Winds of Fortune

by Radclyffe

  With a muffled cry, Allie bucked and came beneath her, and like lightning exploding from heaven and streaking to earth, the pressure in Deo’s belly powered through her and disappeared. She just managed not to fall on top of Allie as she collapsed by her side.

  “God, that was good,” Deo murmured, her fingers gently slipping out.

  “That’s,” Allie panted, “my line.”

  “Glad you agree.”

  Allie slapped Deo’s stomach. “Like you couldn’t tell. What did it take, about three strokes to make me pop? I can’t believe how fast you wind me up.”

  “I wind you up?” Feeling lazy and content, Deo slowly turned her head and kissed the corner of Allie’s mouth. “You’re the one who showed up naked bearing gifts.”

  “I was trying to be a good hostess.”

  Deo laughed. “Man, I bet you’re popular with the overnight guests.”

  “I think I should probably be insulted,” Allie mused, leaning up on an elbow and casually toying with Deo’s nipple. When it hardened, she leaned down and dragged her teeth over it. She smiled when Deo gasped. “But you already know I think you’re hot. And I love the way you fuck me.”

  “If you don’t want me to do it again,” Deo said darkly, “get your ass out of this bed.”

  “Who said I don’t want you to do it again?” Allie purred. She kissed Deo’s nipple sweetly and drew back, her expression growing serious. “I’ve got a few minutes. Let me make you come.”

  “I’m good.” Deo kissed Allie lightly. “Really. Good.”

  “Sure?”

  Deo nodded.

  “Rain check, then.”

  “Deal,” Deo agreed as Allie jumped from bed.

  “I’ll be ready in ten minutes,” Allie called as she disappeared across the hall into the bathroom.

  Deo stretched, figuring she had a few minutes to spare while Allie showered. Then she’d drive Allie to the station, grab a fast shower at home, and head over to the main job site. The guys knew what to do so she wasn’t worried about work not getting done just because she was a couple of hours late. Thinking about the job brought back her conversation the night before with Nita about her new house.

  Nita. Nita was like the thunderclouds that had fascinated her since she was a child, seething with anger and passion and beauty. She had been mesmerized by storms, by the combination of danger and unbearable splendor. She had never wanted to come in off the boat no matter how much it rocked in the wind or how high the seas that lashed over the decks had risen. The fear was thrilling and exciting in a way that nothing else was. She still loved storms. Nita was the first woman she had ever met who hinted at the same power and fury. Thinking about Nita stirred the turmoil in her depths that she had so recently quieted while riding the crest of Allie’s pleasure.

  She didn’t even want to consider that she was fucking one woman to forget about another. With a sigh, Deo pushed back the covers and got up in search of her clothes.

  “Something wrong?” Allie asked as she paused in the doorway, toweling her damp hair.

  Deo blushed. “No. Just thinking about work.”

  “Mmm hmm.” Allie draped the towel over the back of the wooden chair that sat in front of her dressing table and pulled open the closet door. Extracting a pressed uniform wrapped in plastic, she said, “I’m going to be so busy at work I don’t know when I’ll see you again. But if you want company…”

  “I’ll hunt you down like I did last night,” Deo said, pulling up her pants. “I’m glad I stayed. Thanks.”

  Allie grinned crookedly. “I’m absolutely certain I’m the one who should be saying thank you.”

  Deo shook her head. “No. You’re amazing.”

  “For the record, I feel the same way about you.” Allie strapped on her gun belt and regarded Deo seriously. “Sometimes the fact that I can’t sleep with Bri and I still want to…it fucks up our friendship. I’ve been trying to work on that.”

  Deo waited.

  “I hope the two of us can still be friends even though we did fuck.” Allie sighed. “Jesus, it’s really confusing.”

  “It is, but I know what you mean.” Deo kissed her. “We’re okay.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. And for the record, you’re fucking hot in that uniform.”

  Allie wrapped an arm around Deo’s waist as they started toward the door. “Well, I’m glad you think so. Because it’s the only thing I’m going to be wearing all summer.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Nita,” Tory said, “don’t you have an appointment for your walk-through tonight?”

  “I rescheduled.” Nita set aside the lab report she was reviewing and leaned back in her desk chair. “Are there always this many walk-ins during the summer?”

  Tory smiled wearily. “More, usually.”

  “I can’t even begin to imagine how you handled it by yourself.”

  Tory settled on the small loveseat that Nita had placed in the corner of her office and rested the heel of her sneaker on the edge of a low wooden coffee table. “Before Reese and Regina, I pretty much only worked. I didn’t really mind how busy I was then because I didn’t have much else in my life.”

  Nita appreciated what an escape work could be. After the blow-up with Sylvia, she’d worked extra shifts just to avoid seeing her family or friends. Sometime in the year since her life had taken a turn in the wrong direction, she’d come to welcome working fifteen hours a day. She didn’t have to think about what a fool she had been. Cowardly, perhaps, but comfortable. Discomfited by the realization, she changed the subject. Something else she had grown adept at when conversations veered too close to harsh truths. “Do you want ice for that ankle?”

  “You can tell it’s swollen from across the room?”

  “I’m not that good,” Nita said. “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sit down before, and I know I’ve never seen you put your leg up.” She glanced at her watch. “You’ve been on your feet for twelve hours. And that’s just today.”

  “What day is it—Thursday?” Tory shook her head. “The last thing I clearly remember is the ride to Hyannis on Monday morning with Nelson. I haven’t lost track of time like this since I was a resident and spent thirty-six hours at a stretch in the hospital.”

  “Stay there,” Nita said as she rose. “I’ll get you a cold pack.”

  Tory leaned back and closed her eyes, grateful not to be moving for just a few minutes. The last time she’d been this exhausted and her leg had acted up so badly that she could barely walk, Reese had been the one to take care of her. Reese had been so matter-of-fact about her injury, so completely without the stifling pity that so many others heaped upon her. She had simply done what needed to be done, and Tory had fallen in love just that quickly.

  “Are you awake?” Nita whispered, kneeling down next to Tory.

  “Yes, just daydreaming.”

  “It must have been a nice dream.” Nita gently pushed up Tory’s jeans and released the Velcro straps on the plastic bivalve splint she wore to stabilize her nerve-damaged ankle. “You had a very happy expression on your face.”

  Tory laughed. “I was thinking about when I fell in love with Reese. She was doing pretty much what you’re doing right now.”

  Nita glanced up. “Hopefully it was her and not the activity. Because as much as I like you, there’s no way I’m taking on Reese Conlon for your affections.”

  “Don’t worry, you’re safe,” Tory said, appreciating Nita’s teasing tone. They so very rarely had the opportunity to talk about anything except work, and it was nice to see a less serious side of her new associate. “I take that to mean that your interest is in women, then? I’ve never asked.”

  “Since I was old enough to figure out that I had an interest in anyone.” Nita settled next to Tory. “How long have you and Reese been together?”

  “A little over five years. I wasn’t looking for anyone,” Tory mused, “and now I can’t imagine life any other way.”

  “I t
hink that’s how it works out when it’s right.”

  Hearing a note of sadness in Nita’s voice, Tory said carefully, “No one on the horizon for you at the moment?”

  “No,” Nita said quickly and dismissively. “Moving here, adjusting to private practice, getting a new house ready to live in…I’ve got plenty to keep me busy.”

  “When was your appointment with Elana?”

  “Elana? Oh—the realtor. Six. But I knew I wasn’t going to make it so I called her to postpone.” Nita shrugged. “She said she might still be around for a while, but—”

  “It’s not that late. You should stop by the real estate office and try to catch her. She’s often there in the evening, and you can still do your walk-through.”

  “We’ve got at least twelve patients still waiting. I’ll stay until we clear—”

  “No you won’t,” Tory said firmly. “I’m going to sit here for five more minutes because the ice is really helping, and then I’ll be fine to finish up. I know how much extra work you’ve been doing all week. And unfortunately, I have another favor to ask.”

  “Anything.”

  “I was on the phone with Nelson’s cardiologist right before I came in here. In fact that’s what I came by to tell you. He’s got a fairly substantial aneurysm just distal to the takeoff of the coronaries. They want to operate on him tomorrow.”

  “Oh God, that’s too bad,” Nita said. “Of course I’ll cover for you. I’m sure we can postpone the closing—”

  “Absolutely not. It’s scheduled for what...three?”

  “Three thirty.”

  Tory nodded. “Excellent. I’ll be back by then. Surgery is scheduled for seven thirty and I’m sure they’ll be done by noon. Then I can stay with Bri for a couple of hours after, and I’ll still be back here in time to finish up the afternoon hours.”

  “Are you sure? I know he’s like family.” Nita hesitated. “And that really matters.”

  “He is, and Bri is special.” Tory laughed. “Sometimes I feel like she’s a younger version of Reese, the Reese I never got to meet before the marines really got to her.”

  “How are you doing?” Nita asked gently. “With Reese home now?”

  Tory regarded her curiously. “Most people just assume that her coming home solved everything. Of course, having her here is everything.”

  “I imagine you both feel pulled in a million directions. If Reese is the same kind of marine as all of my family are cops, she probably wants to turn right around and go back.”

  “God, how did you know?”

  “Oh,” Nita said with a sigh, “because that’s who they are. It’s what makes them feel good about themselves. And because they have a very deep sense of loyalty to their fellows. All the things you already know, I’m sure.”

  “All the things I knew,” Tory said hesitantly. “But things I never really appreciated until this happened. She’s a little bit at sea right now, and I’m not sure how to help her.”

  “I’m lousy at advice, but just the same, I’ve had some experience with this.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “It’s probably not what you want to hear, but I think if she wants to go back, you need to let her. It may be the only way she can feel whole again.”

  Tory blinked at the sudden and frightening rush of tears that filled her eyes. “I don’t think I can. I don’t think I can stand it.”

  Nita regarded her seriously. “Yes you can. I only had to see you together for a minute to know how much you love her. And that’s what love is all about, don’t you think? Helping the person you love be who she really is?”

  “Even if you lose her?” Tory nearly choked on the words.

  “Even then.” Nita took Tory’s hand. “I’m sorry. I’m not helping.”

  “No. It’s okay. You are.” Smiling tremulously, Tory brushed her fingers over her eyes. “It actually helps to talk about what terrifies me. I just can’t imagine a day without her. Do you know what I mean?”

  “I thought I did, once.” Nita rose, her expression carefully blank. “But I was wrong.”

  Nita took off her lab coat and draped it over her chair. Beneath that she wore a pale yellow short-sleeved blouse, tailored sage cotton slacks, and brown flats. “The nice thing about this town is you can get from one end of it to the other in ten minutes. I’m going to drive by the real estate office and see if anyone’s around. And if I can push the closing back even an hour or two tomorrow, I will. Just to give you a little extra time.”

  “Thanks. And Nita, thanks for the advice too,” Tory added softly.

  “You’re welcome, although I’m not sure how much stock you should put in my opinion.” Nita smiled wryly. “I’ve got a lousy track record with women.”

  *

  Nita dashed across Bradford in the light rain that had been falling all afternoon and hurried up the three steps to the small porch of Provincetown Realty. Not surprisingly, the door was locked, and when she peered through the large picture window next to the door, the interior was dark. She was over an hour late for her six o’clock appointment, and even though she’d gotten the answering machine when she’d called from the clinic, she had taken a chance that someone was working late just the same. Disappointed, she turned away and smothered a small cry when she discovered Deo standing on the steps. Her black sleeveless T-shirt and bleached-to-nearly white jeans were soaked through in patches from the rain, and her hair was even wetter. Her boots were dusty and a long scratch on the outside of her left upper arm appeared fresh. She looked like a woman who’d worked hard all day and, Nita had to admit, the look suited her. She was sexy as hell.

  “Something I can help you with?” Deo asked.

  “How is it that I’ve been in town six weeks and until four days ago I’d never seen you before. Now every time I turn around you’re there?”

  Deo grinned. “Fate?”

  “I don’t believe in it.”

  “Lucky coincidence, then, I guess.”

  Nita stepped back under the sheltering roof as the rain picked up. “You’re getting drenched.”

  Deo tilted her face up to the sky and shook her head like a dog coming in out of the surf. “Feels great. I spent most of the day on a roof. In the middle of July it’s about a hundred and ten degrees up there.”

  “What happened to your arm?”

  “Huh?”

  Nita frowned and pointed. “You’ve got a pretty nasty abrasion there.”

  Deo followed her gaze. “Oh. That. Some idiot didn’t bother to pound a nail all the way in.”

  “When was your last tetanus shot?”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Deo laughed. “This kind of thing is pretty much business as usual.”

  “Save me the macho line. That’s a setup for infection. I don’t suppose you stopped to wash it out, did you?”

  Deo pointed to the sky. “God’s taking care of that right now.”

  “More likely St. Jude,” Nita muttered.

  “You don’t like me much, do you?” Deo said amiably, climbing the stairs. She leaned against the post and watched Nita with a half smile.

  Nita took a slow breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t know you and I’ve been rude.” When she started toward the stairs, Deo sidestepped just enough to block her way. Nita stopped abruptly a breath before their bodies touched. The hairs along her arms stood up as if the air were rarefied. She wondered inanely if Deo was throwing off some kind of an electric charge, because every time she was anywhere near her, her skin tingled. She felt her pulse racing. “That’s exactly the sort of thing that annoys me about you.”

  “What?” Deo asked quietly, leaning closer still.

  Deo’s mouth was so close to Nita’s ear that if Nita turned her head, her lips would brush Deo’s cheek. It was all she could do not to move. “You’re obviously used to having women fall all over you. You make assumptions that aren’t warranted.”

  “The first time I saw you in the clinic,” Deo said, “I looked at you and saw a beautifu
l woman. I’m sorry I didn’t pretend not to notice. That pissed you off, didn’t it?”

  Surprised at Deo’s perceptiveness, Nita nevertheless shook her head. “Believe it or not, that wasn’t the first time I’ve ever been cruised.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “Let’s just say our styles don’t mesh and let it go at that.”

  “So if it wasn’t something I did,” Deo pondered aloud, “then it must be something I make you do.” Deo grinned and snapped her fingers. “You want me.”

  Nita snorted and despite herself, she laughed. “God, you are so arrogant!”

  “Ah ha. You do laugh.” Pleased, Deo pressed her luck. “So, why won’t you go out with me?”

  Nita rolled her eyes. “We’ve been through this already. I’m not interested because I already know how the story ends. Women like you aren’t interested in making a connection, you’re only interested in making a conquest.”

  Deo’s eyes flashed as all traces of humor left her face. “Just what do you base that on? The fact that I’m single and don’t hide the fact that I like women?”

  Nita flushed. “I apologize. That was absolutely uncalled for. I’m very sorry. I have to go.” She tried to sidestep Deo again and, again, Deo moved with her. “Please.”

  “No you don’t.” Deo narrowed her eyes. “It’s not me at all, is it? It can’t be, since you’ve had your mind made up about me since the minute we met. So who was she?”

  “I’m not going to have this conversation with you,” Nita said tightly. Deo was far too close to the truth, and not only didn’t she want to think about the debacle she’d made of her life, she didn’t want Deo to know. She didn’t want Deo to know just how susceptible she actually was to Deo’s brand of charm. God, how could she be so shallow to want that kind of attention? Why did she crave the intensity of Deo’s gaze, why was even Deo’s arrogant possessiveness exciting? Why did being anywhere near her make her feel as helpless as a reed bending in the wind. “I don’t owe you any explanation. My answer is no—today, tomorrow, and any time thereafter.”