It really was the minute that changed…everything.

Chapter Two

One month and six days earlier…

The doorknob was a conglomeration of guilt and lies.

Guin drew her hand back, blinked a few times as she stood on the front porch of her tiny house.

Beth was already there. She’d entered the home an hour earlier, fresh from some highfalutin, lawyerly meeting, and was impatiently waiting for Guin to arrive home.

An onslaught of visions flooded Guin’s brain—dinner, her feigning interest in Beth’s self-important legal-jargon one-way chatter, blah, blah, blah, and then mind-blowing sex. The doorknob only told the story of Beth’s arrival. Guin knew the rest by heart—no supernatural skills needed there. It was always the same thing.

She gingerly rested her hand on the knob again, reveled in the dark feeling there. She wished more than anything that she’d thought to bring her gloves along. Now she was making an unnecessary trip home, which would involve an unnecessary confrontation.

There was a secret side to Beth that both scared and delighted Guin, and sadly would inevitably reveal itself. She would have preferred to spend her days—and more importantly, her nights—basking in this obscure shadow. If only everything didn’t have a story to tell her. It really left very little mystery about her women, often painted them evil, downright shallow. A supreme disappointment. She sighed.

“Shit,” she muttered, clutching the doorknob firmly. She gave it a turn before she changed her mind. It was her house, after all. Guin stepped inside and counted to three.

By two, Beth was in the living room.

“There you are. I wondered if you moved out.” Ruby red lips, pale skin, opulent dark tresses…Guin’s smile twitched as she studied her almost-girlfriend from across the room.

Beth was the kind of slender that was achieved less through hard work and more through hard cash. Her plumped lips and high cheekbones hinted that she had a surgeon on retainer. She was statuesque in her three-inch heel Manolos, and her all-black designer suit dress made the announcement to West Coast hippies that she was authentic New York. Indeed.

Her crisp white blouse was unbuttoned enough to offer the tiniest peek behind the scenes—voluptuous breasts brimming the tops of La Perla demi-cups. Jesus. Guin swallowed hard, clenched her eyes shut for a second, dizzy with an overriding instinct to drop her gym bag and remove every last drop of that expensive lace with her teeth.

Beth dipped her head, looked troubled. “What’s wrong with you?”

In an odd synchronization, she took a step toward Guin as Guin took a step backward. The front door was squarely behind her. She tightened her grip on her bag strap.

“Nothing, sorry.” Guin blinked, cleared her throat. “I’m going to the gym.”

Guin dodged Beth’s look, went to the chair and grabbed her gloves.

“But you just got here,” Beth said, aggravation in her voice. She turned on a different tactic, one that almost always worked. Lowered her eyes, batted her jet black lashes, pursed her full, red lips. “We’re going out to a nice romantic dinner, remember?” Then she added in her sultry voice, “And I’m dessert.”

Guin’s smile twitched. “Sounds delicious. I can’t wait to get home.”

Beth’s mood darkened quickly. “Didn’t you already work out once today?”

Guin stopped directly in front of her. “Baby, it was a long day at work. God, we had this ten-thirty-eight that—”

“I’ve had a long day, too.” Beth cut her off, void of any sympathy. “Depositions, a preliminary hearing…” She stopped short when she realized her words were floating right past Guin’s ears. She sighed, softened her mood. “Besides, I had a different kind of workout in mind.”

She leaned into Guin, kissed her softly, then more deeply. When she drew back, Guin’s eyes were still closed. A small smile played on her lips.

“That’s nice.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Beth purred.

“Very.” Guin nodded, whispered, “And as soon as I get back we’ll eat out.”

Beth raised the stakes, whispered seductively, “What if I don’t feel like dinner?”

“Who said anything about food?” Guin chuckled softly. “I’ll hurry.”

Beth’s tone turned again. It was hard to keep up. “But I’m leaving tomorrow, Guin. Won’t you miss me?”

Guin’s eyelids sprang open and she contemplated calling a penalty. Would she miss her? Something felt different. Wrong. For as long as Guin could remember, physical exercise had been her only means of slaying this strange, occasional demon. She held steadfast to her guns. “I’ll be back in an hour, promise.”

“Guin, you know my schedule exactly. I’m here for three days, New York for four.” She thrust her hands on her tiny hips, stared Guin down. “Is it asking too much to spend the few days I have here with you?”

Guin’s shoulders rounded slightly. She breathed a heavy sigh. “I’m not going to argue with you during the little bit of time we have together.”

“Little bit of time is right. Whose fault is that?” Beth asked. “It’s not like I’m asking for a commitment here.”

Guin blinked, felt her lips twitch. “Really?”

They stared at each other for several seconds. The remainder of Beth’s cool demeanor vanished, replaced by a look so cold, it chilled the entire room.

“Fine,” she said curtly.

Guin knew she should say something reassuring. This stuff always got her into trouble. But she knew herself, knew her needs, and knew she had to make a speedy exit before the sickening unidentifiable feeling swallowed her whole. She backed away, felt her heartbeat quicken. Freedom beckoned her from the other side of the door.

“Wait.” Beth strode across the room with a laundry bag looped around her perfectly manicured fingertip. With near contempt, she practically tossed it at Guin. “Drop this at the dry cleaner, won’t you?” Her request sounded more like maid’s orders.

Guin caught the bag against her chest. As soon as she touched it, a vision came to her so clear it was practically high definition. It was Beth, curled up with a pretty, early-twenties woman, presumably Jenn, her New York lover, in the high-backed booth of an unidentifiable restaurant. She saw their mutual admiration, heard their sweet exchange.

“I hate it when you’re gone,” Jenn whispered.

“I know, baby.”

“I’ve been saving this to tell you in person. I got some good news from the doctor today.” Jenn touched her nonexistent belly. “It took. Beth, we’re going to be mommies.”

Beth’s face lit up. She scooted as close as possible to Jenn, kissed her over and over...

Guin snapped back to present, dropped the bag and stared down at it.

“Be careful, that’s a good suit,” Beth scolded her.

Guin picked it up, regarded it like poison. In a way, it was. Her stomach churned. That deep, dark feeling…

“Does…Jenn take care of this for you when you’re in New York?” Guin quietly delivered the blow and watched Beth’s eyes angrily flare, then harden again. Confirmation. They remained quietly staring at each other until Guin shrugged, muttered, “Just curious.”

The gym was practically empty, the only sound the dull thud-thudding of Guin’s gloves against the bag. She went at it until she’d killed every last lie, then slumped exhausted onto the mat. She shook off one glove, spun the lid on her water bottle and slugged it down. She glanced at the wall clock and realized she’d been there for two hours. As depleted as she felt, she had it pegged to be at least four. She could have worked out her frustration all night, but Barney, the receptionist, was waiting to close up shop. Still, what to do with Beth?

Her cell buzzed and vibrated across the mat. Guin shook off her other glove and chased it. She’d ignored it two other times during her frenzy. It was Beth, of course, and probably mad as hell that she was late. She ignored it this time, too, gathered her stuff and went to shower.

On the way to her car, she decided it was time to face the music. She hit the callback button. It rang only once. She mustered some enthusiasm. “Hey, I saw I missed your call, sorry.”

“Just wanted to let you know that I’m taking an earlier flight back to New York,” Beth informed her. No hello. Nothing.

“Tonight? Uh, okay.” Guin threw her bag in the backseat, got in and started her car. “I’ll take you to the airport. We’ll grab a bite on the way.”

“Not necessary. I’ve already called a cab.”

“Okay,” Guin slowly answered. “What about your suits? You need them? I had them put a rush on for pickup tomorrow morning.”

“No worries. I’ve got plenty to choose from.”

Women or suits? Guin wondered. She shook her head. “Yeah, I know you do.” She waited a beat, felt compelled to add, “So, I’ll see you in a few days, then?”

“Sure. Goodbye, Guin.”

Guin had to check the screen to see if the call had actually ended. It had.

“Whatever,” she muttered, and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. Funny, despite it all, she’d actually been looking forward to spending time with Beth. Or spending time with someone, anyway. Her capacity to relate to other women—in an actual, bona-fide relationship—was surprisingly shallow. Too many secrets. Well, one anyway. And she wasn’t about to share that with any woman she dated. Hell, it only takes three to sign committal paperwork. Guin laughed at her predicament, rubbed her forehead.