by Lynn Ames
“Why you—”
“Gentlemen. Cool it. Baiting each other will get us nowhere. We’re all in this together.” Hawthorne stood. “I want Kyle and Sampson gone within the next two weeks, Breathwaite, do I make myself clear?”
“Don’t worry.”
“Right. Michael, I want you to clear the way with Charlie for Bill to take over at DOCS. Then, with Kyle gone, we can move David back in as PIO and be back on schedule before any more damage is done.”
The Cost of Commitment
“I’ll do my best.”
“The next time I hear from you all, I want to know that everything has gone smoothly. Good day, gentlemen.”
“What’s that delicious smell?” Kate walked in from the garage, placing her briefcase on the floor and hanging her keys on the key rack just in time to stop Fred from running her over. “Hi, handsome. Is Jay home and cooking? Lucky us, huh, buddy?”
Jay stood in the doorway, watching her interact with the dog, glad beyond measure of the smile he always put on her face. “Hi there, beautiful. Do I get a scratch, too?”
“If that’s what you really want. I was thinking, though, that we both might enjoy this”— she kissed Jay sweetly on the lips—“a little more.”
“Mm. Definitely. If I’m really good, can I have another?”
“I don’t know, how good are you?”
Jay purred, “You need to ask that question?”
“Um, never mind, I withdraw the question. What are you doing home so early, sweetheart? I thought you’d be coming in on a late train.”
“I turned in my story early this morning, waited a few hours for Trish to get around to looking at it, cooled my heels for an hour or so waiting for the next assignment, then decided Trish could call me when she was ready. I wanted to be here when my fiancée got home from work.”
“I love the way you think.” Kate wrapped her arm around Jay’s waist as they made their way to the kitchen. “What are we having? Whatever it is, it smells like heaven.”
“I thought I’d get a bit creative tonight. I’m making duck à l’Orange with wild rice, salad and, if you’re really nice to me, chocolate mousse for dessert.”
“Wow. What did I do to deserve all this?”
“You fell in love with the right girl.”
“I sure did.” Kate turned Jay in her arms, running her hands up her back while pulling her in close. “I love you, Jamison. So very, very much.”
“And I love you, Katherine, more than words can ever express.”
After a moment lost in each other’s gazes, they allowed their mouths to meet. It was not a passionate kiss, but one that bespoke a connection that ran deeper than either could put into words.
When they parted, Kate ran her finger along Jay’s jaw, unwilling to sever the physical link so soon. Her eyes lingered on Jay’s face.
Eventually, she broke the spell. “Let me just go change my clothes quickly. I’ll be right back.”
Lynn Ames
“Okay. Dinner will be on the table in five minutes, so no dawdling up there, Kyle.”
“Are you calling me a loafer?”
“Just get moving, you’re wasting time. You’re down to four minutes, twenty-eight seconds. Twenty-seven, twenty-six...”
“I get the idea. I’m going, already, I’m going.”
True to her word, Kate was back in under five minutes. Jay was just putting the food on the table when she walked into the dining room.
“It looks as wonderful as it smells. Always a good sign.”
“Keep it up and Fred will be eating your portion.”
“Hey, that’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”
“I try not to.”
“Very cute, Parker.” Kate took Jay’s hand, kissing the back of it before turning it over and kissing the palm. “Thank you for making a lovely meal, honey.”
“That’s better,” Jay winked. “Nice comeback.”
“Glad to see I haven’t lost my touch.”
They enjoyed a leisurely dinner, feeding each other bits of duck along with forkfuls of rice. When it came time for dessert, by mutual consent they decided to move to the bedroom. Kate carried the bowl of mousse upstairs.
Jay ran one finger down Kate’s fly, pausing before retracing her movements upward. Reaching the button at Kate’s waist, she released it from its clasp, lowering the zipper with exaggerated slowness and easing the jeans down long legs.
Kate stepped out of the pants, her eyes fixed on Jay’s mouth. Without turning her head, she located the dessert bowl and spooned some of the fluffy chocolate onto her index finger. Carefully, she painted Jay’s lips before ducking her head and spending a long time removing the confection.
“Mm. Tasty dessert, love.”
Jay bent down, relieving Kate of her panties. “I’ll have to see for myself, now, won’t I?” She scooped a generous helping of chocolate onto her fingers, sliding them against Kate’s wetness. Pausing to look up at her lover, she smiled wickedly just before dropping to her knees, immersing herself in Kate’s sweet-tasting center.
“How’s—oh God, right there, baby—the mousse?” Kate managed to choke out, seconds before a wave of pleasure swamped her senses.
When she was able, she pulled Jay to her feet, lifting her into her arms and carrying her to the bed. She took care in stripping Jay, applying chocolate to breasts, pelvic bones, navel, and clit. She sucked each chocolate-covered finger into her mouth, smiling when she felt Jay squirm in anticipation of what was to come.
The Cost of Commitment
Kate began with Jay’s breasts, her palms caressing the outer curves, her mouth hovering over coated nipples. Gradually she lowered her head, her lips enveloping the sweet-tasting skin.
“Mm, now this is the way to enjoy dessert.”
Trying to think of a witty comeback, Jay murmured, “Sure saves on the dishes.”
“That it does, love.” Kate dipped her tongue into the well of Jay’s belly button.
“Ugh. You’re killing me, baby. Please.”
“Patience, sweetheart. I’m trying to savor the flavor.”
Jay growled in frustration, which only served to make her lover laugh.
Kate feasted on succulent pelvic bones, lingering over each one before succumbing to Jay’s entreaties and pressing her mouth against her throbbing clit.
When the orgasm came, Jay felt more alive than she ever had in her life. As her breathing resumed its normal pattern, she buried her face in her hands.
Immediately, Kate was alongside her, her hands framing Jay’s face.
“What is it, love? Are you all right?”
“Never better, my love. It’s just...sometimes it’s hard to fathom how much you mean to me. I am the luckiest woman on the planet.”
“On the contrary, Jamison, I am the one who is profoundly lucky.
You are the most beautiful soul I’ve ever known.”
“How about if we settle on the notion that we’re both lucky and leave it at that?”
“Works for me, sweetheart.”
The lovers sealed the agreement with a kiss that was equal parts wonder and reverence.
Breathwaite paced the length of his office, turned around, and stalked the other way. “It’s not working. I need something more. The stubborn bitch isn’t budging.”
The blockish man sitting in the corner continued to clean his teeth with a toothpick. “What do you want me to do, boss?”
“I want you to find me something—anything—that I can use to get Kyle out of that seat. Damn it all to hell, Kirk. If I don’t make this happen, and soon, I’m out of the game.”
“Maybe you haven’t been looking in the right places.”
Breathwaite narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Kirk looked supremely bored. “You’ve been trying to discredit her professionally, right? Shake her credibility?”
Lynn Ames
“Of course. If I can plant that seed of doubt—make her seem less trustworthy—I’ll have h
er.”
Kirk examined his nails. “Seems to me that hasn’t been working too well for you so far.”
Breathwaite rounded on him. “You got any other ideas?”
“Hey,” Kirk held up his hands, “I’m just a stupid PI, remember?”
“Don’t play games with me, you lazy son of a bitch. I pay you good money to dig up dirt, and so far, I have to say, you haven’t proved to me that you’re worth a dime.”
Kirk snarled. “I was smart enough to uncover your con, little man, so you’d best watch your manners.”
Breathwaite clamped his jaw shut with a resounding click. After collecting himself he said, “It’s obvious to me that you’ve been giving this matter some thought. Care to share your ideas?”
Kirk smirked. “That’s better.” He went back to manicuring his nails.
“As a matter of fact, I have been giving this considerable thought. What’s the chink in this dyke’s armor? What’s her Achilles’ heel?”
He let Breathwaite think for a moment.
“You’ve been going on the assumption that it’s her pride, her professionalism. But that doesn’t seem to be it, right, boss?”
“Right.”
“So what else is there, I asked myself.”
“Her girlfriend.”
“Bingo.”
“You know something.” It was a statement, not a question.
Kirk smiled beatifically. “Could be.”
“Spill it.”
“Ah ah ah. Patience, little man. It’s going to cost you.”
The grinding of Breathwaite’s teeth was audible in the silence.
Kirk chuckled. “You must be a dentist’s dream. Relax, all I want—in addition to my money, of course—”
“Naturally,” Breathwaite muttered.
“All I want,” Kirk raised his voice slightly, “is a cut of the action when you get to D.C.”
“What, exactly, do you have in mind?”
“I want a position as chief of security for the big man.”
“Can’t be done,” Breathwaite dismissed him out of hand. “Chief of security has to be secret service. You might remember that there are a few black marks in your portfolio. You’d never get through the screening process.”
“Okay then, expunge my record.”
Breathwaite considered. “Done.”
The Cost of Commitment
“Right, then.” Kirk reached into the briefcase that had been sitting at his feet. He walked across the room, unceremoniously tossing a manila file folder on the desk.
Breathwaite scooped it up greedily and leafed through the contents.
He stared hard at a glossy picture in the middle of the pile before returning to the top page. He began to read aloud. “Jamison Parker, age twenty-four, reporter for Time magazine.” He glanced at the next series of pages—a Time magazine story from the previous May, making special note of the date at the top. Smiling evilly, he shut the folder with a snap.
“Kyle.” Kate rolled over and answered the phone automatically, scowling at the bedside clock. 3:45 a.m.
“Good morning, Ms. Kyle. David Breathwaite here.”
“How can I help you, David?”
“I’d like to meet with you at your earliest convenience.”
I’d rather eat rats for breakfast, Kate thought. What she said was,
“Regarding?”
“I’d rather talk about it in person, Ms. Kyle. Let’s just say it would be in your best interest to make it sooner rather than later. Perhaps I could buy you a cup of coffee before work this morning, for instance?”
Kate weighed her options. She could refuse the invitation, but there was no real advantage to doing so. She did, however, want to force Breathwaite to meet her on her own turf. “My office in one hour. I’ll supply the coffee.”
It was clear from the momentary silence on the other end of the phone that Breathwaite didn’t like being dictated to, but he agreed to the terms of the meeting and rang off.
Jay rolled over sleepily and propped her chin on her lover’s naked shoulder. “Who was that, sweetheart? You look like you swallowed a lemon.”
“That, my love, was our good friend Mr. Breathwaite. Seems he wants to meet with me ASAP.”
Jay’s growl reverberated in the quiet of their bedroom, causing Fred to look up from his customary position next to Kate’s side of the bed. “I strongly dislike that man.”
Laughing, Kate hugged Jay. “Really? I couldn’t tell.”
“I take it you’re going?”
“No, actually, he’s coming. I wanted him on my home court.”
“Oh. Good thinking, sweetheart. Put him at a disadvantage.”
“As much as that’s possible without knowing most of what’s going on.”
“Looks like you may be about to find out.”
Lynn Ames
Kate looked pensive. “Maybe, but somehow I don’t think he’s likely to be very forthcoming.”
Kate walked into her quiet office, glad that, other than the two officers in the command center, there were no employees in the building at this early hour. She looked around at her cramped space, neat stacks of paper covering most of the sturdy, solid oak desk that dominated the room. Like all the furniture in the building, the desk was a Corcraft product. Corcraft, which utilized inmates in all facets of the manufacturing process, was the prison system’s money-making division.
Almost all state agencies were required to order their furniture from the Corcraft catalog.
In addition to the desk and its accompanying executive’s chair, there were two straight-backed visitors’ chairs and a printer stand that held the AP Teletype machine. There were no windows and no personal effects anywhere to be seen.
Kate sat down and opened a steaming container of coffee, the aroma making her mouth water. Within seconds she heard footsteps approaching from the outer office. At the knock on the doorframe, she looked up to see Breathwaite. She invited him in with a wave of her hand, beckoning him to sit.
“Good morning.” She shoved the second cup of coffee across the wooden surface of the desk. She intentionally hadn’t asked him how he liked his coffee, ordering it black and hoping like hell that wasn’t the way he took it. Anything that made him more miserable was fine with Kate.
“Hello,” Breathwaite chirped too cheerfully.
“What can I do for you, David?”
“It’s not what you can do for me, Ms. Kyle; it’s what you can do for yourself.”
Kate folded her hands on the desk and waited.
Breathwaite cleared his throat. “I see you’ve been having quite a time of it lately in the media.”
“Nothing I can’t handle, I assure you, David.” Kate noted that Breathwaite had yet to look her in the eye.
“The pressure must be getting pretty intense.”
“Not really.” Kate stared at him levelly.
“No? With so many news outlets questioning your credibility and the tabloids still so interested in the identity of your girlfriend...”
Kate tensed minutely in spite of herself, an action that was not lost on her visitor.
The Cost of Commitment
“I would have thought,” Breathwaite continued, “a woman of independent means like you might have opted to give this endeavor up in exchange for a quieter, more private life.”
“That’s never been a consideration.”
“Really? That’s odd; you’ve gone to such extraordinary lengths to protect Ms. Parker to this point.”
At the mention of Jay’s name, Kate’s eyes flashed.
Breathwaite leaned forward in his seat. “Yes, I know who she is, Ms.
Kyle. There’s very little I don’t know or can’t find out.”
“Why exactly are you here, David? I’m assuming there’s a purpose to your visit—other than to take up space in my office, I mean?”
Unable to sit still any longer, Breathwaite rose and began to pace, seemingly inspecting the artwork on the walls. “I’ll make
this simple, Ms. Kyle. You resign, and your secret remains just that.”
“And if I refuse?”
He turned to face her. “I’m sure the National Enquirer would be thrilled to know the identity of your lover.” He spat the word. “And I’m equally certain that Time magazine would be pleased to know that your partner in perversity in the Enquirer photos is a woman who had just finished writing a glowing front-page article on you for them.”
“What could you possibly gain by forcing me out, Breathwaite? Why is my leaving so damned important to you? What’s your game?”
“What’s your answer, Kyle? Are you willing to destroy your girlfriend’s career?”
Kate took a sip of her coffee in order to allow herself time to think before responding. Her first instinct was to protect Jay from this ugliness at all costs. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, however, she dismissed it. She’d nearly lost Jay the very same way not six months earlier and had vowed then and there never to make decisions on her lover’s behalf again without clear direction from her.
Kate thought about Jay’s willingness to out herself to help her and their more recent discussion in which Jay had explicitly told Kate they would stay and fight, together. She nodded to herself and rose to her full height. Towering over the much shorter Breathwaite, she growled, “Go to hell, you two-bit scum.”
Breathwaite planted his hands on the desk and leaned forward, bringing him to within a foot of Kate’s face. “You have no idea what hell looks like, Kyle, but you’re about to find out.”
After Breathwaite had departed, Kate drummed her fingers on the desk, her mind working furiously. “That’s it.”
Lynn Ames
She rushed out of her office, downstairs to the first floor, out the door and hopped into her car. Within twenty minutes she was home.
She bolted through the front door. “Jay? Honey?”
“In here.”
Kate followed Jay’s voice, taking the stairs two at a time, practically colliding with her as she rounded the corner from her home office.
“What are you doing home, Kate?”
Kate gathered her in her arms, hugging her close.
Jay pulled back slightly in order to gauge the expression on Kate’s face. “Did you have your meeting with Breathwaite? How’d it go? Are you all right?”
Without answering, Kate took Jay by the hand and led the way downstairs to the living room. She sank down on the couch and pulled Jay into her lap.
