See Chapter One for disclaimers

Harley2u@aol.com

Chapter Twenty, Part 1

Resting a hip against the side of the car, Deven casually handed the house key through the open window. "Don¹t get into any trouble," she admonished. Despite the stern look she gave her friend, the sincerity of the threat was dispelled by the gleam in her eyes.

"Me? Trouble? Please." Kelly gave the woman a wicked smile. "Actually, I¹m going to go up to your bedroom and try out all your toys."

Enjoying the easy repartee, the martial artist laughed. "You¹ll have to find them all first." Pushing away from the car and bending at the waist she brought her head down to the window, her face now mere inches from the other woman¹s. "Besides," she said in a seductive purr, "not all of them are meant to be used alone."

Kelly placed the palm of her hand against Deven¹s forehead and gently pushed. "You are such a horny dog! Now move out of the way. I have to get going. I¹ll see you later."

"You got it. Thanks for everything, Kel. I appreciate it."

The lawyer winked and smiled. "Anytime, beautiful."

Deven took a couple of steps backwards to give Kelly room to maneuver her car out of the parking space, and then looking up, she saw Rhian driving into the far end of the lot. Just the site of the blonde landscaper caused her to break into a full smile. After one last wave to the lawyer, she sauntered over to where Rhian stopped, the smile never leaving her face. "Hi," she said as she approached the small truck.

"Hey." Rhian stepped out of the vehicle and watched Kelly drive out of site. "What¹s up?"

"Not much. Same ole, same ole. What¹s up with you?"

The blonde pulled her eyes away from the exit and gazed up at the martial artist. "I¹m on my way to a site survey and thought I¹d stop by."

"I¹m glad you did," Deven replied.

Rhian looked back in the direction Kelly¹s car had gone. "You are?" She heard the insecurity in her voice and mentally berated herself for it.

The taller woman cocked her head slightly. "Sure. I haven¹t seen much of you in the past few days. I missed you."

"I know. My schedule has been crazy this week. I missed seeing you, too." There had only been a couple of opportunities to visit each other in the past few days and both had been as this one was now, brief and in public. Rhian nodded towards the street. "So, what¹s Kelly up to?"

"She stopped by to get the key to my house," Deven answered. "She¹s going over now to start getting things ready for this afternoon."

"That¹s nice of her," Rhian said with as much nonchalance as she could muster.

"Yeah, it is. She¹s a good friend."

"She seems to be." There was something about the friendship that bothered Rhian, but she couldn¹t quite discern what it was. Stop it! You¹re just going to create problems where there aren¹t any. "How long have you two known each other?"

The martial artist stood relaxed with her hands clasped loosely behind her back. "Oh, I don¹t know - six or seven years. No matter how shitty I get, she puts up with it. Well, she only puts up with so much before she calls me on it." Deven laughed easily. "You should have seen her go after me the day I accused you of taking part in that supposed plot." She laughed even harder, causing Rhian to smile. "You would have loved it."

The young landscaper found her sudden dislike for the lawyer confusing. There wasn¹t any reason not to like the woman and yet, in her gut she felt a growing sense of scorn. "Did you guys have a good time the other night?"

Deven¹s laughter wound down, but she continued to smile. "We almost always have a good time. Especially when Carl¹s not around. So, are you ready for this afternoon?"

Her head told her that the martial artist¹s comment held no hidden meaning, but it still hit a nerve with Rhian. She looked across the street in an effort to quell what she was beginning to recognize as jealousy. Not being prone to the emotion, she was unsettled by it and found it difficult to overcome.

Studying the blonde¹s profile, Deven could see the strain in the fine features. Maybe she doesn¹t want to come over. Maybe she changed her mind about us. About everything. Her own insecurities rose quickly and before she could stop it from happening, Deven reached out. Placing a gentle hand on the landscaper¹s upper arm, she gave it a slight squeeze. "Hey."

Rhian felt the touch and relaxed as the green eyed monster receded. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to feel Deven¹s arms around her but understood that it was probably inappropriate given that they were standing in front of the school. Still, as her eyes met the tall brunette¹s, she stepped forward seeking the comfort she needed so desperately at that moment.

Perhaps understanding Rhian¹s need, or accepting the want within herself, Deven opened her arms and pulled the smaller woman into an embrace. "What¹s wrong?" she asked.

The connection subdued her anxiety, and Rhian released a soft sigh against the woman¹s neck. "It¹s nothing really. Just being overly emotional today I guess." She concentrated on Deven¹s good humor. The woman was practically vibrating with energy, and the landscaper focused on that while endeavoring to push her concern away. "You¹re really looking forward to this, aren¹t you?"

Deven smiled. "Yeah, I am. I finally get to spend some more time with you."

The woman¹s enthusiasm was catching and tucked within the strong arms, Rhian felt her mood lift. Reluctantly, she broke the hug and stepped back, but kept her hands resting on the swell of Deven¹s hips. "What time are you heading home?" she asked.

"Noon. Jay will close up here, and I¹ll go give Kelly a hand. What about you?"

"I have another survey later this morning," the landscaper responded. "It shouldn¹t be too involved, so I expect to be at your place no later than two."

"Good. We¹re going to have fun. You¹ll see." Sidling closer, she brought her lips near to the blonde¹s ear. "I¹m sure that before this day is over, we¹re going to get very wet," she said seductively and barely stopped the impulse to flick the inviting earlobe with her tongue.

Rhian giggled. "You¹re such a juvenile," she said as she playfully backhanded the martial artist¹s stomach.

Several students arrived at that moment, pausing on their way into the school to address the martial artist. They stopped, snapped to attention and bowed to Deven. She scowled as she returned the bow, but then broke into a smile, causing the students to relax. "Good morning," she addressed them. "I hope you all are ready for a hard workout." The salutations quickly turned to groans, causing their instructor to laugh outright. "Go on and get warmed up. I¹ve got a lot planned for you today."

Despite their protests, Rhian noted that the students looked at Deven with a mixture of respect and adoration. People were drawn to this woman, and though Rhian had always known that, today for some reason it bothered her.

So much had happened to them a few days ago. Deven¹s disclosure and facing all the emotions that had been stirred up by it had been difficult for Rhian. Not to mention having to face my own issues. She¹d felt close to the woman at the time and confident about her ability to deal with Deven, but then they hadn¹t spent more than an hour together in the days since. Perhaps the lack of any quality time together had planted the seeds of doubt, which now seemed to be proliferating into a garden of uncertainty.

Deven turned to face her, and Rhian struggled to hide the incertitude that simmered just below the surface. "Are you sure you¹re okay?" she asked the younger woman.

"Sure. Like I said, I¹m just a little emotional today for some reason, but I¹m okay. Now, you better go on. Don¹t want to keep them waiting too long."

The martial artist glanced at the school then back at her friend. "Okay. Well, I¹ll see you later?"

"Definitely," Rhian replied as she forced a smile. She watched Deven walk into the school before climbing back into her truck. Get a grip already!

Part 2

Deven took a sip of her water as she watched Kelly finish up some last minute preparations. She¹d arrived home to find a list of chores waiting for her and had her humor not been so high, she might have resented them. Instead, she took care of each task Kelly threw at her, if for no other reason than it gave her something to concentrate on. Otherwise, she found it difficult to think about anything other than a certain green eyed blonde.

Jay and Carl had both arrived a little while ago and conveniently disappeared. Cowards. Afraid they¹ll get pulled into doing a little work? Well, they get clean up detail. That¹ll teach them to run and hide.

All that remained now was to wait for Rhian, and as it had all day, that thought teased her lips into another smile. She realized that she¹d been smiling a lot today and idly wondered if she might appear deranged. Not that she cared how she appeared. She was happier than she could ever remember being in her life and awaited the woman¹s arrival with barely contained impatience.

"You¹ve come a long way lately," Kelly said, interrupting her thoughts. "Love looks good on you."

Slightly embarrassed, Deven reached up and massaged the back of her neck. "You think?"

The lawyer smiled at the woman¹s unease. "Definitely. And it makes you cute as all get out."

"Aw, shucks." Her expression turned serious and crossing the kitchen, Deven closed the distance between them. "Kelly? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you think?" She paused and took a deep breath. "Do you think that if things had been different, if I had been different, if we, you and I, could have made a go of it?"

The other woman was clearly stunned by the question. "What brought that up?" she asked.

Deven shrugged slightly. "I don¹t know. I guess I¹m questioning a lot of things, you know? Everything is just so confusing right now, and I find myself thinking about stuff." She shrugged again, trying to make light of her self-consciousness. "I was just curious."

Kelly considered the question carefully. If Deven had asked, then the least she could do was provide an honest answer. "Perhaps we could have for awhile, but I don¹t think it would have lasted. I¹m glad things turned out the way they did, Deven. We have a good relationship now, and I don¹t believe that would have been the case if we¹d gotten involved. Besides, I¹ve got my Carl and you have now found the love your life."

Deven nodded slightly. "You¹re right." She reached out and placed her hands lightly on the woman¹s waist. "Kelly? I¹m sorry if I hurt you. You know, back then? I didn¹t mean to. I didn¹t even think about it, and if I could change anything between us, I¹d take that away."

The lawyer studied Deven¹s face for several seconds, and her bewilderment turned to amazement at the open sincerity she perceived. "Thank you," she whispered. "I appreciate your saying that."

Crossing the threshold to the kitchen, Rhian stopped suddenly, bringing a startled Nicole up short. She couldn¹t hear much of what was being said, but something about the way the two women were conversing woke up her earlier jealousy with a vengeance. Her eyes settled on Deven¹s hands and then took in the close proximity of the two women. There was a familiarity about their body language that sent off alarms in her head. Unable to speak, she stood watching as Kelly¹s hands encircled Deven¹s waist and the women embraced.

Rhian¹s mind refused to redefine what she was observing. It had created a story around the image of the two women and with a sudden jolt of intuition, she knew. These women were so familiar with each other because they¹d slept together. She didn¹t know how she knew that nor did she care how she knew. Anger began to flare in the pit of her stomach and radiate outwards, but she was uncertain where her anger should be directed - at Deven for so callously flaunting this in front of her or at Kelly for cheating on Carl, or inward for having allowed herself to believe this time would be different. Not waiting for an answer to that question, she was propelled forward into the room by her ire.

Deven turned to her and smiled. "Hey."

The woman¹s casual behavior further fueled Rhian¹s rage. She doesn¹t even care that I know!

Nicole wrapped a hand around her friend¹s upper arm and pulled. "Let¹s go."

Deven knew immediately that Rhian was upset about something, and asked, "What¹s wrong?" But the concern in her voice was completely missed by the younger woman.

Jerking her arm free from Nicole¹s grasp, Rhian glared at the martial artist. She wanted to stop. She wanted to bite back the words, but they tumbled out of their own accord. "Why I am surprised? Why in the world would I have thought you meant anything you said to me? That you were going to treat me differently?"

Moving away from Kelly, Deven turned and completely faced the blonde. "What are you talking about?"

Kelly understood exactly what was happening and jumped into the conversation with the hope of keeping the situation from escalating further. "Rhian, it isn¹t what you think."

Confused, Deven looked from one woman to the other. Nicole¹s open hostility, Rhian¹s anger, and Kelly¹s quiet diplomacy made the situation more baffling. "Okay. What am I missing here?"

"Don¹t play stupid!" Rhian nearly shouted.

Never one to back away from a confrontation, Deven straightened and squared her shoulders. Her focus settled on the landscaper, and her own rising anger became evident in the narrowing of her eyes. "What in the hell is your problem?"

"You stayed at Kelly¹s the other night."

"So? I told you that!"

"Is that when you slept together?" Rhian asked between clinched teeth.

The martial artist looked as if she¹d been slapped. "What?"

"It¹s a very simple question, Deven!"

She took a step towards Rhian, but stopped her forward progress when the younger woman backed away. That simple retreat hurt, and she fought to keep her voice steady when she responded. "No."

"But you have!" Rhian accused.

Deven remained silent as she looked at Kelly, seeing the mixture of anger and embarrassment on her friend¹s face. Glancing past Nicole, she observed that Jay and Carl had also entered the kitchen, and with a great deal of regret, realized that there was no easy way out of this. What should have been a private conversation had turned into an extremely awkward situation for everyone.

Taking a deep breath, she looked Rhian in the eyes. "It was a long time ago."

The admission, while expected still pained Rhian more than had anticipated. Tears formed in her eyes, and her only thought was to escape, but she quickly realized that retreating out the way she had come was impossible. She was mortified by her behavior, hurt by Deven¹s admission, and sought only to flee. Oh God. What have I done? Without looking at anyone, she bolted out the backdoor not stopping until she reached the edge of the woods beyond the expanse of lawn.

"What did you do?" Jay asked.

"Nothing!" Deven ran a hand through her dark hair. "I don¹t know."

"Liar!" Nicole hissed at her.

"Fuck you, Nicole!" Deven shouted as she moved towards the woman.

Seeing his friend start to advance, Jay stepped forward and blocked her path. "Calm down."

Carl walked over and lightly patted the martial artist¹s shoulder. "Easy, Deven. I know you¹re upset, but this isn¹t going to help, okay?" Stepping over to his wife, he placed a comforting arm across her shoulders. "What happened?"

Deven looked at the doorway Rhian had disappeared through. "Shit! I¹m so confused. Kelly and I were just talking. The next thing I know, Rhian is angry as hell and asking me about the past."

"You are so full of bullshit!" Nicole said.

Facing Rhian¹s friend once again, Deven growled and then said, her voice rising with each word, "Either you shut up or get the fuck out of my house!"

Unable to take the chaos any longer, Kelly yelled, "Stop! Everybody just stop it! We all know what happened between me and Deven. We also know that it was a very long time ago. Okay? So enough with that!"

Deven glanced at the couple. "I¹m sorry. Both of you."

Kelly looked at her husband and gave him a small smile. Turning back to the martial artist, she reached out and took her hand. "I know."

Carl gave her one of his easy going smiles. "It¹s okay, Dev. Old news."

Nicole shook her head in disbelief. "You people are unbelievable!"

"No, Nicole, you are," Kelly said. "You stood there and did nothing to help Rhian see the truth about what was happening. You are so eager to find Deven lacking that you would allow Rhian to suffer unnecessarily if it meant an end to their relationship. What kind of a friend does that?"

"How dare you question my friendship with Rhian! I love her. She¹s my family and I will do whatever I can to protect her!"

"Protect her from what?" Kelly challenged. "From someone loving her? From discovering who she is? How can you possibly love her and deny her these things? You should be helping her to face them. Do you have any idea how hard this must be for her? Whether you like it or not, you have to accept that they love each other."

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Please. This one wouldn¹t know love if it hit her square in the face with a two by four."

Having had enough, Kelly crossed the room until she stood directly in front of the belligerent woman. When she spoke it was clear and concise and left no question as to her sincerity. "Hear this, Nicole. I will not allow you to disrupt this relationship. If it works, all the better because quite frankly I think it¹s a good thing for both of them. If it doesn¹t, then at least I¹ll believe they tried their best. I will do whatever I can to see that they succeed. I will do that because I do love Deven and I¹m very fond of Rhian. So, if you love her as much as you say you do, get over yourself and put that love to use. Otherwise, get the hell out of the way and let them be!"

Deven watched the exchange with a growing sense of awe at Kelly¹s defense of her. After everything she¹d done and how atrociously she¹d behaved at times, this woman still chose to defend her. Shaking her head, her thoughts settled on what had created this situation in the first place. It occurred to her that Rhian might actually leave and Deven had no idea how to stop that from happening. "Kelly?"

The lawyer turned and regarded the worried look on the martial artist face. "It¹s going to be all right. I¹m going to go talk to her."

Almost before she could stop it, Deven¹s ever present pride started to surface to refute the offer of assistance, but common sense won out and all she said was a quiet, "Thank you."

Nicole took a step towards the door. "I think I should go."

Jay put an arm around her shoulder. "Let Kelly handle this one." Nicole tried to shake off the arm, but the man held her in place. "You¹ll get your turn. Relax."

Deven watched Kelly walk out the back door with a deep feeling of uneasiness. She still didn¹t understand what was happening and how things had gotten so blown out of proportion so quickly. What did I do wrong? She replayed the conversation in her head and couldn¹t see what it was that had set Rhian off.

Walking out to the sunroom, her eyes scanned the yard for the landscaper. She located her in the shadows just at the woods edge and watched as Kelly walked up to her. Don¹t leave, Rhian. Not over the past. If I could change it for you, I would. Please don¹t give up. Not yet.

With a quiet resolve, Kelly drew near the younger woman. "Rhian?"

Keeping the woods as her focal point, Rhian wiped away the tears that would not be denied. She was appalled by her behavior and dreaded facing anyone who had been witness to it. It had been her intention to leave but that option had been impossible given she had ridden with Nicole. Why Nicole hadn¹t followed her out of the house was bothering her along with everything else that weighed so heavily on her heart and mind. She had expected her friend to be right on her heels, and she fervently hoped Nicole had not decided to confront Deven. It really wasn¹t Deven¹s fault. Well, not entirely anyway. Okay, maybe not at all. "I must look really asinine."

"No. I wouldn¹t say that."

"Well, I certainly feel like an ass."

"I must say you have a way of shaking things up." Kelly¹s attempt at levity failed and the upset woman¹s gaze remained on the woods beyond. "Why, Rhian?"

"I know she has a past, and I know she¹s a player, but for some reason I never thought I would actually know one of her conquests!" she blurted out.

Kelly felt the sting, and she chose her own words carefully. "First of all, she was a player. Not she is a player. Second, what happened is in the past. And last, I¹m not proud of what happened. Perhaps the problem is not the past but that you¹re afraid you fall into the same category as all the rest of us."

Rhian lowered her head. Am I?

"She can¹t change the past," Kelly said.

"I know that."

"Do you? Because if you do know that, then you can¹t blame her or punish her for it."

Rhian blinked back fresh tears. Why am I doing this? Damn it, you know perfectly well why. For the first time, the blonde shifted her sight and it settled on the other woman. "Kelly, I¹m sorry I said what I did. I didn¹t mean it."

Unwavering, the lawyer replied, "Yes, you did."

The landscaper¹s head lowered in shame. "I¹m sorry. It isn¹t like me to act this way."

Kelly was determined to not be a part of anything that stood in the way of Deven¹s happiness, and to that end, she needed to reach an understanding with this woman. Although she appeared calm on the outside, internally she resented Rhian¹s insinuations. Her voice remained low, but the words themselves were sufficient to make the younger woman flinch.

"That may be true, Rhian, but don¹t do it again. I¹m not a whore or a slut who makes it a habit to sleep around. I never was. What happened with Deven was over six years ago, and I would just like to forget it. Not just for me, but because it¹s unfair to throw it up in Carl¹s face. And for the record, I¹ve been faithful to Carl since we committed ourselves to building a relationship. I find it ironic that in all the years since, Deven has never once mentioned it until today when she apologized. She never once rubbed our noses in it and never once put Carl on the spot. You, on the other hand, managed to do it in a matter of seconds."

Taking a deep breath, she paused before stepping closer the landscaper. Placing an arm around the woman¹s slumped shoulders, she continued in a softer tone. "As for Deven, I do love her, but I am most certainly not in love with her. You need to cut her some slack. At least in this area. What¹s done is done. What matters is here and now."

"I know. I just." Rhian faltered.

"You¹re jealous."

The blonde head nodded slowly. "I don¹t understand it. My head knows you¹re right, and I agree with you. But something inside me just appeared out of no where, and before I could stop myself, I was saying all those awful things."

"Rhian, I need to know something."

"What?"

"Do you love her? I mean really love her, or do you think perhaps this is more of a physical attraction? A crush perhaps?"

The younger woman met the lawyer¹s eyes. "I love her."

The open look of love the landscaper held at that moment told Kelly all she needed to know, but still she pressed on. "Why?" The look of confusion that appeared on Rhian¹s face almost caused her smile, because it reminded her of the perplexed expression Deven often wore these days.

"I¹m not totally sure," Rhian answered honestly. "I just know that I feel things for her that I¹ve never felt for anyone. She¹s the most amazing person I¹ve ever met, and she can¹t see that. She sees herself as some kind of monster. I don¹t." Her brow furrowed as she sought an answer to Kelly¹s question. "When I¹m with her or think about her, I¹m filled with so much emotion I don¹t think I can contain it." Her head lowered and she said softly, "I don¹t know, Kelly. I just love her."

"Good because she loves you. She¹s never allowed herself to love anyone before, and this is kind of a difficult time for her. She¹s very unsure of herself."

Rhian¹s head snapped up. The idea of Deven being unsure about anything seemed absurd. "Why?"

Kelly smiled at the memory of her friend¹s plea for help. "Because she seems to think that there is some sort of magic to building a relationship that she knows nothing about. She¹s convinced herself that she¹s going to mess this up, and you¹ll never really give her a chance." She mulled over what she was about to reveal and smiled. "She¹ll be very unhappy with me for telling you this, but she came over to my house to talk about you and to ask for my help."

"She did?"

"Yes, she did. She wants desperately to do everything right by you and believes that she¹s destined to fail without a little outside help."

Rhian stood quietly, thinking about what she was being told. For Deven to ask anyone¹s help, especially something so personal was quite an indication of how serious she might be concerning a potential relationship.

"She told me you were quite a romantic." Kelly smiled at the woman. "She¹s trying so hard. I find that kind of romantic, don¹t you?"

"Yes." A small grin tugged at the corners of the landscaper¹s mouth but faded quickly as thoughts of her earlier behavior returned.

"Deven has a lot of growing to do, Rhian. If she hurt you or offended you, it was most certainly not intentional. It never would have occurred to her that you might construe our friendship as something more."

"I¹m always going to be competing with the past, aren¹t I?"

"That¹s up to you. You hold a part of her that no one has ever even touched. You have the power to hurt her, because whether or not she¹s admitted it, she¹s already given you her heart. I would not even suggest that this is going to be easy, Rhian. She is difficult, stubborn and emotionally immature. And she is quite possibly the most clueless person I have ever met when it comes to affairs of the heart. She has a great deal of learning to do, and I guarantee you, she will trip up over and over again. She can be obnoxious, selfish, and egotistical. But she is also loyal, honest, and amazingly gentle should the need arise. And when it comes to you she¹s insecure, uncertain, naïve and afraid. Things I never even knew existed within the woman. Now you should let her off the hook because she¹s up there beating herself up about this. She truly is clueless, Rhian. She has no idea why you would be mad at her."

Rhian glanced up at the house. "I¹m not mad at her. It¹s me I¹m angry with." Her eyes settled on Deven, and then she lowered them, feeling once again the shame of her earlier actions. "I shouldn¹t have behaved like that. I¹m truly sorry, Kelly. I just couldn¹t seem to stop myself."

Looking up at the house, Kelly motioned to Deven to come down. "I know. We have to be careful what we say in anger, Rhian. It cuts deeply whether it was intended to or not. We seem to have trouble accepting what is said in love but cling onto what¹s directed our way in rage."

Rhian sighed. "You¹re right. I guess I have an awful lot of growing to do, too. Thanks, Kelly."

"Anytime. Listen, if you need a sounding board, I¹m here."

The landscaper stood quietly, nodding her head. Deven didn¹t do anything. I did it all, because I couldn¹t believe there was any other explanation.

Kelly turned and walked towards the martial artist. As she passed Deven, she paused long enough to give her hand a gentle squeeze in reassurance before heading back towards the house.

Part 3

Deven approached Rhian with caution. This near constant feeling of uncertainty was beginning to wear real thin on her, and she didn¹t much care for it. No one had ever made her feel as confused about her actions and motives as this woman.

Steeling herself, she continued to cross the lawn towards the landscaper. The insecurity within her grew with each step, and upon reaching her destination, she paused not knowing what to say or even what was expected of her.

Rhian stood hugging herself as if she was cold despite the early summer heat and the tracks of tears were clearly visible against her flushed cheeks. Slumped shoulders further indicated to Deven the sense of despondency the woman was feeling.

"Are you okay?" She watched the blonde head nod slowly, and sighed when Rhian made no attempt to even look at her. This sucks!

Standing alone in the sunroom earlier, watching Kelly and Rhian talk, she¹d replayed the incident in the kitchen over in her mind. Obviously, Rhian was upset with the idea that she had slept with Kelly. The most logical reason for her to have behaved as she had was out of a sense of jealousy. That was an emotion that Deven never tolerated from anyone. She belonged to no one. Except now the idea of belonging to this particular woman held a certain appeal to it.

In the time before Rhian, had anyone so much as hinted at a desire to possess her in any manner, she would have given a rebuke they weren¹t likely to ever forget. But now, she knew that was changing as well. A part of her most definitely disliked the idea of being anyone¹s possession, but at the same time, she wanted this woman to desire her heart, body and soul. "Are you okay?" she asked again. She watched as Rhian¹s shoulders slumped even further. Not knowing what else to do, she moved away and started back to the house.

That broke the woman¹s silence. "Wait!"

Deven¹s pent up frustration rose up, seeking release. "I don¹t know what you want! I don¹t know what I¹m supposed to do! I don¹t even know what I did, damn it!"

"I know."

"I am who I am, Rhian. If you¹re looking for me to change into someone else, I don¹t think that¹s possible."

The turmoil in Deven¹s eyes reached out to her. "No. I don¹t want you to be someone else. I know you¹re confused and I¹m sorry."

"You do realize that I can¹t make it go away. I can¹t change what I did!"

The young woman hugged herself tighter. "I know that. I justŠGod, I didn¹t think I would ever actually know one of them. And I like Kelly, but now I look at her and I have a hard time not thinking of the two of you together."

"Rhian, I don¹t want to rehash this thing about Kelly. This is the last time I ever want to discuss it. It was a long time ago, and it was a mistake! I can¹t explain how it is that she stayed in my life after that. I think I really hurt her, and not because she loved me. I think it was humiliating for her to have allowed it to happen. And yet, she has become my friend. Hell, I think Kelly and Jay are the only two people in this fucking world who would give a damn if I disappeared tomorrow!"

The anger rose up so fast within the woman that Deven barely had a chance to register the flash of it in Rhian¹s eyes before she found herself the target of a verbal assault. "That¹s not true! How dare you negate my feelings for you! Do you think so little of me that you believe I wouldn¹t feel the loss? How dare you!" Tears flowed unchecked as she choked back a sob. "You come into my life and turn everything upside down! You awaken things in me I never knew existed. I tell you that I love you, and you have the nerve to stand there and say that what I feel for you doesn¹t matter!"

Stepping forward, she shoved the startled martial artist. "Where do you get off making a judgement like that?" Anger gave way to sorrow, and Rhian began to cry softly. Her head fell forward against the taller woman¹s chest with a slight thud.

Unsure of what she was supposed to do and still reeling from the sudden tirade, Deven stood still. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around the distressed woman and just held onto the trembling body. "I¹m sorry, Rhian." No one had so openly displayed such love for her. It left her once again feeling precariously poised between emotions. On the one hand, it was terrifying. On the other, it felt really good. She wrapped her arms tighter around the shuddering body, pulling Rhian firmly against her frame.

The smaller woman¹s arms encircled her waist, and she rested her cheek against the blonde head. This was the second time Deven had held this woman as she cried, and she realized she didn¹t like it when Rhian was in any pain. It was a small notion, but a revelation nonetheless. When Rhian hurt, she hurt, and she felt helpless, a sensation she despised. Unable to do anything else, she held onto the woman wishing the pain away, and eventually the sobs slowed and gave way to soft sniffles.

Backing away, Rhian wiped her face on her shirttail. "I must look like hell."

"Nah. Just a little disheveled." Deven made a point of straightening the woman¹s collar. "This isn¹t just about Kelly, is it?"

"No. I¹ve been struggling with this all day for some reason. That isn¹t totally true. I¹ve been worried about this for some time, but I¹ve been able to at least keep it inside." She threw her arms up in exasperation. "I¹ve never felt like this before! Even when I found out that Sean was having an affair, I don¹t remember feeling jealous so much as angry."

That son of a bitch! Deven felt the familiar burn of fury beginning to form in her belly. At the same time, she recognized the irony of it. She¹d seduced more than one married woman and had never once considered the infidelity. It didn¹t concern her. Illogical as it was, the thought that Sean had hurt Rhian in exactly the same way she may have hurt countless others infuriated her. If that makes me a hypocrite, then so be it. "He cheated on you?" she asked in a voice far more calm than she felt.

Rhian looked back towards the woods. Her voice was so low; the words were almost lost. "Yes, but it was my fault."

"Just how in the hell was it your fault?" The woman remained silent, her blonde head hanging down. "Rhian? Why was his inability to keep his dick in his pants your fault?"

"Deven, I can¹t! This is so embarrassing and once you know the truth, you aren¹t going to want anything to do with me."

"Someone once told me to not think of it as embarrassing. You know, look at it like its letting go of the past or a new beginning."

Rhian recognized the sentiment as being her own. "Smart ass."

"Yeah, well, you always knew that about me," she replied. Placing a finger under the smaller woman¹s chin, she lifted until Rhian looked up at her. "Talk to me, please. I don¹t understand how it is that he could cheat on you, and you think it was your fault. And why you think I won¹t want anything to do with you. Nothing you have ever even considered doing in your lifetime could be anywhere near as bad as what I¹ve actually done."

Rhian stared into pale eyes and reached a decision. She¹d carried this burden for so long, and until this amazing woman had entered her life, she never considered it would be an issue again. It wasn¹t something she could hide from Deven forever. Better to get it over with now than later.

Reaching up, she caressed Deven¹s cheek. "I¹m so sorry. I¹m behaving like such a child." She gently traced the cheekbone with her thumb watching as the taller woman leaned into the touch. "I owe you an explanation. You opened yourself up to me, and I haven¹t done the same. I think my behavior today is due to a large extent because I know that I will never measure up. I know that I can never compete with the women you¹ve slept with. I think about how many women have slept here, in this house, in your bed, and I get crazy becauseŠbecause I know that I can¹t be like them."

Deven held her hands up with the palms outward. "Wait a minute. You don¹t have to ever measure up to anyone. You just have to be you. And for the record, I never brought anyone home. After the disaster in California, I never wanted anyone to know where I live. The only women who have stepped foot in that room beside you and me, are Kelly and my sister. Kelly only recently and that was just to see how it was decorated. No one, other than Tiernan and I have slept in that bed."

Her mind whirled as it tried to comprehend what Rhian was struggling with. "As usual, I¹m having a difficult time understanding what exactly you¹re talking about. I don¹t want you to be like them. This isn¹t some sort of competition. There aren¹t scorecards. Hell, I don¹t even remember most of the woman let alone whether or not they were any good."

"They meant so little to you."

"That¹s what I¹ve been trying to tell you. They meant nothing to me. You do."

Rhian nodded her head. There was something bizarrely sweet about that admission. "Easy for you to say now. Deven, you¹re such a passionate woman, and I." Once again the turmoil became too great and she began to cry softly. "Damn it!" Instead of taking solace in the other woman¹s arms, Rhian turned away from her. "You don¹t understand!"

The martial artist was growing frustrated again. "Rhian, I feel like you¹re leading me around by the nose in no particular direction at all."

The younger woman chuckled at the picture that description created in her mind. "Don¹t make me laugh." She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she wrapped her arms around herself again.

"My relationship with Sean was difficult for me. For a lot of reasons - most of which I didn¹t begin to understand until you came into my life. I¹ve always believed it was all me. In many ways, it was. Because of you, because of what I feel for you, I know that I was never in love with Sean. Loved him at one time but was never in love. I have also come to accept that I wasn¹t really attracted to him. At the time, I didn¹t know that. I didn¹t understand, and I think our marriage was doomed to begin with. That was my fault. Perhaps we could have found a middle ground in time. Perhaps not, but I didn¹t enter into my marriage lightly. I was determined to make it work."

She turned back towards Deven but avoided looking directly at her. "When I found out he was cheating, I was furious and hurt. And when he said it was my fault, I believed him. I thought it was my fault because I wasn¹t able to give him what he needed, and I¹m afraid I will fail you, too."

The struggle to keep calm was growing more difficult with each passing minute. "What he needed?" Deven shook her head in disbelief. "Are you telling me that he told you he had to have other women to compensate for something he wasn¹t getting at home?"

A faint blush began to creep up Rhian¹s neck. "Yes."

"And you bought into that?" When Rhian didn¹t respond, she continued. "That has got to be one of the oldest and lamest excuses in the book!"

The younger woman did look directly at her then. "Great! So now you think I¹m a fool, too!"

"No, I don¹t. You¹re not a fool. Naïve perhaps, but definitely not a fool. I still don¹t see how this is your fault, and I don¹t understand how this means you will fail me. Fail me how?"

Oh God, please let this be a bad dream. Rhian brought her hand up and stood quietly chewing on her thumbnail. She bit down hard. Ouch! No, damn it, this is real. She knew the blush was rising, adding to her overall embarrassment. "It was just that, it never was enjoyable for me. It got so that I dreaded him coming near me, and I¹m sure he knew it. Our wedding night was awful. He¹d been drinking quite a bit at the reception. I thought we¹d wait until the next day to, you know. Instead, he insisted we consummate our marriage that night."

Deven fought to keep her tone even. Her desire to hurt the man was growing in tandem with her rage. Surprisingly, she also found herself somewhat piqued with Rhian. The younger woman¹s easy acceptance that she had done something wrong was ludicrous. "Was it your first time?"

"Yes."

"Did he know that?"

"Of course he knew that. Sean was the only person I really dated, and being rather archaic in my thinking, I wanted to wait until I was married. What an idiot I was! It was nothing like I thought it would be. It was." She shook her head as if clearing it of the memories. "Our honeymoon was a nightmare. I was kind of sore, but he said it would get better if we just kept doing it." Her laugh was cynical. "It never did get better. I was never comfortable with him again, and I grew to dread that look he would get when he wanted to, you know."

"Have sex. You can say it, Rhian." Deven watched the blush reappear. "Did he ever force you to have sex with him?"

"He was my husband."

"That doesn¹t answer the question, Rhian!"

"I know. Deven, he never attacked me. It wasn¹t like that. It¹s just that, it was what I was supposed to do as his wife, but I was so bad at it."

The martial artist snorted. "You were bad at it? How could you be bad at it?"

"I just am! Don¹t you understand? You¹ve made sex into an art form! I can¹t do it! There is something wrong with me. I¹m some sort of freak!" New tears caused her vision to blur, and she wiped them away angrily.

Staring at the distraught woman, Deven silently chastised herself. "Rhian, you¹re not a freak, and I don¹t believe there¹s anything wrong with you."

"Well, you¹re wrong! When I found out about the first affair, he was sorry. At least he said he was. He became very solicitous, but I could never trust him again. He¹d taken that away from me, and I resented him for it. Despite his promise to end it, I found out he hadn¹t dropped his girlfriend. In fact, he had another one. We had a big fight, and he told me it was my fault. If I hadn¹t been such a lousy lay, he wouldn¹t have had to look elsewhere. And he was right."

"Rhian, I¹m sure that isn¹t true." Bastard! Lucky for you, you¹re dead!

"No, it was true! I knew it was me! So, I went to several doctors trying to find out what was wrong with me. Why I couldn¹t get any pleasure and why it was often uncomfortable, but they all said there was nothing wrong physically. That meant it was in my head." She paused to take a breath. "Knowing that it was my problem and not wanting to give up on my marriage, I started to fake it. I stopped being there, in my body. I would lie there thinking about designs and making all the right noises. It wasn¹t so bad after that. And of course, I got pregnant."

The guy must have been a moron! She looked closely at Rhian. This was painful for the young woman, and Deven¹s heart hurt at the thought of what she must have put up with over those years. She now understood that Rhian¹s self esteem had been severely damaged by what she perceived as a failure on her part. "Go on."

"I foolishly believed that he had ended the affairs, but that wasn¹t true. The night of the accident, we were fighting because one of his girlfriends had been at the party. She was all over him, and he did nothing to stop her. If anything he encouraged it. Everyone knew. I felt like such an idiot."

"Rhian, please, you can¹t believe that it was your fault." How do you torture a dead man? Give his wife all the pleasure he couldn¹t and hope he¹s watching from Hell!

"Deven, I want to move past it. I don¹t want to feel guilty about him anymore. I will not regret it anymore, because out of all that came Seana. To dwell on all the negative is to somehow negate my daughter and I won¹t."

"Okay. I think that¹s a good thing." Deven¹s mind whirled with images of Rhian with her husband, and it fueled her hatred of the man. She admitted that she¹d felt a twinge of jealousy at one time and had purposefully disallowed herself to imagine Rhian in the throes of passion with the man - with anyone for that matter. No jealousy now. Just a full blown I want to fuck him up rage. She pushed the anger down.

This was a turning point for her, and some of what Kelly had told her before resounded in her mind. For the first time in a very long time, perhaps ever, she put someone else¹s feelings before her own. The most important thing to her was to make this woman happy. To help her heal and come to view herself as the beautiful woman she was.

Deven knew Rhian was capable of passion. She¹d felt it more than once and somehow she had to get the young woman to see it. "Rhian, what do you want? With us? Do you want to leave things strictly platonic?"

"No," she whispered.

"Do you want to be lovers?"

The blonde didn¹t respond, and shifted her focus away from Deven.

"Come on, Rhian. Don¹t leave me hanging here. What do you want?"

She couldn¹t bring herself to answer the question. It wasn¹t possible, because she knew there was no way on this earth that she would ever be able to please Deven. The woman had taken more lovers to her bed than seemed humanly possible, and Rhian knew she would never measure up to the worst of them.

The martial artist allowed her frustration to get the best of her. "Damn it! What do you want?"

"I want to be with you! Okay? Is that what you want to hear?"

"Not if it isn¹t the truth! Unlike that bastard, I don¹t want you to fake it!"

Rhian stared at her in disbelief. "I can¹t believe you just did that. That you threw that back in my face."

The hurt on the woman¹s face struck Deven hard. "God, Rhian. I¹m sorry. I just." There was no excuse for that! She brought a hand up and rubbed the back of her neck. "I hate him so much, and if he were alive, I¹d make him wish he¹d never looked at another woman. And selfishly, I want to understand how I fit into your lifeŠto understand where we¹re headed. I want to understand what you want."

Rhian was tired of talking about it. It doesn¹t matter anyway. "Do we have to talk to about this?"

"It¹s important. How am I suppose to know what you want if you don¹t give me a clue?"

"How am I supposed to know what I want? I neverŠSean and I. And I¹ve never."

Deven watched the blush that had slowly been working its way up the younger woman¹s neck, deepen and travel up her cheeks. "You know, you¹re very cute when you to that?"

"What?" the blonde eyebrows lifted in confusion.

"When you blush."

Rhian covered her face with her hands. "I hate it! I can¹t control it."

"Well, I happen to think it¹s adorable, and I think you¹re adorable." Closing the distance between them, Deven hugged the woman. "I¹m so sorry I said that before. I don¹t want our relationship to ever be based on lies. It would kill me if I knew you were pretending in anything to do with us. Forgive me? Please?"

Rhian detected the pleading quality in the taller woman¹s voice. "This time, but don¹t do that to me again, Deven."

She nodded and made no attempt to hide her obvious relief. Dipping her head, she captured Rhian¹s lips in a soft kiss. "What do you want?" she whispered.

Rhian sighed as she pulled back slightly and locked her gaze on the taller woman. "To not be afraid anymore."

"Of me?"

"No!"

"Then what?"

"Of failing! I¹m afraid of disappointing you! I don¹t want to fail you!"

"You can¹t disappoint me."

"Yes, I can." She blinked, releasing a tear from each eye.

Deven wiped them away and gently kissed each eyelid. "Don¹t cry. It¹s going to be okay. I promise." The kiss she placed on Rhian¹s lips held no passion as it was meant to reassure the younger woman. "Come on." She stepped back and took Rhian¹s hand.

"Where are we going?"

"You¹ll see."

Part 4

Sensing that Rhian was hesitant to follow her, Deven held tight to the woman's hand as she led her around to the front of the house. Only when they reached the driveway did she release her grasp and walked into the garage where she straddled her motorcycle. She carefully backed the machine out into the sunlight, turning it to face the street.

Rhian stood still, watching. The first time she¹d seen this motorcycle had been at the Pit when Deven had used it to rescue her from Mace. In the daylight, it seemed even bigger than she remembered. She turned to see what Deven was up to and was surprised to find the woman standing next to her holding a helmet.

Staring at the bike, Deven spoke softly. "Whenever I'm having a hard time with something, I ride. My head clears, and my worries seem to float away. It gives me a feeling of freedom I can't seem to find anywhere else." Turning her attention to the younger woman, she asked, "Have you ever ridden before?"

Rhian looked at the pristine motorcycle. "Only once and definitely nothing that big."

"Nothing to it." Deven carefully put the helmet on the blonde head, ensuring it was securely in place. "How's that feel?"

"Okay." Rhian looked skeptically at the motorcycle. "I don't know about this."

Resting her hands on Rhian's shoulders, Deven gave her a playful tug forward. "You said you didn't want to be afraid anymore, right?"

"Yes, but I was talking about something else."

"I know. And since that's not going to happen just now, we're going to try this. Come on. You'll love it. Trust me. Please?"

She looked into Deven's eyes. They were clear and bright, and she knew she couldn't deny her this. "Okay. But take it easy." Deven's grin lifted her up, and she smiled at the sense of exhilaration that came from the taller woman.

"No problem," she replied.

The door to the house opened, and Rhian watched with some uneasiness as Kelly stepped into the garage. The lawyer looked at them both and then at the motorcycle. "What's going on?"

"I'm taking Rhian for a ride." Retrieving her own helmet and sunglasses, Deven walked over to the bike and started it up. Straddling the machine, she balanced it between her legs while extending a hand to the younger woman. "Just hang on to me, okay?"

Rhian settled behind the martial artist, bringing her body as far forward on the seat as she thought was appropriate. The machine¹s vibrations coursed through her body, and she felt a combination of nervousness and elation.

Kelly walked up beside them. She could tell from how relaxed her friend was that things must have gone all right between the two women. "Deven."

"What?"

"I know you. You get on that bike and forget about the time and pretty much everything else. Don't disappear, okay? People are getting hungry."

Deven laughed because she knew Kelly was right. She would forget about everything and just take off. On more than one occasion she¹d started out on a short ride only to find herself up in mountains or at the beach. "Yes, mom." She pulled her helmet on and secured it. "Wrap your arms around me," she said over her shoulder. She felt Rhian tentatively hug her waist. "Tighter, Rhian." Taking the younger woman's hands in her own she pulled, forcing the woman forward on the seat. "I don't want to lose you. Nicole would have a fit."

Taking the hint, Rhian wrapped her arms around Deven's body, pressing herself against the strong back. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as the woman's spicy perfume filled her nose. She decided she really liked the scent. It suited Deven.

Shifting into first gear, the martial artist winked at Kelly before putting on her sunglasses and giving the engine gas. She throttled slowly so as not to unnerve her passenger and coasted the bike down the drive. Engaging the clutch, she revved the motor a couple of times. The roar of the powerful engine combined with the feel of Rhian's body against her back made her spirit soar.

She¹d always loved to ride, but something about having Rhian with her made it different. Better, somehow. Confident her passenger had a tight hold she opened it up and headed off with no particular destination in mind. She stuck mostly to the back roads, partly because she didn't want to scare Rhian but also because they were more scenic and required fewer total stops. She could coast through most intersections if she timed it right.

They had ridden for nearly twenty minutes before Deven had to come to a complete stop at a traffic light. Turning slightly, she regarded her passenger. The smile that Rhian gave her made her heart skip a beat. You were right, Kelly. When she smiles at me like that, it does feel great. She returned the smile with one of her own before shifting her attention back to the road.

A short time later, she steered the bike into a small county park and pulled to a stop near a somewhat secluded picnic table. Shutting off the engine, she slipped off her helmet and turned to observe her passenger before offering Rhian a hand to dismount.

Deven got off the bike and walked over to the table where she perched on the edge of tabletop. She looked around the park and then at the young woman. "I'll let you in on a little secret." Her eyes met Rhian's. "I'm afraid of failing you."

"Why?"

"I have no experience in relationships, Rhian. And you have to admit that my role models sucked."

"That's not totally true," the landscaper interjected.

"What's not true?"

"The role model part. You're parents certainly sucked, but your grandparents seemed really good at the relationship thing. Wouldn't you say?"

Deven's mind filled with memories of the two people who had shown her so much love. "You're right, but that doesn't change my ineptness." She took a deep breath and shifted her attention back to the present. "I can't change anything I've done. I'm afraid that you'll get fed up with me, or that I'm going to hurt you. And now I'm concerned about the possibility of a repeat of today. They're out there, Rhian. There's always the possibility that we'll run into someone that I slept with. I'm not proud of that, and I'm sorry, but I can't change it."

She reached out and took the younger woman's hands in her own. Her heart rate shot up, and she started to feel lightheaded. "You have to believe that you are the only person I've ever met, that has touched my heart like this. Rhian, I." She struggled in silence for several seconds before the words were finally freed. "I love you."

The young woman felt giddy from the admission, but fearful that she might have misunderstood. "What?"

Deven gave her a lopsided grin. "Shocked you, huh?"

"Yes," was the only word the young woman could manage at that moment.

"Well, I shock myself when it comes to you. Rhian McKenna, I'm in love with you, but I don't know how to love you."

Rhian's brow furrowed in confusion as she said, "I don't understand what you mean. You don't know how to love me?"

"I've never been in a situation like this before. I've never been in love before. I don't know what to do."

"Does it scare you?"

"Yes!" Deven laughed at her admission. "And if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it." Her smile faded and her expression turned pensive. "There is so much to feel. It seems like too much sometimes. Is that totally stupid?"

Rhian smiled and stepped up between the woman's long legs. "No, it isn't stupid. I feel it too." God, I love this woman.

"My past is not going to go away. It will continue to rear its ugly head, and I want to be really sure that you understand that."

"I understand. I do. Just try to be a little patient with me, okay?"

Deven chuckled. "I think you're the one that's going to need all the patience." Bringing their joined hands up, she kissed the back of Rhian's. "No matter what happens, you have to remember one thing." Their eyes locked. "I love you. I've never loved anyone before you. If I ever thought I felt love, I was mistaken. Because until you came into my life, I didn't know what it was. I tried to deny my feelings for you, but my heart just wouldn't allow it."

"Is that a bad thing?" Rhian asked.

Deven looked down at their hands as she considered the question carefully. "At first, I thought so. I'd accepted a long time ago that love was something that was never to be mine. Something that was never going to enter my life." Lifting her gaze, she stared into Rhian's eyes - eyes that looked back at her from the gentle soul that had conquered hers. "My life has changed so much in the last few months, but as hard as some changes have been, my life is so much fuller now. So no, it's not a bad thing."

Her voice grew strained with emotion. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, Rhian. I can't imagine what I could have ever done in my life to have you here with me, loving me. I'm terrified that the powers that be will figure out they made a mistake and take you away, or I'll find out this was just some sort of cosmic joke."

Tears of happiness filled Rhian's eyes. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around Deven's neck. She felt the woman's strong arms encircle her body, pulling them together and both women remained quiet, simply basking in the healing comfort they found in each other.

Until now it had never occurred to Deven that she could just hold a woman in her arms for the pure pleasure of holding her and not because she was about to screw her. Taking comfort in another person's presence had been taken from her when her father had turned her world inside out, and she never believed she would ever find that ability again.

But here she was, savoring the connection she shared with this woman. The warmth that flowed between them reached into the recesses within her, touching parts of her soul that she¹d thought long dead. It was powerful, and she felt helpless against the overwhelming sensation. Closing her eyes, she pushed the tears to recede. Once sure she wasn't going to cry, she loosened her grip slightly and asked, "So what now? Are we okay?"

"Yes, Deven. We're very much okay. We're still finding our way, but I think that as long as we can talk about things and we work together, we'll be fine." The awareness of this woman's feelings for her emboldened Rhian, and she pressed her lips to Deven's. The kiss began as a gentle confirmation of the love she felt, but changed as a primal urge from deep within stirred. She parted her lips in a silent request, and moaned as Deven responded.

Astounded by her behavior, Rhian pulled back breaking the kiss. Her confusion rapidly intermingled with embarrassment, and lowering her head, she kept her eyes closed, afraid to face the woman.

"Rhian, look at me." Deven waited until her head lifted and their eyes met.

"I didn't mean. I don't know why. I," she stammered.

"It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. You did it because you wanted to and it felt good, right?"

The blonde head nodded. The verdant eyes remained troubled from the profusion of emotions the landscaper was struggling with.

"Well, personally I'm glad. I like kissing you very much. You're a good kisser by the way." She watched a deep blush cover the young woman's cheeks.

"Liar."

Deven laughed. "Two things you need to know about me. I never give my word unless I'm certain I can keep it. And I have no need to lie. Every time we kiss it gets better, because you relax a little more. So, I'm thinking we need to practice." She gave the younger woman a rakish grin. "A lot." Lowering her head, she trailed several small kisses along the side of Rhian's neck, concentrating her attention on the tender flesh just below the earlobe. She felt the woman shiver and smiled. "Cold?"

"Uh, no." Rhian looked in wonder at the goose bumps on her arm.

"Oops. Did I do that?" Deven feigned innocence.

The landscaper looked up into eyes filled with mirth. "Do that again."

Only too happy to comply, Deven began a slow exploration of the younger woman's neck, kissing and nibbling on the soft flesh until eliciting another shiver.

Rhian stared transfixed at the fresh set of bumps on her skin. "Wow," she whispered.

The martial artist chuckled. "If you think that's something, wait until I get you naked and do that all over your body."

Rhian's eyes widened as she felt an unfamiliar yet somewhat pleasant tightening in her groin. "That might just kill me," she managed to croak.

Deven noted the enlarged pupils centered in darkened emerald irises, and knew the woman was feeling aroused whether she realized it or not. "That would most certainly not be my intention." A wave of tenderness blindsided Deven. She had no doubt of Rhian's internal strength. The woman had already demonstrated fortitude in facing the challenges that life had placed in her path thus far. She certainly has no trouble standing up to me. But despite her appreciation of Rhian's strong character, Deven had a sudden need to protect her, a need to keep her safe. From what she wasn't sure, but she knew in her heart that she would do whatever she could to keep this woman from being hurt by anyone, including herself.

"I love you, Deven."

She smiled and said, "I love you, too." Rising from the table she engulfed the landscaper in a bear hug. She was pleasantly pleased at how easily those words now seemed. "I guess we better get back before they call the police because I kidnapped you."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, my love. Kelly has gone to a lot of trouble to put this together. I guarantee you that she would kill us both. And besides, I've had enough of the heat and am more than ready for the pool."

Rhian had little desire to face anyone back at the house. "It's just. I made such a fool of myself, and I'm afraid I may have embarrassed Carl."

"You have nothing to worry about. Carl is a big boy and one of the most laid back people I've met. I can assure you that he's fine." She released the woman and walked her towards the motorcycle. "Believe me, these people are used to my tirades. You're going to have to do a lot worse if you plan on keeping up with me in that area." Picking up the spare helmet, she turned to face the woman. "Besides, if they aren't nice to you, I'll kick everyone's ass."

Something inside told Rhian that the martial artist could very well make good on that threat. "I don't think that will be necessary, Champ. But thanks for the sentiment."

"Anytime. And I mean that."

Rhian patted the woman's side. "I know. Let's get this over with. I wouldn't mind trying out that pool, and I'm getting mighty hungry."

Deven laughed while helping Rhian secure the helmet. "It's always about food with you, isn't it?"

The landscaper cocked her head slightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It's always about sex with you, isn't it?"

"Who me? Nah. Well, mostly." Straddling the motorcycle, she started the engine and extended a hand. "Let's go cause some trouble. I mean have some fun."

Once seated on the bike, Rhian looked at the picnic table. She committed the image to memory, as this would always be a special place for her. She felt Deven's hand cover hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. Tightening her grip, she hugged the martial artist, happy in the knowledge that not only did she love with a depth that still astounded her, but that she was truly loved in return.

To Be Continued In Chapter Twenty One

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