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  Carolyn leaned in closer, hooking her arm around Annelie’s neck. “Annie,” she whispered. “I’m trembling.”

  Feelings rampaged. Alarm bells echoed madly inside her head. Everything she knew and had learned told Annelie to stop.

  Carolyn was looking at her with stormy gray eyes, her lips slightly parted. “I’m all wrong, I know,” she continued in a low, throaty voice. “Still…” She leaned in farther, closing the distance between their lips until she was little more than a breath away.

  Annelie knew she ought to pull back, but she simply couldn’t resist. Closing her eyes, she wrapped an arm around Carolyn’s waist. “You want me to kiss you?” she said huskily, her voice barely audible.

  Not waiting for a reply, she leaned down and pressed her lips against Carolyn’s. Afterwards she knew she might have been able to kiss her and then pull back, if only Carolyn had not moaned softly and whimpered Annelie’s name into her mouth.

  “Annie…”

  Parting her lips, Carolyn wordlessly invited Annelie to explore further.

  Annelie resisted for a fraction of a second before plunging her tongue into the warm darkness, finding its counterpart and caressing it over and over. Carolyn whimpered again, returning the kiss feverishly. Her soft, yielding body trembled in Annelie’s arms, and Annelie felt like she was drowning in the sweetness. Her hands roamed Carolyn’s back, tugging at the robe as if they had a mind of their own.

  Soon the actress’s shoulders were naked and accessible to her mouth. Annelie wasted little time, letting her lips and tongue explore the warm skin. Carolyn cupped Annelie’s head and held her as if afraid to let her go.

  Annelie finally sat up, gazing at the disheveled woman beneath her on the couch. Somehow the robe had opened fully, and she could not stop looking.

  “Bedroom?” Carolyn managed, her voice husky and filled with desire. “Bedroom, please, Annie?”

  Unable to stop the madness, Annelie pulled Carolyn to her feet. “Come.” She guided the other woman to her room.

  At the foot of the bed, Annelie pushed the robe off Carolyn completely. Standing there naked, she looked young, vulnerable, and almost frightened. Annelie took her into her arms and kissed her again, suddenly wanting nothing other than to reassure her. “Carolyn, open your mouth…let me in…” she whispered against the wine-colored lips beneath hers.

  *

  Carolyn’s head was spinning. Trustingly she opened her mouth, allowing Annelie to deepen the kiss. She felt the bed at the back of her legs and gave in to the urge to lie down and just let everything happen.

  Annelie helped her get comfortable and then stood gazing down at her reclining form for a moment. Suddenly aware of the age difference, of the unmistakable signs of her forty-five years, Carolyn blushed.

  “You’re exquisite,” Annelie murmured.

  “Please undress,” Carolyn said, her voice trembling.

  With hesitant hands, Annelie unbuttoned her slacks and let them fall to the floor. She pulled the T-shirt over her head and stood dressed in a whisper-thin satin tank top and skimpy panties that left very little to the imagination. Keeping her underwear on, she joined Carolyn on the bed.

  “Don’t be scared,” she said, placing small kisses on Carolyn’s forehead, along her nose, down to her lips.

  “I’m not. Just feeling clumsy and, I guess…a little shy.”

  “We can stop.”

  Carolyn’s heart almost quit beating. She was more turned on than she had been in a very long time, if ever. Now her heart was racing, and the moisture pooling between her legs was going to make it embarrassingly clear to Annelie just how much she wanted her.

  “No, please…Annelie…” Carolyn reached out and was rewarded when Annelie parted her legs, settling between them.

  “Hold on to me,” she suggested. “There, that’s it.” Leaning down, Annelie unceremoniously took a rigid nipple in her mouth, sucking it in between her teeth. She flicked her tongue over it repeatedly, making Carolyn moan aloud and arch her back. “So this is what you like, what you want,” she murmured around the pebbled surface before letting it go.

  “Yes…” Carolyn’s voice betrayed her when Annelie pushed herself closer between her legs.

  “Oh, Carolyn, you’re so ready for me…so ready to be touched,” Annelie whispered, sneaking a hand between her thighs. “Like this?” She pushed her fingers along swollen, drenched folds. “Oh, yes, just like this.” Rubbing Carolyn’s aching clitoris, she began to rock against her.

  Feeling tender fingers enter her, Carolyn knew it would not take long before she was completely lost to sensation. She pulled her knees up and circled Annelie’s hips. Wrapping her arms around that beautiful neck, she cried out softly as their lips met in a profound kiss.

  “Oh…oh, God, Annie…oh…”

  *

  The sound of that famous voice giving in to passion, the feeling of Carolyn surrendering in her arms, made Annelie hold her breath as heat surged through her. The way Carolyn clung to her, calling her Annie in a longing tone of voice, almost broke her heart.

  “Now, now…” Carolyn whimpered, and her inner muscles began to contract, pulling Annelie’s fingers deeper inside.

  “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Carolyn,” Annelie whispered as one long shudder after another gripped the woman she held. Rocking against the convulsing woman, Annelie felt the fire between her own legs erupt and spread to her stomach and down her thighs. “Carolyn…” She hid her face in the other woman’s hair, knowing her own orgasm was close. “Carolyn!”

  Still holding on tight to Annelie, the actress whispered huskily in her ear. “Oh, you’re amazing. You take my breath away. Never before…” Carolyn’s voice faded. “Don’t let go.”

  Annelie shivered and rolled over on her side, pulling Carolyn with her. Sensing the deep need and pent-up desire in the other woman, she knew it was going to be a long, passionate night.

  *

  Dawn was breaking, but the woman standing on the large balcony dressed in only a robe did not care about the spectacular sunrise. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her shoulders shook as she cried soundlessly.

  Annelie had made love to Carolyn all night, taking her from one height to another, making her sob from a pleasure so intense it seemed to border on pain. Annelie had never fully undressed, nor had she allowed Carolyn to touch her intimately. It was impossible for her to let her guard down.

  Carolyn had hugged her close and kissed her deeply—wonderful, passionate kisses that left Annelie feeling robbed of all the oxygen she needed to think clearly. She would have given anything to be able to just let go—to allow herself to give in to Carolyn and let the other woman reciprocate every erotic caress.

  “Annelie? You okay, darl?” a familiar voice to her left said, making Annelie jump.

  “Kitty! Oh, God, you startled me.” Annelie blinked away her tears as she walked over to the balcony adjoining hers. “What are you doing up so early?”

  “Still on Aussie time, I guess. What’s your excuse?”

  “I…eh, I’m thinking of what to do next, really.” She fiddled with the belt to her bathrobe.

  “Something’s happened, hasn’t it?” Her friend sounded concerned.

  “Yes, Kitty, something happened,” Annelie whispered. “I’ve done the most stupid thing. I’m such an idiot.”

  “Tell me about it,” the other woman said in a gentle voice. “It can’t be that bad.”

  Swallowing hard, Annelie wiped her wet cheeks. “It’s worse, actually.”

  “You’re beginning to scare me, babe. Tell me what’s up.”

  Annelie had to clear her throat again. Looking at her friend with eyes burning from tears still unshed, she couldn’t be anything but honest. “I made love to Carolyn.”

  Kitty paled. “Oh, shit.”

  Annelie gave a bittersweet laugh at the other woman’s choice of words, so in character. “Yes, I agree.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Wh
at I have to. Will you help me?”

  Kitty extended a hand, barely able to reach Annelie over the distance between the balconies. “Of course. You just tell me what you need, babe.”

  *

  Carolyn slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight flooding the room. Rolling onto her back, she felt aching muscles she didn’t even know existed. She reached over, letting her hand slide across the other side of the bed. The fact that it was empty rattled her, and, sitting up, she realized two things—she was naked, and she was still in Annelie’s room.

  Looking around for Annelie, she was about to call out her name when she saw an envelope lying on the bedside table. Puzzled, she noticed her name written on the front, and her heart fluttered as she reached for it.

  Carolyn’s fingers trembled when she opened the envelope. The card within contained only a few handwritten words.

  Congratulations, Carolyn.

  The role is yours.

  Annelie

  Chapter Eight

  Carolyn picked up the robe from the floor and walked back toward her own room, noticing Annelie’s computer bag was missing. Thinking her suitemate had gone to a meeting with Gregory or Jem, Carolyn went to her bathroom and ran the shower until the room filled with steam.

  Her body ached from the previous night, and memories of endless passionate kisses and soft hands roaming her body made Carolyn shiver inside as she stood there nude, pacified for a moment by the sound of the rushing water.

  Feeling unsettled, she replayed the night she’d spent in Annelie’s arms, being thoroughly taken, pushed over the edge repeatedly. She stepped into the shower, welcoming the hot, streaming water. She regretted washing Annelie’s fragrance from her body, which surprised her. She had never before wished to savor a lover’s scent upon her skin.

  She had never experienced such abandoned pleasure, and realizing that this earth-shattering lovemaking had occurred with someone of her own gender made her head spin.

  Annelie, beautiful and vibrant behind her cool exterior, had shown Carolyn a side of herself the actress had never known. Not until this stunning woman entered her life, her mind…My heart? God. Does this mean I’m a lesbian? What if I am? What will that mean? What will people think?

  Carolyn thought of the emptiness she felt when she woke up alone, and she rubbed her eyes, trying to force the feeling from her mind. Annelie had taken her thoroughly, several times, and Carolyn blushed when she remembered how she had whimpered and begged for release. When Carolyn had reached for Annelie’s full breasts, which were barely covered by the thin fabric of the tank top, Annelie had pulled her hands away, distracting Carolyn by kissing every inch of her. Annelie had pressed her heated sex against Carolyn’s throbbing center several times, but always with fabric between them, never skin to skin.

  Carolyn had felt Annelie come at least twice, though never from her direct touch. The realization left her feeling unsettled, a dark tone reverberating through her whole being, leaving a desolate feeling in her stomach. Maybe she thought I was totally inept as a lesbian lover. Go figure. Perhaps I’m not only a lesbian but totally incompetent, to boot. Her throat clenched and she fought against the sting of her self-deprecating thoughts.

  Her mind reeled at the short message Annelie had left her. Wanting the role for so long, then finding out she had landed it, seemed unreal, but she knew euphoria was not far away. Still, she was disappointed that Annelie was not there to share the excitement. How could she leave this morning without telling me in person?

  She turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a large towel. Wiping off the foggy mirror with a washcloth, she examined her reflection. Her eyes were huge and stormy gray, as expected, with a definite fire burning in them. Jittery, with an overwhelming feeling of excitement for getting the role, Carolyn wanted to shout it out from the balcony. I’ll be playing Diana Maddox in the film, damn it!

  A knock on the door startled her and made her reach for her robe. “Just a minute.”

  Tying the belt around her waist, she disregarded her dripping hair and rushed through the suite. When she peeked through the peephole, she saw Kitty.

  Her caller’s eyes widened when Carolyn opened the door. “Oh, did I interrupt your shower? I’m sorry.”

  “No, no, I was done. Please come in.”

  Once inside, Kitty turned to look at her. “I thought I’d come by and ask if you’d like to have breakfast with us before you leave for the airport.”

  “Sure, I’d love to. I’ll be ready soon.” Carolyn hesitated briefly. “Do you have any idea where Annelie is?”

  Kitty’s expression was unreadable. “Annelie’s gone, Carolyn. She had to leave unexpectedly.”

  It took all Carolyn’s acting skill and self-discipline not to show Kitty how her stomach lurched. “She left? Oh. I didn’t hear her pack. I must have been out like a light after yesterday.”

  Carolyn thought she glimpsed a look of sympathy in the other woman’s eyes. “Yes, she left very early. Apparently she managed to get a last-minute ticket. I talked to her briefly out on the balcony, and she told me she had to leave.”

  Making herself stop fiddling with the bathrobe belt, Carolyn gestured toward her hair and then the room in general. “Just give me a minute to dry my hair and pack, and I’ll be down for breakfast. Can’t miss my caffeine.”

  “I know what you mean.” Kitty nodded. “We’ll be waiting for you in a private section of the breakfast room.” She looked at Carolyn intently. “Are you all right, Carolyn? You look a little pale.”

  Not about to make a fool of herself in front of Annelie’s friend, Carolyn gave a broad smile, slipping into her comfortable role as the diva. “I’m probably a little hungover, but it was worth it. We had a lot of fun, didn’t we? I’ll be fine as soon as I get my hands on some coffee.”

  “It was a blast.” Kitty looked as if she was about to say something else, but apparently changed her mind. “See you downstairs in a little bit, then?”

  After closing the door, Carolyn stroked one hand along her face, letting it linger over her mouth. She shivered when cold water dripped from her hair inside her collar. Wavering between feeling overjoyed and desolate, she decided she better pull herself together before she faced the others. It wouldn’t do to let anyone see her like this.

  *

  Annelie looked down at the dense quilt of clouds preventing her from seeing anything of the New York area as the plane descended at LaGuardia. She had lowered the backrest fully and stretched out in her first-class seat, pretending to browse through some documents, but her thoughts had whirled aimlessly—all about leaving Carolyn. Carolyn, looking like a sleeping angel, lying completely relaxed, her hair spreading like a dark red shadow across the pillow. She hadn’t even stirred while Annelie packed. Annelie had watched her for a few precious minutes before grabbing her bags and leaving the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her.

  She automatically checked her seat belt during the turbulent landing, but her mind was still on the previous night. Blue-gray eyes looking up at her with a wondrous expression as passion rode the petite body beneath hers. For those moments, she’d allowed herself to drown in Carolyn’s eyes, reveling in her responsiveness. However, she feared last night could never lead to anything more. She was all too aware of Carolyn’s reputation for always having a plan or an ulterior motive.

  She was jerked from her reverie by the plane’s erratic course along the runway. It taxied toward the terminal, and soon she was walking on the moving sidewalks, too impatient to stand still and be carried along. After she claimed her bags, she continued toward the exit when suddenly a reporter followed by a camera crew stopped her. Bringing her sunglasses down from her hair to cover her eyes, Annelie answered her questions regarding the Maddox movies in a short, polite manner while she kept walking, wanting nothing else than to find refuge in her large two-floor apartment. Telling the TV reporter goodbye, she hailed a cab and gave the driver her home address in Manhattan.

 
As she leaned her head back against the neck rest, she drew a deep breath. She still had Carolyn’s musky scent in her hair.

  *

  Carolyn briefly closed her eyes as the cab drove up to Annelie’s house. She had dropped her bags off at Jared’s, to her relief finding the condo empty. Wanting to talk to Annelie face-to-face, she had taken a cab to Golden Beach immediately, hoping to find her at home.

  She pulled the large hair clip from her hair, letting it flow freely around her shoulders. Why am I so down when I should be walking on air? I must have been crazy last night. Waking up alone hurt like hell, and I simply can’t understand why she left—especially after all that…passion.

  The note—despite its positive message—didn’t convey anything about Annelie’s state of mind. Carolyn thought back to the empathetic look on Kitty’s face when the Australian came to fetch her. She knew, damn it. Annelie told her what happened. Mortified at the sudden realization, she flinched as the cabdriver tried to get her attention by raising his voice.

  “You okay, ma’am?”

  “Fine, thanks. Here you go. Keep the change.” She stepped out into the scorching sun.

  Had anyone asked her before yesterday what could ruin such a day, Carolyn would have replied, “Nothing on God’s green earth.” Now, her happiness about getting the coveted role was overshadowed by the fact that Annelie hadn’t waited to tell her in person. How dare she? The note left her feeling more alone than ever, with a queasy sensation erupting in her stomach. She didn’t usually read more into things than what seemed reasonable, but now she felt vulnerable, an easy target. And I hate it.

  When she reached the gate leading up to the paved garden path, Carolyn pressed the buzzer, since she had returned the key card to Mary when she left three days earlier. The speaker came to life with Mary’s voice, and the gate swung open seconds later.