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“Stop.” Izzy put one finger over Sara’s lips. “Stop.” She touched Sara’s neck and guided her head down so their foreheads rested together. “I’m glad you’re here. I missed you too.”

  “I was an idiot.”

  Izzy smiled. “No.” A slight laugh escaped her. “I just needed to know this was real for you. Because it is very real for me.”

  “It is, Izzy. I’ll do anything for you. Including leaving Overton—”

  “Stop with that.” Izzy shook her head. “No one’s leaving anything.” She kissed Sara before letting her head rest against Sara’s chest, delighting in the feel of Sara’s arms around her waist. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled with a sigh. They could make everything right. “You love your job,” Izzy said calmly. She picked her head up and looked right at Sara. “And I love you.” She wiped at her damp cheeks. “And I trust you.” Leaning forward, her kiss was delicate and sweet but filled with desire, as she hoped all the love in her heart would be transferred through her actions. She cupped Sara’s beautiful face. “We’ll make it work. Okay?”

  She watched Sara nod slowly, her expression matching Izzy’s feelings exactly. In that moment Izzy wondered if there was anything they couldn’t overcome. She hooked her arm through Sara’s and guided them the few steps to the back door. Chase angled for the lead.

  “Nobody forgot about you, big guy,” Izzy teased. She touched his head with her free hand. “I’m going to get you a drink,” she said to Chase. “And you too, if you want.” She squeezed Sara’s hand. “But I have to get in the shower. My family will be here in a little bit.” At Sara’s confused look, Izzy reminded her. “My dad’s birthday. Everyone’s coming over for dinner. Please stay.” Her voice was all hope and Sara smiled.

  Forty-five minutes later, Izzy pulled her hair up off her face as she walked into the living room. “Will you help me hang these decorations?”

  “Of course.” Sara gave Chase one last win at tug-of-war before she stood from the couch.

  “Hey, did I miss anything important at school yesterday?”

  “No,” Sara said as she took the birthday banner and held it high. “The day was completely routine. You missed nothing. We did go over what to expect in certifications,” she said offhandedly.

  Izzy handed Sara tape. “Can I get a recap? Being in love with the lead instructor has to have some benefit,” she teased.

  “You’re lucky you’re cute. The test will comprise an outside area search, a room search, and package identification employing both high and low explosives. Nine out of ten finds must be correctly located for a passing score of ninety percent. Teams will be graded on the dog’s ability to identify the contraband and the handler’s skill at recognizing the behavior. You’re going to ace it.” Sara winked.

  “You think so?” she asked raising her eyebrows hopefully.

  “Absolutely.” Sara let out a heavy breath. “I don’t know any of the judges this time around,” she said. “Not that it matters.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Judging is always done by an outside panel of three nationally certified officials. But there’s rules. None of them can be affiliated with the host agency—DHS, in this case—or any of the participating handlers’ agencies. But still, it’s kind of a circuit. I judge for other agencies all the time. Usually I know at least one or two of the people that do ours, just because I’ve worked with them over time.”

  “Can I just say something?” Izzy said, unable to keep the spirit from her voice.

  “Of course. What is it?”

  “I’m so happy Nicole can’t judge me.” She broke into a little happy dance.

  “What?” Sara said laughing along with her.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure she’s judging me right now.” She shrugged happily. “Particularly after seeing us the other day.” She reached her arms around and hugged Sara from behind. “I’m just thrilled she can’t fail me on Monday.” She planted a kiss on her shoulder blade. “I was concerned, to be honest.”

  “Stop,” Sara said, but her voice was a little too intense. “You’re going to get a hundred. You know it.” She turned and squeezed Izzy closer. “I know it too. Plus, Nicole’s not even certified in K-9 and she wouldn’t do that, even if she was.”

  “Grrr.” Izzy faked annoyance. “Don’t ruin my moment by rushing to her defense.” She was mostly playing and she placed a frisky kiss on Sara’s lips so she would know. “Just let me enjoy my moment of bliss.”

  “Yes. Absolutely.” Sara leaned in close, and Izzy felt her warm breath as she nuzzled her neck. “I love you,” Sara whispered softly in her ear.

  “You better.” Izzy was teasing, but she knew it was true.

  As they finished adorning the house with festive birthday balloons, Izzy could barely keep her hands off Sara. What started as small touches quickly escalated, and soon she was straddling Sara on the living room couch.

  “We have to stop,” she said through a ragged breath. “My parents will be here any minute.”

  “I know, I know. You’re right,” Sara grumbled, her lips dancing across the exposed skin along Izzy’s collarbone.

  Izzy smiled, her fingertips gently scratching against Sara’s scalp as she lifted her face to plant an expressive kiss on Sara’s lips. “Later,” she said as she hopped up, holding her hands out for Sara to follow her lead. “I promise to make it worth the wait.”

  ***

  “You cleaned up without me.” Sara bent down to unclip Chase’s leash as she glanced around Izzy’s kitchen.

  “Of course. You took Chase out. That’s only fair.”

  Sara thought she got the better end of that trade-off.

  “There was hardly anything to do,” Izzy said, crossing the room to give her dog a nice rub on the head. “I owe you anyway.” Sara’s face must’ve shown her confusion at Izzy’s statement because Izzy elaborated, “I know it was a long week. And a challenging day.” She ran her hand up the center of Sara’s back, and Sara felt the touch warming her everywhere. “I love my family. But they are not easy. They grilled you about your job and your family.” Izzy kissed her shoulder. “You were an absolute sport. And now you shall be rewarded.”

  “What?” Sara managed to huff out a laugh with her question, but Izzy didn’t respond. She simply took her by the hand and guided her into the candlelit bedroom, the duvet drawn down. “What’s all this?” Sara asked. When Izzy answered with a shake of her head, Sara leaned forward to kiss her.

  Izzy stopped her. “Tonight, we take our time,” she said. Holding up a small tube of massage oil, she looked positively naughty. She slipped off her robe to reveal black lace panties and a matching bra. Sara felt Izzy tug at the hem of her shirt. “Your day, your week…” Sara saw heat in Izzy’s eyes as she shook her head back and forth. “I want you to relax. Is that okay?”

  Sara was simultaneously touched and turned on. “Izzy.” She worried her lip and reached for Izzy’s hand. “I just want to be with you.”

  “And you will.” Izzy’s smile was sweet and sexy as she guided Sara toward the bed. “Lie down.”

  Sara listened to the gentle instruction, slipping out of her clothes and between the cool sheets. Her heart pounded when she registered the silky skin of Izzy’s thighs straddling her own bare bottom. She felt herself struggling with the urge to flip over and take control, marking Izzy as hers with her mouth, her hands, her heart. But even as she contemplated it, Sara got lost in the feel of Izzy’s soft, delicate palms smoothing along her back, between her shoulder blades, and up to the muscles at the base of her neck.

  “Oh my God, that feels amazing,” she said, restraining herself from moaning under Izzy’s touch.

  Izzy’s hands worked into the most tender areas of her back and Sara couldn’t help but wonder how she knew so perfectly where to go.

  “Your back is super tight,” Izzy said. “I know you had a tense week.” She leaned forward to whisper in her ear, and Sara felt her full breasts pressing against her skin. “I feel part
ially responsible for that.”

  “Why?” Her voice was muffled by the pillow but her surprise came through.

  Izzy sat upright, concentrating on the middle of her back as she spoke. “I know I overreacted the other day.” She paused briefly. “When Nicole saw us,” she added, some anxiety present in her voice.

  Sara hated hearing Izzy blame herself for any part of what had happened with Nicole. Propping up on her elbows, she maneuvered herself so she could turn around without knocking Izzy off. Sara saw a lovely smile spread across Izzy’s face as she held her hips in place and settled against the mattress beneath her as she cozied in. She waited for Izzy’s stare to reach her eyes.

  “Izzy, you didn’t overreact.” She reached for Izzy’s hands and held them. “Honestly. I would have felt the same way if the situation was reversed.” She let out a long breath as she considered what to say. “I don’t want to talk about Nicole,” she said, registering the truth of her words as they came out.

  Izzy leaned all the way forward. “Good.” When they kissed, Sara felt Izzy’s soft tongue fill her mouth, and she moaned gently in response. “I’m not done with your massage yet,” Izzy crooned in her ear.

  Sara’s protest came in the form of a pathetic groan. She was wet and more than ready and didn’t know how much more foreplay she could endure. Plus in the forty-eight hours that had elapsed since she’d met with Nicole, one thing had emerged with crystal clarity. It wasn’t Nicole she wanted. It was Izzy she thought about nonstop. It was Izzy she hoped for a future with, regardless of how uncertain it might be. She’d known it from the second she’d seen Izzy step out of her cruiser all those months ago, and her desire had only grown over time. The realization made her yearn for Izzy desperately and she didn’t want to wait one more second. Sara reached forward, intending to pull Izzy into another long kiss, but Izzy resisted, offering only a smile at the plea as she squeezed more oil into her hands.

  “Tell me about graduation,” she said, applying slight pressure to the front and top of Sara’s shoulders.

  “It’s…nice,” Sara responded, trying to keep her focus as she moved her hips slightly against Izzy’s center. “It’ll be outside if the weather’s good. By the training field. They set up—” Her voice hitched when the center of Izzy’s palm brushed her nipples. “You are killing me. You know that.”

  Izzy laughed. “A little patience, Sara.” She licked her full lips carefully, a move Sara was sure was on purpose. “What’s the rush?”

  Sara whimpered, equally appreciative and frustrated.

  “You were saying?” Izzy egged her on.

  “I don’t even remember.” Sara pressed Izzy’s hips down as she moved against her deliberately. “What was I saying?”

  “You were telling me about Friday’s graduation.”

  Sara couldn’t hold in her smirk. “Right. That.” Izzy moved off her torso and kneaded her thigh muscles, working all the way down her legs. Seeing she wasn’t going to win the battle for control, Sara gave in. She hooked her hands behind her head and relished every second of Izzy’s hands massaging her body. “This whole week will be nice and light,” she said. “After certifications, which you will ace…” Her voice faded into a sigh as Izzy worked out a spasm in her calf before walking her fingers up her thigh. Her muscles melted into pliable putty under Izzy’s touch. Sara couldn’t control it when her voice dripped with delighted pleasure. “How do you do that?”

  Izzy just smiled and dropped a kiss on her kneecap in response.

  Sara shook her head, trying to remember the conversation. “Right, school,” she said, trying to concentrate on talking. “After certification finishes, probably Wednesday afternoon, we’ll spend the rest of the time just having fun.” She heard her voice lift and wondered if it was due to the stress physically leaving her body, the finality of the class session drawing to a close, or the fact that her half-naked girlfriend was inches away. Likely it was the glorious combination of all three. “We always reserve a full four days for certifications, just in case there are any issues or makeups needed, even though there rarely are. In that extra day and a half we’ll just do fun stuff. Play drills, have a cookout. It’s a good time.” She felt Izzy spread her legs wide apart and move between them, and she tried to control her voice. “Do you…I mean…do you want me to move?”

  Izzy smiled impishly as she shook her head. “I want you to relax.”

  She felt the tips of Izzy’s oiled fingers gently moving between her thighs as Izzy massaged her gently, the pressure barely there. Her stomach quivered.

  “Easy, babe.” Izzy placed one hand on her abs and leaned forward to place soft kisses over her belly.

  Sara was ready to burst, but she resisted her desire to dominate the situation, instead allowing Izzy to build her up. At the precise moment she thought she wouldn’t be able to take one more second, she felt Izzy’s tongue on her, at once soft and demanding.

  Izzy moaned into her and Sara’s breath caught. She wanted to give herself over immediately, but at the same time she wanted this incredible feeling to last forever. It hardly mattered. Under Izzy’s touch, her body had a mind of its own, and before she knew it, beyond her control, she bucked wildly, a series of uncharacteristic moans loudly escaping as her orgasm was suddenly upon her.

  Several long seconds passed before she was able to talk. “Izzy, that was…” She shook her head, unable to muster adequate praise to match her sentiment.

  “Shh.” Izzy placed sweet kisses on her chest and neck as she slipped to her side and held her close. “Go to sleep,” Izzy whispered, but Sara barely heard it. She was already halfway there, her hand over Izzy’s, her back to Izzy’s front, their breath rhythmically keeping time as she drifted off, feeling one hundred percent, completely surrounded in love.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “Can we spend the weekend at my place in Phoenicia after graduation?” Sara was packing her bag, reluctant to go back to campus.

  Izzy looped her arms around her waist. “On Friday?”

  Sara dropped a kiss on her nose. “I know your regular days off will change once you go back on patrol. I’m assuming you don’t have every weekend off.” It was sort of a question, since she was curious about Izzy’s rotating shifts. “I guess I just figured we could take advantage while you’re still on a training schedule.”

  Izzy smiled. “It does fluctuate a lot.” She traced the faded wording on Sara’s worn tee. “As for next weekend, I know my parents want to do dinner Friday night. As a kind of celebration.” She frowned. “I’m sorry. I know they’re a lot.”

  Sara shook her off emphatically. “Stop. I love them. You know that.”

  “We could go Saturday,” Izzy offered. “Or even drive up late Friday night. Would that be okay?”

  Sara nodded. In her back pocket she felt her phone buzz but ignored it. “It’s nice being there with you.”

  “It’s gorgeous there. Let’s count on it.” She patted Sara’s bottom playfully. “You can check your phone, you know.” She doled out another good-natured smack. “Even though we both know who it is.” Sara laughed at her eye roll and winced when the caller ID confirmed Izzy’s presumption.

  “I knew it,” Izzy said backing into the kitchen. “Wouldn’t be the weekend if she didn’t call.”

  Sara read the text quickly, following Izzy’s path. “Hey, Iz,” she started. Sara wasn’t sure if it was the gravity in her tone or the look on her face but she noticed Izzy stiffen as she spoke.

  “What is it?” Izzy asked.

  “Nothing.” Sara took a step toward her, hoping her closeness would relax Izzy. “She just had a question about funding. For the K-9 program reboot.” She slid her phone back into her jeans. “I can recuse myself from that project, you know.”

  “That’s not necessary.” Izzy sighed. “Just promise to talk to me. Okay?”

  “Always.” Sara closed the distance between them. They’d spent the last twenty-four hours talking about everything. Baring their souls to
one another by providing missing details from their pasts, but more importantly jointly planning dreams of their future. Sara knew what she wanted and it seemed Izzy did too. And when they were together, talking and touching, everything was better than okay. It was perfect. “I wish I didn’t have to go,” she said.

  “You could stay.” Izzy ran her finger over Sara’s lips, down her chin, barely grazing the skin on her neck. She felt it everywhere.

  “No, I can’t.” Sara smiled. “And this is exactly why.” She reached for Izzy’s hand and brought it to her mouth, kissing the tips of her fingers one by one. “Certification starts tomorrow and you need to be well rested. We both know there’ll be very little sleep if I stay.” She dropped a kiss on her forehead.

  “I just wish it was over already.”

  “You are going to do great. Stop stressing.”

  “Will you find me and kiss me senseless when I’m done?”

  “How about this?” She tipped Izzy’s chin up with one finger. “I’m going to watch your test, obviously.” Sara kissed her lips softly. “When you get a perfect score, which you will, I’ll meet you by the kennel. In the same room where we bandaged you up the other day.” She kissed her again, running her thumb over the fading abrasion.

  “Promise?” Izzy’s voice sounded needy and it made her heart melt.

  “You have my word.” Sara wrapped her arms around Izzy’s soft, compact body. “Get some sleep tonight. That’s an order.”

  “You’re not the boss of me,” Izzy playfully retorted.

  “Oh yes, I am.” Sara felt herself beaming. “In this one isolated area”—she nodded in support of her self-righteous claim—“I absolutely am.”

  ***

  K-9 certifications were scheduled out over three days so every team could be granted ample time to complete the course, while factoring in for setup, breaks, judging, and debriefing sessions. By luck of the draw Izzy pulled a high number, which meant if everything went off without a hitch, her test was slated for late Wednesday morning. Even though she was bummed to have to wait around, it wasn’t so bad, and the downtime afforded her the ability to hang with her colleagues and their dogs. As a bonus she got to be front and center when Jen and Tempe passed with flying colors.