Aftershock Read online

  Copyright © 2008 by KG MacGregor

  Bella Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 10543

  Tallahassee, FL 32302

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  First Edition

  Editor: Cindy Cresap

  Cover Designer: Stephanie Solomon-Lopez

  ISBN 13: 978-1-59493-135-2

  In Memory of my father 1931–2007

  Acknowledgments

  As I stated in the acknowledgments for Without Warning, the first book in the Shaken Series, it’s been a thrill to have the chance to go back to an earlier book and retell the story. Thanks to all of you who wrote after reading Shaken to let me know how the story moved you, and especially to those who shared the trials and triumphs of these characters. Many thanks once again to Cindy Cresap, whose contribution always makes a better book. On the technical side, my appreciation goes out to Karen and Jenny for their help in cleaning up the copy. They find the extra words, the missing words, the wrong words and places where I simply assumed you would read my mind and know what I meant.

  About the Author

  Growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, KG MacGregor dreaded the summer influx of snowbirds escaping the Florida heat. “If it’s tourist season, why can’t we shoot them?” she said. Now older, wiser and intolerant of extreme temperatures, she divides her time between Miami and Blowing Rock, NC. A former teacher, KG earned her PhD in journalism and mass communication, and her writing stripes preparing research reports for commercial clients in the publishing, television and travel industries. In 2002, she tried her hand at lesbian fiction and discovered her bliss. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find her either on a golf course or a hiking trail. Please visit her at www. kgmacgregor.com.

  Chapter 1

  “I bet this is pretty in the daytime,” Anna said, peering through the windshield into the darkness.

  From the quirk in Anna’s voice, Lily knew her chain was being yanked. “Funny, Amazon. We should have been here two hours ago.” A sign for Yosemite National Park flashed by on the passenger side.

  “But at least we made it.”

  “No thanks to you,” she groused, thinking about the awkward request she had made in court two days ago. “I practically lied to a judge to get my client’s hearing postponed so we could leave early. And then I find you covered in grease from head to toe.”

  “It took longer than I thought. I wasn’t going to drop a hundred grand for a car without being sure it was perfect.”

  Lily tried not to smile, but it was useless. In truth, she had been thrilled upon arriving at Anna’s BMW dealership to find her in a jumpsuit with her long dark hair pulled through a ball cap.

  Still, it had delayed their start by two hours while she finished her work and got cleaned up. “I can’t believe you’d spend that kind of money for a car.”

  “The Z-eight’s a classic. There were only a couple of thousand sold here in the US. I would have bought one a few years ago when they first came along, but I had my eight-fifty back before it was crushed in the earthquake.”

  “I thought you liked your six-fifty now.”

  “I do, but it doesn’t have the character of one of the limited editions, especially something as hot as the Z-eight.”

  “And just what do you need a hot car for? Are you single?”

  They both burst out laughing.

  “No, honey.”

  “Good answer.”

  Lily breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached the ranger station. Ten minutes later the park would have been closed for the night.

  “The campground is here,” the ranger told her, pointing to a corner of the map. “Just stay on this road and you’ll see a sign in about two miles.”

  “Thank you,” she answered, dropping the parking permit on her dashboard.

  After several minutes of creeping along the two-lane road, Anna gestured ahead. “Isn’t that the sign she was talking about?”

  “Yeah.” Lily slowed and turned on her blinker. “Thanks for doing this.”

  “I should be thanking you. They’re my friends.”

  “I know, but you know how much I love camping. I’d rather be meeting them here than at some resort.”

  Anna picked up Lily’s free hand and brought it to her lips. “You know how much I like camping too.”

  “Oh, please. You like camping about as much as you like cooking.”

  “But I’ll do either with you.” Anna pointed to a red 4Runner with Washington plates situated between two giant redwoods. “There they are.”

  Lily’s headlights shone upon a bright blue two-person tent nestled against the underbrush nearby. Two women, both in jeans and jackets, sat huddled atop a weathered picnic table, obviously on the lookout. She pulled the X3 into the space behind the other vehicle and turned off the engine.

  “The one on the left is Carolyn,” Anna said. “The other one is Vicki.”

  “And the one in the bandana bouncing up and down?”

  “I’m guessing that’s their new Labrador.”

  Lily sucked in a breath and readied herself to meet Anna’s friends. She wanted to make a good impression, especially after hearing that Anna had gone to Seattle for advice about their relationship. Carolyn and Vicki had heard all about her, and now it was time to live up to their expectations.

  “I would never have believed it in a million years,” Carolyn boomed as they got out of the vehicle. “Anna Kaklis is wearing hiking boots and blue jeans. Where’s my camera?”

  Lily liked Carolyn instantly. Not only did she obviously know Anna very well, she knew just how to goad her and bring out a smile. She was just as Lily had pictured from Anna’s description—tall, with short curly hair, its deep red tint most likely from a bottle. Her partner Vicki was petite, with wavy brown hair pulled tightly into a ponytail. She stood off to the side, gripping the puppy’s leash. They looked fit and “outdoorsy,” both characteristics to which Lily could relate.

  Anna crossed the campsite quickly to embrace her longtime friend. “If you’re going to take a picture, let me give you something pretty to look at.”

  Lily slid her smaller frame under Anna’s outstretched arm. “I’m Lily, in case anyone was wondering.”

  “Did you dress her up like this?” Carolyn asked.

  “I did. But she drew the line at the flannel shirt.”

  “She’s prissy, isn’t she?”

  “Yeah, but I kind of like that about her,” Lily said, tightening her arm around Anna’s waist.

  Anna gestured toward Carolyn. “Please allow me to introduce you to Carolyn Bunting, who was Cal Poly’s official class clown. And this woman who puts up with her nonsense is Vicki Hurst.”

  “And this is Zack,” Vicki said, loosening the leash enough for the pup to charge ahead and pounce on Anna.

  “Dogs love me,” Anna said. “Every time we go visit Lily’s mom, her basset hound follows me everywhere I go.”

  “I’m glad to meet you all,” Lily said, shaking hands with the women and stooping to give Zack a friendly scratch. “Anna’s been afraid to have me meet her friends. Makes me think there are some awful stories out there.”

  “Oh, there are,” Carolyn said. “And we’re going to have such fun telling them.”

  Anna ran her hands through her hair. “Why did I ever agree to this?”

  “Because you love me,” Lily said. “Now why don’t you guys catch up while I set up the tent?”

  “I’ll help,” Vicki offered, handing the leash to Carolyn before following along behind. “Anna said you guys bought a new Trango—except Carolyn laughed at her because s
he called it a tango. That’s the one we’ve been looking at.”

  Lily chuckled as they walked toward the X3, impressed that Anna had even come close to remembering the name of their tent.

  Anna and Carolyn warmed their hands beside the fire as Lily and Vicki worked to set up the rest of their camp. Overnight temperatures were heading into the low thirties, typical for April in the Sierras, so Anna was glad she had taken Lily’s advice about bringing warm things.

  “I’ll have you know I’m getting to be an old hand at this camping thing,” she said, stretching out to pet Zack, who was tied to the picnic table, where he chewed contentedly on a rawhide bone.

  Carolyn had lined up four mugs and was warming milk to make hot cocoa. “Define old hand.”

  “The first time I went was when Lily took me to Silverwood Lake with a bunch of kids from foster care.”

  “And have you been since?”

  “Twice. But this trip’s special because Lily says we get to share a sleeping bag.”

  Carolyn laughed heartily. “Admit it, Anna. You like this lesbian thing.”

  “I like that lesbian thing over there very much.” Anna appreciated how easily she and Carolyn had reconnected after their ten-year hiatus. “Everything you and Vicki told me about this was right on the money. All she needed was for me to show her how I felt.”

  “I’m looking forward to getting to know her.”

  “She feels the same way. She has a couple of lesbian friends that we do things with in LA, but she always says we need to socialize more. Both of us are bad about working too much.”

  “She’s a little thing. Does she push you around like Vicki does me?”

  Anna laughed. “Oh, yeah. Anything she wants.”

  Carolyn shook her head in apparent dismay. “I never thought I’d see Anna Kaklis whipped.”

  “It’s not so bad.”Anna nodded in the direction of the tent, where Lily was bent over forcing a stake into the ground. The sight of her rear prompted a lascivious smile. “See what I mean?”

  “Boy, this is going to take some getting used to.”

  “Everything’s different now, Carolyn. I feel like Lily walked into my life and turned the lights on.”

  “Something tells me you and I are going to spend the whole weekend talking about how lucky we are.”

  “You’re probably right.” Anna lowered her voice. “There is something I want your opinion on. But we can talk about it tomorrow.”

  “You know I can’t stand it when you do that. I have to know right this second or I’ll go crazy. I’ll be up all night. I’ll bite my fingernails down to the nubs. I’ll—”

  “Shhh! I just want to talk about what comes next,” Anna whispered.

  “Ahhhh . . . that’s a talk I don’t want to miss. You’re serious about Lily.”

  “Very.”

  “Can I be your best man?”

  “No, thanks,” Anna said, shuddering to recall her failed marriage to Scott Rutherford. “One humiliating extravaganza was enough for a lifetime.”

  “And what about Lily? Has she already had an extravaganza?”

  “No.” Anna frowned. Technically, Carolyn was right. If they decided to make a commitment to each other, Lily deserved a ceremony if she wanted it. “Maybe I can get her to elope.”

  “There’s a thought.”

  “You don’t think I’m jumping into this too early?”

  “When was it you came up to Seattle?”

  “A year ago last January.”

  Carolyn shrugged. “That seems like plenty of time to know what you want. But if you’re worried about it being too soon, maybe it is.”

  The last thing Anna wanted was to make another mistake in her life when it came to romance. Almost two years after her divorce, she still shuddered to think what an embarrassing blunder her marriage had been. If only she had paid attention to her doubts instead of expecting them to resolve on their own. At least she didn’t have reservations like that when it came to Lily. What she did have, though, was a huge case of nerves about making another commitment.

  Lily and Vicki approached the fire, which was dying out for the night. Anna held out an arm and pulled Lily close while Carolyn fixed the mugs.

  “Their camping stuff’s better than ours,” Vicki said.

  “That’s all right. We can steal it while they’re making out.” Carolyn handed Lily the first cup. “Look at them. They can’t keep their hands off each other. Remember when we were like that?”

  “No, not really,” Vicki deadpanned.

  Anna burst out laughing at Carolyn’s quizzical look.

  “She loves me . . . honest,” Carolyn said. “Just last week she said something nice to me for no reason at all.”

  Anna kissed Lily just above her ear. “Didn’t I warn you these two were nuts?” It was a rare treat to feel comfortable with openly showing her affection. Lily didn’t seem to have the same reticence about public displays, but Anna held back unless they were with lesbian friends. Eloping was looking better all the time.

  “I hate to break up the party, but we should probably hit the restroom and turn in. We have to save some firewood for tomorrow night,” Vicki said. “Did you guys bring food? We’re supposed to lock it up in the bear bin.”

  “I’ll get it,” Anna said. She wanted to give Lily a few minutes to chat with Carolyn—or rather, give Carolyn the chance to get to know Lily a bit. She had no doubts they would like each other, but she wanted her Washington friends to see what a prize she had. She stowed their food and locked the bin, returning to the fireside just in time to follow the group to the restroom.

  “I hope you like the way I set things up,” Lily said as they returned to their tent.

  “Oh, this is nice,” Anna said softly as the beam from the flashlight revealed the layout of their small quarters. Lily had spread out their sleeping bags on top of a double air mattress, covering both bags with pillows and two thick blankets. “So we’re not going to sleep in our sleeping bags?”

  “We might have to if it gets a lot colder, but this should be enough if we wear sweat suits and cuddle. And if you share the covers.”

  Anna chuckled. It wasn’t that she was a blanket hog. But somehow, her long legs pulled their covers loose nearly every night, leaving them piled on the floor—and Lily shivering—by morning.

  “You know how much I like to cuddle,” Anna crooned. She enveloped Lily in a hug and brought her down to the blankets.

  “Oh no, you don’t, Amazon. Lose the boots. You’ll get dirt in our bed.”

  Anna kicked off her hiking boots and set them under the rain guard outside the tent.

  “Now put these on.” Lily handed her a set of navy blue sweats and zipped the tent entry.

  By the light of the flashlight, Anna pulled off her fleece jacket, long-sleeved T-shirt and bra, shivering against the chill as she hurried to tug the sweatshirt over her head. Then she squirmed out of her jeans, but before she had time to pull on the sweatpants the light went out and an arm went around her waist and pulled her backward onto the blankets.

  “Not so fast,” Lily whispered, pushing her hand under the elastic of Anna’s panties. “It isn’t often I get to make love with you in the wild.”

  Anna felt her body tense. “But they’re like . . . ten feet away.”

  “Then you’ll have to be quiet for a change . . . not that I don’t enjoy those lovely sounds you make when you come.”

  Despite her fears of being overheard, Anna couldn’t fight her growing arousal as Lily stroked her intimately. “I get so wet when you do that,” she whispered.

  “I know.” Lily covered her mouth with a kiss and continued her caress. Slowly, she eased into a position where she could press her center into Anna’s thigh, matching her movements to the rhythm her fingers tapped against Anna’s clitoris.

  Anna drew a deep gasp as the fire built beneath Lily’s touch.

  And when Lily pressed harder, she thrust her hips up in demand. “Oh, Lily.”


  “Shhh . . .” Lily gently laid a finger across her lips to keep her quiet, all the while increasing the speed of her strokes. “Are you going to come for me?”

  Anna nodded frantically, gritting her teeth to keep quiet as the sensations erupted between her legs. Lily smothered her moan with a deep kiss, before tracing her slicked fingers along their lips as the climax ebbed.

  She pulled the blankets over them as Anna worked to catch her breath. “Think you’ll be warm enough, Amazon?”

  Chapter 2

  Lily was awakened by the same sensation that had sent her off to sleep—Anna’s lips against her brow. Soft voices outside told her Carolyn and Vicki were already up and about. “Good morning,” she murmured, snuggling deeper into Anna’s embrace.

  Anna answered with a tighter squeeze and another kiss.

  “You were good last night. You only pulled my covers off once.” After that, Lily had tucked them underneath the air mattress on her side.

  “I tried to make up for it by sleeping on top of you.”

  “That was nice . . . my human blanket.”

  “Can we pitch one of these in the backyard? I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well.”

  “You always sleep well right after you come,” she whispered.

  “Do I really?”

  “Yep.”

  “And what about you?”

  “I sleep better when you sleep better.”

  “That sounds like a pretty good deal if you’re me.”

  “Don’t you know”—Lily rolled on top of Anna—“that making you happy is all I care about?”

  “But that works both ways, you know.” Anna ran her hands down Lily’s sides. “You shouldn’t just let me fall asleep on you like that.”

  “We’re not keeping score, honey. I love it when I can help you relax.” Not that she didn’t also love Anna’s touch. For someone who had never been with a woman before, Anna had shown very few inhibitions in their sexual explorations. It was hard to believe she once had reservations about expressing herself sexually.