“Hi!” Nancy called, flinging her sweater over a chair.

Kyle looked up from the table and grinned.

“Hi yourself.”

“You look wonderful today. How come?” Nancy said as she pulled coveralls over her expensive designer jeans and skin tight tee shirt.

“What, do I usually look like a troll?”

“No, you just don’t usually look so content. Did you have a good weekend?”

Kyle nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“And—?”

“And it was nice,” Kyle said, returning to the bench.

“I hate it when you keep secrets,” Nancy pouted. She began to arrange her brushes and paints, looking over at Kyle slyly. “I had a nice weekend, too.”

“I’m glad.”

“Brad says ‘hello.’”

Kyle stopped in mid-stroke and turned to her friend in astonishment. “When did you see her?”

“Saturday night.”

“Where?”

“At the bar, of course. Did you think I had her out to the house for dinner?”

Kyle couldn’t believe it. “You went to the bar? Where was Roger?”

“Home. I told him I was coming over here.”

“Damn it, Nancy,” Kyle exploded, “what if he had called here?”

Nancy smiled sweetly at Kyle. “You would have thought of something.”

Kyle stared at her, half outraged and half ready to laugh. “I can’t believe you! Why?”

“Why what?” Nancy asked, purposely being obtuse.

“Why did you go there?” Kyle persisted.

“I don’t know, really,” Nancy answered seriously. “I just wanted to. It’s different and exciting, and I felt like having fun. Brad is a lot of fun.”

“Oh, sure,” Kyle said sarcastically, recalling her own encounters with Brad. “I don’t trust her.”

When Nancy didn’t respond, Kyle looked at her with sudden suspicion. “Did you sleep with her?”

Nancy was silent for a long moment, then she sighed. “No, but I’m pretty sure I could have. She’s a little hard to figure. I felt like if I had wanted to she would have been willing, but she never pushed. It’s not like with men—they’re so single-minded sometimes. So easy.”

“Nancy,” Kyle began, aware of a deep unease where Brad was concerned. “I don’t think you know what you’re getting into here. Brad is no one to fool with. She’s into some very heavy sexual trips. I’m not so sure it’s safe.”

Nancy snorted. “Oh, come on! You know I can handle myself. Do you think I’ve never had any experience with kinky sex?”

“It’s not the same, and you know it! Promise me you won’t get into anything with her without talking to me about it first, okay?” Kyle was unaccountably alarmed by the thought of Nancy and Brad together.

Nancy laughed, “Yes, Mom!”

Kyle still felt uncomfortable, but she decided she would just have to trust her friend to be sensible.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

DANE SLIPPED OUT the door to watch Caroline and Anne in the training run. Anne was handling one of the dogs they were getting ready to show. Dane nodded in appreciation as Anne took the dog smoothly through his routine, showing his good points to advantage and down playing his few faults.

Caroline watched her lover with a critical eye. “Don’t stretch him out quite so much—he’s long enough as it is. And keep his head up—it shows his shoulders off more.”

Dane observed for a few more moments and then walked down to join her friends.

“Who’s watching the desk?” she asked.

Anne looked over at her and smiled. “I plugged the phone in out in the back room and left a note at the front desk for anyone who came in.”

Dane laughed. “All bases covered. You look good, too. There’s only one problem.”

Both of them looked at her with concern.

“What?” Caroline asked, ready to defend Anne.

“Who’s going to take care of things around here when you both go off to a show? You know I can’t be trusted. I’ll have all of our appointments screwed up in no time.”

“Well, actually,” Anne began, “I have this friend who needs a job. I thought maybe I could teach her the desk, and she could help out cleaning the runs and things.”

Dane arched her brows and looked from Anne’s expectant face over to Caroline.

“I guess she’s got it all figured out.”

Caroline shrugged. “Looks that way.”

Dane smiled. “Tell her to come see me. We can talk about it.”

“Great!” Anne exclaimed. “I’ll go call her.”

As she rushed off, Dane laughed. “Getting to be quite the business woman!”

“Getting to be quite a woman, period,” Caroline replied, her face glowing. She led the dog into his run and returned to join Dane on the rear steps.

“I haven’t seen much of you since the show last week.” She studied Dane’s profile for a moment, noting that she looked more rested and relaxed than she had in a long time. When Dane remained silent, Caroline could no longer contain herself. “Oh come on! Tell me what happened!”

“When?” Dane asked, as she fished about in her jacket for a light. Her hand came upon a small object in the inside pocket of her denim jacket, and she pulled out Kyle’s lighter. She stared at it for a moment, a slow smile playing over her face. Kyle must have put it there the night Dane spent with her.

Caroline followed Dane’s gaze and asked in a puzzled voice, “Present?”

“Nope, a souvenir.”

Caroline looked exasperated. “Dane, you’re being dense! What happened after the show?”

“I told you. I went to Kyle’s for dinner.”

“And?”

“And we ended up having breakfast, okay?”

“Okay!” Caroline felt like dancing. “So are you seeing her again?”

Dane nodded slowly. “She’s coming into town this weekend. I told her I’d meet her at the bar.”

“Progress at last,” Caroline exclaimed.

Dane turned to look at her, her eyes solemn. “Don’t jump to any conclusions, Caroline. We’re just going to have a drink. I told you before I don’t want anything serious like that again. Besides, I don’t really know how she feels about all of this yet. She may decide it’s not right for her.”

Caroline knew she had to go slowly with Dane over the issue of her sexual preferences. It was Dane’s most touchy spot. “Dane,” she began carefully, “you’ve changed a lot in the last few years, we all have. You’re more flexible than you used to be.”

“What do you mean?” Dane asked, suddenly wary.

“I mean that none of us is strictly power-oriented all the time. Sexually maybe, but not in all the aspects of our lives.”

“It’s still important!” Dane said defensively. “The needs are still there, it still has to be dealt with, especially for me.”

“What makes you think Kyle can’t deal with it, that she doesn’t feel those things, too? Is she into vanilla sex or what?”

Dane laughed. “Hardly. She’s subtle, but it’s there. She surprised me the other night.”

“Oh?” Caroline asked expectantly.

“She brought me back to her house, she set the scene, she—” Dane hesitated, “she carried it off very well.”

Caroline sighed. “I suppose that’s all you’re going to tell me.”

“Yep,” Dane replied.

“So, where’s the problem?”

“I’m still not convinced it’s an important issue for her.”

“God, you’re stubborn. The woman shows up at Leathers on her own, because she’s interested. She comes to the discussion groups regularly because she’s interested. She goes home with you, she makes love to you. Besides that, she’s gorgeous. What more do you want?”

Dane’s face looked set. “I don’t know. I keep trying to find out, but I still don’t know.”

Kyle dressed especially carefully that night. She wanted to look just right, and she laughed at herself. She felt like a teenager getting ready for a date. Well, she was getting ready for a date! She pulled out her jeans, and then discarded them for her black leather pants. She had them on and then couldn’t decide on a shirt. Finally she took everything off and settled on a pair of black jeans and a loose white silk shirt. She pulled on her boots and grabbed her leather jacket on the way out.

The ride to town was exhilarating, both because of the beauty of the shore road at night and her own anticipation at seeing Dane again. She must have daydreamed half the way because before she knew it, she was pulling her bike into line with several others in front of the bar. She was surprised to see that the room was already crowded. When she finally made her way up to the bar, the bartender came over to her immediately and handed her a glass of brandy. Kyle stared at her.

“From a friend.”

Kyle took the glass and sipped from it slowly, turning unhurriedly to survey the room. She saw her then, against the wall by the jukebox. She was standing much as she had been the first time Kyle had seen her, half in shadow. Her slender figure was encased in soft leather, and Kyle could make out the swath of black around her left wrist as her hands moved slowly while she talked. Kyle’s heart pounded, but she forced herself to look away and scan the room. No one there stirred her the way Dane did. She doubted any one ever would. She knew she should wait.

The brandy warmed her even as the air seemed to glow with the excitement and the sexual energy of the women around her. She felt herself fuse and meld with the charged atmosphere as real time slipped away. Hours passed, or it might have been minutes, as her anticipation slowly eclipsed her perceptions. The suspense of waiting was finally broken by a voice at her side.

“You look good tonight,” Dane’s cool voice murmured in her ear.

Kyle started. She had not seen her approach. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I do.” Dane moved closer to her, shifting in the crowd so that her slender legs straddled Kyle from the side. She pressed her hand against the soft curve of Kyle’s back.

“You left something of yours behind the other day,” Dane said.

Kyle looked up at Dane in surprise, unable to read anything in Dane’s blue eyes. As she started to protest, Dane handed her a small lighter, gold with black edges, exactly the opposite of her own old favorite.

Kyle closed her fingers around it. “Thank you.”

Dane nodded and turned to the bar. “Sandy,” she called.

The bartender, hurriedly mixing drinks, looked over at her.

“A bottle of brandy, please. And another glass.” She filled her glass and poured more into Kyle’s. “We should have a fire.”

Kyle looked into Dane’s face, her own features flushed. “We don’t need one.”

Dane smiled then, her gaze softening. “Dance?”

Kyle nodded, following Dane’s lead through the crowd. The music was fast, pulsating with a rhythm that seemed to reflect her own internal fires. When the songs slowed, she moved into Dane’s arms easily, slipping her fingers into the hair above Dane’s collar. Dane’s body fit into every curve of her own. Dane’s hands were possessive on her back, sliding firmly to her hips. She pulled Kyle tightly against her as they moved sensuously together. When they finally parted, they were both shaking. Wordlessly, Dane led her back to the bar.

Dane handed Kyle her brandy and raised her glass in a quick salute.

“It’s time to leave,” Dane said, watching Kyle carefully. “We’ll take the brandy.”

Kyle’s reply was interrupted by a voice beside them.

“Very nice scene, Dane,” Brad said sarcastically.

Kyle saw Dane stiffen and reached out without thought to touch her arm. Dane pulled quickly away and turned to Brad.

“Leave it alone, Brad,” Dane said, her eyes like stone.

Kyle wanted to take Dane’s hand and pull her away, but she feared Dane’s reaction. Something was happening that she didn’t understand.

“I don’t think so,” Brad said just as quickly. “You seem to have something I want.”

“No,” Dane said tightly. “Not this time.”

Brad grasped Dane’s left arm in a vice-like grip. “Do you want me to show you how it should be done?” She forced Dane off balance with the strength of her hold on her. “Or do you still remember?”

Dane stared at Brad’s hand on her arm, suddenly back in another room, in another time. She shook her head, feeling her throat constrict.

“No,” she murmured, so softly that Kyle could barely hear her. “There’s nothing you can do to me now.”

“I can still do it, Dane. Because you still want me to,” Brad replied, her eyes fixed on Dane’s tense features. “I can, and I will—if you don’t leave.”

Dane looked at Kyle, her eyes clouded with anguish. “Kyle,” she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Dane turned quickly and pushed her way to the door. Kyle stared dumbly at her retreating back for a second, then bolted after her.

“Dane,” she called as she finally reached the street, only to see Dane pull away in her grey Camaro. Kyle stared up the street after the fading headlights, stunned. Finally she unhooked her helmet from her bike and straddled the wide tank. As she rose to kick-start the engine, Brad came up beside her.