***Hello, this is the reason I finally decided to shorten the disclaimer, I want to try a hand at putting lyrics of a song in the beginning, which probably won't work out ::laughs::, but I'll guess I'll give it a try. PLEASE LEMME KNOW IF THE LYRICS GO WITH STORY… J THANKS!

THIS IS A LITTLE OF WHAT WENT ON LAST TIME…

"You don't have to go, though." Kat said softly, turning over to her side and looking at Oksana. With her tousled hair and wrinkled shirt, Oksana looked gorgeous. What they'd done tonight wasn't just sex, and she knew it. She couldn't say no to Oksana. She couldn't deny their pleasure any more.

"It's for your parents' sake." Oksana said again, this time kissing Kat's lips, gratified to feel Kat return her kiss. They kissed for a long moment, Oksana's hand moving up her flat stomach to cup a breast. "When can I see you again?" Oksana whispered, firmly kneading her breast.

"Tomorrow." Kat said readily, moaning deep in her throat as Oksana's hand moved down under the covers to cup her between the legs. She came as Oksana slipped her fingers into her, stroking her deeply and slowly. Her arched off the bed, and she groaned long and hard her body trembled violently. She came down onto the bed slowly, lifting her arms and pulling Oksana down for a deep kiss.

"I'm going," Oksana whispered between kisses, happy beyond belief. Kat wanted her, desired her, and it made Oksana's heart bloom. She stood up reluctantly, and watched Kat burrow deeper under the covers and quickly fall asleep. She made her way out of Kat's house, small smile on her face, closing the front door behind her.

Oksana entered the house, trying to be quiet. It was close to ten in the evening, and she just wanted to get to bed and go to sleep.

"Hi, Ms. Oksana." A flirtatious voice called. Mary came out of the shadows by the staircase, a rag in her hand. As always, her breasts were almost falling out of her uniform, the short skirt revealing her shapely legs for admiration. Her eyes twinkled in the dim lighting, eyeing Oksana from head to toe. Hmmm, she always looks so good.

Oksana barely looked at her, sighing tiredly. "Hello, Mary." She started up the stairs, moving slowly. She knew that as soon as she reached the bed, she'd be asleep.

Mary eyed her behind, humming low. "Goodnight." She called.

Oksana lifted a hand and waved without looking back. She went to her room, where she threw herself on the bed fully dressed. She promptly fell asleep.

And this part…

Chapter Twenty-Six

Oksana wondered what she had been thinking when she asked for a meeting with Advertising's head and the small team working on the new Aerobird Jetliner's release commercials. As Kat and her employees presented the preliminary work, Oksana had been unable to listen, her mind wrapped around the fact that Kat looked great. Before she knew it, the meeting ended, and the advertising team began to pack up their things. Kat would remain behind to speak with Oksana about her thoughts on what she thought about it so far.

Kat put her papers in order while her employees left, nervously keeping her eyes from meeting Oksana's. Throughout her presentation, she had felt Oksana's intense gaze all over her body, and she wondered if the CEO had paid any attention to what anyone had said during the presentation. The last of the advertising team left and closed the door behind him.

Oksana still stared at her, her eyes taking in her delicate, but strong, hands as they moved over the conference table. In the month since their first night together, the women had seen, tasted and explored every single inch of one another's bodies. Their mutual passions and cravings were satisfied every single time they were together, but there was still something about it that bothered Oksana: they never talked. Whenever Oksana tried, Kat would avoid it.

Oksana wanted to say so many things, though. She wanted to tell Kat that when they weren't together she ached for her, needed her so much it frightened her; that when they were together, she felt a strange sense of peace and far away from the real world. That she felt like could be in her arms forever, their bodies molded together by the fire of their passion. She wanted to say so many things about their… affair- she did not know that she could call it relationship- but she didn't know how.

Kat sat down, and finally met the other woman's eyes; her breath caught. Oksana's light blue eyes were focused intensely on her, half-lidded, and her softly square jaw worked rhythmically. Kat couldn't stop herself from taking all of her in, but her eyes eventually returned to meet the other woman's. The hunger, the desire, in Oksana's eyes made her nipples tighten and her cheeks flush with heat. "Don't look at me like that." She managed to breathe.

"How?" Oksana asked in a low voice, swallowing hard. She wanted to take Kat into her arms and slake her thirst for Kat's soft lips.

"Like that," Kat said, staring down at her files and swallowing hard. She brought her hands down to her lap and clasped them together, trying to stop their shaking. She was ready for Oksana's arms, the taste of her mouth, and the feel of the hard body pressing hard against her own. Shit, this is crazy!

"I can't help it." Oksana whispered, unable to take her eyes away.

"You have to," Kat said, trying to sound firm, though she knew her voice was shaking. "I don't think you listened to a word I said during the meeting. The Aerobird people are coming next week to take a look."

"I make the final decision," Oksana said, her voice teasing.

Kat was hard pressed not to allow a smile to escape at Oksana's teasing. "I know, but I'd like you to take another look at their ideas, maybe when I'm not around." She said.

Oksana was pleased to note that Kat was fighting to keep a smile from her face. "I like it when you're around." She said in a low voice.

Kat felt her nipples tighten at the suddenly sexy timbre of Oksana's voice.

"Will you have dinner with me?" Oksana asked.

"I thought we'd just head to my house." Kat said.

"I want to talk, though." Oksana said, watching the smile fade from Kat's eyes.

"About what?" Kat asked, her voice slightly losing its warmth.

"I want to talk about us." Oksana said.

Kat remained silent, her eyes lowering as she thought frantically.

"Kat…"

Kat leaned back against the back of her chair, exasperation coloring her face. "You said no pressure," She said impatiently. She couldn't afford to fall in love. Oksana was dangerous territory when it came to love; her past spoke for itself. If she allowed Oksana into her heart like she had Annie, she was sure it wouldn't take long before Oksana got tired and reverted to sleeping around again. She was determined not to let that happen. "You said no strings attached."

"I know, but this isn't a game for me," Oksana whispered, her eyes shining with passion as she gazed at Kat.

Kat watched Oksana's fists clench tightly, remembering the last time those hands had touched her, caressed the fire in her wetness into a blaze of such passion that she had been unable to think clearly. She knew their affair had never been a game, she felt it every time they were together, saw it every time their eyes met. It scared her so much to think that she was already falling in love, despite how sure she was that Oksana would break her heart.

Oksana's frustration grew. "Tell me this isn't a game, Kat," She rasped. She wondered if Kat was playing with her, stringing her along as some sort of revenge against who she used to be, or against Dena.

Kat's eyes snapped up to meet Oksana's for a moment, but then she looked away. She couldn't let her desires overrule her common sense.

"Tell me that this means nothing but sex to you," Oksana insisted, her eyes pleading. "Tell me you're not just using me. Please." She hated begging, but she was willing to get down on her knees just to get Kat to confirm that she also felt how serious whatever this thing between them was.

Kat felt herself melting under Oksana's gaze, and knew that she was about to give in. She resisted, and jumped to her feet, quickly gathering her folders and heading for the door. Before she could get the door fully open, however, Oksana's hand appeared to her right, gently pressing the door closed again. Kat instantly became aware of the warmth of Oksana's body pressed against her back.

"Please," Oksana whispered, leaning closer and nuzzling her hair. She felt herself losing control as her nose picked up Kat's now familiar scent. God, I love her! "Just tell me, and we can end this right here. I'll let you go." She promised quietly, feeling her heart pound.

Kat clenched her fists on the files, twisting them against her chest. She clenched her eyes closed, aware of her own erratic heartbeat. Just say the words, Kat, she told herself. Say them, and it'll be over. You're probably better off without her. But her soul said the opposite, and she whispered: "I can't." She turned, pressing her back against the door and meeting Oksana's eyes.

Oksana sighed softly, relief coursing through her. She didn't know what she would have done had Kat said that what they had meant nothing to her. She locked the door, grateful that they were in a windowless room, and met Kat's eyes. With the same hand, she cupped Kat at the waist, pulling her close. "I want you so much," she whispered hoarsely, her eyes taking all of Kat's face in. "So beautiful," She choked, before pressing her lips against Kat's.

Kat moaned, opening her mouth wide to the other woman's searching tongue, meeting the smooth muscle with her own as the other woman groaned her pleasure. She inhaled deeply, her sense of smell picking up Oksana's scent. Her hands released the folders and they dropped to the floor. She wrapped her arms tightly around Oksana's neck.

Kat was aware of Oksana's strong hands as they grasped her skirt, pulling it up until it was bunched around her waist, cupping her buttocks and kneading them firmly. She followed as Oksana pulled her towards the table, their mouths never releasing their contact with one another. The feel of the table's cold surface against her ass shocked her, but it didn't last long as Oksana, with sure fingers, grasped her panties and pulled them down all the way. She buried her fingers in Oksana's short strands as the blonde quickly moved down, wasting no time before burying her tongue deeply inside Kat's wetness. Kat moaned long and hard, her toes curling at the feel of a smooth lip brushing against her clitoris.

Kat stood on shaky legs, still recovering her breath. She wrapped her arms tightly around a seated Oksana's neck, holding the blonde head tightly against her chest. She was physically satisfied, though she ached for more of Oksana's touch. She pulled Oksana's head back and gazed into her eyes before kissing her, tasting herself on her lips, and feeling another spark of arousal between her legs.

Oksana returned her kiss, tightening her arms around Kat's waist and holding her close. Tasting Kat had been all she needed; she felt strangely satisfied, though her body ached for more direct contact with Kat's skin. She wondered if Kat would mind if she went home with her. She pulled her lips away slowly and reached down for Kat's panties. She guided them slowly up Kat's legs, her fingers gently caressing the smooth skin of the shapely legs.

Kat shivered at the feel of Oksana's soft fingers on her skin, her arousal growing once again. "Come home with me," she whispered passionately, grasping two handfuls of Oksana's hair and tugging gently.

Oksana groaned deep in her throat, her eyes closing as she bit her bottom lip. "Okay," She said breathlessly, standing up and pressing her lips against Kat's for a quick passionate kiss. "Let's go." She waited while Kat stepped into her heels, and then pulled Kat towards the door, stepping over the folders and leaving them strewn across the floor.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Oksana concentrated on her last perusal of the Aerobird proposal, having watched the sample tapes for proposed commercials. The samples looked good, and her decision was made. The phone rang loudly, startling her, and she picked up. "Oksana Ivanov speaking."

"Hello, Oksana."

"Papa!" Oksana's eyes lit up at the sound of her grandfather's voice. "How are you?" So many things had been happening with Kat and the company, that she hadn't realized how much she missed him.

"I am on video phone, you should turn yours on."

Soon, Oksana could see Oskar, Nadya beside him, on the state of the art video screen. "It's good to get a look at you," She said, feeling tears burn her eyes. "Hi, mama."

Nadya reached out as if to touch her, her eyes wet with tears. "We have missed you." She said, her eyes loving.

Oksana leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk and gazing at the image of her grandparents. They looked slightly tanned, like they'd been spending a lot of time outdoors. She noticed that they both looked much younger and healthier than when they'd left, and realized that she'd caused many of their wrinkles herself. "You both look great." She said sincerely.

"And so do you." Nadya said.

"Are you enjoying your vacation?"

"Oh, yes," Nadya gushed, sharing a loving smile with her husband. "We've been to Mexico, Peru, and now we're in Chile. They are such beautiful countries."

"That's great to hear, mama." Oksana replied. "Where are you headed next?"

"Brazil, in a couple of days," Oskar replied. "We are hoping to catch El Carnival in a few weeks."

Surprised, Oksana teased: "You won't be running down the streets naked, will you? Embarrassing the Ivanov name?"

"You never know, do you?" Oskar teased back, his eyes gleaming. "How is everything with you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, being the boss is not as hard as I thought," The young woman admitted sheepishly.

"It is in your blood, I always told you that." Oskar said proudly.

"I'm going to review all the books again." She announced.

"Anything wrong?" There was alarm in his tone now.

"Just a precaution." She assured him. Hesitating, she debated on whether she should tell them about Kat.

"What is the matter?" Oskar asked, noticing her suddenly pensive expression.

"I think you should know this, before you hear it from someone else." She said. "I've been seeing someone." She watched them glance at each other before they looked back at the screen.

"Only one?" Oskar asked, looking like he hated to ask.

"Only one," Oksana said, not offended.

"Is it serious?"

Oksana hesitated briefly. "I think I want to marry her."

Oskar and Nadya's eyebrows rose simultaneously. They seemed stunned into silence. "Who is this woman?" Nadya finally asked.

"Ekaterina."

Oskar's eyebrows lowered slightly, his eyes glinting with recognition. "Gorky? Josef and Yuliya's Ekaterina?" He inquired.

Oksana nodded, and explained what had transpired since they left, leaving out some of the more graphic details. She was relieved that her grandparents didn't seem upset with her revelation.

"And you are sure about this?" Oskar asked gently. "She is the one?"

Oksana smiled, her eyes dreamy as she thought of Kat in her arms, their lips molded together by the heat of their kisses. "I'm in love with her."

"And she loves you?" Nadya asked; she sounded concerned.

Oksana's smile faded as her eyes returned to the screen. "I don't know," She replied. "But I'll do my best to convince her."

After they finished with the call, Oskar sank back in his chair and heaved a great sigh. "I had a feeling this would happen." He said after a long moment, meeting his wife's eyes.

Nadya tensed. "You do not think it is bad, do you?" She asked quickly, ready to tear into him if he brought up the obvious class difference.

"No!" He laughed, knowing what his wife was thinking. "Ekaterina is like a daughter to me. I would never think or feel that she is below us just because her parents work for us."

Nadya relaxed against him, a smile softening her gentle features. "So why are you so worried?"

"Because I do not think that Kat is going to simply accept Oksana's love," He said, and explained about Kat's previous relationship and Dena Perez-Sosa's involvement with the breakup. "I am afraid that she may push Oksana away because of how she used to be."

Nadya considered this, and thought back to the night of Oskar's goodbye party. The image of Kat and Oksana staring at each other, of the look in their eyes, made Nadya smile. She smiled knowingly as she said: "I do not think Ekaterina will resist for long."

Ka entered the cafeteria and waved at Domingo, who waved back. She joined him after retrieving a packed plate of steamed vegetables and chicken for herself.

"Hungry?" Domingo teased, eyeing her plate.

"Hmm," Kat replied, stuffing her mouth. The friends ate in comfortable silence, each enjoying their lunch. Finally, Kat put her fork down, wiping her mouth and patting her belly with a pleased sigh. "So what's up?" She asked the large man, who was still eating.

Domingo looked up at his friend, a mischievous glint in his eye as he swallowed. "The rumor mill has been working overtime," He announced in a sing-song voice, grinning playfully.

Kat felt a chill race down her spine. "Oh?" She managed.

"Yep, and you wouldn't believe the scuttlebutt…" When she didn't respond, he leaned towards her, his face serious. "Her car has been seen parked in your driveway more than once in the last month."

Kat grimaced, looking down at the table. "Shit," She whispered. "How bad is it?"

"Not bad at all," Domingo assured her, patting her hand. "Of course, there are a few jealous women here and there, on both your parts, but mostly no one cares. For many, it's good news, because Oksana seems to finally be off the market and now their wives can stop lusting after her."

Kat frowned, looking at him. "We've only been sleeping together, not getting married."

"She doesn't want to commit?" He asked incredulously. Who wouldn't want to commit to this gorgeous woman? Then again, we're talking about Oksana.

Kat thought about the previous week, when Oksana had demanded to know if she was being used. "I think she does," she said after a long time. "I'm the one that's resisting."

"But why?" Domingo asked, confused.

"I can't commit to her," Kat said, trying to convince herself more than Domingo.

"Is it because of her past?" He asked, and then rushed on. "I remember her before she left for college." At Kat's interested look, he explained. "I've been with Ivanov for twenty years now, so I came up with the offices when Mr. Ivanov moved headquarters up here. She was a pretty nice kid, smart as hell, but a little wild. She got a little worse once puberty hit, I think, and her grandfather had to go to the school for something she did. Still, she was pretty harmless."

Kat listened, interested.

"She came back from University, and all the trouble started." Domingo went on, her eyes on his plate as he thought back. "She had changed. She started sleeping with any woman that was willing, whether she was married or not. There was no stone left unturned. I know she even slept with my wife, but I'm not a violent man, and I love Millie very much, so I let it go on."

Astonished, Kat stared at him. To love someone enough to forgive an affair was inconceivable to her.

"I'm not GQ's man of the year, Kat," Domingo said, shrugging sheepishly. "Millie is the only woman who has ever accepted me despite my looks. She treats me like her king, and I could never trade that in, no matter what she did."

Kat shook her head, unable to speak.

"Anyway, when you caught Oksana unaware, you could see something had happened to her while she'd been gone. I mean, as a kid, you could see the sadness in her eyes. She wasn't very good at hiding it, but when she came back, there was nothing there. It was like her emotions had been completely bled out of her and she just didn't care. I think Mr. Ivanov was clueless until the problems escalated beyond the point of just being a nuisance. He finally realized what was going on when one of the jilted spouses tried to kill her."

Kat gasped, staring at him with wide eyes.

"It was a very clumsy attempt," Domingo assured her. "The guy was so drunk at the time that he could hardly stand up, but the incident still drove the point home for Mr. Ivanov, I think. I don't think Oksana even thought about it twice."

Kat shook her head, wondering how Dena could have broken Oksana down to that point. She looked up as Oksana entered the cafeteria. The blonde noticed Kat right away and gave her a little wave, her eyes warm. Kat waved back, a small smile curving her lips against her will. Oksana looked good without her suit jacket, her dress shirt and slacks highlighting her athletic physique.

"She has that spark back," Domingo said softly, staring at the Ivanov heir as she made her way to the servers.

"I never realized any of what you said," Kat said, frowning as she thought back to her childhood. She and Oksana had been friends until about the time Oksana turned twelve and rebelled, but she'd never seen any of what Domingo spoke about.

"You're not much older than she is," He said. "You probably had your own things going on. You were a kid too."

Kat thought about the night ten years before, a week before she'd left for college, when Oksana had tuned fifteen. Oksana had friends over that weekend for a secret birthday party. Her grandparents had gone away and left her free rein of the house. She and her friends had taken the opportunity to break into the liquor cabinet, and had gotten drunk. Oksana had been very drunk when she'd slipped into Kat's room as the older girl slept. Kat remembered being scared out of her mind when she felt the clumsy but gentle touch on her face. She'd sat up only to find her mouth engulfed by an alcohol-laced mouth. Kat had pushed Oksana away then, and she'd always been grateful that Oksana didn't seem to remember the episode.

"Where did you go?" Domingo asked gently.

Kat blinked back to the present. "I was thinking, I guess," she said softly, her eyes searching the cafeteria. Oksana was sitting down nearby, in the midst of a conversation with a man Kat recognized as the head of Human Resources. The executive seemed unaware of the attention she garnered. Kat saw more than a few women staring at the blonde, sex in their eyes, and she knew that Oksana had slept with many of them. "She's slept with many of these women." She said, her eyebrows drawing together.

"The majority of them were experimenting," Domingo pointed out, glancing around the cafeteria and noticing the looks sent in Oksana's direction. "They used her just as much as she used them. There were a few who wanted more than just sex, of course, but Oksana doesn't seem like the type to make false promises. But what do I know, eh?" He sat back, patting his stomach and covering his mouth as he burped discretely. "Lunch was delicious today."

Kat mumbled unintelligibly, her eyes narrowed slightly as she thought about her friend's words. "She doesn't seem like the type to make false promises…" Coming from someone who'd been fucked over by Oksana, those words served to ease a very small portion of her discomfort. She stood up and gathered her tray. "You're a good man, Domingo. I hope I can be as forgiving as you can. Thanks for the chat." She said, and walked away.

Domingo watched her go, turning his eyes in Oksana's direction to catch her staring after his friend, a look he recognized as love in her eyes. Me thinks the tiger has been domesticated, he mused, the mischief making his eyes glint.

CONTINUED…

(NOTE: Remember, this is a first draft, and I'm posting as I go, so if something doesn't jive or it seems a little awkward, bear with me. I'm going back to fix things. Now, if you see something, point it out to me anyway.)


Don't forget to send your comments…