Kerry smiled as she walked over to the bedroom, rubbing her fingers against the wooden doorjamb as she entered. It was her favorite room in the cabin, and not just because of the obvious. She knelt and started the small motor that would inflate the Aerobed, then walked over and inspected the bathroom, approving the neat work around the sunken spa tub. One corner of the s.p.a.ce was a gla.s.sed-in shower, the other was the tub, and between lay a large vanity flanked by not one, but two toilets.

Kerry liked that. She and Dar had pondered over the notion for quite a while before they'd decided to have it done. The vanity had 14*

a three-quarter mirror around it, providing just enough privacy.

She opened the cabinet, idly looking at the few supplies they'd left there.

This would be only the third night they'd spent at the cabin, and she found herself looking forward to the time when all the furniture would be there, and the place gained a sense of...home.

She left the bed to inflate and walked back to their dual offices, now just empty s.p.a.ces waiting for the delivery of the custom-made desks they'd ordered. Both rooms had big windows and skylights.

Once the furniture was in, they could plug into the company network as easily as if they were at the condo. Or at the office. She was looking forward to spending more time there.

The pump cut off and she returned to the bedroom, picked up the sheet set, and shook it out over the queen-size, double-height air mattress. She tucked in the fabric, then unfolded the comforter she'd brought with her from Michigan and settled it over the bed, tossing their pillows up to the head of the bed when she finished.

Kerry walked back into the living room and retrieved the overnight bag they'd brought in from the boat. She zipped it open, smiling as familiar scents were released from the clothing and other sundries inside. Two towels were on top. She removed them and put them in the bathroom, then took out the shirts they both liked to wear before bed.

It had taken her a little while to get used to sleeping in the nude, but once she had, she'd become almost addicted to the primal comfort of snuggling under the covers with Dar, and she found she slept like an absolute rock once she'd tucked herself around her partner's body.

Her ears perked up as she heard the back door to the cabin open, and Dar's rhythmic footsteps approached.

"Ker?"

"In here," Kerry replied, turning as a dark head poked into the bedroom. "Just getting stuff out."

Dar held up a brown paper wrapped package invitingly.

"Dinner?"

Kerry held up her shirt. "Shower first?"

One of Dar's eyebrows quirked. "I'll stick this in the fridge,"

she remarked with a knowing smirk before disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.

Kerry chuckled softly to herself. "Heh." She dropped the shirts onto the bed and eased her light cotton blouse off her shoulders, wincing slightly at the sting of a mild sunburn. "Ouch."

"Uh huh." Dar had returned, bearing a small blue jar. "Figured we both could use this." She held up the cold cream. "With aloe."

"You rock." Kerry held out a hand and led Dar to the bathroom, opened the shower door, and reached in to start the*15 water running. The first time they'd stayed in the cabin, the electricity hadn't even been on, and after bravely bearing the oppressive heat inside the half-finished building, they finally admitted defeat and curled up together out on the beach, hoping against hope they'd escape both crabs and foul weather.

They had, but Kerry had found tiny, suspicious red marks on her neck that had worried her a lot until Dar rather sheepishly admitted to having made them with some overenthusiastic nibbling.

Ah, love. Kerry turned to see Dar with her disintegrating shorts unb.u.t.toned and her tank top half over her head. She reached over and tickled her belly b.u.t.ton, watching Dar's abdominals contract as she chuckled in reaction. Blue eyes emerged a moment later as Dar got her shirt off, and shook a finger at Kerry in mock remonstrance.

Kerry relented as she pulled off her own shirt, feeling a light tickle as Dar unhooked her bra. They finished getting undressed and squeezed into the shower together. "Ooo," Kerry hissed as her sunburned skin protested the pressure of the hot water. A moment later, the pressure ceased as Dar stepped between her and the spray.

"Hang on." Dar adjusted the water to a little cooler temperature and less force. "There." She dropped her arms around Kerry and pulled her closer, rubbing her back gently. "Better?"

"Much." Kerry nuzzled between Dar's b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "That wreck today was awesome. The visibility was incredible."

"Yeah." Dar squeezed out some coconut body wash and started rubbing it over Kerry's skin. "Did you get a shot of that sand shark?"

"The one that was fascinated by your flippers? You bet." Kerry lathered up a handful of soap and started washing Dar. "For a minute there, I thought it was going to start munching on you."

Dar squirted some shampoo on her partner's damp head and worked it in with her fingers, ma.s.saging Kerry's scalp as she got the salt water and sand out of it. "I did too," she confessed. "Did you see me grab my knife?"

Kerry was busy scrubbing Dar's thigh. "Yep. That was the best picture. That wreck in the background, all that white sand in front of it, and you and the shark facing off. Perfect."

"Uh oh. I sense more bathroom art." Dar gave a mock sigh. "If you put it up in the office, every ten minutes you'll have to answer 'which one's the shark?'"

Kerry snickered, her shoulders shaking as she patted Dar's side. She caught Dar's right hand and rubbed her thumb over the top of it affectionately, then stopped and examined the skin more closely. The knuckles were slightly swollen, and a sc.r.a.pe marred the second one. Her eyes lifted in question to meet Dar's.

16*

Dar continued rinsing Kerry's hair with her free hand. "I ran into a brain-cell-deficient organism at the market." She grinned rakishly. "Some punk who thought bullying old men and shooting animals was a good time."

"Ah." Kerry brought the knuckle up and kissed it. "I love it when your Robin Hood streak comes out. Did you really hurt him?"

"Nah. I hit him in the head and the nuts." Dar turned and got them both under the spray, rinsing off the coconut body wash. She started to lather shampoo in her hair, but felt Kerry tugging her down, and gracefully lowered herself to her knees, giving her shorter partner access to her head.

Dar slid her hands up Kerry's strong thighs and playfully nibbled her navel as Kerry washed her hair. She felt the surface under her lips move a little more strongly as Kerry inhaled sharply.

Slowly, she worked her way up, past the curving arch of Kerry's ribs to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, feeling the fingers tangled in her hair move with a suddenly insistent rhythm.

Teasing, she nipped at the underside of one breast then, even over the pattering of the water, heard Kerry's ragged intake as she went a little higher. With a smile, she released Kerry's nipple and eased to her feet, planting kisses up the center of her partner's breastbone until she reached the lips waiting for her.

Kerry's body slid against Dar's, and Dar felt Kerry's hand slide up the inside of her thigh. The water washed the shampoo from her hair down both of them as they kissed and exchanged more intimate touches. Dar fumbled behind her and shut off the faucet, then booted the door open as they eased out of the shower and reached for towels.

The slightly rough surface of the terry cloth was like an explosion of sensation against her already tingling skin, and Dar found her own breathing growing short as Kerry dried her off and she returned the favor. They managed to find their way through the still-unfamiliar confines of the cabin's bath and the short distance to the bed, falling onto it and rolling as the air mattress bucked with unexpected motion.

"Used to the waterbed." Kerry chuckled softly, as she recaptured Dar's lower lip in her teeth.

"Ungh." Dar stretched out, then wrapped her body around Kerry's, claiming possession of every inch of her. She slid a leg between Kerry's and felt her partner's body lean against hers, a rush of warmth after the cool air of the room. Kerry's hand cupped her breast and an almost primal growl emerged from her.

Before rational thought became impossible, Dar did briefly hope they wouldn't forget this bed had no retaining b.u.mpers.

d.a.m.n floor didn't have any padding and neither of them really bounced well.*17 "Rrr," Kerry burred, as their lips once again tasted each other.

Dar stroked her delicately and the sound deepened to a groan.

She stopped worrying about the floor.

KERRY PULLED TO a stop at the corner and waited, allowing a car to pa.s.s before she eased up on the throttle a little and turned onto the main and only street that went through the town. She settled her weight on the motorcycle and enjoyed the breeze as it blew against her, gaining guilty pleasure from the fact that she'd shucked the long-sleeved leather jacket tucked into the strap at the back of the bike for her short trip up the road. It was early, the sun just easing over the trees, and the weather was crisp and cool; she'd taken a calculated risk that her growing mastery of the relatively sedate motorcycle wouldn't make her regret it. She was, after all, wearing her jeans and boots and helmet, so leaving her upper body unprotected was hopefully just a limited exposure. So to speak.

Dar was getting the boat ready for the next leg of their vacation, so Kerry had volunteered to make the short run up to the nearest Wal-Mart for a few things they'd realized they'd forgotten.

Dar had laughed and accused her of just making an excuse to take the bike out, but since she liked to ride it as much as Kerry did, the accusation was specious at best.

"Vroom, vroom." Kerry glanced down at the Honda Shadow Spirit, then quickly focused her eyes back on the road.

Since there wasn't much traffic down there, they'd decided to purchase the bike for local errands, especially since they usually arrived by water. It had taken a few weeks' practice, but Kerry was really enjoying the bike. There was a sense of wildness attached to it that she found appealing, and she always felt a little rebellious when she took the motorcycle out.

Kerry pa.s.sed through the quiet, empty stretch of scrub and trees, completely alone on the road. The peacefulness appealed to her, reminding her just a little of some of the areas near where she'd been born, where one could drive for an hour or so and not see any habitation around them.

She idly imagined driving the cycle down her street and pulling into her parents' driveway, then had to stop when she almost lost control of the darn thing while laughing. "And they thought a Mustang was bad."

After another few minutes, she was entering civilization again, a cl.u.s.ter of buildings and crossroads that were fairly new in appearance. She pulled into a left-turn lane, then swept through the green light into the parking lot of the twenty-four-hour Wal-Mart.

There were several cars there already, but Kerry pulled up to the very front and smoothly stopped, nudging the kickstand down 18*

and securing the bike as she dismounted. She pulled off her helmet and ran her fingers through her hair, then strapped the helmet to the back seat. A brief glance at her reflection in the front store windows made her grin. "Kerrison Stuart, biker chick." She shook her head. "No one in my family would believe this."

An advertis.e.m.e.nt posted on the window caught her eye. The blonde brow reflected over it quirked. Squaring her shoulders, she confronted the door and pushed her way through it.

DAR WALKED AROUND the boat, making a last minute inspection before they cast off. She was wearing her swimsuit, with a pair of cotton surfer shorts and a bright blue T-shirt over it. She tucked her hair up under a baseball cap and poked her head inside the diesel chamber, checking the engines with a knowledgeable eye.

Satisfied, she pulled herself slowly up the ladder to the bridge, favoring the shoulder she'd hurt not long before.

It annoyed her that the shoulder still bothered her, but not enough for her to break down and go back to the therapist. She was slowly getting back her normal range of motion, and she figured maybe the long week of swimming and relaxing might do the trick so she could finally put the injury behind her.

Dar checked the global positioning system and the radio, then spent a moment with her eyes closed going over the safety equipment she had on board. She wasn't paranoid, but this was the first time she was taking the boat across wide-open water and if anyone knew how much respect the sea was due, this sailor's kid surely did.

Satisfied with her preparations, Dar nodded. Okay. She climbed back down the ladder and dusted off her hands, then spotted motion near the cabin and walked to the side of the boat, peering around the pylon. A tall, husky man in a police uniform was walking toward her, and for a chilling moment she thought about Kerry heading out on the bike. Watching his face intently as the man came closer, she leapt ash.o.r.e.

"Help you with something?" she asked as he came to a halt.

He had sandy hair and a moderately good-looking face. "Well, maybe." He glanced at a small notepad. "Would you be a Ms.

Roberts?"

"Yes." Dar heard her own voice come out clipped and no- nonsense.

It didn't seem to faze him. He nodded and tucked the notepad away. "Old Bill Vickerson told me I might find you here. Had a little dust-up by his place last night, didn'cha?"

Dar relaxed, confident at least that whatever this was, it didn't involve Kerry. "Something like that." She didn't see much point in*19 denying it and wondered briefly if her temper had gotten her into something very inconveniently sticky this time. "What's this all about, Officer...Brewer?"

The police officer studied her. "Fella you whumped up on was my little brother."

Oh boy. Dar put years of boardroom practice into effect, and merely raised an eyebrow. "And?"

For a minute, Officer Brewer chewed the toothpick he had in his mouth, then he chuckled. "You're a cool one, aren't you?" he commented. "City lady like you, here by yourself in the boonies, faced with a cop with a family reason to slap cuffs on ya."

Dar snorted, chuckling dryly.

Now his eyebrows lifted. "No dice, huh?" He waited a moment, then chuckled as well. "Cool customer, that's for sure."

Unexpectedly, he held out a hand. "Ms. Roberts, you done me a good deed, and I wanted to say thanks."

Knocked a little off balance, Dar nevertheless took the hand and returned the strong grip with one of her own. "I'm not really sure I understand," she admitted, "but it beats handcuffs."

The police officer gave her a wry grin. "My brother's a jacka.s.s," he said straightforwardly. "D'you know what kind of a pain in my b.u.t.t it is to have to arrest family? I done it six times now. Kid never learns."

"Ah." Dar nodded slightly.

"Bunch of his deadbeat friends went looking for trouble up near Big Pine last night, racing and shooting at each other. They ran their a.s.ses off the road and wrapped themselves 'round a tree,"

the policeman said. "We took four body bags full of burnt parts to the morgue."

Dar winced.

"Woulda been five," Officer Brewer said. "But because my jacka.s.s brother was nursing a sore jaw and a lump on his nuts, his sorry a.s.s lived to get me in yet more trouble." The man sighed. "So, thanks, Ms. City Slicker Computer Big Shot. I owe you one."

It took a moment to sort out the various sentiments, but Dar eventually decided things had turned out well. "Don't mention it."

A rumble caught their attention, and the policeman turned as a motorcycle and rider came right up the side path and practically onto the dock before it rolled to a halt and the rider jumped off.

The cycle came to rest on its kickstand as Kerry pulled off her helmet and strode towards them, her boots sounding loud on the wooden planks.

"Well now," Officer Brewer studied the oncoming woman, "what do we got here? You travel with one of them radical, liberal, revolutionary types?"

"What?" Kerry stopped, took off her sungla.s.ses, and regarded 20*

him. "I'm a Republican, thank you very much." She snorted and turned her attention to Dar. "What's going on?"

Dar gazed fondly at her. "Officer Brewer just stopped by to welcome us to the neighborhood."

"Oh." Kerry relaxed and gave the officer one of her more charming smiles. "That's really nice of you. Thanks."

Brewster chuckled. "Well, I won't keep you ladies. Have yourself a nice trip, y'hear?" He turned and walked off the dock, circled the motorcycle, and paused to admire it. Then he kept going down the path and out of sight.

Kerry watched him go, then turned. "Welcome Wagon at seven a.m.?"

Dar put an arm around her shoulders. "Let's get loaded up and get out of here before the town mothers show up with cookies."

She walked Kerry over to the bike. "I'll tell you the rest when we get out of the dock."

"Uh oh." Kerry lifted her packages off the vehicle and hefted them. "I'll get this on board if you want to stash the bike, then we're outta here."

Dar poked her finger at a bag. "Are those what I think they are?"

"Guess you'll have to wait and find out." Kerry shooed her.

"C'mon. I hear stingrays calling my name." She made her way down the dock to the boat, hopped on board, and disappeared.

Dar reviewed the start of her day and decided it augured well for a far more peaceful end to it. Good thing, she chuckled to herself, as she pushed the motorcycle into the small garage and securely locked it. Her plans for the evening definitely would not tolerate any interruption.

She checked the doors to the cabin one last time, then set the alarm and walked back to the boat. She released the front line, then the rear one, and tossed them onboard, jumping on as the boat started to drift slightly in the outgoing tide.