Dane stirred slightly and moved closer. Kyle lay very still as Dane’s hand moved over her abdomen to rest against her breast. She wasn’t sure Dane was awake until she felt the slight pressure against her breast become a gentle massaging motion and fingers tugged lightly at her nipples. They remained pressed close together, back to front, as Dane slowly caressed her. Kyle shifted slightly as Dane slid her hand into the soft hair between her thighs, parting her, finding her clitoris, beginning the circular motion that caused it to stiffen further. Kyle whimpered softly with each teasingly slow touch, wanting to ask her to press harder, but knowing instinctively that she would be denied. She would wait, as long as it took. Finally, Dane leaned up on one elbow, her hand still between Kyle’s legs, and looked at her.

God, she’s beautiful, Dane thought.

Kyle stared wordlessly into Dane’s blue eyes, her breath catching. Her own desire was reflected there. She held the hypnotic gaze as Dane slowly stretched out on top of her, her thigh gliding easily between Kyle’s.

“Oh,” Kyle cried softly as Dane’s smooth skin rubbed over her clitoris. The friction triggered spasms down the shaft into her pelvis. Her thighs tightened around Dane’s leg.

“Don’t,” Dane warned.

Kyle wanted to surrender to the sensations stirring in her body, but she willed herself to hold on until Dane gave her permission. She closed her eyes as her hips rocked in cadence with Dane’s, their passion fusing and becoming a force of its own. For many moments they remained suspended on the brink of desire, holding back the moment of release as the intensity heightened. Kyle began to slip beyond the point of control, the distant pulsations beginning to grow, eclipsing reason.

“I’m coming,” she whispered, her hands clutching Dane’s back.

“Wait,” Dane gasped, even as she thrust harder against Kyle’s thigh. She was nearly blind with the pounding pressure threatening to explode her entire body. “Oh, Jesus,” she gasped as the fire burned along her legs, into her spine.

Her words robbed Kyle of the last vestige of restraint. As her back arched and her thighs clenched around Dane’s in the first seconds of orgasm, Dane groaned deeply, going off with her. For one instant, as the titanic contraction fused their bodies, their souls were one.

When Kyle awakened again, Dane was propped up beside her, smoking a cigarette, the covers resting across her naked thighs. As Kyle stirred, Dane looked down at her.

“Good morning,” Dane said softly.

“Hi,” Kyle said, stretching languorously, “What time is it?”

“Umm—about ten, I think.”

Kyle laughed. “Indulgent, aren’t we?”

“Do you mind?”

Kyle turned shyly toward her and rested her head against Dane’s bare shoulder.

“Not at all. You?”

Dane twined her fingers in Kyle’s thick hair. “Absolutely not.” She was silent for a moment, and then said, “Are you hungry?”

“I think I might be, as soon as my body wakes up.”

“Do you have to be anywhere this morning?”

“Nope! You?”

Dane sighed. “I usually make it a point never to work on Saturday, but today I have an appointment.”

Kyle knew absolutely nothing about the woman beside her, except how she felt about her physically. She wasn’t sure how personal to get with her. Some women were more comfortable after a night of lovemaking just saying good-bye in the morning, careful never to dispel the mystery of a brief encounter by dealing with the ordinary chore of living. Kyle herself had often felt uncomfortable with a stranger in her house in the morning. The woman she had desired in the early morning hours might not be someone she wanted to face across the breakfast table.

Cautiously she asked, “Would you rather I left?”

Dane looked down at her curiously, her surprise at Kyle’s straightforwardness concealed by an old habit of keeping her thoughts to herself.

“No. I’d rather you made some coffee.”

Kyle stared back at her in amazement, unable to read anything in Dane’s smooth features.

“All right.”

As Kyle slid out from under the covers and reached for her pants from the pile of clothing on the floor, Dane began, “The kitchen—”

Kyle interrupted her as she pulled on the soft worn leather. “I’ll find it.”

Dane smiled, admiring Kyle’s naked back as she left the room. She smoked another cigarette and listened to the sounds emanating from the kitchen. Soon she could smell coffee brewing. She was amazed at how much she was enjoying these first moments with Kyle on a nonsexual basis. Usually she found her bed partners disappointingly boring, and often discovered she hadn’t a single thing to say to them. She had gotten into the habit of finding some excuse to get them out of her apartment as quickly as possible. Her reluctance to become involved with anyone had enhanced her reputation in the bar as a loner. Dane found this an agreeable situation as it released her from the pressure of being sociable. No one expected it of her. She remained something of an enigma to the women in the bar and because of that, she felt unaccountable to anyone.

This morning was surprisingly different. When she had awakened next to Kyle, it seemed natural. Kyle’s calm acceptance of the events of the past twelve hours and her unhurried approach to the morning put Dane at ease. For the first time in a long time, Dane wasn’t sure of what was going to happen. That was both exciting and disquieting.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Kyle returning with two steaming mugs of coffee. Dane pulled the blankets back for Kyle to crawl under. She accepted her coffee gratefully and stretched one leg out over Kyle’s.

“So, how are you this morning?” Dane ventured.

“Fine,” Kyle said. She sipped her drink and continued. “I guess you know last night was new for me.”

“You mean sleeping with a woman?” Dane said, purposely being obtuse.

“Of course not!” Kyle flared. Looking quickly at Dane, she caught the twinkle in her eyes and laughed.

“Very cute! No, I meant sleeping with a woman in quite that way.”

Dane nodded, serious again. “I knew. Did you enjoy it?” Again, she surprised herself. Why does it matter? She came; she got what she was looking for. What else is there?

“Yes, I did. It wasn’t what I expected.”

Dane studied her face curiously. “Oh? What do you mean?” She usually wasn’t interested in how other women felt about their encounters with her. They all seemed to have their reasons for seeking her kind of company, and she rarely took the time to understand why. They had come home with her; sometimes it was good and sometimes it wasn’t. With Kyle, it seemed to matter. She no longer could remember how she had felt at the beginning. She had changed so much since then.

Kyle thought carefully for a moment before answering.

“In some ways it was more than I anticipated,” she began. “It was more natural than I had thought it would be, for one thing.”

“Oh?” Dane replied, raising an eyebrow, instantly defensive. “Did you expect it to be unnatural?”

Kyle caught the hint of sarcasm in Dane’s voice but continued unperturbed. “No—I guess I thought it would be more contrived. Somehow, I couldn’t imagine feelings just flowing when there were so many other things going on. The roles we both played—the separateness of our positions. I thought I would be too conscious of the external things to relax.”

Dane relaxed, somewhat assured by Kyle’s frankness. Thank god she’s not feeling guilty. “It can seem artificial, I guess. I’ve never thought of it quite that way because I like all the externals. I like creating the mood, setting the scene. I like being in control.” She realized she had never talked about these things with anyone she’d had sex with. In fact, only a few friends knew how she felt. Kyle certainly had a strange effect on her—but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“I found out I like it, too,” Kyle responded. I especially like it when you’re in control! She sighed and stretched, enjoying the contented way her body felt.

Dane reached over to the bedside table and picked up her watch.

“Damn, I’m going to have to get up soon.”

Kyle turned toward her, “Oh?”

Dane smiled and kissed her lightly on the nose. “Work, remember? I’m self-employed, so I’m afraid I have to work when the work is there,” she said as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

Kyle watched her move about the room, enjoying the long, strong lines of her body. She liked Dane’s unselfconsciousness about her nudity and the graceful way she moved. She was in splendid shape and Kyle took advantage of the opportunity to imprint each small detail of her form in her mind.

“What do you do?” Kyle asked.

“Dogs,” Dane replied, her head in the closet searching a shirt.

“What?” Kyle asked, not sure she had heard clearly.

“Dogs,” Dane repeated, turning toward her with a smile. “I breed dogs.”

Kyle looked about her in surprise.

“Here?”

Dane laughed. “No—I own a kennel. I only keep one here, and he’s been away at a show.” She pulled clean jeans from a drawer, glancing over at Kyle. “I’m going to shower.”

“Want company?”

Dane surveyed Kyle’s face for a moment. “Yes.”

The water flowed over their bodies in soft rivulets, outlining the curve of breasts and thighs. Four hands entwined in soapy circles as they gently caressed each other, first front to front, then turning about each other in an unchoreographed dance. They took turns washing each other’s hair, laughing as the suds made white sculptures on their faces. Moving close together, their forms blended into one as the warm shower cascaded about them. Kisses exchanged at first lightly, then more deeply as tongues found lips, thighs fitted to thighs, breasts nestled against breasts. Finally, it was Dane who broke the contact.

“One minute more in here and I’ll never leave,” she whispered.

Kyle sighed regretfully, feeling their tenuous connection break.

“Besides,” Dane continued, “I’m starving.”

Kyle stepped back a little and shook the water from her eyes. “It’s breakfast that you want, then?”

“Well, actually, it’s you I want right now, but I have to go.”

Kyle sighed. “Yes, ma’am.”

As she stepped out of the shower, Dane laughed. If only she knew.

They shared their first breakfast together on the run. While Kyle dressed, Dane poured juice and put bread in the toaster. They munched toast while scrambling eggs and rinsed the dishes as they finished off the coffee. Silence descended as they both gathered their things to leave.

Kyle zipped her jacket and watched Dane slip a wallet into her jeans and pick up her keys from the table. When Dane turned toward her at last, Kyle couldn’t read the expression in her eyes. She wasn’t sure where to begin.

“Dane,” she ventured softly.

“Yes?”

“Will I see you again?”

Dane hadn’t expected this. She sighed slightly. “I don’t know. Do you want to?”

Kyle nodded, not saying anything.

“Maybe you should think about it a while,” Dane responded. “What happened last night - the way we were together-it might not be what you really want.” She hesitated for a second. “And it is what I want.”

Kyle answered carefully, sensing that Dane would withdraw at the slightest misunderstanding. “You’d know I was lying if I said I understood why last night felt right to me. But it did, and I’m not turning my back on that. For no reason I can clearly explain, I want you to touch me again.”

“You’d better be sure what it is you want, before you find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be,” Dane said darkly. For a moment, her mind was clouded in memory.

“And do you know exactly what it is you want?” Kyle queried.

Dane reached for the door and said quietly, “I thought I did—until now.”

CHAPTER FOUR

DANE DROVE THE familiar route to her kennel lost in thought. The image of Kyle, resplendent in black leather, driving away on her motorcycle was still fresh in her mind. It had been a strange encounter. She realized she had enjoyed the night with Kyle more than any she could remember recently. Kyle was surprisingly receptive to her brand of lovemaking, and it had been easy to fall into a scene naturally with her. Still, she was wary. Kyle was on the threshold of a whole new sexual arena, and Dane knew from experience that the process of adjusting was a long one. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be placed in the role of teacher. Teachers were usually replaced as time went on. When the lessons were over, the students moved on, leaving the teachers drained if they were lucky, broken if they had been foolish enough to care. Her life of casual encounters suited her. She was comfortable with the limitations, and also the freedom such anonymous liaisons afforded her. She hadn’t wanted more than one night with anyone in a long time. She sensed that Kyle might be capable of awakening long-dormant needs within her, needs which she had learned to ignore.