shadowland

by Radclyffe

  Kyle met Dane’s eyes. “I liked it.”

  Thank God she’s not feeling guilty. Dane relaxed, somewhat assured by Kyle’s frankness. “For me, creating the mood, setting the scene—it’s part of what turns me on. I like the...control.”

  “I found out it turns me on, too,” Kyle responded. And I especially like it when you’re in control. She sighed and stretched, enjoying the contented way her body felt.

  Dane reached over to the bedside table, picked up her watch, and grimaced. “Sorry. I’m going to have to get up soon.”

  Kyle groaned in mock distress.

  Dane grinned and, before she could think about it, kissed Kyle lightly on the nose. “Work, remember? I’m self-employed, so I’m afraid I have to work when the work is there.” And because she wanted to kiss her again, and not stop, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood.

  “What do you do?” Kyle watched Dane move around the room, enjoying the long, strong body and trying to imprint each small detail in her mind.

  “Dogs.” Dane’s voice was muffled since her head was in the closet while she searched for a shirt.

  “What?” Kyle asked, not sure she had heard correctly.

  “Dogs,” Dane repeated, turning with a smile. “I breed dogs.”

  Kyle looked around her, perplexed. “Here?”

  Dane laughed. “No—I own a kennel. I only keep one here, and he’s been away at a show.” She pulled clean jeans from a drawer and glanced over at Kyle. “I’m going to shower.”

  “Want company?”

  Dane regarded her steadily. “Yes.”

  *

  “If you turn around, I’ll wash your hair,” Kyle offered. What she wanted to do was smooth her hands over the wet planes of Dane’s body, over the curve of her breasts and the line of her abdomen. But even though they stood together naked while warm water cascaded over them, there was a barrier she wasn’t certain how to breach. She was reminded now more than at any time in the last twelve hours that she didn’t know the woman, or the rules.

  Dane hesitated, then nodded. “Thanks. That would be great.”

  Kyle took her time, enjoying the way Dane gradually leaned back against her as she worked the suds into a thick lather and circled her fingertips over Dane’s scalp. When Dane didn’t protest, she slid her palms over the sculpted shoulders and along the muscled back, massaging ever more firmly until Dane groaned with pleasure. Holding her breath, Kyle circled Dane’s waist and swept her hand up Dane’s stomach and over her breasts. The nipples hardened instantly.

  “You feel so good,” Kyle whispered in Dane’s ear, pressing her hips gently against Dane’s buttocks.

  “One minute more in here and I’ll never be able to leave,” Dane murmured, her head tipped back on Kyle’s shoulder. She wanted to tell her to stop, but she couldn’t remember why.

  “Who’s counting?” Kyle caught an earlobe in her teeth and tugged. Dane turned in her arms with a groan and their lips met. The kiss deepened as tongues gently teased and their bodies melded effortlessly.

  When Kyle edged her leg between Dane’s, Dane shifted away.

  “I...can’t.”

  “Sorry,” Kyle sighed regretfully, feeling their tenuous connection break. “I know you have to go.” But she wondered as she said it if that was the only reason Dane stopped. Whatever the cause, it was Dane’s call. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe she always leads.

  “Besides,” Dane continued lightly, working to keep her voice even, “I’m starving.”

  Kyle shook the water from her eyes and regarded Dane speculatively. “It’s breakfast that you want, then?”

  “Well, actually, it’s you I want right now, but I have to go.”

  Kyle sighed again. “Yes, ma’am.”

  As she stepped out of the shower, Dane laughed. If only she knew.

  *

  They shared their first breakfast together on the run. While Kyle dressed, Dane poured juice and put bread in the toaster. They munched toast while scrambling eggs and rinsed the dishes as they finished off the coffee. Silence descended as they both gathered their things and prepared to leave.

  Kyle zipped her jacket and watched Dane slip a wallet into her jeans, pick up her keys, and grab a leather jacket similar to her own. When Dane finally looked at her, Kyle couldn’t read the expression in her eyes. She wasn’t sure where to begin, but she was out of time. And she knew if she just walked out the door, all those restless uncertainties would not only return, they’d be worse. Because Dane had awakened something. She just wasn’t sure what.

  “Dane,” she ventured softly.

  “Yes?”

  “Will I see you again?”

  “I don’t know.” Dane averted her gaze. She hadn’t expected this. “Do you want to?”

  “Yes.” Kyle’s answer was swift and sure.

  “Maybe you should think about it a while,” Dane responded carefully, meeting Kyle’s eyes. “What happened last night—the way we were together—it might not be what you really want.” She hesitated for a second. “And it is what I want.”

  Kyle answered just as carefully, sensing that Dane would withdraw at the slightest misunderstanding. “You’d know I was lying if I said I understood why last night felt right to me. But it did, and I’m not turning my back on that. For no reason I can clearly explain, I want you to touch me again.”

  “You’d better be sure what it is you want, before you find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be.” Dane’s expression darkened, and for a moment, she lost herself to memory.

  “And do you know exactly what it is you want?”

  Dane reached for the door. She spoke so softly Kyle almost didn’t hear her words.

  “I thought I did—until now.”

  *

  Dane drove the familiar route to her kennel lost in thought. The image of Kyle, resplendent in black leather, riding away on her motorcycle was still fresh in her mind. It had been a strange encounter, not because it hadn’t gone well, but because it had. She had enjoyed the night with Kyle more than any she could remember recently. Kyle was surprisingly receptive to her brand of lovemaking, and it had been easy to fall into a scene with her. Still, she was wary, appreciating that Kyle was on the threshold of a new sexual arena. And knowing from experience that the process of adjusting was a long and complicated one, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be Kyle’s teacher. Teachers were usually replaced as time went on. When the lessons were over, novices moved on, leaving their initiators drained if they were lucky, broken if they had been foolish enough to care. Her life of casual encounters suited her. Comfortable with the limitations as well as the freedom such anonymous liaisons afforded, she hadn’t wanted more than one night with anyone in a very long time. Kyle, she realized, might be capable of awakening needs that she had learned to ignore.

  As she pulled her van into the small gravel lot beside a low, sprawling building bearing the name Daneland Kennels, she resolved to let the issue rest. I’ll probably never see her again anyhow.

  She got out of the van and stretched. It was a full-blown spring morning and the clear air and blue skies lifted her spirits. She whistled a little as she let herself into the office via a side door.

  “Hi, boss,” a voice called as she closed the door behind her. “There’s someone out back to see you.”

  “Hey, Anne.” Dane walked into a small office where a counter in the middle of the room separated a tiny waiting area with a few chairs and a coffee table from the space where a desk and computer and her assistant sat. “Sorry I’m a little late.”

  “Well, it is Saturday morning.” The tanned young redhead, casually dressed in a plaid flannel shirt, canvas carpenter pants, and heavy work boots, smiled as she swiveled on the stool in front of the desk. “I understand that, but I’m not sure our friend outside does.”

  Dane’s heart lifted. “Is my boy here already?”

  “He and my girl got back about half an hour ago. He’s very sassy, too. If he gets any more pleas
ed with himself, there’ll be no living with him.”

  “Where’s Caroline?”

  “She went out for coffee.” Anne’s expression softened as she spoke of her lover. “She’ll be back in a minute.”

  Dane headed toward the rear door.

  “Tell her I’m out back. I want to talk to her.”

  *

  Behind the building, secluded from the highway, were fenced-in runs where the dogs could be safely let out to exercise or train. As Dane stepped into the largest area directly behind the office, a Rottweiler at the far end of the run turned in her direction. Dane laughed happily as she saw the familiar face. “Baron!”

  The powerful animal raced toward her, barking excitedly. She braced herself as he approached, used to his exuberant greetings after each of their separations. When he pushed his head into her chest, she rubbed his ears and heavily muscled neck vigorously. He tried to return her affections by licking her neck, threatening to topple her over with his weight.

  “Enough!” she commanded after a moment, staggering back. He sat immediately, his eyes fixed on her face, his body still trembling with excitement. She moved to the top step and said quietly, “Baron, come.”

  He responded instantly, pressing close up against her left leg. “So you did it again, huh, boy? I sure missed you while you were gone, but you have to do this once in a while. You’re too good to just stay home and keep me company. Besides, I know you love getting out there and strutting your stuff.” She ran her fingers through the soft short fur on his back, enjoying the comfort of his solid, uncomplicated affection. “Not letting it go to your head, are you?”

  He put his heavy block-shaped head on her knee and half closed his eyes as she petted him. She smiled, remembering how small and cuddly he had been as a puppy. It was hard to believe that he had grown into such a magnificent animal, his conformation nearly the perfect standard for his breed. Despite her pride in him as a champion show dog, she loved him best for his gentle, loyal spirit. He was special to her far beyond his worth as her kennel’s premier stud dog. He was her dog, before all else. Contentedly, she closed her eyes and relaxed.

  When the door opened behind her, Dane smiled at the sturdily built woman with the salt-and-pepper hair who sat down beside her. “Glad to be back?”

  “Oh God, yes,” Caroline Matthews replied vehemently. “I’m getting too old for the circuit. Sleeping in vans and eating at McDonald’s is killing me, to say nothing of my home life. Anne threatened to take a lover if I went on another road trip before June.”

  Dane laughed and slung an arm affectionately around Caroline’s shoulders. Caroline, her friend for over ten years, was not only her business partner, but also the only person she’d trust to handle her dogs at shows. Although only six years older than Dane, she often bemoaned the fact that she was the oldest of the three friends.

  “After all this time you don’t really think Anne would stray, do you?” Dane queried teasingly.

  “We’re only coming up on three years, you know, and that isn’t very long, as these things go.” Caroline sighed and studied her boots. Like Dane and Anne, she was dressed for kennel work in jeans, construction boots, and a tattered black cotton sweater. “I know you don’t think it matters, but I am twelve years older than she is. I still worry about it. I don’t think I could start all over one more time.”

  “You could, and you would, if you had to.” Dane placed her hand lightly on her friend’s knee and squeezed. “But Anne is a lot more mature than her age suggests, and she’s had enough experience to know what she wants.”

  “You should know about that,” Caroline retorted good-naturedly.

  “Jeez, are you ever going to forgive me for getting there first? After all, it’s you she chose to be with.” Dane didn’t mind a bit that she had lost a lover to her closest friend. It happened all the time, and as much as she had enjoyed Anne, she hadn’t cared when Anne had left her to be with Caroline. It had avoided complications.

  “Oh, I forgive you,” Caroline said, meaning it. “I still can’t figure out what she saw in me, though—especially compared to you.”

  “Oh, I can,” Dane replied seriously. “You loved her—I didn’t.”

  Caroline looked sharply at Dane, surprised by the coldness in her voice. “You sound like you have something against love.”

  “Not so,” Dane said, twisting her fingers in Baron’s rich coat. “I don’t have any problem loving this guy.”

  “Small wonder,” Caroline snorted. “He’s an absolute sweetheart. He’d die for you, and he never asks for any more than a few strokes.” She scratched his black muzzle and smiled. “He just gets better and better. The judges pretended to look at the others this time, but there was no real competition. He just presented himself and stole their hearts.”

  “It scares me when I realize how really great he is,” Dane confided. “Sometimes I forget he’s a lot more than just my dog.”

  “So how have things been around here?” Caroline asked.

  “Nothing much new. Just the same old routine,” Dane replied nonchalantly. “Oh, I did put in a bid for a puppy bitch out of Kitty Graham’s new litter. I thought we were ready for a little expansion.”

  Caroline nodded her assent. She had a large financial investment in the kennel, but she was totally comfortable with Dane making all the decisions regarding their breeding program. Her own talent was in training the dogs for the show ring and handling them in competition.

  “Sounds good. But I didn’t mean on the dog scene. I’ve been gone six weeks. What’s been happening with you?”

  “Not much.”

  “Come on, handsome. This is me, and you know I love details.” Caroline gave Dane’s shoulder a little bump. “Something, or someone, must have happened while I’ve been away. Give me a break. I’m dying for a little gossip.”

  Ordinarily Dane didn’t tolerate any intrusion in her private life, but with Caroline, she couldn’t put up much of a fight. They had been friends too long, and as much as she hated to admit it, sometimes she needed to talk to someone.

  “Well,” she began cautiously, “the club scene hasn’t changed much. More new faces all the time. There’s so much leather everywhere these days, I’m not sure who’s for real and who’s just there for the show.”

  “I know what you mean.” Caroline laughed. “Maybe women are just getting more comfortable with it—and more and more are thinking about it. That’s some kind of progress.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Dane muttered. “I met this woman—a real novice, totally uninitiated. And she was so cool about the whole thing. She’d thought about it, and then went out and tried it. Just like that.”

  “Well, what’s wrong with that? That’s what we’ve been saying all along, right? It’s just another way that people relate. Not for everyone—but so what?”

  “Yeah, but this was different.” Dane’s voice was contemplative. “She wasn’t some kid out for an adventure—she thinks about what she’s doing. And she talks about it.”

  “She sounds interesting,” Caroline observed, hoping to appear nonchalant when her heart was racing. Dane hadn’t talked about a woman in years.

  “Yeah, she was.”

  “Not just a nice body in your bed for a night, huh?” Caroline asked lightly.

  Dane looked at Caroline, surprised once more by her old friend’s ability to understand her. “I guess you could say that.”

  “So, what did you do with her?” Caroline had always hoped that Dane would get serious about someone again, but it just never seemed to happen. Dane kept her feelings deeply hidden, even from Caroline.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  Dane smiled ruefully. “Well, I brought her home, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “Cut it out,” Dane protested. “I’m not that much of a stud, you know. It’s not like I have a different woman in my bed every night.”

  “I know. But you don’t do too badly. So, then wh
at happened?”

  “She left. And I came here to see you and Baron.”

  “This was last night?” Caroline’s voice rose.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Well, come on, woman—tell me.” Caroline jumped up and faced Dane, her hands on her hips. “What’s she like?”

  “I don’t know, just a woman.”

  “Nuh-uh. Not good enough.” Caroline nudged Dane’s boot with hers. “There is no such thing. Is she young, old, tall, short, fat, thin, butch, femme, right, left—”

  “She’s gorgeous, actually.” Dane grinned despite her intention to appear unaffected. “Black hair, dark gray eyes, and a great body. Rides a motorcycle, likes leather, and she has a brain.”

  “Sounds nice.” Caroline grinned. “Actually, she sounds major-league hot.”

  “Yes.”

  “So...”

  “So what?” Dane asked, pretending not to understand.

  “So what do you plan to do about it?” Caroline couldn’t resist pressing. She was in love, and she wanted her best friend to be just as happy. “Do you have her number? Are you going to call her?”

  “No, I don’t have her number.” Dane was silent for a moment. “And no, I’m not going to call her.”

  “Why the hell not?” Caroline demanded impatiently.

  “Because I don’t feel like it,” Dane replied with irritating casualness as she stood up and stretched. Baron got up immediately and looked up at her expectantly.

  “I think I’ll take Baron through his paces,” Dane said as she walked away. “He’s been taking it easy too long.”

  “And you’ve been hiding too long,” Caroline muttered at Dane’s retreating figure.

  Chapter Five