“Well, that’s good news.” Michelle apparently decided to give up on her prodding. “Took them long enough,” she sniped.

Two weeks for a major T3 circuit wasn’t long, but Dar refused to dispute that. “Problem was your demarc, actually, the telco people tell me it took them six days to get access to the switch room.” She gave Michelle a pleasant look.

“Makes it a little tough to complete the circuit if you can’t get into the facilities.”

“We’re very serious about security,” she responded with a tight-lipped smile. “Just like you are, we don’t let people wander about our buildings anonymously.”

Dar laughed. “Come on, Michelle, two Southern Bell technicians in uniform with their famous truck. How anonymous is that?” She nibbled another piece of salmon as she gazed innocently at the shorter woman, who was neatly decimating a plateful of stuffed shrimp.

Graver didn’t answer for a moment as she swallowed. “Anyone can pick up one of those stupid-looking white helmets and a shirt. We don’t take chances,” she informed Dar. “So, tell me, Dar, I’m curious; what makes someone as experienced as you pick a rank novice as an assistant?”

It came from around the corner, and hit unexpectedly. But Dar hadn’t spent years in the boardroom refining her reactions for nothing. She took a forkful of baked potato and considered the question seriously. Why, Michelle?

Because she’s a babe, and I fell head over heels in love with her at pretty much first sight, of course. No, no, Dar, can’t tell the weeble that. “Well, she was part of an account we consolidated not long ago, and I thought she had some good potential, so I took a chance on her,” she answered evenly. “It paid off. She sent your intranet people some mail telling them how to do a better job securing your network, considering she was able to tap right into your master routers past your firewall.” Another forkful of potatoes followed, and she chewed innocently as Michelle apparently swallowed something the wrong way and hastily took a sip of water. “She’s good, and a fast learner. Why?”

“Just asking.” Michelle cleared her throat. “Actually, she was quite impressive. She’s Roger Stuart’s daughter?”

Dar nodded. “Mmm-hmm.”

Michelle smirked. “That was clever of you. He’s not a friend of your company’s,” she purred. “I sense an ulterior motive here.”

Sure you do, it’s just not the one you’re thinking of, Michelle. “Not really.

Though that might turn out to be an asset,” Dar answered dismissively.

“I’m sure she has many…assets.” Michelle smiled at her. “But enough about her. Tell me more about yourself, Dar.”

It feels like the dinner’s lasted three weeks, Dar reflected as they finally left 332 Melissa Good the restaurant into the cool night air. She took in a breath of it, then stepped forward as the valet brought the Lexus around. She waited for Michelle to settle herself, then she slid into the driver’s side, moving the seat back a little to accommodate her inches.

“Nice.” Michelle ran a finger over the leather surface. “Not quite what I pictured you driving, but nice.”

Dar bit back an answer and started the car. “Thanks, I like it.” She put the Lexus in gear and turned right out onto Bayshore Drive, heading back to pick up the highway and return Michelle to her hotel.

She knew what Michelle was gunning for. That much had been obvious from the moment she’d picked up the shorter woman, when she’d made a point of fingering Dar’s jacket and complimenting her perfume. And she obviously felt that Dar was going to be a willing participant. God knew, she had before, and with less attractive people than Michelle Graver, who was good-looking, experienced, very sensual, and certainly more worldly than the sweetly uncertain Kerry.

Kerry had said, with a warm hand on her arm as they parted in the parking lot. “Dar, have fun. Don’t hold back if you don’t want to.” She’d even smiled. So that was all right, right? Kerry understood it was just business…that she really didn’t like Michelle. It was just…part of the job.

Kerry understood. It wasn’t like it meant anything, and it would be a quick, relatively enjoyable time. Michelle would leave happy, and no harm would be done. Dar pulled up in front of the Hyatt and put the Lexus in Park, half turning towards Michelle as the shorter woman eyed her with warm speculation. “Here we are.”

A smile started on Michelle’s face. “You coming up?” Her voice was low and sure. “I’d love to continue our conversation.”

Dar drew breath to answer, then jumped as her cell phone rang. She pulled it out and flipped it open, giving Michelle an apologetic look. “Yeah?”

“Dar, it’s Mark. We’ve got a big problem,” the MIS chief’s voice burred in her ear.

It was the perfect excuse. It got her off the hook and didn’t leave the interestedly watching Michelle feeling rejected. “Hang on, Mark.” She muted the phone and turned to the shorter woman. “Much as I appreciate the offer, Michelle, and I do, I’m afraid I have to decline.”

A perfectly shaped red eyebrow curved up. “Problems?” She indicated the phone.

Dar met her eyes. “No, but I’m involved with someone, and it’s just not my style.” Damn, that felt good to say. She sighed inwardly as Michelle’s face stiffened into a hidden fury. “And, frankly, you’re not my type.” The door slammed behind her, and Dar leaned back, knowing she’d just caused herself a whole pile of trouble. Amazing how incredibly good that felt. “Okay, Mark, what do we have?” She put the Lexus in gear and pulled away from the towering brown building.

KERRY BARELY MADE it in the door as the phone rang for the fourth time, her skates slipping on the entryway tile and sending her lunging across Tropical Storm 333

the room. “Jesus!” she yelped as her sweat-drenched body hit the side of the couch, and she grabbed the ringing instrument. “Yow!” She landed on her butt and lost the phone, then scrambled after it, capturing it finally. “Hello?”

she growled into it, trying to catch her breath.

A pause. “Hi.” A low, vibrant voice answered her, a touch quizzically.

Every ounce of tension suddenly drained out of Kerry, leaving her limp as a damp, warm dishrag on the floor. “Hey, sorry.” In the background, she could hear music faintly playing; other than that, it was very quiet where Dar was. She glanced at her watch. Eleven. Hmm. Her spirits rose from the dumpster. Guess things didn’t work out. She felt a smile pull at her lips. What a shame.

“You all right?” Dar inquired gently.

“I’m drenched, exhausted, pissed off, and now I have a sore butt,” Kerry replied. “Other than that, I’m great. How about you? How did dinner go?”

A soft chuckle. “Lousy. I think I may have blown a very important client relationship right to hell.” The executive sighed. “Why are you pissed off, not to mention drenched and exhausted?”

Kerry crossed her weighted down ankles and regarded the white popcorn ceiling. “Oh…well, I was skating,” she explained. “My mother called. I kind of broke the news to her that I wasn’t moving back there. She hung up on me.”

“Ah,” Dar murmured. “Sorry.”

“I’m not,” Kerry replied. “But it really pissed me off, and I…” She hesitated. Was already tied in knots. No, she doesn’t need to know that. “I decided to work off some energy skating.”

“Mmm, I see. You sound tired,” Dar commented. “I should, um, let you get some sleep.”

A momentary silence fell. Kerry rolled over and cradled the phone against her ear. “Where are you?”

A soft clucking noise then Dar let out a chuckle. “Outside in your parking lot,” she admitted.

“Dar!” Kerry felt a laugh bubble up, and her bad mood vanished. “Get in here. Jesus, don’t be goofy. You can help me up. I think I broke my butt.”

Through the half open door she heard the solid sound of the car door closing, then the soft, rhythmic footsteps she recognized as Dar’s. She turned and watched as the door pushed open, and the dark head poked inquisitively in.

“Hi.” She waggled a skate-covered foot at the taller woman.

Dar put her hands on her hips and gazed down at her, a faint, playful smile pulling at her lips. “You always go roller skating half naked?” she inquired, blinking appreciatively at the brief shorts and cutoff shirt. “You might coax me into trying it in that case.”

“Hah hah hah.” Kerry stuck her tongue out. “No, I don’t, but everything else is in the laundry. For some reason, I hadn’t gotten around to doing it this week.” A pause. “Yet.”

Dar tossed her jacket down and joined Kerry on the floor, stretching out on her side and propping her head up on one hand. She’d traded her suit for a pair of jeans and a cotton shirt, and she looked relaxed and faintly disheveled.

Just how Kerry liked her. She smiled. “So…is Michelle going to send Uncle Scrooge after you or something?”


334 Melissa Good Dar shrugged. “She might, I’ll have to see. I’d better send a note down to the account team for them and warn them she’s probably going to be a bitch on wheels to them.” She fell silent and regarded the keys in her hand. “It’s too bad, but…”

Kerry rolled over and faced her. “But what? Dar, forgive me for saying this, but she’s a pig.” The blonde woman’s brows knit. “She was chasing after you like some…some…”

“Horny guy?” Dar inquired with a wry twist of her lips. “Maybe it’s the short woman syndrome I keep hearing about.”

“Hey!” Kerry gave her a look. “Short people don’t have syndromes!” she protested. “We’re just always pissed off because we can’t reach kitchen cabinets.”

Dar laughed easily. “Well, you’re taller than she is.”

Kerry considered. “Yeah, I am, come to think about it. I knew there was something I liked about her.”

“You’re a lot prettier than she is, too,” the taller woman continued, her voice gentling. “On the outside and certainly on the inside.”

Her companion blushed and glanced down. “Thanks,” she replied softly.

“I’m glad you think that.”

Dar studied her for a moment. “Your mom was kind of rough, huh?” She reached out and covered Kerry’s hand with her own. “Sorry you had to go through that, I know it’s tough.”

Kerry looked at the hand over hers, and let her fingers explore its surface a bit. “Dar, I wasn’t going to say this but…you know, one of the things that is so bad between me and my parents is that we never communicate, and I don’t want to start off that way with you.” She looked up. “I’m really glad you didn’t go with her tonight. It was really bothering me.”

The blue eyes blinked. “It was?” The words were soft. “I’m glad you told me that.” Dar lifted their joined hands and brushed her lips against them. “I was kind of…surprised when you told me to go ahead. It made me feel…” She stopped and shook her head. “Kind of disappointed,” she admitted.

“Oh.” Kerry thought about that. “Really?”

Dar nodded. “Really.”

“Hmm. I…” Kerry bit her lip. “I didn’t think I should get all…um, like

‘don’t you touch her!’ I mean, we could end up on Jerry Springer or something.”

A sly grin edged Dar’s lips. “Kerry, lemme tell you something, I would have paid good, hard cash to see you smack her hands. Next time someone forces me to go out, you’re coming with me.” Dar paused a beat and then asked, “So, what happened with your mother?” She met the startled green eyes. “You hate talking about your family, don’t you?”

Kerry sighed. “Yeah, I do.” She gave Dar a wry look. “I wish I could just forget I had them sometimes.”

The phone rang, and Kerry almost jumped out of her skin since it was resting on her stomach. “Jesus.” She picked it up and pressed the answer button. “Hello?”

“Hi, sis.” Her sister Angela’s voice sounded halfway between nervous and amused.


Tropical Storm 335

“Oh, hi, Angela.” She mouthed ‘my sister’ at Dar. “Let me guess, I’m the topic of conversation tonight.”

Dar rolled over and pillowed her head on Kerry’s belly, her eyes on the smaller woman’s face.

“Oh my god, Ker, what in the name of the Lord did you do to them?

Mom’s about having a litter of kittens in the middle of the kitchen. You’re not pregnant, are you?”

Dar lifted her head, and poked the surface she was resting on, making Kerry giggle softly. “Nope,” she whispered.

“No.” Kerry reached down and tickled Dar’s nose. “I’m just happy where I am and don’t want to come back to Michigan. Is that a crime?” She exhaled.