• 122 •


Descent

The feelings that overwhelmed her all those years ago came back in tidal waves, one after the other. The joy, the happiness, waking every day knowing Shannon Roberts was in her life. It felt as if those years between never happened, that they were still together, finishing each other’s sentences, knowing what the other wanted almost before she did, holding each other tight in passion. What in the hell was she supposed to do now?

v

Shannon was falling, faster and faster down the hill until there was nothing under her but the thin air between her and the ground some eight feet below. She was suffocating and every muscle on her body screamed in agony as she struggled to sit up. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re okay, Shannon. You’re safe.” A familiar voice seeped past the thick fog of her subconscious. The darkness came again, ending her tormenting dreams.

When she woke again, this time more fully awake, Shannon didn’t move, giving herself a chance to gather her wits. She hurt. God, did she hurt. Her left arm throbbed and it felt like her entire left side was lying on hot coals. Her head pounded. The light coming in from the window was the soft rays of dawn.

Cautiously, she turned her head, waiting for the pain to subside before focusing her attention on Caroline, who was in the chair beside the bed. She was curled on her right side as much as possible in the rocker recliner, her hair falling over one side of her face. She was wearing a terrycloth robe with the emblem of the hotel near her right breast. The front gaped open revealing her chest and the swell of her other breast. Her feet were bare, her toenails polished bright red.

Shannon smiled at the sight, the nail pedicure a complete contradiction to the mud and dirt of mountain bike racing. Then it all came back to her with agonizing clarity. She had somehow missed the last turn and remembered falling but nothing after that until the bright lights of the first aid tent. They had poked and prodded, x-rayed her from head to toe and, finding no injuries other than a severe case of road rash, had let her go. She had to fight like hell and sign a dozen

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forms releasing the clinic from responsibility if complications arose, but Shannon was determined not to spend the night in the local hospital.

She remembered getting back to her room and running a bath when Caroline arrived and wouldn’t leave. Shannon’s body flushed with heat as she remembered Caroline climbing into the tub with her, her hands gently stroking her back, the feel of the erect nipples when she lay against her. Shannon moved in reaction to the sensation and couldn’t stop the moan of pain from escaping her parched lips. Caroline was instantly awake and alert.

“Shannon? Are you okay?”

The concern on Caroline’s face was almost heartbreaking. She didn’t want Caroline to hurt over her. Not again. Never again. “I’m fine, just a little sore. And thirsty. Can I have some water?”

“Sure.” Caroline jumped out of the chair, her robe gaping open even more giving Shannon a glimpse of what she had seen last night.

She wasn’t that out of it not to remember how Caroline had looked standing naked in front of her. She had filled out into a beautiful woman, and no matter how banged up and battered she was, Shannon’s body took notice.

“Here, let me help you sit up.”

With Caroline’s arm around her good shoulder Shannon was able to sit but not without a lot of pain, her head swimming more than once.

Her hand shook when she reached for the glass and Caroline wrapped her own around Shannon’s as she put the glass to her lips. The liquid was cool and felt wonderful filling her mouth and sliding down her dry throat. After several swallows, Caroline moved the glass away.

“Not too much. Let’s see how this sits before you have any more.”

“I’m just banged up, nothing life threatening.” Shannon’s voice was stronger this time.

“I don’t care. You are banged up but that doesn’t mean you can act like it’s nothing. You might have a concussion.”

“I don’t have a concussion, just a headache where my head hit a damn tree or something.” Caroline paled at her flippant remark and Shannon realized just how affected Caroline was by her spill. “Really, Caroline, I’m fine. Just a little tingle that a few aspirin will take care of.” She was rewarded by Caroline’s laugh.

• 124 •


Descent

“Yeah, and I’m the King of England. Come on, Shannon, how are you feeling? Besides the road rash of course.”

Caroline was looking up and down her body as if checking to make sure she really was all right. “Honestly, I’m fine. A little stiff and my arm burns like hell, but nothing that a little time and a new layer of skin can’t cure.” As much as she wanted to lie in bed all day and look at Caroline, she had other pressing matters that were demanding her attention.

“I do have to go to the bathroom though.” She tossed the covers off and swung her legs off the bed. Slowly, she stood, careful not to move too quickly or cause too much to hurt. “No, don’t get up; I can do it,” she said quickly as Caroline started to help her. Bandages covered pretty much the entire left side of her body and she felt so bad she didn’t care that she was almost completely naked.

When she returned to bed she didn’t know if she wanted the answer to the question but she asked it anyway. “What are you doing here? And in my robe,” she added pulling the sheet up to cover her bare breasts.

Caroline sat back in the chair, gathering the front of the robe tight against her chest. She looked around the room as if searching for an escape route.

“We were worried about you. You took a nasty spill,” she said weakly.

Shannon raised the glass to her mouth, her hand steadier than a moment ago. “I asked why you were here.” Caroline’s eyes darted around the room again before settling on her hands now clasped in her lap. “I wanted to make sure you were all right. You needed some help getting into the tub…and…I…”

“Thank you,” Shannon said quietly, ending Caroline’s awkwardness. “I appreciate it. I don’t know why, but I do appreciate it.” “It’s what anyone would have done,” Caroline said finally looking at her.Shannon held her gaze, branding the clear cocoa color in her brain before she spoke again. “But nobody else did. Did they?”

Caroline stood, grabbed her clothes from the luggage rack, and disappeared into the bathroom. When she returned several minutes

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later, her hair was damp, her face freshly scrubbed. The bright blue jersey signifying her winning the previous race was smeared with dirt and sweat. Her bike shorts were tight and revealing and showed off her long muscular legs.

Shannon knew Caroline wasn’t going to answer her question so she asked another instead. “Who won?”

“Gertrude Brasille over Stephanie McClennen. By eight tenths of a second.” She buckled her shoes.

“What about you?” Shannon asked. Caroline held the second place slot when she left the starting gate.

“Third.” Caroline didn’t say anything else.

Shannon nodded her understanding and Caroline turned toward the door. She didn’t want her to leave. “Where are you going?”

Caroline hesitated before turning back around. “You said yourself you’re all right. I have to go. People are waiting for me.”

Caroline didn’t mention any names, but she didn’t have to. Shannon had seen her and Fran together and she wondered what excuse she had given her girlfriend as to why she hadn’t come home last night.

“Make sure she knows that I didn’t take advantage of you in my weakened condition. Tell her I said thanks for sharing you.”

Caroline’s expression went from uncomfortable to confused to something Shannon couldn’t quite put her finger on in the span of a few seconds as her words sank in. “Take care” was all Caroline said as she closed the hotel room door behind her.

• 126 •


Descent

ChaPTER SixTEEN

What are you doing?” Shannon flinched in surprise at the voice coming from behind her and was rewarded with sharp pain shooting through her left biceps. Most of her road rash was healed due to several days of intravenous antibiotics. The stitches were still a week away from removal, but all in all, three days after her fall she didn’t feel too bad—considering. She concentrated on her movements as she took her bike out of the THS trailer, careful not to give any indication of her discomfort that would add fuel to the fire in Caroline’s voice.

“Taking out my bike.”

“Let me rephrase the question. What in the fuck are you doing?”

“Same answer.”

“You’re in no condition to race tomorrow.” They were in Schladming, Austria, just east of Salzburg for the next to last race.

The nastiness combined with possessiveness made Shannon angry. “So in addition to getting a doctorate in, what was it again, astrophysics, you’re now a physician?”

“Don’t be flip.” Caroline’s eyes glowed with anger.

“Who do you think you are? You’re not my mother or my girlfriend. Even if you were you wouldn’t have any say in what I do or don’t do.”

“I wouldn’t be your girlfriend for that and many other reasons.

You wouldn’t care what I thought, what I wanted, or if I were scared to death of what might happen to you.”

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“You’re right on that one, honey. That’s why I don’t have a girlfriend. Because I don’t care. I’m here to win the championship, not worry about what people think.” Especially you, she thought.