Hurricane Watch - DK2

by Melissa Good

Dar smiled wryly. ”It’s okay. I promised Kerry I’d make it a half day, and take her out sailing for dinner,” she told her. ”And I don’t break promises like that.” She ran a hand through Kerry’s disheveled hair and scratched the back of her neck gently, causing the smaller woman to close her eyes and hum blissfully.

  A soft sigh. ”All right. I guess I’ll see you in a little while...and, Dar?””Mm?” Dar took a swallow of coffee.

  ”I’m sorry.”

  ”For what?” Dar asked quietly.

  ”You were right. We did all stand back and let you get hit,” Mari replied, just as quietly. ”I don’t feel very good about that.”

  Dar let her eyes flick to Kerry’s face, as Kerry regarded her, the sun coming in the window dusting her face with golden light. ”It’s all right,” she finally answered, lifting her hand to gently stroke the soft skin. ”It wouldn’t have mattered before. I wouldn’t have cared, but I Hurricane Watch

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  think I’ve been just a little off balance lately, and you had no way of knowing that,” she told Mariana. ”You assumed I’d just react like I always did before.”

  ”Mm,” Mari murmured. ”Well, it’s not going to happen again,” she vowed. ”I’ve set up meetings with both José and Eleanor today, and we’re going to have some straight talk here.”

  Kerry turned her head, and kissed the palm brushing her cheek.

  ”I’m going to go take a shower,” she mouthed, rubbing Dar’s belly.

  Dar smiled and nodded. ”All right, let me finish making my calls, Mari, and I’ll see you in a little while.” She paused. ”How’s Duks?”

  ”Grumpy,” Mari chucked ruefully. ”I woke him up and told him you were coming back, and now he has to get out of his bathing suit and actually come to work.” She paused. ”That was quite a tribute to you, by the way,” she added. ”It’s the first day he called in sick in five years.” She sighed. ”All right. Let’s get this place back to normal. Drive safely, my friend.”

  ”I’m not driving, but I’ll pass that on,” Dar told her dryly. ”See you, Mari. Listen, we’ll have dinner, talk things out, all right?”

  ”All right.” Mariana sounded relieved. ”See you, Dar.”

  Dar put the phone down and wandered over to the sliding glass door, pushing it back and moving out onto the stone balcony, letting the early morning sun warm her skin after the cool of the air conditioning inside. The sea was at low tide and very green to her eyes, and she leaned on the railing, gazing out as the breeze blew her hair back.

  She had, she realized, mixed feelings about going back to work.

  Part of her was glad, needing the excitement and the challenge. There was another part, though, a guilty, hidden part that had been secretly hoping the resignation would stick, hoping that she and Kerry could then take a few weeks off and just...

  Dar’s eyes found the horizon. She’d found herself wanting very much to take time out of life and spend it getting to know her lover better, taking her places Dar liked, maybe even out skiing, down to Key West, all the things they didn’t have time to do now.

  She sighed, and nibbled her lip. Well, one thing, if Alastair knew about them, and they decided to take off the same week, it would be all right. In fact, she decided, that’s exactly what we’re going to do. She straightened and went back inside. Pick a week, and take off. To hell with the company. She exhaled and headed for her own shower.

  Hearing the sound of water running as she entered her bedroom and spotting the naked, patiently waiting figure leaning against the door, arms crossed, darkened green eyes watching her with seductive intent.

  Oh yeah. Dar sucked in a breath as a sensual jolt hit her right in the groin. To hell with the company. ”Well, well, what do we have here?”

  she inquired, moving closer and sweeping across the lithe body in front of her. Kerry’s appearance had changed quite a bit since she’d met her 166

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  three months prior.

  Her indoor pallor had deepened into a golden tan, and the painful thinness had disappeared. Dar had always found her attractive, but the changes had also brought Kerry a new self-confidence that seemed to glow inside her, rendering her almost mesmerizing to Dar’s appreciative eyes.

  ”Gotta make sure you don’t slip and fall in the shower, Dar,” Kerry informed her cheerfully, reaching up and unbuttoning the top button on her shirt. ”I just got my boss back. I don’t want to lose her again.” She unbuttoned the second button. ”Do you mind sharing a shower?”

  ”Heh.” Dar slid both hands down her sides and traced the now barely visible ribs with gentle thumbs. ”Oh, I think I could suffer through that all right.” She ducked her head and kissed her.

  ”Somehow.”

  ”Mm.” Kerry unbuttoned the third and fourth buttons, sliding the shirt up and over Dar’s shoulders and letting it fall to the ground. Then she traced a gentle pattern down the tall body and got to the shorts, sliding those down as well. ”I bet you could” She nibbled the soft skin over Dar’s jugular and stepped forward, brushing their bodies together.

  ”You taste so good,” she murmured.

  Dar felt her heart jerk and start pounding. ”Do I?” She moved closer and slipped her arms around Kerry, feeling her shoulder blades move as she reciprocated and the warmth of the contact between them surged. She ducked her head and captured an ear, tracing its curve with the tip of her tongue. ”So do you,” she purred softly, hearing the gentle intake of air as Kerry’s breathing caught.

  Slowly they moved into the shower, trading the chill air for warm mist, and the spicy scent of the soap Dar preferred flowed around them.

  Dar squeezed a little of the gel onto her hands and began to lather Kerry’s back, moving her fingers over the strong shoulders and down across her hips.

  A soft sound escaped Kerry, who had started spreading soap down Dar’s sides. She pushed away a little, allowing the taller woman’s hands to continue their motion up her belly as she let her fingers trail down along Dar’s thighs. ”My pastor always taught me,” she murmured, moving back against Dar’s soapy body. ”That cleanliness is next to godliness.”

  ”Oh yeah?” Dar inclined her head and nipped the skin on Kerry’s shoulder.

  ”Mm. I gotta send him a card sometime and let him know how right he was,” Kerry uttered, starting a slow, tantalizing progression right down the center of Dar’s body, with a few east and west detours.

  Dar just chuckled.

  Chapter

  Thirteen

  IT WAS A very weird experience. Kerry paced quietly alongside Dar’s crutch assisted steps, carrying her lover’s briefcase along with her own. Usually they split up when they entered the building, but today, no. Today she kept her head up and regarded the people around them, knowing they were without a doubt the center of attention.

  ”Morning, Ms. Roberts, Ms. Stuart,” the guard greeted them, giving Kerry a wink.

  ”Morning,” Dar answered, as she moved past him and towards the elevator. Fortunately, everyone else seemed to have gone upstairs already, and they were alone in the elevator. ”So.” Dar eyed her. ”You ready?”

  Kerry studied the mirrored doors of the elevator and took a deep breath. ”More or less. I’m going to go to my office and just see what I have on my desk. You going to call a meeting?”

  ”Of operations?” Dar inquired. ”I’d better, probably around ten or so. You want to send out a note?” Dar eased out the door as they got to their floor, and waited for Kerry to join her. ”That should give me enough time to get a few things settled.” They walked down the corridor and Kerry opened the door for her, waiting for Dar to enter.

  Dar paused in the doorway and looked back at her, a gentle smile crossing her face. ”Thanks,” she commented simply, before she turned and continued on into the room.

  Maria was there, seated precisely behind her desk, her hands folded on the top of it. She stood when Dar entered and took a breath.

  ”Buenos Dios, Dar.” />
  The executive stopped and leaned on her crutches. ”Good morning, Maria. Thanks for coming in.” She gave the secretary a smile. ”Did you have a nice day off?”

  Maria beamed back at her. ”Si, si. My daughter took me out on the Sea Escape. I play the arm machines and win fifty dollars,” she stated.

  ”But I am glad you called me, glad you come back.”

  Dar laughed. ”Now, that’s the way to spend your time.” She looked at Kerry. ”We’ve got to try that one weekend.” Her eyes went back to Maria’s, seeing the faint look of startlement. ”I’m glad you agreed to come back. I’d have really hated to have had to replace you, Maria.” She moved into her office, leaving her secretary and her lover looking at 168

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  each other.

  Kerry felt herself blushing, as Maria gave her a knowing smile.

  ”Um, I think I’d better go get some work done.” She cleared her throat.

  ”I’m, going to, uh, get some coffee. You want any?” she asked, rubbing the side of her face and feeling the heat against her fingertips.

  Maria walked over, and took her hands. ”Kerrisita.”

  Sea green eyes peeked at her uncertainly. ”Yes?”

  ”You have been such a gift to her,” Maria told her softly. ”God bless you.”

  Kerry dropped her eyes and felt her blush intensify, almost making her light headed. She sucked in a few breaths and finally looked back up. ”Thanks,” she whispered. ”I think this feeling is God’s greatest gift to anyone,” she managed to get out. ”I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time.”

  ”Si.” Maria smiled. ”Go to your office. I am going to the downstairs. I will bring up you some coffee and some of the little pastries.” She released Kerry’s hands and gave her a little push. ”Go. I make faces like this.” She poked her tongue out. ”At all the other secretaritias.”

  Kerry laughed. ”Okay.” She surrendered. ”Thank you.” She ducked out into the hallway and started towards her office, only to be stopped by Mark. ”Oh, hey.”

  ”Hey.” He cuffed her lightly on the arm. ”I hear you kicked ass yesterday. Way to go.” His face was tinged with sunburn, and he bore a faintly smug look. ”I take it the boss is here?”

  She exhaled. ”Yep, just got to her office. I’m sure we’ll be a week just straightening out the email bombs.” This sudden, casual recognition of her and Dar’s attachment was, she had to admit, a little unsettling.

  But kind of nice, too. It sort of relaxed a tension she’d hardly been aware of. ”Thanks for coming in so fast.”

  Mark chuckled. ”Yeah, well, I guess the bike’ll have to wait on the weekend. I’ve got so much crap piled up on my desk, I have to go hire Mel Fisher to find it.” He patted Kerry’s arm again. ”See you later.”

  Kerry lifted a hand in goodbye and walked down the hallway, going into her office and dropping into her chair, as she flipped the power switch on her computer and waited for it to boot.

  What would Dar do, she wondered. She knew it would end up with Steven Fabricini leaving, but, how?

  Hmm. She turned her attention to her email, which had spawned frighteningly overnight. Parent email now had multiple child email, some of which had died and left the original subjects lonely orphans.

  ”Jesus.” She paged through them. ”I wonder if I could just kill them all?”Her phone buzzed and she hit the answer button. ”Operations, Stuart.”

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  A panicked voice answered. ”Oh, great, uh, Ms. Stuart, this is Roger, in Charlotte. Uh, we’ve got a problem.”

  ”Okay.” Kerry leaned forward, kicking her problem solving brain cells into gear. ”What is it?”

  A loud sound of splashing came through the phone. ”Uh, ow!”

  Roger yelped. ”Um, the sprinkler system went off over here, and umm.

  Yeeoww!” The phone fumbled and clattered, then was picked up.

  ”Damn chair hit me in the, uh, well, anyway, we’re flooded.”

  ”Flooded,” Kerry repeated carefully. ”As in underwater?”

  ”Shit!” he yelped. ”Uh, sorry. Yeah, the control room’s three feet deep, and it’s not getting any— Wow!” A loud popping and snapping was heard. ”Yow, I think that was the main breaker panel going—”

  ”Roger?” Kerry spoke loudly into the phone.

  ”Yeah?” he answered. ”Oh, wait I gotta get up onto the desk.”

  ”Get out of there!” Kerry yelled, then put him on hold and dialed Dar’s extension, waiting for her boss to pick up. ”Help!” she barked into the phone, then switched back to the other line. ”Roger?”

  ”Uh, I’ve got a problem, Ms. Stuart.” the man answered nervously.

  ”More than one,” Kerry told him. ”What is it?”

  ”I can’t swim,” he answered. ”And I think I just saw a 3270 float by.” The phone suddenly disconnected.

  ”Shit.” Kerry glanced up as she heard running steps, then half stood as her inner door burst open and Dar pounced inside, her pale blue eyes snapping, and every inch of her bristling with unreleased energy.

  ”What’s wrong?” she snapped.

  Kerry drew in a breath. ”God, you look sexy when you do that.”

  Dar was obviously knocked off stride. ”Wh...buh...” she exhaled.

  ”Kerry, you yelled for help, what in the hell’s going on?”

  ”Oh, right. Charlotte’s been flooded out,” Kerry quickly explained.

  ”Sorry about that but they’re in big trouble.” She walked over and put an arm around her lover. ”Sorry, Dar. I didn’t mean for you to think that I was, um...” She rooted around for a phrase.

  ”In mortal danger?” Dar relaxed a little. ”You know I just knocked a Xerox repairman so far back onto his butt they’re probably going to have to remove the toner drum from his throat surgically.” She sighed, and rubbed her face. ”Okay, so we’ve got a potential disaster here.

  That’s our routing hub.”

  ”Mm, the guy from Netops just told me he thought he saw a 3270

  terminal floating in the control room,” Kerry advised her.

  ”Anyone check to see if they’re burning hemp around there again?”

  Dar snorted. ”3270’s don’t float.” She exhaled. ”Okay, let me go start working the problem. Try to get them back on the phone, or call the cells,” she muttered as she walked back out, shaking her head.

  Kerry smiled a little as she heard the interested, but muted excitement in Dar’s tone. With a soft chuckle, she turned back to her 170

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  desk and called up a network schematic, wincing at the flashing red dots that indicated down sections. ”Oh, that bites.” She started dialing emergency numbers.

  “LOOK, I DON’T give a damn about what you have to do to release that,” Dar growled into the phone. ”I need your damn president on this phone in five minutes, or the next call is from our legal department.

  Your choice.” She glanced up as Maria stuck her head in and waved a small cardboard tray. One hand lifted and waved her forward. ”I’ll hold.”

  Maria came over with the pastalitos and offered them to her. ”I have three of those little queso ones,” the secretary whispered. ”I know you like them.”

  Dar's eyes twinkled gently as she nodded, and put her hand over the receiver. ”Thanks,” she mouthed as she accepted the pastries and the steaming cup of creamy looking coffee, glancing up and meeting Maria’s eyes.

  It was an odd feeling, somewhat naked, somewhat embarrassing, and Dar found herself blushing a little. She was glad her tan hid most of it, but she knew that probably the tips of her ears had turned red by the little chuckle Maria gave before she backed mercifully out of the room.

  Not that Maria hadn’t known before, but... Dar sighed and took a bite out of one of the pastries. She was used to keeping her private life private, even her brief interlude with Elana had been under wraps, until that last, very public, scathingly sarcastic enco
unter.

  Maybe that’s why she was feeling a little skittish, hmm? It had taken her a long time to get to the point where she could think about that and not cringe inside, though outwardly she’d shown as much emotion as if Elana had merely been turning over a report.

  Stoneface. Duks had told her later that it had pretty well cemented her reputation as the company’s premier iceberg, the way she’d brushed off Elana’s pointed rending with a mere lift of a brow, and a twitch of the lips.

  Oh god if they’d only known.

  Dar regarded her desktop for a moment in silence, then looked up as a voice came back on the line. ”Well?” She snapped.

  ”Ms. Roberts, we have a team of people heading out that way. I’m not sure...” the voice hesitated.

  ”Look,” Dar growled, sending her voice down to its lowest pitch. ”I need to know what chemicals were in that sprinkler mixture and I need to know NOW!” She punched up the volume, feeling the sound reverberate in her chest. ”Or you’re going to take responsibility for the bill when I have to fly a chemical hazard team in there on a goddamned Learjet!” The insurance company was refusing to allow any employees to enter the networking office, until the dangers were evaluated, and Hurricane Watch

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  they had fully three quarters of the domestic network down, three hours after the accident had happened.

  ”Dar. ” Maria poked her head in. ”Mariana on line numero dos,”

  she called, in a low voice.

  ”Not now,” Dar muted her current call. ”I’m in the middle of a disaster.” She watched as Maria disappeared, then she propped her head up on one hand and released the mute button with the other. ”Do I get that, or do I call my legal department? I’m done screwing around with you people.”

  Rustling papers and low mutters. ”Where do you need the information sent?” the voice stiffly answered. ”We can pass along our usual information, but you have to understand that the composition will vary depending on local water quality, and the types of pipes, and—”

  ”Just send it,” Dar interrupted him, and repeated the fax number at their insurance company’s branch office in North Carolina. She looked up as Kerry entered, suppressing a smile. ”And I’d like to know why that system discharged.”