Tessa's face relaxed into a toothy grin as she watched the attractive figure disappear into the bathroom and heard the sound of the shower running. She jumped up, went to a small cabinet, and pulled some towels from a shelf. Entering the small room, she watched as Casey ran a brush through her hair.

"Want to be a dear and wash my back?" Casey turned and slipped her arms around Tessa's waist.

Tessa raised an eyebrow at Casey's tactics, but the warm body pressed against her naked flesh felt too delightful to turn down.

"Well, I guess it would be faster if we showered together, and we would be doing our part to conserve water."

"Mm-hmm," Casey agreed. "After you."

Tessa stepped into the old-fashioned claw-foot tub, pushing aside the shower curtain that ran all the way around the ceramic bathtub. She turned the nozzle up toward her body and let out a roar."Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" she exclaimed, leaping from the tub."What?" Casey asked.

"There must be something wrong with the water heater, that stuff is like ice," she said, shivering.

"Oh, that. I only had the cold water on," Casey said matter- of-factly. She reached down and turned the warm water handle.

"I guess that pretty much evens us up for the no electricity comment."

"You," Tessa muttered, pulling Casey against her. "I'll get you back for that, sweetheart." She grinned maliciously. "When you're least expecting it."

They did manage to do a little washing amidst the kisses and caresses. Casey was having a hard time keeping her hands to herself, and Tessa was having an even harder time not giving in to Casey's advances. Tessa weakened, however, when Casey ran her tongue across a nipple already erect with desire.

"Ca-ssan-dra," Tessa drawled out a warning tone.

0.

*Casey's perfect white teeth bit down gently on the hardened flesh."Oh, yes." Tessa couldn't keep from moaning, realizing that Casey was on her knees, letting her tongue slide into the dark thatch of hair between Tessa's legs. "Oh, G.o.d, Casey." Tessa groaned, leaning forward, towering over Casey, placing both hands flat against the tile wall.

She involuntarily spread her legs but only slightly. Still, it was enough for Casey to take advantage and bury her tongue deeper into the sweet wetness. Using firm strokes of her tongue, Casey knew that she could quickly bring Tessa to a point where Tessa would beg her not to stop. Tessa spread her legs a touch more, bringing them to the sides of the tub. She moved the showerhead so it was pointing away from them and released a few more breathless moans before Casey raised her head from her pleasurable task.

"We really...don't have...time for this, baby," Tessa panted.

Casey ran her tongue in one more extra firm stroke against her lover's now throbbing c.l.i.toris.

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked quickly.

"Oh, yes!" Tessa's moan of pleasure was directed at Casey's previous action, so when Casey stopped completely, Tessa's eyes snapped open. "I-I mean, no!"

Casey performed the same routine and stopped quickly. "Was that a no, I want you to stop, or a no, I don't want you to stop?"

"It...I...Oh, G.o.d!" Tessa shook her head to try to will some sense into it. She figured that the reason her brain was refusing to function was because all her blood was now flowing straight to other parts of her body. "I...oh, G.o.d, please...I mean...Oh, Casey, just don't stop eating me!" Tessa finally blurted out, her hips thrusting forward shamelessly.

Casey smiled at Tessa's enthusiasm and positioned Tessa's foot on the rim of the tub.

Spreading her legs wide, Tessa released a growl that rumbled through her chest as Casey's insistent tongue lapped at her center.

Her hips rocked against Casey's fingers, thrusting inside her, and she placed her hand on the back of Casey's head.

0.

*"Please, baby...harder."

Casey wasn't sure whether Tessa wanted her to suck harder on the swollen c.l.i.t she had in her mouth or if she wanted a stronger motion from her fingers. She decided to do both, and the combination skyrocketed Tessa into an o.r.g.a.s.m that left her body shivering and her legs unable to hold her own weight any longer.

She sank down to the edge of the tub and pulled Casey into her arms."Oh, I'll get you back for that one, too, little one."

"I'm counting on it."

When they were dressed and finally ready to leave, the sun was peeking over the eastern hills. Tessa wrapped her arms around Casey and kissed her tenderly.

"You have to remember, sweetheart, when we walk out of this house, we can't be lovers," Tessa whispered.

Casey raised her head, a shocked expression on her face.

"That didn't come out right." Tessa grinned. "I mean, that to the rest of the world we can't appear to be lovers."

"That makes me feel a little better. How long? Will we always have to live this way?"

"No, love, it won't always be this way, I promise. It's just that...well, there are things that I-"

"I know. Things you can't talk about, right?" Casey looked up with love radiating from the depths of her eyes.

Tessa nodded and pulled Casey tightly to her body, enjoying the silken texture of the golden hair against her cheek. She didn't want Casey to see her face, but more importantly, she didn't want to have to look into her eyes. She held Casey within muscular arms and said two quick prayers. One, that Casey would someday forgive her for what she had to do, and two, a prayer of thanks for this feeling of loving and being loved in return, no matter how long it should last.

"I wish I knew what it is," Tessa said.

Casey pulled away to look into the blue eyes that sparkled with caring and desire. "What what is?"

"The one thing I did right to get you."

They shared a kiss that was equal parts devotion and 0.

*desperation. Tessa held the door open. Taking a deep breath, Casey walked across the threshold to become Meridio's daughter once again.

0.

Chapter 10.

Things couldn't have gone better if they'd planned it, right up until the point when Casey was on the fourth step headed up to her room when her father's office door opened. Casey panicked for a second and clutched the handrail in fear. She was too far away from the top of the landing to run for it, so she did the only thing she could think of. Turning around quickly, she hit the bottom step just as Andreas Meridio came into view.

"Good morning, Pappa. Did you have a pleasant evening?"

she said cheerily.

"Well, well, I'm surprised to see you out of bed so early this morning. I'm glad, though. I have some business a.s.sociates on the island, and they have a fondness for the steeplechase. I want you to have breakfast and put on your riding togs. I need your help in impressing these men. Katalavaynes, Mahtia Mou?"

"Of course, I'd love to," Casey said with a bright smile that changed to a grimace as soon as he was out of sight. Dear G.o.d, this is going to be the longest day of my life.

"Good morning, miss," Olympia said as Casey entered the koozena.

"Morning, Olympia. I need some of your strongest Greek coffee."

"Make that two." Tessa's voice startled both women.

"That's easy enough." Olympia turned back to the stove.

Tessa leaned on the counter next to Casey, and quickly scanning the area, she raised her index finger to Casey's lips, *Casey kissing the digit. Tessa rapidly pulled her finger away, but not before Olympia turned to face them, two coffees in hand.

Olympia looked hard at both women as she shook her head.

"I only hope you two know what you're doing," she said, mostly to herself, since neither Tessa nor Casey would look up.

"I have to go to work. Have fun sleeping all day," Tessa whispered to Casey as she left with her cup of coffee, acting as if she hadn't heard Olympia.

"Oh, haven't you heard? I get to entertain my father's friends at the steeplechase track today," Casey said tiredly.

"Aren't you a bit wobbly for those jumps today?" Tessa asked with concern.

"I'll be okay." Casey hoped that she wouldn't fall asleep in the saddle at any point during the day.

"Tessa, come in," Meridio said.

Tessa always stood at the entrance without walking in immediately every morning for the past five years. Propriety dictated it so, and she wasn't one to break too far from Greek tradition.

Tessa barely took her seat and a sip of her coffee before Meridio placed a manila folder in front of her. Upon opening the binder, she stared into the face of a man who looked vaguely familiar.

"Do you know him?" Meridio asked.

"I know of him. I've heard things...all bad. Why?"

"He's our new connection. Our friends across the water are shaking their organizational infrastructure a bit. He'll be the man we deal with from now on."

"Lovely," Tessa exclaimed, closing the folder.

"I've invited them to lunch and to the horse track. He has a fondness for the steeplechase and good horses. We can make a present of one of our good mares. It will go a long way with a man like that. I want you to come along for obvious reasons, but Ca.s.sandra's going to be there, and I don't want any of his men thinking she comes as part of the gift. I want it made very clear that she's my daughter, Katalavaynes?"

*"Absolutely." Tessa shared her usual serpentine smile with him. "Trust me, if any one of those men lays a hand on your daughter, it will be a very bleak day for his parents."

Meridio rose and placed a hand on Tessa's shoulder. "I know I can depend on you to stay with Ca.s.sandra every minute."

"You can count on me, Mr. Meridio." Tessa smiled broadly once his back was turned.

Casey closed the door to her room and stripped off the clothes she still wore from the previous evening. She walked across the room and tossed the garments into a large wicker laundry basket.

She stepped into the walk-in closet to find her riding pants and a pale green polo shirt, along with freshly polished boots hanging in front of her. That Olympia is so d.a.m.ned fast, what would I do without her?

Turning with her clothes in hand, she thought she heard a faint click in her bedroom. Walking out of the closet, she noticed that a breeze blew in from the balcony door, which was slightly ajar . Funny, I don't remember opening the doors. She laid her clothes across the valet chair near the dresser and moved to close the doors.

Quickly, a hand covered her mouth and a warm body pressed against her naked flesh from behind. Casey recognized the familiar cologne immediately.

"I told you it would be when you were least expecting it, didn't I, little one?"

The hand slipped from her mouth and did a possessive exploration of the front of Casey's body, a deep moan vibrating in her ear.

"Good G.o.d, Nikki. You scared the h.e.l.l out of me." Casey wasn't sure whether it was fear or desire that had her breathing so hard.

"I think I should get points for having impeccable timing."

Tessa indicated the naked body wrapped in her strong embrace.

With one arm locked around Casey's waist, the other boldly caressed a path that ignited flames of pa.s.sion in both women.

Tessa let her fingertips run along the definition of muscles in *Casey's abdomen, bringing them up to cup the underside of a firm breast. Her lips and tongue tasted the smooth skin of Casey's neck before moving up to capture the soft earlobe within her perfect white teeth. She let her tongue swirl over the small bit of flesh in her mouth, while at the same time allowing her thumb to lazily stroke a tightening nipple. Casey groaned aloud at the exquisite touch, arching her back into Tessa's caresses, trying to press her flesh harder against Tessa's hands.

"Shh," Tessa whispered into Casey's ear. "If you make any noise, I'll have to stop."

Casey didn't know if Tessa was trying to warn her or threaten her. She did know that there was no way she was going to risk having her stop at this point.

"I don't want to hear a sound, not a moan or a whimper,"

Tessa cautioned teasingly. She grinned as she felt the frustration flow through Casey's body.

She raised her hands and kneaded the firm mounds of flesh within each hand, grasping the pink tips and rolling them between her thumb and forefinger. Casey endured the slow torture as long as she could before her own hands pressed the larger hands against her firmly.

"Is this what you want, baby?" Tessa halted her kisses momentarily to whisper in Casey's ear as she pinched and pulled the hardened points of flesh with a rougher touch.

Casey nodded vigorously, and Tessa chuckled at Casey's attempt at silence. Tessa slid her hands down and across smooth, quivering flesh, which fluttered when the palms of her warm hands brushed lower, across the light down of her abdomen. Both hands swirled their fingers within the flaxen curls, teasing themselves lower into the warm wetness, only to abruptly change direction and brush through the curls once more.

Casey was trying hard not to make any noise. She knew they had to be quiet, considering where they were, but it also occurred to her that this was a power game of Tessa's. Deep down, it was a way for Tessa to a.s.sert her dominance, and even though Casey hated to admit it, even to herself, it thrilled her. Tessa was a woman of her word, and Casey wouldn't be at all surprised if Tessa pulled *away only to leave her wanting. This fact, not knowing whether Tessa would give her release, excited Casey in a way that she'd never felt before.

Tessa slid the fingers of both hands deep into the blond nest of curls, unable to contain a groan at Casey's wetness.

"Oh, G.o.d, baby...you feel so good."

Tessa felt Casey legs tremble weakly and didn't think Casey was going to last much longer.

"Kneel down on the floor," she commanded.

It was a good thing. Just as Tessa told her to kneel, Casey's knees buckled. She sank to the floor, Tessa on her knees behind her. Tessa sat back on her heels and pulled the smaller body to lean against her. Casey turned her head and grabbed a handful of raven hair. It didn't take much effort to pull a more than willing Tessa's lips to her own.

Tessa's mouth swallowed any noise Casey was making, Tessa's fingers continuing to stroke the silky, wet folds. With one hand, she stoked the throbbing c.l.i.t; the other poised two fingers at Casey's entrance and pressed against her s.e.x in a teasing manner.