Chapter Three: Quick and Hot

"I need to have a serious talk with you, Andrea." Miranda's soft voice abruptly put an end to the sleepy after-dinner silence.

"Um . . . sure." The dark-eyed girl looked up from her empty plate, wondering how she could burn off all the calories she'd just consumed. "Let me help you with the dishes first!" Andy wanted to show Miranda how useful she could be around the house. She was eager to please her sexy boss after hours as well as at work.

"The other night you really gave me a scare," Miranda confided, after the dishes were done. The two women settled themselves on the big leather sofa in front of a roaring fire.

"I'm really sorry about that!" Andy said quickly. She felt like a fool. Her daring plan to run off to the big city had fizzled the moment Miranda's lips met hers. Now all she could think about was the older woman's intoxicating nearness, her soft voice and her soothing lavender scent. Andy gazed longingly at Miranda's mouth, her big dark eyes filled with the ache of innocent desire.

"The city can be very dangerous, especially for a young woman. At my age, I know what can happen to a lovely girl like you." Miranda lazily caressed her assistant's cheek, even allowing her thumb to stroke the softness of her full lips. But there was no kiss. "Did I ever tell you about my good friend Evelyn?"

"Huh?" Andy had lost track of the conversation, all but spellbound by Miranda's silken touch. She knew her employer had been born and raised in this sleepy little New England town. But then she'd gone off to an expensive women's college in the big city.

What happened next?

"Evelyn was a chatterbox," Miranda recalled, gazing into the fire. "She was the one girl who never got tired of meeting new people and trying new things. Very different from a bookworm like me."

"But the two of you were friends." Andy was on the edge of her seat. Evelyn sounded glamorous and funny and amazing, she thought enviously. If only she'd been smart, and stayed in school. If only she'd met Miranda in college!

"Evelyn was a good friend to me," Miranda said with a sigh. "But I wasn't always a good friend to her. One night we had a test coming up, a test I had to pass if I wanted to keep my scholarship. I'd been studying for hours. Evelyn thought it would be fun to take a break, and meet a couple of boys off campus. There were plenty of other girls she could have asked, but she asked me."

"But you turned her down," Andy said admiringly. She could picture Miranda being smart and focused, always getting the job done. She hadn't changed much. She really hadn't changed at all!

"I thought my grades were more important." Miranda's mouth twisted in a way Andy had never seen before. It was a cruel twist. "One can make excuses. It was a big school, and I felt out of place. The professors never encouraged us to ask for help or advice. I wasn't a perky blonde from a rich family. My only chance was to work harder than anyone else. Frilly extras like friendship could wait. I was sure I'd see Evelyn again in the morning."

"But you didn't?" Andy couldn't stand the idea of anything bad happening to a girl like Evelyn. Or to Miranda!

"It was all my fault," Miranda said softly. "What happened to Evelyn was all my fault. You can't imagine what I felt, Andrea, seeing you standing there in the doorway soaking wet, clutching that ridiculous heavy backpack. All ready for your adventure in the big city!"

"You mean you were worried about me?" Andy didn't like the idea of Miranda worrying about her, like she needed a babysitter or something. "Or do you mean . . ."

"Oh yes, I was worried about you." Miranda's gray eyes didn't flinch from the truth. "But I was really only thinking about myself. Wondering how it would feel not to have you in my life anymore. That's simply the kind of person I am, Andrea. Selfish to the core."

"Yes, I know." Andy didn't want to hear any more about sad memories. So she leaned over and kissed Miranda right on the lips. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was quick and hot. And before she knew what hit her the two of them were sprawled out on the sofa, making out like a couple of teenagers.