Dar stared off into the waves for a long moment, nibbling at her lower lip with a pensive expression, then she glanced sideways at her companion, a wicked twinkle appearing. “I guessed.”
“You did not.”
“I did.”
“Dar, c’mon.”
“I did.” The dark-haired woman insisted. “Or would you rather me tell you I’d already undressed you in my mind and figured out all your angles?”
Kerry blushed, a sudden heat that made her blink. “You didn’t.”
“I didn’t. I really did just guess.” Dar allowed, then paused. “The undressing part didn’t happen until you were in the changing room.”
Kerry stuck her tongue out at her. An instant later, she found it caught between Dar’s teeth as it was gently nibbled and tasted, then lips brushed hers and disappeared, restoring the view of the ocean to her.
“Ooh.” Kerry enjoyed the tingling. “That was erotic.” She turned her head. “Can we do it again?”
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“Only if you’re interested in making the front page of the Lifestyles section of the Herald.” Dar indicated the strolling passersby. “On the other hand, I know a hot tub that might be willing to look the other way for us.”
“Eeoorwl.” Kerry emitted a contented gurgle and stretched. “I could go for that. You can tell me more about this petty person who’s giving you such a migraine. Do I need to come down to the base again and have a chat with her?”
Dar stood, tugging Kerry up with her, and they started back toward the church parking lot. “No. The chief’s all right. At least she knows what she’s doing and understands base ops. I just get the feeling she’d like to bump me into the two-hundred-pound hamburger grinders and give herself a mark for reducing chow costs,” she said. “I feel like I’m walking around with a slightly rabid dog trotting around after me, ready to clamp on at any second.”
“Hmm.” Kerry’s nose wrinkled up as she smiled. “I think that’s how people feel about you sometimes, you know.”
A sigh. “I know.”
“Not really nice, huh?” The green eyes twinkled.
Dar gave her a look. “Are you laughing at me?”
Kerry pulled her closer, tucking her hand around Dar’s arm. “I’m not laughing at you. I was just thinking that it must be strange for you to be faced with the kind of challenge that you usually present to other people.” She felt Dar sigh again. “Why don’t you try making friends with her? I’m sure you two have something in common.”
THEY APPROACHED KERRY’S car, and she used the remote to unlock the door, then muffled a smile as Dar opened it for her. She got in and paused as her lover leaned on the window and watched her get settled. “Meet you at the ferry?”
“Drive careful,” Dar told her, then closed the door. She walked around the back of the Mustang and got into her own car, starting it and pulling out after Kerry onto the main street. They drove along the beach road and turned right onto the causeway that led home, navigating the relatively sparse traffic in tandem. They reached the first bridge and rolled over it, reaching the top and starting down the other side.
It took Dar’s mind a frantic second to confirm that the headlights coming toward them were really in the wrong lane, a half-ton of truck barreling down toward Kerry, who was starting to react, throwing her wheel hard to the left and sending the Mustang bolting toward the green center island.
For a second, Dar froze, her eyes caught in the glaring headlights bearing down on both of them. Then she reacted with pure instinct, gunning the engine of the Lexus and roaring past Kerry, putting herself between the oncoming four-by-four and the skidding Mustang as she Red Sky At Morning 95
slid into a sideways block.
The oncoming blue vehicle jerked to the right, then suddenly made a hard turn, skimming Dar’s front bumper as it clawed its way over the center island and bounced into the eastbound lanes, missing a taxi by a hair and roaring off down toward the beach.
Dar slowly unclenched her fingers from the steering wheel and pushed back, her heart slamming so hard in her chest it threatened to squeeze between her ribs and escape. She jerked the door open and tumbled out of the car, hanging on to the edge of the window for a long moment as her shaking legs refused to hold her up. Then she took a breath and forced herself into a run to where Kerry’s car was half up onto the center island, her engine off and her headlights shining wanly into the tropical foliage.
The door opened as Dar reached it, and she yanked impatiently, dropping to her knees beside the seat as Kerry leaned halfway out.
“Hey.” She hugged Kerry to her in mindless relief, feeling the shaky breath as Kerry buried her face against Dar’s neck. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Kerry nodded. “Just scared the holy pooters out of me.”
“Me, too.”
Kerry released her and got out of the car, leaning on Dar’s shoulder as she glanced around and examined the damage. Though the other car hadn’t touched her, climbing onto the center island had done evil things to a car not intended as a four-wheel-drive vehicle. “Erf.”
Dar got to her feet and regarded the apparently broken axle. “Well, that’s it.”
Kerry was leaning against the side of the car. “That’s what?” She turned and gave her lover a puzzled look. “I’m sure they can fix this.”
“You’re getting a new car,” Dar responded matter-of-factly. “If that thing had hit you, this would have folded like a used piece of tin foil.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that, Dar. It always seemed pr—” Kerry got a good look at Dar’s face, and cut her sentence off in mid-word.
“Well, I was thinking about a new one the other day. Maybe it’s a good idea.” She walked over and leaned against her partner. “Can we call a tow for this, and go home?”
“Good idea.” Dar took out her cell phone as they walked toward the balefully crouching Lexus, its hazard lights flashing as traffic drove cautiously around it. “We can go car shopping on the web when we get there.”
Kerry let out a slightly hysterical chuckle. “Honey, we don’t have to do that. Besides, I think I want to check out one of these for myself.”
She patted the SUV. “It’s nice and solid, right?”
Dar glanced up from her conversation. “I was thinking maybe a Hummer.” She went back to the phone and gave directions.
“A what?”
“Unless maybe Dad could get a Humvee.” Dar closed the phone, tapping it against her chin thoughtfully, her face completely serious.
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“He probably could.”
Kerry knocked on her chest. “Hello? Earth to Dar? I’m not driving an armored personnel carrier around Miami, so I hope you’re joking.”
Dar nudged her into the car, then closed the door and got in on the driver’s side. “Deny that it wouldn’t be handy in afternoon traffic.” She started the car and shifted cautiously into drive. “Maybe a tank.”
“Dar.”
“What? They come in surplus, and Dad loves tinkering with the engines.”
“Dar!”
“Hell to park, though.”
“You are joking, right?”
Pale blue eyes regarded her as they waited in line for the ferry.
“Yes.” Dar finally smiled. “I tend to say stupid things when I lose my mind.”
Kerry lifted a hand and they interlaced fingers, a gesture that always brought a sense of warm familiarity to both of them. “Well, I was completely safe. I had this huge Lexus between me and the kamikaze wackos. They’d have probably bounced off and ended up in Biscayne Bay.” She was rewarded by another smile. “Crazy people.”