in it, some canned vegetables, and soup you had back in the hurricane supplies.” She peered at Dar. “Tomorrow, we’re going to go shopping, okay?” She tapped Dar on the shoulder with her serving spoon.

“Good idea,” Dar deadpanned, “I’m almost out of Frosted Flakes.” Her eyes twinkled as she dodged a mock blow. “Hey, I got you those little carrots and fresh fruit. Don’t I get points?”

Green eyes slid sideways and regarded her as Kerry stirred her creation.

“Actually, yes, you do. That was very thoughtful, Dar,” she commented.

“Makes me feel right at home.”

Hands settled lightly on her shoulders and squeezed. “Good,” Dar answered with a chuckle. “Can I drain those noodles for you?”

They took their dinner out onto the patio and set it down on the small stone table that faced the ocean. Dar disappeared inside and returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses, setting them down and opening the bottle with a graceful motion. She poured Kerry a glass and then herself one, then she sat down, propping her bare feet up on the spare chair. “Nice night out.”

Kerry leaned back in her chair and appropriated the fourth one as a footstool. “Very. Not too hot but not cold, either.” She picked up her bowl of noodles and stew and started eating, her eyes watching the moonlit horizon.

“Look at those lights. Are those cargo ships?”

Dar leaned over to see where she was gazing. “Mmm. One of them is; the other two are cruise ships. I think that one’s the Norway .” She shifted a little so their shoulders were brushing, then settled down with her dish.

“I always wanted to go on a cruise,” Kerry commented, biting a piece of stew meat in half and chewing it. “I’d love to take you on one, but I guess both of us disappearing at the same time for a week would be a little conspicuous, huh?”

Dar chuckled wryly. “Just a little. Pity, because the last bonus Alastair sent me was two tickets to an Alaskan Passage cruise.” She took a mouthful of noodles. “This is wonderful, by the way. You’re amazing.”

“Thanks.” Kerry smiled. “Alaskan passage, huh? Wow, I’ve always wanted to see inside a glacier.” She munched on a string bean. “I’ve seen the Northern Lights twice, when we had sunspots, and you could just see them at Tropical Storm 453

night up in Michigan. But I’d like to see them in their proper place, and I’ve heard you can hear them, too.”

Dar nodded, resting her head against the wall and gazing up at the huge, full moon. “They hiss, supposedly, kind of like the surf on the beach.” The thought of spending a week with Kerry exploring Alaska suddenly seemed very, very attractive, and she sighed quietly to herself. “Yeah, it is too bad.”

“Mmm,” Kerry mused, “do you like hiking?”

A chuckle. “As long as there’s a comfortable lodge at the end of the trail, sure. I’m not much for rough camping,” Dar replied. “Another reason the military was probably not a good idea.” She paused. “Maybe we could work a long weekend in, go up to Colorado and hike around a little. They’ve got good horseback riding there, too.”

Kerry grinned. “Ooo, I’d like that. I haven’t been riding since forever, I miss it.” She took a sip of her wine and swallowed. “Wow, that’s nice. Hey, have you ever been up to the wine country, in California?”

Dar shook her head. “No, can’t say I have, I hear it’s nice up there, though. Have you?”

“Twice. Maybe that can be another long weekend. You can take a tour of all the vineyards, and it’s really pretty,” Kerry replied enthusiastically. “I’ve always wanted to go back there.”

Dar felt a silly smile crossing her face. She masked it by lifting her glass and drinking a deep swallow. “That sounds fun,” she agreed soberly. “You interested in some diving tomorrow? Weather’s supposed to be nice.”

A nod. “After we go restock your kitchen.” Kerry pointed her fork at her.

“Even my creativity has its limits. I don’t think there’s much I can do with grapes, milk, pizza, and peanuts.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand how you haven’t just keeled over from scurvy or whatever it is people get who live on ice cream.”

Dar chuckled. “I take vitamins,” she admitted. “We should probably get you a BC that actually fits and a weight belt. That one you’ve been using is too heavy. Tell you what, we can go out to the dive shop and stop at the big Publix off Washington. How’s that?”

Kerry finished off her portion of stew and licked her fork. “Sounds good to me,” she agreed readily. “Though, I don’t know, give me a few months, and I think I’ll need that heavier weight belt.” She gave Dar a rueful look as she patted her stomach. “Not that everyone, with the exception of my mother, hasn’t told me how good I look,” she conceded.

Dar studied her. “To hell with what everyone says, how do you feel?” she asked bluntly.

There was a long pause as Kerry gazed out over the ocean. “Great,” she finally answered in a reflective voice. She let her hand fall to her bare thigh, flexing it and watching the muscles move under her skin. “Getting a lot more of these, I think, instead of just more padding,” she admitted. “Feels kinda good, actually.”