Red Sky At Morning - DK4 (18 page)

“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
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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.”

Dar nodded, leaning back in her seat in quiet relief. The draining of the adrenaline that had raced through her body left her almost sleepy, and she didn’t feel like moving, not even when the ferry docked and she had to maneuver the Lexus onto its lightly shifting deck. She kept her eyes half-closed and rubbed Kerry’s fingers with her thumb as they rode over to the island. Then she turned and gazed at Kerry’s profile. “You sure a Hummer’s out of the question?”

“Dar.”

“They come in nice colors.”

“Blue, gray, and green.” Kerry regarded her amusedly. “And black.

I’d like something a little lighter.”

“Hmph.” Dar leaned her knee against the steering wheel. “The tank comes in desert camo. That’s light.”

“Dar,” Kerry started laughing, “would you just cut that out? I’m not getting a tank.”

They were both quiet for a few minutes.

“Can you imagine the gas mileage those things get?” Kerry finally spoke up. “It’d cost a fortune.”

“No problem. I’ll give you a raise to cover it,” Dar responded instantly. They looked at each other, then they both burst out laughing in relief. “Think of the impression you’d give, pulling up to a consolidation in
that
,” Dar got out.

Kerry just kept laughing.

THUNDER ROLLED SULLENLY in over the ocean, lightning flashes outlining the whitecaps that scurried up the beach and ruffled the water’s dark surface.

Most of the island was still dark, the condos squatting on the edge of the land silent and brooding, their windows blank and featureless in the predawn hours.

From one outward facing window, however, a faint light poured.

Anyone insane enough to be walking out along the beach in the storm would have seen a profile outlined in it as someone stood inside the dry, safe building watching the surge of the waves.

“Wow.” Kerry leaned against the counter, feeling the cool surface through the thin cotton of her T-shirt. “Glad I’m not out there.” She turned her head as the toaster released four slices of fragrant cinnamon raisin toast. “Ah.” A moment later the toast was resting on plates and she was spreading softened butter over it. They were so used to waking up early that even today, when their usual morning run was out of the question, they both were up and rambling around the condo.

Dar was in her study catching up on mail, and Kerry set the plates of toast and scrambled eggs, along with two glasses of orange juice and coffee, onto a tray before heading in that direction. For a moment she paused in the doorway to watch her lover, hard at work behind her desk, before she continued on and set the tray down on the small table nearby. “Anything catastrophic?”

“Hmm?” Dar looked up, her face outlined in luridly ghostly phosphor light. “I got a compliment on you from Intratech. Whatever you did with BellSouth yesterday got them back up and running.”

“Really?” Kerry looked pleased. She set the plate of toast and eggs down, then handed Dar her orange juice. “Bottoms up.”

Dar took the glass and leaned back, hitching her knee up to rest against the desk’s edge as she sipped at the brightly colored beverage.

“Nasty out there, eh?”

Kerry took a seat on the couch and tucked her legs up under her, leaning on the broad padded arm as she selected a slice of toast and nibbled on it. “Very. I hope it calms down before we have to get out of here.”

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Dar looked thoughtfully at the window as a lightning strike hit somewhere close, causing a wicked cracking sound. She picked up the phone on her desk and dialed a number, listening for several seconds before it was answered. “Morning, John. This is Dar Roberts. How’s it looking?” She cocked her head as the lightly accented voice answered, then grunted. “That’s what I thought. Thanks.” She hung up and eyed Kerry. “Ferry’s not operating.”

“Oh, gosh. You mean we’re stuck here?” Kerry asked ingenuously.

“I’m devastated.”

Dar smiled. “I can see that. I’m not sure the company would feel the same way, though.” She gazed at her inbox. “I can just imagine what yours looks like if I’ve got three pages.”

“Eek.” Kerry got up and circled the desk to peer at Dar’s screen.

“Well, some of those are from yesterday, Dar. I cleared my box before I left work last night.” She scanned the headers. “Some of them are duplicates of mine, too, I can tell you what h— Dar?” Teeth were nibbling on her hip, and she glanced down to see mischievous blue eyes peeking up at her. “Do you give a poo about the mail?”

“No,” Dar responded cheerfully. “I just wanted you to come over here,” she chuckled. “It’s not like either of us can do anything about the weather, Ker.”

Kerry leaned over and kissed Dar’s head. “That’s true. I’ll call Ops, though. We might have staffing issues if people can’t get to work, and I think I just heard they’ve got power outages in the southwest.” She felt Dar’s arm circle her leg. “Hey, after that, maybe we can go car shopping.”

One of Dar’s arms moved, and her hand curled around her mouse, clicking on a closed window and opening it. “Funny you should say that.” The new window revealed the Lexus website, snazzy and sleek looking with various models of the automaker’s wares appearing and disappearing. “Look what I found.”

“Ooh.” Kerry nudged her. “Move back so I can sit down.”

Obligingly, Dar scooted back in the huge leather chair and gave Kerry room to perch on the edge of it, wrapping herself around her lover’s body and peering over her shoulder as she took possession of the mouse. “It’s pretty cool. You can choose your model, pick a color, tell it what you want inside, and send an order to the nearest dealership.” She paused. “And get it delivered.”

A grin split Kerry’s face as she pointed and clicked. “Now this is my idea of car shopping.” She nodded in approval. “There we are...the little SUV.”

“It’s cute,” Dar commented. “Like you.”

Kerry paused, and glanced over her shoulder so they were nose to nose. “Thank you. I’m glad we’re not mentioning the Hummer this morning.”

Dar’s nose twitched, and then wrinkled up into a grin. “They don’t
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have as neat a website.”

Kerry bit her playfully, then returned her attention to the screen.

“Let’s see...pick a color first. Hmm.” She scrolled through the possibilities. “Crimson, green, blue, black, white, silver, or gold. What do you think, Dar? The black is kinda snazzy.”

“Not in Florida. I’m not into poached partner,” Dar remarked. “Go light.”

“Okay.” Kerry clicked. “How about white?”

“Not living out here. You’d be washing it every day.”

Kerry eyed her. “Is this why you ended up with that gold color?”

She resumed clicking. “Oh, I like the blue, Dar. I don’t care if it’s dark.

I’ve got a dark car now, and it’s not so bad.” She admired her choice.