“Here.” Kerry held her hand out. “Let me borrow your fork and knife, and I’ll cut that up for you. Must be a pain trying to do it one-handed.”
Dar hesitated, then handed the implements over. “Yeah.” She busied herself with the cup while Kerry leaned over and sawed industriously at her main course. “On the other hand...” Dar found a very tasty-looking bare shoulder very near by. She licked it.
“Yipe!” Kerry jumped. “Oh...Jesus, Dar. I had no idea what that was.”
Dar nibbled the soft skin, breathing in the warm, clean scent of her lover with a sense of quiet pleasure. “Mm. Much better than chicken.”
Kerry put the knife and fork down and responded, sliding a hand up to rest against Dar’s cheek as she found the exploring lips, tasting a 268 Melissa Good hint of the chicken on them, and the sweet tang of the apple juice Dar had taken a sip of.
Boy, that felt good. Kerry lost herself in the moment, tuning out everything to concentrate on how smooth Dar’s skin was, and just how wonderful it was to kiss her. After a moment they parted and gazed into each other’s eyes. Kerry was very conscious of how unsteady her breathing was. “Mm.”
Dar’s eyes reflected a quiet passion of her own. “To hell with dinner,” she murmured softly, running her fingers down Kerry’s shirt and finding a gap in the buttons.
“Um.” Kerry glanced up. “We’re in a hospital, honey.”
“So?” Dar defeated the button and smiled as she felt Kerry respond to her touch, pressing her body forward against her exploring fingers.
“You did ask for a private room.” She leaned forward a little and kissed her lover again.
“You’re hurt.” Kerry’s breath whispered against Dar’s lips.
“This makes me feel much, much better,” the ready argument came back at her.
“The door’s open,” Kerry feebly parried.
“We’re not in the cardiac care unit.”
Kerry found herself walking a fine line, her body’s overwhelming craving warring with her conscience and the knowledge that a legion of censorious nurses could walk in at any moment. Well, a few more seconds of this can’t hurt.
And it didn’t. She ended up half sitting on the bed, both arms around Dar’s neck and Dar’s arm around her waist.
Then a loud crash occurred outside, and they stopped, separating a little and looking at each other. “Did we cause that?” Kerry asked nervously.
“Why don’t you look?” Dar answered.
Look? Kerry imagined turning her head to see a doorful of people staring back. “Nuh-uh. You look.”
“Me?” Dar remained where she was, looking intently into Kerry’s eyes. “You sure?”
She was getting lost again, this time in those rich blue pupils, wanting nothing more than to lean forward and take up right where she’d left off. Her body was craving it now, Dar’s hand moving slowly, teasingly across the fabric of her jeans, pausing to pluck lightly at the seams.
Footsteps clacked nearby, though. Kerry swallowed and got her breathing under control, then released one arm so that she was merely perched on the bed. Dar’s hand captured hers and they twined fingers, letting out twin sighs as the footsteps hurried past, and she caught a glimpse of a white-and-blue uniform go by.
“That was fun.” A tiny, mischievous glint danced in Dar’s eyes.
“Bet it’s quieter here later on.”
Red Sky At Morning 269
Kerry’s nostrils flared. “Oh.” She let out a faint laugh. “I hope so.”
They both looked at the tray. “Chicken, huh?” Kerry picked up the fork and stabbed a piece, then offered it to Dar. “If you share, I’ll go get a pizza later.”
Dar munched contentedly. “Deal,” she agreed.
“HOW’S IT GOING?” Ceci’s voice crackled softly over the phone at Kerry’s ear. “Andy’s been pacing for hours, so I hope Dar’s gotten more rest than he has.”
“I think she’s okay,” Kerry murmured, casting an eye over her sleeping partner. Dar had half curled onto her side and was resting comfortably, the blankets tucked up around her shoulders as the soft night-light threw shadows over her strong, planed features. “She’s been sleeping for a little while.”
“That’s a first,” Ceci chuckled. “I’d have thought she’d be climbing the walls by now.”
“No.” Kerry stretched and leaned back. “We had dinner, then we, ah, talked for a while. The nurses came in and took readings and stuff; then I got her to lay down. She’s been fine.” The medical attention hadn’t gotten Dar too upset, really. Her blood pressure had been low, she’d had no temperature—she’d even smiled at the nurse.
Of course, Kerry had felt pretty relaxed by then, too. A smirk appeared on her face.
“No signs of anything with the concussion?” Ceci asked. “She’s alert, and all that?”
The smirk widened. “Oh yeah. She’s um...very aware.”
“Good.” Dar’s mother sighed. “Last time she had a concussion, she was in a fog for two whole days, and she scared the—” Ceci abruptly fell silent. “Listen to me. You’d think I was—”
“Her mother or something?” Kerry finished warmly.
Ceci sighed. “I’m glad you’re there for her, Kerry.”
“Me, too,” came the soft reply. “I’m not sure which one of us is benefiting more, though. I know I’d be really unhappy if I wasn’t camping out with her.” Kerry checked her watch. Eleven-thirty. She wondered if she could get comfortable on the little couch, wishing she’d brought something useful like a sleeping bag to make the furniture more bearable. “How’s Chino?”
“Bouncing,” Ceci replied. “But now that we know Dar’s all right, maybe she’ll settle down if Andy does.” A low rumble moved closer.
“Honey, she’s fine. Kerry said she’s asleep, and there’s no problem.” A rustle.
“Kumquat?”
Kerry grinned. “Yes, Dad?”
“Dardar’s not giving you any fuss?”
“Nope,” Kerry assured him. “She’s been a model patient.”
270 Melissa Good
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Better bring her ice cream tomorrow as a reward, don’t you think?” Kerry teased. “She’s being such a good girl.”
Andrew chuckled. “Glad to hear that, Kerry. We’ll be there, don’t you worry. I got something I need to take care of early, then we’ll be down.”
Kerry’s ears pricked up, but she hesitated, not wanting to ask questions over the hospital’s phone lines. Time enough tomorrow to ask him, when they were face to face. “Okay. See you then.”
“All right,” Andrew said. “Tell Dardar...” He hesitated.
“Tell her you love her? Sure.” That was an easy one. Kerry said goodbye and put the phone back in its cradle, then she got up and reviewed her little couch. It wasn’t like she was a giant or anything, either, Kerry reasoned. At all of five foot six, surely she had to fall into the wide part of the bell curve.
Yet the padded couch seemed barely large enough to lie down on, much less to accommodate her admittedly restless mode of sleeping.
“I’m going to end up on the floor,” she murmured. “I just know it.” But it was all she had to work with, unless she wanted to cut to the chase and take up residence on the chilly tile. She cast a glance over her shoulder. Or crawl into bed with Dar, and give the nurses a real shocker in the morning.
Mm. Her body liked that idea. Kerry rubbed her temples and firmly turned her thoughts elsewhere. But in a moment, she found herself standing at Dar’s bedside, her hands resting lightly on the railing that fenced her partner in. She reached over and gently moved a lock of disheveled black hair, stroking its silky smooth texture and letting it tangle around her fingers.