If it had been any other woman, Tessa would have gone on and taken exactly what she wanted, never thinking twice about tears.

This wasn't just any other woman, though, and now Tessa became confused, her body and her heart pulling her in two directions.

She handled her overwhelming emotions the only way she knew how-her anger bubbled to the surface.

"If this is what you wanted from her, why not me?" Tessa hissed, pulling her hands from Casey.

"Because I'm not in love with her!" Casey cried.

It took only seconds for Tessa to react. She turned Casey around to face her and shoved her, thrusting her back in the direction of the front door. Casey's body hit the solid wooden entrance, and the impact nearly knocked the wind out of her.

Tessa towered over her, and her fist came flying in the direction of Casey's head. Casey didn't have time to duck, but the blow wasn't aimed at her head, but at the door, a good six inches above her.

Tessa repeated the blow, then pounded her fist against the wood until her knuckles were raw and bleeding.

"You are not in love with me! Don't ever say that!" Tessa screamed as she hit the door again. "No one can love me!"

*With tears streaming down her face, Casey flinched each time Tessa's fist struck the door.

"You don't know who I am...the things I've done, that I do, that I'll do tomorrow. I'm a monster and-"

Tessa's voice finally broke, and Casey could see the deep pain in the blue eyes gone dark with emotion. Tessa's gaze darted back and forth nervously, filling with tears that she seemed unable to shed. She leaned her weight over Casey until her forehead was pressed against the smooth wood.

"Don't you understand?" Tessa said with utter defeat. "Women like you don't love women like me. I don't deserve to be loved, not at all, and especially not by someone as good as you."

Never in her life had Casey witnessed so much hurt and pain manifest itself into one woman's words. She took Tessa at her word, and for the first time realized that Tessa had probably done things that would turn Casey's stomach, perhaps shock and frighten her. Tessa felt her own life to be beyond redemption, so far gone that she would give up any chance at happiness rather than infect Casey's life with her pain.

Only one problem with that, my love, I don't scare that easy.

Knowing that she might possibly find Tessa's fist connecting with her jaw, she decided to risk the outcome. Standing nearly on tiptoes, Casey wrapped her arms around Tessa's shoulders and let one hand slip into the dark mane of hair.

"Everyone deserves to be loved. I know I may not realize all the things that you've done, and I'm not saying that I wouldn't be shocked or appalled by them. It's just that right now I don't give a d.a.m.n what horrible things you've brought about, and it doesn't matter how cruel or how hard you act toward me. It will never make me stop loving you. Don't you understand me...I love you, Nikki."

Casey continued her soft whisperings, all the while caressing the tense muscles in Tessa's shoulders. At length, she could feel the anger slip away from Tessa's body. Tessa pulled away slightly, her arm still leaning heavily on the door at the side of Casey's head.

The tears that filled the blue eyes finally fell, silently rolling down tanned cheeks. Tessa raised a hand and hesitated for a moment 00.

*before reaching out with her fingertips and wiping Casey's tears away. Tessa continued to stroke Casey's face as if in wonder, as if she were seeing her for the first time.

"I'm so sorry," Tessa whispered, leaning closer to place a feather-light kiss on Casey's forehead. "I don't see it." Tessa's breath fell lightly against Casey's face. "I don't understand what you could see in me that would make you love me."

Casey smiled a little and placed a tender kiss on Tessa's lips.

The touch of her lips was so gentle and easy that Tessa had to wonder if their lips were touching at all, but the delicate contact was like a balm to Tessa's soul.

"Then I'll have to teach you to see yourself through my eyes,"

Casey said, pulling away from the kiss.

Tessa could think of nothing to say to counter Casey's thoughts or to argue at the absurdity of their situation. Her head told her that there were arguments available, but, admit it or not, her heart desperately wanted this to happen. Unable to speak or explain all she felt to Casey, she did the only thing she could do.

She wrapped Casey within her strong embrace and held her there, running her fingers through the short blond locks and reveling in the feel of her lips as they brushed against the golden hair.

Casey pressed closer to the chest of the woman whose warm embrace now encompa.s.sed her. She listened to the strong heartbeat and breathed in the scent of her cologne. Casey's fingers ran up and down Tessa's spine in a languid motion. She smiled to herself when she felt Tessa's heart beat faster. Casey enjoyed the knowledge that the beautiful woman who held her felt something at her touch. Casey pushed Tessa's shirt aside where it was unb.u.t.toned at the neck and pressed her lips to the smooth skin there. She felt a hitch in Tessa's breathing and moved her kisses lower. Unb.u.t.toning two more b.u.t.tons, she slid the tip of her tongue against the dark skin within the hollow between Tessa's b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"Oh, G.o.d, Casey." Tessa groaned, letting her head tilt back in serene pleasure.

Casey kissed her again, then moved away from Tessa.

Tessa stood transfixed, her chest rising and falling deeply as she 0.

*attempted to catch her breath. She watched as Casey went to the sofa and took the blankets piled there and arranged them on the rug in front of the fireplace. Casey watched the fire for a moment, then added two more logs to the dying flames. They sparked briefly and caught fire, the reflection of the orange flames dancing across Casey's body. Tessa continued to stare as Casey unb.u.t.toned her slacks and let them slide off her body.

"What are you doing?" Tessa found herself asking, although it seemed a rather inane question given the look in Casey's eyes.

"I'm undressing," Casey said matter-of-factly.

"Why?"

Brilliant exposition...you're a silver-tongued devil. Get over there and do something. Stop her, help her, do anything...do her, just quit standing here like you're an innocent virgin.

"Because I want you to make love to me," Casey said, smiling a thoroughly seductive smile.

The moment had come, and Tessa pushed herself from the door and walked to where Casey stood.

"Casey-" she began.

Casey initiated a kiss that made all the others they shared so far pale in comparison. Tessa had honestly never been kissed by a woman who had the power to make her knees go weak, but Casey was doing it. She felt the strong bones in her long legs turn to liquid at the pa.s.sionate kiss. Casey moved her mouth to Tessa's neck and sucked hard at the flesh there.

With what seemed like a supreme effort, Tessa pushed Casey away. "Please, stop."

Tessa made her decision and would have to live with the consequences that would come. Casey raised her gaze to meet Tessa's. For the first time that day, Casey watched as those eyes took on their familiar sparkle when they looked at her.

"Just for a minute," Tessa said quietly, placing her index finger on Casey's lips.

Tessa removed her jacket and pulled her cellular phone from the breast pocket. She carefully removed the holster and pistol from the belt at her back and placed it on the small table by the sofa. She punched two numbers on the keypad of the phone and 0.

*pressed the talk b.u.t.ton.

"It's me. Is he back? What happened? Good. No, I found her," she said into the phone, looking up just as Casey removed her blouse and the unclasped bra that still clung to her shoulders.

Tessa closed her eyes for a moment and breathed deeply.

"What? Yeah, she's fine. Look, if you need me tonight, if anything happens at all, don't let anyone know I'm not there. Call me on the cell, I probably won't be home till morning." Tessa put her hand over the mouthpiece because she was sure she was breathing heavily into the speaker. Casey slipped off her panties and arranged herself on the blankets, lying on her side, her head held up in the palm of her hand, a Mona Lisa-like grin on her face.

"Just don't let Meridio know I'm not there. Go over to the guesthouse and take my phone off the hook, turn on a light in the bedroom, make it look like I'm...otherwise engaged. No, she won't...she'll be with me," Tessa said at last, realizing she was entrusting her life to Alex with that last statement. He didn't disappoint her.

"You can count on me, Nikki," he said sincerely.

"And, Alex...you handled yourself pretty well tonight."

Alex pushed the end b.u.t.ton on his cell phone and grinned to himself. Then his expression grew worried. He hoped his mentor knew what she was doing. A guy s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the boss's daughter was one thing. A d.y.k.e s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g Meridio's daughter was a match he didn't even want to think about lighting. He knew one thing, though. Nikki was in a pretty good mood when she was around Casey, and Casey was always nice to Alex.

He leaned back in his chair and thought about Nikki's last words. You handled yourself pretty well tonight. She'd never said anything close to that to him. He knew he wasn't the smartest brick in the load, but it felt nice to hear it. Maybe Meridio's daughter was just what the Kare needed.

Tessa clicked off the call and placed the phone beside her holster. Turning back to face the woman on the blankets, she let her gaze slowly travel the length of Casey's body, her eyes expressing unadulterated l.u.s.t.

0.

*"Talk about cruel," Tessa said with a smirk.

"Well, you seemed to be taking an awfully long time on the phone, and I had to do something." Casey indicated her naked body.Tessa stood at the corner of the blanket and removed her own clothes as Casey's breath was stilled. Tessa took her time, removing each article of clothing with a deliberate and steady motion. Finally, standing over Casey, Tessa let her arousal peak as Casey's hungry eyes consumed her flesh. Tessa dropped to her knees and arranged her body so that she was lying alongside Casey, mirroring her pose.

"See something you like?" Tessa asked seductively.

"Absolutely," Casey said, not even attempting to disguise the want in her gaze as it traveled along Tessa's muscular physique.

"Then never let it be said that a Nikolaidis was unwilling to satisfy a woman's every desire," Tessa said in a low sultry voice, repositioning her body until her length lay on top of Casey's.

"G.o.d, you feel so good," Casey groaned as her body arched up to press against Tessa.

Tessa ground her hips in a tempting swirling motion against Casey's mound, Casey instinctively spreading her legs wider.

Tessa moaned at the pleasing sensation, then released a low growl at the feel of Casey's wetness. Casey writhed in mere antic.i.p.ation, her movements exciting both women even more.

The heavy gold crucifix that Tessa wore around her neck dragged along Casey's body as Tessa raised up on her hands, still grinding their mounds together in a teasing motion. Casey kissed the crucifix lightly, moving the charm so that it hung down Tessa's back.

"Aren't you a good Catholic girl?" Casey teased and smiled.

Tessa rewarded Casey with a charming smile of her own.

"Well, I am Catholic, and I am a girl," she began, reaching in to capturing the soft lips below her in a kiss filled with fiery pa.s.sion. "You can tell me about the good part in the morning."

Casey chuckled and Tessa moved her body down Casey's p.r.o.ne figure. Casey had an unshakable feeling that there wouldn't be any question there.

0.

*Tessa woke just as the black sky was lightening to a shade of gray. The rising sun was some time off, but her internal clock nudged her awake at her usual time. She had probably been asleep all of an hour, but although she was exhausted, her body never felt more alive or happy. Tessa Nikolaidis happy?

Tessa smiled openly at her thoughts but knew it was true.

She kissed the top of Casey's tousled head. Casey murmured something and burrowed herself deeper within Tessa's embrace.

Tessa knew that for the first time in a long time she was happy. If anyone would have told her that inside of a week she would fall this hard and this fast, she would have laughed in their face or laid them out with one punch. She would have a.s.sumed they were making fun of her. It certainly has been a long time in the making, though, hasn't it, little one? Much longer than just a week. Has it really been twenty years?

She refused to think about what was waiting for them outside this house. She wrapped both arms tighter around Casey and only wanted to feel what was right here, right now. She never thought herself capable of having someone like this love her, not being the kind of woman she was. Yet here was Casey, lying in her arms after the most incredible night of lovemaking, as physical proof.

It was true that Casey didn't know specifics, but she guessed and still she was here.

I do love you, Casey. Tessa cursed herself for not saying it aloud. Casey said those words to her many times during the night.

Although Tessa felt them in her heart, she couldn't find the voice to say them. Here she was, a woman who feared few things in life, yet she wasn't strong enough to profess the sentiment she'd never shared with anyone. She wasn't brave enough to give Casey her heart. Even though Tessa knew that all her love and happiness rested here in her arms, she still had an obligation to fulfill that would eventually cause Casey to hate her. There were things put into motion long before you got here and planted yourself in my heart, little one, things I have to see through to the end.

"Casey?" Tessa called softly, attempting to rouse the warm 0.

*body in her arms. "Come on, sweetheart, it's time to wake up."

"Oh, no." Casey groaned. "It can't possibly be time to wake up. I still have sleep left in me."

"Well, shake it off," Tessa chuckled, "because the sun will be up in an hour or two and we still need to pick up my car."

Tessa finished the statement by placing her fingers under Casey's chin and tilting her face upward. Casey ran her hands through sleep-tumbled hair and suddenly became self-conscious.

"I must look like h.e.l.l," she said with her chin still in Tessa's gentle grasp.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Tessa said honestly, placing a sensuous kiss on Casey's lips.

It took only seconds for Casey to deepen the kiss, her hands roaming across Tessa's body. Tessa stifled a moan and quickly grabbed a hold of Casey's roving hands.

"Oh, no, you don't." Tessa laughed.

"What? Don't I get breakfast?" Casey asked coyly with a look on her face to match.

"You had a month's worth of breakfast last night," Tessa countered.

"Hey, can I help it that you taste so good?" Casey whispered, nipping at the woman's earlobe.

Tessa took a chance that she would hit the right spot and tickled Casey intently.

"Oh, G.o.d, no fair." Casey giggled breathlessly. "Now I really have to go to the bathroom."

Tessa could barely stop laughing as she rolled off Casey.

"First door on the left," she said, still laughing as she pointed down the short hallway.

When Casey finally popped her head out of the bathroom, she looked somewhat confused.

"Nikki, there is too electricity in here."

Tessa had been lying on the blankets with her eyes closed, her hands clasped behind her head. Her eyelids popped open, and as she rolled over to meet Casey's eyes, her face took on a decidedly sheepish expression.

"Um, I lied?" She shrugged noncommittally.

0.

*"You..." Casey began, pointing a finger at Tessa. "Well...

you're just too d.a.m.n cute to yell at in the morning." Casey returned to the bathroom.