I had the *best* time writing this chapter. :-)
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Miranda walked ahead of the bellhop into the suite at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, located in downtown Seattle. She waited until the young man had placed her suitcases on their stands in her bedroom and then tipped him.

"Assist my friend as well."

"Yes, of course, ma'am," the young said and left to repeat his task.

"That was a flight I don't care to repeat," Miranda said as she rejoined Andrea in the living room. "I think I made permanent indentations in the armrests."

"You and me both. I swear I thought we were going to land vertically." Andrea shook her head. "I'm going to unpack and then have a shower. Are we doing room service or going downstairs? Or out on the town?"

"In this weather? If you don't mind, I prefer room service tonight." Miranda pulled off her coat and hung it in the closet by the door.

"You speak my truth, madame," Andrea said, smiling. "I think room service, and then perhaps a little TV suits me fine. I'm assuming you will work on the Book?"

"You assume correctly." Miranda reached out her hand. "Your jacket?"

Andrea stopped in midmotion and merely stared for a moment. "Sure. Thanks." She pulled off her leather jacket and handed it to Miranda. "That was a first."

"What was?" Miranda blinked.

"You hung up my jacket." Andrea laughed. "I'm just teasing you. It was a nice change though."

"You." Miranda smiled and her annoyance over the turbulence they'd just lived through evaporated. "Is this when I can expect demands for more services to be bestowed upon you?"

Only when Andrea gaped at her words, did Miranda understand how they could be interpreted. She covered her eyes as Andrea burst into raucous laughter. "Dear God. I need to stop talking."

"No, no," Andrea managed between paroxysms. "You absolutely need to continue. I'm loving this side of you."

Reluctantly charmed by Andrea's laughter, and how she had to rest against the back of a chair to not lose her balance, Miranda shook her head. "I'm not going to encourage this. I'm not a fool. I don't hand out free ammunition."

Wiping at tears, Andrea did her best to control herself. "Your…face…" She hiccuped, but then drew a deep breath. "I think I'm okay now."

"I'm not holding my breath." Miranda had to return Andrea's smile. "I'm going to draw a bath. I'm so tense still, I feel my spine's about to snap."

"You have a bathtub? I have a shower bigger than my kitchen." Andrea carried her briefcase over to the coffee table.

"So, a regular-size shower, you mean?" Miranda realized she couldn't stop teasing Andrea, since she loved seeing her filled with joy.

"You didn't!" Andrea took a few steps toward Miranda, placing her hands on her hips. "I can't believe you insulted my kitchen." Her eyes glittered like liquid gold.

"Of course not. It was large enough to heat the wonderful takeout three evenings ago." Miranda laughed now. Imagine that sparring like this could be so much fun.

Andrea kept laughing too, but there was something more in the way she looked at Miranda. She stepped closer. "I liked it when you joined me in the kitchen and helped me out." She ran a gentle index finger along the side of Miranda's neck. "That should have been my first clue."

Breathless, Miranda was still smiling. "Clue to what?"

"That you could be very service-minded." Andrea wrapped one arm around Miranda's waist. "Little did I know that I could request services though. That is particularly good to know—for future reference."

"Oh, you." Miranda pressed two fingers against Andrea's lips. "If you don't want me to service you by kissing you where you stand, you better be the one who stops talking. Right now."

Andrea parted her lips and ran the tip of her tongue across Miranda's fingertips. Miranda's hand fell away from Andrea's mouth but found its way into her hair. "I…" Losing track of what she meant to say, Miranda saw her own burst of arousal reflected in Andrea's expression.

"Yes?" Andrea didn't tug Miranda closer, merely held her. "You were saying? I should be quiet? You have a lot of options on how to keep me…uhm, quiet."

"What did you have in mind?" Miranda raised an eyebrow.

"I leave that up to you. I'm sure such an accomplished woman with your experience will have tons of ideas." Andrea tilted her head.

"Is that your subtle way of hinting at my age?" Miranda pursed her lips, knowing full well what people thought it meant.

Andrea winced. "No, no, not at all!" Then her eyes narrowed and when Miranda was unable to stop another laughter from erupting, Andrea did pull her closer and hid her face against Miranda's neck. "You win, Priestly. You do." Andrea managed to laugh and tremble at the same time. "I better hit the shower before I say something that will really get me in trouble."

"And you think inserting an image in my mind of you naked in the shower will save you?" Miranda took a step back and mourned the loss of Andrea's hand as it fell off her back.

"It's entirely comparable with you in the tub, unless you try to tell me you bathe fully dressed."

Shaking her head, Miranda tucked Andrea's hair behind one of her ears. "Silly girl."

Andrea's expression softened and she framed Miranda's face with her hands. "Can I interest you in a date on the couch later, perhaps, after dinner?"

"I'll be bringing homework," Miranda warned.

"I can massage your feet while you save the world from falling into the trap of choosing a cerulean, polyblend sweater." Andrea kissed Miranda gently. "Go have your bath. I might show up outside your bathroom door later and ask what you want to eat though."

Miranda's breath caught. "Very well." She brushed her thumb across Andrea's lower lip and then disappeared into her bedroom.

#

Andy decided to let her hair air dry. She was simply not in the mood to nuke herself with a hotel hairdryer that sounded as if it belonged at the Kennedy Space Center. Her head was still buzzing from starting it.

She dressed in flannel bottoms, and a tight tank top, which was her usual sleepwear, and then padded barefoot out into the living room. Finding the binder that held the room service menu, she knocked on Miranda's door.

"Come in," Miranda called out.

Entering, Andy stopped abruptly as she found the door to the bathroom open. "Hi. Got the menu here," she said, knowing she sounded breathless.

"Read it to me. Skip anything with fish." Miranda said and then there was a splash of water.

Geez, what was Miranda doing in there? Swimming? Andy sat down on the floor just to the left of the door. Opening the first page of the menu, she asked, "Do you want a starter?"

"No. Just the main course. And coffee." The last word came out sounding decidedly sensual.

"All right." Andy began reading from the menu, but Miranda asked so many questions, and began sounding so frustrated, she stopped. "Wait. If I shove this thing across the floor to you, you can read it yourself. If I have to list more ingredients and try and pronounce names of vegetables I've never heard of even one more time, we're going to have words."

Miranda sighed. "You're right. Just come in here. No shoving any binders along the floor. I've made a bit of a mess."

Curious now, and quite shocked that Miranda asked her to enter, Andy stood. Peering around the corner, she saw that Miranda was mostly covered with bubbles, and so was the floor.

"How much bath bubbles did you use?" Andy asked, tiptoeing across the floor.

"I dropped the bottle in the tub," Miranda said, grudgingly.

Andy had managed to reach a stool that sat next to the chair, holding Miranda's robe. She nearly slipped as she sat down, but righted herself, and only then did she dare to let her laughter out.

"I knew it." Miranda pushed at the bubbles that threatened to cover her face. "Asking you in here was a mistake, but now that you're here, even if you have no sympathy for me whatsoever, let me look at the menu."

"Let me hold it for you. With your luck, you'll drop it and then we won't be able to read it at all." Andy leaned closer and held the binder at eye level for Miranda. Only then did she realize something. "Why do you have your reading glasses on…oh. Don't tell me."

"I meant to read some from the novel I've been trying to finish for a week." Miranda glared at Andy. "And yes, it's in the tub somewhere."

Pulling the binder to her, to not drop it, Andy hugged it to her stomach as she gave into helpless laughter. To her relief, Miranda couldn't help but join her, and once they had both wiped at their eyes with some washcloths, Andy managed to hold the menu long enough for Miranda to choose her dinner. Steak and vegetables. As usual. Andy came close to thud her head against the binder, but merely got up and damn near ended up in the tub as well, when her feet slipped on the soapy tiles. She tugged a large towel from the rack and spread it between the door and the tub.

"You're not getting out of that tub alone. If I have to close my eyes to not embarrass you, so be it. You'll kill yourself, it's so slippery." She shot Miranda a stern look.

"Fine. Fine!" Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Okay. Just going to call room service and then I'll be back." Andy made sure her feet were dry before she stepped out on the hardwood floor in the living room. If she fell and broke her neck here, they'd both be screwed.

Once the order of steak for Miranda, and chicken for her, was made, she returned to the bathroom, where Miranda was sitting up in the tub. She was still covered with enough bubbles to not be completely naked, but her pale skin shimmered through the larger bubbles in enough places for Andy to have to clench her fists hard.

"Ready to attempt this rescue?" Andy thought it was best to keep it light.

"I admit I'm wary of getting out of here alive. It is very slippery." Miranda sighed. "I can't believe I did this. It hasn't happened before. Unless we count that time when the girls wanted to surprise me by washing the kitchen floor with dish detergent. It took Cara days to wash it enough for it to stop foaming."

"I think we need to alert housekeeping and in the meantime, you can use my bathroom. There's a powder room by the door."

"Good. And thank you." Miranda looked up at her. "How do you suggest we do this then?"

"I'll wrap a towel around you to get a good grip. When you're on your feet, we'll rinse you off and then I'll help you step onto the towel. After that, you will be all right." Andy waited for Miranda's input.

"Sounds ambitious." Miranda sighed.

"And we should put a smaller towel at the bottom of the tub to get your feet a better grip."

"All right."

After some maneuvering, Andy wrapped a towel around Miranda. "Hold onto me and be careful." She lifted as Miranda pushed her feet against the towel, and since she was such a slender woman, it was not very hard to help Miranda stand.

"Oh, thank God." Miranda held on to Andy's waist. "I'm getting you all wet."

"Don't start that again," Andy muttered and glared at Miranda.

"What—oh." Miranda bit her lower lip. "I don't dare let go. Just help me out. I can use your shower to rinse off."

"Of course. Much better plan." Relieved she wasn't supposed to hose Miranda off, Andy made sure she got out of the tub in one piece. Ending up on the wet towel, Miranda reached for the robe but still held onto Andy's tank top.

Andy closed her eyes. "I'm not looking. You can drop the wet towel and put on your robe."

"Any reason you don't want to risk seeing me undressed?" Miranda only changed her grip, now holding on to Andy's tank top with her other hand.

"You know why. I'm trying to be considerate."

"Is that the only reason?" Miranda's voice sounded closer, and she moved her hand and hooked her arm around Andy's neck. "Or are you afraid that it would lead to us moving too fast again?"

Andy risked opening her eyes. Miranda was in her robe, but she stood very close. "If you think I can't envision you without a stitch on just by closing my eyes, you're mistaken," Andy said slowly. "I can see you every time I close my eyes if I want to."

Miranda's gaze softened. "And do you?"

"Do I conjure up the image of you? Far too often. Do I want to? I didn't used to for a long time, but since Saturday…yes. I do." Andy put her forehead against Miranda's. "What about you?"

"Oh, I've envisioned you, awake or asleep, for a long time, Andrea. I don't have any character at all when it comes to you, that's quite obvious." Miranda angled her head to the side and captured Andy's lips briefly. "Thank you for rescuing me. I'm going to borrow your shower now." She let go and padded slowly out of the bathroom. As she was about to walk out the door, she turned around. "And if you could find my novel? I suppose it's ruined, but you never know." She let her eyes roam over Andy's entire body, but lingered at her chest, her eyes widening. "You better change too."

Andy stood dumbfounded in the center of the wet towel and looked at the disaster area. "What was that about?" she murmured. She cast a glance in the mirror. Her tank top was so damp, it was almost entirely transparent. "Oh, for heaven's sake. I do have to change."

Leaning into the tub and feeling around for the novel, Andy eventually found it and pulled it out of the water. As she drained the tub, she turned the dripping book over to read the title. "No way." She snorted. Go figure.

The Abyss.

Continued in part 11.