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  Plumbing... This means war!

  Armed with her cell, Priory stepped out the door to collect another box. She hesitated every step or two in case the door decided to retaliate—that is, until she reached the point of no return. She raced to the U-Haul and flung open the door, then grabbed a few of the smaller boxes for the return trip to the house. Unable to see what was in front of her, Priory looked at the path near her feet and hoped not to trip up. While she didn’t falter, she did bounce off the front door, which was now closed.

  “Oh for Christ’s sake!” she yelled.

  Why did you do that? She’ll catch on.

  I just want to see her climb through the window.

  The boxes were everywhere, just like her scattered wits. Left with no choice, Priory moved to the window, eyeing the chest-high obstacle. She jumped and frantically clutched the sill as she tried to lift a leg. It was not going well. She hung there like a tree sloth, unable to pull any more of her body over the frame. Would crying be considered an acceptance of defeat?

  Not quite giving up yet, Priory dropped back to the earth and into the middle of the small garden lining the front of the house. Another plan of attack was needed. She took a few steps back and ran, throwing herself at the window. Her stomach landed painfully on the sill, but at least she had half her body in the house. Before she could decide on her next move, her weight shifted and she fell in.

  That was worth the price of admission.

  She could have really hurt herself.

  Then she’d be in the hospital and not here.

  You do realize that if no one lives here they will eventually pull this house down.

  And…?

  And we’d have to move on to ‘you know where’.

  Where?

  Dylan.

  We’re moving to Dylan? Never heard of the place.

  Oy.

  Priory just lay there wallowing in her own pain and self-pity. Business was never this hard. “I want my Jacey!” she cried out to no one in particular.

  Now that’s cute.

  But she ain’t here. She doesn’t live here and she’s not going to either.

  She could, you know.

  Get that idea out of your non-existent head, Rhee. I am not, and never will be, Cupid. You got me? We’re supposed to get rid of them, not increase the population. If you’re not gonna help, then get out of my way.

  Rhea smiled. Do you remember our first time?

  Do I? I fell out of the damned bed.

  They’d had so little time together. Both of them knew it was a great risk to fall in love, but neither could stop it. Rocco had thought he had been so smart to get Dylan to woo Rhea for him. After all, she was a woman and he thought a “safe bet”. What could go wrong, right? Right.

  Her hands touched Rhea’s thigh for the first time and it was divine. The skin was soft and smooth, and she couldn’t stop herself from leaning in and placing a kiss above the line of the stocking. She inhaled and smelled the intoxicating scent that was Rhea.

  So intent on removing the stocking, Dylan didn’t notice that Rhea’s hands had been busy. She looked up as the stocking came free, and her breath caught in her throat. Rhea had removed her bra in the time it took to slide off the stocking. Rhea was not making it easy for her to show some restraint. Her breasts were perfect.

  “Ahem!” Rhea said quietly.

  Dylan’s gaze flew up to Rhea’s face. She had been caught staring. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. But Rhea didn’t answer, instead grabbing Dylan’s hands and lifting them to rest on her chest.

  “Don’t be afraid.” Rhea placed her hand on Dylan’s cheek. She smiled benevolently. “Now it’s your turn.”

  Dylan was pulled to her feet and Rhea’s hands immediately went to her undershirt, lifting it up over her head.

  “So that’s how you do it. Doesn’t it hurt?” Rhea studied the bandage with a look of compassion, then ran her finger over the imprint of the bandage on Dylan’s skin.

  “Yeah, it does, but I just put up with it,” Dylan said absently, her thoughts resting on the agile hands quickly removing her clothes. She breathed deeply when the constriction eased, glad to be free of her disguise for a while. The hands that had been roaming over her had stopped. “Ahem.” It was Dylan’s turn to clear her throat. She chuckled when Rhea’s eyes widened in surprise. She knew she was pretty well-endowed, but judging by Rhea’s reaction, maybe she was even more than she thought. “You’re staring,” she said in a low tone.

  Rhea raised her sight and stared into Dylan’s mischievous eyes. “Sorry. I … I’m just surprised.”

  “Bigger than you thought?” Dylan asked with concern.

  “I don’t know what I was thinking, but they’re beautiful and are just right on you.”

  Dylan couldn’t help but smile at the compliment coming from Rhea. She wanted things to go right now that they had crossed Rocco’s line in the sand. She didn’t resist when Rhea pushed her in the shoulder, allowing herself to collapse on the bed and giving Rhea access to her boxers. But Rhea didn’t start there, instead slowly undoing the suspenders holding up Dylan’s socks and peeling off the footwear. Dylan’s body jumped when a fingernail ran along the sole of her foot.

  “Tickles,” Dylan mumbled, and the sensation stopped.

  She felt every move Rhea made as the socks and suspenders disappeared. Rhea’s hands slid up her legs and thighs and paused over the button on her boxers. Dylan lifted her head and looked down the length of her body to see Rhea looking back at her. Rhea didn’t look at what she was doing; instead, she seemed content to watch Dylan’s reaction as the boxers slowly traveled down her legs. When they reached the end of their descent, Rhea smiled seductively.

  “Oh Christ!” The exclamation came out more as a grunt on expelled air than actual words. Dylan sat up and lunged for Rhea, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her down onto the bed. Before Rhea could speak, Dylan rolled over and pinned her to the mattress. Dylan’s stomach nestled between Rhea’s thighs, her chin resting on an inviting breast.

  “What do you want me to do?” Dylan had her own ideas about what she wanted to happen, but this was about Rhea’s pleasure and she was interested to know how adventurous Rhea was.

  Smoldering hazel eyes told Dylan all she needed to know, but Rhea spoke anyway, her voice husky with emotion. “I want it all, Lanie. I want you in my heart, in my mind, and in my soul.”

  Dylan moved her hand down Rhea’s waist, sending a shudder through Rhea’s body. “I want you so deep inside me that you’ll never want to come out.”

  Dylan was about to answer when Rhea continued.

  “Make love to me, Lanie. Make me see stars.” There was silence for a few moments, so Rhea spoke again. “What?”

  “I just never thought you were that demanding, Rhee,” Dylan teased.

  “Is that a bad thing?” she asked nervously.

  “No, but I had always imagined you as a wallflower.”

  “Maybe I am,” Rhea said, her breath catching as Dylan poked out her tongue and touched her nipple with it. “But when I want something bad enough, you better not stand in my way.” Rhea chuckled seductively as Dylan’s lips replaced her tongue.

  Suddenly Dylan was living on the edge and everything became important, this even more so. She was past worrying about life around her and just living for this moment.

  Dylan finally touched Rhea, gently at first, but even she could see that it was not enough. Rhea’s hips gyrated, searching for that elusive spot that would let her find those stars. But Dylan wanted more. She wanted planets colliding, stars exploding, and the sun burning out of control.

  And then it hit. Rhea’s orgasm was like being caught in the eye of the storm; her body went rigid for a moment before it lapsed into a series of contractions. Dylan continued to move her fingers, caressing Rhea’s inner walls with a loving touch as Rhea’s body squeezed down hard on them.

  Dylan’s attention was firmly focused on her partner’s pleasure and she
was not aware that Rhea had moved. She continued to cover Rhea’s body in nips and kisses and just as she found a neglected nipple, one of her fingers slipped and brushed the crease at the top of Rhea’s thigh.

  It all happened so quickly that it took a second for Dylan to react. Rhea’s leg bucked as Dylan touched a sensitive spot on her skin, her knee moving up sharply into Dylan’s crotch. Paralyzed by the impact, Dylan couldn’t stop herself falling off the bed and onto the floor.

  “Dylan?” Rhea’s voice floated over the sudden silence. “Dylan?” Her question was answered with a high-pitched squeak. “Where are you?” This time the answer came as an agonized groan. Dylan held her crotch with two hands as she tried to answer.

  “You don’t look so good,” Rhea said as she slipped off the mattress and onto the floor. “What’s wrong?”

  Rhea was asking a lot of questions and Dylan didn’t have the breath to answer them. It would take some time before she could put into words what had happened, which left her no choice but to moan.

  “Are you hurt?”

  Dylan nodded slowly, and she moved her hands to show where she was hurt.

  “How did it happen?” Rhea asked innocently.

  Dylan glared at her, trying to indicate who was responsible. She tried to speak and the words came out hoarsely. “Your knee.”

  “Oh,” Rhea said as she tried not to let the tears swimming in her eyes fall. “I’m so sorry, Lanie.”

  Rhea’s distressed face was Dylan’s undoing. She couldn’t stay angry. It was an accident, and in the future when she wasn’t in pain, it would probably be a funny accident, but for now she put away the accusations and worked on getting the pain under control. “Okay.” Her voice started to return, but she still didn’t feel up to moving from where she lay.

  “Let me help you up.”

  Dylan’s eyes widened in panic as Rhea’s hands came under her arms. Whether she liked it or not, she was moving, jostled incessantly by Rhea until she was slumped face-down on the bed. She started to suffocate in the pillow, and when no help was forthcoming, Dylan forced herself to roll over.

  “Oh God!” she groaned. She lay there for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Something intensely cold hit her pubis and she sat bolt upright. “Oh Christ!” she yelled, and her hand reached for the cold washer slapped against her throbbing skin.

  “Leave it there,” Rhea instructed.

  “Like hell I will!” Dylan complained.

  “The cold will help,” Rhea explained.

  “No it won’t.” She frantically tried to pull the cold cloth away, but Rhea managed to find some extra strength to keep it there.

  “Don’t be a baby….”

  Despite how it ended up, the experience had been magical. The feel of Rhea’s lips on her own had sealed their fate, because Dylan knew that one kiss would never be enough. And those hands … who knew Rhea could do that? One caress, one kiss, one breath and she was lost.

  I didn’t mean to knee you in the crotch.

  Dylan felt the twinge of pain even though it was a memory. Unthinkingly, she raised her leg in response.

  You keep saying that. Makes me wonder whether it was an accident or not. Dylan’s scowl melted into a smile.

  I …I … didn’t mean to.

  I’m pulling your leg.

  I don’t have a leg. At least, not a real one.

  I was making an alanol … analogue… you know.

  Yes, dear. Rhea decided to leave Dylan’s analogy as unintelligible.

  †

  Priory didn’t know how long she lay there on the floor. What felt like hours was probably only minutes. She’d had enough of the house’s hijinks. Too bad the contracts had already been exchanged because that meant she was now stuck with it.

  She rolled over and pulled herself up to her knees. Her bruised and battered body complained all the way to the sofa. “I know. I know,” she moaned. The toilet and the refrigerator chimed in with a rather loud belch that ran from one end of the house to the other. “I hear ya,” she muttered in agreement, silently praying for Jacey’s return. Now was a good time for a coffee break.

  Priory used the next few minutes to figure out how she could get a coffee without moving. There was only one solution, but she wasn’t there. Maybe this house thing wasn’t such a good idea. After all, whom did she have to share it with? Up to that point she didn’t think she needed anyone. Her career had been going fine without an emotional attachment. But…

  But lately she’d been thinking about Jacey and, hard as she tried, she couldn’t dismiss her from her thoughts. Jacey had met the first attempt at socializing with resistance, and while she could see Jacey’s point, she didn’t want to give up just yet. Could she wear her assistant down long enough to get to know her?

  What did Priory know about her, really? Well, the obvious points were that she was five foot four, with dark blond hair and those beautiful blue eyes. But underneath that façade, what else was there? She was tolerant; she’d put up with Priory’s shit for three years now, so that was a big plus. Efficiency also had a big tick. Jacey had nearly gotten to the point where she could do whatever Priory wanted before she’d even asked.

  Then there was that look in her eyes. Earlier in the day, she’d caught Jacey’s unguarded reaction to her ass. Something was going on, but could she use it to her advantage? In business it wouldn’t be a problem, but this wasn’t business—at least to her it wasn’t. As appealing as Jacey’s looks were, Priory was attracted to the woman’s less visible attributes.

  While she mulled over the idea of courting Jacey, Priory stood and moved to the kitchen for that long-awaited cup of coffee. It was certainly something worth considering.

  Chapter Four

  Jacey carefully drove the SUV at the speed limit. She wasn’t used to the car and the last thing she wanted to do was bring it back with a dent in it. Priory may be having a soft-hearted moment, but a scratch in her new car would change that in a heartbeat.

  The radio blared with music she didn’t want to listen to. Instead of trying to find another station, Jacey turned it down as low as she could and let the wind coming in the window pummel her hair. Luckily, she was in her short-hair phase and didn’t have to worry about it being windblown.

  She turned her thoughts to her boss. Twice she had refused to answer Priory’s questions regarding a relationship, and Jacey suspected those same questions would be asked again some time during the next few days. Her own life had been solitary for some time now, mainly because of the demands of her job, but from time to time she missed the intimacy of a relationship. Not necessarily the sex part, although that had its own merits, but the closeness and easy familiarity of living with someone. Coming home to an empty house every night had lost its appeal months ago.

  But her boss? Up until the house move, she had been anything but friendly. Waspish and demanding, Priory didn’t give her any encouragement, either as a woman or a secretary. Now she wanted to be on a first-name basis? Did the woman think she was a pushover for a few nice words like thank you and please? She wasn’t a pushover, but she was leaning nicely. Then there was that damned ass. Even the thought of the body part brought out her internal cheerleaders and a sweaty upper lip.

  Come on … don’t you want a chance to see that? Even if it’s for a short while? They whispered enticingly.

  “At the expense of my job?” she countered aloud.

  So your trip only lasts six months. At least you can die with a smile on your face.

  “No! I’m not giving in for a few moments of ecstasy.”

  A few? If you think that’s all you’ll get, you’re doing it wrong. Instead of making her bed, you should be lying in it. That sounded too slutty, even for the girls inside her head.

  “I have to look at the bigger picture,” she announced. “Come Monday, it’ll be back to hell.”

  That’s three days away. You have the whole weekend to make patty-cake.

  “Oh, puleeeze!” she cried as she stopp
ed for a red light. A police vehicle sat beside her and the officer gave her a steady glare. “Officer,” she mumbled and slid down in her seat, mortified. The light changed and she moved on, edging the car along at slightly less than the speed limit. The police car was behind her for a couple of miles until it slowed and did a U-turn, ready to chase another lawbreaker. Jacey breathed out slowly and tried to calm her thundering heart.

  “Shut up, everyone!” The silence in her head was strained. She knew they were lurking, ready to give their opinions when she wasn’t paying attention. “I wonder who her shrink is? No, that’d be a little too creepy sharing a psychiatrist.”

  Her cheerleaders played dirty and brought up her mental checklist, using glow-in-the-dark letters for ass. The rest of her list disappeared into the void, leaving that one word.

  “Don’t think you can get around me that way. We all know what a bitch she is.” Her girls flashed mental images of Priory’s ass encased in soft, faded denim, the red tag doing a little hula to attract her attention. “You really have a one-track mind, don’t you?” But she already knew that. What other reason would she hang around her job? Oh yeah, the money, but the ass was the spectacular icing on the proverbial cake.

  Tempted as she was to add music to the thundering silence, Jacey forced herself to think of something else. Like the house, for instance. She had been impressed that her boss actually managed to buy a decent house for an even more decent price. So what was wrong with it? She pulled over to the side of the road and felt around in her bag for her cell.

  “Tim? It’s Jacey.”

  “Hey, Jace, how’s it going? We heard the news about the move. Commiserations.”

  “Yeah, didn’t see that one coming.” Well, she did, but Priory had backed her into a corner with no hope of escape. Just like Halloween night. She quickly added the candy to her mental pickup list. Maybe she could open the door at Priory’s house and throw it out onto the sidewalk and watch the kids scramble for it. “I want to call in a favor.”

  “Sure, what do you need?”

  “I want you to do a check on the history of the Turkey’s house.” Jacey reached into her bag and found the piece of paper with the address and read it out. “Can you get back to me with something as soon as you can?”