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CHAPTER 4

Before even opening her eyes, she could tell that she was not alone. There was someone or something in the bed with her that was not there the last time she had been conscious. She deduced that the object lying behind her was alive, based on the warmth that was radiating from it, and she could feel warm breath on the back of her neck. She knew who it was and smiled, wondering what they were doing there. She opened her eyes, and sure enough, there was an arm thrown across her waist. She could barely make out the soft light blonde hairs on the petite arm, and she noticed for the first time that the fingernails bore clear nail polish.

Turning onto her back, she peered at the sleeping face to her left and smiled warmly. The woman had light blonde eyebrows, a petite mouth that just begged to be kissed, long graceful eyelashes and a little nose that the woman found extremely adorable when the strawberry-blonde smiled broadly causing it to crinkle. She found herself foolishly wanting to tweak the cute nose. Heck, she mused to herself that she wanted to tweak every part of this young woman that she could get her hands on. Her eyes returned to the generous mouth and she wondered if those lips felt as soft as they looked. She started to find that out, but changed her mind. She did not want her first kiss to be with this young woman when she was dead to the world.

She gently rubbed the young woman's pale cheek and thought back to the one time that she had given her heart to someone. A few months before she got in trouble with the law, she had met someone while she was vacationing in Jamaica for a month during the summer. The affair had lasted only a little over three weeks, but those had been the best weeks of her life, until her lover had dumped her, claming that their relationship would never work out. She had been heart-broken and had vowed that she would never give her heart to another for as long as she lived. She glanced at the young woman sleeping beside her and cursed under her breath. Her heart was a traitor and she was breaking her vows.
***

Detective Victor Redding removed his gold-rimmed eyeglasses, placing them quietly on the desk. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Piper Redding and Desiree Love were still missing, and he had no idea, no clue where they could be. He desperately needed to locate the whereabouts of the fugitive. Opening his light brown eyes, he glanced at the phone thinking that perhaps the judge would have some information for him. The detective took the phone off of the receiver and flipped through his Rolodex until he found the judge's cell phone number. Quickly dialing it, the phone began to ring and he sat back in his leather chair, waiting for Judge Love to answer. Three rings later a voice came on the phone.
"Hello?" said a tense male voice.

"Is this Judge Richard Love?" inquired the detective.

"Yes it is. Who am I talking to?"

"You may not remember me, sir. I'm Detective Victor Redding. I came to see you earlier this week at Baker Hospital."

The judge breathed a sigh of relief. "Of course I remember you, Detective. Have you found something?"

"No, unfortunately I haven't. I know it's a long shot, but have you?"

Judge Love started to tell the detective about the phone call he had received on Wednesday, but quickly changed his mind. Desiree's life could very well depend on what he said next. For now, he would play the game Piper's way.

The judge took a deep breath. "I have."

The detective's eyebrows went up in surprise. "You have?"

"Yes."

"What?" the detective asked on the brink of impatience.

Judge Love cleared his throat. "I found my daughter."

"Is she okay? Where is she?" He had been hoping that the young woman's abrupt disappearance would lead him to Piper. Now it may not be true if Desiree turned out not to be missing after all.

"She is fine." I hope, he thought grimly. "She called yesterday, apologizing for not telling us that she went on a ski trip with her friends up in the mountains somewhere. This memory of mind won't let me remember where she said they were." He paused. "So as you can see we won't be needing your help anymore." He hoped he sounded convincing.

Detective Redding frowned. His instincts told him that the judge was not telling him the truth, and he began to wonder why. Something was not right with this story, and he was determined to find out what it was.

"When did she leave on her trip?" he asked. He would catch this man in a lie if it were the last thing he did.

"Monday."

"I see. So, she went on a ski trip after being fired. Most people wouldn't be in the frame of mind to take a vacation after losing their job."

"What can I say? My daughter is different." The judge began to perspire. He had the impression that the detective was not buying his story.

"Hmm. You didn't get the number of the place she's at?"

"No, I didn't. I was just so happy that she was all right, I forgot to ask."

The detective shook his head. You're lying to me judge, he thought. "Do you know when she will be back?"

"No, I don't."

"Do you know who she went with?"

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you that either," Judge Love replied, anxious to end the conversation.

"I only have few more questions for you sir. Do you know how she traveled?"

Judge Love recalled that the police could not find Desiree's car, so he replied, "She took her car."

"I see. So she didn't tell you where she was, who she was with, nor how long she would be gone, but she told you that she took her car?" Detective Redding tried to keep his voice from sounding annoyed.

Judge Love started to get angry. Where did this man get off questioning him like he was some type of criminal? "That's right. She said she picked up a couple of her friends and they went skiing."

"All right then. Have you heard anything from her boyfriend?"

"He told me that they broke up. What does that matter anyway, detective?" Judge Love closed his eyes as a dull ache started in his head.

"I was just wondering if he knew anything concerning her whereabouts. They broke up huh?"

"Yes they did."

"Okay. Well thank you for your time, sir. I'm still searching for Piper Redding, so I'll keep you informed on what happens," said the detective.
"Thank you, Detective. I appreciate your help." He sighed in relief that the conversation was almost over.

"Not a problem. This is my job."

The detective hung up the phone and reflected on what the judge told him. The man sounded nervous, and Victor knew something was up. He blew out a frustrated breath and searched through his Rolodex again, until he found the name and number that he wanted. Picking up the phone again, the detective dialed the number and waited for the person to pick up.

"Yeah?" a male voice said.

"Good morning. Is Alec Drake there?" asked the detective.

"You're talking to him. Who's speaking?"

"Detective Victor Redding. I'm working on the case of Piper Redding and Desiree Love's disappearance," he replied.

"I already told her dad that I don't know anything."

"Mr. Drake, I'm certain that you could help me. When did you tell Judge Love that you didn't know anything? He called you?"

The detective heard a female voice in the background and he heard Alec tell her to shut up. No wonder they broke up, the detective thought.

"Yeah. He called me Wednesday."

Detective Redding wrote something down on his now open notepad. So far, the judge's story made sense. He called the boyfriend on Wednesday still worried, and his daughter called him on Friday.

"Have you heard anything about Desiree since then? Has she tried to get in contact with you?"

"Like I told the judge, I haven't spoken to or seen Desiree since Monday. I have no idea where she is."

"Did she say anything to you about going on a ski trip?"

"No. I've never known her to ski."

The detective smiled. Something was definitely amiss and he would find it indeed. "Where did you last see Ms. Love?"

"In our apartment." He paused. "Or I should say her apartment now. We broke up," he added.

"Yes, I know. So she didn't say anything about going out again?"

"Nope."

"Did she have any bags or suitcases packed?" asked Detective Redding.

"No, she didn't. At least not to my knowledge," replied Alec.

"Did she ever seem like the type to be impulsive?"

"No." Alec laughed. "Not Desiree."

"Have you been to the apartment since Monday?"

"Nope. Just packed my bags that day and left."

"I see." I'm not getting anywhere, the detective thought. "Well thank you for your time Mr. Drake. I'll call you in the future if I need your help again."

"Sure. You do that, detective."

Alec hung up the phone, and Detective Redding was left listening to the dial tone. The man did not seem in the least bit concerned about Desiree's disappearance. Sure they had broken up, but she was still his ex-girlfriend from a relationship that lasted four years. The detective hit the desk impatiently. The judge could not be telling the truth. Piper, I'm going to find out the truth and track you down. And when I do, you are going to pay.
***

Desiree awoke in bed to find to her disappointment that she was alone. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was close to ten o'clock. Putting a hand on the empty space beside her where Piper had been sleeping she noticed that it was cold. This indicated that the dark-haired woman must have got up a while ago. Desiree sat up and stretched, noticing Tobias curled up at the foot of the bed.

"Hey, Toby. What's shakin'?" she reached down and patted him on the head, which activated his purr button. "Is Piper in the living room?" she asked him. He got up, jumped down from the bed, and walked out of the room for an answer.

Desiree got up and followed her cat into the front of the cabin to see a yellow post-it note attached to the bathroom door. She took it off and began to read while noting that Piper had a lovely penmanship.

Hey Sleepyhead,

Went out for a drive. Needed to think. I'll take good care of your car (smiley face)

-P

P.S. I fed the furball.

Sighing, Desiree folded up the small note as the sadness began to seep in. Here it was probably going to be a perfect beautiful Saturday to do something, and the woman decided to go out on her own. The strawberry-blonde wondered where she could have gone. She hoped that Piper would be careful not to get herself caught, then reprimanded herself. If anyone could take care of him or herself, it would be Piper Redding.
***

"You be good, all right?"

"Yes daddy," the seven-year old twin boys said in unison.

"Okay." He ruffled both of his children's hair. "Where's my hug?" he asked.

The boys ran into their father's arms and squeezed him as tightly as he squeezed them. They then went to their mother and hugged her too, before they piled into the waiting station wagon with the neighbors' and their children. The William's had offered to take the Lowell's children to the park for the day. The boys had been ecstatic when their parents said that they could go.

The William's had known that the Lowell's would want some time alone since it was their ten-year anniversary today. They claimed that it was only part of the gift that they were giving them. Michael and his wife Annie appreciated the William's for giving them this quality time.

"Why don't we go inside," Michael said. "I don't know about you, but I'd like to work on creating a little girl," he said in as sexy a voice as he could muster.

Annie turned to her husband and smiled joyously. "Do you mean it, Mike? You want to start trying today?" They had been discussing the idea of having another baby for the past six months or so.

He shrugged. "Why not? I'm not getting any younger so we better hurry," he joked. Michael was thirty-eight years old, but he acted like a big kid at times. Especially when he got on the floor and wrestled with his boys.

"Oh you." She playfully socked him in his side. "Well then. I guess we better get started." She lightly kissed him on the lips.

He put an arm around her shoulders and headed back to the house, thanking God that he had this wonderful woman in his life, and that she loved him as much as he loved her. Was there anyone as lucky as he?
***

The lilac Honda pulled up in front of the suburban house and shut off the ignition. The person seated inside thought over what they were about to do, and they did not relish the job, but they had to do it. It was all part of the plan. Parked a few houses from this one a few minutes ago, they had witnessed the twin children leaving so that meant it should only be Michael Lowell and his wife at home. The person mused that it was better that the children not be there. They didn't need to see this.

Taking a deep breath, the person got out of the compact car and walked up the driveway to the front door. Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, they took out the black ski mask and gloves they had brought with them. Next, they rang the bell and proceeded to wait for either Michael or his wife to answer. The person hoped that it would be the husband. Otherwise, the wife might have to go as well.

***

Michael stopped kissing his wife and cocked his head towards the bedroom door. He looked back at his wife and asked, "Did you hear something?"

Annie replied, "I think the doorbell rang."

Her husband sighed, getting up from the bed. "Just my luck. We're trying to make a baby and we get interrupted." He leaned down to tenderly kiss Annie one more time before leaving the room. "I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder.

Michael went down the stairs as fast as he could. Reaching the door, he squinted through the peephole to see a nice looking dark-haired woman standing there. He opened the door and gave her a welcoming smile.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"No, I highly doubt it," the woman retorted pushing Michael so hard that he landed on his back on the floor.

Peering up Michael could see that this woman was tall, as she hurriedly closed the front door soundlessly, and put on a black ski mask and gloves. She then reached behind her and took out a claw hammer that appeared to be brand new.

"What are you doing?" Michael asked nervously.

"I'm going to kill you," the woman replied matter-of-factly in a low voice. She then raised the hammer above her head to strike him, but Michael got up from the carpet and charged her, taking the woman to the ground. She kneed him in the groin, causing the man to groan and roll off of her.

She got up and asked, "You just have to make this difficult, don't you?" She raised the hammer once again, and this time was able to make contact with Michael's arm, causing the man to yelp in pain. She raised the hammer again and hit him on the left side of his head. She broke his nose with the force of her next blow, causing the man to start bleeding.

Hearing her husband's screams, Annie hurriedly got out of the bed and headed towards the door, wearing nothing but a short nightgown. She looked over the railing at the top of the stairs and her eyes widened at what she saw. A tall person dressed in all black was striking Michael again and again, with what looked to be a hammer. Annie ran down the stairs and screamed, running towards the attacker furiously.

Hearing the wife's scream, the woman's head snapped around to see Annie coming towards her. She readied herself for the imminent attack. Annie reached her and balled up a fist to hit the attacker, but the woman easily caught the fist before it could strike her. She proceeded to squeeze Annie's hand until the older woman went down to her knees in pain. The attacker turned her attention back towards Michael, who by now was unconscious and bloody in his facial area. His blood started to soak into the carpet. She figured a few more blows ought to finish off the job. Just before she was able to hit him again, the wife pulled her right arm back and bit down, but it did not do much good, since the sweater the attacker was wearing was thick.

The tall woman turned around to face Annie, and the shorter woman put her hands around the attacker's throat and attempted to take the thick ski mask off. She did not get very far before the woman pushed her to the carpet and leaned over her to hit Annie in the face. Annie reached up again and managed to at least scratch the woman on the neck, which was the only part of her exposed at the moment, except for her lips and those electric blue eyes.

"Lights out," the attacker stated causing Annie to realize that this was a woman as she heard the low voice. That was her last thought before the woman hit her so hard with a fist that everything instantly went black.

The woman turned back to the unconscious Michael and sighed. She really did not want to do this, but it must be done. There was no other choice. She raised the blood splattered hammer and delivered a few more blows to Michael's head, before she hurried back to the car, not even bothering to remove the ski mask and gloves in her haste.
***

Three-thirty that afternoon found Detective Victor Redding heading towards 1240 Evergreen Lane in Pasadena, California. The police had arrived earlier that day at the house, due to a panicked call from one Annie Lowell. Apparently, someone had come into their home that morning and attacked her husband with a hammer. The body had already been taken to the coroner's office, since when the ambulance arrived Michael Lowell was already dead.

Reaching the house, the detective parked on the curb and glanced around at a few police cars that were already there. Getting out of the car, Victor glanced around to see a few neighbors looking over, trying to determine what was going on. Victor walked up the driveway and entered the house, since it was already open. He saw Annie Lowell sitting on a couch, rocking back and forth and seemingly staring at the floor blankly. A policewoman had her arm around the distraught woman, trying to comfort her. The policewoman glanced up as the detective came towards them. He nodded to her, letting her know that he would take over now, and she nodded back, getting up from the couch and patting Annie a final time on the back gently before taking her leave.

Detective Redding sat down in the space the policewoman had previously been occupying, and took out his notepad and a pen. He peered at Annie, smiling slightly at her, although she did not see it because she was not looking at him. He put two fingers under her chin and lifted her face until she was looking at him instead of the carpet. He saw the tears in her eyes and offered her a tissue from his pocket.

She shook her head, holding up a handkerchief for him to see. He nodded and squeezed her shoulder gently, before putting the tissue back in his pocket.

"I know this is a dumb question, but how are you doing?" he asked quietly.

Annie sniffed and wiped her runny nose. "My husband is dead, and now I have to tell our children when they come home," her voice broke and she bowed her head crying softly. Detective Redding rubbed her back for comfort.

"I realize this is a hard time for you, but I have to ask you some questions," he said.

She looked up at him. "Now?"

The detective nodded while looking at her apologetically. "No telling how many other lives might be in jeopardy if we don't find the person that…killed your husband."

Annie nodded. "I guess your right. She needs to be caught." She blew her nose.

"She?" Detective Redding wrote something down in his notepad.

Annie glanced at him. "Yes. I was surprised to find that it was a woman."

"Did you see her face?"

She shook her head negatively. "I heard her voice though. It was low and she spoke with an American accent."

"You don't even know what ethnicity she was?"

"I think she was Caucasian, because I saw a little of her neck." She paused thoughtfully. "By the way she may have a scar, because I managed to scratch her on the neck."

The detective smiled. "Good for you, Annie. May I call you Annie?"

She nodded.

"Okay. You say you heard her voice. What did she say?"

"She told me light's out, just before she punched me so hard I lost consciousness."

"Did you see how tall she was?" the detective inquired.

Annie replied, "She must have been at least five-feet ten."

The detective wrote something else down. "Hair color or eye color?"

"I don't know what color hair she had, but I'll never forget her eyes for as long as I live. They were blue. A cold, ice blue." She shivered involuntarily.

Detective Redding wrote in his notepad once more. "What would you guess her weight to be?"

Annie thought for a moment. "Probably about one-forty. It was hard to tell with the clothes she was wearing."

"What was she wearing?"

"All black. She had on a black ski mask, black jeans, black sweater, gloves, and black shoes. I don't know what kind."

Detective Redding smiled warmly at her. "That's fine all right, Annie." He took a deep breath. "Now for the harder part. What did she use to kill your husband?"

Annie took in a deep breath, trying not to cry again. "A hammer," she whispered.

The detective looked around the room. "Did she take it with her?"

Annie shrugged. "I don't know. I don't even know when she left."

"Do you know what type of vehicle she was driving?" he asked.

"I don't even know if she was driving. You're the first person I have spoken to about all this."

The detective nodded. "Yes. They were waiting for me to get here to question you." He closed the notepad and looked at Annie, who had tears running down her face again. He took her hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for all your help, Annie. I promise you that we will find the woman who did this to your husband. She won't get away with it."

"Please do." She wiped at her now bleary eyes.

Detective Redding nodded. "If you remember anything else, just call me." He took out a business card and handed it to her. "Anytime. Day or night, 'kay?"

Annie nodded and smiled as best she could at him. The detective got up to go interview the neighbors outside, to see if they knew anything. Before he could make it out of the front door, a uniformed policeman stopped him. He remembered the man's name was Raymond Banks.

"Hello, Ray," he said shaking the man's hand.

"Hello Detective." Ray sighed. "Quite a mess, isn't it?"

"Yes it is. A shame what happened."

"You get anything from his wife?"

"Yes I did." He paused. "I have a suspect. In fact I'm sure this person did it."

"Who?" the policeman inquired.

Detective Redding slapped his thigh with the notepad before answering, "Guess. I happen to remember that Michael Lowell was one of the jurors along with Harris and the other two that were killed."

Ray inhaled sharply. "Our beautiful blue-eyed fugitive."

The detective rewarded him with a disgusted expression. "Anyone, who can do things like that," he pointed over to where the carpet was bloody, "is the farthest thing from beautiful." Victor then walked out of the house not saying anything more.

The detective walked across the street and studied the neighbors. He saw an elderly woman dressed in a pink jogging outfit and a white headband. Detective Redding decided to question her to see if she knew anything. Making his way up to her, he tapped the woman on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned to him wearing a worried expression.

"This is horrible, isn't it?" she asked the detective. "That Michael was such a nice young man. He used to come over and mow my lawn for free when my arthritis would act up."

Victor nodded. "Yes, it is. I presume that you live on this street?"

The white-haired woman nodded adamantly. "I've lived here for over twenty years now," she replied proudly.

The detective graced her with a smile. "That's quite a long time." He opened his notepad and uncapped his pen. "May I ask you a few questions Mrs…?"

"Mrs. Ida Emmett. That's two m's and two t's," she offered, looking at the detective's notepad to make sure he spelled her name correctly.

"Did you see anything, Mrs. Emmett?" he inquired.

"Yes. I saw a woman dressed all in black go up to the Lowell's house and ring the door bell."

"How do you know it was a woman?"

"I saw her…" Mrs. Emmett put her hands out in front of her chest to indicate exactly what she was referring to. "No man should be that big there."

Detective Redding chuckled. "Can you describe her for me?"

"She had long dark hair, she was tall and I believe she was white."

"How old did she look?" asked the detective.

Mrs. Emmett thought for a moment. "I would have to say about thirty."

"Do you know how she got here?"

Mrs. Emmett nodded, smiling cleverly. "She was driving a purplish colored car. It was a Honda Civic."

Detective Redding jotted down something in his notepad. "Would you say it was lilac?"

Ida nodded.

"How do you know all of this?" the detective inquired.

Mrs. Emmett looked sheepish. "I was peeping out of my window. I was curious because I've never seen that car in this neighborhood, nor that woman." She paused while thinking. "Also, she looked sort of suspicious," she whispered conspiratorially.

"Hmmm. Can you remember anything else for me?"

Mrs. Emmett thought. "No, nothing else, but that she hurried out a few minutes after entering with a blood stained hammer in her hand. She hurried into her car and sped off down the street."

"Did you happen to catch any of the license plate number?" the detective asked.

"There wasn't a license plate. In the front or the back," she replied confidently.

"Well thank you for your-

"Detective! Detective wait."

Detective Redding turned around to see Annie Lowell running towards him. She made it to him and stopped, bending over slightly trying to catch her breath. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

"Are you all right?" he asked. He then noticed in the sunlight the purplish bruise forming on the woman's cheek from the punch the attacker had given her.

Annie managed to catch her breath, and stood up properly again. "Yes, I am." She glanced at Ida. "I have to speak with you privately," she stated low enough for only the detective to hear.

"Of course." He took a hold of her elbow and walked with the woman to his car. He placed her in the passenger side and then jogged around to get in the driver's seat. He then turned his attention to her, waiting for Annie to speak.

Annie cleared her throat. "I think I know who did this, and I have proof that this person is the one who," she stopped, taking a deep breath, "who killed my husband." A tear rolled down her cheek.

Victor reached on the dashboard and took a tissue out of a box handing it to her. Annie took it, exclaiming a quiet thank you. She wiped her eyes and sniffed.

"You have proof?"

Annie quickly nodded.

"Who do you think did this, Annie?" he asked, his heart starting to race.

She whispered, "Piper Redding."
***

Sitting on the couch, Desiree picked up the remote control and shut off the television. She rubbed her eyes, after having just watched three movies in a row, since she could not find anything good to watch on regular television. Earlier that morning she had been subjected to cartoons, and found (although she would never tell this to another living soul) that she still liked watching the animated characters. They had some new ones on that she had never seen or heard of before, and she found them quite enjoyable. After the cartoons went off, Desiree explored the videos in the entertainment system, and ended up viewing three of them. One of them she had been dying to see, and after finally watching it, she concluded that it was well worth the wait. It was by far one of the best movies she had ever seen.

The news had been on earlier, but Desiree had been determined not to watch it, no matter how curious she was to hear what they had to say. She figured that it would all be lies against Piper, and she knew that it would only make her mad, because they were talking against a woman she had grown to care for deeply. Desiree could not calmly sit and listen to the filth that would surely come out their mouths. No matter what anyone said, she believed in the blue-eyed woman's innocence completely. If no one else on this earth had faith in Piper's innocence, then Desiree knew that at least she and Taj did. Forget everyone else if they were too blind to see through the falsifications.

She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was going on three-thirty. Piper still was not back yet, and she had not heard a word from the woman. Desiree began to worry as she paced back and forth across the floor. She tried to tell herself that there was a reasonable explanation for Piper not being back yet. Desiree then took notice of the computer and figured she could put some of this nervous energy to good use. Walking over to the personal computer, she took a seat in the comfortable revolving chair in front of it. She remembered that the first night they had been here, she had come into the front and Piper had quickly shut off the computer as if she were involved in something that she did not want the young woman to see. Desiree bit her lower lip, wondering if she should mess with Piper's computer, and then she recalled that mostly everything in this cabin belonged to Taj not Piper, including this Compaq Presario. She mulled it over and concluded that the Jamaican man would not mind if she were to work with it.

Desiree turned on the computer and thought about what she would do next. She figured she could work on either her novel or her journal. She decided that she would work on her journal since she could now. When the young woman had been getting dressed that morning, she had discovered her purse lying on the dressing table in her room. She deduced that Piper must have put it there for her before she left. Desiree had opened the purse to discover that all of her belongings were still there, and did not even look as if they had been tampered with. An instant wave of guilt washed over her for thinking that the older woman would go through her things without asking. One of the things that the young woman kept in her purse were her floppy disks that had her journal entries on them. Some people carried around a pound of makeup but Desiree carried around her journal on disks.

Desiree inserted the latest used disk into the A drive and started the Microsoft Word program. She then opened her journal and paged down until she found where she had left off. Desiree did not write in her journal very often anymore so the last entry was dated back in early January of this year. She skipped a couple of spaces, typed in today's date, and sat back to ponder what she would write. A few minutes later the young woman started typing.

April 10, 1999

Dear Journal,

I know it has been along time since I have written to you. Things have been hectic lately, and you wouldn't believe the latest adventure of my life. Who am I kidding? I don't have a lot of adventures in my life, but this certainly is one. Guess what? This gorgeous woman kidnapped me earlier this week. Yes, I called the woman gorgeous. She is beautiful! We have been secluded in a quaint cozy cabin in the woods since this past Monday, and call me crazy but I'm not ready to go back to Los Angeles yet. Well at least not without her. I don't have all the details about what is going on and why she kidnapped me exactly, but it has something to do with my father. Oh well. I guess she will tell me soon. At least that's what she says. Anyway, J, I think I…well I have feelings for this woman. Can you believe it? I have fallen for a WOMAN! All of these years I guess I have been fooling myself and now I know why I really couldn't make it work with Alec. Poor guy (poor jerk more like it) it wasn't his fault that he was the wrong gender. Oh geez! If my parents find out, they will have a conniption fit. What am I gonna do? I can just picture the reunion scene with my folks:

"Desiree, are you all right?" my parents ask me as they envelope me in smothering hugs.

"Yes, yes I'm fine," I answer calmly. "But guess what?"

"What?" they say.

"Well," I start, "I got kidnapped and I didn't get hurt, but I became a …"
AH! J, I can't even say the word. I can't believe this has happened, and I
keep trying to blame it on the fact that all of this excitement has made me think that I am…well you know, but I know deep down inside that this is not true. (I'm taking a deep breath). Okay. Here goes.

"Hello. My name is Desiree Love and I am a lesbian!!"

Whoo hoo! I typed it. I typed the word, J. What do you think of that? Well I should be going now. I will be sure to get back to you soon. Of this I promise.

P.S. Now all I have to do is get up the courage to say it aloud.

Love 4ever,

Desi

Desiree clicked the save button and then took out the now warm disk, placing it back with the rest of the disks into her purse. She ended Microsoft Word and arose from the chair speculating on what she should do next. As a yawn escaped her, she decided to take a nap. Desiree was hoping that when she woke up Piper would have returned. It was worth a try.

Strolling towards her bedroom, Desiree walked inside and closed the door behind her before she slipped out of her shoes and climbed into the bed. Wrapping her arms around the pillow, she closed her eyes soon drifting off with thoughts of the mysterious blue-eyed woman roaming through her mind.
***

Victor Redding parked in a spot at the Los Angeles Police Station and wandered inside to talk with Captain Irving Pruett about the murder of Michael Lowell and how it was possibly connected to Piper Redding. He knocked on the man's office and heard a gruff voice tell him to come in. The detective walked into the office, said his greetings and took a seat across from Captain Pruett, who was reclining in a chair behind his desk.

"Something you want, Redding?" the older, white-haired man asked roughly.

Detective Redding cleared his throat. "I have some news on the Piper Redding case sir, and how it might be connected to this latest juror death."

The man stared at him. "What?" he asked in a tired sounding voice.

"I have proof from Annie Lowell herself, the victim's wife that Piper Redding caused the death of Michael Lowell."

"What is it?" the captain asked impatiently. He hated it when these young think they know it all idiots beat around the bush.

The detective cleared his throat again, causing Captain Pruett to glare at him. "I was told by Annie Lowell, and she is willing to testify that in 1990 her husband was given money to argue that Piper Redding was innocent, while he served on her trial."

The captain began to look slightly interested. "Go on."

"She, Annie Lowell I mean claimed that her husband was given five-thousand dollars in cash to say that Piper Redding was innocent. Ms. Redding actually initiated the whole thing. Therefore, with this evidence I am certain that Piper went to the man's house today and killed him with a hammer, because she was sent to jail, even though she gave him money to keep her from going. Her devious plan didn't work so she retaliated on him today." The detective took a deep breath while waiting for the captain's response.

"What makes you think that these aren't just the ramblings of a distraught widow?"

The detective reached into his pocket and withdrew a bank receipt. He handed it to the captain who snatched it and squinted at the both light and minuscule writing. He refused to put on his glasses in front of this young guy who probably had twenty-twenty vision. He examined the slip and discovered that a deposit for five thousand dollars had been made into the joint bank account of Michael and Annie Lowell a week before the verdict was read for Piper Redding.

Captain Pruett looked impressed, which did not happen often with him. "Why did she kill three other jurors?" he asked. "Do you have an explanation for that?"

"Yes, I most certainly do sir. She also paid Sally Harris, Douglas Foxx and Walter Simpson. Each five-thousand dollars in cold hard cash." He looked pleased with himself. Score another point for Redding.

The captain narrowed his eyes, making his bushy white eyebrows come closer together. "How do you know this?"

"I got access to their bank accounts, and I was able to talk with Walter Simpson's wife today. She met with me and admitted that her husband had also been paid five-thousand dollars." Detective Redding wore a smug smile.

Captain Pruett nodded. "Do you know if any other jurors were paid?"

The detective nodded. "I checked, and none of them were. She only paid those four."

"And all of them are dead," the captain stated as if to only himself. He shook his head. "I heard that Desiree Love had been found. I talked to her father on the phone."

"Yes," the detective sounded like he was hesitating going any further, "but I don't believe it, sir," he finished.

The captain regarded him with an agitated expression. "What do you mean you don't believe it? The man said that his daughter called him from a ski trip she went on with some friends, so evidently Piper Redding didn't abduct her."

Victor wondered if he should push any further. He decided he would give it a try. "Yes, I know sir, but I have possible proof that Desiree Love is still missing."

"Why would Judge Love be lying?"

The detective readily replied, "Because he wants to protect his daughter. I think that he talked to Ms. Redding, and is now worried that if he lets the police know that his daughter has been kidnapped, that the woman will do something to her."

The captain was silent for a moment. "What's your proof, detective?"

"Witnesses say that the murderer drove away in a lilac Honda Civic."

"And?"

"And that is the kind of car that Desiree Love drives. And get this. The license plates were missing, so obviously Piper Redding removed them so people wouldn't know that it was Love's car."

"I don't know. Honda is a very popular automobile."

"Yes, I agree with you, sir, but what are the odds? We know the murderer is Piper Redding, and we know that she shot Richard Love Jr. and now the judge's daughter is missing. He is lying, and I don't care what he says, Piper Redding has that young girl, and he knows she does. He thinks he's protecting her, but he's only making matters worse by keeping silent."

The captain looked contemplative. "I'll put out a missing report on her. I want you to look more into this. I admit it does sound a little fishy."

Detective Redding stood up to take his leave. "Thank you, sir."
***

Piper shut off the ignition and sat in the car thinking. How exactly was this problem going to be fixed? She hoped it would be soon, because she hated the waiting.

"Judge, you better come through," she stated out loud, as she grabbed the key out of the ignition and opened the car door, getting out. It was starting to get chilly as the sun began to set and she hurried to get inside. Looking up she could see clouds starting to form.
Opening the front door, Piper walked in to an empty room. Instantly she became alarmed that Desiree had decided to leave. Hurriedly, she made her way over to the young woman's bedroom and put an ear to the door to listen. She could not hear anything, so Piper silently opened the door to see to her immense relief Desiree lying on top of the covers sleeping. She smiled as she went into her own room and retrieved a blanket from the closet. She carried it back to Desiree's room and covered the young woman with it. Piper gazed down at her, thinking once again that the young woman did not deserve to be entrapped in all this.

She took a deep breath as she exited the room, closing the door softly in her wake. Piper looked over at the computer and noticed Desiree's purse lying next to it. Obviously, the young woman had located it on her dressing table during sometime that day. Piper
went to the car that morning right before she left, got the purse and placed it in Desiree's room so that she would have it in case there was anything she wanted from inside.

Piper sat down in the computer chair and glanced at the light brown medium-sized purse. It was unzipped and she could see some floppy disks inside. She wondered if the young woman had been using the computer. She hoped that she had not somehow managed to tap into her personal files. That would not do at all, and Piper would not have the slightest idea how to explain it. She figured that Desiree would not be able to get past her password.

Piper curiously looked at the floppy disks in the purse again and wondered what they could contain. Who toted around computer disks in their purse? Evidently, the strawberry-blonde did. Piper bit her lower lip and contemplated on what she should do. She knew she should mind her own business, but the bright green disks seemed to be calling her to check them out. Piper glanced back at Desiree's closed door and decided to sneak a peek. What would it hurt?

She extracted the disks from the purse, feeling like a thief and chose one, putting it in the correct drive. She turned on the computer and entered Microsoft Word. She opened the only file, which was named "journal," and saw that she was indeed looking at a journal entry. She was not surprised to find that the young woman kept her diary on disks instead of having them the old-fashioned way. Desiree seemed like the type that would be that orderly. Piper paged down until she found something that caught her eye.

April 15, 1994

Dear Journal,

I have a major dilemma. The prom is coming up and I have to choose between Bobby and Andrew to go with. I don't know which to choose though. I don't want to hurt either of them, and I like them both. Bobby is very intelligent and we like the same sort of things like music and movies. We get along with each other very well. Andrew is the captain of the football team, muscular and your all around American teenage hunk. How am I to choose?
"Oh, what is a girl to do when she finds herself in such dire circumstances," Piper stated out loud in a bored tone. "Maybe she is straight after all."

Oh, who am I trying to kid? Now I am lying to you, as I have been to myself and those I have relationships with. Frankly, I don't want to go to the prom with either Bobby or Andrew. Sure, they are nice enough guys, but my heart belongs to another. There is someone else that I would like to go with, but that can never happen.

"Hmmm. This is getting interesting." Piper glanced at the still closed door, satisfied before returning her attention to the screen. This was almost like reading a juicy soap opera instead of watching one.

I don't even know if this person likes me the way that I like them, and do I actually like this person this way? I can't. It can't be possible. Not me. There has got to be some reasonable ex-

"What are you doing?"

Jumping slightly, Piper turned around guiltily to find that Desiree was standing behind her. She offered the perturbed young woman a smile, but Desiree would not return the kind gesture. Instead, she stood with her arms crossed, glaring down at Piper.

"I asked you a question."

Piper cleared her throat. "It's not what it looks like." Yeah, she's gonna buy that one! Piper sarcastically thought.

Desiree gave her a wary look. "I think it is exactly what it looks like. You were reading my journal. How could you? How could you go into my private things?" She did not wait for answer as she marched back to her room, slamming the door behind her, managing to make the blue-eyed woman flinch.

"Now you've done it Piper," she said to herself, feeling like a numero uno rogue.

Piper called herself giving the young woman time to calm down, by waiting a few minutes before she knocked on her door softly. She didn't know what she would say but she had to say something. Piper did not know why exactly, but it bothered her extremely when Desiree was upset with her over some matter.

"What?" an angry voice said on the other side of the door.

"May I come in?" Piper asked quietly.

"What?"

A little louder she asked, "May I come in?!"

"Whatever," was the young woman's only reply.

Piper opened the door and smiled at Desiree, who was sitting on the end of her bed. Piper came in a few steps and said, "I'm sorry." Was it just her imagination, or did she seem to be saying that a lot lately?

"Yes you are," Desiree retorted furiously. "Very sorry."

Piper gave her an annoyed look. "How long are you going to be angry with me?"

"I don't know. I guess until this sick feeling I have that you intruded on something that I consider to be very private goes away. Until then you are at the very top of my you know what list!"

The blue-eyed woman sighed. "I don't know what else to say."

Desiree glanced up at her. "How much did you read?" she asked nervously.

"I only read some of one entry. You stopped me before I could finish. That's the truth."

Desiree did not say anything right away. She shot up from the bed and got in Piper's face. "You can't handle the truth!" she yelled in an imitation Jack Nicholson voice.

Piper stared at her for a moment before she burst out laughing. Mere seconds later Desiree joined her, and soon both of the women were sprawled on the floor laughing joyously. The strawberry-blonde turned on her side and regarded Piper, who had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard.

"I'm sorry, Piper. I took that all out of proportion. There was no reason for me to get that upset."

Piper sat up. "No. You had every right to be upset with me. I really do apologize for opening your journal, but I couldn't resist." She shrugged. "Temptation got the best of me."

Desiree nodded. "I understand. It happens to the best of us." She smiled at Piper, and the woman smiled back. The younger woman then noticed the scratches on Piper's neck. Two red parallel lines ran down the left side of her neck for about an inch and a half. "What happened to your neck?" Desiree inquired as she pointed towards the scratches.

Piper touched the scratches and smiled sheepishly. "Stupid how it happened. I fell asleep in the car and when I woke up nature was calling, so I hurried out of the car towards the bushes where some rather long branches sticking out scratched my neck. I'm okay though. Doesn't even hurt that much," she finished.
"Did you put something on it?"

Piper shook her head. "No, I didn't bother to."

"I'll be right back." Desiree got off the floor and walked out of the room to go to the bathroom for what she needed. When she came back out, she heard Piper calling her from her own room. She went into the other woman's bedroom with cotton and alcohol in hand. She walked up to her and stood between her legs, like she had the first night near the computer. Except this time, it was of her own volition.

"I'm sorry but this is gonna sting," she warned Piper.

The blue-eyed woman bravely replied, "I can take it."

At the first touch of the alcohol soaked cotton ball, she raised slightly from the bed, hissing loudly. Piper looked at Desiree to see if she had noticed, and caught the young woman smirking. She looked away embarrassed. Who's a wussy? I'm a wussy!

Continuing to lightly run the alcohol soaked cotton ball along Piper's neck for a bit longer, Desiree then leaned down and blew on the area, trying to hurry along the process of the alcohol drying. Little did she know the effect her warm breath on Piper's neck was having on the brunette. Holding in a moan of pleasure, Piper silently wished that Desiree would lean a bit closer so that she could feel those lips on her neck.

"Okay. All done," Desiree said as she stood back up, tossing the cotton ball into a nearby wastebasket.

Piper smiled at her, hoping that she didn't look as flushed as she felt. "Thank you doc."

The strawberry-blonde winked. "No prob, Bob."

Piper put her hands on Desiree's small waist and peered up at the woman. "Why do you always end up like this?" she asked.

"Like what?" Desiree inquired, pleasantly feeling the warmth of the other woman's hands on her waist. She blushed, thinking to herself that she wanted those hands on other places.

"Between my legs," Piper whispered seductively. "Are you hungry?" she asked in her normal voice, remembering that she had not eaten dinner, and the other woman probably had not either.

Desiree shook her head almost in a daze. "Not for food," she retorted wantonly, surprising herself with the admission.
The blue-eyed woman softly growled as she stood up and put her face so close to Desiree's that there must have been only a centimeter of space between them. "Neither am I," she stated. She walked slowly past Desiree, and asked the young woman to sit on her bed. Desiree did as she asked, watching as Piper extracted something from one of her drawers' and left the room. The young woman sat there nervously, waiting for Piper to come back. She wondered what the older woman was up to.

She did not have to wait much longer. Soon the music to a song began to play. Desiree instantly recognized that it was "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye. A slight grin lifted the corners of her lips.

I've been really trying baby
Trying to hold back this feeling for so long
And if you feel like I feel baby them come on
Oh come on
Let's get it on

Out of the corner of her eye, Desiree suddenly noticed a long, smooth, bare tanned leg curving around the entrance to the room. All of the sudden Piper came in, and the younger woman's jaw dropped to the floor. Piper was clad in a pair of french lace black panties with a matching brassiere. She was wearing a see through silk black long-sleeved shirt over it, which was completely unbuttoned.

The tall magnificent woman started to dance erotically in time to the music as Desiree stared in amazement at her. Piper turned around and glanced back over her shoulder looking at Desiree as she slowly removed the black shirt from her body. The light fabric cascaded down her arms to the floor and she winked at the astonished woman sitting on her bed.

We're all sensitive people
With so much to give
Understand me sugar

Piper turned back around to face Desiree and sauntered towards her. She bent down and mouthed the next two lines of the song.

Since we've got to be here, let's live
I love you

Not being able to stop herself, Desiree reached out to touch her, but Piper lightly slapped her hands away, and wagged a finger at the aroused young woman. She backed up, swayed to the music gracefully, and blew a kiss to the strawberry-blonde.

There's nothing wrong with me loving you
Baby no no no
And giving yourself to me can never be wrong
If the love is true

Falling to her hands and knees on the carpeted floor, Piper crawled towards Desiree, who's already wide blue-green eyes managed to open further. Never in her wildest dreams would she have guessed that she would have someone crawling on the floor to her. The young woman swallowed hard. Piper crawled towards her, reminding Desiree of a wild jungle cat with her ease and smoothness. The older woman reached Desiree and stuck out her tongue, running it across her upper lip seductively. Desiree had to control herself from jumping her. It proved very difficult to do.

I ain't gonna worry
I ain't gonna push
I won't push you baby
Come on, come on, come on, come on baby
Stop beating around the bush
Hey, let's get it on
Oooh, let's get it on

Piper got to her knees in front of a panting Desiree and reached behind her to undo the clasp of her bra. She stood up and let the bra slide down her long bronzed arms to fall onto the floor. Desiree gazed at the twin mounds in front of her and started to say something, but Piper placed two fingers against her lips to quiet her. Desiree picked up the bra and put it to her nose, inhaling the wonderful scent of this woman.

Piper stepped back dancing again, and hooked both of her thumbs into either side of her panties and began to slide them down at a painfully unhurried pace. Desiree bit her lower lip and grabbed a handful of the blanket she was sitting on.

Oooh, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on darlin'
Stop beating 'round the bush
Oh gonna get it on
Begging you baby
I wanna get it on

The panties finally made it to Piper's ankles and she kicked them off, only to have Desiree catch them in mid-air. Perhaps she would keep them for a souvenir. Please, Desiree thought, if I'm dreaming don't let me wake up anytime soon. Piper danced, rocking her hips from side to side.

You don't have to worry that it's wrong
If the spirit moves ya,
Let me groove ya
Good, let your love come down
Piper walked up to Desiree and gently pulled the woman up from the bed, only to vacate the spot that she had been sitting in. She placed her hands in the waistband of the young woman's gray sweat pants and pulled them down and off of her completely. She then helped the flustered young woman remove her socks. Piper crooked a finger at Desiree and the young woman straddled her thighs, her face inches from the older woman's.

"You ready to get it on Desiree?" Piper whispered hotly.

Instead of using words, the young woman answered by crushing her lips to Piper's, forcing her way into the older woman's mouth. Piper loudly moaned as she held on to Desiree's waist. She thrust her tongue into the strawberry-blondes mouth, causing Desiree to moan loudly as she started grinding her center against Piper's abdomen. Keeping one arm around the smaller woman's waist, Piper slid her hand along the outside of Desiree thigh, lightly stroking up and down. Ending the kiss, Desiree started placing feather-light kisses along Piper's jaw, making her way towards the woman's neck where she twirled her tongue around her pulse point.

"That feels terrific," Piper announced in a faint whisper as she slid her hand to the inside of Desiree's thigh, steadily moving up it. As the strawberry-blonde's sweet mouth sucked and nibbled on her neck, Piper slowly slipped a finger beneath the edge of her panties, moaning as she felt Desiree's immense heat. "You're so hot," Piper whispered as she found the smaller woman's center and slipped one digit inside, causing Desiree to cry out in pleasure. "And so wet," the dark-haired woman added as she began to move her finger in and out of Desiree's moist cavern at a slow pace.

"Oh, God," Desiree drew out the word, slowly moving her body up and down her new lover's long digit as she held onto her shoulders for support. Never had she felt anything so wonderful in her life.

Removing her finger, Piper heard a small mewl of disappointment from Desiree. She kissed her tenderly on the lips before telling her to stand up. On shaky legs, the strawberry-blonde did as she was told, already missing the warmth of the other woman's body. She watched intently as Piper reached out and started to pull her panties down. As they reached her ankles, Desiree barely had time to kick them off before she was pulled back onto Piper's lap. She grinned at the woman as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders and captured her lips for a heated kiss, their tongues playfully dueling.

Reaching between them, Piper buried her finger in her lover's center, her digit thrusting back and forth in perfect rhythm with her tongue. Her lips still on Piper's, Desiree whispered for her to add another finger before she started sucking on her lower lip, lightly nipping with the edge of her teeth. More than happy to comply, Piper slipped in another digit, letting out a moan as it was enveloped by Desiree's moist heat.
Breaking the kiss, Desiree threw her head back in rapture as she continued to ride her lover. She moaned more as Piper's mouth descended upon her exposed neck, lightly sucking at the flesh. Her fingers slick with Desiree's sweet nectar, Piper continued stroking her inner walls at an unhurried pace while she watched her. Desiree had to be the sexiest woman she had ever seen.

"Take your shirt and bra off for me baby," Piper stated in a voice thick with desire.

Folding her arms across her upper body, Desiree pulled her T-shirt over her head and threw it over her shoulder. She blushed just a little as intense blue eyes watched as more of her body was revealed. Reaching behind her, she undid the clasp on her bra with minimal difficulty before sliding the straps down her arms. Momentarily halting her thrusting, Piper licked her lips as she waited for the offending bra to disappear so that she could behold the twin treasures beneath. Knowing the effect she was having on Piper, Desiree took her time removing her bra, as a grin spread across her lips.

"Desiree," Piper said in a low voice, drawing out the last syllable of the woman's name. Slightly amused blue eyes flickered to the strawberry-blonde's face. "Show me the goodies."

Chuckling just a bit, Desiree took mercy on her lover and finally removed the bra, dropping it to the carpet. As blue eyes focused in on the gorgeous mounds displayed before them, Piper let out a moan of approval. Perfect. They were absolutely perfect. Though she had a feeling that every part of this endearing young woman was perfect. Raising her free hand, Piper brushed her fingertips across the swell of Desiree's breasts, eliciting a moan from her.

When Desiree moved her hips slightly, Piper began to thrust in and out of her again, watching for a moment as the younger woman's full firm breasts gently bounced with her movements. Feeling greedy, Piper leaned forward, taking one of the bouncing breasts into her mouth, her tongue leisurely twirling around a sensitive pink nipple.

"Mm, yes Piper yes…" Desiree bit down hard on her lower lip as she placed a hand to the back of Piper's head, holding the woman to her breast. She cried out in pleasure as teeth lightly pulled at her enlarged tip. Her hips began to move faster against the skilled fingers plunging within her center.

Not wanting the other breast to feel left out, Piper moved to it, flicking her tongue across Desiree's nipple before drawing it into her mouth, lightly suckling. Feeling her lover's vaginal muscles tightening around her fingers, Piper added her thumb, lightly flicking it back and forth across Desiree's clitoris, successfully driving her wild.

Wrapping an arm around Desiree's waist, Piper held on tight as the woman rode her faster and harder. Instinctively knowing that she was close to climaxing, the dark-haired woman increased the pace of fingers, driving them in and out of Desiree almost furiously fast.
"Ooh, I'm gonna come," Desiree stated in a breathless voice, bouncing up and down on top of Piper like a kangaroo.

Releasing the smaller woman's nipple, Piper kissed her parted lips. "Come for me baby," she whispered, following it with a longer kiss. "My sweet sweet baby." She continued playing with the woman's hardened little nub, pressing the padding of her thumb against it.

Not being able to hold on any longer, Desiree yelled out her lover's name as she started to come, waves of pleasure running through her body like volts of electricity. Burying her fingers deep within Desiree, Piper watched in fascination as the small woman writhed on top of her. She had never witnessed such a beautiful sight.

"Ooh, Piper yes! You feel so good," the strawberry-blonde purred, still riding the fingers inside of her, albeit at a slower rate. Pressing her face into the crook of Piper's neck, Desiree concentrated on trying to get her breathing and heart rate back to normal as tiny orgasms quaked through her body.

Moments later, Piper slowly removed her fingers before bringing them to her lips and drawing each one into her mouth as Desiree silently watched. The dark-haired woman grinned at her. "Mm, you taste better than I had originally imagined." As the fair woman blushed, Piper's grin widened. Wrapping her other arm around Desiree, she hugged her tightly, smiling as she felt the hug being returned.

The tall woman stood up, and Desiree wound her legs tightly around her waist as Piper carried her to the top of the bed. She turned back the covers and sheets and gently placed Desiree there. Piper then took the time to admire her body and contemplated on how lucky she was to have this gorgeous young woman in her life.

"You are truly beautiful," she whispered in awe, causing Desiree to blush again.

"You're the one who's beautiful," Desiree shyly replied.

Smiling, Piper got into the bed, lying close to the younger woman. She kissed her forehead, then her eyelids, making her way down to the young woman's sweet soft and tender lips. She could never have dreamed that something could be so perfect. Loosely wrapping her arms around her lover's neck, Desiree teasingly ran her tongue across Piper's lips before slipping between them, provoking a low moan of approval.

Ending the kiss, Desiree gazed deeply into darkened blue eyes as she started to caress Piper's cheek, idly brushing her thumb back and forth. "You've just made me feel so wonderful," Desiree started in a faint whisper. "Made me feel things that I've never felt in my life. I didn't know anything could feel so good…so right." Leaning forward she brushed her lips across the other woman's before whispering close to her ear, "Allow me to return the favor."

Smiling tenderly at her, Piper quietly replied, "You needn't ask."

Her lips curving upward in a smile, Desiree gently pushed the dark-haired woman onto her back before she straddled her thighs. Leaning down, she passionately kissed Piper as she felt the woman's soft palms come to rest on her waist, her fingertips lightly stroking in small circular motions. While successfully keeping her lips joined with Piper's, the smaller woman stretched out so that she was lying on top of her.

Feeling the need to move on, moments later, she broke the sweet contact of their lips, and started trailing butterfly kisses down Piper's chin, her neck, chest, until her face came to nestle between the woman's bountiful breasts. Piper moaned as she felt a warm wet tongue lazily stroking up and down the valley of her bosom. Placing a hand on top of Desiree's head, she started to gently sift her fingers through the woman's long soft tresses.

"So you like to be on top, hm?" Piper asked with a small grin on her lips.

Blue-green eyes glanced up at her, seeming to twinkle. "Top…bottom…really doesn't matter," she said while starting to kiss all over Piper's breasts, ignoring their aching tips for the time being. "I'm pretty flexible." Desiree grinned before her mouth suddenly enveloped a nipple. She lavished it with her tongue, while holding it captive to the roof of her mouth.

"Ooh, I'm starting to recognize that," Piper breathlessly replied as she arched her back, letting out a guttural moan. She then shut her mouth, finding it virtually impossible to form coherent speech.
***

After their passionate lovemaking, Piper laid on her back with Desiree curled up next to her, resting her strawberry-blonde head on Piper's shoulder. Enjoying the afterglow, neither of them had said a word in the last few minutes as they lightly caressed each other.

"Piper?" Desiree whispered.

"Yes, baby," the older woman said, running lazy circles on the younger woman's arm with her fingertips, causing goosebumps to arise.

"How did you wind up in prison for eight years?" She held her breath, hoping that the sudden mention of this topic did not upset Piper.

Piper wondered how much she should reveal. She figured that she might as well start telling Desiree everything. After the beautiful experience they had just shared, Piper deemed there should be no more secrets between them. She owed the young woman the complete truth. The rate of her heartbeat starting to rapidly increase, Piper thought of how she should start. There really was no easy way to say it.
"I took someone's life."

Closing her eyes, Desiree softly sighed. Well she knew that it couldn't have been petty theft. She figured that Piper's incarceration was due to murder or at least attempted murder, yet she had hoped she was wrong.

"Who did you kill?"

Piper was silent for so long, that Desiree started to think that she wasn't going to answer the question. Finally, she heard the woman sigh before she gravely replied, "My father."

Continued in Part 5.