by Julie Cannon
This was a place where Emery could come after the end of a long day with a glass of wine, put her feet in the water, and unwind. The soft sound of water cascading over the edge created a tranquil spot in an otherwise frenzied world.
Emery couldn’t wait any longer. She had watched Dana throughout the evening, and when Dana had gone upstairs with Adam and the others, she’d had to follow. She often dreamed of taking Dana upstairs, their fingers intertwined, their destination known.
When she saw Dana in her bedroom, her heart couldn’t decide whether to dance or stop. Dana was standing beside her bed with a look of longing that set her already smoldering body on fire. She watched her for several moments, not saying anything, afraid to even breathe lest she break the spell. It felt like hours that she stood in the doorway, drinking in the woman who had captured her imagination, her interest, her respect, and her common sense.
When Dana walked toward her she thought she was going to kiss her. She hoped and prayed she would kiss her. Her body begged Dana to kiss her. But she didn’t. She saw the conflicting emotions in Dana’s eyes, saw the strong will take over as she stepped around her and walked away.
“Enjoying yourself?” Dana jumped, obviously surprised, their bodies touching lightly. Emery’s body reacted immediately.
“I didn’t hear you,” Dana replied, stepping away from her.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” However the feel of Dana’s body against hers, if only for an instant, felt fabulous.
“I guess I didn’t hear you come up. You have a beautiful home. Your view is stunning.” Dana lifted her hand to indicate the landscape in front of them.
She walked toward Dana and stood beside her. They were shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the lights of the city out beyond her property. “Thank you. When I was hunting a place to build I told the realtor I could create a house, but I couldn’t create what only Mother Nature could.” This was her retreat, her sanctuary, her refuge from the pressures of her life.
“Give me her name, she did an excellent job.”
She risked a glance at Dana’s face. The lights from the torches cast a soft glow on her high cheekbones, the light from the pool reflecting in her eyes. Dana was more beautiful tonight than any other time they’d been together. She wanted to hold Dana again, caress her face, taste her, feel her body pressed against hers, her passion rise and crest in her arms.
They stood like that for several minutes before Dana spoke. “Yes.”
Emery’s static heart skipped again. What? Yes to what? Yes to what she was thinking? Yes to what she was imagining? Yes to what she was dreaming, what she craved every night?
“To your question. Am I enjoying myself?” Dana’s soft smile sent her stomach rolling in circles. “Yes, I am, very much.”
“I’m glad.” For a few minutes they said nothing. The silence between them made her nervous. She didn’t trust herself not to turn and kiss Dana.
“The invitation was plus one.” Emery ventured into the place she wasn’t sure she wanted to be.
“Yes, I know,” Dana replied simply.
“You could have brought someone. A date,” she said. Dana turned slightly to look at her. It was just dark enough she couldn’t see what was in her eyes.
“I know.”
“It wouldn’t have been a problem, you know.” She was babbling. Dana stepped just a fraction closer, and this time Emery could see what was in her eyes.
“I know I could have brought a guest. I know it could have been a woman, and I know it wouldn’t have been a problem. But this is a business function as much as it is a social event. I do not call attention to whom I’m seeing, if anyone, at these kinds of things. It can be awkward and I have enough trouble being taken seriously in this male-dominated industry. I don’t need the distraction of filthy minds imagining me and my lover together.”
The irritation in Dana’s voice and the anger in her eyes stunned her. Where had that come from? All she’d wanted to do was let Dana know that it was okay for her to bring her significant other, if she had one.
“Dana.” Emery began before she knew what she was going to say. What was she going to say? Was she going to tell Dana how much she missed her, how much she missed hearing her laugh, her quick wit, her dazzling smile? Was she going to ask her to stay? She couldn’t even think straight anymore.
Dana turned away from her. They were the only ones on the patio. “You’d better get back to your other guests. We don’t want anybody to think I’m monopolizing your time. They might get the wrong idea.” Dana kept her gaze locked on the horizon to their left.
Her message was very clear, and as much as Emery wanted to stay and argue the point, she knew Dana was right. God, Dana was so much stronger than she was. “You’re right. I was just making the rounds. Enjoy the rest of the evening,” she managed to get out without letting her hurt and disappointment show.
The cold was starting to penetrate Dana’s thin dress and she started to turn to leave. A voice behind her stopped her.
“I’m glad you came tonight, Dana.”
Oh, for God’s sake, she didn’t need this right now. Plastering on her most benign expression she politely turned around. “Hello, Sharon.” She noted the full glass of red wine in her hand.
“Emery knows how to throw a party. You know, I think she lives a charmed life.”
She didn’t want to hear how charmed, but there was no way to politely get out of this conversation. At least not at this moment. However, she refused to give Sharon any encouragement to continue.
“She has this great house,” Sharon said, waving her arm, the contents of her glass sloshing over the side. “Doesn’t this pool just make you want to take off your clothes and swim naked under the stars?” Dana was hoping this wouldn’t be a repeat of when Sharon practically drank her lunch, but it appeared she was headed in that direction without any regard of the impression she was leaving with Dana.
“Did your husband come with you tonight, Sharon? I don’t think I’ve met him,” she said, trying to steer the conversation into a safer direction.
Sharon practically gulped the remaining wine in her glass. “My husband hasn’t come with me in years, if you know what I mean.” Sharon slurred her words.
OMG! This was not a conversation Dana wanted to have with anyone at this party, and certainly not with Sharon. Her stomach turned just trying not to think about that visual.
“How about I call you a cab, Sharon?” Under normal circumstances Dana would have taken her arm and led her to the front door. But she didn’t want to touch Sharon for fear she would take it the wrong way.
“I’m not ready to leave. I want to talk with you some more. I enjoyed our conversation at lunch. I thought we could continue it. How about over there, where it’s nice and quiet.” Sharon pointed to a set of chairs on the other side of the pool.
“I’m afraid I can’t. I was just getting ready to go.” She saw the spark of opportunity flash across Sharon’s face and quickly added, “I’ve got another party to go to this evening, and I’m running late already.” She started walking toward the doors that led back into the house.
She said her good-byes, making sure Emery was with a group of people when she did. Exhaling deeply she waited on the front porch for the valet to bring around her car. She’d never experienced a night like this before. As she slid behind the wheel, she hoped she never would again.
Chapter Nineteen
The flight to Hong Kong was long and nerve-racking. It was the third week in January, and by the time Emery got off the plane she was about to crawl out of her skin. Adam had sat her and Dana next to each other, and even though business class wasn’t nearly as cramped as coach, it was still way too close for Emery’s frayed senses.
Since their words at her party they had maintained a strictly professional relationship. Actually, truth be told, she had made herself scarce most of the time, not wanting to see Dana unless others were present. No one seemed to notice the chill in the ai
r between them, but Dana avoided her eyes as well.
After finally clearing customs she slid into the back of the taxi. Her luggage had been selected for random inspection, and she had told Dana to go ahead to the hotel. Their driver had been waiting patiently at the exit from baggage claim with a sign that simply had MARTIN written in thick black marker. She had given Dana that car, and when her bags cleared, she grabbed the next taxi in line.
She was tired, having not slept any on the twenty-hour flight and not much for the week leading up to this trip. In addition to preparing for the meetings she would have with the executives and employees of the company they were acquiring, she’d dreamed of Dana. Dana riding a bike, the wind in her hair. Dana strolling through a local marketplace in St. Martin, her shorts exposing far too much leg for Emery’s itching hands to resist.
*
The offices of Stephenson Electronics were located in an industrial park about an hour from their hotel. Dana sat quietly as Emery read the papers in a manila folder she pulled from her briefcase as the driver smoothly maneuvered through the busy morning traffic.
She took the opportunity to study Emery out of the corner of her eye. Emery was wearing a dark-blue Anne Klein suit with a blue-and-white-striped collared blouse. She was professional without being overtly powerful, yet Dana knew there would be no doubt as to who was in charge today.
Dana followed the thin pinstripes down Emery’s jacket sleeve and settled on her hands. Her fingers were long and her nails short, a clear coat of polish shiny in the morning sun. She didn’t recognize the ring that Emery wore on the third finger of her right hand and wondered if it was a Christmas gift from an admirer. Emery’s hands were steady as she held the folder, but Dana remembered the times when they trembled with desire.
She swallowed hard and forced her eyes off the hands that knew her so intimately, had caressed every inch of her body, had gone inside her, stroked, teased, and pleasured her and brought her to orgasm dozens of times. She intended to look out the window but, as if they had a mind of their own, her eyes went directly to Emery’s face and directly to her eyes.
Her breath hitched because she knew Emery had caught her looking—or was it longing? Desire burned in Emery’s eyes and her stomach flipped when Emery licked her lips. Ever so slowly, Emery leaned toward her.
She wanted Emery to kiss her. Wanted to feel her warm lips on her face, her soft tongue in her mouth. Instantly her clit throbbed in equal time with her racing pulse.
Emery wanted her too. Dana could see it in her eyes, read it in her body language. She’d seen that message often enough to know what would happen next. And she was powerless to stop it. But suddenly the driver slammed on his brakes and cursed.
“Shit,” Emery said, shaking her head after the car came to a stop.
“Sorry, ladies,” the driver said in a thick accent. “Just another mile or so,” he added, accelerating around the car in front of him.
Emery jumped at the opportunity to gather the contents of the file that had skittered across her lap and settled around her feet. What was she about to do? She was seconds away from kissing Dana. She had no idea what had happened other than feeling like she’d been caught in a vortex pulling her toward Dana’s lips.
She had to get control of herself or this situation would be a disaster waiting to happen. She was stronger than this, her mind stronger than her body. It always had been and she needed to ensure it stayed that way. She would not do anything to jeopardize everything she had worked for and didn’t intend to potentially ruin Dana in the ensuing tsunami.
Her hands shook and she hoped the movement of the car masked her turmoil. When she had caught Dana staring at her hands she’d known what she was thinking. Her own hands had tingled with the memory of touching Dana.
The tension in the rear of the Town Car was thick and Emery believed it was her role to diffuse it. But she had no idea how. She was afraid if she opened her mouth she’d tell the driver to turn around and take them back to the hotel. So she said nothing.
*
One, two, three, breathe. One, two, three, breathe. Dana counted her rhythmic cadence lap after lap in the cool water. The day had been excruciating and she needed to burn off her pent-up energy; swimming was the perfect release. After the near-kiss this morning, she couldn’t look at Emery the rest of the day without her pulse jumping, her heart skipping, and a flash of heat scorching a trail through her body. She had never been as completely aroused and on edge as she had been all day.
She had watched Emery alternatively in awe and in lust as she managed the Stephenson employees. She acknowledged their anger, smoothly deflected their hostility, and never lost control of the room. Meeting after meeting she gave each group her full attention, and Dana had been enthralled at how well she managed it all.
But when their eyes met, the outside world disappeared and she felt the intensity of Emery’s gaze. At the dinner with the Stephenson board of directors, Emery really shone. Dana had never seen anyone so poised, sophisticated, and completely in control. She answered every question without hesitation, rattled off facts and figures like they were in front of her. Not only did Dana’s body react to Emery’s nearness, but her mind did as well. She had read somewhere that the way to a woman’s heart was through her head. Emery was the complete package and she wanted to rip it open.
One, two, three, breathe. One, two, three, breathe. Stroke after stroke Dana pulled herself through the clear water until she was almost too exhausted to get out.
Emery paced inside the luxurious room. After the long flight and the endless meetings today with the Stephenson employees she should be exhausted, but she was restless. She turned on her iPad and selected a book from her library, but ended up reading the same page twice. She flipped through the channels on the large television more than a dozen times, but nothing held her interest for more than a few minutes. She even pulled a stack of information and reports on Stephenson from her briefcase, and for the first time she could remember, even work didn’t hold her attention.
The mini-bar had a wide selection of liquor, and she poured herself a hefty serving of Crown Royal with just a splash of Coke. She hoped the alcohol would relax her enough to sleep but doubted it. Adam had again reserved adjoining rooms so tonight would be another sleepless night imagining Dana naked in the bed next door.
Emery pushed the button on the wall, the curtains soundlessly sliding open to reveal the Hong Kong skyline. Dozens of buildings filled the dark sky, a smattering of lights creating a crosshatch on the various floors. How many of those lights were used by people still working?
Normally she would be one of those people who were on first-name basis with the night cleaning crew to get ahead or sometimes just to keep up. She rarely thought twice about it. Work was her life, her ambition to be the best in everything she did. Her entire career had been focused on moving up. With all the demands on her, her personal life was as full as she wanted it to be.
But lately she felt like something was missing. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was like looking for something she couldn’t describe, taste, or touch. One of those I’ll-know-it-when-I-see-it kind of things. That kind of ambiguity made her nuts, unsettled her and made her search that much harder. She was a facts-and-figures thinker, and this kind of abstract situation felt like it was just out of reach.
Maybe the cruise had thrown her off kilter. Her illness certainly had. She had never been away from work for more than a week at a time, and her three-week forced sabbatical was stressful, to say the least. But she’d been back at work for six months, and surely by now she would be back into the familiar routine. But as each day went by she felt more and more out of sorts.
She opened the heavy sliding-glass door and stepped onto the balcony. A warm breeze ruffled her hair, the air thick with humidity. She was just about to return to the coolness of her room when motion below her caught her eye.
A woman was walking toward the pool on the roof of the conference cent
er attached to their hotel. From her vantage point two floors higher, Emery could make out the NO DIVING and FOUR FEET SIX INCHES lettering spaced evenly around the perimeter of the rectangular pool. The woman was bundled in the same white terry-cloth robe that hung in her own closet on the other side of the room. She placed a towel and a small bag on one of the chairs and untied the robe. She looked vaguely familiar, and Emery stepped closer to the railing to get a better look.
Her heart stopped when the woman slid the robe off her shoulders and laid it over the back of the chair. It was Dana, and she watched, mesmerized as Dana pulled her hair up into a ponytail and began a series of exercises designed to warm up her muscles. She lifted her arms over her head, clasped her hands together, and stretched first to the left, then the right, bending at the waist and finally stretching backward. The ice in Emery’s cocktail clinked against the side of her glass as her hands shook.
Dana wore an electric-blue, one-piece suit cut high on the hips and low in the back, complementing her trim figure and full breasts. Moving her arms in a butterfly motion, she walked across the tile patio and stepped into the pool. At the bottom step she didn’t hesitate, but slid into the water and started swimming across the long pool.
Emery had no idea how long she stood there watching Dana, but she was spellbound as she completed each lap. Back and forth she swam, her long arms cutting through the water like she was born to it. She was practiced and graceful, the water churning at her feet the only ripple in the pool. Emery caught glimpses of her back and butt as Dana executed what looked like perfect flip turns at the end of each lap.
Thirty-five minutes later Dana finally stopped and climbed out of the pool. Water dripped off her long, sleek body and trailed a path behind her as she walked back across the deck. Her muscles gleamed in the night-lights, her hair was plastered down her back. Dana must have swum regularly to have kept up that pace almost effortlessly.
