Radclyffe - Safe Harbor 02 - Beyond The Breakwater Read online

  Beyond the Breakwater

  by Radclyffe

  Part One

  C hapter O ne

  September, Provincetown, Ma

  Doctor Victoria King tilted her face to the sun and let the swift ocean current carry her to shore. She rested her paddle across the front of the seventeen-foot long, twenty-one inch wide red kayak and squinted in the early morning haze toward the beach at Herring Cove. Men and women perched on the undulating curve of sand marking the border between earth and water, casting baited lines to tempt the sea bass to their last meal. In the black ribbon of parking lot sandwiched between the dunes and the shore, vacationers were just beginning to stir, opening the windows and doors of their mechanical homes, airing out their sea dampened linens and clothes. Tory was so used to seeing the idyllic tableau, she barely took note as her craft glided the last few feet and touched bottom in the frothing water at the oceans edge.

  As she unzipped her life vest and tossed the PFD into her boat, the sound of a car door thudding closed penetrated the roar of the waves, and she stopped what she was doing to watch Reese Conlon walk down across the shell-littered sand, a blazing grin on her handsome face.

  “ Good morning, Sheriff, Tory said softly, her eyes roaming the trim body in the immaculately pressed and polished uniform, moving slowly from the broad shoulders over the faint swell of breasts to the narrow hips and long, muscular thighs. God, youre gorgeous.

  “ Good morning, Doctor, Reese replied easily, stopping a few feet away, shoulders squared in that unconscious military posture that was second nature to her. She knew Tory was watching her, looking at her, and she liked it. Her skin tingled under the stiff cotton of her khakis everywhere Torys glance fell, the visual caress as tangible as a touch. The two feet of air between them shimmered like the currents above blacktop on a hot summers day. “Nice out there today?

  “ Mmm. Yeah, it was.

  Reese smiled. Torys clear, lightly tanned skin was flushed from the wind off the water and the exertion of her recent paddle. The T-shirt she had worn under her PFD was damp with sweat and spray, the thin material subtly outlining her firm, high breasts. Her mid-thigh length shorts hugged slender, toned thighs. Even the scarred and damaged calf held a trace of valiant beauty.

  “ Give you a hand? Reese finally said, her voice husky. You are so very lovely.

  “ Anytime, the doctor replied, her own throat suddenly dry.

  Tory caught up to Reese by the side of her Jeep and opened the back. Tossing the items she carried inside, she turned and reached for the rear of the kayak. “Ready?

  “ Any time you say, love.

  Together they lifted it to the roof rack and secured it. As they stood facing one another by the side of the vehicle, their eyes met and they moved close enough so that their hands touched.

  “ Busy day today? Reese asked, brushing the auburn collar-length hair back from Torys face with her fingertips, letting her hand linger against her lovers cheek.

  “ Uh huh, Tory murmured, resting one palm on the taller womans chest. “You?

  “ Routine, the sheriff replied, watching the green eyes deepen to the color of the ocean in August. “I wont be late. Can we have dinner?

  “ Mmm, okay. Tory ran a finger down the buttons on Reeses shirt, thinking about the hard muscles and soft smooth skin underneath. Thinking about waking with her that morning and how much she had wanted her right then and knowing that there wasnt time. Knowing that she would want her all day. Knowing that that evening there would be time. “I love you.

  Reese lowered her head and brushed her lips over Torys, her hand beneath Torys hair caressing the back of her neck. “Me, too, she whispered against her lovers ear.

  “ Go to work, Tory ordered as she stepped away. Reese had a dangerous glint in her deep blue eyes, the kind of spark that promised flames. She was afraid if they touched again theyd kiss for real, and then she wouldnt be able to concentrate all day.

  “ When? Reese persisted, but she didnt move. She didnt dare. You always do this to me, make me so hot I cant think.

  “ Later. Now go. Tory slid into the Jeep, pulled the door closed, and started the ignition with shaking hands. She had expected the passion to lessen, the fires to cool, but they hadnt. She glanced into the rearview mirror as she drove away. Watching Reese stride to her patrol car, she knew that they never would.

  *****

  Later turned out to be eleven o'clock that night. Torys patient schedule had been disrupted while she sutured a series of nasty lacerations on the forehead of a cyclist who had blown a tire coming down Route six from Truro and had catapulted into the guard rail. By the time she got home her leg ached, and she was exhausted.

  “ Did you ever get dinner? Reese asked as she met her lover on the rear deck of the house they shared overlooking Provincetown Harbor.

  “ No, Tory sighed as she flopped into a deck chair, absently petting the huge brindle mastiff who lumbered to her side. “Hey, Jed, she whispered faintly.

  Reese leaned to kiss her, then said, “Ill be right back.

  Tory closed her eyes and when she jerked awake a few moments later, there was a tray table beside her with a glass of wine and a sandwich. Suddenly she was ravenous. “Thanks.

  “ Better? Reese asked when Tory set her glass down with a satisfied groan.

  “ Almost.

  Reese raised an eyebrow. “Something else?

  “ Uh huh. Tory held out a hand, and Reese moved to take it. Tory tugged her down onto the lounge chair beside her, turning so that they rested face to face. Threading her arms around Reeses waist, she pressed close, pushing one thigh between Reeses. “This.

  It began with a kiss--a kiss to say welcome home, a kiss to say I missed you, a kiss to say I love you. It became something more urgent as flesh met flesh and passion stirred. Tory worked her hand between them and pulled the T-shirt from Reeses jeans, resting her palm on the curve of rib as it arched above Reeses taut stomach. Reese kissed her way from Torys mouth along the line of her jaw to the smooth skin of her neck, biting lightly until she drew soft cries from her lovers throat. Their hearts pounded, beating a rhythm that echoed in each others blood as they explored one another with mouths and lips and demanding hands.

  “ Tory, Reese gasped as she felt her lovers finger slip down the front of her jeans. She didnt remember opening her fly, but one of them must have. “Careful.

  “ Why? Tory murmured thickly, pushing lower as she leaned up on the other arm so she could see Reeses face. Her fingers found the hardness she was seeking, and as she pressed the length of her, Reese moaned. “Youre always good for more than one.

  Reese grew still under her hands--body arched slightly, head tilted back, pupils wide and dark. Tory knew how to touch her to keep her on the edge--knew the telltale flutter of her lids, the stutter of breath in her chest, the faint cry barely uttered--she knew and she held her there, moving her fingers slowly, carefully, one gentle stroke after another.

  “ Torylove, Reese whispered as the pleasure escaped the confines of the places Tory touched and cascaded outward to burn through her blood and roll down her legs, muscles clenching with the force of nerves and vessels turning to fire. She pressed her forehead to Torys shoulder and shuddered, lost and forever found.

  As many times as she had watched Reese come, Tory was never prepared for the beauty of it. Awestruck, humbled beyond words, she bit her lip to keep from falling with her, wanting to remember each precious second of the moment. But she couldnt keep from thrusting against Reeses thigh, her body having long since moved beyond her control. Trying desperately to ignore the pressure b
uilding between her legs, she clung to her lover, gasping.

  Dimly Reese heard Torys ragged breathing against her ear, and even as she continued to shiver with the last ripples of release, she reached for her. “I want to be inside you.

  Tory lifted her hips, helping Reese push her slacks down. “Yes. Yes.

  It was quick, because she was so close. One second, Reese was there--gliding over her, opening her--and then she was inside her, owning her. Tory cried out once, sharply, and then she was coming. Over and over and over she closed around Reeses fingers, each spasm knifing through her with a terrible wonder. When she could make sound, she could find no words. She simply turned her sweat-damp face to Reeses chest and hung on.

  *****

  They must have slept because it was the chill that woke her. The sky was very dark above them, and the wind from the water was sharp and crisp. In the distance, the foghorn echoed plaintively. Tory stirred, running her fingers over Reeses chest. “Hey, Sheriff.

  “ Mmm?

  “ Bedtime.

  “ Okay, Reese said, but when she moved to get up, Tory suddenly held her tighter. She stilled, surprised by the force of her lovers grip. “Whats wrong, Tor?

  Tory shook her head. “Nothing. She fiddled with the button on Reeses jeans, uncharacteristically uncertain. “Ill be thirty-nine in September.

  Reese waited.

  Tory took a deep breath. “I was thinking its time for us to have a baby.

  chapter two

  February, Provincetown, Ma

  Reese reached for another folder and shook some of the tension out of her shoulders. She'd been hunched over her desk for over an hour filling out requisition forms for equipment that needed to be replaced as well as completing paperwork on an early morning domestic disturbance complaint. In the middle of the winter, Provincetown was deathly quiet.

  When the door opened admitting a gust of cold air, she looked up gratefully as Sheriff Nelson Parker walked in.

  “ Hey, Chief.

  "Hey, Reese," Nelson said as he brushed a light dusting of snow from the shoulders of his red and black checked hunting jacket and pulled it off. He hooked the jacket over a coat tree and put his Stetson on an adjoining hook. "Anything happening?"

  "Not much," Reese said with resignation. "A couple of minor calls, but nothing serious."

  "Well," he said as he settled behind his desk, "that's about right for this time of year. Remember when you first started I warned you about how dull this place can be in the winter."

  "I remember."

  "Have you heard from Bri lately?"

  Surprised, Reese shook her head. "Not since Christmas when she was here. Why?"

  "No reason," he said nonchalantly. He was mildly embarrassed to admit that his daughter had not called him in over a month and had failed to return his calls when he had tried her number in Manhattan. Brianna and Reese were close in a way that he and his daughter were not.

  He supposed their closeness made sense, since Bri and Reese were practically cut from the same mold. Stubborn and strong and brave. Hell, they even looked alike--both of them dark-haired with wild blue eyes, almost too handsome to be women. But there was something in Bri's eyes that he'd never seen in Reesesa simmering anger that had begun when she a teenager and that had been fueled by the events of two summers before. Thinking about that summer, something he tried not to do, he winced.

  "Nelson? You sure everythings okay?"

  He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm sure. You know how twenty-year-olds are. They don't think much about calling home."

  Reese nodded, knowing there was more but also hesitating to inquire. "If I hear from her, Ill tell her to report in."

  "No. Forget it, he said with a wave of his hand. With the other he searched in his desk drawer for a roll of Tums and, after finding a loose one, popped it into his mouth. “She'll just figure I'm checking up on her."

  At that moment the door opened yet again, and a middle-aged woman entered carrying a shopping bag in one arm. Of average height, she carried an extra twenty-five pounds with aplomb. Her wavy gray hair was tied up in a scarf, and her knit suit was covered with a long down coat. "God, I can't wait till this winter is over."

  "You've got quite a wait there, Gladys," Nelson said as he smiled at the sheriff department's office manager.

  "Yes, well, I can always hope." She smiled at both of the officers as she wended her way between the desks toward the large workstation in one corner with the rooms only computer. “You doing anything special tonight, Reese?"

  "What?" Reese asked, her mind still on Bri.

  "It's Valentine's Day, remember? Are you and Tory doing anything?"

  "Oh," Reese said, blushing. Even after two years, she couldn't quite get used to the easy familiarity of the small towns local inhabitants. Everyone seemed to know everyone else's business, and didn't mind asking for information if they didn't. "Tory is working in Boston today."

  "Is she still flying over there three days a week?"

  Reese nodded. "She doesn't need to keep the clinic open here full-time during the winter, and she likes doing the emergency room shifts. She says it keeps her current with the newest techniques."

  The phone rang, and Reese picked it up on the second ring. "Sheriff's department, Conlon."

  "Honey?"

  "Tor?" Reese's heart started pounding double-time. It was rare for Tory to call her at work, particularly when she was working a shift at the Boston City Hospital emergency room. "What's the matter?"

  "Nothing," Tory said hastily. "I just need you to come to Boston."

  "Uhmy shift isn't up until seven." Reese hesitated, glancing at the other occupants in the room as she lowered her voice. "Is it, you know, time?"

  "That's what my thermometer says. I've talked to Wendy, and she can see us at six."

  By now, both Nelson and Gladys were watching Reese and pretending not to be. She curled over the phone as if that would make some difference. "I'll get someone to fill in for me."

  "Is everyone listening?"

  "Uh huh."

  "It's okay to tell them, you know. It's not like we'll be able to keep it a secret."

  "Isn't ityou know, bad luck or something to talk about it?"

  Tory laughed again, and the heat in her voice was almost palpable over the phone line. "Do you know how much I love you?"

  "Cut it out," Reese said in a husky murmur. "I'm supposed to be working here."

  "Yeah, wellyour services are required elsewhere. Get your butt on a plane, Sheriff."

  "I'll be there soon." Reese stood and walked to the coat tree beside the door. She shrugged into her green nylon flight jacket and pulled her brimmed uniform cap down over her eyes in a familiar gesture.

  "Is everything okay?" Gladys asked, because she knew that Nelson wouldn't pry even though he was clearly dying to know what was going on.

  "Yes. Perfect." Reese opened the door, stepped through, and then stuck her head back inside. "I just need to get to Boston so Tory and I can make a baby."

  Grinning, she closed the door on the explosion of surprised questions.

  Chapter Three

  February Boston, Mass

  “ Are you two all set? Wendy Deutsch asked.

  Tory, suddenly and inexplicably frightened, glanced at Reese, searching the handsome face as she reached for her hand. Reesedarling? Of course were ready, right?

  “ I love you, Reese murmured, her entire being focused on Tory. “I will always love you.

  And that was the ultimate truth, and the ultimate answer.

  “ Yes, Tory said firmly, entwining her fingers with her lovers as she smiled into Reeses eyes. “Were ready.

  “ Come on back then, Wendy said, opening the door to a dimly lit room.

  There was a carpet on the floor, which struck Tory as odd. She was so used to the harsh lights and institutional tiles of examining rooms. And the air was warm, with a hint of vanilla teasing at the edges of her awareness. Nothing cold, nothing sterile, nothing cli
nical about it.

  “ Why dont the two of you get settled, and Ill be right back, the doctor said as she closed the door, leaving them alone.

  Slowly, Tory undressed. Reese took each garment and folded it carefully, placing the clothes on a small table against one wall. She handed Tory a white terrycloth robe that had been left for them.

  “ Cold? Reese asked gently.

  “ Im fine, honey.

  Tory eased up onto the table, glad that the surface was covered with a soft, cotton sheet. Reese covered her with another, then pulled a chair close to the head of the table and sat down. She threaded the fingers of one hand into Torys hair and took her lovers hand with the other. Tory turned her head so that their faces were only inches apart.

  “ Are you sure this wont hurt? Reese asked, unable to hide her concern. You mean everything to me.

  “ No. I wont feel anything.

  There was a knock on the door. “Ready?

  The two women smiled, and Tory called, “Yes.

  Tory continued to look into Reeses eyes, listening with only part of her mind to the doctor quietly arranging a tray. When Wendy softly instructed her to slide down and lift her legs, she complied without breaking eye contact with her lover. Reeses hand was strong and warm, enclosing hers.

  After a moment, Wendy murmured, “Here we go.

  Reese touched her forehead to Torys, and together they whispered, “I love you.

  *****

  March, East Village, Manhattan, NYC

  The rail-thin, young man with short, spiked hair wore a shapeless black T-shirt and equally formless black denim pants that hung precariously from his nonexistent rear end. In the tiny kitchen of a fourth floor walk up, he approached a petite blond, also in black jeans that actually fit her trim form and a midriff-baring, white crop-top that exposed a softly curved belly adorned with a silver navel ring. "Great party, Carre. Any more beer?"

  "In the fridge. The three studs in the rim of Caroline Clarks left ear glinted as she turned to refill a bowl of pretzels from a bag on the counter. “It's nice to get the midterm projects over, huh?"