Allie stirred and kissed Deo’s neck. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Go to sleep, baby.”

“Okay.” Deo kissed Allie’s forehead and closed her eyes.

• 85 •

• 86 •

Winds of Fortune

CHAPTER NINE

Time to wake up, baby,” Reese murmured as she kissed Tory’s cheek.

Tory rolled over on the stiff muddy-brown vinyl couch in the ICU

waiting room and grimaced at the cramp in her lower back and the fuzzy headache clouding her brain. “Oh God. I am too old for this.”

She smiled up at Reese and grasped her hand. “Hi, sweetheart. What time is it?”

“About fi ve-thirty.”

“Have you been up all night?” Tory took in Reese’s rumpled uniform and the ever darkening circles beneath her eyes. The shadows above her high cheekbones were not new, but it was rare to see Reese in an unpressed uniform. “I thought you were going home to sleep?”

“I stopped by the station and started going through Nelson’s inbox.” Reese shook her head. “I just started this job and I’m already behind. Any news?”

Tory sat up and skimmed her hands through her hair. Bri and Caroline slept on the adjacent couch, their arms and legs entwined, Bri’s face pillowed against Caroline’s breast. Even in sleep, Caroline seemed to be sheltering Bri, one hand cupped against the back of her head and her arm circling Bri’s waist. Keeping her voice low so as not to awaken them, Tory said, “Our last progress report was around two, and they were having some problems with his blood pressure. The nurses had just started an intravenous drip and promised to let me know if there was any problem.”

Reese sat beside Tory and drew her close with an arm around her shoulder. “If everything’s okay, I’ll take you home. The baby is still with your sister, and Kate will pick her up this morning. You’ll be able to get some sleep.”

“What about you? Aren’t you coming home?”

• 87 •

RADCLY fFE

“I will. As soon as I get the day shift squared away.”

Tory wanted to object, but she knew how diffi cult Reese’s task was right now with Bri not working, the Chief absent, and the height of the season upon them. With thirty or forty thousand summer residents plus countless day-trippers crammed into the tiny village, a constant stream of minor accidents, injuries, thefts, bar brawls, and the occasional more serious assault resulted. She stroked Reese’s thigh through her khakis.

“Promise me you’ll try to come home this morning?”

“I’ll try.”

“I need to go in to the clinic later, too. Nita has been working nonstop all weekend and now this week. I need to pick up the slack.”

Reese tilted Tory’s face up with a fi ngertip beneath her chin and studied her. “You can’t work if you’re exhausted. Close the clinic this afternoon and go in tonight if you have to.”

“You’re one to talk,” Tory protested.

“Baby,” Reese said quietly. “I just came back from a tour where I was lucky to get two hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, and even then I was constantly listening for the sound of incoming missiles. Believe me, this is a picnic.”

Tory checked to make sure Bri and Caroline were still asleep, then she took both Reese’s hands in hers. “I feel like we’re constantly moving and I never get a chance to connect with you. And when I do see you, it’s never the right time or place to talk about some things.”

“What is it?”

“Your father pushed the papers through, right? You’re out?”

Reese sighed and Tory’s heart plummeted.

“Oh, Reese. You promised you wouldn’t re—”

“No, I didn’t.” Reese freed one hand and caressed Tory’s cheek.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Then what?”

“I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t think it made any difference. Offi cially, I’m on medical leave until September. He’s holding the paperwork until then, in case…”

“In case you change your mind? In case you want to go back over there?”

“No—well…” Reese rubbed her forehead, frustrated. “I’m sure that’s what he thinks. But I didn’t have any plans. It’s just bureaucratic paperwork and—”

• 88 •

Winds of Fortune

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Tory was glad she had an excuse to speak softly, because she didn’t want Reese to hear the tremble in her voice. She was angry and she was hurt, and most of all, she was confused. “You’ve never kept secrets from me before.”

Reese looked stunned. “No! Oh, baby, no.” She cradled Tory’s face and kissed her. “I didn’t think of it that way. Christ, so much has been going on since I got back I just—I’m sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t think—”

“Okay,” Tory said quickly, her anger dissipating at the rising torment in Reese’s face. God, she’s so vulnerable right now and I’m not helping. It frightened her beyond belief that she could be so blind to the fact that Reese was not herself. Reese had been through an experience that would break some people, and yet she refused to even break stride.

And despite Reese’s insistence that she was all right, Tory knew she wasn’t, and she could hardly expect her to behave the way she had before she went away. Wanting to turn back time, wishing that Reese could somehow be miraculously unscathed, was cowardly on her part and incredibly unfair to Reese. “I’m sorry, darling. I know you would never intentionally keep something important from me. It’s all right.”

“I haven’t called him. I haven’t done anything, Tor,” Reese whispered.

“You said you wouldn’t without talking to me.” Tory kissed her. “I believe you.” She kissed her again. “I’m sorry. I love you. God, I need you so much.”

With a muffl ed groan, Reese pulled her close and buried her face in Tory’s hair. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Never. Never,” Tory said fi rmly, caressing the back of Reese’s neck. When Reese shuddered, Tory shifted until she was holding Reese.

Stroking Reese’s shoulders and back, she murmured, “You need some sleep, darling.”

Across the room, Bri stirred and sat up. “Did something happen?”

She blinked, stared at Reese and Tory for a second, and then looked away. “Sorry.”

Reese straightened and rubbed her face. “Hey. Tory’s going to check on your dad, and if everything is okay, I’m going to take her home.”

“I should get Caroline home too,” Bri said as Caroline sat up, murmuring sleepily.

• 89 •

RADCLY fFE

Tory gave an exasperated snort. “If Nelson is stable, everyone is going home.” She pointed at Bri. “No arguing. You can’t stay here the entire time he’s in the hospital. Everyone needs to take a break.”

Caroline put her hand on Bri’s knee. “She’s right, baby.”

Bri’s shoulders relaxed and she leaned against Caroline. “Okay.

But I want to see him fi rst.”

Tory crossed the room and took her hand. “Come on. Let’s go talk to the nurses.” She glanced back over her shoulder at Reese. “If you really love me, you’ll fi nd coffee.”

When Reese stood, an amused grin lifting one corner of her mouth, Tory knew she would do anything in the world to keep her smiling that way. As she threaded her arm around Bri’s slender waist, she considered that perhaps love was as simple as the desire to make another person smile.

❖

Deo rolled over to an empty bed and the tantalizing smell of coffee.

Her eyes felt gritty beneath her closed lids. Two nights of very little sleep had caught up with her. A subtle shifting of the bed signaled that she was not alone, and she opened her eyes. Allie, naked and smiling, held out a mug of coffee.

“Hi,” Allie said before leaning down to kiss her.

It was a good morning kiss, a hello kiss—a nice kiss. Deo pushed up in bed and took the coffee. “What time is it?”

“Almost eight.”

Deo winced.

“Late for work?”

“Yeah.” She took several healthy swallows of the strong black brew and set the mug aside on the nearby bedside table. “Good thing I’m the boss.”

Allie pulled one leg up onto the bed and edged closer until her thigh rested along Deo’s. Then she skimmed her palm over Deo’s stomach.

“Sorry. I don’t have to be in until ten so I didn’t set the alarm.”

“It’s only fair. I made you late yesterday.” Deo trapped Allie’s hand against her middle. She always woke up just a little bit horny and the double whammy of Allie naked and touching her was a lethal combination. Pleasantly lethal, but still a test of her self-control she

• 90 •

Winds of Fortune

doubted she would win for long. “How’s Chief Parker?”

“How did you know I checked already?”

“You’re up. You wouldn’t have gone out there in the middle of the night if he didn’t mean a lot to you.”

“I talked to Bri a few minutes ago. He’s not awake yet but he’s doing okay.”

“That’s great.” Deo noted the turmoil in Allie’s eyes. “You’re tight with Bri, aren’t you?”

“Bri. Yeah. She’s special.” Allie laughed shortly. “I guess I have a thing for falling in love with the wrong girls.”

Deo stroked Allie’s forearm and Allie’s hand started moving on her stomach again. “That’s tough.”

“No. It’s okay. I’m only halfway in love with her now.” Allie scratched her nails down the center of Deo’s stomach and laughed when Deo jerked. “But I’m still a lot in lust with her. Kind of like with you.”

Allie was beautiful and sexy and Deo was getting harder and wetter by the second. She was losing track of the conversation but she heard the word love loud and clear. “With me? You’re talking about the lust part, I hope.”

“What do you think?” Allie leaned forward and nipped at Deo’s lower lip before slipping her tongue into her mouth.

Groaning, Deo grasped Allie’s waist and pulled her over until Allie was stretched out on top of her. Allie’s thigh rubbed between her legs, producing nearly unbearable friction along the length of her already pounding clit. She slid both hands up and squeezed Allie’s breasts.

Allie whimpered and sucked on Deo’s tongue. They kissed and ground against one another until Deo was on the verge of coming against Allie’s leg. Then she dragged Allie further up the bed and captured a nipple in her mouth.

“Oh baby, yeah,” Allie moaned, half sitting up as she spread her legs on either side of Deo’s stomach.

When Allie rocked her center against Deo’s skin, her wet heat scorched Deo’s brain and Deo’s only thought was to be inside her. She brushed her fi ngertips over Allie’s clit and another fl ood coated her belly.

“I’m really close,” Allie warned, her hips twitching. “Do you want me to come?”

• 91 •

RADCLY fFE

“I want to fuck you.”

“Then do it now.” Allie gasped and covered Deo’s hand, pressing Deo’s fi ngers harder into her sex. “Uh. Good.”

Deo rolled Allie over onto her back. Kneeling above her with one hand braced against the mattress, Deo brushed the other hand between Allie’s legs and into her. “You’re going to be late for work again.”

Allie’s eyes widened and she arched her back, forcing Deo deeper.

“No I’m not,” she panted. “You’re going to make me come in about fi ve minutes.”

Deo shook her head, thrusting hard and fast. “No,” she grunted,

“two.”

“Ohhh,” Allie cried, surprise and pleasure playing across her face.

“That’s the way… oh God, that’s… you’ll make me…”

“You’re so hot inside,” Deo groaned as Allie tightened around her.

She forgot to breathe and her head went light. Spots danced before her eyes and the roar of the ocean fi lled her consciousness. Arousal roiled through her like storm clouds in a summer sky, and she thought that if Allie didn’t come soon her heart would explode from anticipation.

She leaned down and plunged her tongue into Allie’s mouth, riding her thumb over Allie’s clit as she fucked her faster.

With a muffl ed cry, Allie bucked and came beneath her, and like lightning exploding from heaven and streaking to earth, the pressure in Deo’s belly powered through her and disappeared. She just managed not to fall on top of Allie as she collapsed by her side.

“God, that was good,” Deo murmured, her fi ngers gently slipping out.

“That’s,” Allie panted, “my line.”

“Glad you agree.”

Allie slapped Deo’s stomach. “Like you couldn’t tell. What did it take, about three strokes to make me pop? I can’t believe how fast you wind me up.”

“I wind you up?” Feeling lazy and content, Deo slowly turned her head and kissed the corner of Allie’s mouth. “You’re the one who showed up naked bearing gifts.”

“I was trying to be a good hostess.”

Deo laughed. “Man, I bet you’re popular with the overnight guests.”

“I think I should probably be insulted,” Allie mused, leaning up