The doctor spoke to Graham outside Anna’s room after finishing his examination.

"She’s badly bruised, and I suspect there’s a sprain of the left shoulder, but no permanent damage. She needs to be kept warm and to get plenty of rest for the next few days. She’s going to be fine." He observed the strained, pale face of the woman before him and added, "You could use a hot bath and some rest yourself, Ms. Yardley."

"Yes, of course," Graham replied absently, her mind occupied only with her concern for Anna. She turned to push open Anna’s door and found Helen in her path.

"What is it?" she asked in exasperation. All she wanted was to be alone with Anna. She needed to be certain that she was safe.

"You’re soaked through and shaking. You need a hot bath and you’re not going in there until you have one." Helen steeled herself for what she knew was coming. As expected, Graham’s well-known temper ignited.

"Please step aside, Helen," Graham ordered, reaching toward the door. "I intend to see her, and I intend to see her now."

Very quietly, Helen responded, "Sweetheart, your face and hands are scratched and bleeding. You’re going to scare her to death if you don’t get cleaned up. Do you want her worrying about you when she should be resting?"

Graham paused, wanting to argue but knowing Helen was right. "All right, a quick one," she relented. "Please tell her I won’t be long."

It was in fact only a few moments before she approached Anna’s door once again, and smelled the aroma of hot tea. She followed the scent into Anna’s room.

Helen efficiently set up a tray and pulled a chair close to the bedside, carefully directing Graham to it.

"Now, both of you drink some of this tea," she instructed. "There’s biscuits there as well." She poured two cups, guiding Graham’s hand to them, and turned to leave. Anna’s face was white, but the eyes she fixed on Graham’s face appeared free of pain. Neither woman noticed as Helen pulled the door gently closed behind her.

"Anna?" Graham asked uncertainly, leaning forward on the edge of the bed, "Are you all right?"

"I’m much better now," Anna answered softly. Graham had a welt under her right eye and a scrape on her chin where a tree limb had struck her. Even worse were the many little cuts on her hands. Thank god none of them appeared serious. "You really shouldn’t be doing that sort of thing with your hands, you know. They’re too precious."

"Yes, well so are you," Graham replied in a moment of unguarded honesty. She was still shaken from the accident, and not being able to see Anna, to assure herself she was truly all right, was driving her mad. She attempted to rein in her emotions, teasing lightly, "I promise I won’t do it again if you promise to stay away from falling trees."

"On my honor," Anna whispered. Graham’s tenderness after their weeks of estrangement, combined with the memory of her kiss moments before, had her emotions in turmoil. She needed Graham’s comfort, and here she was, gentle and attentive.

"You should rest now," Graham murmured. She edged closer carefully, finding Anna’s hand with her own. She traced the fragile network of veins with her sensitive fingertips, allowing her hands to trail slowly up Anna’s bare arms. Anna lay transfixed, scarcely able to breathe. She had the feeling that Graham was not aware of her actions, and that as soon as Graham realized what she was doing, she would stop. Anna fervently did not want her to stop. Now that Graham had relaxed her rigid vigilance, Anna felt the full power of Graham’s emotional intensity for the first time. The possessive look on Graham’s face combined with the touch of her hands was melting her with longing. The heat rising in her body overpowered the pain of her bruises.

"I have some pills for the pain," Graham said at length. She held Anna’s hand against her cheek, her fingers folded about Anna’s. She was very slowly brushing the backs of Anna’s fingers against her skin.

"I don’t need them," Anna whispered, her throat tight with desire.

Graham brought one hand to Anna’s face and slowly ran a few strands of her hair through her fingers. It was so soft, silken - mesmerizing in its simple beauty. She wanted nothing more than to sit here like this with Anna safe beside her.

"You should sleep. I’ll be here," she murmured.

Anna drew a shuddering breath. Graham was so tender, and her touch was piercing. Anna knew she had never been touched like this before.

"You should go, Graham," Anna said with effort. She couldn’t bear the thought of Graham leaving, but Graham had been through as much as she. The hand that held hers trembled. "You look exhausted."

"Not yet," Graham said in a tone that broached no argument.

"Then at least lie down with me," Anna demanded boldly, "or I won’t sleep either."

Graham frowned. "You are rather pig-headed yourself," she remarked darkly. No one had ever been able to sway her the way Anna seemed to. Not even Christine with all her wiles had been as hard to resist.

"I’m serious, Graham," Anna persisted, detecting a rare moment of weakness in Graham’s usually impenetrable defenses. "Either you lie down with me or I’ll stay awake, too."

Graham could not bring herself to leave, although she refused to consider why. With a sigh of exasperation she stretched out beside Anna, her back against the broad head-board, one arm around Anna’s shoulders.

"All right now," Graham insisted, "close your eyes."

Almost instinctively, Anna moved so that she was reclining in Graham’s arms, her cheek against Graham’s chest. She wrapped her uninjured arm around Graham’s waist and closed her eyes. To her amazement, she soon began to drift.

"Don’t leave," she murmured groggily. If she hadn’t been compromised by physical and emotional stress, she never would have asked.

"I won’t," Graham promised, kissing the top of her head. If she hadn’t been so recently terrified for Anna’s life, she never would have stayed.

**********

It was fully dark when Anna opened her eyes. Graham was still beside her, her cheek resting against Anna’s hair, one hand rhythmically stroking the bare skin of her shoulder. In her sleep Anna had thrown one leg over Graham’s, and she lay tightly pressed to her now. Anna knew she was wet, and wondered if Graham could feel it. Anna shifted beneath the light sheet so her breasts rested more fully against Graham’s chest. She was rewarded with a swift gasp from Graham.

"Graham," she whispered, raising herself until their lips were nearly touching. She could feel the heat radiate from Graham now, too. Graham was scarcely breathing, straining for control. Anna shifted deliberately until her entire length rested upon Graham’s body. Her nipples tensed, and she rubbed them slowly back and forth across Graham's chest. When Anna rocked against Graham’s leg, a fine shudder passed through Graham’s form. Relentless now with need, Anna slipped one hand along the front of Graham’s trousers, trailing her fingers down Graham's thigh.

"Make love to me," Anna whispered in a voice husky with desire. "Please, Graham, please -I need you so much."

"I can’t," Graham choked, shaking with the effort to contain her arousal.

Anna’s hand pressed into Graham's thigh, sliding higher with deliberate strokes.

"Oh god, Anna—don’t," Graham groaned, her hips rising to Anna's touch of their own volition. She was losing focus, the aching in her pelvis traveling in waves into her belly and beyond. "You can’t know what you’re asking!"

Graham was wet against Anna's palm where she held her, and Anne saw a hunger in Graham's face that was undeniable. She sensed Graham’s fear and resistance too, but she was too far gone to care. Anna was completely at the mercy of her own driving need, motivated by an instinct as essential as that to breathe.

"I do know what I’m asking," she gasped, " and so do you! Do you want me to beg?"

Graham hesitated still, her head pounding, trying to ignore the building pressure to move against Anna’s hand. Her body was in mutiny. She was afraid she might come at the slightest touch. "Anna, you’re hurt!" she protested weakly.

"All I can feel is how much I need you to touch me. I'm ready to explode – I'm so swollen – oh, god – Graham-- " Anna groaned through a haze of overwhelming need, her body surging against the reed slender woman in her arms. She caught Graham’s hand and brought it to the aching fullness of her breast. "Please-"

With that touch Graham’s restraint broke at last. She yielded to a tidal wave of lust with a strangled cry. Her hands were upon Anna with a force that took the breath from Anna’s body. Sweeping like wildfire down the planes of Anna’s abdomen, along her thighs, ascending just as quickly to stroke her neck and breasts, Graham’s touch stirred a searing heat that set Anna’s nerve ends burning. She felt herself dissolving into molten liquid, her speech reduced to small cries that became incoherent whimpers as her body arched to Graham, desperately offering all of herself. Graham’s lips were on her neck, murmuring her name like a benediction. She eased her body over Anna’s, brushing the covers aside, one hand seeking between Anna's legs. She thrilled to the welcoming warmth, parting the engorged lips, groaning as she slipped into Anna’s silken depths. She clenched her jaw, willing herself to go slowly, struggling with the shattering urge to claim Anna with all the power of her passion.

"Oh god, Graham," Anna cried out as Graham filled her, willing her deeper, thrusting to contain all of her. Graham’s mouth bruised her lips, the fabric of Graham’s shirt chaffed her swollen nipples, and the exquisite motion of Graham’s fingers within her inflamed her senses.

"Oh, no," she gasped urgently as her hips began to rock involuntarily. Her clit was tingling, jumping with the rhythm of Graham's thrusting fingers. Oh god – not so soon! "Graham wait!" It was already too late. Muscles clenched and tightened, she sobbed as her body, long denied, found release. She clutched Graham’s shoulders, strangling on her own throaty cries. Endlessly, her peaked, only to be driven to a higher plateau by the insistent stroking of Graham’s finely tuned hands, until she lay exhausted, able only to murmur, "Enough, my darling, I’ll die from you."

Graham laughed gently, her fingers quieting, but not withdrawing. She settled Anna firmly against her, breathing into her hair, "Oh no, love, you won’t die from this. Never from this."

Through a curtain of languorous fatigue, Anna saw Graham’s dark eyes upon her face, tender and deep with passion. To see her so stopped the breath in her throat, she loved her so much. Anna pressed closer to her, whispering, "Just hold me, please."

"Anything," Graham murmured as Anna drifted into sleep.

Graham smiled faintly. "Yes."

"You make me feel beautiful," Anna confessed shyly.

"You are beautiful, Anna." Graham kissed her softly, reverently.

Anna smiled, then stretched indolently, trying to dispel the intoxicating lethargy Graham’s touch induced. She shifted on the bed, one hand resting on Graham’s abdomen. Muscles fluttered beneath her fingers. Being this close to Graham kept her constantly aroused. It was a new experience, one that left her breathless. Graham, ever sensitive, raised one questioning eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"I want to look at you—all of you," Anna replied, tugging at Graham’s shirt, brushing her fingers along the taut muscles beneath. She slipped her hand beneath the waistband of the tailored linen trousers, her pulse racing as Graham groaned and shuddered faintly at the touch.

"Let me touch you," Anna whispered against Graham's neck. Anna's need to have this enigmatic woman was as great as her need to be taken by her just a short time ago.

Graham flushed, but sat up slightly and began to unbutton her shirt. She shrugged the soft material from her shoulders and reached for the zipper on her trousers. Anna’s hand grasped hers as Anna whispered, "Let me."

Graham raised her hips as Anna slid the last of her clothing away.

"God, you’re perfect," Anna breathed, gazing at the sweeping planes of Graham’s long form. As slowly as she knew how, Anna began to touch her, lingering over each curve and hollow of her body, exploring her with her hands and lips. Anna wanted to make this moment last forever, and even as Graham’s breathing quickened, her body undulating under Anna’s caresses, Anna went slowly. With her mouth she began a slow descent from Graham’s neck, teasing each nipple before she traced a path down Graham’s quivering abdomen. Graham opened before her, arching gently up to meet her tongue, her breath rasping in her throat. As Anna’s lips drew on her engorged clitoris, she moaned softly, her fingers entwining in Anna’s hair. Anna had never known such tender power before. She thrilled to her ability to please this woman who had given her such exquisite pleasure. Her tongue stroked each ripe fold, moving with the surges of Graham’s body, matching her rhythm to that of her beloved. She was drunk with the taste of her, drowning in her rich nectar.

Graham groaned, grasped Anna's hands tightly, and arched against her lips. "Ah, Anna – my love," she whispered brokenly, finally giving in to the relentless driving pressure to come.

Anna struggled to hear her through the deafening roar of her own raging lust. She moaned with each quake that rippled through Graham’s body, holding fast to the slender hips until Graham quieted. Were it not for Graham calling her name, she would have gladly stayed there, senses overflowing, for time out of mind. Eventually Graham's hands gently drawing her upwards brought her back to herself.

"Come here," Graham whispered, "let me feel you close to me."

Anna moved to lie beside her, her heart contracting at the sight of tears streaking Graham’s cheeks. She thought she might come apart. She wanted so much to ease the pain Graham had suffered for so long. Softly she brushed the tears away. Her lips caressed the scar on Graham’s brow, lingering over each translucent eyelid. Graham’s lips parted in silent pleasure and a long sigh escaped her.

"You make me feel more than I ever imagined possible," Anna murmured against the ivory column of Graham’s neck. "It’s almost more than my heart can contain."

Graham caressed her gently as Anna slipped once more into satisfied sleep. Graham lay quietly for a long time, trying to absorb every sensation, every sound, every scent that was Anna. She filled her heart, and her mind, and her memory with her. At last she slipped from the bed, leaning down to softly kiss the sleeping woman.

"You are more beautiful than any music I have ever heard," she whispered.

**********

The sun rose over Yardley’s grand expanses, but the brilliance of the changing dawn colors was lost on the woman who stood high above the sea. The brisk ocean breeze tossed her hair into her eyes, but she did not lift a hand to shield them. The tears on her face were not from the wind, nor the shivering in her body from the piercing cold. In the long years of her exile, she had never been so alone. Her defenses had been breached, her heart wrent by the gentle touch of a woman’s lips. She remembered with shattering clarity each sensation - the longing, and the wonder, and the miracle of communion, body and soul. She could not drive the memory of the past from her thoughts - the complete desolation of the spirit she had suffered when Christine left her. She feared that ultimately her need would force Anna to leave her, too. She knew with utter certainty that this would be a pain she could not bear a second time in her life. Despite the years, the wounds still bled, and she could not banish the fear. She had not sought this love, in fact she had hidden herself from the very possibility of it all this time. She cried for what she had done, and what she must do. Finally, she returned to the house to await Anna’s awakening, and to seal her own fate.

Anna knew instinctively as she reached out that she was alone.

"Graham?" she called.

"I’m here, Anna," Graham answered from her place by the window. "How do you feel?

Anna rolled over and pushed herself up in bed. She regarded Graham carefully. She had grown too used to the nuances of Graham’s posture and tone of voice not to know when she was distressed.

"I’m stiff, and sore just about everywhere, but nothing feels serious," she replied cautiously.

"Good," Graham sighed. She gathered herself for the hardest words she would ever say. "Anna, I must talk to you about last night."

Anna closed her eyes, her stomach tightening. Last night she didn’t need to think—all she knew was the joy of Graham’s presence. She didn’t need to think now to know she had been more deeply moved by Graham’s touch than any other event in her life. She didn’t need words to capture the ecstasy of loving this woman. Her skin still tingled from the stroke of Graham’s hands, her body stirred with desire at the sight of her. She loved her, more passionately than she would have believed possible. Graham Yardley had claimed her, willingly or not—heart, body and soul.

"You don’t need to say anything, Graham," Anna replied. "Last night, with you, was more beautiful than anything I’ve ever experienced. No one has ever touched me -"

Graham interrupted her harshly. She could not bear to hear these words! "Anna, you were hurt, vulnerable—you needed comforting! I—I was frightened—I forgot myself. It wasn’t meant. I’m sorry."

"What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me last night was some kind of mistake?!" Anna asked incredulously. She stared at Graham uncomprehendingly. "You can’t mean that! For God’s sake, Graham-"

"We were both frightened, exhausted - I took advantage," Graham stated flatly.

"Graham! I asked you into my bed—I’ve been wanting, needing you, for so long! God Graham! I love you," Anna cried vehemently.

Graham groaned. "Anna—Anna, you must not!" She drew a deep breath, her face set. "Last night should never have happened. I have no desire for it to be repeated. I do not want that kind of relationship with you."

"And you expect me to simply forget it? What we shared- the way it felt to touch you?" Anna questioned grimly, her hurt and bewilderment giving way to anger. "And what am I supposed to do with my feelings for you, Graham? Am I to ignore them the way you seem to be able to? "

Graham gave no sign that Anna’s words affected her at all. "There can be no question of anything other than a friendship between us. If I’ve misled you, I apologize."

Anna wanted to scream; part of her wanted to beg. How could she be alone in this? She had felt love in Graham’s touch—she had heard it as Graham whispered her name! She stared at Graham, a cold hand gripping her heart. "Are you sure?" she asked at last.

"I’m quite sure." Her face betrayed not a flicker of emotion.

"Then I’ll be leaving Yardley as soon as I can make arrangements," Anna replied hollowly, her mind numb with pain.

Graham clenched her hands, steeling herself against the crushing desolation. "Of course, if you think you must."

Anna watched her cross to the door, knowing this might be the last time she saw her. As Graham’s hand touched the knob, Anna said coldly, "Damn you for a coward, Graham Yardley! How can you do this!"

Graham faltered for a second before wordlessly closing the door gently behind her.

**********

"At least tell me what’s she’s done!" Helen cried frantically as she watched Anna pile boxes into the back of her Jeep.

"She hasn’t done anything," Anna replied woodenly. "She’s exactly the same as she’s always been - I was the one who made the mistake."

"Let me talk to her," Helen pleaded. "Just tell me what happened!"

Anna stifled a laugh that verged on tears. She felt dangerously out of control. Poor Helen, this is almost as hard on her as it is on me! The only one who seems unaffected is Graham.

"There’s nothing you can do, Helen," she responded when she could find her voice.

Helen stopped her hurried motions with a hand on her arm, forcing Anna to look at her. "Anna," she said quietly, "it will kill her if you leave."

"No, Helen," Anna said as she gently removed her hand and stepped up into the Jeep. "It will kill me."

She did not look back as she drove away from all she loved.
 
 

She woke before the alarm after another restless night. She turned toward the window, seeking a hint of the sun through the glass. Even after all this time she still missed the smell of the ocean. She lay quietly, waiting for the ache in her to lessen. It was there each day when she opened her eyes, arising from some deep wound that would not heal. Pain was her constant companion, a raw burning grief that clouded even the most simple pleasures. She had learned to accept it—as she accepted that there was a place in her soul which would remain forever empty. That she loved Graham still, would always love her, was the truth and the agony she lived with.

After the first desolate weeks alone again in Boston, she tried to reclaim her life. She immersed herself in her studies and had only to complete her thesis to have her degree. She had no social life and desired none. There was no question of re-entering the world she had known during her marriage—a world now foreign to her. Loving Graham had taught her that she could only have loved with such deep passion and paralyzing desire because Graham was a woman. And she knew without doubt that no other woman could ever eclipse Graham in her heart. She had wanted Graham with a ferocity that still stunned her. She need only to recall some fleeting image, and she would be ambushed by desire—her need to touch her, to taste her, to lose herself in her was palpable. Anna welcomed these moments, despite the bitter pain of loss, because it was only their presence that convinced her some part of her still lived. Otherwise, she moved through her days numb and scarcely present. The future stretched before her with no hint of joy.

The alarm sounded, a reminder that each day would come, and that she would somehow survive. As she moved about her small studio apartment gathering her things, she tried to dispel the lingering memories of her past. Woven through the tapestry of loss was a hard bitter thread of anger, anger over the life, and the love, she might have had - things too painful to dwell on now.

She still found it hard to believe the direction her life had taken. She now worked for a landscape design firm, a job that a year ago she would have been overjoyed to have. She did enjoy her work, in fact, it was her salvation, but the pleasure was diminished by the emptiness of the rest of her life. She barely remembered how she had gotten through that initial interview.

Lauren Parker, a nationally renowned landscape architect and one of a very few women to head her own firm, had interviewed her personally. Anna recalled that she had been both direct and personable, questioning Anna thoroughly but in an easy relaxed manner. Apparently she had been impressed by Anna’s graduate work on historic estate renovations, an area she said her firm was interested in exploring. Although it seemed now to Anna that she had floated through the interview in a daze, she must have made a favorable impression. She had been there six months. She grabbed her briefcase and hurried toward the door. She needed this job, but more importantly, she needed to work. It was the only thing which provided brief respite from her memories.

Anna was sketching in the details of an outdoor theatre when someone tapped on the wall of her work cubicle. She looked up to find Lauren leaning against the partition. It wasn’t unusual for Lauren Parker to supervise the work of her staff personally, but she managed to do it in a way that was both non-threatening and non-intrusive. Those who worked for her knew how fortunate they were to have an employer who was talented as well as fair-minded.

Anna smiled a greeting, laying her work aside. "Hi."

"Hi. How’s the prospectus for the Randolph estate?"

Lauren was dressed casually in a navy linen pants suit that accentuated her trim athletic build. She could have been thirty-five, although Anna knew she was at least ten years older. She radiated confidence and vigorous good health. Her blonde hair was stylishly short, and she wore almost no makeup.

"Good, I think. I have some things to run by Don, and then it should be ready for you to look at."

Lauren nodded. "Excellent. We’re ahead of schedule, which should appease those elements on Randolph’s board of directors who thought the project should go to Tom Langdon across town." Despite her firms national reputation, there were always those who mistrusted the ability of a woman to excel in a man’s field. This job was her entree into the realm of historic renovation she had been waiting for.

Lauren hesitated a second, then asked, "How about a working dinner tonight? I’d like to hear what you’ve come up with so far, but I’ve got clients scheduled all afternoon. If you don’t have other plans? I know it’s Friday night."

A shadow flickered across Anna’s face and was quickly gone. "No," she said quietly, "I don’t have any plans. Dinner would be fine. Should I meet you somewhere?"

"Why don’t we just grab a cab from here?" Lauren hadn’t missed the reaction her invitation had provoked. Whatever the memory, it had hurt. She said nothing further, knowing Anna was intensely private.

Anna nodded, "Okay."

Lauren smiled warmly. "Good—I’m looking forward to it."

**********

At six o’clock Lauren stopped in the corridor beside Anna’s desk. "Are you ready to finish up? The cab should be downstairs in about fifteen minutes."

Anna smiled up at her, nodding. "I’m more than ready. I’ll just freshen up and meet you outside."

Lauren held the cab door open while Anna slid in, then instructed the driver, "The Copely Plaza, please," as she settled next to Anna with a sigh. "God, I’ve been looking forward to this all day."

"I might be a little under-dressed for the Copely," Anna said, indicating her casual slacks and sweater.

Lauren turned her head to look at Anna. "Nonsense. You look terrific," she said softly. The woman beside her had lost the deep tan that had accentuated her blue eyes and blond hair so strikingly six months before, but she had also lost the haunted look that seemed to shadow her every moment. She smiled occasionally now, a blazing smile that never failed to capture Lauren’s attention for just long enough to be distracting. Pleasantly distracting.

Anna blushed under Lauren’s warm, appraising glance. It was nothing like the way men had looked at her, still did in fact. She didn’t feel as if she were being assessed like a painting about to be purchased, or a fine wine about to be consumed. Lauren’s glance was appreciative, and intimate in a respectful way. It was the first time Anna had ever been aware of a woman looking at her in quite that manner. Would Graham have, if she could have seen her? Without warning she remembered the way Graham had stroked her face after they made love, ‘seeing’ her in the only way she could. Anna recognized the sensuality of Lauren’s gaze because she had felt it, magnified a thousand times, in Graham’s hands on her skin. The image was so painful she closed her eyes with a small gasp.

"What is it?" Lauren asked in concern.

"Just a headache," Anna said with a shaky laugh. "I think I forgot lunch and it’s catching up with me."

"Well, dinner is on the company," Lauren said, almost as if she didn’t own it. "Let’s enjoy it!" She doubted the headache story; she had seen the same thing happen to Anna before. Some word or gesture would inexplicably cause her to pale, visibly shaken. Something had hurt her badly, and Lauren guessed that Anna kept the anguish at bay through sheer strength of will. Anna’s struggle touched some deep cord in Lauren, as she watched the younger woman slowly rise above her pain over the past months. "Come on," she said, touching Anna’s hand briefly. "Let me buy you a drink."

Anna forced herself to relax, wanting to forget everything for just a little while. She decided to try to enjoy herself, and before she knew it, she was seated with Lauren at a cozy table sipping a very fine wine.

At Lauren’s suggestion, they got business out of the way while they waited for appetizers, so that by the time their meal came, their conversation was casual. Anna found Lauren an easy companion. Her interests beyond the professional were varied, and she had a way of bringing images to life with her enthusiasm. She was bright, gracious and altogether charming. For the first time in months Anna found she could actually distance herself from the despair that seemed to be the undercurrent of her life. She was grateful for the brief surcease of pain.

"Anna," Lauren said as she reached to fill Anna’s wine glass, "you have been doing excellent work at the firm, and I consider us lucky to have you. I hope you plan to stay on with us for the long-term. There will be plenty of opportunity for advancement."

Anna stared at her in surprise. She hadn’t expected Lauren to notice her work, let alone comment so favorably upon it. She was pleased and said so.

Lauren nodded, her face uncharacteristically subdued. She fidgeted briefly with her straw, then tossed it onto the table with a sigh. "There’s never an easy way to do this, at least none that I’ve ever found," she said at length. "But I want you to understand that this has absolutely nothing to do with work, and never will. No matter what you say to me, your position at the firm is based upon your production, and your skill - nothing else."

Anna looked at her quizzically. "I don’t have the faintest idea what you’re talking about," she said.

Lauren blushed and laughed lightly. "How could you? I’m not saying anything!" She leaned forward slightly, her intense grey eyes fixed on Anna’s. "Anna—I think you are a very attractive woman, and I like you. I would very much like to spend more time with you—socially. Well, romantically actually."

Anna stared at her, at a loss for words. Lauren was highly attractive in many ways - bright, accomplished, physically compelling, and Anna was more comfortable with her than she had been in months. Part of her wanted this woman to make her forget Graham Yardley.

Lauren waited in silence, then asked softly, "Have I misread you? If I have, I apologize."

Anna cleared her throat, then responded, "No, you haven’t—I mean, I am a lesbian."

Lauren added in concern, "I have never asked an employee out before. I meant it, Anna—don’t think for a second that this has any bearing on your position at the firm. Please!"

Anna searched for her voice. "I don’t—it doesn’t feel that way, and neither do you."

She looked at the woman across from her, imagining her touch, her kiss. She had grown to admire and respect Lauren, and after tonight she knew she liked her. She wondered if she could let Lauren make love to her body, if the physical sensation might even be welcome, if it somehow might dull her memory of Graham even briefly. She longed for some relief from the endless torment, but she knew without a shred of doubt she could never give Lauren her heart. That was no longer hers to own, or to give. She was Graham’s, in every fiber of her being, and always would be. She looked at Lauren helplessly, " It’s not that -it’s just-, I can’t, Lauren, I’m sorry—"

Lauren thought she detected tears in her eyes. "Hey," she said softly, "it’s okay. I didn’t mean to upset you."

Anna shook her head, brushing impatiently at the moisture on her cheeks. "You haven’t—this has been the best night I’ve spent in months. And if things were different—"

Lauren hurried to state, "I don’t want to get in the middle of anything if you’re already involved with someone. I’ve never heard you mention anyone."

"No," Anna answered, the pain in her voice impossible to hide. "I’m not involved with anyone."

"But?" Lauren questioned gently.

Anna’s gaze was wounded. "But there is someone I love, very much—someone who apparently doesn’t love me. But that doesn’t stop the wanting—does it?"

Lauren looked at her sympathetically. "No, it doesn’t. Perhaps time will help. I’ve enjoyed our evening together. And I’d like to do it again sometime. I appreciate your honesty, Anna, and if the time comes that you might feel differently about seeing me, I’ll consider myself lucky. ‘Til then—friends?"

Anna smiled tremulously. "I could use a friend. Thank you, Lauren."
 

As time passed Lauren proved true to her word. On the average of once a week, she invited Anna to the theatre or out for dinner. The only place Anna refused to accompany her was to the symphony. Anna hadn’t been able to listen to any kind of music that reminded her of Graham, and the thought of a concert hall brought twisting pain to her depths. In her mind, the concert stage would always belong to Graham; her memory held so many images of her there. Seeing Anna’s response the first time she asked her, Lauren never asked her again.

Anna enjoyed their time together, coming to value their relationship immensely. She would not speak of her past, and Lauren did not press her. When they parted, Lauren kissed her lightly on the cheek. It didn’t escape Anna’s notice that occasionally Lauren would look at her with a question in her eyes, but Anna never felt pressured to move their relationship onto a more intimate level. Anna hoped that their friendship was as rewarding to Lauren as it had come to be to her.

Early one morning the phone on her desk rang. It was Lauren.

"Can I see you in my office for a minute?"

"I’ll be right there," Anna replied, rolling up the plan she had been working on.

When Anna entered, Lauren motioned for Anna to join her at the large drafting table situated before the enormous windows overlooking the Boston Commons. She indicated a layout pinned to the board. She was clearly excited.

"The Randolph renovations have progressed exceptionally well. The article featuring our work in the Times last weekend has really fostered interest in estate reclamation. This area is ripe for it. I think it’s time to push the promotional we discussed when you first interviewed. I’d like to use your work at Yardley as the centerpiece. It’s one of the oldest estates on the Cape and will be easily recognized by prospective clients. Since Yardley is so well known to you, and the concept of marketing estate landscape restoration is really yours as well, I’d like you to oversee the project. We’ll need detailed plans, as well as photodocumentation. I want you to put your other projects on hold until this is off the ground."

Anna stood stunned and speechless, while Lauren looked at her expectantly. Of course she should be honored that Lauren would entrust such an important project to her direction, and it was what she had been training to do—but, oh god, not at Yardley! Her composure threatened to give way under a wave of panic.

"I can’t," she finally whispered.

Lauren stared at her in astonishment. "What do you mean, ‘you can’t?’ Is it because of your thesis? I thought you had that nearly wrapped up."

"No," Anna forced herself to say calmly. "I’ll work on the promotional—anything else you want. Anything. But I can’t do the work on Yardley."

"But Anna, I want Yardley as the main work. That’s where I need you!"

Anna passed a trembling hand across her face, trying to gather her wits. Just the mention of Yardley had brought a flood of memories, and such pain she thought she might be ill. God, what would she do if she actually had to see Graham? It was impossible! She couldn’t do it!

"Anna, we’re friends. Tell me what this is all about." Lauren laid her hand gently on Anna’s arm, her concern genuine. Anna was trembling.

Anna turned to face her, an agony of despair clearly visible. Lauren had never seen such desolation, and her heart surged with compassion.

"Tell me, sweetheart."

"I can’t go back to Yardley," Anna said at last, her voice shaking.

"Why not?"

"Graham—" Anna began, barely able to say her name. "I can’t see her. I can’t." She looked at Lauren pleadingly. "Please don’t ask me to, Lauren. It would kill me."

Lauren studied her for long moments, the pieces slowly falling into place. She knew that Anna had lived at Yardley but had never given it any thought. Now Anna’s isolation and depression were more understandable.

"Graham Yardley - the composer," Lauren said softly. "She’s the woman you’re in love with, isn’t she?"

Anna closed her eyes, trying to stem the tears, failing. "Yes," she choked out, turning from her friend, struggling for control. She felt a tender hand on her shoulder, heard a soft voice murmur her name, and she turned into the arms that waited for her. Lauren held her gently, letting her cry, not trying to tell her it as all right when it so obviously wasn’t. At length Anna drew away, fumbling for a tissue, embarrassed.

"I’m sorry," she said. "I didn’t expect this - if I don’t think about her, I seem to be able to manage. You took me by surprise."

Lauren let out a long breath. "Anna, you’ve always been honest with me and I care about you. I don’t want to see you suffer like this any longer, and I’ll admit not all of my reasons are selfless ones. I won’t pretend that I don’t want more from our relationship, but this isn’t about that. This is destroying you. You need to give her up—you have the rest of your life, don’t allow it to be an empty one. Maybe if you work on the project, it will help you heal."

Anna laughed almost hysterically. "Heal? You can’t heal what’s already dead, and that’s what I am inside, Lauren. Dead. All I’m trying to do now is make it from day to day. If I have to see Graham, I won’t even be able to do that! She’s not something I can just ‘give up’! She’s in every part of me. You can’t imagine what being near her is like for me!"

Lauren winced at the truth of Anna’s words. It wasn’t easy to be faced with the extent of Anna’s passion for another woman, but nevertheless her tone was kind as she offered, "You won’t have to see her. She isn’t there."

Anna grasped the edge of the table, her head suddenly light. "Oh, dear god, has something happened to her? Is she all right?"

"As far as I know, she is. David Norcross told me that no one had been in residence at Yardley since last fall, but that he would provide us with keys if we needed access." Seeing the look of panic on Anna’s face, she added gently, "That’s really all I know."

Anna forced down the surge of panic. "I can’t make a decision about this now, Lauren. Give me a little time—just a few day, please."

Lauren nodded, reluctantly accepting that Anna’s heart still belonged completely to Graham Yardley. Despite her own disappointment, as a friend, she would have to let Anna find her own way.

"I’ll need your answer by the end of next week ," she conceded.

**********

That night Anna dreamed of Yardley, and of Graham. A storm was coming, like the storm that brought down the sycamore. She was in the garden, the sky darkening around her. Turning to the sea, she saw Graham standing at the edge of the cliff, struggling to stay upright in the gale. She seemed even thinner in the distant gloom, wraithlike, and in danger of being swept from the earth by the force of the snarling winds. Anna’s cries to her were flung back in her face by the howling blasts. She must reach her!!

"Graham, I’m coming," she screamed soundlessly, "I’m coming, my darling!!" She fought to move, choking with panic, able only to watch in horror as Graham was flung by the whirlwind into the raging waters.

"No!" she wailed into the night, finally dragging herself to consciousness. She lay gasping, soaked in sweat, her face streaked with tears. The aftermath of her dream left her awash with loss. "Oh God Graham," she whispered into the darkness, "I love you so much."

**********

Anna drove slowly up the drive to Yardley Manor, her heart pounding. Yardley appeared abandoned, dark and foreboding. The shutters were all closed, and windswept debris littered the walks and the wide front porch. She parked her Jeep behind the house by the kitchen and walked down the steep garden path toward the sea. She stopped at the site of the fallen sycamore, thinking of how that accident had finally brought Graham into her arms. Oh, god, she thought she had found heaven. How could she have been so wrong!

She stood for many minutes looking out to the sea, images flashing through her mind like slides on a screen. She recalled how Graham had looked that first day in the library, pale and stern, and so stubborn and proud! She had been drawn to her even then. She remembered the slow building of her love as she had come to know more of the gentle, tortured soul Graham kept hidden within. What finally started tears flowing was the memory of Graham’s music—its haunting beauty and the even more beautiful image of Graham playing. As the music cascaded through her mind, so too did the remembrance of their lovemaking. She ached for Graham’s touch, and to touch her in return.

Watching the waves crash below, ominous in their fury, she was reminded of the desolation she had felt in her dream. She couldn’t continue to live like this. Anna felt a strange steeling of her heart, and a new determination. Replacing the pain that accompanied each breath was a rising anger, and the resolution to put an end to this torment. As she turned and began the long climb back, Anna became aware of another sensations in her heart. She finally recognized that it was hope.
 

"I’m afraid I simply cannot reveal that information. I’m truly sorry."

Anna looked at David Norcross and repeated determinedly, "I must see her. Where has she gone?"

Norcross sighed. "I have strict instructions that no one is to be given that information. If you’d like, you can leave a message." His look suggested there was little chance that Graham would return anyone’s message.

Anna shook her head. "No, I need to talk to her in person."

"If it were a matter of life or death, perhaps."

"Mr. Norcross, it is a matter of life or death. My life and hers." Seeing the surprised look on his face, Anna continued, her eyes locked on his. "I love Graham Yardley. And she loves me—I hope. I let her drive me away, but I can’t believe that’s what she really wants. Please, I must see her. Now, before it’s too late." Even as she spoke, she struggled with a strange sense of foreboding. She couldn’t dispel the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

David Norcross pushed his chair back and went to stand at the windows that rose above Boston Harbor. As his silence grew, Anna remained still, scarcely daring to breathe.

When he spoke at last, it was as if to himself. "I have known Graham Yardley since she was a young girl. Her father was one of my closest friends. Graham’s accident nearly killed him, but you must know that," he said, turning to look fully at Anna. "Graham survived, but something vital was lost —her joy, her incredible passion, her great talent—all gone. We all lost something as a result - and the world lost a great artist."

Anna nodded. "I know that—but it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s still part of her, Mr. Norcross - undiminished. She’s been hurt, and she’s afraid. I was afraid, and I failed us both. Please help us."

Norcross bent over his desk, wrote quickly on a piece of stationery and handed the slip of paper across the desk to Anna.

"I wish you luck, my dear. For all of our sakes."

**********

"Oh my lord, is it really you?"

Anna swept Helen up into her arms, hugging her fiercely. "Yes, Helen, it’s really me." She stepped back to gaze at the older woman, instantly struck by the distress and worry in her face. For the first time since Anna had known her, she looked every one of her sixty-five years. Something was wrong. "Is she here, Helen?"

Helen nodded. "She’s out in the gazebo." Helen’s voice caught on a sob, and she turned away to hide her tears. "I was just taking her tea. I’ll ask her if she’ll see you."

Anna gently restrained her with a hand on her arm. "No you won’t. This time it isn’t up to her. I intend to talk to her."

"Then you’d better prepare yourself—she’s ill."

Something in the way Helen looked told more than her words. Icy fear gripped Anna’s heart. "Tell me."

Helen’s voice trembled as she recounted the events of the last few terrifying weeks. "She came down with pneumonia—six weeks ago, I think. For some reason the doctors couldn’t explain to me, she didn’t respond the way they expected to the medicines. They said there was something wrong with her resistance—but—"

"What do you think?" Anna asked, her throat painfully tight.

Helen looked at Anna sadly, then replied, "I think she didn’t care if she got well. I’ve seen Graham through what I thought were the worst times of her life, and I’ve never seen her like this."

"Why are you here? Why did you leave Yardley?" Anna asked, fighting her panic, struggling to understand what was happening.

Helen tried not to sound harsh, but her fear outweighed her concern for Anna’s feelings. "I told you what would happen if you left her! She wouldn’t stay there a day after you moved out. Ordered a car, told me to close the house, and left for Philadelphia that night. She’s been alone with her piano day and night, worse than I’ve ever seen her. One final work, she said - and she’s been at it frantically for months. No wonder the doctors couldn’t help! I know what’s she’s doing! When this is done, she means to leave us!" Helen broke into quiet sobs.

"Oh Jesus," Anna whispered, her eyes closed tightly against the thought. "Why didn’t you call me? You must have known I would come!"

"I almost did, especially those few days when she was so ill it looked like we might lose her—"

"Oh, god," Anna groaned. Please don’t let this be happening!

"But she made me promise that I wouldn’t. She didn’t want your pity, she said."

"My god, she’s a fool—but no more so than I," Anna said harshly. "I called her a coward, but it was I who was the coward—. I knew what she had been through. I knew about Christine! Eventually she would have accepted that I loved her, if only I had stayed!"

"It wasn’t your love she doubted," Helen corrected gently.

"Then what?" Anna cried in frustration.

"She was afraid of her love for you - afraid it would be too much. She never believed that you would stay."

"And I left her, didn’t I?" Anna said bitterly. "This is madness - I have to make her hear me, Helen. I love her so much!"

"Just don’t let her send you away," Helen said firmly, beginning to hope for the first time in months. "She’ll try to, you know."

Anna shook her head grimly. "I won’t leave if there’s any part of her that loves me - no matter what she says."

Helen smiled, "Then I needn’t worry. Just go to her, my dear girl."

**********

Graham stood at the rear of the open gazebo, her back to the entrance. Anna paused at the threshold, paralyzed with the reality of seeing her again. She appeared even thinner; Anna could see that she had lost weight. Each tendon in the fine hand that rested on the rail stood out in stark contrast to the overlying skin, stretched to near translucency. Even from a distance Anna saw the tremor in the delicate fingers. She wanted so much to hold her, but she held back. They must talk.

"Thank you, Helen—just leave it, please," Graham said in a low voice. After a moment she tilted her head, listening, "Helen?"

"Hello, darling," Anna called softly, her voice catching in her throat.

Graham swayed slightly and the hand that clutched the railing turned white.

"Anna?" she whispered in disbelief. Abruptly she turned, her dark eyes searching for a figure she would never see, "Anna?"

Anna gasped and took an uncertain step forward. Graham looked so ill! Her normally brilliant gaze was clouded with pain. Her face was gaunt and lined with fatigue. But even more frightening than the dark circles smudging her normally clear skin was her obvious physical weakness. She leaned heavily on her walking stick, and without it Anna was sure she would fall.

"Yes, it’s me," she said, struggling to keep the fear from showing in her voice. "I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get here."

Graham straightened with difficulty. She would not have Anna here because of her weakness! With a semblance of her previous authority she demanded, "Did Helen send for you?"

"No, darling, she didn’t. I came because I couldn’t bear being separated from you any longer. I’ve missed you so much."

"I don’t want your pity, Anna," Graham snapped, her tone harsh. "And I don’t want you here because of my needs." Sagging slightly despite her best efforts, she passed a trembling hand across her face. In a strained voice, she pleaded, "I have little left but my pride, Anna. Please leave me that."

Anna crossed the distance between them to grasp Graham’s shoulders in her hands. "Not your needs, Graham—mine. I need you—more than you’ll ever know. I need your strength and your passion and your desire. And, oh god, I need your music!" She tightened her hold, fearing that Graham would somehow slip away. "My life is so barren without you! Please won’t you let me come home?"

Graham bowed her head, eyes closed. "Anna, I don’t know if I can- I don’t know if I dare."

This time Anna would not be denied - she would not give up. "What can’t you do, darling? Is it that you don’t want me?"

Graham couldn’t resist a fleeting caress against Anna’s cheek. She had thought never to feel her again. She had tried so hard to deny what she knew to be true - that she loved her with the last beat of her heart. As her touch lingered, she remembered each moment of their last night together. Her breath caught painfully in her throat. Softly she said, "Yes, I want you -more than life itself."

"Then what?" Anna persisted, catching Graham’s fingers, bestowing a fleeting kiss to her palm. "Tell me why you won’t let me love you."

Graham drew a shuddering breath, her eyes closed against the pain. "I’m afraid that if I do, it will happen again. I am everything Christine accused me of being - possessive, demanding, consuming in my need -I’m afraid if I take you into my life, all of my life - I’ll drive you away just as I did Christine. It would be worse than death if I lost you then, Anna."

The last words emerged as a strangled whisper, and the anguish in Graham’s voice fueled Anna’s anger. Christine had ruled Graham’s life, even in her absence, for far too long! She would not rule her future, nor Anna’s!

"I am not Christine, Graham! I love you, and I will go on loving you whether you will have me or not. There is nothing you could do, short of not loving me, that would ever make me leave you. I am not afraid of your needs, or your wants, or your passions. I want you! I want to spend my life with you—loving you, being loved by you!" She stepped closer until her body pressed lightly against Graham’s, forcing her to feel her passion. "Tell me you don’t love me, Graham - tell me you don’t want me - and I’ll go."

"I can’t," Graham groaned, trembling at Anna’s nearness. She hadn’t been born strong enough to resist this torture!

"I have made my choice, Graham, and I choose you." Anna kissed her, a kiss too quickly ended. "You have to choose whether or not you want me. But choose for the right reasons! Choose out of love—not out of fear!"

It was the kiss that undid her. It stirred every emotion she had tried to bury since the day Anna left her. She needed her, she wanted her, and she could not go on without her. She had no choice; Anna offered her life. With a moan deep in her throat, she surrendered. Her lips sought Anna’s and were answered with an urgency that matched her own. They kissed fervently, their bodies fusing, swaying together as they reaffirmed their possession of one another. Anna felt herself begin to surge out of control, and leaned back unsteadily, her arms locked around Graham’s waist, trying to reduce the shaking of her legs. Graham gasped against her neck, groaning in protest at her withdrawal.

"I want you so much," Graham murmured, insistent, one hand sliding under the loose fabric at Anna’s waist. Her hand moved lower, seeking the hot welcoming wetness.

"Graham, wait!" Anna said with effort. "We can’t do this here!"

"I don’t intend to let you go," Graham growled, her lips seeking Anna’s again.

"Does this mean you love me?" Anna teased gently, pressing both hands against Graham’s chest, restraining her for a moment.

"Eternally, my love," Graham affirmed, pulling her close. "Eternally."

**********

The room Graham led her to was dimly lit by a fire burning in a huge fireplace. A four posted canopy bed faced the hearth from the opposite side of the room. Two glasses and a chilled bottle of champagne stood on the bedside table. Graham stopped inside the door, suddenly uncertain, her face questioning. Anna smiled softly as her grip on Graham’s hand tightened.

"I haven’t changed my mind. I’ll never change my mind about loving you," Anna whispered gently. "Don’t make me wait to show you how much I love you, darling. It’s been far too long already."

They undressed with urgent hands, caressing each other with the wonder of newly discovered love. It was Anna who drew them to the bed, guiding Graham down, resting upon her gently. She wanted her, the want like a fierce hunger in her soul. She ached with the urgency to touch her. Her body screamed for the release only those exquisite hands could give her. She left a pool of moisture on Graham's leg where it pressed to her. Her clitoris threatened to burst from the blood coursing into it. She resisted her demanding need, aware of Graham’s physical fragility. She shook with the effort it required for her to hold back.

Graham pulled her nearer with surprising strength. "I need you, Anna - now," she whispered. "It’s all I need. Please."

As gently as she knew how, Anna took her. Her lips caressed the hollow of Graham's neck and the rise of her breast, pausing to suckle a nipple, explore her navel. Her hands stroked firm muscles and trembling limbs, coming to rest gently in the moist warm sanctuary between her thighs. Tenderly she parted the full, silky folds, breathing her scent, stroking the length of her, tonguing softly the quivering clitoris. She was aware only of the heat of Graham’s flesh beneath her lips, and the breathtaking wonder of her cries filling the air. After the long months of waiting, Anna didn’t think she could ever touch her enough. She was amazed to feel her own body climb nearer and nearer toward orgasm with each thrust of Graham's hips against her face, each contraction of Graham's muscles around her fingers. Anna groaned as the spasms began at the base of her clitoris and traveled down her legs, into her belly , and finally coalesced into one continuous explosion behind her tightly closed eyes. When she came, Graham murmured her name, and Anna knew a joy beyond anything she had ever dreamed.

Long into the night they loved, stopping only to whisper their devotion, seeking and giving the reassurances they needed to heal. As morning broke, Graham pushed herself up on the pile of pillows at the head of the bed, exhausted but content. Anna lay curled around her, her head resting against Graham’s shoulder.

"Will you pour us some champagne now, my love?"

Anna kissed her, loath to move away even for an instant. "Of course, darling."

Graham sipped the fine wine and sighed. "Are you sure that this is what you want? For a lifetime? I can be - difficult."

"Graham Yardley! I would not have thought you capable of such understatement!" Anna laughed softly, tenderly caressing Graham’s cheek. Serious again, she swept her lips across Graham’s. "I want this and much, much more."

Graham raised an eyebrow, her face questioning. "And exactly what are your requirements? Perhaps I should consider them before we proceed any further."

Again she laughed, rejoicing in the return of the light in Graham’s eyes. "First of all, I want to see you well again," Anna stated quietly.

Graham looked uncomfortable, turning her face away. "It’s nothing that having you here won’t cure."

"Tell me about it, Graham. I’m with you now. Please let me help," Anna urged, pulling Graham close against her.

"After you left, I couldn’t stay at Yardley. Nothing, not even losing my sight, was as devastating as losing you." Graham’s voice was low and halting. Just recounting the desolation of those days was agonizing.

"Oh, my darling!" Anna cried, near tears. "I’m so sorry! Never, never did I mean to hurt you so!" Had she not come now, had Graham not recovered - "Oh god," she gasped involuntarily.

"Shh, my love. It’s over now," Graham soothed, silencing Anna with a kiss. "All that matters is that you are here." She didn’t tell Anna of how close she had been to death, and how death had seemed like a welcome friend, offering her surcease from a loneliness she could no longer endure. But though her soul had longed for delivery, her body had rallied, and although weak, she was indeed recovering.

"I will never leave you, Graham—you have my promise. Please, I want to go home, to Yardley. I want to live with you there, and I want to hear you play for me again. Please take me home!"

"I will my love," Graham murmured, her lips finding Anna’s, finally daring to hope that love could be hers.
 

"They look good," Anna called as she pulled the Jeep along side Daphne and her crew. She indicated the new shrubs the women were putting in beside the entrance at Yardley.

Daphne leaned down to the window, smiling at her boss. "They’re great specimens! We should be done here soon. I thought we’d start the plantings on the rear terrace tomorrow. The photographers will be out on Friday to do the front gardens."

Anna raised a shoulder nonchalantly. "Whatever you decide."

Daphne grinned. "The view is better from the terrace, too. If you’re watching women!"

Anna caught the mischievous glint in her eye, and replied smartly, "You had better not be talking about Graham! And besides, I thought you were happily married."

Daphne laughed. "Completely domesticated - and even if I weren’t I know better than to lust after Graham. She doesn’t know there’s another woman on earth besides you, and you’d have my hide just for the thought! I was talking about my new kid, Lori—she’s got a bad case for Graham’s assistant. She seems to find all kinds of excuses to wander by the music room when they’re working."

Anna glanced at her watch—it was almost five in the afternoon. "Are Graham and Sheila still at it? They were up most of the night! Graham promised me she’d get some rest!!" she finished worriedly. The memory of the long agonizing months alone in Boston still lingered. Graham’s recent illness left her terrified that something would take Graham from her.

Daphne saw the fear flicker across Anna’s face, and remembered how frail Graham had seemed not long ago. She reflected on the change six months had brought. "Anna," she said softly, "Graham looks great. I’ve never seen her like she is now. She’s strong and healthy. And the music that comes out of that room! I have to practically drag my crew from the terrace."

Anna forced herself to relax, knowing what Daphne said was true. "It’s helped Graham to have Sheila here—she’s transcribing Graham’s new work and cataloging her unpublished pieces. It’s just that the two of them can get lost when they’re working. Sheila’s almost as bad as Graham!"

"She’s writing her graduate thesis on Graham’s compositions, right?"

"Yes—actually, she’s a student-in-residence with Graham for the rest of the year." Anna could scarcely believe it when Graham had asked her to contact the graduate student who had written so many times requesting an interview. Sheila had been with them for two months and had quickly become devoted to Graham. Her assistance was invaluable to Graham, and it soon became apparent that she had an innate sense of Graham’s other needs as well. She dealt with Graham’s blindness in an understated way that did not impinge on Graham’s need for independence. Anna trusted her with her most valuable possession - her lovers’ well-being.

"Well a year ought to give Lori enough time to win her heart—"

Anna laughed. "You have a one-track mind."

"Oh, and you don’t?" Daphne rejoined.

Anna blushed, recalling the urge she had had on the drive home to feel Graham’s hands on her body. Even now she couldn’t believe the turn her life had taken. She hadn’t imagined she could be this happy. She put the Jeep in gear and pulled away smiling.

**********

She tapped lightly at the door to the music room—it stood open and as she listened, she knew it was Graham playing without looking. Graham said that Sheila was a very gifted musician, but Anna never confused the two. When Graham played, the combination of grace and power was unmistakable—it was her signature, a complete reflection of her self. Anna knew the cadence and the rhythm of her music with the same certainty as she knew the sound of her voice, or her caress.

She entered and watched from across the room. Graham was in motion, the notes flowing from her hands, her essence transformed into sound. It still took Anna’s breath away and often kindled desire so intense that she shook.

She cleared her throat as the refrain ended and called, "Hey, you two—are you ready to take a break any time soon?"

Graham swiveled toward her, smiling a greeting. "You’re home early, aren’t you, love?" She looked fresh and energized, a sure sign that her work was going well. She clearly had no idea of the time, and Anna was willing to bet they hadn’t stopped for lunch. Anna cast a stern glance at Sheila, who shrugged her shoulders sheepishly as she escaped toward the door.

"You’re both impossible," Anna muttered. She crossed the room to Graham, draping her arms around her from behind, breathing a kiss into her hair. Graham reached up to cover Anna’s hands where they lay on her chest. She turned Anna’s palm up, pressing her lips to the soft skin before resting her cheek in the curve of Anna’s hand. She sighed contentedly.

"I’m glad you’re home," she murmured.

"Are you all right?" Anna whispered, tightening her hold on the woman who meant more to her than her very life.

"Fine," Graham replied. "But I have news."

"What?"

Graham hesitated, her fingers caressing Anna’s, the expression on her face contemplative. "I have agreed to give a performance for the symphony in July."

Anna gasped. "Oh darling, that’s wonderful!" It was more than she had ever imagined possible.

"You don’t mind?" Graham asked in a subdued tone. "It won’t be a problem?"

Anna slid onto the piano bench beside Graham, slipping an arm about her waist. "What makes you think I would mind?" she asked quietly.

"It will mean I’ll be working more—and when I’m preparing for a performance, I tend to get absorbed."

Anna thought she understood what Graham wasn’t saying. "And you think I’ll come to resent that?"

"Perhaps."

"Graham," Anna began carefully, "I know what you’re like when you work, and sometimes I do worry—but not about us,- about you. You forget to eat, you forget to sleep, you lose weight you don’t have to spare. I have never felt, not once, that I didn’t matter to you—or that you had stopped loving me, even for a moment."

"I couldn’t stop loving you, not and still draw a breath," Graham whispered, her fingers tightening their grip on Anna’s. "You are my light, and my heart. You are the reason there is music in my soul."

"As long as that is true, we’ll be fine," Anna assured her. "But you must promise me that you will take care of yourself. I need you so much, Graham. Without you—there’s no point—"

Graham stilled her words with a kiss. "I promise, my love."

There was something else. Anna could sense it in the tension of Graham’s body, the quiet tone of her voice. Something worried her lover still.

"Now tell me the rest," she ordered gently, fitting herself closer against Graham’s side.

"If I perform," Graham began uncertainly, then finished firmly, "I’ve been here before, Anna. There’s no point pretending it won’t create an uproar. Once I make an appearance, the demands for my time will intensify. There will be pressure for me to tour."

Anna took her time, thinking of the ramifications of Graham’s words. She welcomed the changes in Graham over the last months. Graham was suffused with energy, her creative powers seemingly unleashed by the security of Anna’s presence. She was vital, dynamic, almost intoxicating in her passionate embrace of life. Her ardor for Anna, her muse, was boundless. Anna hadn’t imagined she could be this happy. Now she was faced with the reality of Graham’s true stature in the world. She was a peerless artist, one whom the world would not let go lightly yet again. If she returned to the concert stage, she would be resuming the life she had led before Anna. What Anna said now would determine the course of both their lives. Graham took her silence to mean Anna was opposed to the idea.

"It’s no matter," Graham said decisively. "I’ll simply tell them ‘no’."

"You can’t do that, Graham. And I wouldn’t ask you to," Anna began quietly. "I love you - and I have always known who you are - what you are. You don’t belong just to me-"

"I do belong just to you," Graham interrupted fiercely.

Anna laughed gently, resting her hand possessively on Graham’s thigh. "I know that, my darling. I was speaking of your music. I wouldn’t keep you from it, and you can’t keep it from the world - you’ll have to tour, Graham."

Graham stood, pacing by the piano, formulating plans. Anna realized that other than her blindness, Graham was very nearly the woman she had been before her accident. When she stepped onto the stage, her return would be complete. She was about to reclaim the world she once ruled, and Anna could see that it was destined. Graham was transformed before her eyes into the impresario she had only glimpsed in faded newspaper clippings. It was breathtaking, and a little terrifying.

Graham ran a hand through her hair, thinking aloud. "Sheila would almost certainly want to come. That would be a great help. I can limit foreign travel- but it’s still going to be unbearable being apart from you -"

Anna rose, stilling Graham’s restless motion with a hand on her arm. She grasped her about the waist, holding her firmly. "You can’t think I’d let you go without me? Not only would I go mad with worry, I have no intention of leaving you unattended with all those glamorous society women! You seem to have no idea of the effect you have on women, but I certainly do! "

Graham looked at her in confusion. "You can’t think I could ever want anyone but you? Don’t you know you are my life?"

"I’m not taking any chances," Anna uttered as she kissed her swiftly.

"But your job?"

"I’ll try to work something out with Lauren when the time comes - maybe I can freelance for her. Work part time - I don’t know. I don’t care. Where you need to be is where I’ll be. You’re what I need."

Graham pulled her near, admitting in a low voice, "I’m not worried about the music - that’s never been the hard part. But the people - the promoters, the agents, the press - they want so much from me. It’s hard to keep from being consumed. I’m not sure I could do it again- especially now, when I can’t see."

It was so unlike Graham to voice any concern, particularly regarding her blindness, Anna was instantly protective. She tightened her hold, her voice unflinching. "You won’t have to worry; you’re not alone any more."

The tension finally eased from Graham’s body as she gentled under Anna’s caresses. She kissed Anna lingeringly, before murmuring quietly, "Thank you for my life, Anna."

Anna grasped the slender fingers that made magic the entire world laid claim to. She drew them to her breast, where they played only for her. "Thank me upstairs," she whispered urgently.

Graham lowered her lips to Anna’s ear as she stroked her tauntingly. "A command performance - my favorite thing."

"It had better be," Anna gasped. "And I can’t wait any longer for you to begin."

Graham’s laughter echoed through the halls as she led her love to their bed.
 
 

"What time will the car be here, dear?" Helen asked anxiously for the third time since Anna had arrived home early from work.

"Five-thirty." Anna replied with a smile.

"My goodness, it’s one o’clock! I’d better get ready!"

"You have plenty of time—you’ll end up waiting," Anna suggested as if it would make a difference.

"I’ve been waiting nearly fifteen years for this—a few hours is nothing! I still think we should take the Bentley. Graham always went to a performance in the Bentley!"

"I know, Helen," Anna said patiently. "But Graham wanted it this way."

"Well, I guess it will be all right then," Helen relented. Then she continued with concern, "You did interview the chauffeur?"

Anna laughed. "I did, and it’s a woman. She understands exactly what we need. It will be perfect."

"And you double checked that the invitations went out for the reception? I could have done that, you know. I always did that before."

"I know," Anna replied gently, "and I would have been lost without your help this time. I know they arrived, because Lauren got hers. It was more important that you look after Graham." Anna was nearly as anxious as Helen, and she desperately needed to see Graham. "Now, where is she?"

"She’s upstairs in the master suite. Max brought your gown and her suit. I had them sent up."

"Good. How does she seem?"

"Calm. She slept late, she didn’t even practice. She rarely did the day of a performance. The barber has come and gone. Oh, I do hope it goes well! This is so important to her!"

"Helen," Anna reminded her with conviction, "this is what Graham was born for. Don’t worry, she’ll be magnificent."

"You believe that, don’t you?"

"Absolutely. I know it."

"I give thanks every day that you came to us," Helen whispered, tears in her eyes.

Anna hugged her. "No more than I."

**********

She entered their bedroom to find her lover reclining in one of the chairs before the open window. She was in a black silk dressing jacket, looking impossibly relaxed. And impossibly beautiful. In repose, her features always reminded Anna of a classical sculpture—cool, remote, elegantly refined. It was the same handsome face that looked back at her from the posters all over the city announcing Graham’s concert that night. Anna admired her from a distance before Graham’s expression softened with recognition at the sound of her step on the parquet floor.

"Hello, my love," Graham called softly.

"Hello, darling. What were you just thinking of?"

Graham looked surprised. "The music."

Anna settled onto the arm of Graham’s chair, resting her fingers in the thick hair at the base of Graham’s neck. She leaned to give her a swift kiss. "I should have guessed."

"Why?" Graham asked, pulling Anna down into her lap.

"Because you looked like you were lost somewhere, somewhere no one can follow."

"Does that bother you?" Graham murmured as her lips sought the sensitive spot beneath Anna’s ear.

"It might," Anna breathed as she turned her lips to Graham’s. The kiss deepened, and soon they were both gasping. Anna’s head felt light and her body burned. "If I couldn’t call you back to me," she said, her voice husky with desire.

Graham got to her feet, pulling Anna up into her arms. "You can always call me back," she whispered against the warm skin of Anna’s neck. "Because I am yours." With one hand she held Anna close, with the other she parted the front of Anna’s blouse, slipping her hand inside to cup her breast.

Anna groaned, feeling the length of Graham’s naked thigh pressing against her. "Graham, stop—we can’t—you need to get ready." She gasped as Graham’s hand dropped lower, finding her rising heat. "Oh no - that’s not fair! You make me want you so much!"

Graham laughed, pulling Anna toward the bed. "Don’t you know I’ve been waiting all morning for this? You are the only thing I need right now.

**********

"Is that some sort of pre-performance ritual?" Anna asked as she toweled off from the shower. Graham’s lovemaking was always a reflection of her emotional state, and this time she had been explosively intense, consuming in her hunger.

Graham grinned. "Now there’s an idea. It certainly could be arranged."

"It did wonders for my nerves," Anna said with a smile. "How are yours?"

Graham held out a perfectly steady hand as her grin deepened. "Where are the studs for my shirt?"

"On your dresser—just to the right of your brushes."

Anna watched the graceful fingers expertly fit the small mother-of-pearl studs through the holes in the starched formal shirt—the same fingers that just an hour ago had claimed her, relentlessly, until they had drawn the last trembling shudders from her body.

"You’re watching me," Graham remarked, reaching for the white silk tie. She turned the length of it in her fingers, orienting it so she could tie it.

Anna laughed softly, drawing the delicate fabric into her hands, reaching up to fit it around her lover's neck.

"Was I doing that wrong?" Graham asked, her face puzzled.

"You never do anything wrong," Anna admonished gently. "I’m doing it because it pleases me to do it." She finished the knot and brushed a kiss across Graham’s lips. "I love you—and I’m so proud of you."

Graham returned the kiss, her expression serious. "I love you—with all my heart. Now, tell me about your dress. I want to have a picture of you in my mind tonight."

Anna stepped away, lifting the flowing fabric from the hanger, settling it over her body. "Why don’t you come see for yourself," she teased.

A faint smile flickered at the corner of Graham’s fine mouth. No one in her life could command her the way Anna did.

"All right."

She crossed to Anna, who stood still as Graham gently traced the material that fell from her shoulders, following the lines along her bodice and down to her waist. Her exploring touch rekindled the fire in Anna’s body, and Anna battled the urge to draw those gently stroking fingers to her again. They absolutely did not have time for this now!

"And the color?" Graham murmured huskily, her hands resting on Anna’s hips.

"Midnight—on a clear night in October," Anna managed, sliding her arms around Graham’s neck.

Graham nodded, holding her close. "Beautiful."

Anna touched a finger to her own lips, then to Graham’s. "Thank you.

*********

They rode in silence to the symphony hall. Anna’s hand rested gently in Graham’s. Graham’s hand was warm and steady. As they slowed to glide up to the curb, Anna glanced out the window.

"Tell me," Graham said calmly.

"There are a lot of people—quite a number of photographers. The sidewalk is roped off, though."

"How far?" came the quiet question.

"The same distance as from our front door to your music room. Four steps up—then five steps to the door. Sheila is waiting back stage in your dressing room."

Graham didn’t ask how Anna knew the precise distance Graham would have to travel in front of a curious crowd, a walk she had taken so many times before, but never in darkness. Anna didn’t tell her she had been there the day before just to be certain. Anna couldn’t even begin to imagine how difficult this first public appearance since the accident must be for Graham. She wanted to make it as easy as she could for her. She squeezed Graham’s hand reassuringly.

"Thank you," Graham said softly, knowing instinctively what Anna had done.

"You can do this easily by yourself, Graham."

"Yes," Graham said as she pushed the limo door open, stepping out to a barrage of camera flashes and a cacophony of voices calling to her—"Ms. Yardley! Meistrin! Over here!"

Oblivious to the demands of the crowd, she reached down and handed Anna from the car, tucking Anna’s hand firmly into the curve of her arm. "But I don’t have to do it alone any longer, do I?" she whispered to Anna as they turned and began the walk Graham was born to make.

*********

The concert hall was filled to capacity. The news of Graham’s return to the concert stage had created a stir in the music world, and her performance was eagerly awaited. Anna sat with Helen, trying to quell her nerves. They were in the VIP box to the left of the stage, seats that were situated so one could watch the pianists’ hands on the keyboard. Shortly after they were seated a young usher approached, a bouquet of long-stemmed white roses in his arms. He stopped before Anna, saying, "For you, madam."

Anna cradled the flowers, opening the card with trembling hands. In Graham’s bold hand the message read, "You are my strength and my inspiration. You are my heart. All the music is for you. Yours eternally, Graham."

"Oh, Graham," she murmured, tears suddenly wetting her cheeks.

"Are you all right, dear?" Helen asked in concern.

Anna took her hand, squeezing it gently while she tried to contain her tears. "When I think that I could have lost her - that we all might have lost her. Oh, Helen!"

Helen patted her hand reassuringly. "You needn’t worry, Anna. She’s stronger for having you than ever she was before the accident."

The house lights dimmed and suddenly Graham was on stage - tall, elegant, perfectly composed. She bowed once in acknowledgement to the orchestra and the audience, then settled herself before the piano as if she had never been away.

Anna watched the slender form bend to the strains of the music that filled the hall; a refrain that carried all the beauty and tender passion of Graham’s heart to those who listened. At last she witnessed what she had only imagined from faded images in a dusty scrapbook. Alone in the muted spotlight, center stage, the impresario gifted them with her genius. The audience was on its feet just as the last notes faded away, strewing the stage with flowers, welcoming Graham home. Graham stood to acknowledge the applause, turning toward the seats where she knew Anna sat. She bowed first to her, one hand to her heart, offering her thanks. Through her tears, Anna looked into the dark eyes that she knew could see into her very soul.

When finally the ovation began to abate, Graham left the stage, and found herself immediately surrounded by people requesting a statement or an interview. A hand unobtrusively took her elbow, steadying her in the jostling crowd.

"Let’s get back to your dressing room," Sheila suggested. She had been waiting offstage at Anna’s request. They both knew what would happen the moment Graham appeared in the wings. There would be no way for her to orient herself there, especially when she would be exhausted from the rigors of her performance.

"Where is Anna?" Graham asked immediately, grateful for Sheila’s presence in the demanding press of people.

"She’s coming," Sheila replied grimly as she shouldered a path through a throng of reporters and fans. The crowd was at a fever pitch of excitement, everyone wanting to get to Graham, pushing forward despite the security people’s best efforts. It was worse than Sheila expected, and she was beginning to fear for Graham’s safety.

Suddenly the hallway in front of them began to clear as Anna’s vehement voice rang out, "You will all have a chance to speak with her at the reception - and not until then! Now if you’ll just give us a moment alone, please."

And then she was there. " Thank you, Sheila," Anna said quietly as she stepped up to Graham, not caring that dozens of people surrounded them. She reached for Graham’s hand and brought it gently to her lips. "Hello darling."

Graham lifted her free hand to Anna’s cheek. It was still moist with tears. "Hello my love." She drew Anna gently near and rested her forehead against Anna’s hair. She closed her eyes with a sigh.

"Were you pleased?" Graham asked at last.

"Much more than pleased," Anna answered. "The only thing in this world I love more than your music is you." She stepped back with effort, for all she wanted to do was hold onto her. Graham’s jacket and shirt were soaked with sweat, and for the first time all day, her hands trembled. Anna slipped an arm about her waist.

"Let’s get you out of here," Anna said, looking over her shoulder at the amazingly quiet group in the corridor. "Sheila, tell them ten minutes please."

When the door finally closed behind them, Anna drew off Graham’s coat and loosened her tie.

"You needn’t do that, Anna," Graham protested when Anna began pulling the studs from her shirt.

"Graham, hush," Anna said in exasperation. "I’ll give you up to the demands of your music when I must, but not for one minute longer. You need a dry shirt and jacket if you’re going to the reception." She brushed the damp hair back from Graham’s face with concern. "Are you up to it? Because I’ll just tell them all to be damned if you’re too tired."

Graham grasped her hands. "I’m fine. And I would appreciate a dry shirt very much."

"Thank you for the flowers," Anna said softly as she fitted the diamond cufflinks into Graham’s sleeves. "You make me feel so loved."

"I couldn’t do this - any of this, without you," Graham murmured, exhausted from her performance. "I’ll never be able to tell you how much I love you-"

"You don’t have to tell me," Anna whispered, "I can see it in your face, and in the way you touch me, and in the music that you write." She paused her ministrations to slide her fingers into Graham’s hair, pulling her head down for a kiss. After a moment she said gently, "Now stand still so I can fix this tie."

As Anna straightened her tie, Graham asked quietly, "Will you be all right in there? There are likely to be questions - about us. There was always speculation about Christine."

"If they don’t know after my little scene in the hall, they never will," Anna laughed tightly. She hated to be reminded that once Christine had shared moments like these with Graham. She still grew angry whenever she remembered the kiss she had witnessed in the library. "And I couldn’t give a damn about their questions. There - now you are your handsome self. Let’s go finish your duties so I can take you home."

*********

Lauren maneuvered through the crush of people toward Anna. She had been trying unsuccessfully to catch Anna’s attention since she entered with Graham. Lauren soon realized that would be impossible. Even though Anna was separated from Graham by a roomful of people, she managed to carry on polite conversation while never taking her eyes off her tall lover. Lauren knew how frightened Anna had been by Graham’s recent illness, and she doubted that anything would distract her from her ever vigilant watch over her now. The instant Graham arrived, she was surrounded and swept away by luminaries from the music community and the ever-present press. In a throng like this she was quite helpless to fend off anyone who wanted her attention. Graham looked calm and remotely detached, but Lauren could imagine the effort it required for her to satisfy the escalating demands of those gathered about her. And she was quite sure that Anna had no intention of allowing Graham to be inundated like this for long.

"Thanks for the invitation to the reception," Lauren managed when at last she reached Anna’s side. She slipped her arm around the pretty red-head at her side. "Anna, this is Lisa McCleary. Lisa is a music instructor at UMass, as well as - well, my -"

"Girlfriend," Lisa finished for her with a kilowatt smile.

Anna smiled with true pleasure, offering her hand. "It sounds trite to say I’ve heard a lot about you, but I’m glad to have finally met you."

"And I you," Lisa responded. "I guess I don’t need to tell you how exciting this is, to have Graham Yardley performing again. She’s wonderful!"

"Isn’t she," Anna responded, her eyes returning to where Graham stood. At that moment she was in deep conversation with the governor, who appeared to be as enchanted with her as everyone else in the room. "Even I can say that without prejudice," she laughed softly. "I’m so glad you both could come. Lauren has had to excuse my distractibility a good deal lately. I’ve been more anxious than Graham!"

"It sounds like you didn’t need to be! From what I’m hearing around the room, she’s even better than before! I don’t know how that’s possible, but I’ve never heard anyone like her."

"Yes," Anna said simply. "And I think she’s probably worked enough for one night. Will you excuse me while I attempt a rescue?"

Before she could move away, a reporter blocked her path. "Ms. Reid, is it true that you are Graham Yardley’s lover?" he asked bluntly.

Anna appraised him coolly, leaning forward slightly to read the name on the press card pinned to his lapel. "Mr. Phillips," she replied calmly, "Graham Yardley is inarguably one of the greatest artists of this century. I would think that fact alone would offer much more of interest to your readers than speculation about her personal life."

"Am I to take it then that you deny any intimate relationship with her?" he persisted, a smug grin on his face.

"There is nothing about my relationship with Graham I would deny," Anna answered firmly, "least of all my love."

"And is it also true that Christine Hunt-Blair was once her lover as well?"

Anna fixed him with a steely stare. "You would have to ask Mrs. Hunt-Blair about their past relationship." She pointedly turned her back, determined not to reveal her wrath at the mention of Christine. Would she never be done hearing of her?!

As Anna made her way slowly across the large room, Graham was approached by yet another admirer. From where she was, Anna could only watch, anger combining with an unexpected surge of possessiveness.

"Hello, darling," a sultry voice beside Graham murmured as a hand trailed down her arm in a flagrant caress.

Graham turned to the woman beside her, lifting the hand from her sleeve with a slight bow. "Hello, Christine," Graham said neutrally.

"You were magnificent, as usual!" Christine purred, stepping close enough for Graham to catch the scent of her perfume. Her breasts lightly grazed Graham’s chest.

"Thank you," Graham replied, raising her head, casting a glance about the room. Her eyes fell so unerringly on her lover in the midst of the crowd, anyone looking at her would have sworn that she could see. Graham relaxed perceptibly when she sensed an answering gaze upon her face.

"Why so formal, darling," Christine admonished, taking advantage of the crush of people to move closer still. She toyed with a stud on the front of Graham’s shirt. "As I recall, you used to rather like my presence after a performance. As a matter of fact you were quite demanding about your requirements. I remember you could barely wait to get me alone. Not that I minded of course. You were always at your best after a concert." As she spoke, she curled her fingers ever so slightly under the waistband of Graham’s trousers.

"That was a long time ago," Anna said succinctly as she stepped to Graham’s side, taking Graham’s hand in hers, forcing Christine back a step. Graham laced her fingers gently through Anna’s.

"Things are very different for Graham now," Anna continued, furious at Christine’s suggestive remarks, but struggling for calm. This was no place for a scene, as dearly as she would like to make it clear that Christine had no rights to Graham any longer.

"But some things never change, do they Graham?" Christine questioned softly, her eyes on Graham’s face, ignoring Anna entirely. Necessity had made her bold. If she were to reclaim Graham, it would have to be here, now, on the stage she had always shared with Graham. "Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what it was like, darling -adored by everyone,- the celebrity, the excitement, the lovemaking - don’t expect me to believe you’ve forgotten that! I haven’t forgotten, I could never forget! We could have it all again, Graham - just as it was, the two of us. You could have everything you ever wanted."

Graham tightened her hold on Anna, drawing her close against her side. "I already have everything I want - more than I ever dreamed possible. More than I deserve. What we had is over Christine. I have everything I need right here. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I’d like Anna to take me home."

"I had the limo brought around back," Anna said as Christine stared after them in shock. "Just turn around and we can sneak out."

When they were settled at last in the expansive rear seat of the stretch limo, Helen happily directing the chauffeur from her seat up front beyond the smoked-glass partition, Graham spoke quietly. "I’m terribly sorry about Christine. I had no idea she would be there."

"I doubt there’s any event where Christine Hunt-Blair is not invited," Anna said acerbically, reminding herself of her resolution to remain calm. She failed. "God, I hate the way she touches you! She acts like she owns you!"

"Well, she doesn’t. And she hasn’t for a long time," Graham responded gently.

"Well I wish someone would tell her that!!" Anna railed.

Graham raised an eyebrow. "I thought I just did," she said dryly.

Anna stared at her imperious lover, struggling to hold onto her anger. Helplessly, she laughed, moving closer to drape an arm around Graham’s body. "Yes, you did."

In a calmer light she knew she would only pity Christine and her desperate attempt to renew her affair with Graham, but at the moment she was still stinging from the sight of Christine openly caressing her lover! She was a good deal less than rational where Graham was concerned, and not above making her claim very clear. She slipped a hand along the inside of Graham’s thigh, smiling as Graham gasped at the light caress. "Was she serious about the effect a performance has on you?" she asked innocently, very aware of the tension in Graham’s body.

"Yes," Graham said tightly as Anna’s hand strayed higher. It would be useless to deny it, Anna could read her responses too well. She pressed back against the seat, torn between wanting Anna’s touch to continue and trying to save some semblance of control.

"Now that’s something you might have mentioned," Anna remarked as her fingers pressed a particularly sensitive spot, rubbing the faint prominence through the fabric. Her pulse hammered as she felt Graham shudder.

"Anna," Graham warned unconvincingly, struggling to maintain her composure. They were in a limousine, for God’s sake!

"Definitely an unexpected benefit," Anna mused as if Graham hadn’t spoken. She tormented her by touching her with no particular rhythm, moving away when she felt Graham’s breath quicken. She wanted to be sure she had Graham’s full attention.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Anna inquired as if asking the time, returning to the spot that caused Graham to quiver.

Graham groaned softly. "It wasn’t foremost in my mind," she managed to gasp, completely under Anna’s spell. She reached for Anna’s hand, holding it to her, urging her to continue. "Ahh – god –"

"Is it now?" Anna questioned, increasing the pressure of her hand slightly. Graham moaned, a low strangled plea. Anna knew just how close Graham was to coming – she knew, and she pushed a little harder, grasping her between her fingers.

Graham shivered involuntarily, trembling in Anna’s embrace. "Yes," she whispered, "please don’t stop."

"Oh, I don’t intend to stop," Anna breathed into her ear, easing her fingers away slightly, "not ever. But since I’m conducting this particular piece, you’ll have to wait until we get home for the finale."

"Ah Jesus," Graham rasped, her voice catching. "Is that a promise? Because you’re killing me."

Anna held Graham fiercely, her lips urgent against her skin. "As I am yours, so are you mine. That’s a pledge, and a promise, my darling."

The End
 
 

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