CHAPTER 8

 DAKOTA GROANED WHEN the phone rang. She had left a message at the front desk not to be disturbed.

“Surely they know that means no calls, too,” she grumbled, reaching for the phone. “Hello?”

“Ms. Devereaux, I’m sorry to bother you, but Ms. Lysanne is here. She is asking you to meet her in the café,” the receptionist said.

“Please tell Ms. Lysanne I’m resting. She can come to the room if she wants,” Dakota said tiredly.

“As you wish. Again I apologize for disturbing you.”

When the knock came, Dakota sighed and opened the door reluctantly, motioning Yemaya inside. “If you’re here to give me a lecture, I’m not in the mood,” she grumbled.

“Neither am I. In fact, I came here to see if you need anything. I understand your need to get away. I dismissed your concerns too lightly.”

“No, it wasn’t you. You’re probably right. Maybe I’m just overreacting,” Dakota conceded. “Look, Yemaya, I love you. Sometimes I’m going to do things you’re won’t like or agree with or even approve of. They may seem stupid at the time, but I’ll always have a reason and I’ll always do what I think is best for you or us. There’ll be times when I have to make decisions, right or wrong, without discussing them with you and I’m never going to ask your permission.” Dakota took a deep breath and waited for Yemaya’s reaction.

Wrapping her arms around her lover, Yemaya leaned her cheek against Dakota’s head.

“I would not have it any other way. I know we will have disagreements, but never doubt my love for you. If something ever happened to you because of me, I, well, life...” Unable to finish the sentence, Yemaya leaned down to kiss Dakota.

“I know. I feel the same,” Dakota whispered.

“We are quite pitiful, you know.” Yemaya chuckled.

Laughing, Dakota pulled away and swatted Yemaya’s arm. “Here we’re having a Kodak moment and you go and make a comment like that.”

“I was never very good at mush. However, I can be very good at making amends.” Yemaya wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh, really? Prove it,” Dakota challenged, raising one eyebrow.

“My pleasure.” Stooping to scoop the smaller woman into her arms, Yemaya tossed Dakota onto the bed.

Dakota giggled. “I’m hoping it’ll be mine, too.”

“Oh, you can be sure of that,” Yemaya promised as she slowly unbuttoned her satin blouse. “In fact, that is my main objective,” she added, slipping the blouse off her shoulders and letting it drop to the floor. Her purple satin bra glistened under the subdued light of the table lamp.

Dakota swallowed. She could feel her heart beating faster watching Yemaya undress. Each movement was slow, sensual, and deliberate. When she reached for the button on her slacks, she stopped and grinned.

“I wonder...” she mused. “Shall we make love slow and easy, or would you like it fast and hard? Hmm?”

Dakota caught her breath. “Umm... let’s go slow. We have all night.” Her stomach clenched at the images racing through her mind.

“All night it is.” Yemaya unbuttoned her slacks and let them slide down her long legs. She stepped away from them, exposing smooth tanned skin. Shiny satin panties matched her bra. Yemaya could feel Dakota’s eyes devouring her. Dakota could only stare at the long, lean body in the delicate shimmering material. Never in her life had she seen anything more stunning than the vision standing quietly in front of her.

“God, you are so beautiful,” she whispered, her voice husky from the desire boiling up inside of her. “How did I ever get so lucky?”

Bending over her lover, her breasts swaying slightly beneath the bra, Yemaya’s ice blue eyes gleamed. “We both got lucky, my love,” she murmured, her lips inches away from Dakota’s. Unable to stop herself, Dakota stretched up and caught them with her own, her right hand holding Yemaya’s head as she supported her body with her left. Yemaya eased her body over the smaller woman’s, rubbing her breasts against Dakota’s T-shirt. She nudged her legs apart and nestled her hips against Dakota’s. Dakota groaned when Yemaya pulled back. Staring into Dakota’s eyes, Yemaya frowned.

“What is it?” Dakota asked.

Yemaya looked away, searching for the right words. “I look at you and I... I am afraid.”

Dakota pulled her close and pressed the dark head against her chest.  “Of what?”

“Of this. Of you. That this will end too soon.”

“Too soon?”

“Yes. I believe we are given only the time we have and no more. I accept every minute may be my last, especially because of my work. But now...” Yemaya hesitated and swallowed nervously.

“But now?” Dakota asked softly, taking Yemaya’s face between her hands and looking deeply into her lover’s eyes.

“Now I am grateful for every minute we have, and it scares me to think I could lose you.”

“It’ll never happen,” Dakota promised. “We’re meant to be together, not just here and now, but tomorrow and every tomorrow after that. Call it fate, destiny, luck, or anything you want, but we are forever. You understand? Besides, as I recall, you’re the one who likes to disappear,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“Funny.” Yemaya chuckled. “And you accuse me of ruining a Kodak moment. Seriously, though. After this morning and all the things that have happened to you since we met, I worry that you will grow tired of me... of this, and I... I...”

“Stop it! I’m not going anywhere and you certainly aren’t. I happen to like the sex too much and the fates can’t be that cruel,” Dakota joked. “Look, sweetie, we’re going to have disagreements and there will always be the chance of something happening to you or me, but that’s life. That’s what makes every moment with you so precious to me. Don’t you see, Yemaya, you’re my life, my breath, my soul. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before.”

“As you do me. I have never been good at expressing my feelings, at least not when it really counted, but I need for you to understand how much I love you. Losing you is unthinkable to me.”

“As long as we can talk, we’ll never lose what we have. Now why don’t we get some sleep? We have a lifetime to make love. I think tonight we just need the reassurance of being together. Besides, I may have found a Web site that could give us a clue to these attacks or whatever is happening. I’m supposed to meet with a woman tomorrow evening about some research she’s done on little-known cults and cultures.”

“Really? You found something that quick?” Yemaya asked, awed by the news.

“I’m a journalist, dear,” Dakota smirked, looking rather smug. “That’s what I do. Now sleep.”

Snuggling, the two slid farther beneath the sheets and drifted into a peaceful slumber but not before Dakota heard Yemaya say softly, “A lifetime will never be enough, you know.”