He liked the idea. She could tell. His eyes brightened perceptibly and a slow, half grin appeared. “See what I can do.” They gazed into each other’s eyes and Andy lifted a hand to brush her cheek, the rough texture of his skin raising goose bumps on hers. “You gonna be able to stand me being ’round all the time?”

“Does that mean you’re really retiring?” Ceci asked, on an uneven breath.

“Yeap. That’s what it does surely mean,” he replied. “They been Eye of the Storm 187

keeping me on the books just for,” he hesitated, “they made sure I had a roof, that kinda thing…least until I met up with Dar again.”

Of course. She exhaled. I had his benefits. “You let her take care of you?” Ceci winced at the perceptible, to her, touch of jealousy in her tone.

But Andy snorted. “Let ’er? Yer joking, aren’t ya? Damn kid’s like a force of nature. Jest rams right over every damn thing like a runaway tank.” He shook his head. “Kept things damn quiet where I was staying by, but the next thing I know, stuffs getting dropped off there, Lord knows how she found the damn address out.”

“She knew you’d never take it otherwise.” Ceci smiled thinly.

“Or…maybe she just didn’t want to risk being turned away.” Her eyes dropped. “Especially by you.”

“Cec…” He tweaked one of her ears, an old habit of his.

“I know.” She sighed. “One step at a time.” She leaned forward and closed her eyes, abandoning the bad memories up to the peace of just being there with him. They’d work things out, she was sure of it.

The phone warbled, surprising her. She picked it up without looking, still keeping her body pressed against Andrew’s. “Hello?”

“Ceci?” Elli’s voice sounded a touch hesitant. “Are you feeling better today, my dear?”

“I feel wonderful,” she mumbled. “Why?”

A definite pause. “Well, you sounded so strange the other day. I wasn’t sure…I thought perhaps you had one of your migraines,” Elli told her. “I was just wondering if you wanted to pick up something for dinner, before the gallery party tonight.”

Oh, rats. “I’d forgotten completely about that,” Cecilia admitted.

“What time is it again?”

“Cecilia.” Elli sounded concerned. “What is going on? You’ve been acting so odd since the funeral. I’m quite concerned for you. I mentioned it to Charles just yesterday. He said he was going to stop by to see if something was the matter.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Ceci answered. “As a matter of fact, everything’s right for a change.” She looked up at Andy looking back down at her, a wry expression on his scarred face. “Andy came home.”

It didn’t really matter that there was now total silence at the other end of the phone. It was much more peaceful that way.

“Wh…Ceci, what did you say?” Elli spluttered. “I’m sure you just said…”

“That Andy came home. I did.” She traced a line up his sweatshirt.

“Andy?”

“Mmhmm. My husband. You remember him, don’t you, Elli? Tall, dark hair, beautiful blue eyes?” She gave up a little impish grin as he blushed visibly.

“He’s there?” Elli sounded completely shocked.

“Right here. You want to talk to him?” She held the phone up. “Say hello to Elli.”

“’Lo, Elli,” Andrew drawled obligingly. Of all his wife’s relatives, 188 Melissa Good he’d liked Elli the best, though that hadn’t been saying much. At least she’d been the least outwardly nasty to him.

“There. Heard that?” It was strange, in a way. Telling other people suddenly made it real, in a way it hadn’t been before. “So. I’ve been a little distracted, El, I’m sorry. I did forget completely about the party tonight.”

“Ceci.” Elli was audibly collecting her wits. “My god. I have no idea what to say.”

“Congratulations is a good start.”

“Well, of course, my dear, of course. That goes without saying, but I mean…I don’t understand…I thought...”

“They made a mistake,” Ceci told her quietly. “What every service-man’s widow in the history of the world wanted to have happen to them, just happened to me.” She looked up and searched Andy’s somber face.

“I’m not sure why I lucked out, but I’m not complaining.”

Elli sighed. “I’m glad for you, Ceci. I truly am. It’s quite remarkable.

I’m sure we’d all love to know what happened. Shall I tell Mark you won’t be at the party tonight, or…I mean, it is in your honor…the new exhibit and all.”

“Hold on.” She pressed the mute button on the phone. “I was supposed to do a party tonight.”

“Mmm?” Andrew looked noncommittal.

“At the gallery. They put up a new exhibit of mine. I’m not really fond of it, but they paid for it, so there you are.”

“Don’t let me stop you. G’wan,” Andy told her.

“I don’t want you to stop me. I want you to go with me,” Ceci replied. “Please?”

Son of a biscuit. Andy was caught between a boat and a dock and he knew it. “Honey, teacup parties and me don’t mix.”

“I know,” Ceci agreed. “But my whole family’ll be there.”

“They will, huh?”

“Mmm.”

Well. Andy felt that little rebel inside him climb out. “Kin I go like this?” He plucked his sweatshirt, a really soft, comfortable one Kerry had sent. “Don’t got much else.”

Ceci smiled and let her held breath out. “I’ve got something else you can wear,” she whispered, then un-muted the phone. “Elli? No. Tell him I’ll be there.”

“You will? Oh, all right. I’ll tell him. Listen, Ceci, maybe we can come over, say tomorrow? I know I’d love to see Andy and hear what happened.”

“We’ll arrange something.”

“All right. I’ll see you later, dear.”

She hung up the phone and put it on the counter, then looked up for those vivid blue eyes. “Thank you.”

“You sure you want me to do this?” Andy asked. “Gonna stir them up like a bear in a honeybee nest.”


Eye of the Storm 189

Cecilia nodded firmly. “They’ve been telling me for seven years I should put my past behind me and move on. I never could. Maybe part of me knew. Certainly, a big part of me never stopped watching that front walk, expecting you to come up it one day.” She stroked his face very gently, then brushed back the soft, salt and pepper locks. “I want them to see what I was waiting for.” She was a little surprised to find her breathing irregular as she traced the faint smile on his face.

“All right,” Andy drawled, returning the touch and sending a definite tingle down her spine. “Glad you waited.” He inclined his head and found her lips, kissing her with an almost bashful gentleness.

Ceci slid her arms around his neck and pulled herself up and closer, craving the contact as though she were thirsting after water. His hands slipped around her waist after a moment of surprise, then she was lifted up into a much more comfortable position and snugged tight in a powerful grip. “Mmm.” She explored delicately, finding an unmistakable response that started a welcome fire deep in her guts.

Ceci let her eyes drift open for a moment, finding darkened, almost periwinkle ones watching her.

They both smiled.


Chapter

Twenty-one

“WHAT…IS THAT?”

Dar peered over Kerry’s shoulder. “It’s a door.”

“Not that.” The blonde woman gave her a look. “That.” She pointed.

“It’s a mannequin.”

Kerry pulled her partner to a halt outside the small, neon decorated shop. “Thank you, Ms. I-am-literal-as-the-day-is-long. I know that pasty white thing is a mannequin. What is it wearing?”

Dar walked forward and pressed her fingertips against the window, examining the figure in question seriously. “I’m not sure what you call it, but if it was a bull, it’d be a come hither ring.”

Kerry covered her eyes. “Oh my god,” she muttered. “I’m about to become educated, aren’t I?”

“Not with that kind of apparatus,” Dar responded mildly. “You don’t have the anatomy for it.” She opened the door and gave her friend a little half bow. “After you?”

“Ew.” Kerry sighed and girded her mental loins. “They don’t make those for girls then, huh?”

“Oh, they do.” Dar put a hand on her back and nudged her forward into the neon lit space. “They just use nipple rings.”

“Ni—” Kerry shut her mouth so fast she almost bit her tongue.

“Ow.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

The store was small and very cluttered. There were three display cases against the walls, mostly lit by pink and yellow neon light, and the ceiling was covered in hanging devices of all shapes, sizes, colors, and various degrees of hide curing. At least, Kerry hoped the ones that smelled rank were badly cured and not just badly used. She stepped forward cautiously, giving the two salespeople behind the counter a faint smile, aware of Dar’s tall, confident presence at her back.

“Hey there.” The girl clerk leaned against the glass, almost disgorg-ing her considerable frontal assets out of her leather bustier. “What can I help you babes with tonight?”

Kerry sucked in a breath to answer, then realized she had no clue in the world what to say. “Uh.”

“Mmm. Just browsing for now. But we’re looking for something in leather,” Dar answered over her shoulder.


Eye of the Storm 191

The male clerk snickered. “Ain’t everyone?” He adjusted the complex arrangement of straps and buckles that covered his somewhat unim-pressive chest. “Chicks really go for this stuff.”

“Oh yeah.” Kerry dredged up a smile. “Why don’t you check it out, Dar. I’ll just…um,” she waved a hand, “browse.” She edged away from her wickedly smiling partner and put her hands firmly behind her back as she circled the room, peering curiously into the glass cases.

Okay. She wasn’t a total innocent. She recognized the vibrators and the different brands of massage oil, the entertaining variety of rubbers, and the large, latex dildos, some of which with inexplicable appendages with tiny heads that resembled woodchucks. What was up with that? she wondered briefly, before dismissing it and moving on down the case.

Edible underwear.

Hmm. That had possibilities, though ice cream was just as tasty, and much more fun to put on as well as take off. Kerry stopped and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Glad I thought of that. We’re out of fudge.” She made a mental note to stop at the store.

Rings. Kerry blinked and cocked her head to one side. Rings? She leaned forward and read the tiny print on a box. “Oh.” She bit her lip to keep from giggling. “Right, okay,” she muttered. “It’s like that X-files epi-sode that mentioned autoasphixiation. Sort of the same idea.” She paused. “Only lower and not quite as dangerous.”

“Hey, Kerry?”

“Mmm?” Kerry turned to see her beloved bunkmate holding up something to the alleged light. “Um. What is that?”

“It’s perfect. Just what you should wear,” Dar assured her, with a grin. “Here.” She tossed it over.

Kerry caught it, surprised at the weight. “Hey. It’s leather.” She sniffed it. Okay. So it wasn’t used.

“Yes, it is.”

Kerry glanced up at the decidedly mischievous tone, then examined her outfit. “Oh no.” She started shaking her head. “Oh, no, no, no…no, Dar…no, no. I am not wearing a leather bikini.” She held up the top, which was a creamy, cappuccino colored leather, with intricate stitching all over it.

“It’s not a bikini,” Dar objected. “That’s a skirt.”

“It’s a mini skirt.”

“Skirt’s a skirt.”

Kerry peered at the item. It was a very brief, also cappuccino colored leather bit, with a beautifully tooled leather belt. “Dar, I don’t know…”

“Comes with nice boots.” Dar held them up. “And some bracelets and stuff. C’mon, Ker. You’d look gorgeous in this.” She turned towards the girl clerk. “Don’t you think?”

The girl chewed her gum reflectively. “You work out?”

Kerry gave her a doubtful look. “Yeah.”

“No sweat. It’s a hot piece.” She waved a hand at her. “Go for it.”

Erg. Kerry was caught between a mischievous impulse and her natu-192 Melissa Good ral modesty. She glanced around the store to give herself a moment’s more time, then stopped and smirked. “Okay. On one condition.”

Dar crossed her arms and lifted a dark brow. “What?”

Green eyes twinkled visibly even in the neon that tinted them almost caramel. “You wear that.” She pointed.

Uh. Dar eyed the inky black leather vest doubtfully. There seemed to be more holes than leather, with strategic patches barely providing legal modesty. A fringe of leather strips depended from the shoulders and the sides were laced with the same stuff, exposing just about everything from armpit to hip.