Raven put the weights in the rack when she saw their reflection in the mirror and turned around. "Sharon." She opened her arms and had a devilish grin on her face. "Come on, give me a hug."

"Ugh, get away." Sharon hid behind John. "You're all sweaty."

"I thought you said you liked me that way?" Raven mustered a hurt expression.

"You know I only like it when we're both hot and sweaty, girl." Sharon answered in a sensual voice.

"Something you two need to tell me?" John tapped his foot, trying to look menacing. Which didn't work since both women were laughing at him. "I don't know why I put up with the two of you." He said as he joined in, glad of the playful banter between the two most important people in his life.

Raven grabbed her towel and water bottle and headed out of the club with them. "No, you two wanted time alone. And three's a crowd, especially on Sharon's first night here." Her answer to the dinner invitation from John. They had finally taken no for an answer with the understanding that Raven was to join them for breakfast in the morning.

"Yes, I got your message about Kris coming by tonight." Which is why she had been working out in the first place. Then they were politely told to drop the subject.

She made her way back to her room, stripping when she reached the bedroom and headed for a long hot shower. She was curious as to why Kris wanted to see her. 'Why wasn't she taking the easy way out? Am I wrong thinking she wants out? That's right, Raven, get your hopes up so it'll hurt again when they come crashing down around you.' She sighed deeply.

Chapter Ten:.

After the opera, that Kris didn't see or here more than five minutes of because she was constantly checking her watch and thinking of a certain Captain, she pulled Gwen to the side and asked her to cover her absence with Parker. "Why? Where are you going?"

"I can't tell you, Gwen. Please just tell him I left with the Secret Service instead of riding back in the limo." She pleaded. "For old times?"

"Alright." She gave in. "But you owe me an explanation tomorrow morning, early." She told her as Kris hurried off in the opposite direction with the agent.

"Where's Kris?" Parker asked when Gwen entered the car.

"She had somewhere to go, said she would be home later." She explained to the suddenly fuming man sitting across from her. "She left with one of the agents, she's not alone." Gwen tried to rea.s.sure him, thinking that he was afraid for Kris' safety.

The drive back to the Whitfield's house was silent after Harold had tried to start a conversion with Parker but had been ignored. Parker was too busy trying to plot a strategy that would remove the 'bad influence' from Kris' life, once and for all, without any embarra.s.sment to him. Kris had done enough of that lately. He barely managed a polite 'thank you for the evening' before leaving the limo.

"I think I'll have you drop me off here in the morning, dear." Gwen said in a curious and somewhat worried voice.

The agent that had accompanied Kris waited by the elevators as she continued down the hall to the Captain's room. She discovered that her hand was shaking as she raised it to knock. She looked down at her feet and clasped her nervous appendages under her armpits as she waited for the door to be opened.

Raven took a large swallow of hot cocoa when she heard the knock. She had promised herself, after learning that Kris intended to see her tonight that she wouldn't have another drink. Subjecting Kris to myself mixed with large quant.i.ties of liquor was not something she wanted the young woman to have to endure. She took a deep calming breath and opened the door.

"Hi, can I come in?" Kris asked shyly. 'G.o.d, I'm acting like a schoolgirl with their first crush. I mean, gee wiz, we've slept together, well not, I mean we didn't do anything but sleep, but we shared a bed. And we've kissed, so why am I so nervous? And why am I carrying on a conversation with myself?'

"Sure." Raven replied and opened the door wider. "You want some cocoa? I've got a carafe full."

"Yeah, thanks." Kris sat in silence until Raven handed her a mug. She took a sip before she turned to face the Captain, who was sitting in an armchair angled towards the sofa, which Kris occupied. She could tell be the slightly distant expression on her friend's face that there was definitely something wrong, she hadn't been imagining things. "Tell me what's wrong. Please don't shut me out." Her voice cracked with anxiousness.

Raven put her mug down and pushed the long sleeves of the heavy cotton t-shirt up past her elbows. "Kris, I..." She leaned forward and rested her forearms on her sweatpants covered thighs. "I need to know why you went with Parker tonight." Her eyes leaving her fingers that were laced together in order to stop her hands from trembling to look at the confused young woman.

"Is that what's bothering you? Me going with them tonight? I just wanted to spend time with Gwen." Kris was perplexed; she couldn't believe Raven could be jealous of Gwen. "Is Gwen the problem? Raven, she's just a friend."

"No, I would never begrudge you spending time with a friend." Raven looked back down at her hands. "You let her think that you and Parker are a couple. Why? Did you change your mind about us?"

The unguarded scared expression on Raven's face took Kris' breath away. "No...G.o.d, no. I want to be with you. I do...I just..."

Raven waited for Kris to continue, but had to prompt her when the silence continued to stretch. "But?" She thought her original a.s.sessment had been correct after all when she saw the tears filling the young woman's eyes. She ran her hand through her thick hair and tried to school her emotions. "But you're ashamed." She sighed deeply and looked down.

"Ashamed?" Kris frowned until it dawned on her what Raven had been thinking. "I'd never be ashamed of you." She said with conviction. "I'm confused and a little afraid." She admitted and then remained silent.

Raven poured more cocoa for both of them and then settled herself cross-legged on the floor in front of her friend. "Here." She handed Kris her mug and put hers on the table. "Sagira?" She placed her hands over Kris'. "I don't want to lose you." It was a simple statement that was said with a tremendous amount of love and conviction and a little fear. "I convinced myself that you had changed your mind and the easiest thing for both of us was for me to leave. Then when John left a note saying you were coming by tonight, it confused the Hades out of me. If we're not the problem, please tell me what is."

Kris took a couple of deep shaky breaths, trying to settle her nerves. "You remember the other morning when mother dragged us off to ma.s.s?"

"Yeah, that's the morning that Gwen came to see you, when all this started." Raven acknowledged a little warily.

"Yep." Kris chuckled humorlessly. "Mother has a sixth sense when it comes to giving me a guilt complex, I think. The priest talked about, what he called, 'The Anti-Family in Today's Society'. Care to guess what topped his list?" She continued before Raven could answer. "Being gay." She sighed. "I'm not a practicing Catholic, mother isn't either until it suits her, but it just brought all that earlier conditioning back to the surface. Is G.o.d going to condemn me because I...I'm with you? And are my friends and family going to disown me because I want to make a life with you? Issy and Viv gave us their blessing, but I'm worried about my grandparents and I don't see eye to eye with mother and father, but I don't want to never see them again. I don't know what to do, because I don't think that I can lose you either."

'Oh boy, religion. This is certainly not my forte and I'm certainly not the one to try and relieve her concerns.' But she had to try. "Kris, I'm not a religious person and I don't even know if there is such a thing as a 'higher power', so I'm not sure I'm the one that should be trying to advise you." She paused to try and organize her scattered thoughts. "I don't think that any G.o.d that you choose to believe in, could hate anybody, much less hate the good and caring person that you are especially for loving another person, no matter who that person is. About the only thing that I remember thinking, after my admittedly short studies on religion, is, that the 'powers that be' only seemed to be tolerant and compa.s.sionate of a person as long as that person believes in what they believe, if you didn't you were a sinner and were on the fast track to h.e.l.l. I think religion and faith are two separate things. Religion is believing in what you're told to believe in. Faith is believing in something that makes you a better person, that makes you treat others with respect and kindness." She paused until Kris looked her in the eye. "I don't know how Gwen or family will react to us being together. The only thing I'm certain of is that I want to spend my life with you, I care about you more than anyone or anything, and I don't want to have to try and survive without you. But I don't want you to lose any part of your life just to be with me." Raven shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She was exhausted after her unusually long and emotional speech.

Raven opened her eyes at the strangled gasp. "Whoa." She caught the flying form of her friend as Kris launched herself off the couch. Raven ended up flat on her back with the smaller woman sprawled on top.

"I'm sorry I hurt you." Kris sobbed as she wrapped her arms around Raven's neck.

"And I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions." Raven replied sincerely as she rubbed her hands up and down on Kris' back in a soothing motion. "I guess we're going to have to work on the communication thing."

"Can I stay here with you tonight?" Green eyes looked shyly into blue ones. "It only took one morning of waking up in your arms for me to become addicted to it and I've missed you." Kris explained and hoped she'd been forgiven for causing the pain she had glimpsed earlier in those oh so very penetrating eyes.

"We should clear that with your escort, but I'd like it if you stayed. I've missed you too." She hugged her captive tightly. "Come on. Let's send 'big brother' on his way." After a short conversation and even shorter phone call, the agent left his charge in the Captain's care.

"You got something I can sleep in, Taz?" Kris followed Raven into the bedroom and circled her arms around a slim muscled waist. She smiled as her fingertips ma.s.saged suddenly quivering muscles. She pressed closer to the solid warmth she was holding, which enticed a low moan from the tall body leaning back into hers.

"Much more of that and I guarantee you won't be needing anything to sleep in, since you won't be sleeping." Raven forced her body to stand up straight and move away from Kris.

"Sorry about that." Kris wiggled her eyebrows up and down. She was both sorry and not sorry, she wanted Raven as a lover and a friend. But in the days since returning home, she had the opportunity to wonder if her meager s.e.xual knowledge could please the Captain, who must have had her share of lovers. She had decided not to ask about those. It would only make her feel...inadequate.

Raven tossed a t-shirt at her tormentor and saw the expression of regret tinged with a little relief cross the young woman's face. She suddenly wondered if her companion was really as innocent as she looked. 'I a.s.sumed she'd had some experience. Huh, maybe not. Maybe I should just ask her.' Raven pulled off her sweat pants and long sleeve shirt and replaced them with her boxers and sleeveless sleep shirt. "I've only got one toothbrush. We'll have to share." She raised her voice to reach into the bathroom, where Kris had gone to change. "You want it first?"

"No, you go ahead." She answered as she reentered the bedroom folding her dress. "I washed out my underclothes since I don't have a change. Hope you don't mind unmentionables hanging in the bathroom."

Raven felt a jolt that coursed through her body and landed at her center when she realized that the only thing covering Kris was a thin cotton shirt. 'Oh boy! This is going to be a very long night.' She quickly brushed her teeth and exited the bathroom. "All yours." She informed Kris as Raven sat on the bed with her legs folded under her. "Can I ask you a question? A personal question?" The Captain amended.

Kris had to shake herself out of her fantasies that the innocent statement of 'all yours' had implanted in her brain and proceeded to brush her teeth. She paused as the question registered, then stuck her head out the door and nodded her head since her mouth was full of toothpaste and brush.

"Have you...I mean, are you...a..." Raven ran her hand nervously through her hair, she had never had to be concerned with any of her previous partners having this particular condition and she was certain she was embarra.s.sing herself, since she could feel the blush rising up her cheeks. "Oh Hades, what I'm trying to ask...is if you've had any...experience?" She looked at the young woman leaning against the doorframe with her arms loosely crossed over her chest. "s.e.xual, I mean." Raven looked down at the comforter she was sitting on and traced the pattern with her finger. Anything to keep her from looking at her friend's face. "I know we...almost...on the plane. But that was spur-of-the-moment and we did manage to control ourselves." She was uncharacteristically babbling but couldn't stop. "I know we're just going to sleep and hold each other, now. But if you are...a virgin, I want to know...so I'm extra careful not to hurt you when we do...ah...decide to take our relationship...further." She finally glanced up as she felt Kris settle on the bed in front of her.

Kris sat down facing Raven. Her right leg was folded under her while her left one remained on the floor. She caressed Raven's calf muscle that lay under her fingertips. "I'm...um...no, I'm not a virgin."

Raven clinched her jaw. It wasn't that she thought that her companion should be pure and innocent, but Kris was hesitating like she was remembering a bad experience. And the sudden thought of Parker possibly being the one that Kris had been with that was making her blood boil. 'That worthless piece of arrogant trash. If he hurt her...I'll kill him.' She calmed down when Kris' words penetrated her infuriated mind.

Kris had not noticed her companion's rage and continued. "We were in Brazil. I had just turned 16 and thought I was in love. Father had told us one night at dinner that he had been a.s.signed a new emba.s.sy and that we would be moving in the next month. I told Lazaro, that was his name, the next day when I saw him. We had to keep it quiet that we were seeing each other, I knew mother would not approve of him. Anyway, to make a long story short, I asked him to make love to me before we moved away and we did. But he didn't have hardly any experience and I had none, so there weren't any fireworks going off, to say the least. He was very gentle but I was disillusioned since I had read all these books and poems about love and how the earth would move and how you would glow after you became a woman. Well, the earth didn't even tremble and I was certainly not glowing, I was just sore. The only thing we did right that night is take precautions so at least I didn't have to worry about being pregnant." She took a deep breath. "Sordid little tale, huh? I bet you've felt the earth move and seen those fireworks though."

"No, to all questions." Raven stretched out her long frame, pulling Kris with her. She waited for the young woman to cuddle up and lay her head on the Captain's left shoulder. Arms and legs wound around bodies until both were comfortable. "It's not shameful to want to show another person how much you love them. I'm sorry it wasn't as wonderful as you thought it would be." She pulled the blanket over them and reached over to switch the light off.

When she paused and didn't continue, Kris' curiosity overrode her resolve not to ask. "What do you mean, 'all questions'? I know you've bound to have had...lovers." She had begun to wonder if she was pushing for too much information when she felt the chest underneath her arm, take in a deep breath.

"I mean, yes, I've had s.e.x, both very good and...bad, but I've never had a lover or been in love...until now."

The last part was whispered but Kris heard. She knew she held the older woman's heart in her hands and needed to be very careful. She propped up on her elbow and looked down into eyes that refused to meet hers. "Even after we left Brazil, I continued to think that I loved Lazaro, until I met you that is. You made me realize that what I felt for him was sorely lacking." Blue eyes tracked to hers and Kris saw the hope they held. "Those books and poems also say that when you fall in love with someone you get gooseb.u.mps and a tingly feeling all over when they touch you. Well, all you have to do, my friend, is walk into the same room and I get those and a lot more. Do you know the first time you kissed me I thought I was going to pa.s.s-out and you still make me weak in the knees." She smiled and caressed Raven's cheek. "I love you, too." She barely finished her declaration of love before she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

Parker quietly entered the house in case anyone other than the agents were up and about. Fortunately for him, the Whitfield's had retired for the night. He closed the door to his small office located on the ground floor beside the Amba.s.sador's and pick up the phonebook and phone. He was going to call every hotel in the DC area in order to find his fiancee and drag her back if he had to. Parker had thought that everything would be back to normal when that deviant, perverted woman left and his Kristen would return to the shy and quiet girl he remembered. He sat down and started dialing.

"Hey, Taz...I can't breathe." But Kris was holding Raven just as tightly.

"Oh...sorry." She eased the strangle hold she had on the young woman sprawled across her. "I, ah...sorry, didn't mean to crush you."

"You didn't crush." Kris a.s.sured her as she raised her head to look at the face below hers. "I just don't want to pa.s.s out from lack of air, because I don't want to waste a single minute more. I want us to be together, tonight. Please make love to me and teach me how to please you." Kris wasn't totally in the dark about how to love another woman. She had read stories that had females as lovers and she knew how to please herself. But she was still nervous because she wanted very badly to bring this woman that she loved, to an earth moving release.

Raven didn't need to ask if Kris was sure, she could see the love and desire smoldering in the green eyes gazing deeply into hers. 'I had something like a candlelit dinner and soft music in mind, but being with her anywhere would be special.' She raised her head slowly and captured the soft lips waiting above hers. She ran one hand under the back of Kris' shirt and placed her other hand on the back of the young woman's neck and pulled her close. Raven tilted her head, as the kiss became more heated and tongues explored and tasted each other's mouth. "G.o.ds, Sagira, I want you so bad." Raven forced out on a ragged breath when they broke for air. She could feel the moisture growing between her legs, which intensified when she ran her hand down Kris' back and across a bare bottom and was reminded that her companion's only attire was the shirt she had loaned her. Raven growled, sounding every bit like the predator that she reminded her companion of.

Kris moaned as she felt Raven's hand move down her body and onto her b.u.t.t. She ground her hips into the body below hers as she propped herself up on her arms and looked down at her lover. "Oh...yes." Kris groaned as they continued to grind their hips against each other and felt a rumbling from deep within Raven's chest.

Raven took advantage of the access to Kris' chest as she brought her hands around to fondle the young woman's b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Kris wasn't 'top heavy' by any means, but her ample chest size filled the Captain's hands and left plenty of soft yielding flesh for her long tapered fingers to tease. She alternated between ma.s.saging already erect nipples with her thumb and forefinger and lightly pinching and pulling them until her lovers breathing became erratic. "Sit up, I want to take this off." Raven tugged on the shirt that was blocking her view and pulled it over Kris' head when she brought her knees up and straddled Raven's hips. "By the G.o.ds, Sagira, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." She announced as her eyes took in every inch of the young woman's body.

"To my eyes, you hold that t.i.tle." Kris replied as she was pulled back down and rolled over onto her back so that she was the one now looking up at her dark-haired lover. "Your turn, take these off." She demanded as desire was quickly overwhelming her. She was trying to pull Raven's shirt over her head and push her shorts down at the same time, until the Captain stilled her hands.

"I have...a few scars. There not too bad, but you might not want to look at them while we're making love." Raven tentatively admitted as glanced down at the soft unblemished smooth skin below her. She knew that later, questions of how they came to be would probably be asked by her curious mate, but she wouldn't think about that now.

Kris sat up, grasped Raven's head in both hands and caressed her cheeks with her thumbs until their eyes met. "I don't care. They're part of you and I love you, all of you." Raven quickly disrobed and returned to her kneeling position between Kris' legs. "Um, you are s.e.xy." Kris leaned back on her right elbow and admired the strong bronze body and ran her left hand slowly over quivering stomach muscles. She heard the sharp intake of air when her hand firmly squeezed and manipulated the older woman's breast. She sighed in contentment. "I'm glad your b.r.e.a.s.t.s are so sensitive because I think playing with them is going to be one of my favorite things to do."

"Um...yes...that feels...so good." She managed to force out between ragged breaths as Kris' mouth now suckled her breast. One hand held the young woman's head purposefully to her chest while the other caressed and fondled Kris' breast. The scent of both women's arousal filled the air making it hard to control their building pa.s.sion.

Kris released Raven's breast after making sure both received equal attention. Her heart was pounding heavily as she struggled to draw air into her heaving lungs. "I can't wait...I need you now."

Raven pulled Kris up so that the women were both on their knees, facing each other. She claimed the smaller mouth with her own and they spent several minutes mapping out with their hands, the newly discovered territory of each other's body. "Baby, spread your legs a little for me." Raven requested when they broke for air.

Kris complied quickly with the request when Raven's fingers made their way down her stomach and tangled themselves in the moist blonde hairs at the gateway to her womanhood. Her hips jerked forward and she had to grab Raven's shoulders in order to remain upright. "Please." She threw her head back and moaned.

Raven steadied the young woman with an arm around her back, and then her fingers continued their path downward and into smooth silkiness. Raven moaned out her pleasure as she moved her fingers slowly back and forth through drenched folds, carefully avoiding her c.l.i.t, as Kris' hips continued to buck. "Together." Raven whispered in her ear. "I want us to release together, to experience each other's pleasure throbbing in rhythm with each other."

It took a minute for Kris' overloaded senses to kick her motor skills into gear. She moved her hand between Raven's legs and into wet heat. "G.o.d...incredible." She mimicked the fingers driving her so thoroughly to distraction.

Raven claimed Kris' lips and pushed her tongue into her companion's mouth at the same time she impaled the young woman on two fingers. Raven swallowed the aroused moan torn from Kris' throat and continued to slowly and rhythmically thrust in and out of the smooth wet warmth that was her lover, moving deeper with each thrust.

Kris' fingers followed a heartbeat behind and entered Raven. She moaned at the feeling of liquid fire surrounding her fingers.

They broke apart, both gasping for air. Raven plunged her body down onto the digits filling her. "Ugh...G.o.ds...more." Raven begged as she rode the two fingers penetrating her.

Kris added a third finger and moved her thumb over the pulsing nub. She could feel Raven's muscles starting to clinch as if trying to imprison her fingers inside. She had little time to marvel over the intimate feelings as Raven's thumb found Kris' sensitive bud and sent sensations through her body that took her breath away.

"G.o.ds you...feel...incredible." Raven moved her thumb in a circular motion, making the young woman whimper.

Both women felt the building of their climax and pushed in deeply one last time as both erupted with a powerful o.r.g.a.s.m. They leaned against each other in order to remain upright and stayed inside one another until the tremors dissipated.

"I definitely think the earth moved." Kris stated as she laid her head on Raven's shoulder for several minutes waiting for her heart to stop racing.

Raven chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment." The husky voice whispered close enough to Kris' ear that she shivered in response to the rush of air that moved seductively past her sensitive body part.

Kris removed her fingers and moaned as Raven did the same. She lifted her head from it's resting place and was mesmerized by the sight of her lover slowly bring her hand to her mouth and erotically cleaning her fingers of Kris' juices. She didn't think the flames of pa.s.sion could ignite again so quickly, but found that she was starting to burn with desire once more. "I can't believe what you do to me, how much I want you again." Her eyes never leaving the vision in front of her.

Raven chuckled. "You taste...as good as you look." She licked her fingers one last time as she ran her eyes over the body in front of her. "I want you again." She brought Kris' digits that were covered in her own juices to her mouth and lick them clean, also. "And I'll have you again and again until we pa.s.s out from lack of bodily fluids." She promised as she hungrily claimed Kris' mouth.

Kris whimpered, as she tasted both her and Raven's essence mixed into one, on the tongue that explored her mouth. "Take me." Kris growled as lips disengaged. She lay back on the bed and placed her arms above her head. She gazed up seductively as she placed her feet flat on the bed and opened her legs in an invitation for Raven to mount her body.

Raven felt a tug at her center at the erotic sound that escaped from the young woman's throat. And came close to climaxing at the brazen request. She licked her lips as she watched Kris present her body in such a l.u.s.tful way. Raven spread her legs, forcing Kris' further apart as she kneeled between them. She lowered herself onto Kris and started a grinding and thrusting motion with her hips that pressed their mounds together in a primitive s.e.xual dance. Grunts and groans from both women filled the bedroom and Raven was sure that if the next room were occupied they would be getting an ear full, but she didn't care. She curled her arms under Kris' shoulders and grasped them with her hands, pulling their bodies into each other, as their thrusting became almost frantic.

s.e.x had never really interested Kris after her not so great first time, which is one of the reasons she had kept putting her mother off about the wedding. She was a romantic at heart and the thought of being with Parker was not a pleasant one. But now, with Raven, she wasn't sure she could ever get enough. She briefly wondered if she had overnight turned into a nymphomaniac or if she was just trying to make up for lost time. Then decided that as long as it was Raven who loved and wanted her, they could spend the rest of their lives in bed and it would be okay with her. She wrapped her legs around her lover's hips, trying to pull her closer and meld them into one. She raked her, fortunately, blunt nails down her lover's back, hard enough to raise welts. The animalistic sounds coming from them both drove her pa.s.sion higher as their sweat soaked bodies bucked against each other.

They screamed each other's name into the night as once again their o.r.g.a.s.ms thundered through their bodies within a heartbeat of each other. Raven moved down Kris' body. She didn't want to miss the liquid ambrosia that was flowing freely from her lover. She inhaled deeply and a hedonistic smile spread across her face. She sighed in pleasure and dove in, lapping like a starving kitten. Long thorough licks of Raven's tongue, starting at Kris' a.s.s and running all the way up and through her folds made sure she didn't miss a drop of her reward.

"Oh G.o.d." Kris groaned as she felt the tongue cleaning her s.e.x that started the pa.s.sion coursing through her body again. Her eyes flew open when she felt the muscle lightly pressing against her a.n.u.s and felt her body's reaction to it. Desire danced through her veins double-time. She tangled her fingers in midnight hair and pushed herself into the mouth that was devouring her. She stared into blue eyes until the overwhelming burn of release started to spread throughout her body, forcing her eyes shut. "Ugh." Grunted over and over again as she continued to press her s.e.x into the face between her legs. Kris cried out as she went over the edge again and, totally spent, fell into the pillows behind her.

Raven watched as Kris shuttered with another climax and continued to consume her prize until the young woman weakly stated that she couldn't take anymore and begged her to stop. She moved to lie beside her contented lover and pulled her close. "So, did the earth move again?" Raven asked. She was extremely pleased that she was able to satisfy her lover so completely.

"No, this time I had the most amazing fireworks display on the inside of my eyelids." Kris chuckled and snuggled up on Raven's left side. "I love you so much." She placed a kiss on her cheek. "You're my cute little Tasmanian Devil and my great big wonderful warrior all rolled into one." She sighed in contentment as she laid her head down on Raven's shoulder and felt the woman's arms cradle her in a gentle strength.

"I love you too, Sagira." She placed a kiss on top of the blonde head. "Go to sleep my little one." She reached down and pulled the sheet and light blanket over them. The comforter had long ago landed in a heap on the floor. Raven pushed the nagging thoughts of her not deserving this incredible woman to the back of her mind. 'Deserving or not, Kris wants me and I'm not going to question my good fortune.' She cleared her mind and joined her lover in sleep in the wee hours of the morning.

Chapter Eleven:.

Parker had spent several hours on the phone trying to find the two women, without any luck. He had spent the last hour pacing. He was angry, tired and all around infuriated. The only thing that the idiot hotel clerks had been happy to tell him, was their management's policy on not giving out any information over the phone, on whether someone was a registered guest or not. He was about to resign himself to having to wait for Kris to come home when he decided he might as well finish calling the hotels on the list he had made. He sat down and picked up the phone again and dialed another number.

He grinned when he recognized the name on the other end of the line. "Dan? This is Parker. Long time no see." They chatted about old times for a few minutes and Parker learned that his old fraternity buddy was now the a.s.sistant manager at the hotel. He also learned that 'Yes, there was a Raven Chandler registered there in room 1229'. He hit the off b.u.t.ton and tossed the phone on his desk. 'Not long now, Kristen. Then you'll be back where you belong.' Parker decided to take a shower and change before retrieving his wife-to-be. He also went to inform the head of security that he would need an agent at his disposal this morning.

Gwen and Harold pulled into the drive of the Whitfield's house and saw Parker and one of the Secret Service agents getting into a car. She ran to the pa.s.senger side before the car could pull away. Gwen had told her husband on the drive over that she had a bad feeling about the whole Parker and Kris situation. "What's going on?"

Parker glared at Gwen. "If you must know, I'm going after my fiancee that YOU let get away last night." He turned back to the driver. "What are you waiting for? GO."