last time, if it’s available.”

“It’s quiet this weekend—all the kids have gone back to school—

so it’s empty.”

“Great.”

“Hungry?”

Leslie laughed. “As a matter of fact, I’m starved. Let me get settled and I’ll

come back and get a sandwich or something. Where’s Daddy?” She scanned

the great room where a few guests were seated, but didn’t see him.

“He’s down at the dock with Dev.”

“With Dev?” Leslie’s breath caught in her throat and she knew her mother

noticed. “I mean, I thought at this time of day, she’d be at the lab.”

“Does she know you’re coming?”

Leslie shook her head. “Not today.”

“She happened to be around when they were pulling one of the boats out, and

she and your father got talking about something to do with Þ shing.” Eileen

smiled. “Apparently Dev doesn’t Þ sh, but she appreciates that the Þ shermen

know more about Þ nding Þ sh in the lake than anyone else. I think your father’s

been regaling her with stories for the last hour.”

As her mother talked, Leslie drifted toward the front windows. She pushed the

lace curtain aside and scanned the dock below the house.

Her father sat in a deck chair in front of the boathouse talking to Dev, who

leaned with a shoulder against the dark green clapboards, her legs casually

crossed at the ankles and her hands in her pockets. She wore jeans and a red ß

annel shirt and even from this distance, she looked so sexy Leslie ached to get

her hands on her.

“How’s Natalie?” Leslie asked.

Eileen joined her at the window and answered as if the question hadn’t come

out of nowhere. “Well, she always seems to be in great spirits. It’s been busy

this summer, so I take it between supervising the campgrounds and keeping an

eye on shenanigans out on the lake, she’s been pretty busy.”

“So I guess you don’t see her too much.”

“Sweetie,” Eileen said gently, “why don’t you just ask Dev if she’s seeing

Natalie?”


Leslie hesitated. “Because I’m afraid of what she might say.”

“Would it be prying if I asked you about Rachel?”

“No,” Leslie said softly, still watching Dev. “We’re not seeing each other any

longer. I broke it off right after the Fourth of July.”

“Are you okay?”

“I think so. We ran into each other at a fundraiser a week ago and spoke for a

few minutes. She seemed…like Rachel.” The conversation had been what she

would have expected—brief, pleasant, totally without intimacy. Rachel had been

there with a date, although it probably wasn’t obvious to most attendees that the

leggy brunette who watched Rachel’s every move was more than an

acquaintance. But Leslie knew the signs. It hadn’t bothered her, and she hadn’t

expected it to. “I know Natalie has a thing for Dev.”

“Mmm, maybe.” Eileen patted Leslie’s shoulder. “What matters, though, is who

Dev has a thing for.”

Leslie sighed. “I wish it were that simple.”

“Why isn’t it? You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

“Like crazy.”

“And if she feels the same way?”

“We’re completely incompatible,” Leslie said. “Our jobs, our lifestyles, where

we live. And Dev isn’t interested in a casual relationship.”

“Are you?”

Leslie leaned her head against the window frame, thinking that she’d only ever

had casual relationships, no matter how long-term or monogamous. They had

been convenient, simple, and satisfying in a limited way. She’d spent one night

with Dev, whom she’d known far better as a teenager than as an adult, and

realized immediately that that one night was more meaningful than all the other

nights she’d spent with other women. “I think she’s it for me.”

“Then you’d best get around to telling her that. She’s been jumpy and distracted

all summer, and I’m willing to bet it’s because of you.”

Eileen slipped her arm around Leslie’s shoulders and gave her a quick hug.

“Don’t wonder how she feels, sweetie. Just ask her.”

Leslie smiled. “Yes, Mom.”


“If you want to Þ nd the big bass, you’ve got to go twenty miles farther north

than ten years ago,” Paul Harris complained. “And even then, you won’t see the

really big ones anymore.”

Dev nodded, her eyes on the woman making her way down the grassy slope

toward them. The late-afternoon sun had taken on the amber hue of

approaching autumn, and Leslie, with her softly layered blond hair, pale silk

blouse, and navy slacks, looked radiant.

Following Dev’s gaze, Paul twisted in his chair, then grinned.

“Hey, look who’s here.”

Leslie smiled as she leaned down to kiss him. “Hi, Daddy. How’s your leg?”

“One more week,” he said, thumping his walking cast. “Pretty good timing, huh?

Just missed closing up.”

“Very smart of you.” Leslie squeezed her father’s shoulder but her attention was

on Dev. “Hi.”

Dev pushed away from the wall, her heart thundering so loudly she felt as if she

were in an echo chamber. “Hi. I thought tomorrow—”

“I know. I couldn’t…I got a break.”

“That’s good.” Dev knew she was barely making any sense, but she hadn’t

expected to see Leslie for another twenty-four hours. She wasn’t ready. She

wasn’t ready for the body blow that just being near Leslie always produced.

She felt shaky, a little light-headed, and hot.

Her skin was hot. She was hot inside. She was burning, and Leslie was the cool,

cool water she needed to soothe her, inside and out.

“Mom said you were talking about Þ sh.”

“Yes.”

“How’s the work going?”

“Pretty much done.”

Paul looked from one to the other, his expression curious. He maneuvered

himself out of his chair and into the nearby motorized cart Leslie had insisted on

getting for him earlier in the summer. “I’m going to head on up to the house. See

you for supper, Les?”

“Uh-huh. Probably.”

“Well,” he said, turning the key in the ignition. “I’ll see you sometime this

weekend, honey.”

For a few minutes, the motor drowned out the possibility of conversation, and

as the roar died off in the distance, Dev crossed the dock to Leslie’s side.

“How have you been?”


“Fine, I’m Þ ne. You?”

“Good.” Dev grinned. “You look great.”

“Thank you,” Leslie said softly. “I’ve been watching you from the house for

about half an hour.”

“Yeah?” Dev leaned toward Leslie, her gaze skimming down her body.

“I want to tear your clothes off.”

“Same here.”

“Should we talk Þ rst?”

Dev watched Leslie’s nipples tighten beneath the sheer blouse.

“No. Not until I’ve heard you come at least once.”

Leslie’s lips parted in surprised pleasure. “You like that, do you?”

“Oh yeah. I’ve been putting myself to sleep for a month remembering how you

sound when you come in my arms.”

“Oh, that’s not fair.”

“I don’t last very long, thinking about it,” Dev murmured, watching Leslie’s lids

grow heavy.

“I’m not sure I can make it to the cabin.”

“Boathouse?”

Leslie took Dev’s hand and tugged her inside. The air was hazy with heat and

dust and thick with the scent of old wood and water. She leaned against the wall

in a dimly lit corner and dragged Dev against her, her hands sliding down to grip

Dev’s ass. “Do you have any idea what you just did to me?”

“I want to make you so hot you’ll come if I just breathe on you.”

“Keep it up and it won’t take that much.” Leslie straddled Dev’s lean thigh. “I’m

so wet already.”

Dev tangled her Þ ngers in Leslie’s hair and kissed her roughly.

Every day for the last month, she’d told herself that Leslie would be here, and

while her mind had believed it, her heart had never been quite sure. Now that

Leslie was this close, all she wanted was to feel that she was real. She sucked

on the tip of Leslie’s tongue and fondled her breasts, her hips pinning Leslie to

the wall. Finally she pulled her mouth away. “I’m not going to fuck you out here.

But God, I want to.”

Leslie dug her Þ ngers into Dev’s tight butt. “You’ll make me come just doing

this.”

“Les,” Dev gasped, kissing her neck hungrily, unable to stop as Leslie rode her

thigh harder. “Someone might walk in.”


“No. There’s no one…” Leslie turned her head and plunged her tongue into

Dev’s mouth.

Groaning, Dev pinched Leslie’s nipple, twisting in time to her pumping hips.

“I’m going to come,” Leslie moaned, her head falling back against the wall. “Oh

Dev, God, I’m really coming.”

Dev felt Leslie’s knees buckle and grabbed her around the waist, holding her up

as she trembled, her face buried against Dev’s shoulder to stiß e her cries. As

Leslie’s orgasm trailed off, Dev cradled Leslie, stroking her hair and her back.

“Okay, baby? You okay?”

“I’m totally humiliated.” Leslie laughed softly. “Talk about no control.”

“You’re so sexy I thought my heart would stop.” Dev nuzzled Leslie’s neck.

“You’re beautiful when you’re like that. When you want me.”

“Oh, Dev.” Leslie lifted her head and kissed Dev softly. “I want you so much I

can’t stand it.” She caressed Dev’s face. “And not just like this, either.”

“We better try to get to the cabin.”

“Are you in a bad way?” Leslie asked teasingly, recognizing the low, husky note

in Dev’s voice.

“I’m afraid something is about to explode.”

“You got to hear me come.” Leslie nipped at Dev’s chin. “Let me watch you.”

Dev sucked in a breath. “Here?”

Leslie stroked Dev’s breasts, then reached down and popped the button on her

ß y. “Yes. It makes me crazy thinking about you making yourself come.”

“You’ve got me so hot, it’s going to take about two seconds,” Dev whispered,

bracing her arm against the wall next to Leslie’s shoulder.

She slid her hand into her jeans and groaned. “Touch me too. Just touch me

somewhere.”

“Whatever you need,” Leslie murmured, caressing Dev’s stomach and thighs as

Dev tensed, her arm vibrating between her legs. “Feel good?”

“Uh-huh,” Dev managed between gritted teeth. The muscles in her neck stood

out and her thighs quivered as Þ re leapt in her belly.

“Oh, Jesus, I’m close.”


Leslie cupped the outside of Dev’s crotch, spreading her Þ ngers over Dev’s

where they circled beneath the denim. “Mmm, I can feel you getting ready to go.

You’re almost there, aren’t you?”

“Close,” Dev muttered, “soon, ah almost, Les.”

“Need help, love?” Leslie crooned, licking Dev’s neck.

“Push down on my Þ ngers.” Dev groaned as Leslie pressed rhythmically.

“Harder, baby. Harder…har…oh, oh yeah.”

Dev sagged against Leslie as her orgasm hit, and Leslie kissed her, swallowing

her cries of release.

“Beautiful,” Leslie sighed, cradling Dev’s face against her shoulder, caressing her

sweat-streaked cheek. “Thank you.”

“Same here,” Dev muttered, struggling to get her legs under her again. She

braced her arms against the wall once more and pushed upright. Grinning, she

kissed Leslie. “I think we’ve established we missed each other.”

“It would seem that way.” Leslie had never felt anything quite so perfect in her

life, and she wasn’t ready to examine what that meant.

“And since I don’t want to be tempted again until we’re really alone…”

She zipped Dev’s ß y and buttoned her jeans. “There. Can you walk?”

“Just about.”

Leslie wrapped her arm around Dev’s waist. “Let’s go to your cabin.”

“No fooling around on the way.” Dev circled Leslie’s shoulders with one arm,

holding her close. “I have a short recovery phase, and I’ll be ready again soon.”

“I remember.” Leslie rubbed her cheek against Dev’s shoulder. “I have a few

favorite memories for use at bedtime too.”