To Be Unbroken

by Stein Willard

  “Could I talk to you for a second in private, Mac?”

  She rolled her eyes when Maxima first looked at Sara and then back at her. “Can’t we talk here?”

  Andra pressed her lips together. “Well, this is not really private, you know.”

  ***

  Sara watched anxiously as Andra pushed Mac out of the kitchen to the lounge. She licked her lips and moaned softly as she recalled the kiss. She wasn’t really sure what happened. One moment they were talking and the next she was clawing at Mac’s clothing trying to literally climb inside the sexy brunette. She placed the mug on the island and closing her eyes, dreamily relived the kiss. Mac was an exceptional kisser. As her large body had held her up against the fridge, her mouth and tongue evoked the most delicious sensations from her. Her eyes suddenly jerked wide open.

  She wasn’t sure if she was still fuzzy from the alcohol she’d imbibed earlier but as pleasant as the kiss was, she had also had a very unusual experience. As Mac was exploring her mouth and body with her mouth and hands, it had felt as if she was having an out of body experience. She remembered standing a few feet away staring at the brunette trying to literally consume her with her passion. As she looked at Mac, a bright light had shone from the warrior, almost blinding her. The light sharpened until it completely swallowed her, causing her to close her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, it was to find she was standing in a lush green garden. There were flowers and bushes as far as the eye could see and, drawn to the wonderful scent, she had leaned over the closest blossom and sniffed. She couldn’t explain the intense feeling of happiness she’d experienced as she stood there in that Eden. All she knew was that she belonged there. Gentle arms had embraced her from behind as she had felt someone nuzzling her hair.

  Without turning around to see who it was, she had stood there, her body resting against the larger one behind her. She felt safe and loved in those arms. Together they had listened to the soft sound of water trickling from a nearby fountain. She recalled the feeling of loss when the arms fell away, the water stopped, the flowers wilted, and she was back in her kitchen.

  Her first thought was that she wanted to return to that place. She wanted to gaze upon the face of her lover. But reality came hard and harsh in the form of an anxious-looking Andra. She’d never wished someone away as she did Andra at that moment. All she wanted was for Mac to kiss her again. She wanted to go back to their Eden.

  Sara rubbed her face. For someone who’d been stinking drunk less than half an hour ago, she felt surprisingly alert. She grinned as she reached out to top off her mug with more coffee. She would’ve never thought when she woke up this morning that her day would end this way. She took a sip from her mug, wondering if she should go and see where Mac and Andra were. Just then the doorbell sounded.

  ***

  Andra tried to shake Maxima, but the warrior stood firm like a brick wall. Making a disgusted sound, she pushed her fingers through her hair. Since they left the kitchen, Maxima’s eyes kept straying in the direction of the kitchen, a peculiar look on her face. That was what had prompted Andra to shake some sense into the warrior.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Maxima shrugged. “We were kissing.”

  “Yes, I could see that.” Andra’s eyes narrowed. “Are you keeping something from me?”

  “Why would you think that?”

  Andra threw her hands in the air. “Don’t patronize me. Out with it.”

  “I think…” The doorbell sounded and Sara walked past them to the door.

  Andra heard the indignation in Sara’s voice as she asked the newcomer what they were doing here. She turned her head to see who was at the door, but before she could make out the identity of the visitor, Maxima was already in motion.

  ***

  Sara groaned when she saw who was standing on her doorstep. “What are you doing here, Caroline?”

  Instead of answering, Caroline swept her up in her arms and kissed her. Too stunned to react to Caroline’s amorous assault, Sara froze in the woman’s arms. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a movement and wrenched her lips from Caroline’s. She pushed the blonde from her and turned to find a dark, intimidating Mac hovering over her. She blinked as she took in the obviously incensed woman. Mac appeared even bigger in her rage than Sara remembered. She didn’t know why, but she needed to make things right with the archaeologist. She needed to explain. Sara reached out a hand, but Mac stepped out of reach, the pale eyes hard as they glared at her.

  “Mac…” she implored weakly.

  Mac’s eyes moved from her to Caroline and Sara didn’t know if it was possible, but Mac looked even more threatening. Sudden fear for Caroline’s well-being, made her move in front of the model in a protective stance. Those laser eyes moved to her, raking over her. Sara flinched as Mac lifted her hand. She saw the shock and hurt in Mac’s eyes, but it was gone just as quickly. Mac’s lips pulled into a sneer and she walked out the door. Sara wanted to rush after her, but Caroline’s arm curled around her waist holding her against her. She tore at the model’s arm.

  “Let…me…go!”

  “Why? She was going to hit you,” Caroline hissed in her ear. Sara swung around to face Caroline.

  “What the hell are you doing here anyway?” An unfamiliar ache in her heart, made her lash out at the tall blonde. Because of her she felt as if she’d lost out on something, something so precious that even she couldn’t comprehend.

  “I needed to see you and apologize.”

  Sara shook her head and disgust. “For what exactly? Because I refused to jump into bed with you on the first date and you flipped?” Sara felt her anger bubble to the surface. “What do you take me for?”

  Caroline held up her hands, but before she could speak again, Andra came into view.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Andra’s eyes, so like Mac’s, rested on Caroline with dark intensity. They were the same height, but Andra was heavier and angry. In fact Andra looked more than eager to tear into Caroline.

  Sara inhaled deeply and nodded. “She was just leaving.”

  Andra’s dark brows slid up as she waited for Caroline’s reaction. The blonde slowly looked Andra up and down, a smirk on her face.

  “So much for playing the virgin, Sara dear,” she said tauntingly. “Did I interrupt your little party? You surely know how to pick them.” Caroline smirked slid into a leer. “But to have two of the same…” The blonde tsked. “Aren’t you just a little too greedy, my dear?”

  Sara blushed when she looked at Andra. The brunette was smirking at Caroline. “I could swear I heard a slight undertone of jealousy there.”

  Caroline grinned. “Maybe I have reason too.” She looked at a blushing Sara. “Do you order them in pairs or…?”

  Sara swallowed and stepped aside, not planning on justifying the remark with answer. “Please leave, Caroline, and don’t ever come back.”

  Caroline gave Sara a long look, before she shrugged. “You have my number.”

  The moment Caroline crossed over the threshold; Sara slammed the door shut and turned to Andra.

  “I’m so sorry about that.” She struggled to meet Andra’s eyes. “I’m also sorry about Mac.”

  Andra moved closer and pulled Sara into a warm hug. “No need to apologize. Mac’s an ornery one. Most times I even doubt if we are related.”

  Sara giggled at that. “You can pass for twins. I think you can’t dispute the familial bond.”

  Andra held Sara at arm’s length and smiled into her eyes. “I forgot about that for a moment.” She gently pushed a few stray locks behind Sara’s ear. “Mac likes you.”

  Sara basked in the gentle touch of the woman and sighed deeply as she rested her head against the broad chest. “I think I. . .rather Caroline messed up any chances there.”

  Andra shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “But she’s leaving for Greece tomorrow.”

  “If you would really like me too, I can get her to
delay her flight indefinitely.”

  Sara lifted her head from Andra’s chest. She searched the beautiful pale eyes. “You can do that?”

  “I can and I will if you want me to.”

  Sara smiled shyly. “I want you to.”

  Andra gently brushed over Sara’s cheek and stepped out of the embrace. “Then I’ll have to leave now to catch her.” Andra reached for the door. “Try to get some sleep, okay. Lock the door behind me and call me if you need anything.”

  Sara nodded and locked the door when Andra was gone. She rested her head against the door. If only she possessed strength like Andra or Mac. She would’ve liked to kick Caroline’s bony ass all over the apartment. Not only had the psycho blonde almost spoiled her chances with Mac, she had kissed her and contaminated the sweet taste of Mac’s lips on hers. She pushed away from the door, switching off the lights as she went. At least she had a pleasant memory to replay in her mind until she fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 5

  “What?”

  Claire almost dropped the book she was attempting to read while at the same time keeping close scrutiny on a brooding Maxima. It’d been two weeks and still the warrior’s mood was varying from thunderous to melancholy. The kids were the only ones lucky enough to still get a smile from Maxima. Andra had told her what had happened at Sara’s place and her heart ached for the stoic woman. She couldn’t begin to imagine how lonely Maxima must feel. To not have felt the touch of a woman in such a long time must be crippling. She lowered the book and fixed her eyes on Maxima. Bleak pale eyes met hers. Claire smiled gently at her and saw an unreadable look cross the handsome features.

  “I’m worried about you, warrior.”

  Maxima looked away toying with the book that lay open in her lap. “You need not worry about me, Claire. I am fine.”

  “You’re not fine, Maxima.” Claire saw the dark head jerk as stormy blue eyes skewered her. “You haven’t flirted with me in a very long time. That’s unlike you.”

  A weak smile pulled at Maxima’s lips. “I was under the impression it made you uncomfortable.”

  “It makes Andra nervous, but it keeps her on her toes. You make her realize what she has in me.” Her eyes twinkled as she studied the large warrior. “It is good for my self-esteem too.”

  Maxima sighed softly and sat back, her eyes lazily moving over Claire. Claire felt her heart begin to race at the look in the blue eyes. That was the same look Andra got in her eyes when she wanted to strip her of her last shred of self-control. Maxima had been a big influence on Andra when she was growing up and Claire was sure that some of the warrior’s deadly charm as well as looks rubbed off on her. She wasn’t worried though that anything would ever happen between her and Maxima. As intoxicating as Maxima was, she wasn’t Andra.

  “Is Andra neglecting you, darling?” Maxima asked, a knowing look in her disturbingly gorgeous eyes. “You want me to have a talk with her?”

  Claire blushed. Andra was as loving as always, but in the past weeks she had not tried to initiate anything beyond a few caresses and deep kisses. Somehow Maxima’s pain must’ve affected Andra on some level that Claire didn’t realize. She looked straight into Maxima’s eyes.

  “She’s hurting for you and I don’t want to add to that with my petty needs and wants.”

  A flash of guilt crossed over Maxima’s face before she quickly looked away. “I am sorry.”

  Claire rose from her seat on the sofa to kneel at Maxima’s side. Maxima watched her with a suspicious look in her eyes. Claire smiled. “Relax. I’m not trying to seduce you.” She reached for the large hand. “Nor do I want to make you feel guilty about anything.” She placed a soft kiss on the calloused palm. “We just want you to be happy.”

  “I will be fine, Claire,” Maxima said softly. “I derive a lot of happiness from seeing my descendants being happy and loved.”

  Claire smiled. For all her size and prowess, Maxima was a very gentle woman. She was sure that Anima, wherever she was, was missing her warrior just as much as Maxima missed her.

  “Do you want to tell me about Sara?”

  Maxima gently withdrew her hand from Claire’s grasp. Claire could see the powerful shoulders droop. “I do not know what to say.”

  “Tell me anything that comes to mind,” Claire coaxed gently.

  Maxima’s eyes were bleak again. “The search is off.”

  Claire shook her head. “No, Maxima. Please, don’t give up now. You owe it to yourself to try and see this through.” She pressed a soft kiss on Maxima’s palm. “Why are you calling off the search?”

  She felt Maxima’s hand come to rest on her bowed head. “Because Sara is Anima.”

  Claire sat up, her eyes wide as she stared at Maxima.

  ***

  Andra rolled the glass in her hand as she listened to the man before her. She had always been interested in the product development aspect of the shipbuilding business. Paying close attention during face-to-face updates usually saved her a trip to the shipyard. Under the tutelage of her grandfather she had learned that as the owner of Bells Marine Industries, she had to be able to understand and visualize what a client wants, before slapping a yacht together. Since taking over fifteen years ago, she made numerous trips to the shipyard to inspect and evaluate the building process. She still did so even after getting a monthly face-to-face update from her CEO, Greg Henry. Today, however, she found it extremely difficult to concentrate.

  The past week had been especially draining for her, with numerous meetings to cover all the different branches of the Bells Empire. Even then Maxima was never far from her thoughts. She loved the woman with all her heart. Seeing her so sad was painful to her. Luckily, Claire understood the bond she had with Maxima and was very supportive.

  The door to the conference room opened softly and the bright red curly head of Marisa, her assistant, peered in. She had an apologetic smile on her face.

  “My apologies for interrupting. Andra, you have an urgent call on line one. Would you like me to put it through to your office?”

  Andra nodded and turned to look at the men sitting around the table. “Please excuse me gentlemen. You can carry on with the presentation in the meantime.”

  Andra closed the connecting door between her office and the boardroom. She took a long gulp from the glass before reaching for the phone.

  “Bells.”

  “I hope I didn’t interrupt something too important, honey,” Claire said on the other side of the line.

  Andra smiled at hearing her wife’s voice. After all the droning male voices, Claire’s was like a breath of fresh air. “Had I been a heart surgeon, I would have stopped a heart operation to be able to talk to you, love. Is everything okay?” Claire called her regularly at the office, but never applied the urgency tag to her calls.

  “I have good news for you. Are you sitting down?”

  “Don’t tell me I managed to get you pregnant again,” Andra quipped as she lowered herself in the plush chair. “I’m sitting.”

  “I spoke to Maxima.”

  Andra’s brows lifted. “Was it one-sided or did the stubborn woman actually participate in the conversation?”

  Claire’s answering giggle was infectious and Andra chuckled warmly. “She said a few things,” Claire continued after a while. “But what she said was more important than how much she said.”

  Andra rolled her eyes at that. Claire could be so dramatic sometimes. “I’m all ears, dear.”

  “Well, I asked her about what happened at Sara’s place and she—ˮ

  “Let me guess. She clammed up,” Andra interrupted Claire.

  There was a short silence on the other side of the line. “Do you want to hear the story or not?”

  Andra smiled and reached for her glass of water. “Sorry, honey. Please continue.” She took a sip from the glass.

  “She told me she was calling off the search.”

  Andra groaned but didn’t say anything. Besides making a success of the Bells Empire and
handing it over to her children, finding Maxima’s soul mate was another of her life long goals. She had expected Maxima to call off the search after what happened. For the past week she had tried to get Maxima to meet with Sara, but every time she brought it up, Maxima got this strange look in her eyes, shrugged and walked away.

  “I pleaded with her not to call off the search and told her how she owes it to herself to complete the quest.”

  There was another short silence on the other side of the phone again and Andra decided to take a gamble and interrupt Claire.

  “What did she say?”

  When Claire spoke again, Andra could hear the excitement in her wife’s voice. She closed her eyes, bringing the glass to her forehead in relief. Claire had managed to convince the obstinate woman not to give up. Great job, honey!

  “She said the search was off because…get this…Sara is ANIMA!”

  Two things happened at that moment. Andra dropped the phone at Claire’s unexpected increase in volume and the glass slipped from her hand and landed with a wet splash in her lap as what Claire said sunk in. She reached for the glass, trying to catch it before it rolled to the floor. With the glass in her hand she stood up, unsure of what she’d wanted to do. A second wave of realization crashed over her.

  We’ve found Anima! We finally did it!

  “Andra? Honey? You okay?”

  For a moment the voice didn’t register and Andra looked around her office trying to find the location of the voice. The she remembered the call. Oops! She reached for the dangling phone.

  “Claire?” she began hesitantly.

  “There you are. What happened? Are you OK? Did you hear what I just said?”

  “I’m okay and I heard what you said.” For a moment she just stared at the gleaming surface of her desk. “We actually did it, honey. We found Anima!”