"Where are we?" Casey asked as the dark-haired woman unceremoniously pushed her through the door.

It seemed to be a village farmhouse. It appeared quite small and apparently deserted, but it looked as though someone still kept it up. There were fresh logs in the fireplace, blankets on the sofa, and Casey noticed that there wasn't any dust on any of the furniture.

Tessa crossed the darkened room and lit an oil lamp that hung on a high peg near the kitchen area. She seemed to pay no mind to the small blonde who stood shivering from the night air, in the middle of the cabin. The Karê began a fire and soon the room was aglow and the leaping flames warmed the small area quickly.

"No electricity." Tessa explained. "You still cold?" She asked, leaning her backside against a square wooden table.

Casey nodded, but the next words she heard didn't make her any warmer, they simply made her shiver all the more.

"Come over here...I'll get you warmed up." Tessa leered.

Casey looked up in the Karê's hungry eyes and a thought raced through her head about a fairy tale and the way little red riding hood felt when she looked into the eyes of the wolf that was about to devour her. The small blonde couldn't tear her own needful gaze away and so she slowly crossed the room to stand in front of the seated woman.

Tessa quickly reached out and pulled the young woman to her. There wasn't any tenderness involved and if Casey thought it was to be a gentle seduction, she was very wrong. The Karê grabbed the young woman's backside and pulled her between her spread legs, squeezing the woman harder against her and spreading her own legs even wider.

"Is this what you wanted to feel tonight?" Tessa asked as her hands found their way under the smaller woman's blouse, her hands kneading both breasts roughly.

Casey gasped at the first touch and Tessa smiled that grin that didn't seem to belong to her, but someone else. The dark-haired woman snaked one arm around the girl's waist and began aggressively kissing her, one hand still fondling the small blonde's breast over the material of her bra. Casey began moaning into the Karê's consuming kisses, pressing her small body closer. When the young woman wrapped her arms around the Karê's neck, Tessa pulled back.

"Ah, ah, ah," Tessa remarked, prying the small blonde's hands from around her neck and pulling them behind Casey's back. She held both wrists in her firm grasp at the small of Casey's back, pushing up slightly until the young woman gasped in pain.

"Nikki, why are you doing this?" Casey asked, wincing.

Tessa put on a look of genuine surprise. "It's what you wanted isn't it, baby? Tell me the truth, Casey," Tessa began sucking and biting at the sensitive flesh along Casey's throat. "When that girl in the bar took you upstairs and asked you how you wanted it, you were going to give her complete control, weren't you? You were going to let her do anything she wanted to...tender, hard, it didn't matter as long as you got off, did it? You wanted to be up there in the dark giving it all to her didn't you...didn't you?" Tessa jerked up on Casey's wrists, demanding an answer.

"Yes, I--I did."

Suddenly Tessa released Casey's wrists and the young woman rubbed the area to get her circulation going again. The dark-haired woman slipped her arm around the girl's waist again and her hand found it's way under the blouse, this time gently teasing her nipples through the silken material of her bra, stroking them into tightened nubs.

"You didn't have to go all the way to the bar, baby." Tessa said, her voice turning deceptively soft. The Karê began to kiss Casey's lips, teasing with her tongue until the young woman opened her mouth and accepted the dark-haired woman's probing muscle.

"I would have given you that anytime. You could have come over to the guesthouse and I could have given you what you needed. You could have spread your legs or bent over and I would have given you anything you fantasized about."

All the while Tessa talked she kissed the young woman, nibbling gently on her lower lip. Her fingers under Casey's blouse squeezed and pinched the erect nipples until Casey was trying to hold back the rocking motion of her hips.

"Did you think her fingers and her tongue were more talented than mine?" Tessa continued, "Hhmm? Oh, no, that's right you didn't want to have to see her face, did you? Well, we can handle that too, baby."

Tessa released the young woman and stood, towering over her. The Karê grabbed Casey's shoulders and spun her around until the small blonde was facing away from her. Slipping an arm around the smaller woman's waist, Tessa crushed the blonde's body against her chest.

"Now you don't have to see my face, it can be as anonymous as you want." Tessa purred into Casey's ear as she reached around and began to unbutton the smaller woman's blouse. "Now I want you to tell me what you were going to let her to do you, upstairs in that bar."

Tessa continued, easily releasing the front clasp on Casey's bra. When the Karê's hands took possession of the firm mounds of flesh, Tessa moaned against the smaller woman's neck, grasping smooth skin between her teeth and biting down sharply. Her hands lingered over the tightly pebbled flesh and she rolled the aching points between her fingers, grinding herself against the smaller body in front of her. She slid her hands lower and Casey felt her slacks being unzipped, then a hand breaching the barrier of her panties, stroking the silky patch of hair. The young blonde's whimpers were constant as the dark-haired woman held her and teased her body.

"Were you going to let her touch you like this?" Tessa asked, her voice growing hoarse with desire. She could feel her own wetness growing as she touched Casey.

Strong, slender fingers slipped lower and Casey's hips bucked against the pleasure. The small blonde was close to tears. She had never been this aroused, yet hurt at the same time. She couldn't begin to explain to Tessa, that she wanted sex from those other women, but she wanted so much more from the woman that was now setting her body on fire.

"Oh, God baby, you're so wet." Tessa groaned as she slipped her fingers into the young woman's silky folds.

"Oh, God!" Casey exclaimed, as she felt Tessa's long fingers start to stroke her swollen clitoris.

"Like that, do you? Nice and slow just like this? Are you going to come for me, little one?"

That was the remark that woke Casey out of her libidinous haze, little one. Yes, this was exactly what she wanted from the stranger in the bar, but she loved Tessa too much to experience this casual contact with her.

"Nikki, please stop."

"Oh, no, I want to feel you come for me first."

Casey began to push against the taller woman, she grabbed onto Tessa's wrist, but the Karê was a much stronger woman. Suddenly, Casey couldn't hold the tears in any longer and her body began to shake with sobs. She cried out of pain and frustration, and a hurt that clutched at her chest tightly.

If it had been any other woman, Tessa would have gone on and taken exactly what she wanted, never thinking twice about tears. This wasn't just any other woman, though and now Tessa became confused, her head and her heart pulling her into two different directions. She handled her overwhelming emotions the only way she knew how, her anger bubbled to the surface.

"If this is what you wanted from her, then why not me?" Tessa hissed, pulling her hands from the young woman.

"Because I'm not in love with her!" Casey cried.

It took only seconds for the Karê to react. She turned Casey's body around to face her and shoved her, thrusting her back in the direction of the front door. Casey's body hit the solid wooden entrance and the impact nearly knocked the wind out of her. Tessa towered over her and her fist came flying in the direction of Casey's head. The small blonde didn't even have time to duck, but the blow wasn't aimed at the girl's head, but at the door, a good six inches above her. Tessa repeated the blow and then she pounded her fist against the wood until her knuckles were raw and bleeding.

You are not in love with me! Don't ever say that!" Tessa screamed as she hit the door again. "No one can love me!"

Casey flinched each time the Karê's fist struck the door, tears streaming down the small blonde's face.

"You don't know who I am...the things I've done, that I do, that I'll do tomorrow! I am a monster and--"

Tessa's voice finally broke and Casey could see the deep pain in the blue eyes gone dark with emotion. The tall woman's eyes darted back and forth nervously, filling with tears that she seemed unable to shed. She leaned her weight over Casey until her forehead was pressed up against the smooth wood.

"Don't you understand, Casey," Tessa said with utter defeat, "...women like you don't love women like me. I don't deserve to be loved, not at all and especially not by someone as good as you."

Never in her young life had Casey ever witnessed so much hurt and pain manifest itself into one woman's words. She took Tessa at her word and for the first time realized that the Meridio Karê had probably done things that would turn Casey's stomach, perhaps shock and frighten her. The dark-haired woman felt her own life to be beyond redemption, so far gone that she would give up any chance at happiness rather than infect Casey's life with her pain.

Knowing that she might possibly find Tessa's fist connecting with her jaw, she went ahead and decided to risk the outcome. Standing nearly on tiptoes, the small blonde wrapped her arms around Tessa's shoulders and let one hand slip within the dark mane of hair.

"Everyone deserves to be loved, Nikki. I know I may not realize all the things that you've done and I'm not saying that I wouldn't be shocked or appalled by them. It's just that right now I don't give a damn what horrible things you've brought about, and it doesn't matter how cruel or how hard you act toward me. It will never make me stop loving you. Don't you understand me...I love you, Nikki."

Casey continued her soft whisperings, all the while gently caressing the tense muscles in the tall woman's shoulders. At length, she could feel the anger begin to slip away from the Karê's body. Tessa pulled away slightly, her arm still leaning heavily on the door at the side of Casey's head. The tears that filled the blue eyes finally fell, silently rolling down tanned cheeks. Tessa rose a hand and hesitated for a moment before reaching out and wiping Casey's tears away with her fingertips. The dark-haired woman continued to stroke the smaller woman's face as if in wonder, as if she were seeing her for the first time.

"I'm so sorry." Tessa whispered, leaning closer to place a feather light kiss on Casey's forehead. "I don't see it," Tessa continued to speak, her breath falling lightly against the small blonde's face. "I don't understand what you could see in me that would make you love me."

Casey smiled a little and reached up to place a tender kiss on the Karê's lips. The touch of her lips was so gentle and easy that Tessa had to wonder if their lips were touching at all, but the delicate contact was like a balm to the dark-haired woman's soul.

"Then I'll have to teach you to see yourself through my eyes." Casey said, pulling away from the kiss.

Tessa could think of nothing to say, to either counter the young woman's thoughts or to argue at the absurdity of their situation. Her head told her that there were arguments available, but, admit it or not, her heart desperately wanted this to happen. Feeling herself unable to speak or explain all she felt to the smaller woman, she did the only thing she could do. She wrapped Casey within her strong embrace and held her there, running her fingers through the short blonde locks and reveling in the feel of her lips as they brushed against the golden hair.

Casey pressed herself closer to the chest of the woman whose warm embrace now encompassed her. She listened to the strong heartbeat and breathed in the scent of her cologne. Casey's fingers began to run up and down the Karê's spine in a languid caressing motion. She smiled to herself when she felt Tessa's heart beat faster. The small blonde enjoyed the knowledge that the beautiful woman who held her did indeed feel something at her touch. Casey pushed the Karê's shirt aside where it was unbuttoned at the neck and pressed her lips to the smooth skin there. She felt a hitch in the taller woman's breathing and she moved her kisses lower. Unbuttoning two more buttons, she reached out her tongue and slid the tip against the dark skin within the hollow between Tessa's breasts.

"Oh God, Casey." Tessa groaned, letting her head fall back in serene pleasure.

The small blonde kissed her again, then moved away from Tessa and the Karê felt herself standing transfixed, her chest rising and falling deeply as she attempted to catch her breath. She watched as Casey went to the sofa and took the blankets piled there and arranged them on the rug in front of the fireplace. The young woman watched the fire for a moment and then added two more logs to the dying flames. They sparked briefly and caught fire, the reflection of the orange flames dancing across Casey's body. Tessa continued to stare as Casey unbuttoned her slacks and let them slide off her body.

"What are you doing?" Tessa found herself asking although it seemed a rather inane question given the look in the small blonde's eye.

"I'm undressing." Casey said matter of factly.

"Why?"

"Because I want you to make love to me." Casey said, smiling a thoroughly seductive smile.

The moment had come and Tessa pushed herself from the door and walked to where the young woman stood.

"Casey--" She began.

The small blonde reached up and initiated a kiss that made all the others they shared so far pale in comparison. Tessa had honestly, never been kissed by a woman who had the power to make her knees go weak, but this girl was doing it. She felt the strong bones in her long legs start to turn to liquid at the passionate kiss. Casey moved her mouth to the Karê's neck and sucked hard at the flesh there.

With what seemed like a supreme effort, Tessa pushed the young woman away. "Please, stop."

The Karê had made her decision and would have to live with the consequences that would come. Casey raised deep green eyes to the cerulean orbs that looked down on her. For the first time today Casey watched as those eyes took on their familiar sparkle when they gazed at her.

"Just for a minute," Tessa said quietly, placing her index finger on the smaller woman's lips.

Tessa removed her jacket and pulled her cellular phone from the breast pocket. She carefully removed the holster and pistol from the belt at her back and placed it on the small table by the sofa. She punched two numbers onto the keypad of the phone and pressed the talk button.

"It's me. Is he back? What happened? Good. No, I found her," she said into the phone, looking up just as Casey removed her blouse and the unclasped bra that still clung to her shoulders. Tessa closed her eyes for a moment and breathed deeply.

"What? Yea, she's fine. Look; if you need me tonight, if anything happens at all don't let anyone know I'm not there. Call me on the cell, I probably won't be home till morning." Tessa put her hand over the mouthpiece because she was sure she was breathing heavily into the small speaker. Casey slipped off her panties and arranged herself on the blankets, lying on her side, her head held up in the palm of her hand, a Mona Lisa like grin on her face.

"Just don't let Meridio know I'm not there. Go over to the guesthouse and take my phone off the hook, turn on a light in the bedroom, make it look like I'm...otherwise engaged. No, she won't...she'll be with me." Tessa said at last, realizing she was entrusting her life to this young man with that last statement. Alex didn't disappoint her.

"You can count on me, Nikki." He responded sincerely.

"And, Alex. You handled yourself pretty well tonight."

Alex pushed the end button on his cell phone and grinned to himself. Then his expression grew worried. He hoped his mentor knew what she was doing. A guy screwing the boss' daughter was one thing. A dyke screwing Meridio's daughter was a match he didn't even want to think about lighting. He knew one thing, though. Nikki was in a pretty good mood when she was around the small blonde and the young girl was always nice to Alex.

He leaned back in his chair and thought about Nikki's last words. You handled yourself pretty well tonight. She'd never said anything close to that to him. He knew he wasn't the smartest brick in the load, but it sure felt nice to hear it. Maybe Meridio's daughter was just what the Karê needed.

Tessa clicked off the call and placed the phone beside her holster. Turning back to face the woman on the blankets, she let her gaze slowly travel the length of the woman's body, her eyes expressing unadulterated lust.

"Talk about cruel." Tessa said with a smirk.

"Well, you seemed to be taking an awfully long time on the phone and I had to do something." Casey indicated her naked body.

Tessa stood at the corner of the blanket and began to remove her own clothing as Casey's breath was suddenly stilled. The dark-haired woman took her time, removing each article of clothing with a deliberate and steady motion. Finally, standing over the young woman, Tessa let her arousal peak as she felt Casey's hungry eyes consume her flesh. The tall woman dropped to her knees and arranged her body so that she was lying alongside the small blonde, mirroring her pose.

"See something you like?" The Karê asked seductively.

"Absolutely." Casey replied, not even attempting to disguise the want in her eyes as they traveled along the tall woman's muscular physique.

"Then never let it be said that a Nikolaidis was unwilling to satisfy a woman's every desire." Tessa responded in a low sultry voice, repositioning her body until her length lay on top of Casey's.

"God, Nikki, you feel so good." Casey groaned as her body arched up to press against the dark-haired woman.

Tessa ground her hips in a tempting swirling motion against the small blonde's mound, Casey instinctively spreading her legs wider. The Karê moaned at the pleasurable sensation then released a low growl at the feel of the young woman's wetness. Casey began to writhe in mere anticipation, her movement exciting both women even more.

The heavy gold crucifix that Tessa wore around her neck, began to drag along the small blonde's body as Tessa raised herself up on her hands, still grinding their mounds together in a teasing motion. Casey reached up and kissed the crucifix lightly, moving the charm so that it hung down Tessa's back.

"Aren't you a good Catholic girl?" The blonde teased.

Tessa rewarded the smiling young woman with a charming smile of her own.

"Well, I am Catholic, and I am a girl," She began, reaching in to capture the soft lips below her in a kiss filled with fiery passion. "You can tell me about the good part in the morning."

Casey chuckled and the Karê began to move her body down the smaller woman's prone figure. The small blonde had an unshakable feeling that there wouldn't be any question there.

Tessa woke just as the black sky was lightening to a shade of gray. The rising sun was some time off, but the woman's internal clock nudged her awake at her usual time. She had probably been asleep all of an hour, but although she felt exhausted, her body never felt more alive or happy. Tessa Nikolaidis, happy?

Tessa smiled openly at her thoughts, but knew it was true. She kissed the top of the blonde tousled head that murmured something and burrowed herself deeper within the Karê's embrace. Tessa knew that for the first time in a very long time she was happy. If anyone would have told her that inside of a week she would fall this hard and this fast she would have either laughed in their face or laid them out with one punch. She would have assumed they were making fun of her. It certainly has been a long time in the making, though, hasn't it, little one? Much longer than just a week. Has it really been twenty years?

She refused to let herself think about what was waiting for them outside this little house. She wrapped both arms tighter around the small blonde and only wanted to feel what was right here, right now. She never thought herself capable of having someone like this love her, not being the kind of woman she was. Yet, here was Casey, lying in her arms after the most incredible night's lovemaking, as physical proof. It's true that the younger woman didn't know specifics, but Casey guessed and still she was here.

I do love you, Casey. Tessa cursed herself for not saying it aloud. Casey told her many times during the night those very words, but although Tessa felt them in her heart, she couldn't find the voice to say them aloud. Here she was, a woman that feared few things in life, yet she wasn't strong enough to profess the sentiment she'd never shared with anyone. She simply wasn't brave enough to give Casey her heart, when Tessa knew that even though all her love and happiness rested here in her arms, she still had an obligation to fulfill that would eventually cause Casey to hate her. There were things put into motion long before you got here and planted yourself in my heart, little one; things that I have to see through to the end.

"Casey?" Tessa called softly, attempting to rouse the warm body in her arms. "Come on, sweetheart, it's time to wake up."

"Oh, no," Casey groaned. "It can't possibly be time to wake up, I still have sleep left in me."

"Well, shake it off," Tessa chuckled, "because the sun will be up in an hour or two and we still need to pick up my car."

The dark-haired woman finished the statement by placing her fingers under the small blonde's chin and tilting her face upward. Casey quickly ran her hands through sleep tumbled hair and suddenly became self-conscious.

"I must look like hell." She stated with her chin still in Tessa's gentle grasp.

"You look absolutely beautiful." Tessa replied honestly, placing a sensuous kiss on the smaller woman's lips.

It took seconds for Casey to deepen the kiss, her hands beginning to roam across the Karê's body. Tessa stifled a moan and quickly grabbed a hold of the blonde's roving hands.

"Oh no you don't." Tessa laughed.

"What, don't I get breakfast?" Casey said coyly with a look on her face to match.

"You had a month's worth of breakfast last night." Tessa countered.

"Hey, can I help it you taste so good?" Casey whispered, nipping at the woman's earlobe.

Tessa took a chance that she would hit the right spot and began to tickle the small woman intently.

"Oh, God, no fair." Casey giggled breathlessly. "Now I really have to go to the bathroom."

Tessa could barely stop laughing as she rolled off of the young woman. "First door on the left." She continued her laughter, pointing down the short hallway.

When Casey finally popped her head out of the bathroom she looked somewhat confused.

"Nikki, there is too electricity in here."

Tessa had been lying on the blankets with her eyes closed, her hands clasped behind her head. Her eyelids popped open and as she rolled over to meet the young woman's eyes, her face took on a decidedly sheepish expression.

"Uhm, I lied?" she shrugged noncommittally.

"You," Casey began, pointing a finger at the dark-haired woman, "well...you're just too damn cute to yell at in the morning." Casey finished returning to the bathroom.

Tessa's face relaxed into a toothy grin as she watched the attractive figure disappear into the bathroom and heard the sound of the shower running. She jumped up and went to a small cabinet and pulled some towels from a shelf. Entering the small room she watched as the young woman ran a brush through her short blonde hair.

"Want to be a dear and wash my back?" Casey asked, turning and slipping her arms around the Karê's waist.

Tessa raised an eyebrow at the young woman's tactics, but suddenly the warm body pressed up against her naked flesh felt too delightful to turn down.

"Well, I guess it would be faster if we showered together and we would be doing our part to conserve water."

"Mmm hmm," Casey agreed. "After you."

Tessa stepped into the old-fashioned claw foot tub, pushing aside the shower curtain that ran all the way around the ceramic bathtub. She turned the nozzle up toward her body and let out a roar.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" She exclaimed leaping from the tub.

"What?" Casey questioned.

"There must be something wrong with the water heater, that stuff is like ice." She replied as she continued to shiver.

"Oh, that. Well, I only had the cold water on." Casey responded matter of factly. She reached down and turned the warm water handle. "I guess that pretty much evens us up for the no electricity comment.

"You," Tessa muttered, pulling the small body against her. "I'll get you back for that, sweetheart." She grinned maliciously. "When you're least expecting it."

They did manage to actually do a little washing amidst the kisses and caresses. Casey was having a hard time keeping her hands to herself and Tessa was having an even harder time not giving in to the young woman's advances. The Karê weakened, however, when the small blonde ran her tongue across a nipple already erect with desire.

"Ca-ssan-dra." Tessa drawled in a warning tone.

Casey's perfect white teeth bit down gently on the hardened flesh.

"Oh, yes." Tessa couldn't keep from moaning, suddenly to find that Casey was on her knees, letting her tongue slide into the dark thatch of hair between the Karê's legs.

"Oh, God, Casey." Tessa was groaning, leaning forward, towering over the blonde and placing both hands flat against the tile wall.

She involuntarily spread her legs, but only slightly, still it was enough for Casey to take advantage and bury her tongue deeper into the sweet wetness of her partner. Using firm strokes of her tongue, Casey knew that she could quickly bring Tessa to a point where the dark-haired woman would beg her not to stop. Tessa spread her legs just a touch more bringing them to the sides of the small tub. She moved the shower head so it was pointing away from them then released a few more breathless moans before Casey raised her head from her pleasurable task.

"We really...don't have...time for this, baby." Tessa panted.

Casey ran her tongue in one more extra firm stroke against her lover's, now throbbing clitoris.

"Do you want me to stop?" She asked quickly.

"Oh, yes!" Tessa's moan of pleasure was directed at the young woman's previous action so when Casey stopped completely, Tessa's eyes snapped open. "I--I mean, no!"

Casey performed the same routine and stopped quickly. "Was that a no, I want you to stop or a no, I don't want you to stop?"

"It...I...oh, God!" Tessa shook her head to try to will a little bit of sense into it. She figured that the reason her brain had refused to function was because all of her blood was now flowing straight to other parts of her body.

"I...oh God, please...I mean...Oh Casey, just don't stop eating me." Tessa finally blurted out, her hips thrusting forward shamelessly.

Casey smiled at Tessa's enthusiasm and positioned the dark-haired woman's foot on the rim of the tub.

Spreading her legs wide, Tessa released a growl that rumbled through her chest when she felt Casey's insistent tongue lapping at her center. Her hips began to rock against the young woman's fingers, thrusting inside her, and she placed her hand on the back of the small blonde's head.

"Please, baby...harder."

Casey wasn't sure whether the dark-haired woman wanted her to suck harder on the swollen clit she had in her mouth or if she wanted a stronger motion from her fingers. She decided to do both and the combination skyrocketed Tessa into an orgasm that left her body shivering and her legs unable to hold her own weight any longer. She sank down to the edge of the tub and held Casey in her arms.

"Oh, I'll get you back for that one too, little one."

"I'm counting on it." Casey teased.

Dressed and finally ready to leave the sun was just beginning to peek over the eastern hills. Tessa wrapped her arms around the small woman and kissed her tenderly.

"You have to remember, sweetheart that when we walk out of this house we can't be lovers." Tessa whispered.

Casey raised her head, a shocked expression on her face.

"That didn't come out right." Tessa grinned. "I mean, that to the rest of the world we can't appear to be lovers."

"That makes me feel a little bit better. How long, Nikki? Will we always have to live this way?"

"No, love, it won't always be this way, I promise. It's just that...well, there are things that I--"

"I know. Things you can't talk about, right?" Casey looked up with love radiating from the sea-green depths of her eyes.

Tessa nodded and pulled the small woman tightly to her body, enjoying the silken texture of the golden hair against her cheek. She didn't want Casey to see her face, but more importantly she didn't want to have to look into Cassandra's eyes. She held the smaller woman within muscular arms and said two quick prayers. One, that Casey would someday forgive her for what she had to do, and two, a prayer of thanks for this feeling of love, no matter how long it should last.

"I wish I knew what it was." Tessa said.

Casey pulled away to look into the blue eyes that sparkled with caring and desire. "What what was?"

"The one thing I did right to get you."

They shared a kiss that was equal parts devotion and desperation. Tessa held the door open and, taking a deep breath, Casey walked across the threshold to become Meridio's daughter once again.

Things couldn't have gone better if they'd planned it out, right up until the point when Casey was on about the fourth step headed up to her room when her father's office door opened up. The blonde panicked for a second and clutched the handrail in fear. She was much too far away from the top of the landing to run for it so she did the only thing she could think of. Turning around quickly she hit the bottom step just as Andreas Meridio came into view.

"Good morning, Pappa. Did you have a pleasant evening?" She said cheerily.

"Well, well, I am surprised to see you out of bed so early this morning. I'm glad though. I have some business associates on the island and they have a fondness for the steeplechase. I want you to have breakfast and put on your riding togs. I need your help in impressing these men. Katalavaynés, Máhtia Mou?"

"Of course, Pappa, I'd love to." Casey said with a bright smile that changed to a grimace as soon as her father was out of sight. Dear God, this is going to be the longest day of my life.

"Good morning, Miss" Olympia said as Casey entered the koozéna .

"Morning, Olympia. I need some of your strongest Greek Coffee."

"Make that two." Tessa's voice startled both women.

"That's easy enough." The older woman responded and turned back to the stove.

Tessa leaned on the counter next to Casey, and quickly scanning the area, she raised her index finger to the young woman's lips, the small blonde kissing the digit. The Karê rapidly pulled her finger away, but not before Olympia turned to face them, two coffees in hand.

The older woman looked hard at both young women and she slowly shook her head.

"I only hope you two know what you're doing." She said, mostly to herself, since neither Tessa nor Casey would raise their eyes.

"I have to go to work. Have fun sleeping all day." She whispered to Casey as she left with her cup of coffee, acting as if she hadn't heard the cook.

"Oh, haven't you heard? I get to entertain father's friends at the steeplechase track today." Casey said tiredly.

"Aren't you a bit wobbly for those jumps today?" Tessa asked with concern.

"I'll be okay." Casey replied, hoping that she didn't fall asleep in the saddle at any point during the day.

"Tessa, come in." Meridio said.

Tessa stood at the entrance, without coming right in, every morning for the past five years. Propriety dictated it so and the Karê wasn't one to break too far away from Greek tradition.

Tessa had barely taken her seat and a sip of her coffee before Meridio placed a manila folder in front of her. Upon opening the binder, she stared into the face of a man who was vaguely familiar, but whom she'd never met.

"Do you know him?" Meridio asked.

"I know of him. I've heard things...all bad. Why?"

"He's our new connection. Our friends across the water are shaking their organizational infrastructure a bit. He will be the man we deal with from now on."

"Lovely." Tessa exclaimed, closing the folder.

"I've invited them to lunch and to the horse track. He has a fondness for the steeplechase and good horses. We can make a present of one of our good mares. It will go a long way with a man like that. I want you to come along for obvious reasons, but Cassandra's going to be there and I don't want any of his men thinking she comes as part of the gift. I want it made very clear that she is my daughter, Katalavaynés?"

"Absolutely." Tessa shared her usual serpentine smile with her employer. "Trust me, if anyone of those men lay a hand on your daughter, it will be a very bleak day for his parents."

Meridio rose and placed a hand on the Karê's shoulder. "Good woman, I know I can depend on you to stay with Cassandra every minute, Tessa."

"You can count on me, Mr. Meridio." The dark-haired woman smiled broadly once her employer's back was turned.

Casey closed the door to her room and began to strip off the clothes that she still wore from the previous evening. She walked across the room and tossed the garments into a large wicker laundry basket. She stepped into the walk-in closet to find her riding pants and a pale green polo shirt, along with freshly polished boots hanging right in front of her. That Olympia is so damned fast, what would I do without her.

Turning with the hangars in hand she thought she heard a faint click in her bedroom. Walking out of the closet she noticed that a breeze blew in from the balcony door that was slightly ajar. Funny, I don't even remember opening the doors. She laid her clothes across the valet chair near the dresser and moved to close the doors.

Quickly a hand covered the woman's mouth and a warm body pressed against her naked flesh from behind. Casey recognized the familiar cologne immediately.

"I told you it would be when you were least expecting it, didn't I, little one?"

The hand slipped from her mouth and it began a possessive exploration of the front of the small blonde's body, a deep moan vibrating in her ear.

"Good, God, Nikki! You scared the hell out of me." Casey wasn't sure whether it was fear or desire that had her breathing so hard.

"I think I should get points for having impeccable timing." The tall woman replied, indicating the naked body wrapped in her strong embrace. With one arm locked around the blonde's waist, the other boldly caressed a path that began to ignite flames of passion in both women.

Tessa let her fingertips run along the definition of muscles in her lover's abdomen, bringing them up to cup the underside of a firm breast. She reached in and let her lips and tongue taste the smooth skin of the small blonde's neck, moving up to capture the soft earlobe within her perfect white teeth. She let her tongue swirl over the small bit of flesh in her mouth, while at the same time allowing her thumb to lazily stroke a quickly tightening nipple. Casey groaned out loud at the exquisite touch, arching her back into the Karê's caresses, trying to press her flesh harder against the woman's hands.

"Sshh," Tessa whispered into the small blonde's ear. "If you make any noise, I'll have to stop." The low voice continued.

Casey didn't know if her lover was trying to warn her or threaten her. She did know that there was no way that she was going to risk having the dark-haired woman stop at this point.

"I don't want to hear a sound, not a moan or even a whimper." Tessa said teasingly. Tessa grinned as she felt the frustration flow through the small blonde's body.

She raised both hands and began to knead the firm mounds of flesh within each hand, grasping the pink tips and rolling them between her thumb and forefinger. Casey endured the slow torture as long as she could before her own hands found their way on top of Tessa's, pressing the larger hands under hers against her firmly.

"Is this what you want, baby?" Tessa halted her kisses momentarily to whisper in Casey's ear, as she pinched and pulled the hardened points of flesh with a rougher touch.

Casey nodded vigorously and Tessa chuckled at the small blonde's attempt at silence. The dark-haired woman slid her hands down and across smooth, quivering flesh, which fluttered when the palms of her warm hands brushed lower, across the light down of her abdomen. Both hands swirled their fingers within the flaxen colored curls, teasing themselves lower into the warm wetness, only to abruptly change direction and brush through the curls once more.

Casey was trying hard not to make any noise at all. She knew they had to be quiet considering where they were, but it also occurred to her that this was a little power game of Tessa's. Deep down it was a way for the Karê to assert her dominance and even though the small blonde hated to admit it, even to herself, it thrilled her. Tessa was a woman of her word and Casey wouldn't be at all surprised if her lover pulled away only to leave her wanting. This fact, not knowing whether the dark-haired woman would give her release or not excited Casey in a way that she'd never felt before.

Tessa slid the fingers of both hands deep into the blonde nest of curls, unable to contain a groan herself at her lover's wetness.

"Oh God, baby...you feel so good."

Tessa felt Casey legs begin to tremble weakly and didn't think the small woman was going to last too much longer.

"Kneel down, to the floor." She commanded.

It was a good thing. Just as the Karê commanded her to kneel, Casey felt her knees buckle. She sunk to the floor, her lover on her knees behind her. Tessa sat back on her heels and pulled the smaller body to lean back against her. Casey turned her head and reached up her hand to grab a handful of raven hair. It didn't take much effort to pull a more than willing Karê's lips to her own.

Tessa's mouth swallowed any noise the small blonde was making, the dark-haired woman's fingers continuing to stroke the silky, wet folds of her partner. With one hand she began to stoke a throbbing clit, the other poised two fingers at her entrance and pressed against her sex in a teasing manner. Casey finally broke her lips away from the kiss, breathing hard, her eyes closed; she leaned her head back against her lover's shoulder.

"Oh please, Nikki." Casey murmured.

"Please what?" Tessa asked, knowing full well what the blonde desired. The Karê's center began to throb painfully at the slow and careful seduction and she began to grind her own hips against her lover's backside.

"Please...I want to feel you inside me."

"Mmm, inside you? Why, baby?" Tessa urged.

Casey could barely think considering the fact that every brain cell and nerve synapse was firing between her legs at the present moment. She understood completely what her lover wanted to hear. Dear God, Nikki, do you know how hard it is giving that up to someone?

"Because it feels so good when you fill me up," Casey turned her head and once more captured her lover's lips. Pulling away to catch her breath she continued. "Please, Nikki...I'm begging you...please, fuck me."

Tessa took the woman's mouth, her tongue exploring hungrily even as the thrust of her own hips grew stronger.

"That was a good answer, baby. Because you asked so nice and because you look so damn hot begging me like that..."

Tessa pressed two fingers inside the smaller woman and she felt Casey's hips instantly thrust themselves down hard on her fingers. She continued to stroke the hard nub of flesh with one hand while matching the rhythm of her lover's hips with the other. Tessa began to feel her own climax rushing upon her and held it off as long as she could, but the feel of this woman's excitement was having an intense effect on her body.

"Oh, Casey." The dark-haired woman groaned, feeling her body's shuddering release begin.

"Nikki..." Casey buried her breathless cry against the warm skin of the Karê's neck.

Casey's hand locked Tessa's wrist in an iron grip and the Karê stilled her movement, feeling her lover's inner muscles spasm, then clench tightly around her fingers. It was as if there was a connection between Tessa's hand, inside the small blonde, and her own groin. Feeling the fluttering of Casey's inner walls against her hand prolonged the release coursing through her own body.

"Théh Mou!" Both women hissed at the same time.

"I don't usually...as a rule...thank God after sex," Casey panted, "but...that was...incredible."

"You look pretty cute like that," Tessa kissed the small blonde's nose as she stood and buckled her skin-tight riding pants at the waist.

"Between you and me I hate them. I'd much rather ride in blue jeans and Tony Lama's."

"You and your bad American habits." Tessa folded her arms across her chest.

Casey ran her palms along the thighs of the tan riding pants then stepped forward and slipped her arms around the taller woman's waist.

"I love you, Nikki." Casey said softly, reaching up to place a tender kiss on the startled woman's lips.

"I...Casey...I don't--" Tessa uncharacteristically stammered, unsure of how to react to her lover's words. Oh Casey, if I feel it why can't I say it?

Casey stopped the dark-haired woman by placing her fingers over the soft lips she'd just kissed.

"I know. I know how hard this is for you, love. You don't have to say anything at all, I can feel what's in here," she finished, placing the palm of her hand over Tessa's heart and rewarding the taller woman with a smile that was as bright as the sunshine.

Tessa didn't hesitate and pulled the small woman to her, holding her tightly.

"You are truly a gift to me, little one." She whispered, trying hard to hold back the tears that burned the back of her eyes.

"Muhammad Bin Yamen, please let me introduce my daughter, Cassandra Meridio. She is an excellent rider and will show you how fine the horseflesh raised on Mýkonos is." Andreas Meridio looked slightly nervous as he made the introductions.

Yamen and his henchmen were quite polite upon meeting Casey. In their eyes she was a woman and looked at as nothing, but they learned to get along with the ways of other countries and the position women attained. The tall, Amazon looking woman, worried them however.

"And, this is Tessa Nikolaidis, my Karê." Meridio finished.

The Libyan visitors made no attempt to shake hands with the Karê, but Tessa never flinched or turned her eyes away from their obdurate stares. She casually folded her arms across her chest and glared back, the perpetual scowl upon her face. She was quite used to situations like this, Old World men who were offended at the idea of working alongside a woman. Tessa's retribution was to simply straighten herself to her full height, a good six feet two with her riding boots on, and look down at the shorter men. They always hated that and the dark-haired woman could barely contain her mirth when she saw a few of them straighten up to try and equal her height.

Casey gave the men a tour through the family stables, giving them more information than they probably wanted to know about horses, and the way they were trained for the steeplechase. Tessa stood back and not only kept a protective eye on the small blonde, but also studied her newest adversary, Yamen. The dark-haired woman listened as Casey spoke and was again surprised by her new lover. She knows almost as much about horses as she does olives. Why in the hell does she dig up dead stuff for a living?

They took a break for lunch, Olympia having prepared a veritable feast on the patio. Meridio and Tessa sat with Yamen, the rest of the men at another table, while Casey was relegated to lunching in the kitchen with Olympia. Under other circumstances, Casey would have been offended and probably would have tried to do something to display that attitude. Today she didn't mind in the least. She didn't like the way the men looked at her. Half of them, including their leader, looked down their noses as if she were nothing more than a piece of fine furniture or a rug beneath their feet. The other half of the men leered at her when they thought no one else was watching. Tessa was always watching, however, and Casey took comfort in that fact.

It was late afternoon and Casey's lack of sleep the night before coupled with the large lunch she just enjoyed, had the small blonde yawning deeply as she tightened the strap on the large bay gelding's stirrup. The horse looked like a skyscraper standing next to the small woman. She tugged on a pair of tight fitting leather gloves. Adjusting the helmet on her head, she took the reins in her own hands, and accepted a foot up from the stable hand. The horse seemed skittish and Tessa saw the muscles standing out in Casey's arms, biceps flexing strongly on the woman's lean arms, as she tried to rein the animal in. Finally Casey's will and firm hand convinced the animal to accept the bit and he shook his head, waiting patiently.

The Karê was impressed at her lover's mastery over the large beast, but she couldn't help noticing the yawn that Casey let out. She walked closer, looking up with concern written across her features.

"You sure you're up for this?" Tessa asked.

"Sure, just wake me up when I'm done." The small blonde deadpanned adjusting a set of goggles over her eyes.

"Case," Tessa lowered her voice so that only the small blonde could hear her. "Are you sure? You could break your back if you fall. I just want to make sure you're alert enough."

Casey couldn't help the smile that that found its way to her face. "Yes, Karê, I'll be fine. Don't worry, okay?"

Tessa gave a smirk at that and gently hit the horse's rump to get him going.

Casey watched out of the corner of her eye as the spectators climbed onto a few special bleacher seats and pulled out their binoculars. The steeplechase was by no means a flat course. The Meridio estate boasted a three-mile cross-country course, but Casey would only be using half of that so she would stay in view of the spectators. The steed was Mávro To Vounó, Black Mountain, and she rode him around to each of the jumps, giving the horse a look at the fences.

Tessa nodded to a stable hand and while Casey still warmed up her animal, The Karê took the reins of a white stallion they called Flash. He was the fastest thing in the stable and Tessa simply wanted to be prepared in case anything should happen out on the course. Hearing the woman she loved tell her she was fine and believing it were two different things, and Tessa didn't like the tickling feeling in her gut that warned her of trouble.

Casey was a supremely light rider, and sat her saddle evenly. Most of the other 'jump' jockeys she competed against were much larger than she was, in the 140-pound range. It took more than speed to win a steeplechase, it took a lot of muscle too. She took a few small practice jumps, a box hedge no more than three feet high, finally testing the gelding's strength over a four-foot rail fence. The small blonde enjoyed having an open field to run on, usually in a steeplechase competition she was vying for position with forty or so other competitors. The sound of the horses hooves surrounded you and echoed like thunder in your brain, the mud and divots of earth flew up into your face and body.

The large gelding was a jumper horse, big and strong. He was trained for the hurdles and didn't know how to do anything else in life but run flat out and lift his body so that appeared to be floating in air for a few precious heartbeats. He was larger than most steeplechase thoroughbreds. The strong animal made it look easy. He enjoyed the weightlessness of the small rider and the way she didn't tighten back on the bit. He could feel the excitement begin to flow like waves from the mistress on his back and it began to infect him as he ran and flexed his muscles proudly. The animal couldn't know that this was the surge of adrenaline that Casey always felt when she started to fly around the obstacle course.

She was three-quarters of the way through with her run when she saw the large center jump coming up. It was a nearly five foot timber fence fashioned after the Maryland Hunt Cup's largest jump. They had just set into their run and Casey felt her vision blur. Hindsight told her she should have just hung on and let the animal beneath her do his thing, but not being able to see clearly, she panicked and in that moment of distraction, she pulled back on the horse's reins. The large animal felt the pull of the bit against his back teeth and instantly dug in his heels. Casey realized, as she was in mid air being thrown from the large animal's back, that this probably wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever done.

Tessa leapt upon the white stallion's back without her feet even touching the stirrups. She sped across the course at breakneck speed, flying across the hurdles even more effortlessly than Casey had just done. The small blonde lay on her back and wondered why she couldn't breathe. She rolled onto her side and in the distance she saw Flash taking the jumps more quickly than Casey thought she would even be able to manage, and she thought of herself as a pretty above average rider. Astride the white stallion was Tessa, her dark hair flying around her, a look of fear etched across her tan face.

"My knight on her white charger," Casey managed to gasp breathlessly as Flash pulled up and Tessa jumped from his back.

"Casey, honey, are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

"I...could tell you...if I could breath!" Casey panted with irritation.

She tried to sit up and Tessa breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she could move.

"Looks like you got the wind knocked out of you is all, come on, lets get you on your feet." Tessa responded and quickly pulled the small blonde into a standing position.

The dark-haired woman pressed the flat of her hand against the small woman's diaphragm. "Breathe as deep as you can." Tessa directed.

Casey tried to take a deep breath and simply gasped.

"Again." Tessa said.

The small blonde tried again and as Tessa pressed her hand more firmly against her belly, she felt the tightness ease up. By degrees the spasm ended and Casey was breathing normally again. By this time her father and the visitors had made it to the spot of her humiliation.

"Cassandra!" Andreas Meridio had his daughter in his arms and pulled back to look at her. "Did you break anything?"

"Only my pride, Pappa." She said with embarrassment, rubbing her sore back.

"She's fine. She's a tough one, Mr. Meridio. She just got the wind knocked out of her." Tessa explained.

Yamen chuckled out loud. "Perhaps you should have had sons, eh Meridio?"

The Libyan smacked Meridio on the back as if it was a friendly joke and Casey's father could do little else but take it that way or risk offending his guests. Tessa saw right through the dark man's words. He'd been waiting all day to find something that he could use to his advantage, to stroke his ego, and this was it.

Tessa took Casey by the elbow and lead her back to where the gelding stood.

"Do you hear them laughing over there?" Tessa asked in a low voice. "You know what they're laughing about?"

"I've got a pretty good guess," the small blonde hissed.

"You feel good enough to ride Mávro back to the stable?"

Casey nodded.

"You don't have to do anything but ride back in. Do not," Tessa cautioned the smaller woman, "take anymore jumps. It'll go a long way if you don't let them see you cave, that way we win."

Casey understood the we to be women, and so she gave a little grin and stuck her left foot in Tessa clasped hands, positioning herself once again on the gelding's back.

Meridio turned and saw his daughter in the saddle once again.

"What in the hell is she doing?"

"No problem," the Karê replied offhandedly, just loud enough for Yamen and his clowns to hear. "She just shook it off, she's fine."

Tessa watched as Casey rode the gelding off in the direction of the stables. Suddenly the small blonde turned the horse and they began picking up speed. Even from her distance the dark-haired woman could see the look of wild determination on the young woman's face as she sped toward the five-foot jump. The horse and rider sailed across the fence with at least six inches to spare. Casey then took the large gelding through the rest of the course, trotting back and pulling up in front of the group.

"Nothing to it." Casey smiled.

"Impressive," Yamen had to admit before he turned away.

The men walked away and Meridio turned to Tessa. "See to it she gets home, I'll see that our guests find their way out."

Meridio left and Tessa looked up and raised an eyebrow at the small blonde. "You follow directions so well."

"Sorry, but I couldn't help myself." Casey apologized.

Tessa tried to look angry, but she just couldn't keep the expression going. The young woman atop the horse looked so contrite that the Karê had to smile herself.

"Hey, race ya back to the barn!" Casey took off before Tessa knew what was happening.

It didn't take long for the dark-haired woman to jump into the saddle and come even with the blonde and the bay gelding. Once she passed Casey, she barreled out ahead, flying over the fences like they weren't even there. Casey was mesmerized and pulled Mávro up to a canter. The white stallion and the dark-haired woman moved like one animal, absolute fluidity and strength. Finally Tessa realized she was alone and pulled her horse to a stop, waiting for Casey to catch up.

"What's the matter?" Tessa questioned.

"I had to stop and watch, it was...it was like...magic." Casey hesitated, trying to explain.

Casey saw a slow blush creep up into the Karê's face.

"Where on earth did you learn to ride like that?"

"My father taught me when I was little." Tessa responded, feeling the heat on her face. She wasn't used to being complimented, even if it was by her new lover.

"Then I have to meet him, because I would surely love to be able to jump like that."

Tessa's face immediately turned to stone, the hard edge to her mouth raising in a tiny sneer. "He's dead." She said abruptly, turning her horse away and spurring him on into the stable, leaving Casey in the middle of the field.

The young woman cursed herself for speaking without thinking. Great, Case! Your second stupid move of the day. How was I to know he was dead?

By the time Casey got to the stable, Tessa was already gone. Once she made it back to the house, Tessa was nowhere to be found.

"Olympia, did Tessa come through here?"

"Yes, Miss. I saw her go around to the guest house just a few moments ago."

The small blonde found herself at Tessa's door, knocking like she was a stranger. She knew the dark-haired woman was there because she could hear the strains of Puccini's La Bohème playing quite loudly. She knocked and called Tessa's name, but the Karê wouldn't answer.

"Fine!" Casey stalked off with a small limp from her sore back that wasn't getting any better as time went by.

Tessa couldn't answer the door, not with the state she was in. It had been like a dam breaking open and she barely made it back to the guesthouse in time. One thought of her father while looking into Casey's eyes had been enough to open a flood of emotions that Tessa managed to keep under her tight control for so long. She sat on the floor next to the couch, her arms wrapped around her legs that were bent tight against her chest. She sobbed as if her heart were breaking. She couldn't seem to stop and so she simply turned the music up louder to cover her cries.

She wanted so much to simply open the door and let Casey in. She wanted to feel her lover's arms around her, soothing her with her gentle touch and her loving words. But, she couldn't let Casey see her like this. In her condition, Tessa knew she would say too much. She would tell the small blonde everything, and when she did, Casey's ability to love her would grow cold.

"Just set up the table anywhere." Casey said, a slight grimace of pain flashing across her face.

The masseuse was a young woman in her twenties, pretty and athletic looking. Casey would usually have noticed something like that, but between the ache in her back and her worries and anger where Tessa was concerned, she was oblivious. The small blonde came back out of the bathroom with a sheet wrapped around her. This time she did notice the way the young woman's eyes took in her figure. The surreptitious gaze didn't go completely unnoticed by the small blonde.

A knock at the door drew her attention away just in time.

"Come in."

The door swung open and Tessa's dark figure stood framed in its outline, taking in Casey's attire and the young masseuse with a raised eyebrow. Casey had the sudden need to explain, especially when Tessa's eyebrow continued to arch high up under her ebony bangs.

"I'm getting a massage." Casey couldn't understand why her response was so weak.

Tessa pulled out her billfold and placed a generous amount of money in the young girl's hand.

"Pack up your things and go." Tessa ordered.

The young woman didn't hesitate, she began picking up her belongings to leave.

"Wait a minute! This is my room. Stay!" Casey pointed to the young woman who set the table down again, glancing between the two women.

"Take off!" Tessa hissed.

"Stay!" Casey repeated.

The young girl was in a near state by this time watching the Karê and the small blonde stare one another down. "Please, Miss." The girl begged of Casey.

"I hope you're happy, you've scared the hell out of the poor girl!" Casey seethed.

"Goodbye!" Tessa growled in a low ominous voice.

The girl knew who was in charge now. She scooped up the rest of her things and rushed through the open door, which Tessa closed and locked behind her.

Casey was fuming at the Karê's intrusion, mostly for treating her like a child again in front of someone else. She turned her back on the dark-haired woman and stood there feeling the blood flowing through her veins grow hot. It didn't take long before she felt Tessa's presence close behind her. The tall woman placed her hands on Casey's arms to pull her closer.

"Don't touch me." Casey tried to make it sound like she meant it, but the truth was she was desperate to feel Tessa's arms around her.

The Karê deepened her embrace, enclosing the smaller woman within her arms.

"I'm sorry, Casey. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Tessa said, so softly it was nearly a whisper.

The small blonde turned in the embrace. Looking up into the repentant woman's face, Casey noticed how red and swollen Tessa's eyes were and realized she'd been crying. Oh God, that's why she didn't answer the door.

"Am I responsible for this?" Casey's fingers reached up to stroke a tan cheek, her anger melting away.

Tessa took the fingers in her hand and brought them to her lips. "It wasn't you, only some sad memories. I just--I couldn't be around anyone."

"Even me?" Casey asked.

Especially you, little one. Tessa kissed the top of the blonde head and rested her chin there, enjoying the warm softness of the woman pressed against her chest.

"I'm not...I'm not really used to this, you know?" Tessa faltered. She was a woman of action, not of words. She hoped the woman in her arms could feel what she meant rather than what she said. "I don't like...feeling weak."

"Is that what you think it is to show your emotions in front of someone who cares about you? Oh, honey, I'm not one of those nut cases you do business with. You don't have to worry that I'll use your vulnerabilities against you. Come here."

Casey took her lover by the hand and led her to the sofa across from the french doors. The view was a peaceful one, the sun just beginning to sink in the horizon.

"Just a second." Casey added and ran into the bathroom. She came out wearing a white terry cloth robe.

"I think I liked you in the sheet better."

"I'll just bet you did."

They sat on the couch and when Tessa moved to pull the smaller woman into her embrace, Casey shook her head. Throwing a pillow behind her back for comfort, she settled herself into the corner of the couch and beckoned the taller woman into her embrace. The look of indecision on the Karê's face bordered on fear as she thought about what the action implied.

"You're thinking about it too much. Try to give up just a tiny bit of that control. You don't have to be on your guard in front of me, Nikki."

Oh, but I do, little one. She hesitated, but something deep inside her told her that she did want to be held by this woman. Just once, it would be nice to have someone worry about her.

Casey was patient, she could see her lover at war with herself. Finally she was rewarded with a miniature smile and a pair of sparkling blue eyes. The dark-haired woman allowed herself to be enfolded in the deceptively strong embrace of her lover.

"Your heart beats so fast." Tessa said sleepily.

"Only when I'm around you, my love." Casey responded.

Little by little Casey could feel the strong woman's body relax. They looked out onto the sparkling blue of Tourlos Bay and watched the pelicans flying over the water, following the last of the fishing boats as they dropped anchor for the evening. Tessa couldn't remember a time when she felt more at peace with herself and the world around her. Her lover's delicate touch never stopped moving over the naturally dark hue of the Karê's skin. The small hands ran gentle fingers through the long ebony locks until, at last, Casey could feel Tessa's deep, even breathing. She looked down and was struck at the woman's intense beauty. In sleep, gone was the persistent scowl, her face unlined from the worries and the past that plagued her during her waking moments. The smooth brow and the lips, slightly curled upward in a relaxed smile, caused Casey to think she had seen this face before. Not the woman with the hard edge to her, but tranquil just as she was now. Sort of like a little girl.

"I don't care what you say, Nikki," Casey whispered, looking into the beautiful tan features of the woman in her arms, "I have seen you in my dreams, I can feel it."

She placed a gentle kiss on the dark-haired woman's forehead, and then the larger woman murmured something unintelligible in her sleep, snuggling further into Casey's embrace. The small blonde leaned her head back and watched as the sun dipped further in the horizon, filling up the room with its golden brilliance.

Tessa jerked herself awake and a moment of panic flooded through her at her unfamiliar surroundings.

"It's okay, you've only been asleep for a an hour." Casey reassured her.

The Karê sat up with a sheepish grin, running her hand through her hair. She could see that the last sliver of the sun hung just above the water.

"I've never done that before...just fall asleep like that, I'm sorry."

"I feel flattered then that you felt comfortable enough, besides, I think it's exactly what you needed." Casey replied, standing to stretch the muscles in her back.

"Hey, are you still hurting?" Tessa regretted throwing the therapist out of the room, but her jealousy had simply gotten the better of her.

"It doesn't really hurt, just stiff I think. Maybe I can work it out tomorrow."

"Or," Tessa moved her hands to her lover's hips and gently drew her forward. "I could work it out for you tonight. I have a nice whirlpool in my nice big bath."

"Mmm, but I have a whirlpool here too." Casey responded, her hands running through the long dark mane.

"Yes, but yours doesn't have a nice warm cushion to lie against, namely my body. Plus, I owe you a massage. I could make it one you won't soon forget."

"Sold!" Casey said without further thought.

Tessa stood and kissed the young woman. "Come down to the guest house after dinner. Make sure no one sees you, okay? I'll leave the back door open."

They kissed once more and the Karê was gone. Casey smiled as she dressed for dinner. She was starving...in more ways than one.

What will you do tonight, Máhtia Mou?" Andreas Meridio asked his daughter as they shared a cordial of sournáda.

Casey had been day dreaming, thinking of a certain dark-haired woman and the ways she might be able to work off the wonderful dinner Olympia had prepared. The older woman winked at Casey when she set down her plate with a large portion of Kléftiko in the middle. It was goat meat wrapped in parchment paper and cooked so that the juices and flavors were sealed in, and was one of Casey's all time favorites. By the time she got to the dessert of Sýka sto foúrno me Mavrodáfni, or fresh figs baked in Mavrodaphne wine, she was done in.

"Oh, I think I'm going to soak in a hot tub for a couple of hours and then go straight to bed." Casey replied, truthfully. Hey, he didn't ask if I'd be alone.

"Well, I think I'll call it an early evening too," he rose and kissed Casey's forehead. "I'll be in the upstairs study for a while if you need me and then off to bed. Kalinýchta, my dear, you were very impressive out there today."

"Good night to you too, Pappa and thank you."

Casey quietly made her way down to the koozéna. She put a few fresh figs in a bowl and tucked a bottle of Gentilini under her arm. She slipped across the back lawn and slowly opened the rear door to the guesthouse.

"Nikki?" She said quietly, leaving the wine and the figs on the counter.

"In here." Tessa called out.

Casey followed the sound of the Karê's voice and made her way into a large bathroom. The lights had been dimmed and candles of varying scents and size were scattered throughout the room. When she peeked around the corner she was met with a sight that took her breath away.

Tessa was lying in the large marble tub, leaning back against the side, one knee raised and her eyes slightly closed. A bottle of champagne and two glasses sat on the wide rim of the bath. Half-closed eyes opened lazily and a lopsided grin emerged.

"You, are the best thing I've seen all day." Casey smiled, leaning down to capture a pair of very willing lips.

"You, are highly overdressed for the occasion." The dark-haired woman responded, breathless from their kiss.

"Oh, I think I have a solution to that problem." Casey replied, beginning to remove her clothes in the same, torturous fashion Tessa had the night before.

The Karê didn't try to disguise her hunger as she watched the display before her. Her eyes became heavy-lidded as they broke away from the lush green gaze that held her, traveling down the small, lithe body. Tessa held out her hand and Casey took hold, stepping into the steaming water and seating herself in front of the larger woman. With Casey's back resting against her chest, Tessa gently turned the young woman's face and their moist lips met in a searing kiss, probing tongues taking their time to tease and arouse. Casey brought her hand up to a muscular bronze thigh, stroking the skin delicately, finally running her nails along its hardness.

The two women broke apart, breathless.

"Hey, you're supposed to be in here for the miraculous whirlpool properties." Tessa breathed in the small blonde's ear.

"Mmmm, I feel better already," Casey squirmed.

"Here, this will be better on your back, sit forward." Tessa directed and flipped a switch on a console pad near the head of the tub. The water began to bubble and swirl and the dark-haired woman adjusted a nozzle directly at the small of Casey's back. As the water hit the spot, Tessa began to lightly massage the area in small circular motions.

"God, that does feel good." Casey responded honestly.

Tessa rubbed the smaller woman's back and let the warm water flow against her skin, finally she turned off the jets and flipped on the whirlpool, leaning back and pulling her lover against her once more. They shared some of the champagne before settling in again.

"Just relax for a while," Tessa purred.

The feel of her lover's body and the warmth of the moving water, coupled with the hum of the whirlpool, sent Casey's body into such a relaxed state that she promptly fell sound asleep.

"I can't believe you let me fall asleep." Casey chided.

"Hey, paybacks, little one." Tessa reminded the young woman.

The two conversed briefly at the breakfast table on the patio before Casey's father arrived.

"I picked you up, dried you off and put you to bed. I did think about ravishing you in your sleep considering how good you looked, but decided I'd be honorable." The Karê smirked.

"And, I never woke up once, during all of that?" The small blonde seemed amazed.

"Nope. You're the heaviest sleeper I have ever come across. On the other hand I think you needed the rest."

"I'm sorry, Nikki."

"Don't be," Tessa voice softened to a whisper. "I enjoyed being able to hold you in my arms all night."

The sky blue eyes softened when they met the deep green of Casey's and a quiet message was passed. Tessa abruptly pulled her gaze away and looked down at her paper, taking a sip of her coffee as if Casey weren't even there. The blonde finally saw her father moving to the table long after the Karê heard his footsteps.

"Good morning, ladies." Andreas Meridio said as Casey poured his coffee.

Tessa and Meridio spoke briefly and Casey let her mind wander. She didn't recognize any of the names or understand a thing they were discussing and so she retreated within herself, hearing their conversation from a distance. Casey began to get an idea. Once the other two where finished with their conversation, the young woman took a shot at her plan.

"I'm going to Athens for the weekend." She said abruptly in her father's direction.

Tessa raised an eyebrow and looked in Meridio's direction.

"I have a couple of meetings set up with the museum curators. We have to get together before the dig begins."

"Cassandra..." Meridio began.

"Pappa," Casey interrupted, recognizing that tone in her father's voice. "I only have another two weeks of vacation and then I'll have to constantly be back and forth between Mýkonos and Athens. I'll have to get an apartment there at least for a little while. This is my job we're talking about."

Meridio gave an exasperated sigh and nodded. "But Tessa goes with you." He added.

"I do not need a babysitter." Casey complained.

"She's not a babysitter." Meridio countered, beginning to get aggravated by the whole situation. "She'll go with you and help you find an apartment. Do you have a problem with that Tessa?"

"No, sir. As a matter of fact I have a meeting in Athens day after tomorrow, it would work out well."

"Fine," Meridio just wanted the conversation at an end. "Take Alex if you need him too."

"Excellent idea, Mr. Meridio." Tessa replied, wondering how they were going to get out of bringing the young man along.

"Pappa, please! One babysitter is bad enough, please don't make me go with two." Casey grumbled.

"Oh, allright, but Tessa absolutely goes with. And, please, young lady stop calling the Karê a babysitter." Andreas Meridio swallowed the last of his coffee and rose to leave. "When will you go?"

"This afternoon, I should think." Casey answered.

"Come say good bye before you leave," Meridio said, kissing the top of his daughter's head. "Tessa, I'd like to meet with you also before you leave." He said just before he walked away.

Waiting until the man was out of sight, Tessa turned to the small blonde seated across from her, a smug smile of victory displayed on the young woman's face.

"Oh, you're good." Tessa remarked.

"Hey, I thought we were staying at the Grande Bretagne." Casey said as Tessa continued to speed the car past the Plateía Syntágmatos.

"We are. Well, according to the hotel register we are." Tessa smiled at the surprised woman. "I happen to have an old acquaintance who it just so happens is the conciérge there. He owes me a favor and he is very trustworthy. You said you needed an apartment, right? Was that for real or just part of your little plan?"

"Well, I will need an apartment to live in when I work over here and I thought...it could be somewhere we could get away." Casey trailed off uncertainly.

"We won't be able to do that." Tessa replied.

The dark-haired woman turned her head to look at the small blonde and immediately noticed the wounded look on her face.

"Hey," The tall woman reached out a hand to the blonde's cheek. "I didn't mean it like that. I do have a place in mind for you to get an apartment, but it wouldn't be smart for me to be seen there. If I know your father, he'll have someone keep an eye on you when I'm not around. We can't risk getting caught together like that."

"Oh," Casey saw all her plans of romantic getaways dissipating quickly. "So, what do we do, don't we ever get to be alone, Nikki?"

"Of course, we do, baby." Tessa said, shifting gears as they began to climb a steep hill. "Just sit back and all will be made clear in a few minutes. Trust me?" She grinned at the frowning blonde.

Casey thought about that question, but it didn't take her long. She had known this woman all of a week, yet she knew she would trust her with her life.

"Of course I do." Casey answered, sliding her hand within the larger woman's grasp and squeezing gently.

Tessa squeezed the smaller hand within her own in return and as always, thanked whomever was responsible for the happiness she was now experiencing. She sat in wonder at the optimistic young woman. Tessa had never felt this kind of unconditional trust from a lover before and it made her feel rather safe.

"Welcome to your second home," Tessa stopped the car in front of a two story wood and brick building that was nestled back among a grove of olive trees, partially hidden from the road.

The Karê opened the passenger side door and took Casey's hand, leading her around to a side gate that was securely held shut. Tessa punched a series of numbers into the computer console on the wall and the iron security gate clicked open. Tessa still held the young woman's hand and walked the two of them to a back patio that surrounded a beautiful swimming pool, a cascading natural rock fountain at one end.

"Who lives here?" Casey asked, turning around and taking in the beauty of the place.

"I do...and you, I mean, if you'd like." Tessa added the last part softly. She couldn't even believe her own ears. Here she was, determined not to add any complications to the already confused puzzle of her life and she just asked the most dangerous piece in this chess game to move in with her.

"You own this?" Casey seemed confused.

I didn't always work for your father. I was a successful businesswoman before I became the Meridio Karê. And, even I need a place more private than the guesthouse. Look around, see the cliffs up there?" She asked, pointing above them. "And that area over there, how it's surrounded by the trees? No one can see the estate without me seeing them first. Besides that, the entire estate is wired with a security system of my own design."

Tessa crossed the patio to the sliding glass doors and pushed another series of buttons. Lastly, I have two bodyguards. Stand still." The tall woman commanded.

Casey wouldn't have dreamed of disobeying the Karê's command as two large Dobermans bounded up to the patio, nearly knocking the small blonde over in their attempt to get to Tessa. She wrestled with the two huge animals for a few moments, then commanded they sit with a gesture of her hand. Both dogs obediently sat down, never taking their eyes off their mistress.

"My two bodyguards. They're better than anyone you could possibly hire." Tessa explained. "Watch."

"Heads up." Tessa said quietly

Both dogs immediately took a position in front of the dark-haired woman, barking and baring their teeth at some unknown foe. Casey jumped back at the sudden intensity in the animals.

"Down!" Tessa said and the dogs instantly obeyed, backing off and lying down.

"Wow. That would sure make me think twice." Casey said a little shakily.

"I'm sorry, honey...I didn't mean to scare you, but I want you to know what these girls are capable of. They're extremely intelligent. Come here," Tessa held out her hand and the small blonde came closer.

"That big girl over there is Mahogany and this is Cinnamon," Tessa explained, dropping to one knee and encouraging Casey to do the same. "She's a good girl, aren't you Cinny? Here she likes to be scratched under her chin, right here." Tessa demonstrated and soon Casey was playing with the dog, which seemed more like a happy puppy now.

The Karê leaned over and kissed her lover's neck, working her way down to her shoulder, pushing aside her dress to kiss the bare skin.

"I want her to see how close we are." Tessa murmured against the blonde's tan skin.

"Mmmm, another thirty seconds of that and she's going to get a good look at how close we are." Casey moaned in reply.

Tessa chuckled and pulled Cinnamon closer. "See, Cinny? Heads up, okay?" She repeated her directions a few more times while pointing the dog's head in Casey's direction.

The tall woman stood and pulled Casey up alongside her, stopping to kiss her passionately. Then pulled away and moved toward the house.

"Oh, Nikki, you're not going to kiss me like that and stop, are you?"

Tessa smiled in return. "There's more where that came from, I promise you, but I need to test this out first. I want to make sure you'll always be safe here if you're alone. Okay, they're going to bark again, are you ready?"

Casey scrunched her face up in preparation and Tessa laughed out loud at her lover. "Didn't you have any dogs when you were a kid?"

"Yes, but I had a Golden Retriever. He was cute and fluffy." Casey replied.

"Well, these two ladies are cute and tough."

Casey giggled. "Kind of like their owner, huh?"

Tessa simply winked. "Okay, here goes. Heads up." She commanded.

Again, the dogs jumped to their feet instantly. This time Mahogany stood her ground in front of Tessa, while Cinnamon pressed herself against Casey's legs, determined to fend off the imaginary threat.

"You give them the command to back off." Tessa said loudly over the barking.

"Down!" Casey shouted and the dogs obeyed the small blonde at once, coming to lie at her feet as if she had always been their mistress. "Wow!" Casey exclaimed and began to praise the animals that lapped up the attention that was being lavished on them.

Tessa watched and felt the action tug at her heart. Casey would be the only woman these animals would treat like this, other than their owner. She didn't know why, but somehow she was certain of it.

"Hey, what about me, I did train them." Tessa stood directly in front of the small blonde.

"Oh, did you want your tummy rubbed too?" Casey teased.

"No," Tessa said in a throaty voice, pulling the smaller woman against her own body and wrapping her arms around the slim waist. "I have something else you can rub, though."

Tessa reached around and began to unzip the small blonde's dress, the zipper stopping just above her lover's shapely backside. Reaching lower, she pulled the woman against her hips and let her tongue run along the outside of Casey's ear.

"Would you like to take a swim?" Tessa whispered in invitation.

"You know," Casey was finding it difficult to control her breathing, "I spent two-hundred dollars on this dress and you haven't said a word about how it looks."

"Mmmm, baby, you look wonderful in it," Tessa murmured against Casey's skin, pulling the dress off each shoulder. "But, I think you would look positively beautiful out of it."

Casey's eyes closed and she allowed her lover to slide the dress down her body. "You are very different out here." Casey remarked.

Tessa sucked hard on the skin at Casey's neck, not caring about the mark it would leave. "I guess I'm just more in my own element. I feel more comfortable in my own home."

"Then I think we should come here often." Casey whimpered softly against the Karê's shoulder.

The two women sat on a rug in the living area clad only in their bath towels, sipping white wine. They'd spent all of the late afternoon in the pool, playing like teenagers one moment, passionately caressing one another the next. They eventually made their way into the bedroom, both towels ending up in a heap at their feet.

Tessa allowed the small blonde to take her by the shoulders, pressing her down to the bed and onto her back. Casey captured the Karê's lips in a kiss that larger woman was quickly becoming accustomed to. Her muscles quivered helplessly and she was simply glad they were lying down. The dark-haired woman became a prisoner to those lips, then a tongue; soon Casey's whole body was expertly teasing Tessa's overloaded senses. My God, how in the world does she do this to me?

"Casey...baby?" Tessa murmured in between kisses.

"Yes, love?"

"I...oh, yea...I was wondering...ungh, God, you are such a talented lover!" Tessa finally blurted out.

Casey stopped her caresses and looked into her lover's face. "Are you asking me how I became that way?"

Suddenly Tessa realized how that sounded. Okay Niko, this is why you should just keep your mouth shut. "Oh, no, I--I didn't mean it like that. It's just I haven't come across that many women who enjoy the same...I don't know, who have the same, uhm...appetites as I do."

A smile crossed the small blonde's face. "So you're asking me if I sleep around or what?"

"Oh, no. Honey, I'm sorry, God this was stupid to even bring up."

Casey settled on her side and rested her head in the palm of her hand. She continued to stroke the Karê's dark skin, running a teasing finger around a brown nipple.

"Can I tell you something without you laughing at me?" Casey asked, suddenly a serious expression on her face.

"Of course." Tessa answered with an equally sober expression on her own face.

"I've never been this way with anyone. Not that I didn't want to be, I had my fantasies, but that's all they were. I never felt comfortable enough with anyone to tell them what I wanted, or even take what I desired. I've certainly never felt relaxed enough with a lover to use a...well, to try sex different ways. Everything you and I do feels so damn natural. It's like I'm not afraid to experience any kind of pleasure with you. I guess I'm not afraid to be myself around you."

Casey finished, but she hadn't yet looked up into the blue eyes that watched her with deliberate scrutiny. The azure gaze softened and Tessa found herself unable to hold back. She took hold of the small woman and rolled them both over, easing her own large body carefully over the smaller woman's frame.

"I wouldn't change one thing about you. Not one thing."

She leaned in and pressed her lips to the waiting mouth that parted quickly for her thrusting tongue. Tessa made sure that there wasn't a portion of her lover's body that didn't feel the touch of her lips or caress of her tongue.

Casey spread her legs and Tessa was enveloped in a heat that spread through her entire body. The dark-haired woman teased Casey's aching nipples with only the tip of her tongue. After what seemed like an eternity of torture to the small blonde, Tessa sucked each tight nub of flesh into her warm and inviting mouth.

Slender fingers reached down between Casey's legs and began to delicately stroke the outer lips, an arousing wetness already trickling from the young woman's inner folds. Tessa pulled away slightly and looked deep into her lover's eyes. Seemingly having made a decision, the Karê reached off the edge of the bed to the bedside table and pulled open a drawer. The item she pulled from the wooden table was laid on the side of the bed as Tessa resumed her hungry mouth's caresses. Hell, I like it, maybe she will too. Okay, baby, this is where we see what you really enjoy.

Casey watched out of the corner of her eye as the long, cylindrical object was pulled from the drawer. Her heart raced a bit faster and she felt a distinct increase in the wetness between her thighs. She heard an involuntary whimper escape from her own throat as she watched Tessa casually lay the toy to one side.

The sound caused the Karê to pull away and look down into the deep green orbs, gone dark with desire. The tall woman had a look akin to amusement in her sparkling eyes.

"Are you going to use that...on me?" Casey asked hesitantly.

"Perhaps...if you'd like." Tessa answered.

"Will I use it on you?" Casey tried a different approach with her suddenly uncommunicative lover.

"Hopefully." Tessa reached in and captured a perfect earlobe within her teeth, putting a gentle pressure on the sensitive flesh and delighting in the shiver than ran through her lover's body. God, how I love being back in control. No surprises, everything predictable.

"Do you have a harness for it?" Casey boldly asked.

"Huh?" Tessa looked up, her composure slipping a tad.

"I asked if you had a harness for it."

"I heard you I just...I mean, I didn't..." Wake up woman! She's asking, so deliver. "Do you want me to get it?" Tessa asked slowly.

Casey nodded her head slowly but enthusiastically, a seductive grin on her lips, then watched as her lover went from total confidence to flustered embarrassment to awkward shyness in a matter of seconds.

Their eyes locked and the fire that was turned up on high within Casey's body suddenly transferred itself to Tessa's belly, and the dark-haired woman gave one small grin and leapt from the bed. Pulling open the top drawer in a solid oak chest, Tessa searched for the black leather harness.

Casey couldn't stifle the giggle that arose.

"What?" Tessa turned toward the sound.

"The last time I saw you move that fast, you were saving my life."

A deep, even blush began spreading across her dark skin. Tessa turned away to retrieve the leather item and could feel her own heart racing along. This was becoming a common occurrence, being tongue-tied around this small woman.

Returning to the bed with the item, she was suddenly at a loss as to how she was expected to play this scenario.

"Uhm, do you want me to wear it or do you..." She trailed off.

Casey rose to her knees, picking up the toy in one hand she moved to the edge of the bed where Tessa stood, harness in hand. The small blonde took the harness and tossed it on the bed next to her. She began to kiss and nip her lover's neck, working her way down the well-muscled torso.

"Mmmm, why don't you first, then we'll...play it by ear." She responded with, to Tessa's eye, what appeared to be a thoroughly mischievous grin.

Casey nudged the standing woman's thighs apart slightly and she teased the swollen folds by pressing the large end of the dildo into her wetness, running the head along the moist slit. Rising up on her knees once more, the two women met in a kiss, their tongues warring for dominance. Casey continued the teasing motion of the phallus in her hand, swallowing Tessa's groans within her kiss.

The blonde turned the toy around until she was pressing the smaller end up into the dark curls. Tessa widened her stance even more, a silent plea for Casey to continue. The smaller end of the object was slowly slipped inside the Karê's slick opening and the accompanying protrusion fitted against her clit. Casey held the dildo and slid her hand up its length, pressing against her lover as she did.

"Oh God!" Tessa moaned, wrapping strong arms around the woman's waist, burying her head against the smooth skin of Casey's neck. "You know exactly what you're doing to me when you do that, don't you?" The woman asked knowingly.

Casey's only answer was an enormous smile.

The small blonde picked up the leather harness and it took only seconds for Tessa to find the equipment held snugly to her body. Each time Casey leaned her kneeling body into the dark-haired woman's, the Karê could hear herself moaning as the smaller end slid inside her and the protrusion rubbed against her swollen clit.

"Have you used this on many women?" Casey's voice interrupted the Karê's fantasies.

Tessa wasn't sure how to answer. She decided the truth would be best. "Actually, no. I haven't used it on anyone but myself. I've never even used the harness before. Look, baby, if you don't want to we--"

"Sssh," Casey's lips whispered, getting the answer she wanted to hear and Tessa watched as the smaller woman slid down to the bed, her lips and tongue leaving a trail of absolute fire in their wake.

Tessa's brow arched about as high as was possible, even for her, as she watched her lover reach out a pink tongue and swirl it around the head of the phallus. Casey made sure to press against the object and could feel it move against her lover.

"Yesss." Tessa moaned, her head falling back against her shoulders and her hips rolling forward.

Casey could taste her lover's essence on the toy and she moaned herself as the truth of the Karê's words was manifested. The thought of the beautiful, dark-haired woman using the toy on herself seemed to arouse the small blonde even more.

Tessa felt the delicious pressure again and her eyes snapped open to watch the woman between her legs. She usually wasn't this verbal, but the small blonde had her groaning like the world was coming to an end. She didn't know which was more erotic. Watching her lover's movements as she wrapped her lips around the head of the object and began to slide its length into her mouth or the feeling of the small end that slid inside the increasing wetness of her own sex. Alternating between gentle and firm pressure, Casey took more and more of the phallus until she stopped and let the object slide out, but not completely. She moved her head backward and forward; the pressure that the forward motion placed on Tessa's aching sex, bringing her pleasure to a quick peak.

The Karê couldn't believe this was happening or how turned on she was by the small blonde's actions. Casey slid her hands up the back of Tessa's thighs, clutching at the hard muscles of her buttocks. The young woman used her handhold to pull her lover's hips closer to her, taking more of the dildo into her mouth.

"Oh baby, yea." Tessa moaned loudly as her hips began to take on a life of their own.

Tessa reached down and buried her fingers within the short, blonde locks, encouraging the woman's mouth to keep doing exactly what it had been doing. By now Tessa's hips pumped wildly, her thighs began to tremble as she felt the distinct experience of electrically charged sparks shooting up and down the backs of her legs. Throwing her head back, the dark haired woman released a growl of pure pleasure.

"Cassandra!" Tessa said breathlessly.

The dark-haired woman let loose a moan, then her undulating hips froze momentarily as she allowed her orgasm to sweep her away, her heavy-lidded eyes, snapping open to reveal prussian blue irises, glazed over with passion. She plunged her hips once more, then twice into the talented mouth, finally exhaling the breath she just now realized she'd been holding. The gasp came out as a loud groan and she brought one knee up to the bed to steady herself, leaning over the small blonde.

Casey helped the dark-haired woman ease her tall frame onto the bed. Tessa laid on her back as the small blonde snuggled up close.

"I don't know...how this...happens." Tessa panted. "I start out trying to seduce you and I inevitably end up flat on my back, gasping for breath, and begging for your mercy." Tessa finished.

Casey laughed out loud at her lover's predicament.

"Are you complaining?" Casey continued to chuckle.

Tessa pulled away to look into her lover's eyes. With a smile of complete satisfaction, the dark-haired woman again rested her head on the pillow.

"Never." Tessa finally replied.

"Hey, there!" Tessa caught Casey's roaming hand in her own just as the small fingers were about to grasp the phallus on the larger woman's hips. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Some big tough Karê." Casey teased.

In a move so fast Casey never saw it coming, Tessa quickly grasped the hands of her lover and rolled until the smaller woman was pinned beneath her.

"No fair!" Casey laughed and tried to squirm away at the same time, with no success.

The Karê nudged the smaller woman's knees apart and Casey complied quickly. Tessa could see the desire burning within the green depths of her lover's gaze, but she figured turnabout was fair play. She leaned in and hungrily kissed the smaller woman's mouth until Casey began to match her fervor, then she abruptly pulled away. The dark-haired woman repeated the process with other parts of the smaller woman's body, keeping the blonde's hands in her strong grasp. Tessa would use her lips and tongue to light a fire on Casey's overheated skin and then she would suddenly stop.

"Nikki, please..." Casey finally whimpered, arching her body up in an attempt to increase the pleasurable contact.

"Mmmm, please what, baby?"

"More," was all Casey's fevered brain could think to utter.

"More? More of what, love?"

"Oh God, more of...everything." Casey blurted out.

"Ahh, everything," Tessa responded in a low, husky voice, continuing to kiss and nip at her lover's neck and shoulders. "Don't you really mean more of this?"

Tessa pressed her hips into the apex of her lover's legs and her own belly clenched at the small blonde's throaty moan. Casey felt like her body was in another dimension. Her small frame shivered as she felt the phallus slide across her wetness. Her hips rose off the bed to prolong the contact and she heard a quiet grunt of satisfaction from her lover as the small dildo inside her, pressed against her already sensitive flesh.

"Tell me," Tessa said in a strong whisper against Casey's ear.

The moist breath and the sound of her lover's rugged voice vibrated against her skin and Casey whimpered involuntarily. The small blonde understood what her lover was requesting, and she was powerless to do anything beyond giving in to the dark-haired woman's demands. Casey's head told her to hold out, her heart whispered that she would do anything to please her lover, and finally her body overrode the other two by absolutely demanding the pleasure the Karê was about to bring to her.

"Please, Nikki." Casey repeated her previous plea.

"You know what I want to hear," Tessa said pressing her hips against the smaller woman once again. "Tell me what you want, Cassandra."

Tessa's throaty whisper in her ear and the abundant wetness between her legs all combined to produce an ache that transcended above all her other wants and desires. The final straw was when Tessa whispered her name, rolling the syllables in that incredibly low, sexy voice of hers. Casey could feel her brain sparking like it was on overload. That's when she felt Tessa's hand guiding the head of the dildo, pressing it against her opening.

Small hands suddenly realized they were free and reached up to entwine themselves in long strands of ebony hair. Casey looked directly into the flames of blue fire that danced in her lover's eyes and whispered the words that Tessa wanted to hear.

"Please, baby...fuck me."

In one smooth motion Tessa slid the length of the phallus inside the small blonde and stilled her hips letting Casey become accustomed to the sudden fullness.

"Sweet Mother of God!" Casey exclaimed as Tessa's hips began sliding the dildo in and out in a slow, torturous fashion.

"Do you need me to stop?" Tessa asked in alarm.

"Oh no, please, Nikki, don't stop." Casey cried out.

Tessa took in the expression of rapture on the smaller woman's face and felt her hips set their own pace as each movement brought about pleasing sensations within her own body. Casey's hips rose from the bed to meet each thrust and bury the object even deeper inside. Her breath came in pants and she had to fight the urge to simply explode in immediate orgasm the moment Tessa's lips fiercely took her own. The small blonde's whole world narrowed to the feel of her lover's tongue in her mouth and the friction of the object sliding between her legs.

Tessa continued her penetration, delighting in the feel of the woman under her. Each forward thrust of her hips caused the same motion of the phallus within her own body, and soon the sensations caused her to feel as if she were actually inside her lover. The more she thought about it, the more it actually felt like it. Soon, Tessa was groaning at the imaginary feel of Casey's warmth surrounding her as she buried herself in the soft wetness.

The large woman and the small blonde beneath her moved to an age-old rhythm, but one their bodies instinctively knew. No words were spoken, no tender endearments or promises bartered back and forth. The raw excitement and passion literally crackled in the air around the two women. There would be other moments of tender lovemaking, but this moment of passion was one of carnal pleasure alone. Harder, faster, deeper, the only verbal pleas that were exchanged.

Casey felt her nails pressing into strong shoulders and felt her lover's responding growl before she heard it. Not a sound conceived out of anger but the seductive rumble of pleasure borne of pain. The small blonde raked her nails sharply across the broadly, muscled back and the sound rumbled forth from the dark-haired woman's chest again. Casey felt the strong arms wrapped around her and could feel the biceps bulging against her. She ran her hands down her lover's torso and could feel the muscles in her hips tighten and flex with each thrust inside her. In her mind's eye she could see the thighs that pressed against her open legs, all hard muscle covered in the softest dark skin. How could the young woman tell Tessa later that it was not only her lover's voice, but the image of the dark-haired woman's overpowering, muscular physique that send her careening over the edge into the arms of her climax?

"Come for me, baby." Tessa moaned the words breathlessly as her own orgasm could be held back no longer.

Their bodies shuddered together as waves of release rolled through them as one; their cries swallowed up by their kisses. Tessa finally collapsed onto the smaller woman, then sliding the phallus from her lover's haven, she rolled over and onto her back. Long moments of silence existed as each woman struggled to regain her composure.

Casey rolled over and snuggled against the dark-haired woman's side, an arm quickly wrapping around to pull the small blonde closer. Tessa turned her head a gently kissed the top of the golden head.

"Casey...I--I--" Tessa was caught again. She so much wanted to tell her lover how she felt, but a breath-stealing panic gripped her heart at uttering the words.

"I love you, too." Casey finished, kissing her collarbone then looking up at her lover with a lazy smile on her face.

Nearly a half an hour went by as they gently caressed and bathed in the afterglow of their passion.

"Are you going to sleep in this?" Casey finally spoke.

"I think it's welded to me." The Karê replied dryly.

"Let me help." Casey reached down and began to unfasten the harness, at last sliding the toy from within the dark curls.

"Ohhh." Tessa couldn't hold back the languid moan as Casey slid the object from her body.

"You're still so wet." Casey remarked.

"Well, you're responsible for that, I guess you should be the one to do something about it." Tessa tossed back.

The next thing Tessa realized the small blonde was nestled between her legs, her warm tongue tenderly lapping up the juices there.

"Good God, woman!" Tessa exclaimed but spread her legs farther apart, doing nothing to discourage her young lover.

Casey used as tender a touch on the swollen flesh as she could, avoiding the sensitive areas altogether. The taste of her lover seemed to explode on her tongue and it was all she could do to keep herself from burying her face in the sweet flesh. She let her tongue run softly along each fold, pressing the warm muscle just slightly into her lover's opening in a teasing motion. Tessa's hips picked up a slow, sensual grind in counter-rhythm to her lover's tongue and eventually, long slender fingers found their way into the golden locks and Tessa pressed her lover against her harder.

"Please, baby...now." Tessa pleaded in a hoarse voice.

Casey wrapped her arms around the bronze thighs and pressed herself deeper. Her tongue found its way to a swollen and very sensitive clit. Casey simply pressed the flat of her tongue against the tender bundle of nerves and could feel her lover's orgasm begin. The trembling thighs spread wider and Casey took the nub of flesh between her lips and sucked hard, releasing it to let it slide against her tongue.

It was a good thing they decided to stay in the apartment as opposed to the hotel because Tessa let loose a roar loud enough to make Casey's ears ring. The larger woman half sat up as the force of her climax hit her, dropping back down to the bed, her muscles continuing to jump and quiver.

Pulling the small blonde up to lie half against and half on top of her, Tessa kissed her soundly, delighted at her own taste on her lover's lips. When they pulled apart Tessa simply flung her arms wide on the bed and groaned.

"Uncle." She said in surrender.

Casey chuckled slightly. "I told you it wasn't my fault you taste so good."

Tessa had to laugh at the young woman's logic and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"You are extraordinary." The larger woman whispered.

"You're not so bad yourself." The small blonde murmured sleepily, cuddling closer to her lover.

Tessa closed her eyes in exhaustion and pleasure, but her brain still worked for a few moments until sleep took her. The Karê never felt so utterly loved, so entirely satiated, and so much in love in her entire life. So, this is what it's like...to be in love. Hmmm, no wonder everybody wants it so bad. Incredible, she thought to herself, absently tightening her hold on the small figure in her arms. Her large muscular body and Casey's smooth, lean figure seemed in complete contrast to one another, but as they lay together, they seemed to fit so well. To Tessa's mind it simply seemed so right.

A fleeting moment of negativity tried to rise up in Tessa's brain just before she fell asleep. Being a natural pessimist the dark-haired woman knew that anything good in her life was quickly followed by the bad. That was the way it had always been. For the first time in her life, she pushed that thought away instead of embracing it. She didn't want to think about what the future held for the two lovers. Tonight she only wanted to focus on the reality of the here and now. That reality was that she was in love and held a woman in her arms who loved her. For Tessa, that was more than she ever dreamed she would have.

The Meridio Karê was unaware of how quickly it could all unravel.

Part 4

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