“How tragic,” Tess said with obvious emotion in her voice.
“Yes, but that was nearly twenty years ago. I’m grieved out over it. It’s still sad to think about, but it no longer bothers me to talk about them. Now, what can I get you two to drink? I just popped the cork on some wine, but I have beer, and most of the hard types of liquor.”
“Wine would be nice,” Tess said.
“Whatever you’re having,” I added.
Cris grinned at me. Her eyes lingered and I could almost hear her thoughts. They were not about wine.
“Chardonnay all right? Or I have a couple of nice viogniers and a couple of pinot grigio.”
“Chardonnay is fine. I don’t know the other two,” Tess said.
Cris shook her head. “Now we can’t have that. It’s time to expand your knowledge of the whites. I’ll open one of each and you can compare.”
Tess glanced at me and I smiled. “Better go with whatever our host insists on. It wouldn’t be polite to refuse.”
Cris chuckled. “It’s that southern hospitality thing, Tess. We have to go all out when we have company. I’m sorry about the pizza, but I’ll do something special for tomorrow night.”
Cris walked past me toward a four-foot high, built-in, wine cooler that must have held a hundred bottles. When she opened the tinted glass door, an interior light came on and backlit her. The light passed through her sundress almost as if she wasn’t wearing anything. My pulse quickened as she bent to select different bottles of wine.
I felt Tess come up beside me and her shoulder nudged mine hard enough for me to have to brace my feet farther apart. Whispering, Tess said, “Get your eyes back in your head, Boss. It’s not polite to stare.”
I wiped the grin off my face and made the effort to face Tess. She was studying me with what looked to be curiosity.
Taking her left hand in my right, I sought a meshing and in a few seconds, we were.
*Are you going to be okay with all this?* I asked over our link.
*Of course, Rafe. I wouldn’t interfere with you and Cris any more than I would have with Laura.*
My mood darkened at the mention of Laura.
Tess released my hand, maintaining the meshing, and brought her palms up to cradle my face. *I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned her. I know that’s still a tender spot for you.*
*It’s okay, but it does bring back why we are here.*
*You mean besides your booty call?* Tess transmitted as a sly smile slid across her face.
“Are you two having a private conversation or can I get in on it?” Cris asked.
Tess and I turned simultaneously toward her. She stood with a bottle of wine in each hand; her feet shoulder width apart, her head cocked to the side and a lovely smile on her face. She was so beautiful.
“Ah, Tess just had a question or two,” I said.
“Oh?”
Tess chuckled and shoved me with her hip. “Don’t believe him. I was just admonishing him about staring at your butt when you bent over. You’d think the man never got laid.”
I reddened, can’t help it sometimes, it’s my conservative upbringing.
I began to admonish Tess over our link, but she dropped out of it before I could even gather my thoughts.
“Here, let me help you with those,” Tess said.
She went to Cris and took the two bottles from her.
Cris pointed toward a nearby drawer. “Corkscrew.”
“Let me take care of it while you put Rafe in his place,” Tess said.
The women put the wine bottles on the counter and Tess dug the corkscrew out of the drawer Cris had indicated.
Cris came toward me, walking slowly and with an exaggerated hip movement. I watched her, appreciating her beauty, until she reached me and wrapped her arms around me. She cupped my cheeks and pulled my pelvis into hers. She did a slow grind against me as she stared up into my eyes. I took the hint and lowered my lips to hers. We kissed, long and with enough passion to get my blood boiling. She finally pulled away and then laid the side of her face against my chest.
“I’ve missed you, Rafe. I’m glad you came, no matter what the reason.”
“I’ve missed you too, Cris.”
“Where are the glasses?” Tess asked.
Cris gave me a quick peck on the lips and said, “I guess I’d better start acting the host rather than the horny lover.”
“Oh, I don’t know. We could let Tess help herself while we continue this greeting in your bed,” I offered.
Cris chuckled. “Now that would definitely violate my southern hospitality upbringing.”
She started to step away and then glanced down. “Do you want to hide that or is your apprentice more laid back than you are?”
I reached down to adjust myself so my reaction to Cris wouldn’t be quite so blatant and then replied, “Oh, she definitely seems more casual about such matters than I am.”
“Good, I wasn’t sure what your relationship was like, but if you aren’t tapping that, I’ve completely misread you.”
Tess laughed, loud and sharp. “Boy, Cris, you definitely aren’t shy about things.”
“It’s the Wiccan in me. I was never, ever, shy, but after my Wiccan training…well, let’s just say life’s too short to miss out with coyness.”
Tess laughed again. “I concur, not that I’ve had any training as a Wiccan. I’ve found Rafe’s training to be more than stimulating.”
Cris took my hand and pulled me across the room to where Tess was opening the last wine bottle.
“The stemware is there,” she said indicating a cupboard with a frosted glass door. “I’ll get a
