Free Coalescence - SF3 by Susan X Meagher Page B

gave her another sad look and slowly climbed the stairs, giving her one last, baleful glance as he entered the open door.
    "They don’t make it easy, do they?" Ryan asked, as she sniffed a little and slipped her dark sunglasses on.
    "No, they certainly don’t," Jamie agreed. ""They can’t help it though, Honey. They’re both mad about you." She squeezed Ryan’s thigh in a comforting gesture and asked, "Would you really like to have Duffy in Berkeley?"
    "Oh yeah, I really would. We could go for our long run in the mornings, which we both really enjoy. Duff challenges me to go farther and faster than I do on my own. Da doesn’t like to have to exercise him before work, so it’s asking a lot to expect him to take over. In a lot of ways, it would work out better if he was with us." She looked at Jamie shyly. "Should I have checked with you before I said that? I…"
    "No, Ryan." Jamie looked at her and patted her leg to reassure her. "I want you to think of it as our house. I want you to do whatever you need to do to feel at home there. If that means having Duffy, I would be happy to do so," she said agreeably.
    "Our house," Ryan said as she tried the concept on. "That sounds kinda cool, doesn’t it?" she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "It’s kinda nice to have a house and a home, isn’t it?"
    "It certainly is, Sweetheart. It certainly is."
     
    Traffic was relatively light on this clear, warm Monday morning. Jamie knew Monterey Bay would likely be fog covered when they got there, so she enjoyed the warm sun as it beat down on them. They were making good time, playing some of Ryan’s favorite CD’s and just enjoying being together.
    Their musical tastes did not complement each other and they could never find a radio station that both enjoyed, so they had reached a compromise. The driver got to play whatever music she liked. In practice, that meant that Ryan always played her CD’s, and over time, Jamie eventually took her own music back into the house so she could hear it occasionally. Still, she had to admit that even though she would never choose the music her partner favored, it was well worth listening to it to watch her favorite body move sensually to the beat. She was often gifted with Ryan singing along, and few things made her happier than listening to her partner’s deep, sexy voice. Jamie had her hand on Ryan’s thigh; watching her drive and listening to her harmonize with some Jamaican singer. She felt so totally content, soaking up every sensation, she thought she would burst with happiness.
    Three hours later, they drew near their destination. Ryan looked at Jamie and mentioned, "You know, I’ve never been to Monterey."
    "Are you serious?" Jamie was a little shocked at the revelation, assuming that most Bay Area natives would have made at least one trip to Carmel.
    "Yep. I’ve been to Half Moon Bay to surf, and I’ve been to Santa Cruz, but I’ve never gone any further down the Bay. I never really had a reason to. Until now, that is."
    "Well, I guess we’re both in for some new experiences this week, aren’t we?"
    A very sexy smile lit up Ryan’s face, and she shot a glance at her partner, one waggling eyebrow poking up from the frame of her dark glasses. "I certainly hope so," she purred, laughing gently at Jamie’s wide-eyed response.
    As they neared the heavily populated areas, they slowed down to about 40 mph. Jamie still had her hand on Ryan’s thigh, and when they hit a stop light, she leaned over and gave her a deep kiss. She couldn’t keep from running her hand up the leg of Ryan’s shorts until the driver firmly grasped her hand and pulled it out, returning it to its former resting place. "I just wanted to see what you had on under those." Jamie played innocent even as she tried to slip her hand under again. Ryan’s vise-like grip stopped the intrusion.
    "You’re just gonna have to wait and see," she teased. "I’m not going to wreck your car just so you can feel my underwear.