Dane continued staring straight ahead, acutely aware of Kyle’s body so close to her own. “I thought you’d have other things to occupy your time.”

“Do you think I spend all of my time looking for a bed partner?” Kyle said quietly, determined to get through to Dane.

Dane laughed. “When you aren’t busy fighting off the offers.”

Kyle laughed, too. “I do go out—mostly just to test my own feelings. To see if what I’ve been thinking is real to me when I’m actually living it. But I don’t need to sleep with someone to find that out.”

Dane sighed as she put Troy up into his crate in the van. “You think too much, Kyle.”

“Sometimes. Are you done here today?”

“Just waiting for Caroline and Anne to come back.”

“Tell them you’re leaving with me. I’ll make dinner at my place.” Kyle surprised herself with her own words, but as soon as she said it, she knew she wanted more from Dane than occasional encounters in bed.

“Today?” Dane asked in surprise.

“Right now.”

Dane laughed and shook her head. “Why do you think I’d want to do that?”

“I don’t. I just know I want you to.”

Dane stared at her for a second, unable to read anything in Kyle’s deep grey eyes except honesty. Answering the need that welcoming gaze stirred in her, she replied quietly, “All right.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

DANE RELAXED BEHIND Kyle on the large cycle as they moved effortlessly down the highway. The wind felt good in her face, as did the softness of Kyle’s leather jacket under her hands. She wasn’t thinking about anything, and it was a surprising change not to have to. She was content to let Kyle lead the way. They turned up a gravel-covered side road into the woods. As they rounded a turn, Dane was startled to see a house tucked unobtrusively into the hillside. There was a second smaller building behind the first, with a neatly stacked pile of firewood under the sloping side roof. Kyle pulled her bike under the shelter of the overhanging eaves.

“This is home,” she said simply.

“It’s beautiful,” Dane said.

Kyle smiled shyly. “Thanks.”

“Have you lived here long?” Dane asked as she lifted one denim-clad leg over the bike.

“Seven years. But I didn’t finish building it until four years ago. I moved from room to room as I built.”

Dane looked at her with admiration. “It’s great.”

Kyle turned to unlock the side door and said over her shoulder, “Can you build a fire? It gets cold up here when the sun goes down.”

Dane looked up at the sky and realized for the first time that the sun had nearly set.

“I can manage.”

“Good. There’s wood by the fireplace. Start it up while I get us a drink.”

Dane followed Kyle into a spacious living area that seemed much larger than it really was, primarily due to a large wall of glass which looked out over the hillside below. The living room was down several steps and centered on a large natural stone fire pit. Several oversized chairs and a low table of finely crafted wood created a comfortable sitting area before it. She got the fire going easily and settled herself into a comfortable leather chair. She was amazed at how relaxed she felt, and how unconcerned she was at being there. For once, she didn’t have to do anything. She liked the change.

Kyle came in quietly and handed her a glass. “Brandy okay?”

Dane nodded silently and took the heavy glass filled with dark, swirling liquid.

Kyle settled herself in front of Dane on a large cushion on the floor, her back lightly resting against Dane’s knee.

“As soon as I unwind a little, I’ll fix us some food. Hope you like simple cooking,” she said as she stretched her legs toward the warmth of the fire.

Dane looked down at Kyle’s face, in profile to her. The dancing flames made little changing patterns of shadow across Kyle’s boldly planed face, blending softly into the waves of her tousled hair.

“No rush. I like the fire.”

Kyle nodded and settled herself a little more firmly against Dane’s leg.

“I’m glad you came,” she said after a while.

“Are you?” Dane murmured, mesmerized by the reddish glow of the fire and the warmth of Kyle’s back against her leg.

“Uh-huh.” Kyle reached up her right arm and curled it softly over Dane’s thigh. The brandy was relaxing her, and she didn’t want to lose contact with Dane’s presence. She replenished their glasses from a bottle by her side, and they sat in companionable silence.

Dane stretched her legs out a little. Kyle pushed her back up against the chair, her head coming to rest gently against Dane’s inner thigh. Dane reached down almost without thinking and curled her fingers softly in Kyle’s thick hair. She leaned her head back against the worn leather and closed her eyes. She may have drifted for a while in the soothing heat from the fire and the warmth of Kyle’s body against hers. She was startled to feel a soft caress on her neck. She opened her eyes to find Kyle kneeling upright between her outstretched legs, looking down at her.

“Did I wake you?”

Dane smiled up at Kyle, not moving. “Wasn’t sleeping, just drifting.”

Kyle smiled gently then, also. “Good. Close your eyes again.”

Dane did as Kyle wished, feeling as if she were hypnotized. Kyle’s hands gently traced Dane’s face and throat, warming her wherever Kyle touched. Kyle leaned into her a little as she stroked her face, the heat from her body penetrating the denim covering Dane’s thighs. Dane stopped herself from reaching out to draw Kyle close, so exquisite was the slow rise of her desire. She didn’t want to hurry. Still, when Kyle tugged Dane’s shirt out of her jeans and gently loosened the buttons over her breasts, Dane couldn’t prevent herself from sliding her hands along Kyle’s hips to pull her against her own body. She opened her eyes to see Kyle’s eyes upon her, cloudy with desire.

Kyle smiled slightly and shook her head. “Close your eyes.”

Dane stared at her for an instant, her need clearly showing in her face. Still, she did as she was bidden. She wouldn’t have done it for anyone else. There was no one she trusted that much.

Kyle pushed Dane’s shirt down off her shoulders, tethering her arms in the tightly stretched sleeves. Dane knew she could free herself if she tried, but the effect of being restrained was not unwelcome.

“Oh,” she moaned, as Kyle brought her lips gently to Dane’s exposed breast. Dane’s senses swirled as Kyle’s tongue made intricate fiery designs over the sensitive skin of her nipples. Her back arched as she sought to push more of herself against Kyle’s warm mouth. Even as Kyle’s lips and tongue worked her nipples, she could feel Kyle reach between their bodies to pull open the buttons on her jeans. She lay quietly as Kyle slipped an arm under her to raise her hips enough to push her jeans down. The warmth of the fire caressed Dane’s thighs as Kyle lay gently down upon her again. The denim of Kyle’s jeans was rough against her skin and as Kyle insinuated herself more firmly between Dane’s legs, Dane gasped at the contact of the material against her swollen flesh. She couldn’t prevent herself from pushing up against Kyle, seeking even more contact. A cry escaped her as Kyle quickly pulled back from her, breaking the exquisitely tormenting pressure.

“Oh god, Kyle, don’t stop,” Dane gasped hoarsely. She started to lift her head, but Kyle held her back with one hand firmly in the hair at the base of her neck.

“Wait, Dane—wait,” she whispered as she softly slipped her free hand up between Dane’s legs.

Dane cried out, strangling on her own desire, as Kyle’s fingers, feather-light, stroked her, drawing all of her passion out in a flood upon her hand.

“I can’t. Oh, please, I can’t,” Dane moaned, her hips writhing upward, seeking to bring Kyle inside of her. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt Kyle enter her fully, the weight of Kyle’s body resting upon her. Her lips sought Kyle’s hungrily. Kyle entered her mouth as deeply as she filled her body, and Dane cleaved to her as her mind and body fused in the explosion that rippled through her.

When Dane’s breathing quieted and her body ceased to quiver, Kyle gently slipped her hand out of Dane’s moist depths, drawing a soft moan from Dane. She lay her head down on Dane’s chest and sighed contentedly. Dane pulled her arms free of her shirtsleeves and wrapped them tightly around Kyle’s body. They lay together wordlessly until the room began to chill.

“Fire’s almost out,” Dane whispered into Kyle’s hair.

“Yours or mine,” Kyle murmured against Dane’s skin.

Dane laughed and pushed herself up on her elbows. “Ours. Needs more wood.”

Kyle looked around and got up with a sigh. “I’ll get it.”

Dane watched her as she bent to throw more logs on the fire, wanting her close again.

“So where did you learn to do that?” she asked finally.

Kyle turned to look down at her, a satisfied smile on her face. “What, make love?”

Dane shook her head. “Not that. Take control so easily. If I didn’t know better I’d say you just topped me.”

Kyle lay down beside her in the large chair and pulled Dane near.

“Some things I come by naturally.”

Dane laughed and fitted her body more closely to Kyle’s. As they slept, the fire burned brightly.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

KYLE HUMMED SOFTLY to herself as she rubbed the coarse wire brush over the surface of the oak table. She smiled as she recalled Dane’s reaction to her shop. They had awakened still wrapped about each other in the big chair. Kyle had insisted on feeding Dane before she brought her back to town, and as she cooked, Dane wandered about the house.

“What’s out back?” Dane called as she stood by the large windows overlooking the valley below.

“My shop,” Kyle called from the kitchen.

“Can I see?”

“Uh-huh. I’ll give you a tour after breakfast.” Kyle carried plates into the adjoining dining area. Dane’s hair was still damp from the shower, and she wore one of Kyle’s old shirts. Despite the fact that it was too big for her, it didn’t hide the fine lines of her shoulders and back. Kyle suddenly wanted her with an urgency which surprised her. She cleared her throat.

“Dane?”

Dane turned toward her, smiling, her eyes clear. She looked somehow younger today.

“Hmm?”

“Will you please come over here and eat? Because if you don’t, I’m coming over there and the eggs will get cold.”

Dane grinned and stood still. “I love cold eggs.”

They came together in the sunlight streaming through the windows, grappling furiously on the soft carpet. Hands pulled at buttons, legs tangled, lips sought taut nipples and sweet flesh. Murmurs of pleasure, soft cries of surprise, satisfied sighs filled the air about them. In another moment they lay gasping in a heap on the floor, exhausted by the intensity of their encounter.

Suddenly, Kyle began to laugh. She pushed Dane away from her and leaned up on one elbow. “You’re wonderful— but I’m still hungry!”

Dane grinned at her. “I doubt the food had time to cool off!”

After breakfast, Kyle brought her back to the shop. Dane exclaimed over some of the old pieces, now partially restored.

“How could people cover this beautiful wood with paint?” she asked as she ran her hand over the dark grain of a table top Kyle had just finished stripping.

“It’s easier than maintaining it naturally, I guess. I’ll never understand it.”

“So, this is what you do, huh?” Dane said as she leaned back against the counter. “You bring things back to life.”

Kyle looked at her quickly, struck by the seriousness in Dane’s usually light voice. Dane’s eyes, usually so inscrutable, appeared wounded and vulnerable. Propelled by a wave of tenderness, Kyle lay her head gently against Dane’s shoulder, her arms lightly around her waist. For an instant Kyle glimpsed the fragile woman beneath the impenetrable exterior.

“If I’m lucky, sometimes I find a treasure just waiting for someone to look beneath the surface. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, it’s like a gift.”

Dane kissed her hair gently, and sighed.

“What if there’s so much of a barrier built up over the years—that the heart is gone?” She said this so softly that Kyle could barely hear her.

Kyle didn’t raise her head but pressed her lips gently into the hollow at the base of Dane’s slender throat.

“The heart can always be found if you work slowly and carefully. And I’m very patient.”

Dane lifted Kyle’s chin with her hand, kissing her tenderly on the lips.

“How can you be sure?”

” I can feel it.”

The door to the shop burst open and Nancy flew in, shattering her reverie.