Taste of Grief (Just One Bite #3) (2 page)

Diandra drew a deep breath and lightly pulled back from
Lizbeth. Using both hands she gripped the coffee mug and drew it to her mouth,
horrified to realize she was shaking so badly she almost couldn't drink it.
After taking a tiny sip she set the mug down gingerly, thankful there was so
little left in it that she didn't spill it in the process. "I didn't know
about Rae's powers, and seeing her bring you back while I was still grieving
over your loss was almost more than I could bear. I know it was traumatic to go
from dead to fully-healed and living, but it was no easier watching the
transformation from my angle, either."

Lizbeth sipped her own coffee quietly before pouring them
both a refill without speaking. She scooped sugar into the mug and added her
cream. Diandra wrapped her hands around the mug of black coffee, warming them
against the internal chill that she'd carried with her since that day. Finally,
Lizbeth took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and began to speak. "I
never considered how it would seem from your perspective. I only knew I was
locked in a sort of Hell where my dreams each night took me back again. I never
knew you suffered, too, and I'm so sorry you suffered alone. I didn't know how
to tell you that I was terrified of what you both had become."

Diandra bit down on her lower lip, sucking air between her
teeth as she thought. "I think that's why I haven't cornered you sooner. I
don't like being… ambivalent about whether or not to take someone's life. I
scared myself that day, and a part of me died inside. I don't know how to come
to terms with who I've become, so there's really nothing I can say to you to
make you feel better. I see myself as a monster- how can I convince you
differently?" She stood up abruptly, hurrying away from the table and out
onto deck with that supernatural speed once more.

No longer bothered by the speed that was so much a part of
the woman she loved, Lizbeth stood up from the table and carried their mugs
outside. She stood next to Diandra at the rail of the deck and placed her mug
down in front of her. Dia didn't acknowledge her presence, and she ignored the
coffee as well. Taking a steadying breath, Lizzie grasped her arm gently and
turned her. Diandra stood stiffly, locked inside herself. Lizbeth could sense
the self-recrimination coming off of her lover in waves, so she did the only
thing she knew could fix it. She threw her arms around Dia's neck, drawing her
down before kissing her passionately. Diandra stood still under the onslaught
as though unsure how to react, so Lizbeth took it a step further, pushing her
probing tongue between her partner's lips, teasing and tasting.

With a muffled sigh, Dia melted into the kiss. Her arms
wrapped tightly around Lizbeth, holding her close, one hand fisted in her hair,
daring her to withdraw. Instead, Lizzie snuggled closer, nuzzling her neck and
biting gently at the lightly bronzed skin. She lowered one arm, teasing
Diandra's breast with a loving hand, absorbing the moan of pleasure with her
mouth, swallowing the need and making it her own.

Diandra drew away with a growl and scooped Lizzie up in her
arms. Using her speed, they were in the bedroom upstairs and tangled in an
embrace in seconds. When Diandra set Lizbeth down she peeled the suit jacket
down and removed the shoulder holster, letting it dangle from Lizzie's belt.
Her hands found the buckle of the belt and hastily stripped her of her pants.
Lizbeth reached for Diandra, undoing the sash on her lavender robe and sliding
it from her shoulders to pool on the carpet at their feet. Lizbeth stood there
in ivory tee shirt and a pair of white sheer panties, the triangle in front
barely hiding the shaved skin behind it. Her hands dropped to her sides,
allowing Dia to take it all in, every bit of her body.

Diandra breathed out, a loud exclamation in the silence of
the bedroom, at the sight of her lover's flesh, both visible and what was
hinted at. She drew the tee shirt gently up and over Lizzie's head before
dropping it to the floor with her own discarded garment. Next came the sheer
white bra that matched the panties, leaving her clad only in that triangle of
fabric. With a laugh that managed to hold both need and delight, she grabbed
the underwear's elastic waist and gave one sharp tug, ripping them from
Lizbeth's body so she stood bared and proud to the soft morning light. Diandra
fell on her, all lips and tongue and gently nipping teeth as she pushed her
back gently onto the bed.

Lizbeth screamed in pleasure, not reaching her peak yet, but
thrilled with the touch of Diandra's body for the first time in nearly a month.
She'd forgotten how much she missed this- this closeness, this tenderness, this
overwhelming love and outpouring of desire. She raised her hips, lightly
rubbing the front of herself against Diandra's own naked flesh, a sound very
much like a purr coming from her. Finally, she thought as she slipped down
between Diandra's legs and fastened her mouth against her lover's wet cleft,
finally I am home.

Lizbeth went in to work on time for a change, instead of
hours early. Shortly after the women lay recovering from their lovemaking,
while the sweat still dried on their bodies, the baby had woken and let out her
first cry for attention. Diandra hurriedly put her robe back on and went next
door to greet Rae while Lizbeth dressed again for work, laughing quietly to
herself as she pulled a fresh pair of panties out of the dresser drawer and
disposed of the torn pair. She went downstairs, knowing she'd find Diandra
there making the baby her first morning bottle.

She walked into the parlor and found RaeLynn sitting on the
floor playing quietly with a pile of toys. The baby looked up at Lizbeth but
didn't smile or reach for her as she normally did. Lizzie's heart tightened
painfully as she sat down next to the baby. She'd give anything to take back
the awful way she'd distanced herself this last month. "Hey, princess,"
Lizbeth said softly. "Can I have a kiss?"

RaeLynn raised her chubby arms and a smile brightened her
face. Just that quickly she was forgiven. Oh, the innocent nature of a baby,
she thought as she scooped the little girl up into her lap and peppered her strawberry
blond curls with kisses. Drawing back, she carefully studied the little face
she loved so much. RaeLynn was growing by leaps and bounds. She was the same
size as a typical five month old, the age she was now, but she was more
advanced. She'd been sitting up by herself for more than two months, and she'd
been crawling for over a month now. So much potential, so much intelligence, in
such a tiny package, Lizbeth mused.

RaeLynn's curls were tangled in a mess of bedhead, her cupid
bow mouth a pretty rose shade. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and her
lavender eyes were still heavy with sleep. Lizbeth turned Rae in her lap so the
baby's back was facing her stomach and she grabbed the soft-bristled baby brush
they kept on the coffee table. Quietly she sang a little nonsense song she made
up as she went along and she brushed those tresses until they gleamed, already
an inch below the baby's shoulders.

Diandra came back out of the kitchen, bottle in hand. She
stood silently in the doorway watching Lizbeth reunite with RaeLynn. She was
relieved they'd been able to come to an understanding. A part of her had been
coldly calculating this past month, wondering if they're relationship would
survive much longer. Had Lizbeth continued to distance herself from them,
Diandra knew she would have to end their relationship. As much as she loved
Lizzie, if she couldn't deal with RaeLynn, she could no longer be her lover.
Rae came first, above all else.

She reflected back on when Lizzie lay on this same floor,
her life's blood leaving her body. Desperately she'd fought Eamon, fully
prepared to change her lover to save her life. Eamon had stopped her, telling
her that the Council would kill her for changing her without permission and Rae
would be an orphan. She had wondered since that day, if Lizbeth had given her
permission, would she still have been so disturbed by their lifestyle? If she'd
been changed instead of healed, would she have backed away from them that way?

Diandra rolled her shoulders, making a conscious effort to
roll the thoughts away as well. RaeLynn had healed her, Eamon had stopped her
from changing Lizzie into a vamp like herself, and Lizzie didn't want to be
like her- they'd had this talk before. Wishing, hoping, praying things would
change wouldn't make them so, and it was wrong to wish Lizbeth into a position
where it was be changed or die. That wasn't fair, and Diandra felt guilty for
even having the thought to begin with. The only way Lizzie would even consider
the change would be if she were dying and there were no other option available
to save her life. Dia couldn't handle dealing with that again, so it was all a
moot point anyway.

Lizbeth and Diandra sat down to breakfast, watching the baby
play with her blocks and babble contentedly. It was a good life they were
making for themselves, and even if there were bumps in the road, they knew they
could make it work as long as they kept the lines of communication open, and
they were both honest. It may not be easy, but love never is, or shouldn't be.
Diandra believed that if love was too easy, something was not being said that
should be. There were darker, secret compartments to a relationship that seemed
wonderful on the surface. Marriage to Jonah taught her that much, if not much
else. Maybe love had seemed perfect and easy the first time, but her
relationship with Lizbeth was deeper for all the struggles they had dealt with.
This felt real- this felt like it was forever, and that seemed just about right
to Dia.

After a light breakfast of fresh fruit and toast along with
an abundance of coffee, Lizbeth kissed her favorite ladies goodbye and headed
out the door. Diandra went into the parlor to start reading over some
paperwork. The charity she'd started was wonderful, but before long she would
need someone to help her. It had quickly snowballed from a side project to a
full time effort, and the time was coming where she knew she couldn't handle it
all on her own any longer.

There was a knock on her door, and she hurried to answer it.
Opening it she found a geeky but gorgeous young man standing there. She had to
tilt her head back some to look at him, so she estimated he was about 6 feet
tall in his white athletic shoes. He had bark brown curls that were slightly
too long and shrewd green eyes that made her stiffen a bit- she felt like he
was looking inside her, rooting through her mental drawers to learn more about
her. A quick internal check reassured her slightly- it was her imagination. He
was not inside her head at all.

"Yes?" Diandra questioned with a note of
hesitation in her voice.

He smiled, and his emerald eyes lit up with it, lightening
to a brighter green shade as opposed to the more moss green she thought she'd
seen upon opening the door. "Hello," he said, extending his right
hand to her. She took it automatically, responding to the friendly gesture
against her better judgment. "I'm Adrian Lancaster, and I'm here to
interview for the housekeeper position you're advertising."

She tried, and failed, to keep the surprise off of her face.
She studied him again, taking in the dark green tee shirt and faded blue jeans
then raised her eyes back to his knowing face. This was supposed to be the one
they let in their household? "Let me get this straight. You actually want
to take this job? Cleaning up behind two women and a baby and cooking for us?
Truly?"
She stepped back, reluctantly allowing him into
her home, but making sure the doubt in her voice also showed on her face.

Adrian walked past her, unerringly heading straight for the
parlor. Diandra stalked close behind him, her movements reminiscent of a jungle
cat- predatory, warning. He said nothing although she knew he noticed her
behavior. RaeLynn was still seated there, playing happily with her alphabet
blocks. Looking up, her little face lit and she babbled excitedly as though she
recognized him. She dropped the blocks and raised her arms, opening and closing
her hands in a gesture demanding he pick her up. Adrian smiled at her and
plucked her off the ground, settling her on a hip before Diandra could make a
sound in protest. He turned the Dia, the smile still on his face. "And
who's this little cutie?"

Diandra swallowed convulsively before answering. Rae never
went to strangers, ever. She normally hid behind her mother when able, or just
kept her head down until her mother lifted her. This behavior was beyond
strange, and instead of reassuring her about his character, she felt a cold
trickle of fear down her spine. "RaeLynn," Diandra whispered.
"This is my five-month-old daughter, RaeLynn Malone."

"Well, hello, RaeLynn," he said cheerfully.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." He tickled the baby under her chin,
making her giggle. Turning to Diandra he said, "The ad said to see either
Lizbeth or Diandra. May I ask which one you are?"

"I'm Diandra Malone. Lizbeth is a police detective, and
she's at work at the moment. If this interview goes well you will still need to
pass her background check." The warning lay heavy in her words, but he
simply nodded as though he expected no less. Sighing, Diandra gestured for him
to have a seat. He settled into the pale pink armchair, RaeLynn settled
comfortably into his lap. He looked to Diandra to start the interview, his knee
moving up and down, gently bouncing the baby, smiling at her when she giggled
happily.

Diandra sat on the edge of the loveseat, her posture stiff
even though he seemed harmless. They say babies have wonderful senses when it
comes to people who mean them harm. RaeLynn was more astute than most, but her
maternal instincts were in high gear anyway. She forced herself to relax
slightly before beginning the interview. "Tell me what made you respond to
the ad."