Tropical Storm - DK1

by Melissa Good

  “Ah.” Dar nodded, then rested her chin on her fist. “My mother was an all-right cook, I guess,” she mused. “I never learned, though. I was…probably overly involved with sports and things of that sort when I was growing up.

  We spent a lot of time on military bases, too.” She shrugged. “I like hot dogs and French fries.”

  “I never actually had a hot dog before college.” Kerry heated up her wok and poured a little oil in it. “Did you ever want to be in the military?”

  After a long silence, Dar finally answered in a reflective voice.

  “Unfortunately, my father raised me to believe there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. In the military, there are qualifiers to that.” Another long pause, and then she said, “I wanted to do what he did.”

  Kerry nodded. “They wouldn’t let you?”

  “I’m a girl,” Dar answered, with a faintly sarcastic emphasis. “Hell.” She sighed. “I know they have a point. I know they can’t put mixed groups out in the field, at least not yet, but…” She shrugged. “Water under the bridge. At any rate, to answer your question, yes, I thought about it. I took the ASVAB

  when I was a junior in high school, and I got a lot of offers.” She peered at the saltshaker on the table, lost in thought. “I just didn’t think I had the self discipline to commit to that and do what everyone told me I had to do, rather than what I thought I should do.” Her brows quirked. “And I was probably right.”

  “Mmm.” Kerry expertly stirred the thinly sliced beef into the wok. “Were your parents upset?”

  The blue eyes took on a far-off look. “My father was disappointed,” she stated quietly. “I think my mother was relieved.” She shook her head. “She was an artist. She never wanted me to go into the service.”

  “An artist?” Kerry tossed in the sauce and stirred it. “Ah, now I know where you get that doodling style from.” She laughed. “I loved that one picture you made of that dog.”

  “I don’t….” Dar stopped and thought about it. “Well, yeah, I guess I do,”

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  she admitted, a little sheepishly. “I never thought about that.”

  Kerry set down the bowl of fragrant fried rice and put another of the stir-fried beef next to it, then handed Dar two plates. “Here.” She turned and retrieved the plum wine and a couple of glasses and brought them back to the table with her. “Well, the only talent in my family seems to be politics.” She handed Dar a serving spoon. “And law. Neither of which really sparked my imagination when I was growing up.”

  The taller woman piled two plates with steaming rice and beef and handed Kerry one. “What did spark your imagination?”

  Kerry ate a few mouthfuls before she answered. “Books, mostly.” She exhaled. “I did the usual things growing up. My mother enrolled me in piano lessons, and in gymnastics—the one to give me culture, the other to give me what she called ‘grace.’ ” Kerry’s lips twisted wryly. “I don’t think either did much. I never took to the piano, and I was, at best, a mediocre gymnast.” She chewed thoughtfully. “I can play ‘Chopsticks.’ ”

  Dar chuckled. “So can I if I use both hands and both feet, and you don’t listen too closely.” She smiled “This is great, by the way.” She held up a forkful, then she paused to pour them both a glass of wine. “What kind of books do you like?”

  Kerry took a sip of the wine. “You’ll laugh, but mostly science fiction…and some historical novels.”

  Dar gave her a puzzled look. “Why would I laugh? That’s what most geeks like to read, myself included,” she said in a mild voice. “Not that I have time anymore,” she added with a sigh. “So what led you into computers?”

  “I didn’t want to end up as an English teacher,” Kerry replied wryly.

  “And I…well, I always had a liking for machinery. I used to take apart things—you know, like phones and stuff.” She laughed a bit. “When I got to college, I realized there was a computer science track that was pretty close to the general English track I was already on, so I double-majored.” She paused and took another sip of wine. “What about you?” It was, she suddenly realized, the first time they’d just sat down and talked about really personal stuff, and she was surprised at how comfortable she felt.

  Dar bit a piece of beef in half and chewed it. “What about me? Well, I was always interested in programming—that’s what I studied in school. But somewhere along the way, I decided all those lines of code just couldn’t hold my interest.” She reflected a moment. “Wasn’t enough of a challenge, so I went into system analysis and design and from there, into engineering and operations.”

  “Luckily for us.” Kerry smiled.

  “Opinions on that vary,” Dar replied dryly. She drained her glass and poured a second. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it.” She toyed with the glass. “I spend a lot of time ignoring the cuts and digs, but it gets old.”

  Kerry got up and took their empty plates, setting them in the sink, then returning to put her hands on Dar’s shoulders. “I kind of got that feeling….”

  She tried, but couldn’t keep herself from leaning forward, and only barely kept herself from gently kissing Dar’s sleek head. “So, if you start getting complaints that your assistant is whacking people for saying nasty things about you, don’t be surprised.”

  262 Melissa Good Dar was touched, and she eased back, pressing her body against Kerry’s and gazing up at her with a slight smile. “That’s sweet of you, Kerry, but I don’t think it’ll do much good.” She lifted a hand and covered the one on her right shoulder, squeezing it gently. “Not that I don’t appreciate the thought, though.”

  Kerry drank in her closeness. “It’ll make me feel better,” she objected softly. “Really.” She looked down into the pale blue eyes and saw a softening there, making her give in to her craving and bend her head, finding Dar’s waiting lips with unerring accuracy. A touch traveled up her arm, softly stroking, and Kerry felt her body respond to it, as she closed her eyes and let the gentle probing and tasting continue. It feels so good… She could feel Dar’s fingers slipping up past her elbow and brushing against her side, making her breathing catch. She felt short of breath and her heart started to pound as she eased her own hands lower, touching bare skin.

  Everything shifted then as Dar unexpectedly slid an arm around her waist and tugged her down. Kerry found herself in the dark-haired woman’s lap, with those strong arms wrapping around her and every inch of her body tingling in pure reaction. Her own arms slid up around Dar’s neck, then one started traveling down, moving across the slope of her neck muscles, and down her shoulder.

  Dar knew she should slow down and take it easy, but her body wouldn’t relinquish its gentle contact. Her hands moved of their own accord, stroking and exploring the warm curves of the body tucked into her arms with insatiable curiosity. She could feel Kerry’s breathing deepen and go ragged and her own wasn’t doing much better. Easy…easy. Not yet. She lightened up on the intensity and felt Kerry do the same, until they broke off, and Kerry buried her face against Dar’s shoulder. “Whoa.” She wrapped her arms around Kerry’s body and held her, rubbing her back gently. “Easy there.”

  “Whew,” Kerry muttered, feeling her heartbeat start to slow. “That was intense.” She decided being embarrassed at this point would be kind of ridiculous, so she lifted her head and just looked at Dar. “This is not going according to plan.”

  Both dark eyebrows lifted teasingly. “It’s not?” Dar protested mildly. “I thought it was working out pretty well.” She still had her arms around Kerry, but now she loosened her grasp and backed off a little.

  “No…um…that’s not what I…uh.” She gave up. “We were supposed to go to the movie first,” she explained wryly, reaching up and pushing back a bit of Dar’s dark hair.

  “Oh. Oh, right.” Dar nodded in understanding. “But other than that?”

  “Mmm.” Kerry exhaled slowly. “You know, I did a lot of reading. They didn’t mention the fireworks
going off in any of it.” Her fingers trailed down Dar’s cheek. “It’s kind of scary.” Her breath caught as Dar captured her hand and nibbled her palm. “But nice.”

  “Okay.” Dar considered. “Is this making you uncomfortable?”

  A shy smile. “No.” Kerry shook her head. “But I bet it’s making you uncomfortable. I must be squishing you.”

  Dar squeezed her, then patted her hip. “Hadn’t noticed,” she confessed.

  “Don’t worry about squashing me, I’m a big girl, I can take it.” She let her Tropical Storm 263

  hand move down Kerry’s thigh. “You want to go see the movie?”

  It was scary. Kerry was nervous, but she appreciated the fact that Dar was willing to let her go at her pace, and wasn’t pushing, wasn’t…forcing. A grim memory filled her mind, and she had to take a moment to force it out before she could consider it any further. “Well…I, um, I have Escape from New York and some microwave popcorn here. We could improvise.”

  Dar grinned, a smile that lit up her very blue eyes and made the skin next to them crinkle “Oh, I like that idea,” she agreed. “And dinner was great.

  Thank you, by the way.”

  “Mmm.” Kerry gazed at her. “Glad you liked it,” she responded, not taking her eyes from Dar’s. They sat quietly like that for a moment, then Kerry cleared her throat. “I guess I have to get up to get that movie, huh.” She regretfully untangled herself from Dar’s grip and stood, taking a deep breath as she moved away from the seductive warmth. Dar followed her into the living room, and she gave her a little tour, mostly to settle her own nerves.

  “This is Scully and Mulder and their little friends the Lone Gunmen.” Kerry sprinkled a little food in the tank.

  “Let me guess—Mulder and Scully are the gouramies.” Dar laughed.

  “Kissing gouramies, if I’m not mistaken.”

  “Uh huh.” Kerry grinned and watched their antics. “What can I tell you, I’m a sucker for a good romance.” The blonde woman shrugged. “Silly, I guess.”

  Dar rubbed her back. “Nah, I think they’re cute. Though I thought they copped out in that movie.” She chuckled. “And I gotta tell you, the entire movie theatre I was in cracked up laughing when they said FEMA was behind the great government conspiracy.”

  Kerry’s brows creased in puzzlement. “That wasn’t a funny part.”

  “It was if you went through Hurricane Andrew down here and had to watch them work,” Dar informed her. “Trust me, if they were in charge of the conspiracy, those damn aliens would have gone home in disgust waiting for fresh water to be delivered.”

  Kerry laughed and bumped her with an elbow. “I have that movie too, if you’re interested.” She got out the other videotape and turned on the television, then tossed Dar the remote. “I’ll go get some popcorn.”

  Dar was momentarily left alone, and she took the time to study the apartment. It was bright, and very unlike hers. There were personal knick-knacks everywhere, including several stuffed animals, and a set of diplomas on the wall. One was from college and the other her certification affidavit. A small trophy attested to Kerry’s debating skill, and there was a bookshelf against the wall which held an assortment of paperback and hard-back books, a mixture of fiction and computer manuals.

  It was a cheerful place; the comfortable couch was in a nice shade of light salmon, and the rug was a pale cream, lending a sense of lightness to the interior that Dar found very soothing. A door to the left obviously led to the bedroom, and there was a small bathroom on the other side of the kitchen.

  There was a sense of cleanliness and order that Dar found very characteristic of Kerry, and she decided she felt comfortable being here. The scent of freshly popped popcorn attracted her attention and she turned as Kerry reentered the 264 Melissa Good room, carrying a large bowl and a pitcher. She set both down on the coffee table and got two glasses.

  “Okay, I think we’re set.” She glanced at Dar, who was seated comfortably on the couch, and hesitated.

  With a quiet smile, Dar patted the cushion next to her and waited for Kerry to settle herself before she reached over and turned down the lights a little and started the movie.

  Kerry held out for all of the time it took for the opening credits before she snuggled closer to Dar, leaning against her body as the taller woman put an arm around her shoulders. With a sigh of contentment, she pulled the popcorn over and set it half on her lap, half on Dar’s, as they shared the contents.

  Much nicer than the theatre, she decided, popping a kernel into her mouth, then snagging another, and glancing up. Dar chose that moment to look down, and Kerry smiled, then held the popcorn up to her lips, stifling a giggle when Dar snapped her teeth down on it and caught her fingers as well. “Hey!”

  Dar slowly released her hold, then chewed the popcorn with a little waggle of her eyebrows. That got her another piece, which she held between her teeth as she looked questioningly at Kerry.

  Oh. A game. Kerry pulled herself up and took half the piece, letting their lips brush. That tasted so good she decided to try it, and Dar obliged by reciprocating.

  They went back and forth a few times, until Kerry forgot to take a piece and just went for Dar’s lips instead. She was curled up on her own couch, in her own apartment, and she felt very safe. Safe enough to forget the movie and concentrate on the sleek body under her fingertips instead as she allowed her hands to slip down Dar’s neck while the taller woman’s free hand curled around her side.

  This time she wasn’t afraid or embarrassed. It was like diving into something new and exciting, and she found herself more intrigued than anxious. Dar was a good kisser, she decided as they gently explored each other. A hand stroked her side, and she shifted a little as the touch shifted and brushed gently against her breasts. That was an interesting sensation. Her body liked that. She felt a slow building of sensation and her skin became very sensitive, and when Dar’s fingertips touched the bare flesh at the neck of her shirt, a soft sound of encouragement escaped her.

  Dar’s lips nibbled hers then moved away a little. “You doing all right?”

  she murmured in Kerry’s ear, brushing the soft lobe with her tongue.

  “Great,” she managed to respond.

  “You want to keep going?” Dar inquired, running a finger down her cleavage.

  A moment of fear, of uncertainty. “I…I don’t know if I…know what to do,” Kerry replied softly, as she found herself drawn to the smooth skin of Dar’s neck, and she nibbled it softly.

  “You’re doing pretty good so far,” Dar confessed. “It’s all right, I’ll show you.”

  Kerry felt her way down Dar’s body, smoothing her fingers across the curve of her breasts. “Show me,” the shorter woman breathed, surrendering as she felt a pull against her. Kerry soon found herself stretched out on her side Tropical Storm 265

  on the couch with Dar gently supporting her. The dark-haired woman settled next to her and captured her lips again, letting one hand travel down her body and tug her shirt free of her belt. Kerry felt the sudden electric thrill as the warm fingers touched her skin and traced a teasing line up her midsection, from her belly button up to the bottom of her bra. Her muscles contracted in sheer reaction, and she found herself plucking at the buttons on Dar’s shirt, getting two of them undone, which gave her access to smooth flesh that she wanted nothing more than to touch, and stroke and…

  She felt a trickle of cool air as her shirt was raised, then heat replaced it as Dar’s lips found their way down her throat and her body arched under the touch, a need building in her stronger than anything she’d ever felt before.

  The pressure of her clothing seemed unbearable, and she almost cried out when she felt Dar loosen her belt. She felt chilled for an instant after she slipped the denim off, then a rapid heat consumed her as her legs were tangled with the taller woman’s and long fingers stroked up the inside of her bare thigh.

  It was like an explosion inside her. She lost track of where she was, s
he only knew that a pressure was building, a pressure that centered itself around Dar’s touch, and the movement of her lips and the steady, knowing coaxing movement that brought her closer and closer, and finally sent her crashing over the top in a shudder of sensation so powerful that every muscle in her body clenched and shuddered. She could hardly breathe, her body convulsed again and again until it slowly relaxed, drawn on by Dar’s gentle, easy motions. Kerry was shaking, and her hands clutched feebly at Dar, who wrapped long arms and legs around her, and was whispering quiet reassurances.

  “Shhh. Easy.” Dar stroked her hair, a little startled at Kerry’s responsiveness. “Easy, I’ve got you.” Dar knew that a physical relationship was often awkward for a while, until people got used to each other. But Kerry had… Damn, it was like I just knew all the right spots to… Wow. She watched the blonde head slowly nestle against her shoulder and she wrapped her arms a little tighter, bringing their mostly bare bodies closer together. “You all right?”

  Sea green eyes drifted open and gazed half lidded at her as Kerry nodded faintly. Her hand absently moved up and down Dar’s side, sending tingles up and down her spine. “Fulfill your expectations?” the executive inquired, moving the disordered hair out of her companion’s face.

  Kerry moved her touch lower, tracing a series of circles across Dar’s abdomen and shook her head a little. “I had no…I didn’t know what to expect, but…um, you know, Dar, I really, really liked that.” She ducked her head and nipped at the soft skin on Dar’s breast, watching her body react to it. “Now, I wonder…” She slid a little closer, wanting the contact and feeling the taller woman’s breathing catch. “Let’s see if I can…” She nibbled across the surface of Dar’s breast, then let her hands roam, exploring the shape and curves of her and letting her imagination take over.

  Dar was so much taller than she was, it was hard to get everywhere. But she managed, pulling out a tortured groan when she used her teeth to good effect, tasting Dar’s skin in place after place, starting with touches at first 266 Melissa Good tentative, then more confident, until she felt Dar’s body convulse and the dark-haired woman grabbed hold of her with an almost painful strength.