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DESCENT

Praise for Julie Cannon

In Power Play,“Cannon gives her readers a high stakes game full of

passion, humor, and incredible sex.”— Just About Write

“Heart 2 Heart has many hot, intense sex scenes; Lane and Kyle

sizzle across the pages…Cannon has given her readers a read that’s

fun as well as meaty.”— Just About Write

In Heartland “[t]here’s nothing coy about the passion of these unalike

dykes—it ignites at first encounter, and never abates…Cannon’s

well-constructed novel conveys more complexity of character and

less overwrought melodrama than most stories in the crowded genre

of lesbian-love-against-all-odds—a definite plus.”— Book Marks

In Heartland, “Julie Cannon has created a wonderful romance.

Rachel and Shivley are believable, likeable, bright, and funny. The

scenery of the ranch is beautifully described, down to the smells,

work, and dust. This is an extremely engaging book, full of humor,

drama, and some very hot, hot sex!”— Just About Write

“Cannon has given her readers a novel rich in plot and rich in

character development. Her vivid scenes touch our imaginations as

her hot sex scenes touch us in many other areas. Uncharted Passage

is a great read.”— Just About Write

“Julie Cannon’s novels just keep getting better and better! [ Just

Business] is a delightful tale that completely engages the reader. It’s

a must read romance!”— Just About Write

Visit us at www.boldstrokesbooks.com

By the Author

Come and Get Me

Heart 2 Heart

Heartland

Uncharted Passage

Just Business

Power Play

Descent

DESCENT

by

Julie Cannon

2010

descent

© 2010 By Julie Cannon. all Rights ReseRved.

isBn 10: 1-60282-160-7e

isBn 13: 978-1-60282-160-6e

This ElEcTronic Book is PuBlishEd By

Bold sTrokEs Books, inc.

P.o. Box 249

VallEy Falls, ny 12185

FirsT EdiTion: augusT 2010

This is a Work oF FicTion. naMEs, characTErs, PlacEs, and

incidEnTs arE ThE ProducT oF ThE auThor’s iMaginaTion or

arE usEd FicTiTiously. any rEsEMBlancE To acTual PErsons,

liVing or dEad, BusinEss EsTaBlishMEnTs, EVEnTs, or localEs

is EnTirEly coincidEnTal.

This Book, or ParTs ThErEoF, May noT BE rEProducEd in any

ForM WiThouT PErMission.

CRedits

EdiTor: cindy crEsaP

ProducTion dEsign: sTacia sEaMan

coVEr dEsign By shEri (graPhicarTisT2020@hoTMail.coM)

Acknowledgments

Thank you never seems to be enough to say to all the people behind the

scenes who allow my fantasies to come to life on the page. Unfortunately,

that’s all I have, and because they are who they are, that’s all they need.

Thanks.

Dedication

For Laura

Every single one, every single time.

Descent

PRologuE

Don’t fall, don’t stumble, don’t trip, the cadence in her head

echoed with each step. Her head was spinning, her heart

racing in direct competition with her shaking legs as she climbed to the

top of the winner’s platform. The crowd chanted her name as she finally

arrived at her destination.

This was more than about winning. Much, much more. It was the

achievement of everything she had worked a lifetime for. Millions of

beads of sweat, thousands of hours of practice, and untold sacrifices to

get to this point. She was the best in the world. She had proven it. To

herself, her critics, and her adversaries.

She was finally here. She should be euphoric, ecstatic, on top of

the world. This should be the happiest day of her life. But all she felt

was empty. Hundreds of people surrounded her, but she was alone,

totally alone when it really mattered.

She scanned the crowd searching for the only person that mattered.

She recognized many familiar faces, but none contained the crystal

clear eyes that she desperately wanted to see.

Her name was called and she stepped forward.

• 13 •

• 14 •

Descent

ChaPTER oNE

Yeah, baby,” Shannon shouted into the cool, crisp morning

air. The sun was at her back and the dew on the pine trees

to her right had evaporated under the warm rays of the first day of

June. Gripping her handlebars tightly and bending her knees, she pulled

her lithe body and ultra-light carbon frame bike up and over the root

snaking diagonally across the trail. Her thighs worked in tandem with

the shocks on the front and rear of her custom-made bicycle and she

landed on the hard dirt path with barely an impact.

She dodged a low-hanging branch and flew down the mountain,

zigzagging around rocks, downed trees, and an occasional squirrel

scampering across her path. The trail was a single track, no wider than

one rider could traverse, one of her favorites. The trail was bound on

one side by rocks and trees while the other dangerously dropped off

the side of the mountain. She was in the middle of the San Bernardino

Forest in central California careening down Big Bear Mountain and life

didn’t get much better than this.

At the base of the trail she skidded to a stop, turned around, and

looked at the path she just descended. She pumped her fist into the

air. “Gotcha this morning, girl. This time I beat you. It’s about time.”

She faced the eight-thousand-foot mountain behind her. “I don’t need

another patch of road rash or bent frame.” She took a long drink from

her CamelBak, the water inside still cool.

Her monologue with the mountain complete, Shannon pedaled

across the dirt parking lot to the chair lift that would take her back to

the top of the mountain. It would be her fourth ride of the day and she

• 15 •

JuliE CaNNoN

would push herself harder this time. The championship series was less

than a month away. Eleven races over thirteen weeks in Canada and

several countries in Europe including Andorra, Spain, and Switzerland,

culminating with the twenty-four-hour mountain bike championship in

Australia that would determine the world’s best rider.

This time Shannon had to wait in line to board the Snow Summit

Scenic Sky Chair. It was after ten and the tourists had arrived to ride

the breathtaking Sky Chair to the top of Big Bear Mountain. Once at

the summit everyone from walkers, recreational bikers, pro riders,

and everything in between would find a trail to suit their skill level. If

nothing else, they could have a light snack at the restaurant and eat on

picnic tables overlooking the dark blue of Big Bear Lake.

Shannon’s critical eye told her that the couple sliding onto the lift

chair were going to neck the entire eighteen-minute ride, the elderly

man behind them would head directly for one of the hiking trails, and

she hoped the baby boomers in front of her stayed on the gentle North

Shore bike path.

She stepped forward watching the lift operator assist riders onto

the chair or hang their bikes on the hooks specially made for the summer

riders. The woman had been working the lift on her earlier rides and

Shannon had made good use of the time in line. The worker was cute

in a baby butch kind of way with a rock-hard ass, well-defined muscles

in her legs, and an equally impressive physique from the waist up. She

looked vaguely familiar but Shannon couldn’t put her finger on where

she had seen her before. She hoped she hadn’t been with her and didn’t

remember.

Jackie was stamped into the name tag pinned high on the prominent

breasts and when she caught and held Shannon’s eye they conveyed

equal interest.

“Going up again?” Jackie asked none too subtly as her gaze ran

up and down Shannon’s body. Her tight bike shorts and tank top left

little if anything to the imagination, but the look on Jackie’s face said

her imagination was working just fine. She reached for Shannon’s bike

to hang it on the hook.

Shannon held firm to her bike and Jackie’s gaze once it finally

stopped on her face. Her pulse sped up, her stomach tingled in that

familiar way it did when she was attracted to someone, and she sensed

• 16 •

Descent

a liaison on the horizon. Out of the peripheral of her vision, Shannon

noticed that the handlebar of her bike was just low enough to be in

direct line with Jackie’s crotch. Keeping eye contact, she edged the bike

closer and when Jackie’s eyes widened and grew dark, Shannon knew

she hit her mark.

“Actually, I prefer going down. The faster the better.” She arched

an eyebrow as if to say, “I know you know what I mean.”

Three chairs arrived and left the entry point before Jackie

responded. Her voice was low and suggestive.

“I didn’t doubt it for a minute.” She looked around as if checking

for her boss or anyone within earshot. “Speaking of minutes, I have a

break in fifteen.” She nodded in the direction of the top of the lift.

Why not, Shannon thought. It had been a few weeks since she

had enjoyed the company of another woman and this one was certainly

willing. It was obvious she wasn’t looking for love. At least Shannon

hoped she wasn’t. It might be awkward afterward with Jackie working

at the lift, but it wouldn’t be the first time she ran into a previous lover.

She knew what to do. She had plenty of experience in how to handle

that situation.

“About a quarter mile east on 210N are two downed trees,”

Shannon replied referring to one of the trails identified by the markers

along the path. She was rewarded with a sly wink and a look that

promised much more than what she had come to the mountain for.

• 17 •

• 18 •

Descent

ChaPTER Two

How many times are you going to lift that?”

“Just one more set.”

“Caroline, you’ve already done at least five and that’s only the

ones I saw. Who knows how many I didn’t. We’ve been here for two

hours. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Gritting her teeth, Caroline lifted the weight bar over her chest.

She was on her back, her arms shaking, and she felt her left arm begin

to lose strength. The bar started to shift dangerously.

“God damn it, Caroline,” her best friend Fran Loming growled as

she stepped forward to take the weight out of her hands and put it back

in the bracket. “Now you’re being stupid.”

“Okay, okay, you win,” Caroline said, sitting up.

“It’s not about me winning. It’s about you. You’re pushing yourself

too hard.”

Caroline wiped the sweat from her face, giving herself a few extra

seconds before she had to respond. Fran was only three days older than

Caroline and was equally dedicated to her thrice weekly workout. They

met their freshman year at Columbia, and after a few short months

exchanged roommates and lived together for the remainder of their

undergrad years and their advanced degree as well.

“I know, I know,” Caroline replied with absolutely no intention of

letting up on her training regime. If anything, she was going to step it

up a notch.

“Why is it I don’t believe you?”

• 19 •

JuliE CaNNoN

Caroline didn’t have to see the look on Fran’s face to know she

was probably rolling her eyes at her. “Because I’m committed to

winning this year?” she asked over her shoulder as she approached the

stationary bikes. She knew Fran would follow her.

“And why is this year any different? Do you expect me to believe

that for the past ten years you’ve been screaming down mountains,

negotiating hairpin turns, peeling more than an acre or two of skin off

your bones, and almost killing yourself, more than once I might add,

just for something to do on the weekend? And why in the hell are you

getting on the bike?” Fran pointed at the stationary machine. “Doesn’t

your ass spend enough time in the saddle?”

Caroline could only shake her head. “Fran, it’s not that bad. I

haven’t had a serious fall since the one in Arizona and that one wasn’t

my fault. That bitch Martin cut into my lane.” Caroline stifled an

involuntary shudder remembering the nasty thirty-foot spill she took

down the side of the mountain. More than her pride had been wounded.

She had broken her leg in three places and it had taken over twenty

stitches to close the gash in her left arm. She was very lucky. If a large

boulder had not stopped her fall, it would have been much worse.

“I don’t care whose fault it was, and that’s beside the point.”

Caroline loved Fran, and at one time hoped there might be

something more between them than just friends, but Fran was as straight

as they came and Caroline didn’t want to lose her as a friend. They had

seen each other through numerous boyfriends, girlfriends, jobs, cars,

and races. Fran was a recreational mountain bike rider, more interested

in seeing nature than conquering it.

Fran looked at her with the exasperated expression that was,

unfortunately, far too familiar to Caroline. “Come on, Fran, you know

how much this championship means to me.” Fran did, and Caroline

didn’t know why she asked such a stupid question. She had been training

practically nonstop for the past twelve months, determined to be in top

physical condition going into the world mountain bike championships.

The last five months she’d ridden in several smaller races to get her

body back into the groove of biking again.

The championship was run on some of the toughest downhill

courses in the world. The scoring was similar to the Tour de France

where riders earned points from not only winning a specific race but

• 20 •

Descent

also based on their race time and if they finished in the top three places.

Every race was a different distance, technically more complex as the

series continued, and grueling as they passed through several different

time zones every two weeks.

“I know, I know, knucklehead. I want you to win almost more

than you do. I’m tired of traipsing all over the world after you.” Fran’s

attention was drawn to a buff thirtysomething walking by with more

than a few hard muscles.

Caroline took advantage of her distraction to increase her pace

for a quick sprint. Before she had a chance to finish, Fran was turning

back to her. She slowed down, too tired to spar with her. Fran was an

attorney and Caroline lost every argument. She climbed off the bike

and took a swig of the blue liquid in her water bottle. “You love it and

you know it. What was his name, Carlos or something or another? You

know, the one in São Paulo? Or was it Belize?” Caroline snapped her

fingers. “No, I remember it was—” She didn’t get a chance to finish

before Fran swatted her with her towel.

“Shut up. It was Julian in São Paulo and Gerhard in Amsterdam.”

They walked into the locker room shedding their sweat-soaked T-shirts.

“You’re just jealous,” Fran said proudly. “Because I’m getting some

and you’re too busy training to have someone’s hands on your butt

instead of a bike seat.”

Caroline opened her mouth to rebut her comment but closed it

when she realized it was true. When was the last time someone had

their hand on her ass? When was the last time she wanted someone’s

hand on her ass, or any other part for that matter?

Caroline wasn’t a virgin, but she wasn’t getting anywhere near the

action Fran was. When she wasn’t training, she was studying for her

Ph.D. in astrophysics. Other than Fran, she had a few friends but most

had given up on her ever going out with them. A wet shirt landed on her

head drawing her attention back to the conversation.

“Hey, CD, you with me?” Fran asked using the nickname she

insisted on calling Caroline after watching her race for the first time.

Caroline was too hard a name to scream in encouragement, and her

last name of Davis was too butch, so Fran settled on Caroline’s initials

instead.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Caroline tossed the stinky garment back at

• 21 •

JuliE CaNNoN

her. Suddenly feeling like she owed Fran more than simple thanks for

sticking with her, she stripped down to her birthday suit and dashed

toward the showers. “Last one out of the shower buys the drinks at

Maloney’s.” She heard Fran shriek as she shut the curtain behind her.

v

Fran was on her second Cape Cod when Caroline finished her

third bottle of water. She was never much of a drinker and certainly not

two weeks before the first race of the series. Maloney’s was the only

lesbian bar in Stockton, a little more than a wide spot in the road fifty

miles due west of Colorado Springs. Caroline had been training there

for the past six months getting acclimated to the high altitude as well as

honing her skill on the dozens of downhill courses in the area.

Caroline glanced around the room. It was a typical bar with two

pool tables in a room to the right and high tables scattered around a

square dance floor where she had scooted her boots with a few local

girls. Even though she was in training, Caroline wasn’t dead and one of

the first things she noticed when she moved to Stockton was that more

than just the countryside was breathtaking.

“Go talk to her.”

Fran nudged Caroline in the side. “What?”

“Go talk to her.” Fran nodded toward a woman sitting at the end

of the bar.

“Who?”

“Who, hell, Caroline. The woman over there you can’t stop looking

at.” Fran lifted her head and nodded in the direction of the woman sitting

three tables away. She had long blond hair, and what drew Caroline’s

attention were the firm, tanned limbs jetting out from cutoff jeans and a

yellow tank top. God, she loved summer in the Rockies.

“Go on.” Fran nudged her.

“I’m not leaving you here. We came to have a drink, not for me to

pick up a woman.” Caroline took another sip of her water. The woman

was striking, Caroline thought as she glanced over quickly. “And for

God’s sake, Fran,” Caroline looked at her watch, “it’s three in the

afternoon.”

“You’re here, she’s here, who gives a shit what time it is? I’d

• 22 •

Descent

dump you in a heartbeat if I had someone like that looking at me like I

was dessert.”

“What are you talking about?” Caroline looked up as the bartender

placed another bottle of water in front of her.

“You know what I mean. I’ve dumped you on more than one

occasion in just this situation when some guy caught my fancy. And

she’s looking at you as much as you are looking at her and you both

know it. I’m a big girl. I can find my way home. Now go.”

Fran elbowed her off the stool. Caroline had a decision to make.

She could either go over and introduce herself or be harassed by Fran

for weeks about this missed opportunity. The last thing she wanted was

the latter and she wasn’t sure she was up to the former. It had been a

long time since she had started a conversation with a total stranger and

even longer since she had been touched by one. Fran was right; she did

need a time-out from the nonstop training schedule she had been on.

Maybe a little R&R would give her the break she needed before the

long trek of events began. Once the first race began, it would be nothing

but pressure and competition for the next twelve weeks. The woman

looked her way, and even though Caroline was out of practice, there

was no mistaking the look of invitation in the woman’s eyes. Caroline

didn’t need to be asked twice.

v

“Shit,” Shannon exclaimed into the neck of the woman in front

of her. It was her favorite word when she couldn’t think of anything

else, and the way her orgasm had just rocketed from the tip of her toes

through the top of her head, there was nothing else she could think of.

Jackie was every bit as adventurous as Shannon had hoped she would

be. A few minutes earlier when Jackie rounded the corner of the trail,

Shannon stepped out from behind a wide pine tree and without saying

a word they both disappeared into the thick forest. They had only gone

about thirty yards when Shannon was grabbed from behind and pushed

up against a large boulder. In an instant one hand was under her shirt,

the other inside her bike shorts, and warm, wet lips were on her neck.

She was more than ready, having thought about taking the ride

• 23 •

JuliE CaNNoN

operator out here in the open, under the bright sunshine. Outdoor sex

was her favorite and the anticipation had her primed. Jackie had an

exquisite mouth and talented fingers. She licked, sucked, and fondled

Shannon until she exploded and fell limp, squeezed between Jackie and

the hard rock. She let herself be taken away a second time and a third

before stilling Jackie’s hand with her own. Between the high altitude

and the blazing orgasms, Shannon’s head spun. She gave herself a few

moments to enjoy the sensation then, catching up quickly, had Jackie’s

shirt over her head and her shorts down around her knees in seconds.

She reversed their positions pinning Jackie to the smooth face of

the rock. She didn’t waste any time on kissing her, but went straight

for the luscious breasts that had tormented her thoughts during the

eighteen-minute ride to the top of the mountain. She licked and sucked

her way around one large breast, then the other without touching the

erect nipples. Jackie grabbed her hair and pulled her closer.

Shannon concentrated on evading the tempting peak and slid down

her body planting hard kisses and quick nips on the exposed flesh. She

was tempted to linger and tease Jackie’s clitoris, but when she realized

that her entire pubis area was fully exposed, she could not stop the

overwhelming desire to bury her tongue in the pale flesh.

Jackie willingly spread her legs allowing Shannon the access

she wanted. She opened her eyes and looked up. Jackie’s hands were

on her own breasts, her head thrown back as if worshiping the sun

riding high in the cloudless sky. Shannon’s own desire sparked again

as she devoured the scent and taste of Jackie. In a matter of minutes,

Jackie grabbed the back of her head and shuddered against her mouth.

Shannon tasted the orgasm and with her own trembling hand brought

herself to climax again.

• 24 •

Descent

ChaPTER ThREE

Caroline woke in her own bed with only a vague recollection

how she got there. It was still dark and she sat up to see the

clock. “Three a.m.? Oh God.” She flopped back on the hard mattress.

Her mouth tasted like tissue paper, and when she climbed out of bed,

the muscles in her normally flexible legs talked back to her.

Paula? Paulette? Pauline? Caroline struggled for the name of the

woman who, over the course of more hours than she could remember,

had fucked her senseless. She stepped over her dog Max and stumbled

into the bathroom. She didn’t know what she needed more, to pee or

take two aspirin. Necessity and Mother Nature forced the former and

she tried to push the aching muscles to the back of her mind.

She had started riding as a way to lose weight when she was in her

early teens and had fallen in love with the freedom she felt careening

down the mountainside. She missed the early days of riding simply for

the sheer joy of it. Exploring bike paths, making her own trails in the

deserts of Phoenix, the mountains of Moab or Monument Valley. Every

ride was an adventure, an investigation of the terrain, the challenge to

her body. And it was her body that reminded her that she had been taken

on a very different physical adventure yesterday afternoon.

Paulie, yes, that was it. Paulie had quickly agreed to a game of

pool, a drink, another drink, and an early dinner. Caroline was dessert.

Or was it Paulie that was dessert? She certainly was a tasty treat even

without the whipped cream she offered to pull out of the fridge. They

had spent the remaining hours after dinner and before midnight doing

almost everything imaginable to each other. At least Caroline thought

• 25 •

JuliE CaNNoN

it was everything. She knew what went where and why, but Paulie had

surprised her a few times. She would have to remember those moves

for future reference. Not with Paulie of course; that was definitely a

one-time thing. But she would keep that technique and new skill in the

back of her mind for when the right opportunity came up.

She dropped back into bed for the few more hours of sleep she

needed and when her alarm went off at six, she cussed at it. She shuffled

into the shower and under the hard, hot spray. She racked her mind to

remember what she had to do that day. Riding was a given but there

was something she needed too. Note cards! That was it. Her supply of

note cards was getting dangerously low and she would have to stop off

at OfficeMax on the way to the library.

Caroline was in the final stages of preparing to defend her

dissertation on supernova-driven interstellar turbulence and she found

that by outlining her main research points on large index cards, she

could better organize her thoughts. She knew the data like she knew

every bend and dip on her favorite downhill trail, but she was nervous.

This was the big time. Her future would be set when she received her

Ph.D. in astrophysics. She was going to work for NASA. It was a

dream she had since the first time she looked into the sky with the cheap

telescope her father bought her for Christmas. Now, after almost twenty

years of school, the last seven at Columbia University, everything she

had ever worked for was within her grasp.

She was scheduled to stand before a committee of the faculty

only three weeks after the final race in the championship series. The

actual date she had been given was out of her control. The committee

had determined the date and she could either accept or decline. By

declining, she would have to reapply and if accepted wait an additional

year before the committee met again. Her hands were tied and she had

to make the best of it. It would be difficult to concentrate on both her

thesis and her races, but Caroline was bound and determined to finish

both of these chapters in her life at the top.

v

Shannon ripped open the envelope with the familiar return address

of Mount Holyfield Academy embossed in the thick white paper. MHA,

• 26 •

Descent

as the students called it, was one of the most prestigious girls’ boarding

schools in Connecticut. Acceptance was limited to two hundred each

year and it had been widely rumored that the daughters of several

presidents had been denied admission. Shannon knew how she had

received one of the coveted slots, but hadn’t really thought about her

school years in, well, years.

Christian and Virginia Roberts were the richest of the rich in Palm

Beach. Christian was lucky enough to be born into wealth while his

wife was skilled enough to marry into it. Shannon was their only child

and they provided her with everything. Every earthly thing money

could buy, that is. Everything except love.

Her parents didn’t know how to love unconditionally. They had

not grown up in warm, loving households, but had been raised by a

series of nannies and governesses. Her mother had gone to MHA and it

was without question her daughter would as well.

Shannon rebelled against the confinement money placed on her.

She hated the parties, events, and vacations she had been forced to

attend that bored the ever-living hell out of her. The clothes her mother

wore were starched within an inch of their life. The dresses were made

of only the finest fabric, and her shoes the latest style direct from the

runways in Paris. Elizabeth had dressed Shannon in her image the first

four years of her life, but it was on her fifth birthday when Shannon

strode into the room in a pair of the most expensive pants she had cut off

at the knees. She remembered the look on her mother’s face and wasn’t

sure if it was shock for what her child had done or the embarrassment

her child caused. Either way, Shannon ceased to be the apple of her

mother’s eye.

A crisp invitation detailing her ten-year reunion gave Shannon a

paper cut. While she sucked the small slit in her finger, she read the

information that invited her to dine, reminisce, and reconnect with

her fellow alumni. And cough up money, she thought to herself. At

least three times a year MHA tracked her down and attempted to guilt

her into contributing money to the school. Her parents had doled out

enough of their cash while she was there, and Shannon saw no reason

why she should after she left. Her education there was done. She had no

intention of attending the two-day event.

The invitation and the rest of her mail still in her hand, Shannon

• 27 •

JuliE CaNNoN

detoured into the spare bedroom she had converted to an office. She’d

bought the cabin four years ago and it was pretty much in the same

condition as when she unlocked the door after getting the keys. It

was small by Big Bear Lake standards. The house itself was only two

thousand square feet, sitting in the middle of half an acre of prime

lakefront property. She hadn’t done anything to the interior other than

hang a picture here and there. The solid wood floors were covered

in throw rugs that she had literally thrown on the floor. They were

called throw rugs for a reason, she had told one of her many overnight

guests.

Two stripped bike frames, a dozen wheels minus their tires, several

boxes of components, and a variety of other biking gear created an

obstacle course Shannon stepped around before she reached a crowded

bookshelf. It took several minutes for her to find what she was looking

for—a thin, hardbound book a little larger than a legal pad at the bottom

of a pile of other, much smaller books. Shannon loved to read and saved

practically every book she had read. Every wall in the room was filled

with bookcases containing hundreds of books ranging from lesbian

fiction to the supernatural to home repair manuals.

The book weighed very little and just looking at the image of

the majestic eagle soaring over a mountain filling the cover brought

back memories. Shannon plopped into the worn recliner in the corner

and hesitated before opening the dusty cover. She shouldn’t, she told

herself. Don’t go down memory lane without a map. Or at least a plan

to get back out. Ignoring her inner voice, she opened the book to the

familiar page.

The picture of Caroline was so clear it was as if Shannon was

looking at the real thing. A baseball cap pulled low on her head partially

obscured her face but not enough that you couldn’t see the twinkle

of mischief in the dark eyes, the slight scar above the left eyebrow, a

freckle just below her right cheekbone. She was laughing, her teeth

perfectly straight and blistering white. Shannon knew Caroline’s hair

was shoulder length, but in this picture it was pulled back and through

the opening in the back. This time the soaring eagle was embroidered

on the front of the cap.

The picture didn’t do her justice. Actually, since her picture was

with all the other graduating seniors she was really more a young

• 28 •

Descent

woman than a girl. A very sexy, sensuous woman. And all woman.

Staring back at Shannon was her first real girlfriend. Not one of the girls

she had fiddled around with in the backseat of a car or the last row in

a movie theater. Each time they were together it was as if one moment

she was floating on air, then riding a roller coaster the next. Shannon

remembered how completely out of her mind she was for Caroline.

She thought about her when they weren’t together, and the last thing at

night, and when they were able to sneak away for some together time,

she was totally focused on her and only her.

Shannon often thought she was in love with her. She was a girl

with the perfect family, the knockout body, and the intelligence to

match. But she also scared the holy hell out of her. Caroline challenged

her in ways Shannon didn’t think possible. She made her think and

stretch her imagination. She made it safe for Shannon to dream. The sex

was incredible, as sex is when you’re seventeen, but it was everything

else about her that drove Shannon to carelessness when it came to her.

That same carelessness was how she felt going down the mountain with

nothing between her and the jagged rocks and trees below but her skill

and nerve.

Shannon had tried not to think about Caroline over the years.

Their paths intersected more often than she cared but not as much as

they could have. She competed on the European circuit while Caroline

had remained on the American tour. When their schedules did coincide,

by some unspoken agreement, they were both careful not to cross

too closely. What would she say if they had? What would she say to

Caroline Davis if she really took the chance?

• 29 •

• 30 •

Descent

ChaPTER FouR

The plane touched down in Montreal forty-five minutes

late. Caroline grabbed her backpack from under the seat in

front of her and prepared to wait while the other one hundred eighty-

nine passengers jockeyed for position in the narrow aisle. She could

understand those that had to make connections and, thankfully, she

wasn’t one of them. After almost six hours of traveling she wasn’t

quite to her final destination of the first race of the series but was close

enough to still be in a hurry.

When the crowd thinned Caroline stood, careful not to bang her

head on the overhead compartment. She had done that twice on this

trip; the second time a nasty curse shot out of her mouth before she had

a chance to stop it.

After stopping at the ladies room, Caroline followed the signs to

baggage claim. The carousel for her flight had not yet started to spin,

and her fellow passengers were standing three deep in anticipation of

their bags passing within reach. She heard her name being called and

turned to see a man in his twenties dressed in cargo shorts and a T-shirt

with the phrase “I went down on Mount Brome” in red letters across his

impressive chest. He was holding a handmade sign with her last name

on it, signaling to Caroline he was her ride.

“Over here, I’m Caroline Davis,” she called after raising her hand.

The look on the man’s face turned from one of bored acceptance to

immediate interest. Caroline cringed. She had seen that look many

times. At five foot five inches, her muscular body caught more than her

share of attention from both sexes. Sometimes she was flattered, proud

• 31 •

JuliE CaNNoN

of what her hard work had produced, and other times she was just plain

disinterested. Since the looker was a six foot male, this was definitely

one of those times. The forty-five-minute drive to the mountain was

going to feel much longer than that.

“Mademoiselle Davis, bienvenue à Montréal. Je suis votre pilote

Jacque. Welcome to Montreal. I am Jacque, your driver.” He repeated

in English with more than a touch of a French accent.

“Thank you,” Caroline replied. Her French was practically

nonexistent, but she had picked up on his greeting. When she replied,

his eyes betrayed his interest and she groaned to herself. The last thing

she needed was to have to dodge a suitor.

“Let me take that for you,” he said in English. “Do you have other

bags?”

“Yes, I have two and a bicycle carrier.”

A voice overhead told the waiting crowd that their luggage was

now available on carousel twelve. A moment later a buzzer sounded

and bags of all sizes and colors started spitting out of the conveyor belt

tumbling onto the circling carousel.

“Mine are blue hard case with stickers of bikes on them.” Caroline

had learned early in her traveling career to make her bags as distinct as

possible. It never ceased to amaze and irritate her when people could

not identify their own luggage. She shook her head as a man practically

took out several other waiting passengers while attempting to read the

small luggage tag on a bag as it passed by.

“There is one of them,” Jacque said drawing her attention back to

the luggage moving by. He stepped forward and retrieved her suitcase,

lifting it as if it were filled with feathers instead of her biking gear. No

matter how little she packed, her helmet, knee pads, shin guards, and

chest protector took up most of the room and she needed two bags to

contain all her gear. Jacque snagged the second bag.

“We must go to the other side for your bicycle carrier,

mademoiselle. The oversize bags are not delivered here.”

“Yes, I know,” she snapped more sharply than she intended and

immediately softened her voice. “It’s over there, isn’t it?” She pointed

to the far side of the baggage claim area. God, she was irritable. Maybe

she needed a nap, or a good night’s sleep. Maybe she just needed to stop

thinking about Shannon Roberts. But that was easier said than done as

• 32 •

Descent

she scanned every face in the area for the one that had tormented and

teased her dreams for years.

Sitting in the second row of seats in the van, her bags and bike

stacked neatly in the rear, Caroline dodged Jacque’s attempt to make

conversation. Finally, he got the message she wasn’t interested in him

or his chatter and he turned his focus on the road in front of them. As he

drove, she didn’t even pretend to observe the passing countryside on her

way to Brodale, a tourist destination well known for its downhill skiing

in the winter and for being the host of the first race in the mountain bike

championship series. Caroline let her mind drift to Shannon.

They would run into each other again sometime during this race.

They had to. They were competing in the same event, would attend

some of the same sponsor events and mingle with the same people.

Shit, she thought, there was a good chance they’d be standing next to

each other in first and second place on the winner’s stand.

The last time they were together was in Boulder for the U.S.

Downhill Championships. They had managed to avoid each other most

of the three days of the event, but occasionally their paths crossed.

They were polite and civil, exchanging a few inconsequential words,

but nothing of real importance. The last time they had said anything

even remotely meaningful was that day more than ten years ago.

v

Shannon tipped the bellman and dropped her backpack on the bed.

She needed to unpack, shower, eat, and blow off some of her nervous

energy, but not necessarily in that order. She glanced around the spacious

room and didn’t think twice about the size, the amenities, or the sheer

luxury of the suite. She always traveled first class whether for her own

personal pleasure or because her endorsement contract stipulated it.

She had more money than most. At twenty-two, she’d inherited a large

chunk of money from a trust fund set up by her great-aunt and it was

doubled when she hit twenty-five. In two years when she reached thirty,

it would double again.

Great-Aunt Martha had been a lesbian long before it was okay

to be out. Everyone in the family thought she was simply a spinster

schoolteacher, but one look at her pictures and Shannon knew otherwise.

• 33 •

JuliE CaNNoN

She barely remembered the woman; she’d died when Shannon was

eight, but according to her mother, Great-Aunt Martha had spent several

summers with them when Shannon was small. She must have been able

to tell that Shannon was going to be a lesbian even at her young age.

Why else would she leave millions of dollars to a great-niece she barely

knew?Shannon stripped, left her clothes where they fell, and stepped

into the shower. Her intent was to wash off the travel grime, slip into

something that said “I’m showing you mine, now you show me yours,”

and go out on the town after the sponsors’ meet and mingle tonight. She

had been keyed up about this race more than usual and she knew why.

“Caroline.”

The name slipped off her tongue and into the steam with very little

effort, but the effect caught Shannon by surprise. Her breath stuck in

her throat, her nipples tightened under the bar of soap, and the point

between her legs began to throb insistently.

She would see Caroline sometime in the next week and the thought

never ceased to arouse her. She closed her eyes remembering. The feel

of her touch, the softness of her lips, the smooth skin in that special

place where her thighs joined the rest of her body. And that voice. The

sound of her own name drifting off Caroline’s lips at that moment when

they were one was the sound music tried to imitate.

The memory evoked long dormant emotions, and Shannon’s

hands floated over her body as she fantasized about the time they had

sex in the shower. It was the summer between their junior and senior

year. They both had stayed at Mount Holyfield after most of the girls

had gone home for the ten-week break. Shannon’s parents were touring

Europe, and Caroline was doubling up on courses hoping it would

ensure her acceptance at Columbia.

Shannon entered the locker room after finishing a grueling tennis

match against the local pro. She hadn’t beat him, but she had come

damn near close this time. If that gorgeous woman in the tight shorts

hadn’t walked by when she had, she would have caught up to his drop

shot. Instead, she was left flat-footed with her mouth practically hanging

open and he had won the set and the match.

Sweat droplets dripped off her hair and her clothes were plastered

against her body as she approached the locker. The humidity in

• 34 •

Descent

Connecticut was brutal this time of the year and every inch of her was

wet. Unlocking the small door, she heard a sound to her left and after

drying off her face with her towel, turned to see a gorgeous girl standing

not fifteen feet from her. When she looked again Shannon realized that

the girl was actually one of her classmates.

Caroline Davis was in several of her classes and they had exchanged

a few words now and then and were lab partners for a semester. They

were both involved in mountain bike racing and had raced against

each other for the past year, but were on different teams. Shannon was

in heaven, getting the opportunity to stand close to the hottest girl in

school, but Caroline always backed off when Shannon tried to become

more than simply friendly. Lesbianism was taboo at the all-girls school,

but those that were knew those that were and sex happened in their

rooms, closets, empty classrooms, and any other place two young,

horny teenagers could find. It was in the deserted locker room when

Shannon made her move.

They had danced around their attraction with words and sly looks

until Shannon finally took control. Caroline was wrapped in a towel

and headed to the showers unaware that Shannon was on her heels.

When she stepped inside the private enclosure, Shannon followed.

Caroline’s eyes went wide with surprise then turned dark,

something Shannon came to recognize as desire. When she reached

behind her back to lock the thin metal door, Caroline reached for her.

As if it had been choreographed, they came together with lips, hands,

fingers, and heat. Shannon spun around, pinning Caroline against

the door with her body. Breasts slid against breasts, thighs scissored

together, and Shannon could not get enough of the girl who had been

the object of her dreams and the source of her frustration for months.

Caroline’s body was every bit as soft and firm as she had imagined.

Her curves were curvy, her muscles hard and defined, and those special

womanly places warm and silky. Caroline grabbed her head and pulled

her closer when Shannon’s mouth circled one nipple, then the other.

She licked and sucked and ravaged the flesh with passion she never

knew she had. She almost came when Caroline said her name.

The banging of a door reminded Shannon that they were not

alone and she dragged her mouth off the luscious, full breasts. Quickly

turning on the water to drown the sounds of their adventure, she pulled

• 35 •

JuliE CaNNoN

them both into the warm water. Caroline was shorter than she was by

about four inches, and when she wrapped her arms around Shannon’s

neck and rose up on her toes, Shannon grabbed her ass with both hands

and lifted her. Caroline got the message and locked her legs around her

waist. Shannon bent her knees slightly to support them both.

Shannon’s hand slid down Caroline’s ass and one finger slid

easily into her. Caroline took control of her own pleasure and Shannon

remembered holding on for the ride. Grinding her crotch into Shannon’s

stomach, Caroline’s breasts were inches from Shannon’s mouth and she

was not going to let that opportunity go by. Alternately sucking and

biting each nipple and sliding her finger in and out of her pussy in

tempo to Caroline’s thrusting, it wasn’t long before she felt Caroline

stiffen, freeze for just an instant, then climax.

Wave after wave of pleasure rocked through Caroline and Shannon

felt every spasm. They were sharing the same experience as if they were

one. Shannon’s legs gave out long before Caroline stopped gasping for

breath. As much as she didn’t want to, Shannon had to let her down.

Caroline’s soft legs slid down hers until her feet were on the ground,

her still pulsing clitoris pressed against Shannon’s thigh.

The laws of physics and lesbianism were such that Caroline’s

position put Shannon’s clitoris in direct contact with what she needed to

release the pressure inside her that was ready to explode. Caroline must

have sensed her hardness because she quickly became the aggressor

giving Shannon as much as she got.

Caroline’s mouth was on her neck, her lips, her breasts, and

Shannon didn’t know whether to breathe or die. The steam from the

water enveloped them like a warm mist. Caroline’s hands roamed her

body, often replaced with her lips and teeth as she navigated her way

south. Shannon shuddered at the loss of contact against her clit, but

when she realized Caroline’s destination, thrust her hips to meet her.

Shannon let her head drop back, savoring the sensation of

Caroline’s mouth between her legs. Caroline’s tongue flicked over

her clit and Shannon grabbed her hair to keep her there. Faster and

faster Caroline flicked, sucked, and licked driving Shannon out of her

mind. Her orgasm started soft like the water cascading over her face but

climaxed like Niagara Falls, rushing over the edge. She didn’t know if

• 36 •

Descent

she screamed, whispered, or was completely quiet and really didn’t care.

If anyone heard her she would be happy to accept the consequences.

The sound of her own voice echoing off the marble walls in the

shower of Room 454 in the Chateau Brodale brought Shannon back to

the present. Her body felt as it had that time long ago. Her breathing

was rapid, her pulse racing, legs weak, head spinning. She pulled her

fingers from between her legs and collapsed on the seat at the end of the

enclosure. Catching her breath, Shannon realized what was missing.

Her body was satisfied and full, but because she was alone in the

shower, she was empty.

v

The van pulled into the winding drive of the Gite Sur la Bonne

Piste, a quaint bed and breakfast located at the base of Mount Brome,

or Mont Bro as the locals called it. The house was typical Canadian

style with a wide front porch, large windows framing either side of the

massive oak front door, and three dormer windows peeking out from

the high-pitched roof. The drive was crushed granite and crunched

under Caroline’s shoes as she walked to the back of the van to retrieve

her bike case.

Rarely did she let anyone carry her bike, preferring to handle the

oversize hard case that contained her livelihood herself. The case was

fairly easy to maneuver despite its awkwardness, but she depended on

its contents that could not easily be replaced. Caroline extended the

handle on the black carrier and pulled it behind her up the narrow

walkway.

The sign on the front door read Come In in bold cursive burned

into a wooden plank. It felt odd not to knock upon entering a house

that was not her own, but she reminded herself this was a B&B as she

moved into the large front room.

The room was decorated in rustic style with antiques, handcrafts,

and paintings giving the room, a cozy, lived-in feel. She had her choice

of staying at one of the local hotels but preferred the privacy of the

B&B to the noise and commotion she knew would exist in the hotels

hosting the other riders.

• 37 •

JuliE CaNNoN

A stand in one corner of the foyer was filled with colorful

umbrellas while a coat rack was mounted on the wall to her left. The

hardwood floors gleamed up at her while the thick wool runner muffled

her footsteps.

“I’ll be right there,” a strong female voice said from the room to

her right, and Caroline set her bike case directly under a picture of a

snow-covered mountain. As corny as it seemed, the house smelled like

fresh-baked cookies.

“Hello, you must be Caroline. I’m Beatrice. Welcome to the

cottage,” the woman said practically in one breath.

“Yes, I am, thank you.” Caroline took the hand offered to her.

“Well, come with me and we’ll get you checked in and settled in

no time. Just leave your stuff by the door. Michael will bring it up to

your room promptly. You’re one of the riders?” Beatrice nodded toward

the large case.

“Yes, I am.” Caroline repeated her earlier answer. “You have

a lovely place here.” She followed Beatrice across the room. The

craftsmanship of the woodwork was evident in the crown molding at

the ceiling and on the winding staircase that led to what she assumed

were the rooms upstairs.

“Thank you. Michael and I had been thinking of turning the house

into a B-and-B for years and in 2002 we took the plunge. It’s our dream

come true, you might say.”

Caroline could hardly imagine transforming your personal home

into a type of rooming house where you have to make breakfast for

everyone every day, make sure the bathrooms were clean all the time,

and where strangers roamed through your house of their own free will

as a dream come true, as Beatrice phrased it. To her, it sounded like a

pain in the ass that could very easily turn into a nightmare.

Within ten minutes she was in her room, her luggage at the foot

of the bed, her bike case against the wall by the closet. Shaking off

the memories of Shannon that had dogged her for the past few days,

Caroline unpacked, put her clothes neatly into the tall dresser in

the corner, and the contents of her backpack on the small desk. She

inspected her safety gear for any damage that might have occurred in

transit. She brought with her one helmet, one chest guard, two pairs of

shoes, a pair of elbow and knee pads, and assorted bike shorts, shirts,

• 38 •

Descent

and socks. If she damaged or lost anything else, she could replace it

from any one of the numerous vendor stands that would fill the expo

area at each event.

Reaching for her iPod, her attention was drawn to a magazine

lying neatly at the right hand corner of the desk. It was the program for

the race, and Caroline’s breath caught in her throat as she recognized

the image that adorned the cover. She didn’t need to read the caption

that identified the rider as Shannon Roberts—Babe of Brodale. She was

soaring over a jump with at least five feet of air between her tires and

the rocky ground beneath. Her face was set in concentration, legs bent

at the knees, elbows flexed, riding high in the saddle as she accelerated

into the jump.

Caroline couldn’t help herself and she opened the first page of the

magazine. There would be more pictures of Shannon inside and she

wasn’t disappointed to see her on the second and fifth page as well. But

it was the back cover that made her knees weak and the glossy pages

shake in her hands. Shannon was standing in front of her bike, feet

crossed at the ankles, arms across her chest. Her mouth was formed into

an almost smirk but had just enough smile to be beguiling.

Her bike shorts fit her like a second skin, slim hips with strong,

muscular thighs jutting out below them. Caroline knew those calves

were rock solid; at least they were years ago, and they looked like

they had only gotten firmer. Her fingers tingled as she remembered

how smooth the skin was and how the hard muscle quivered under her

touch. Mussed blond hair reminded her of how it looked after she ran

her hands through it. Or grabbed it to hold Shannon’s head and mouth

tight to her.

“Shit, shit, shit,” she exclaimed louder with each word. She had

allowed Shannon to get to her again. And this time it was a simple

set of pictures. What would it be like when she saw her in the flesh?

Something told her it wouldn’t be long before she would find out.

• 39 •

• 40 •

Descent

ChaPTER FivE

Caroline tossed the magazine on the bed and ducked into

the shower—a cold shower. She knew Shannon would be

featured in any material advertising the race. Not only was she one of

the best downhill racers in the world, she was the media darling of the

circuit. The cameras loved her, she always had a quip for the reporters,

and she made absolutely no secret that she preferred to spend her off

hours with the female groupies versus the male. Shannon Roberts was

the draw at every event.

The fact that Shannon received all the attention didn’t bother

Caroline. In fact, she was glad it wasn’t her. Where Shannon’s talent

came naturally, Caroline had to work hard for everything she had. She

needed to focus before each race, preferring a few hours of solitude to

the massive throngs of fans clambering for her autograph. She had a

reputation for being aloof in the days leading up to the race but relaxed

and approachable after.

She dressed for the sponsor’s event, grabbed her room key, and

headed down the stairs. There were several people sitting in the living

room that Caroline assumed were other guests, and she nodded as she

passed by on her way to the front door. The reception was being held

about a mile away and the walk would do her good.

As she approached the event hall the sounds of music, loud voices,

and clinking glasses drifted through the clear evening sky. It was cool

but not so much that she needed a jacket, the long sleeves of her shirt

providing enough warmth. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing

pulse, Caroline stepped inside.

• 41 •

JuliE CaNNoN

Shannon was talking to another rider and she glanced up just as

Caroline entered the room. Everyone in the room must have stopped

talking at once because the only thing Shannon heard was the thudding

of her heart. My God, she’s just as hot as ever, she thought as Caroline

hesitated just inside. She watched Caroline glance around the room as

if looking for a familiar face to run to. Shannon knew what Caroline’s

reaction had been every time she saw her. She would turn and leave

the room. But Shannon wasn’t ready to stop looking at the woman

who played her body like a classical guitar those many years ago,

so she excused herself and found a more secluded position for her

observations.

Caroline was dressed in a knee-length khaki skirt and sandals.

From experience, Shannon knew that Caroline’s pale blue shirt would

bring out the color of her eyes. Her hair was tucked behind her ears,

and other than a pair of earrings that sparkled in the bright lights, a big,

clunky sport watch was the only other jewelry she wore.

Snagging another glass of champagne from a passing waiter,

Shannon watched Caroline work her way around the room. She stopped

and chatted with sponsors, the media, and other riders. An unfamiliar

jolt of jealousy jabbed in her gut when two of the riders made a play

for her. Caroline appeared to humor them, and after a few moments

slid out of their circle and walked in the direction of the patio. Shannon

followed.

The sound dimmed when Shannon closed the door behind her.

Caroline turned. Her face was an expression of curiosity, shock, desire,

and hurt, one right after the other. Shannon couldn’t take her eyes off

her. She hadn’t been this alone with her in years, and it was as if it were

only this afternoon that they had been this close. Caroline looked like

she was going to flee, so Shannon spoke.

“Hello, Caroline. You’re looking well.”

Caroline’s mouth opened and closed twice before anything came

out. “Hello, Shannon. I expected to see you this week. How are you?”

Caroline shifted her weight and took a sip of her drink.

The voice was slightly huskier than she remembered, but Shannon

would know it anywhere. Especially in the dark. “I’m fine, thanks.” Her

brain stopped working and Shannon’s ability for witty small talk went

• 42 •

Descent

with it. She had no idea what she wanted to say to Caroline. Ultimately,

she knew they would see each other this week, or the next, or the one

after that. She had not thought that they wouldn’t have to say something

to each other, but now that it was here, she was speechless. By the look

on Caroline’s face, she was as well.

Shannon felt her feet move, and before she knew it, she was

standing beside Caroline looking into the dark Montreal sky. The stars

winked at her as if to say they knew she had the prettiest woman at the

party.“You’re riding for TKS.” Caroline broke the silence.

“Yes, I guess you could say they made me an offer I couldn’t

refuse.” TKS was the world’s leading manufacturer of bicycle frames

and their sponsorship was coveted. They treated their riders like gold

and paid them almost as much.

“So I hear,” Caroline replied with a lightness in her voice that

Shannon hadn’t expected. “Your picture is everywhere.”

“Yeah, well,” Shannon stammered. “You know how it is.” She

liked being the center of attention but felt uncomfortable about it now.

“Yeah.” Caroline had sponsors and knew the drill.

“How’s the leg?” Shannon asked looking at the bare leg not far

from hers.

“Better than new.”

The clenching in her gut reminded Shannon of how she felt when

she found out Caroline had taken a nasty fall eighteen months ago. At

twenty-nine, Shannon hadn’t been sick a day in her life other than the

occasional mild cold or flu. By the grace of God, or just sheer luck,

she had managed to avoid serious injury during the ten years and

thousands of miles of mountain bike riding she had under her belt.

Actually, under her butt was a more fitting description, but it was the

same nonetheless.

“I was sorry to hear about it.” Shannon cringed at her useless

words. A fellow rider had called to tell her about Caroline’s accident

assuming she would be thrilled that her major competitor would be

out of the running for quite some time and said as much. Shannon had

jumped down the messenger’s throat for gloating over something that

was very serious. She hadn’t heard much about Caroline’s recovery,

• 43 •

JuliE CaNNoN

and other than the fading scar that snaked down the outside of her right

leg, Caroline seemed to be as fine as she had said.

Caroline laughed. “You should have heard it on my end.”

Shannon’s heart skidded to a stop at the sound of the rich laughter.

Memories flooded her brain and her body and she was suddenly very

hot. “Must have hurt like hell.” Shannon shuddered.

Caroline smiled at the simple statement and it was her turn to

shudder at the memories and she had plenty of them. “Only when I was

awake. Which was all the time because it hurt like hell,” she added.

“But I’m ready for Brodale.”

Caroline had done her research on the mountain she was bound

and determined to conquer. Ski Brodale had set up three new courses on

the Versant du Lac site specifically for the event. The material she read

said the downhill course was filled with rocky outcroppings, wooded

sections, and abrupt descents. The material went on to say that “many

tight corners, jumps, and other obstacles will follow one another to

create a course with a difficulty level that even the hardiest downhill

kamikazes can scarcely imagine.” She had competed in several smaller

races leading up to the championship series to dust off the cobwebs and

get back in the groove of being in the saddle, but she wanted this win,

her first big race after her first big injury.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Shannon said quietly.

Caroline turned to face her. Shannon had aged gracefully and where

once a gangly teenager stood was now an accomplished, successful

woman. Her hair was in its usual style of disarray, the familiar liquid

blue eyes were clear and focused directly on her. What could Shannon

ever be sorry for? Sorry to hear about my fall? Sorry that we’ll be

competing against each other? Sorry that you ran out on me, left me

standing all alone on that warm afternoon so many years ago?

Finishing her drink, Caroline pushed those thoughts out of

her mind. It was over ten years ago, for crying out loud. They were

teenagers. Stupid, impulsive teenagers whose recklessness caught up

with them one warm spring day. Silence filled the air between them.

“I have to get back inside.” Caroline used her glass to indicate

the party going full force on the other side of the doors. “People to see,

• 44 •

Descent

hands to shake, elbows to rub. You know.” She ended using the same

phrase Shannon had a few moments ago. “It was good to see you again,

Shannon. Good luck this week.”

And before she could say something she might regret later,

Caroline opened the doors and walked through leaving that part of her

life behind—again.

v

“Where’re ya going, baby?”

The question grated on Shannon’s last nerve. It wasn’t so much

what was asked but the fact that it was asked at all. Shannon bit back

a caustic reply. What she really wanted to say was, “This was just a

fuck. We fucked. It’s over. I’m leaving. Simple, simple, simple. It’s not

rocket science.” But she didn’t. It wasn’t… Shit, she didn’t even know

the woman’s name. It wasn’t her fault she was in such a crappy mood.

When Caroline left her on the patio earlier tonight, a rage came over

her like she had never experienced. She was so angry with herself for

letting Caroline get to her. The fact that she had no idea she still had

feelings for her was one thing, but to let her get under her smooth finish

was something that would never happen again.

“I’m going back to my hotel,” she answered pulling on her shorts

and looking around the dark room for her shirt. She found it on the

other side of the room by the door. She slipped her sandals on and

forced herself not to run across the room, grab her shirt, and jet out the

door. More calm than she felt, Shannon buttoned her shirt and when

she was at the halfway point, reached for the doorknob. “Thanks, take

care,” she mumbled on her way out the door.

The hall was brightly lit in direct contrast to the blackness she

felt swim over her. Rarely had she felt slimy and cheap after leaving

a woman’s bed, but it was all over her now. She had used that woman

to get over her feelings for Caroline, and her conscience was creeping

up on her. She never used one woman to get over another. Well, maybe

used wasn’t an accurate word. She had slept with a few women to

exorcise a demon or two from inside her, but it was always a mutually

pleasurable event. But not this time. She was rough, straight to the

• 45 •

JuliE CaNNoN

point, and maybe a little bit mean. The woman didn’t seem to mind;

she actually preferred it. But it did nothing for Shannon. She was dry as

a bone and could barely finish what she had started.

After Caroline had left, she had returned to the party with a chip

on her shoulder and an attitude that said “take me as I am or go fuck

yourself.” Her sponsors loved it. They had hired her reputation of an

almost bad girl who just happened to be the best biker in the world.

The fact that she had the body to back up that attitude was a significant

bonus.The woman had caught her eye while Shannon was ordering her

fourth Crown and Coke. It was taking more and more alcohol lately

to be interested, and on more than one occasion had crossed the fine

line between just enough and too much. The bartender was pouring

the drinks strong, and between an empty stomach and seeing Caroline

again, she was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol. She and

the woman had barely spoken before Shannon was dragging her to the

elevator and up to her room. Shannon preferred to go to the woman’s

place when she had sex, enabling her to leave when she wanted to. She

wasn’t very good with tactfully telling her sex partner to go.

Dawn was breaking when Shannon pushed the revolving door

and stepped outside. The air was heavy and it felt like rain. Great, just

what she needed, to slog through the rain on her practice runs with a

whiskey and woman hangover. How did she get here? One minute she

was sipping champagne and making nice with sponsors, the next she

was making a dash for the nearest exit. For heaven’s sake, it wasn’t like

she’d never run into an ex before. They were scattered all over the U.S.,

more than a few around the world.

What was it about Caroline that continued to rub at her? They

were together when they were teenagers. When they didn’t know any

better. Shit, when they didn’t know anything about life and how to get

through it. It was a childhood thing. So why did it creep up on her at the

most inopportune times and fuck her up so much?

Shannon stopped at the first place that served coffee and bought

the largest serving they had. She took her coffee black and strong and

this brew was perfect. She walked out of the cool shop sipping her hot

beverage, confused over her body’s reaction to Caroline. Again and

• 46 •

Descent

again, the memory of their last time together was the freshest, sweetest,

and the most painful.

It was a hot day similar to what she expected today was going

to be. She was in Caroline’s room at MHA; they were studying for

their calculus exam the next day. It was four weeks before graduation

and Caroline needed to pass this test and the final. Like most things,

school came easily for Shannon, especially math and the sciences, but

Caroline had struggled from the first crack of the thick math book.

Caroline worked hard and studied even harder to understand

the complicated methods, statistics, and ridiculous formulas. She

memorized, developed her own form of remembering symbols, and

was still eking her way to a passing grade—barely.

They had been at it for several hours when Shannon sensed she

was being watched. Her suspicions were confirmed when she glanced

up and found Caroline looking at her. She recognized that look. It was

the one that set her heart to race, her blood to pound, and her clit to

throb.“What are you doing?” she asked, knowing full well what the

answer was going to be.

“Nothing,” was the answer.

“Why do I not believe you?” Caroline’s eyes sparked with

challenge at her follow-up question.

“Whatever do you mean?” Her voice was thick and smooth.

Caroline didn’t move any closer, but it suddenly felt warmer in the

room and Shannon’s throat was dry.

“You should be studying.” Shannon’s protest was weak.

“I am.” Caroline licked her lips.

Shannon suddenly found it hard to breathe. Caroline was looking

at her as if she were memorizing every contour of her body. Her eyes

moved up and down her with agonizing slowness over those parts that

were hidden under her clothes. Her nipples tightened when Caroline

lingered on her chest, and Shannon could have sworn they traced the

MHA letters on her shirt.

“You’re not going to pass if you don’t pay attention to what you’re

doing.”

Caroline’s sweet, sexy smile slid over her very kissable mouth.

• 47 •

JuliE CaNNoN

“Speaking of paying attention,” she said, making sure Shannon knew

she was referring to her erect nipples.

“Caroline.” Shannon tried to sound scolding, but it came out more

of a plea than a command.

“Yes?” was the sweet reply.

“Stop,” was her equally pathetic reply.

“Is that what you really want? Do you want me to stop looking

at you? Stop caressing your body in my mind? Stop remembering

how soft your skin is, how strong your legs are when they’re wrapped

around me? How good you taste? Do you want me to stop making love

to you in my head?”

Caroline paused. Shannon knew she should say yes. Caroline

needed her to be strong and help her focus, but she was only seventeen,

for crying out loud. Her libido and insatiable lust for the girl sitting

across the room from her ruled her life.

“Yes.”

Caroline raised her eyebrows in obvious surprise. “Yes?”

“Yes. I want you to stop caressing me in your mind, stop

remembering how soft my skin is, how strong my legs are when they’re

wrapped around you, and how good I taste. I want you to stop making

love to me in your head and get over here and do it to me.” Shannon

was so turned on she could hardly stand it. It only took a look from

Caroline to set her off, but to hear her say what was on her mind took

her to another world entirely.

With excruciating deliberateness, Caroline closed the distance

between them. Their rooms were small so it wasn’t far, but it seemed

like an eternity until Caroline covered her lips with hers.

Caroline had an amazing mouth and often times kissed Shannon

until she was completely senseless. This kiss was soft and tender,

hesitating between light nibbles and nips on her lips. No part of their

body was touching except their mouths and Shannon’s body was on fire

as much as if Caroline had her hands all over it.

Shannon couldn’t stand it any longer and pulled Caroline onto her

lap. The familiar weight of her was comforting, and every time they

came together she was amazed how perfectly their bodies fit together.

Soft, exploring, arousing kisses turned to hard, heated passion

and Shannon couldn’t get Caroline’s clothes off fast enough. The need

• 48 •

Descent

to feel Caroline’s skin on hers was unbearable. Giving up, she simply

pushed Caroline’s shirt up and latched her mouth to exposed breasts.

Caroline grabbed her head and pulled her closer and moaned when

she took her nipple into her mouth. “Yes,” she said on the trailing end of

a sigh. Shannon gave the other breast equal attention and soon Caroline

was arching her hips in the universal signal for touch.

Shannon slipped her hand into the waistband of her shorts and

down the familiar path to the warmth that awaited her. It was her turn

to moan this time when her fingers easily slid into the waiting flesh.

Caroline was an exquisite lover, wet and inviting, always ready for her.

She rocked against the pressure of Shannon’s hand and Shannon almost

lost control.

It drove Shannon crazy when Caroline took control of her own

pleasure. There was just something about the way she moved, seeking

the pressure she wanted, the touch she desired, the release she needed

that often took Shannon over the edge. This time was no different and

when she felt Caroline’s clit grow hard and start to twitch under her

fingers she pulled her tighter. Caroline rocked and bucked against her

as her fingers worked their magic for both of them.

Caroline straddled her lap, arms wrapped around her neck, her

back to the door. Shannon’s mouth feasted on Caroline’s breasts and

they both were completely oblivious to the audience standing in the

now open doorway as they came together.

A gasp that was not theirs caused Caroline to raise her head.

Shannon felt the movement, but it was the sudden freezing of the body

on top of her that got her attention. She released Caroline’s nipple and

blinked several times to regain her focus. When Caroline still had not

moved, Shannon turned her head to see what had her attention. With her

fingers still deep inside Caroline and her breathing ragged, she looked

into the stern eyes of the Dean of Mount Holyfield Academy. Standing

next to her was Caroline’s father, his face beet red with rage.

v

The scene was every lesbian’s nightmare. Between the shouting,

recriminations, shock, embarrassment, anger, and a good dose of

absolute terror, Caroline and Shannon were somehow able to pull

• 49 •

JuliE CaNNoN

themselves together, straighten their clothes, and stand to face the two

people that were now judge and jury. And judge them they did.

“Get out,” were the only words Caroline’s father said. His tone

was quiet and menacing with barely controlled furor.

“Mr. Davis, I can explain—” Shannon began.

“I don’t need an explanation, young lady. I saw what was going

on. What you were doing to my daughter.”

“Daddy, Shannon was—”

“I know what Shannon was doing,” he snapped.

Shannon stepped forward trying to make her point. “Mr. Davis,

I—” Steven Davis stepped forward until they were almost nose-to-

nose. Shannon was either too stupid or too brave to back away.

“You had your hands on my daughter. Your filthy hands were—”

“Daddy, stop it,” Caroline shouted cutting through the tension

hanging in the air. “Shannon wasn’t doing anything to me that I didn’t

want her to. This isn’t the way I wanted you to find out, but this is who

I am. I’m a lesbian and I was a lesbian long before Shannon came into

my life.”

“Get her out of here before I kill her,” Davis said to no one specific.

It was Dean Phillips who jumped at the command.

“Ms. Roberts, go to your room and wait for me.” Her tone was as

frightening in its simplicity as Caroline’s father’s had been.

The next few days were a complete blur for Shannon. Her

roommate was reassigned, she was forbidden to leave her room, and

her parents were called. She was allowed to take her final exams in the

library away from the other students and as soon as she was finished,

forced to leave the campus. She had not been allowed to see or speak

with Caroline before she left.

She tried to stand up for Caroline but couldn’t. Didn’t she need to

defend Caroline? It wasn’t Caroline’s fault. Shannon had started it all

the day in the locker room. God, that seemed like a lifetime ago.

Her parents shipped her off to Switzerland for the summer with

strict instructions to not contact Caroline. They were not quite as

shocked as Steven Davis, but then again they didn’t walk in and see

another girl’s fingers up their daughter’s snatch.

She tried to call Caroline several times, but the line was always

• 50 •

Descent

picked up by her parents. Mutual friends passed on information, and

once or twice Shannon was able to get through but only to Caroline’s

voicemail. They talked once or twice, but it was awkward. They never

regained the natural ease they had with each other before her father

walked in. Shannon did what she thought was best and left her alone.

That was ten years, ten months, and a few odd days ago. But it seemed

like yesterday.

• 51 •

• 52 •

Descent

ChaPTER Six

Ladies and gentlemen, next up, riding for Bellow is number

twenty-five, Caroline Davis.”

The voice over the loudspeaker was practically drowned out by

the cheers of the crowd around her. Caroline inched toward the starting

line readying herself for the descent down one of Canada’s most

majestic and dangerous mountains. She tugged at her helmet, adjusted

her elbow pads, tightened the Velcro on her riding gloves, and took a

deep breath.

Focus, said the voice in her head. You can do this. It’s a simple

course you’ve been down half a dozen times already. You know where

the turns are, the rocks, that one stump across the road about halfway

down, the tight hairpin turn just before the long stretch to the finish line.

It’s just another race, like all the other races before.

Caroline repeated the mantra while the announcer finished

reciting her stats, wins, and hometown. The red light was steady as the

timer next to it counted down. When it got to fifteen, she rolled within

centimeters of the infrared start line. At ten, she clipped her left shoe

into the pedal. At five, she flexed her fingers over the brakes. Three,

two, one. She shot out.

The first twenty yards were smooth and she pedaled hard, picking

up speed. The trail veered sharply to the left and she navigated the

change smoothly, picking up more speed on the flat downhill surface

before the next obstacle. She flew up and down hills, over sharp rocks

and boulders big enough to be trouble but small enough to be in the

middle of the trail.

• 53 •

JuliE CaNNoN

With her shoes clipped to her pedals, she was able to use both the

downward motion of her legs as well as the upward for speed, jumps,

and to maintain control. The only danger was that if she fell, she needed

to twist her foot just right to release it or suffer a severe injury.

No, not now. Please not now. The familiar tightening of her chest,

shortness of breath, the overwhelming need to flee unexpectedly washed

over Caroline. She had no clue it was coming until it was right on top of

her and there was little she could do to stop it.

It was the last thing she needed right now. She hadn’t had a panic

attack for months. They started the first time she was back on her bike

after her devastating injury. At first, she didn’t know what was going

on. All she knew was that it scared the hell out of her. She felt like she

was having a heart attack. Her legs were weak, her breathing much

faster than normal. Her heart was racing, her throat dry. She couldn’t

get off her bike fast enough, and it was all she could do to get away.

She confided in her father what had happened and he accompanied

Caroline to her doctor. After a battery of other tests, she was diagnosed

with panic attacks and referred to a psychologist who was better equipped

to help her deal with what was described as a form of posttraumatic

stress syndrome. After a few sessions with Dr. Blackstone, Caroline

had learned how to deal with the attacks through a series of calming

techniques. She began them now.

Forcing herself to concentrate, she shifted her weight over her

legs, jumping over a dip in the trail that would send a less experienced

rider flying over the handlebars causing certain injury. The bike hit the

ground, and between the shocks on the front and rear of her bike as well

as the powerful muscles in her legs acting like springs, she hardly felt

the return to earth.

She expertly conquered the twists and turns of the course gaining

speed when she could, backing off when she had to. It seemed like only

seconds before she saw the finish line to her left. The hairpin curve

she was worried about was to her left. She braked going into the bend,

her rear wheel skidding almost out from under her as she maneuvered

through the tight turn. Cheers erupted when she emerged and she

pedaled hard through the finish line.

Caroline skidded to a stop and looked over her shoulder at her

time displayed on the Omega board. This was the first of the qualifying

• 54 •

Descent

rounds. Each round consisted of two timed events, with the fastest

racers moving on to the next round until only the final ten remained.

The final round was three races, the combined time resulting in the

winner of that leg of the championship. In addition to the blue jersey,

the winner received fifteen points. Ten points went to the rider who

finished second, five for third, and three for fourth. At the end of the

race series, the rider with the highest number of points was declared the

overall champion.

“Yes,” Caroline shouted as her time and bib number flashed to

the top of the standings. At 5:39:42, she was three seconds ahead of

the second place rider. Caroline had been on the circuit long enough

to know the racers, their strengths and weaknesses, and the five riders

behind her could not beat her time. Except for the one that was coming

down the mountain now.

In what seemed like an instant, Shannon breezed across the finish

line and Caroline thought she was barely breathing hard. Her time was

four seconds ahead of Caroline’s and she and Shannon, along with eight

others, moved on to the next round.

The remainder of the day continued in the same manner. By her

last race, Caroline had ridden down the challenging hill seven times,

each time faster than the last, her confidence gaining.

Her parents and Fran had arrived the night before and were

cheering her on from the grandstand adjacent to the finish line. Steven

and Robin Davis attended as many of her races as they could, but money

was tight in the Davis household. But there was no way they’d miss

this one. Fran’s parents were so rich she was able to go pretty much

wherever she wanted. Most of the time she chose to be with Caroline.

Surprisingly, she had gotten to be a pretty good bike mechanic and an

excellent chief cook and bottle washer.

Freshly showered, Caroline walked down the stairs and saw

her parents already sitting in the living room of the B&B. They were

engaged in conversation with an elderly gentleman who was doing most

of the talking with his hands. The fact that he was speaking French and

her parents didn’t know a word didn’t seem to stop him from carrying

on his side of the conversation.

“Caroline,” her mother said, obviously relieved at the

interruption.

• 55 •

JuliE CaNNoN

“Hey, Mom, is Fran down yet?”

“Yes, she’s outside with one of the men working on the yard, or

trimming the bushes or something.” Her mother waved her hand in the

direction of the front of the house. “Why don’t we go find her?”

Caroline chuckled at how smoothly her mother made their escape

from the man who had turned his attention and antics to the woman to

his left. They stepped outside. The stickiness of the past few days had

subsided leaving crisp, cool mountain air. The three of them walked

around the building and Caroline saw Fran in a casual pose leaning

against a fence gate. She was talking to a tall man with hair the color of

coal and by the look on his face, she was working her magic.

“Speaking of romance,” her father said. Her parents had heard

enough stories and been around Fran long enough to know what she

was up to. “Are you seeing anyone?”

After the debacle in high school with Shannon, her parents finally

came to grips with the fact that Caroline was not simply going through

a phase brought on by attending an all-girls school. After four years at

Columbia and three more getting her graduate degree, they were closer

than most of her friends were with their parents.

“Not really.” Caroline couldn’t very well say that she had a

torrid night with a near stranger a week ago. She could tell her parents

anything, but she drew the line at her sex life.

“Not really or no?” her mother said. Caroline had four siblings,

each married and some with children of their own, but her mother still

worried about her. When she became a mother, Caroline supposed she

would as well.

“Not really. Really,” she said to counter the look of skepticism on

her mother’s face. “I’ve gone out a few times but nothing serious. I’ve

been training, remember?” She nudged her mother affectionately.

“How could I forget? You don’t call and I can’t remember the

last time you came home for a visit. Little Clarice is walking now and

you’re going to miss it.”

At the name of her latest niece, Caroline smiled. “Mom, I doubt

Clarice is going to stop walking anytime soon. It’s not a phase she’s

going through. I’m no child development expert, but I think she’ll be

doing that for the rest of her life.” Caroline loved teasing her mother.

• 56 •

Descent

“You know what I mean, young lady. Don’t get cheeky with me.

Your father and I aren’t getting any younger, you know.”

“Mom,” Caroline replied exasperated. “You’re both only fifty-two.

That’s hardly pushing up daisy years.” She gave her mom a quick hug.

“But I know what you mean. This is my last season, and once I get my

Ph.D. and get settled I’ll be there so much you’ll think I moved back in.

Now let’s rescue that man from Fran and get something to eat.”

v

The next morning Shannon’s alarm buzzed incessantly. She

didn’t want to get up. She hadn’t gone out drinking or partying with or

without a sexy Canadian. She just didn’t feel like getting out of bed,

which was odd because today was the finals of this all-important first

race and she was atop the leader board ahead of Caroline and a rookie

from Spain.

It was seven thirty when she finally rolled out of bed. She hadn’t

slept well. Images of Caroline floated in and out of her dreams. In one,

she was laughing, in another angry, in a third, she was making love to

her, and finally, she was crying. Shannon couldn’t quite figure out what

was going on in each sequence, but she knew she was in all of them.

Dressed and washing down the remainder of her breakfast with

an energy drink, Shannon closed and locked the door behind her.

Her footsteps were silent on the plush carpet of the hall, the elevator

barely making a sound as it opened its doors on her floor. The car was

crowded and she recognized a few other riders as she stepped inside.

A chorus of “good lucks” sent her on her way when they reached the

hotel lobby.

It was a short ride to the race expo and riders’ area, but Shannon

opted to walk. Her start time for the first heat of the finals was after

lunch and she was too keyed up to sit idly in the backseat of a cab. Her

gear was safely secured in her sponsor’s trailer so all she carried was

her backpack.

She garnered more than a few passing looks as she walked down

the street. At five foot six, she wasn’t much taller or shorter than the

other riders, but her shock of blond, almost white hair drew some

• 57 •

JuliE CaNNoN

attention. Most of the men and a fair number of women checked her out

from the bold letters across her chest to the fitted bike shorts covering

her muscular thighs.

As she neared the race venue, dozens of people wished her luck.

She wasn’t famous by any means, but she was well known on the circuit

and by fans of the sport.

She entered the riders’ only area and quickly scanned the grounds

for Caroline. She would already be here, Shannon knew, checking out

her gear, her bike, and getting psyched for the finals. Shannon was

leading Caroline by only four seconds, which on this course was like a

split second. One misstep, loss of concentration, or missed execution in

a tight turn and the race could be lost.

Shannon never understood riders who had to meditate or get

psyched up for a race. She simply imagined the trail in her mind, rode

the lift to the top, and waited for her turn to descend. She never took it

too seriously, which made her relaxed and fluid on the course. Usually,

she won or came in second. Rarely did she come in anything lower than

fourth, and she had not taken a spill in over three years.

Frank Striker, the owner of TKS, was waiting inside the trailer

when Shannon entered. “There’s my goldmine,” he said before she

even had the door closed behind her.

Shannon hated the perpetual leer on his face, but he never said

or did anything that would give her the right to slap it off. He was

her major sponsor. She sold her image, name, and reputation to him in

exchange for big bucks. She hated the business side of racing but knew

it was part of the game she had to play. She had money of her own, but

why spend it when she could spend someone else’s just as easily?

“Hey, Frank, how’s it going?” Shannon asked as her way of saying

good morning.

“Makin’ money and makin’ more money.” Frank’s middle name

was greedy.

Shannon didn’t reply but went straight to her bike. At times she

felt more at home with her bike than she did with most people. The

carbon, aluminum, rubber, and wire were an extension of her. A way to

express herself, the excitement of life, her race toward the future. There

had to be some Freudian hypothesis in it all, but she tried hard not to

think that deep.

• 58 •

Descent

“You’re gonna take home the blue jersey today, Shan, I can feel it.

Davis can’t catch you, and the rest of the field are all wannabes. I have

money that you’ll take it all this year. You know you’re the favorite.

Davis gets the sympathy vote ’cause of her broke leg, but she’s got

nothing compared to you.”

There were many things that Shannon disliked about Frank Striker

and he just about hit every one of them in his monologue. She hated

being called Shan, his constant stroking of her ego was unnecessary

and nauseating, and he never had a good thing to say about Caroline or

any other rider.

She and Caroline were ranked number one and two in the world

and she deserved, and had earned, the respect that went along with that.

“Caroline is fully recovered. She has just as much chance to win this as

I do. As anyone, for that matter.”

“But she isn’t going to get a million dollar bonus if she does, is

she?”Shannon bit her tongue on the first response that came to mind and

chose the second instead. “Who knows? Maybe she will.” The rest of

her statement was drowned out by Frank’s laugh.

“From Bellow? They’re so cheap they squeak when you say their

name. She probably barely got enough money to pay for the trip.”

She wasn’t in the mood to spar with Frank today so she picked up

her gear and headed out the door followed by Frank’s parting words.

“Kick ass, girl!”

v

Caroline pulled on her knee pads and buckled her shoes. The

butterflies in her stomach were better than a clock. They always arrived

about an hour before her start time and when she heard the announcement

for the third heat she knew she had about forty-five minutes until she

needed to be at the top of the hill.

Commotion behind her drew Caroline’s attention and she turned

just in time to see Shannon enter the staging area. She had a presence

that made her seem much larger than her average size. She drew crowds

wherever she went at races, and it was particularly evident today by the

numbers of people the security guards made wait outside the gate.

• 59 •

JuliE CaNNoN

Caroline knew every inch of Shannon’s body, her mannerisms, her

body gave away her moods, but that was years ago. God knew she was

not the same person she was in high school and she suspected Shannon

had changed as much as well. But the sense of familiarity, even after

all these years, was unmistakable. Shannon still had the same swagger,

the same sense of purpose, the same determined look in her eye she had

when they were together.

Shannon gazed around the area, nodding to a few riders, looking

past others, and Caroline watched Shannon’s eyes settle on her. Her

heartbeat double-timed once, then twice before settling into a faster than

normal cadence. Shannon’s expression immediately went blank but not

before Caroline saw the moment of recognition and remembrance fill

her face.

Caroline nodded and motioned Shannon over. With each step

Shannon took toward her, Caroline’s pulse raced a bit faster. Stay calm,

she told herself. Don’t let her get to you, she repeated in her head until

Shannon stopped in front of her.

“I just wanted to wish you luck,” Caroline managed to say more

calmly than she felt.

Shannon hesitated as if she were deciding how to respond. Finally

she said, “Thanks, you too. It’s going be a tough one. The bobby pin

about three-quarters down has gotten loose.”

Caroline knew the spot Shannon was referring to. It was a tight

turn where the hard-packed dirt had eroded away due to the dozens

of tires skidding over its surface. Interesting that Shannon warned her

about it.

“You’re riding a Shimano crankset. How’s that working for you?”

Caroline asked wanting to keep the conversation going and Shannon

close to her. This was the most they had spoken to each other since

that awful day in her dorm room. Shannon looked surprised at the

question.

“Good. They’re pretty tight and smooth. I think it’s their best

crank yet.”

The bike techno jargon was going on all around them and would

the entire series. Each rider believed that what she was riding was the

best and many an argument ensued when two vehemently disagreed.

• 60 •

Descent

“How is the Bellow working out for you?” Shannon asked referring

to Caroline’s frame manufacturer.

“Great. It’s light but stronger than I’ve ever ridden. The control is

everything it’s touted to be.” Caroline was surprised the conversation

was going on as long as it had. For the past ten years, when she and

Shannon were competing in the same race they kept their mutually

agreed upon distance, rarely saying anything more than obligatory

greetings to each other. It was an awkward yet comfortable arrangement

at the same time.

“How are they to work with?”

The name of her major sponsor took the conversation to a slightly

more personal level. “Great. Russ is an absolute professional and his

team is constantly looking to improve the technology. They debrief me

after every race, and when I just want to collapse in exhaustion they

want to talk about pull, swag, and bend.” Caroline couldn’t help but

smile at the image of the four tech geeks pumping her for information

about how the bike handled.

Shannon looked like she wanted to say something else but instead

wished her luck again and walked over to where her gear was stored.

Caroline watched her back and noticed her shoulders were pulled back,

her back straight, and the ass she had grabbed, squeezed, and devoured

a lifetime ago was as delicious as ever.

v

Caroline buckled her helmet, swung her leg over the seat, and

adjusted her gloves. She gripped the handlebars and nodded. In a

heartbeat, she was through the gate.

Her heart raced as the adrenaline she had kept at bay let loose.

She forced herself to relax her grip, release the muscles in her legs, and

simply enjoy the ride. The first turn was to the right. She sailed through

it, rocketing over the rough terrain of the top third of the course. Her

thighs absorbed the pounding of the uneven rocks bounding the bike

beneath her while her upper body remained relatively smooth.

Caroline’s torso was protected by the thick hard shell of a chest

guard, her legs and arms protected from rocks and road rash if she

• 61 •

JuliE CaNNoN

had the misfortune to fall. Catching air over the first of two jumps, the

cool mountain breeze whipped over her cheeks. Faster and faster she

went, dodging rocks the size of basketballs, logs embedded in the hard

dirt, and sand as soft as fresh snow. She never once lost control of her

bike, her concentration, or her focus. Approaching the last turn, she

remembered Shannon’s warning and braked hard going into the turn.

Her Kenda tires gripped the loose dirt and she accelerated out of the

sharp elbow, up and over the last obstacle before the straightway to the

finish.She heard the cheers from the crowd, saw the sponsor signs

flashing by as she pushed and pulled with her legs to cross the finish

line. The crowd erupted when Caroline skidded to a stop and turned

to look at her time. Her heart soared. She had beaten her own time by

an astonishing five seconds. Her hands were shaking as she slid her

goggles to the top of her helmet. Shannon had to beat her last run by

four seconds to win and Caroline had no doubt that she could do it. Like

any good competitor, she wished her a safe, albeit a much slower ride.

Her legs were like rubber as Caroline coasted out of the finish

area. She was greeted with congratulations and slaps on the back as

she exited toward the post-race staging area. She kept her eyes glued

to the JumboTron, a gigantic video screen specially designed to view

outdoors. Caroline didn’t have to wait long for Shannon to begin her

final run. As she approached the starting line, she nodded that she was

ready and sprinted out of the gate.

Caroline’s body involuntarily leaned along with Shannon as

she conquered each obstacle. When Shannon jumped, she did, when

she leaned back behind her saddle, Caroline did as well, and when

Shannon’s back wheel slid out from under her on the last hairpin turn,

her stomach dropped. Shannon lost precious seconds on that error and

Caroline practically held her breath as Shannon flew cross the finish

line. The crowd went wild and Caroline was enveloped with hugs from

well-wishers. She had won the first race.

• 62 •

Descent

ChaPTER SEvEN

Shannon couldn’t make it through the throng of people

congratulating Caroline on her victory so she simply headed

to the TKS trailer instead. The awards ceremony would be held in about

thirty minutes and she had enough time to wash off the top layer of dirt

and get something to drink before she was needed on the podium.

She didn’t think Frank would be in the trailer and breathed a

sigh of relief when he wasn’t. He was probably jockeying for position

behind the cameras wearing his traditional TKS shirt and ball cap.

What a media whore, she thought, gulping a bottle of berry-flavored

Gatorade.

Twenty minutes later the crowd was still thick around Caroline.

Shannon recognized many of the well-wishers as other riders who

had not fared so well this round but could very easily be in her shoes

the next. Shannon froze when she spotted the man standing next to

Caroline. She had seen Steven Davis at several events, but she’d never

ventured this close to him since the day he threw her out of Caroline’s

room. She wanted to talk to Caroline more than she wanted to avoid

her father.

He wasn’t as imposing or frightening as she remembered, but then

again she had thought he was going to kill her—or at least beat the crap

out of her. His hair was more salt than pepper, his stomach carrying an

extra ten pounds, but the smile on his face as he looked at his daughter

said it all.

Shannon often wondered what happened between Caroline and

her father after she was unceremoniously tossed. From the way they

• 63 •

JuliE CaNNoN

were hugging, it was evident that their relationship had not suffered any

ill effects from that moment.

The woman standing on the other side of Caroline could be none

other than her mother. The resemblance was remarkable, and Shannon

knew exactly what Caroline would look like in another thirty or so

years. She would be a beautiful woman.

Shannon approached Caroline and her family not sure what to

expect. She wanted to congratulate her and it was now or never. She

gathered up her nerve and stepped forward. Good grief, she thought, that

episode was water under the bridge. He probably didn’t even remember

her. Yeah, and Christmas never fell on December twenty-fifth.

Shannon kept her eyes on Davis as she approached. She knew the

second he saw her and the instant he recognized her. Confusion, shock,

disbelief, and then finally anger settled onto his face. There was no

backing out now. She was no longer that frightened seventeen-year-old

girl. “Congratulations, Caroline,” she said stepping into their circle.

She held out her hand and it appeared that Caroline took it more out

of habit from the dozens of times today than realizing it was from

Shannon.

Caroline’s hand was warm, the rough edges of blisters and calluses

tickling Shannon’s hand. A bolt of something shot up her arm, down

her throat, and settled in her midsection. Caroline’s expression changed

from exuberant to pleasant.

“Thank you.”

“Your ride was great. One down, ten to go,” Shannon added

referring to the remaining races in the championship.

“I just focus on one at a time.” Caroline looked between Shannon

and her father and fear and uncertainty clouded her eyes. It was obvious

that she didn’t know what to do with the two of them standing so close

to each other.

“Mr. Davis, I’m Shannon Roberts.” Shannon thought it would be

stupid to add, “I’m sure you remember me,” or “I was a friend of your

daughter’s in high school,” or better yet, “I’m the one you caught with

her hand down your daughter’s shorts.” She extended her hand.

Davis paused before taking it and shaking it firmly. “Yes, I

• 64 •

Descent

remember.” He hesitated again as if deciding to be polite or kick her

butt. “Excellent ride this weekend.”

Shannon thought the entire world could hear her sigh of relief.

“Thank you, sir, but Caroline was better. You must be very proud of

her.” Davis visibly relaxed a bit. “Yes, we are. We’ve always been proud

of her.” Shannon noticed he didn’t add “no matter what” to the end of

his statement.

Shannon started to back away. “Well, I don’t mean to intrude. I

just wanted to congratulate you, Caroline. See you in Mount Anne.”

Shannon turned and almost ran into a photographer snapping pictures

of them together. She knew that photo would be in a magazine or

newspaper before too long. The headline would probably read riVals

burying The haTcheT. If it were only true.

Caroline watched Shannon walk away and only then began

to breathe again. When she realized that her father had recognized

Shannon immediately, she felt like a deer caught in the headlights. She

didn’t know whether to introduce them or say, “Dad, you remember

Shannon.” What if he didn’t? Then what? How would she follow up

with that one? Shit, this was awkward.

“Who was that, darling?”

Her mother’s voice pierced through her confusion and Caroline

shot a questioning look at her father. As far as she knew, he had never

told her mother what he walked in on that day. After Shannon had left

her room she expected him to shout or scream at her, maybe even yank

her out of school. But he did none of those.

Steven Davis was a calm man and that was what scared Caroline

the most after the door closed behind Shannon. Dean Phillips started

to apologize, but he silenced her with a look and a shake of his head,

effectively dismissing her. Caroline wanted nothing more than to

disappear between the seams in the plush carpet. She was humiliated,

mortified. She knew this was the time to keep her mouth shut. At least

until he cooled off. After several minutes of pacing back and forth in

the small room he finally spoke.

“How long has this been going on?” His voice was terrifyingly

quiet.

• 65 •

JuliE CaNNoN

“We met last summer.” She smartly left out the part about how

they had met.

“I see. Who approached who?”

Caroline knew he was asking if she was lured into what he had

just witnessed.

“I did,” Caroline said. It was a small white lie because she had

noticed Shannon well before Shannon noticed her.

“I see,” he repeated.

“Daddy—” she said. He held up his hand and stopped her from

continuing.

“I’m asking the questions here,” he said. “Is she the first…the

only…” He struggled to find the right words.

Caroline knew what he was getting at. Was this a phase, an

experiment, or the real thing? She risked his ire trying to ease his

misery.

“I’ve suspected for a long time. I’ve always been more interested

in my girl friends than boys. I did this, Dad, not the other way around. I

knew what I was doing.” The this she was referring to was deciding to

accept she was a lesbian versus being lured or forced into it.

“I see,” he said for the third time. It was what he always said when

he didn’t know what to say.

“Do you, Dad? I’m sorry this is how you had to find out. I never

meant it to be like this. I was going to tell you and Mom in a few years

once I was away from here. I didn’t want you thinking I became a lesbian

because of MHA.” He cringed when she said the word “lesbian.” She

stepped closer to him.

“Daddy, I know how much you sacrificed so that I could come

here. This is a great place, for a school of course. But MHA did not

make me a lesbian. Being around girls all the time does not make you

a lesbian any more than being on a football team makes you gay. I

have always been this way. MHA just gave me the confidence to be

who I am. To take charge of my life. To be responsible for my actions.

That’s who I’ve become. I’m still your daughter and I love you, Daddy,

regardless of who I’m attracted to.”

He lowered his head and Caroline didn’t know if he was corralling

his anger or getting ready to release it. Her knees were shaking and

• 66 •

Descent

she felt like she needed to throw up. Finally, after several agonizing

minutes, he turned to her.

“This afternoon will remain between you and me. If you decide

this is the way you want to live your life you can tell me and your mother

together. I’ll act appropriately surprised and we’ll go from there.”

“But where do we go from here, Daddy?” Caroline had a special

relationship with her father, one that she knew had drastically changed

the minute he walked into her room.

“You were partially right, Caroline. MHA gave you the confidence

to be who you are. To take charge of your life. To be responsible for

your actions. That’s who you are, but your mother and I played a part

in it as well. You are my daughter, no matter what, and I will always

love you, but I’d be lying if I said I know what to do. Give me time,

Caroline, and I ask that you give your mother time when you tell her.

This has come as quite a shock, as you can imagine, and it will take

time to process.”

It had taken time for her parents to recover from the shock but once

they did, they were fully supportive of her. It was even more evident

that they were by her side now, at the finish of her major comeback

race. Her mother repeated her question. “Someone I knew at MHA.”

Her mother had never met Shannon while they were both students at

MHA and as far as Caroline knew, she still knew nothing about the

circumstances when her father had met Shannon.

“What a coincidence, and she’s a rider too. That’s wonderful,

Caroline. Someone you can reminisce with. You two have so much in

common.”

Caroline exchanged glances with her father. Her mother was

sometimes absolutely clueless.

• 67 •

• 68 •

Descent

ChaPTER EighT

CD!” Caroline heard the familiar voice before she saw the

owner. Searching the crowd passing through the door from

customs, Caroline finally saw a hand waving frantically in the air.

Attached to it was Fran.

She jostled through the people waiting for their arrivals and was

quickly enveloped in a bear hug that practically squeezed the breath

out of her.

“Good grief, Fran. It’s not like you haven’t seen me in years.”

Caroline pried herself out of her grasp. “It’s only been a week.”

“Sure, but we’re on a totally different continent.” That was Fran’s

way of thinking and Caroline understood it perfectly. Fran was staying

with Caroline and would be able to watch the second stage of the

championships. That is, if Caroline made it that far.

Having flown into Inverness, they had an hour-long drive to

Mount Anne, one of the largest towns in the highlands of Scotland, for

the second race. They chatted nonstop from the airport to Caroline’s

hotel, and by the time Fran’s luggage was out of the car, they had

caught up on just about everything.

It was just after noon and having slept on the plane, Fran was ready

to see the sights. Caroline had arrived four days earlier and was settled

into the routine, the time zone, and the food. They strolled through the

main shopping area in Mount Anne before returning to the hotel and

crashing in the lounge.

After their drinks were served and their appetizers devoured Fran

said, “So tell me about the race.” Next to her parents and siblings, Fran

was her biggest fan.

• 69 •

JuliE CaNNoN

“Well, the World Cup is the biggest mountain bike event in

Scotland. The course is about three miles long and is one of the most

difficult terrains in the series. It draws about twenty-five thousand

spectators and ten times that many watch it on TV.”

“Ooo, you’d better look good, girl,” Fran said poking her in the

side. “No, wait, you’re the one that’s camera shy; it’s Shannon Roberts

that always looks good on camera.”

Caroline had been trying to forget Shannon was in the same small

town this week, but having already seen her several times walking

around on the event grounds, she had finally given up.

“I’ll bet she looks better from any angle.” Fran raised her

eyebrows.

“Is there something you need to tell me, Fran?”

“What? Oh God no. Sorry, no offense.”

“None taken.”

“It’s just that she’s a knockout. Anyone with two eyes can see

that. She sits on your side of the bench. I’m surprised you haven’t said

anything about her.”

The shift in the conversation to Shannon made Caroline

uncomfortable. “What do you mean?”

“Come on, Caroline, you might be out of practice, but you

certainly aren’t dead. You must have noticed how she fills out those

spandex shorts.”

“They’re Lycra.”

“Lycra, spandex, Saran Wrap, who cares? Well, the Saran Wrap

might be interesting. Anyway, the point is that there is nothing left to the

imagination when she’s wearing those, except what she tastes like.”

“Fran!” Caroline choked on her cocktail, drawing the attention of

several patrons in the lounge.

“Don’t Fran me, Caroline. I know damn good and well you lezzies

talk about girls the same way guys do and the same way we straight

chicks talk about guys. Don’t look at me that way.”

Caroline wasn’t sure just how she was looking at Fran.

“How many riders on the circuit are queer?” Fran only used the

term in the most affectionate way.

“How should I know? I don’t go around and ask to see their sexual

orientation card.” Caroline signaled the waiter for another drink.

• 70 •

Descent

“Jeez, CD, I’ve been hanging around you long enough that even I

can tell who’s queer and who’s not. And Shannon Roberts is definitely

one of yours.”

“She was once.” Caroline let her statement hang in the air like a

berry ripe for the picking.

“What? When? How long? Was she as good as she looks?” She

rattled off questions in rapid fire.

“Yep, in high school, about ten months, and absolutely.”

“Holy shit, tell me more. Tell me everything, and I mean

every thing.” Fran was sitting on the edge of her chair in anticipation.

She and Fran hung out together as much as their schedules allowed,

shared practically everything with each other including celebrating

new love and wiping the tears of old love. But Caroline had never told

her about Shannon. The memories were too painful. But after seeing

Shannon again, talking to her, Caroline needed someone to help her

sort it all out.

She relayed the story from the first time she saw Shannon in

freshman English, to the first time they had sex. Funny how she didn’t

consider it making love. They were teenagers, and teenagers didn’t

make love, they had sex. And lots of it. She ended with the scene in her

dorm room.

“Holy shit,” Fran so eloquently summarized, collapsing back in

her chair.

“I’ll say.” Caroline filled her in on her meeting Shannon at their

first race.

“And you haven’t spoken to her in all that time until last week in

Canada?”

“No. It’s a small circuit and we’d see each other at practically

every race, but she kept her distance and I kept mine.”

“So what happened in Canada?”

That was the question Caroline kept asking herself. What had

made Shannon finally say something to her? “I don’t know. She came

out of nowhere straight toward me. She had to track me down. It wasn’t

as if we literally ran into each other in the ladies room. She just started

talking to me and then when she congratulated me when my father was

standing next to me, I thought I was going to die.”

“Double holy shit.”

• 71 •

JuliE CaNNoN

“And we’re in the same hotel.” Caroline held up her hand. “Don’t

say it.”

“I don’t know what to say. First you tell me you had sex with the

hottest thing in bike shorts, then you tell me your father caught you in

the act, then she speaks to you for the first time in almost ten years, and

now she’s in your hotel. Have I got all that right?”

“That’s about it.”

“Are you sure? You’re not going to tell me you have a love child

you’ve kept hidden away all these years are you? I don’t think my heart

or my clit can take any more.”

They both laughed, releasing some of the tension in Caroline’s

stomach. “No, the love child is safely tucked away for a few more

years.”

“What are you going to do?”

“About what?” Caroline asked.

“About Shannon.”

“What about her?”

Fran sighed. “Did you hit your head on your last ride or something?

Are you going to try to find out what’s gotten into her…so to speak?”

She winked at Caroline.

“There’s nothing to do. She’s here to try to win the championship,

just like I am.”

“Bullshit. You two have some unfinished business you need to

iron out.”

Caroline was getting frustrated. “It was ten years ago. Let it go. I

have.”Fran laid her hand over Caroline’s. “It doesn’t matter how long

it’s been. The circumstance around the way she walked away from you

is a big deal.”

Caroline signaled for the bill and used the action to end the

conversation and get her thoughts together. Was Fran right? Did they

have unfinished business? Why did she never hear from Shannon? Why

did she finally talk to her after all this time? And did she have the guts

to get the answers to those questions?

• 72 •

Descent

ChaPTER NiNE

The Downhill is a high-speed descent down the Nevis Range

course—a grueling, rock-strewn ribbon of bike-smashing

dirt that drops five hundred twenty-five meters in two point seven

kilometers. It’s rider against the clock. And the mountain,” Fran recited

behind her.

“What are you talking about?”

Fran waved a piece of paper at her. “The information about the

race. I printed it off the Web. It says right here that the current course

record is four minutes and forty-three seconds held by none other than

your Shannon Roberts.”

“She’s not my anything,” Caroline said but was ignored.

“And just how far is five hundred twenty-five meters and two

point seven kilometers? When is the U.S. going to get in line with the

rest of the world and start using metric?”

Caroline shook her head and smiled at her. “Which answer do you

want first? The one that is ‘seventeen hundred feet in a mile and a half,’

or the phrase ‘not in our lifetime’?” They were getting ready to go out

to dinner and Caroline was just getting out of the shower.

“How do you like being one of the people competing at the

highest level? ‘Famous names, heroes from the magazines, Olympic

and world champions will be here as they compete for important world

championship points,’” Fran read as she turned the page.

“Pretty damn important, so that means you get to buy dinner. Now

get out of here so I can get dressed.” Caroline stuck her tongue out at

her and slammed the bathroom door.

• 73 •

JuliE CaNNoN

An hour later they sat at a table enjoying a glass of wine. The

restaurant was crowded, but they chose a table outside to enjoy the

evening and watch the people walk by.

“When do you defend?” Fran asked about her dissertation. Fran

had been her proofreader and knew almost every word of her thesis.

Caroline knew she had no idea what she was reading but wanted to help

just the same.

“Three weeks after I get back.” The critical date loomed over her

and would until it was over.

“How do you do this and study at the same time?” Fran waved her

hand at the other racers.

“If I don’t know it by now, I don’t deserve to get my Ph.D.

Supernova-driven interstellar turbulence is not something you cram for

in a few days.”

“True,” Fran said. “Here, you’ve got to taste this.” She stabbed a

piece of pasta and extended her fork across the table. Caroline took the

bite, but before she could comment on the spicy taste Fran said, “There

she is.”

“Who?” Caroline knew the answer to the question but asked it

anyway.

“Who, hell? Shannon Roberts and she is coming this way. No,

don’t look…”

“I wasn’t going to. I know what she looks like and I don’t care

where she is.” Then why is my heart racing and my throat all of a

sudden very dry?

“Bullshit. Oh man, she is hotter in real life than in her pictures.

She’s looking this way, she’s—”

Caroline set her drink on the table a little harder than she intended.

The wine spilled over the edge of the glass. “I don’t want a play-by-

play commentary of her evening, Fran.” By the look on Fran’s face, she

was up to something. When she motioned to Shannon to come to the

table, Caroline knew she wasn’t going to like it.

“Too bad; here she comes.” Caroline took a deep breath in

anticipation of seeing those piercing blue eyes again.

“Caroline? I don’t want to interrupt, but I wanted to congratulate

you again and wish you luck this week.”

Shannon was standing, and since Caroline was still seated she

• 74 •

Descent

had to look up past a pair of memorable breasts to meet her eyes. The

dryness in her throat rapidly progressed to her mouth.

“Thank you. The same to you,” she babbled. Fran nudged her

under the table and she remembered her manners. “Shannon Roberts,

Fran Loming,” she said by way of introduction.

“Pleased to meet you, Shannon. I’ve heard so much about you,”

Fran said sweetly.

It was Caroline’s turn to kick her under the table. Shannon’s eyes

narrowed as she gave Fran more than a cursory once-over. She didn’t

look happy.

“Thank you, Fran was it?” Shannon asked.

“Yes. Even though I’m a very big Caroline Davis fan, good luck

to you as well.”

Caroline could have sworn her very straight friend was flirting

with Shannon but knew it had to be her imagination. Shannon focused

her attention back on her.

“I won’t keep you, Caroline. Have a nice evening.”

“Wow.” Fran sighed to Shannon’s back as she walked away. “She

is so hot she sizzles. My God, Caroline, was she always like that? She

practically left burn marks in the floor. Every woman was looking at

her and a few are going after her.”

Caroline had not yet begun to breathe normally again, and Fran’s

chatter about Shannon’s sexual magnetism didn’t help her scattered

nerves.

“If anyone could make me turn the corner, it would be her.”

“Stop it,” Caroline snapped. Fran looked shocked at her outburst.

Caroline softened her voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bark at

you. It’s just that this race is…the series…”

“Bullshit,” Fran said again. She had such a way with the English

language. “There is something going on between you two, and the

sooner you admit it and do something about it the better off you’ll be.

Jesus, the way she looked at me, I thought she was going to knock me

out of my chair and wipe the floor with me.”

“Fran, please.” She didn’t want to get into it again with her today.

Fran was relentless, and she was just not up to it.

Shannon had walked out on her once and she had said nothing

more than polite conversation until a week ago. She thought they had

• 75 •

JuliE CaNNoN

something special going on, but obviously it was just a high school

fling. They had to jump through all kinds of hoops to finally talk to

each other after her father caught them, but it had never been the same.

Their conversations were forced and as much as she willed it, their

connection was lost.

“Okay, CD,” Fran said. “I’ll leave it alone. At least for now.

You’ve got to concentrate or you’ll fall down the two point seven meter

mountain and break your freakin’ neck. Then I’d really have to spoon

feed you.”

Caroline forced a laugh and couldn’t wait until the check came.

v

Shannon paced her room, oblivious to the food on the room service

tray getting cold. She had gone to Ms. Farren’s for a quick bite to eat

prior to venturing out to enjoy the sights, sounds, and beauties of the

Scottish countryside.

She’d been keyed up lately, snapping at everyone and drinking

way too much. Other times when she got like this she simply needed

to blow off some steam in the arms of a woman on the dance floor and

the bedroom floor. Or the living room floor, or the foyer floor, or any

number of other hard surfaces that were handy.

Seeing Caroline and her date enjoying a romantic, chummy dinner

was not what she needed tonight. She should have turned and walked

right back out the door but instead found herself standing beside

their table. Caroline and Fran. The name gave her a sour taste in her

mouth. They were obviously close. Body language said volumes more

than words, and they definitely had spent more than superficial time

together.

It felt like a fist hit her stomach as she imagined Fran touching

Caroline, kissing her, stroking her to orgasm. She had no right to feel

possessive about a woman she didn’t really know anymore. She had no

right to her. Hell, she gave up that right ten years ago when she threw

her under the bus that just so happened to have her father at the wheel

and Dean Phillips in the co-pilot seat.

She had no idea why she still felt something for Caroline. Sure,

she was drop-dead gorgeous, but so were the dozens of women she had

• 76 •

Descent

slept with, and she barely remembered some of them. Maybe it was

because of the way they had ended things. For years, she had dreams

about Caroline. They were set in the places where they used to go

together—the movies, the local diner, the back corner of the library.

But mixed in were current places and people she knew. Caroline was

happy, sad, furious, and teasing all in the same dream. Shannon felt like

she was sneaking to or away from something and she had just gotten

caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She didn’t need Freud to tell

her what that meant. More often than not, her dreams didn’t make any

sense and she woke feeling tired and disjointed because she had spent

the entire night trying to figure out what in the hell was going on.

Shannon grabbed her jacket, her wallet, and room key and closed

the door firmly behind her. She needed to get out and do something.

Anything to get her mind off Caroline. Caroline was a sexy, sensuous

woman and there was no doubt in her mind what she and Fran were

probably doing now.

“Fran, what kind of stupid nineteen forties name is that?” she

asked the empty hall. “Francis? Francine? Francesca?” She tried the

names out while waiting for the elevator.

Losing patience, she strode to the door marked Stairs and bounded

them two at a time to the first floor. She had no specific destination in

mind, but after exiting the revolving door she turned right and headed

toward the bright lights of the expo area of the race. Workers were still

setting up booths, tents, and vendor displays, so the place was lit up

like midday. Shannon wandered around the grounds tripping twice and

almost falling on some stray cable and electrical cords. She’d better

be careful, she told herself. With her luck, tonight she’d trip, fall, and

break her arm over some stupid orange cord no bigger around than a

thick pencil.

“Shannon?” A vaguely familiar voice came from her left.

“Shannon, I thought that was you. I knew you were going to be here

this week. I was hoping we’d run into each other again.”

As the woman rambled Shannon finally recognized her. Gail. She

couldn’t think of her last name, if she even knew it in the first place, but

she did remember the night she had spent with the tall blonde.

“Gail, how have you been?” Shannon asked hoping she’d gotten

the name right.

• 77 •

JuliE CaNNoN

“Fine, but I’m much better now that you’re here.” She stepped

closer, and Shannon saw Gail’s eyes drift over her body. The simmer

reflecting back at her told Shannon that Gail knew what lay beneath her

shorts and TKS emblazoned T-shirt.

Shannon’s body remembered Gail. Her pulse began to beat a little

faster and that familiar tingle in her groin told her she was more than

ready for some fun. It had been several weeks since the last time she

had been with someone and that was about the maximum she could go

without feeling edgy and cranky.

Maybe that was her problem with Caroline. The memories of

her and Caroline together were igniting an already smoldering itch.

Her body was craving attention and slamming into her past was like

throwing fuel on a fire.

This had to stop. She had to quit thinking about Caroline, what they

had and what it was like. It was over, done, history. This was the here

and now. Caroline was after her trophy. Her spot atop the mountain.

Shannon had never really been all that competitive; her skill on the

bike came naturally. If she put her mind to it, she would win and win

big, but if not, she was okay with a second or an occasional third place

finish. She had money of her own thanks to her lucrative endorsements.

She owned her home in Denver and her cabin in Big Bear free and clear.

She had several cars in her garage and the world at her fingertips.

She had no burning need to win the championship; it was just

what she did—win races. She didn’t need to prove something to herself

or anyone else. She knew how good she was and so did the rest of the

mountain biking world.

Her fan base followed her around the globe. Where they got their

money to hang out with a bunch of gear heads she had no idea, and

frankly, didn’t care. They talked bikes, gear ratios, and with very little

encouragement she could get them to talk dirty in her ear in the middle

of the night.

“Shannon?”

The sound of her name brought her back to her present surroundings.

Gail was standing right in front of her, and while Shannon took a stroll

down memory lane, Gail had moved closer.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

• 78 •

Descent

Gail winked at her and leaned in. “I asked if you wanted to hook

up again. I remember having a mind-bending good time.”

Gail was so close her breath tickled Shannon’s ear. She didn’t

have to whisper; there was no one within twenty yards of them. An

involuntary shudder ran down Shannon’s spine when Caroline’s face

popped into her brain.

“Sure, why not? Let’s go.” Shannon grabbed Gail’s hand and

pulled her toward the nearest dark corner. She had had it with Caroline

Davis messing with her mind. She was rich, famous, and young. There

was plenty of life to live and she’d be goddamned if she would continue

to have her panties in a bunch over one woman. There were dozens, if

not three times that many, for her to choose from. If any woman didn’t

want her, then she didn’t want her. With Gail giggling loudly, Shannon

stepped behind a delivery truck.

• 79 •

• 80 •

Descent

ChaPTER TEN

The next three days were a blur of photo ops, sponsor

commitments, and practice runs. By the end of each day,

Caroline was exhausted. The added stress of actually trying to win the

race almost seemed secondary, but the reality was overwhelming.

Caroline had competed at this level for several years and one race

was basically the same as the next. What made this race so special

was the one before and the nine after. It wasn’t just one race that made

the difference, even though one race could be the difference between

standing on the top box of the winner’s stand and standing on the

second or third box.

The world championship was the one thing Caroline wanted. What

she had worked for. Sure, she had gone to school for what seemed like

forever and all she had left was to spend three hours defending her

thesis and she’d be able to put Ph.D. behind her name. But this was

hers. No one could help her with this. Not her parents, who had packed

up their travel trailer and cheered her on at every race in the country

and most outside as well. Fran was her best friend, but all she could do

was offer words of encouragement and change her bandages when she

was injured. Her sponsors provided her the tools to win, but only she

could do it.

The night before the first qualifying heats, Caroline was restless,

too restless to sit in her room. Fran had tried to interest her in a game of

cards or a movie on the hotel pay-per-view movie channel, even going

so far as to suggest they watch a porn movie and have a private moment

with themselves under the sheets.

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JuliE CaNNoN

“Are you nuts!” was Caroline’s response to that one. “I have to

sit on a saddle as wide as pencil lead, barrel down a mountain at thirty

miles an hour with nothing between me and Mother Earth, and you

want me to fuck myself?”

“I just thought it would relax you. You’ve been so uptight the last

few days.”

“I’ve been uptight because I have a race to win. A very big race.”

Caroline emphasized the last few words. “I can’t race with my legs

feeling like over-cooked spaghetti noodles and my clit so sensitive I

can’t even walk. What are you thinking? Are you intentionally trying

to sabotage me?”

Fran held up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. So maybe

this isn’t a good time for a little one-on-one. I’ve never seen you so

nervous. Yes, I know this is a very big race,” Fran repeated Caroline’s

description, “but you never let these things get to you.”

Fran was right. Caroline was rarely nervous about much of

anything. She always came fully prepared no matter if it were a mid-

term, a job interview, or a race. If she hadn’t mastered it by now, there

was nothing left to do.

Caroline knew what it was. Shannon was getting to her. Hell,

Shannon had gotten to her the minute their eyes finally met after all

these years. She was her nemesis on the mountain, her competitor for

the championship, and the first girl she had freely given her heart to.

She had been able to maintain distance, both physically and

emotionally, from Shannon for years. The only time she really thought

about her was at these races. They crossed paths and occasionally stood

beside each other on the winner’s stand, but had never said anything

more than a casual hello. So why now?

“Let’s go for a walk,” Caroline said.

Fran glanced at the clock. “Now it’s your turn to be nuts. It’s after

ten.” “Come on; who cares? You’re my best friend, and as such, in

charge of my emotional well-being. Since you think I need a distraction

it’s your responsibility to come with me.” To Caroline it was as simple

as that.

Fran grumbled something Caroline couldn’t decipher and was still

squawking when they stepped out of the elevator. The lobby was busy

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Descent

with several people at the front desk, another three or four sitting on the

couches by the unlit fireplace. Loud voices drifted from the bar area.

Not everyone was tucked tightly into bed at this hour.

Caroline saw Shannon first. She frowned at the disheveled look

she had acquired. Her hair looked like her hands had been in it all

evening. Her clothes were askew and was that road rash on her knee?

She frowned but changed her expression and disposition, and as

Shannon walked toward them, she felt the heat rise in her chest. There,

right there on her neck, just above her collar, was a hickey. An honest

to God, high school hickey.

“Speaking of getting fucked,” Caroline said under her breath loud

enough for Fran to hear. When Shannon looked at her with fire in her

eyes, Caroline realized her comment carried much farther than she

intended.

“When in Rome,” Shannon said sarcastically as she passed by

Caroline and Fran and punched the elevator button.

Caroline knew Shannon was staying at the same hotel and wasn’t

surprised to see her in the lobby. The sponsor of the championship

had reserved a block of rooms for the riders and Caroline had taken

advantage of the cheaper rates this time.

“What was that all about?” Fran asked watching Shannon walk

away.“How the hell would I know? I’m not her keeper,” Caroline barked.

A pang of red-hot jealousy burned in her gut and she was furious at

herself for letting Shannon ignite it again.

“Don’t snap at me,” Fran said. “I just asked a simple question.

And speaking of simple questions, was that a hickey I saw on her neck?

I haven’t seen one of those in years.”

“Shut up, Fran.” Caroline practically marched across the lobby

and out the door Shannon had recently come through.

“For someone who says there’s nothing going on, you sure aren’t

acting like it.”

“I said shut up, Fran.”

“I saw the look in your eye. You wanted to throttle her.”

Caroline stopped so quickly it took Fran several steps before

she realized she was walking alone. Caroline was hot all over and she

knew her face must be beet red. “I told you. Shannon Roberts is old

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news. Very old news. The only thing we have in common anymore is

trying to win this championship. She can fuck whomever she wants.

It’s none of my business and I don’t care if her entire body is covered

with hickeys.” At one time it had been, and Caroline was the one who

had put them there.

It was a long weekend in early November when Caroline’s

roommate had gone home for a family wedding. The minute class

was over on Friday afternoon Shannon was at her door. They didn’t

leave her room the entire three days except for an occasional trip to the

cafeteria to be seen and to replenish their tired bodies.

Caroline had dared Shannon to let her give her a hickey and when

she finally agreed, one thing led to another and after another marathon

round of kissing, sucking, touching, and licking, Shannon had dozens

of hickeys that stretched from the top of her thighs to just below her

collarbone.

They laughed about it at the time like seventeen-year-olds would,

but when Shannon had to change her clothes in the locker room for

tennis class it wasn’t so funny after all. Before the end of the day,

Shannon’s body was the topic of conversation. Several of the girls

knew she and Shannon were friends and asked her about it. At first

Caroline was mortified, but after a while she considered it her mark

and she was damn proud of it. Shannon’s reputation as a bad girl was

reinforced after that weekend.

No longer in the mood for a walk, but knowing she couldn’t go

back into the hotel, at least not yet, Caroline walked.

“Hey, CD, slow down.” Fran caught up with her. “I sit behind a

desk all day. Give me a break, will ya? I didn’t mean to piss you off.”

“You didn’t,” Caroline replied truthfully. Shannon did by saying

hello to her in Canada, and the very fresh bite mark on her neck said

even more.

• 84 •

Descent

ChaPTER ElEvEN

Shannon was third out of the chute the afternoon of the first day

of qualifying. Hundreds of riders and fans had come to Ben

Nevis on the slopes of Aonach Mor the last week in June. Mount Anne

was the closest town and the second race in the championship series

was named after it.

Forty riders had descended the trail ahead of her, one starting every

five minutes. In the last two days she had ridden the course several

times and had memorized every twist and turn on the difficult trail.

This morning as she eyed the leader board, several riders had crossed

the finish line bleeding, one severely from her knee. It was obvious to

everyone nasty spills were still an everyday event at the championships.

Every rider was giving it her all and pulled out all the stops to win.

The bell rang and Shannon shot off the starting line. The course

immediately dropped fifteen feet and Shannon was pedaling before

her rear tire hit the rock-strewn ground. Her left arm came perilously

close to a tree branch, but she barely noticed, her concentration on two

places, the ground directly in front of her and what lay ahead.

She had on all her safety gear. Her arms were covered by the long

sleeves of her shirt, courtesy of TKS and her other sponsors, her chest

protector underneath. Her bright green gloves were cinched tight and

didn’t move as she squeezed her brakes at just the right time to slide into

the next turn. She had worn her helmet and goggles so many times they

felt like they weren’t even there. It had been difficult to adjust to the

full-face helmet after riding for so many years with just a simple brain

• 85 •

JuliE CaNNoN

bucket, as they were known, but for her own safety she had switched.

When she first got it she wore it everywhere around her house, even

when she mowed the lawn and repaired her bike. It was now as much a

part of her as her own hands and she felt naked every time she was on

her bike without it. It had probably saved her life more than once too.

Leaning over the handlebars, she pushed her right leg down and

pulled her left leg up, shifting gears to climb the steep grade. This

part of the course had the steepest incline and she was breathing hard.

Focusing on each pedal stroke, she arrived at the peak. There was no

time to stop and admire the scenery, some of Scotland’s best, because

she was determined to come down the mountain the fastest.

No wider than the width of handlebars, the final section was where

the race separated the big girls from the little girls. She nicked a bush

with her elbow and an even bigger one with her right leg. She felt and

heard nothing but her raspy breathing inside the helmet. One more turn

and she would be on the straightaway to cross the finish line.

She hit the turn with every skill she had, alternately braking and

accelerating so as not to slide in the loose dirt. On her last practice run,

this was where she had dumped it, and as she got up she noticed that

several others had as well. Dried blood covered several rocks.

Out of the last turn, she finally heard the noise of the crowd. They

were five and six deep, screaming, shouting, and blowing air horns as

she rode under the black and white sign. Shannon skidded to a showy

stop and looked to the board for her time.

“Damn,” she said. She was two seconds slower than her own

course record time. What had happened? She thought she had a pretty

clean ride, except for the fourth turn, that was a bit sloppy. She took off

her helmet and pedaled out of the finish area; another rider would arrive

in a few minutes.

“Shannon, you’re bleeding.”

Shannon looked and for the first time noticed blood dripping down

her leg. It was flowing pretty freely and her sock had turned from white

to red. A drop hit the dirt as she looked at it.

“You’d better get that looked at, honey.”

Shannon found the voice of the endearment and Gail was looking

at her with concern written on her face.

• 86 •

Descent

“Thanks, I will,” she replied, quickly pedaling away from the

woman she had taken behind the trailer two nights ago. If she tagged

along, it would mean there was something more between them than two

people sharing a quickie. She had no intention of letting Gail get that

impression.

v

Her destination wasn’t the med tent but the JumboTron where

she could watch Caroline’s ride down the mountain. By the time she

got there Caroline was crossing the finish line ahead of Shannon, three

tenths of a second faster than her. Shannon would be going into the

finals tomorrow in second place.

Forty-five minutes and twelve stitches later, Shannon limped to

the TKS trailer. Greg Mitchell, Frank’s number one goon and gopher,

was standing by the door as if guarding against an invasion. This was

a bike race, not the World Cup where sailboat owners kept their keels

hidden behind screens so their competitors couldn’t see how their boats

were designed. How ridiculous.

Bike racing was as transparent as it got. Everyone knew who rode

what bike, the frame composition, the stem length, the crank shaft,

gear ratio, front fork rise, and tires. It was open knowledge, but nobody

copied each other in an attempt to win. At this level, no two bikes were

the same because it was the rider that made them different.

Her bike was a TKS Road Rage with a custom made carbon head

tube for precise steering, Shimano disc brakes tuned to her specs,

Shimano XTR components, and a one-of-a-kind crankset. Her tires

were Kenda Nevegal inflated to 28 psi, and her forks had four-inch

travel.“Watch my bike,” she said to the goon. She never left her bike

unattended, but Mitchell knew her and his place in her life and would

make sure it didn’t ride away.

“What the hell happened?” Frank barked before she stepped her

second foot inside. “You’re off by two seconds and Davis is ahead of

you.”She forced herself not to hobble to the nearest chair. She practically

• 87 •

JuliE CaNNoN

collapsed into it and put her leg up on an adjacent chair. “Nothing,

Frank. For Christ sake, it’s only the qualifying ride, not the end of the

world. I could ride that mountain with my eyes closed if I had enough

time. Tomorrow is when it matters, so get off my back.”

Shannon was uncharacteristically short with her sponsor and by

the look on his face, he was not too pleased. She backpedaled. “Look,

Frank, I’ll win the race tomorrow. If not, there’s France and Madrid.”

She began pulling off her shirt. She wore an undershirt beneath her

chest protector. The pressure suit was injection molded to fit her body

and offered the ultimate in upper body protection. With injection

molded plastic cups on the shoulder, arms, and forearms, and the high

impact breast plate and thumb loops to keep it in place, Shannon always

thought she looked like a storm trooper in Star Wars.

“Relax, Frank. TKS is getting plenty of face time and you’ll make

buckets of money. Stop worrying and enjoy it.” What she wanted to

say was stop acting like a spoiled little boy who had to win every race.

He wasn’t even riding, the fat bastard. Shannon had never even seen

him on a bike. Other owners and designers took their creations for a

spin once in a while, if not to evaluate the design, then for the sheer

enjoyment of biking.

“Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get changed,” Shannon said,

effectively dismissing her paycheck.

Finally alone, Shannon sat and surveyed the damage to her leg.

The stitches had closed the cut, and by the throbbing in her calf, the

lidocaine was starting to wear off. She looked around the trailer.

The contents were comfortably familiar. She knew more about bikes

and components than most of the mechanics. She could probably

disassemble and reassemble her bike blindfolded. There were many

days she felt more comfortable with her bike than with people.

She was good with small talk. She knew what she had to say to

whom, and who to shake hands with. She easily chatted up the sponsors

and did all the things society expected her to do, but she rarely related

to people on a purely personal level. She went through the motions,

said the right things, and did what was required of her, but if anyone

in her immediate circle were to disappear or even die, she doubted

she would even miss them. The people in her life were superficial and

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Descent

lasted as long as her last win. Pulling on her shorts, she heard the door

latch click behind her.

“What a magnificent sight.”

Shannon froze when she heard the voice. Half dressed was not

the position she wanted to be in with Nikki Striker. She pulled her shirt

on over her bare chest, giving herself a few moments to get herself

together.

The wife of her major sponsor had been coming on to her for

months. Nikki believed you could never be too rich, too thin, or too

forward. Her husband made her the first, starving took care of the

second, and she took care of the last all by herself.

It was during the U.S. National Championship series when she

had made her first move. Actually, she had probably been coming on

to her since her husband signed Shannon, but Shannon was too caught

up in her own life to notice. When she finally did, she didn’t know

whether to run or take Nikki up on her offer. Nikki became increasingly

aggressive until one night she caught Shannon alone in a trailer very

similar to the one they were in now.

“Hey, baby,” Nikki had said in a sexy voice. Even though she was

on the thin side of Shannon’s tastes, Nikki was five foot five, had a

perfect pair of manufactured breasts, long legs, and volumes of billowy

black hair.

“Frank left about five minutes ago. You can probably catch him at

the media tent.” She bent and tied her shoes and when she straightened,

Nikki was directly in front of her.

“I’m not looking for Frank.” The way she came on to Shannon,

Nikki was definitely not interested in her husband or his dick. She was

the trophy wife with Frank at least twenty-five years her senior.

Shannon knew she was playing with fire but asked anyway. “What

are you looking for, Nikki?” Nikki stepped even closer, her eyes bright

with what Shannon recognized as lust. Her stomach skirted into her

throat. She had to be very careful. If she played this wrong, she could

be in big trouble, the least of which was losing her sponsor. No matter

her popularity in the series, without a main sponsor it would be difficult

but not impossible to continue racing.

Nikki ran a perfectly manicured finger down the center of her

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JuliE CaNNoN

chest, pausing between her breasts before tracing the TKS letters on

her T-shirt. “I’m looking for fun. And I think you’re just the one who

can give it to me.”

Shannon wanted to knock the spindly hand away but clenched her

fist to her side instead. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Nikki answered. Her breath smelled like a

wintergreen Tic Tac, her perfume Chanel.

“What makes you think that?” Shannon asked, feeling cocky.

Maybe she could just tease her along for the next few races and then

she’d be out of her hair.

“Your reputation precedes you.” Shannon could practically feel

the lust pouring out of Nikki’s body. “Rumor has it you’re discreet and

very, very good. Leaving the girls begging for more.”

Shannon inched back just enough to give her some breathing room

but not so much that Nikki would notice. She had to maintain the upper

hand in this conversation. “You don’t believe everything you hear, do

you?”That made Nikki laugh. A throaty laugh that could have been

mistaken for a heavy smoker’s cough. “I do when it comes to you. As

a matter of fact,” Nikki’s eyes roamed Shannon’s body as if imagining

what she looked like under her husband’s clothing line, “I’d like to

come for you.”

“What would your husband say?” Shannon asked, planning her

escape around Nikki if she needed one. “Or does he want to watch?”

The thought sickened her.

Nikki laughed again and this time Shannon’s stomach reeled.

“Oh, I’d bet he’d like to, but this is my private party. It’s by

invitation only and his must have gotten lost in the mail.” She licked

her lips.

Shannon was suddenly tired of the game and smoothly stepped

around Nikki, leaving her standing facing the wall. “I don’t think that

would be a good idea.”

It wasn’t long before Nikki spun around, the lust in her eyes

replaced with anger. Her voice was not as calm as it had been a moment

earlier. “And why not? No one needs to know, especially Frank. It’ll be

our little secret.”

“I’m not good at keeping secrets, and I don’t fuck where I bank, so

• 90 •

Descent

to speak,” she added cautiously. “I don’t mean to offend you, and I’m

flattered, but I don’t do married women and I certainly don’t do the boss’s

wife.” Okay, one white lie was acceptable given the circumstances.

Nikki had surprised her by accepting the rejection graciously and

she had stayed away from Shannon until now. “Nikki, I didn’t think

you came to races on the other side of the pond.”

“I thought a change of scenery would be good for me. You know,

new city, new terrain, old friends.”

“And what do you think of Scotland?” Shannon asked moving so

that her back was not against a wall. The last thing she needed was for

Nikki to pin her against it and lay a big fat sloppy wet one on her.

“Gorgeous,” she replied. Nikki moved between Shannon and the

door.“I didn’t like the way we ended our last conversation,” she said

dropping her purse to the floor. Her hands were free, making Shannon

nervous.

“Oh?” Shannon asked not so innocently.

“Yes, oh. Actually.” She lazily surveyed Shannon’s body like

she had in Moab. “I was thinking maybe we could share a few Os

ourselves.”

Shannon had to stop herself from laughing. How corny—share a

few Os ourselves? Good God, it was an outright proposition and she

hadn’t been hit on so blatantly since, well, since last night. Get real,

Nikki. She wondered if Nikki thought about clichés all day or if she just

made them up as she went along.

“Nikki, we already talked about this. I don’t mix business with

pleasure.”

“No, sugar, you talked.”

“And that’s all we’re going to do. I told you—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You don’t do married women and you don’t

eat the hand that feeds you. No matter how good they would be.”

Shannon smiled one of her quirky smiles, the one that typically

diffused most situations. “Now, Nikki—” she started to say before she

was interrupted by the door swinging open.

“There you are, baby. I thought I saw you come in here.”

Shannon was never so glad to see Frank filling the doorway as she

was right at this moment. “Frank, hey, Nikki was looking for you,” she

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JuliE CaNNoN

said nervously, not glancing at Nikki, knowing what she’d see reflected

in her eyes.

“Bullshit,” was his reply. “The only reason she’s here is because

you are.”

Shannon’s heart beat a little faster and her palms began to sweat.

She doubted Frank Striker could kick her ass, but he sure could give

her a big wedgie.

“She’s a big fan of yours. Talks about you all the time. If I were

the jealous type…” Frank was smiling broadly now.

Nikki stepped forward. “Thanks for the lesson, Shannon. And

thank that other rider…what was her name again? Oh yeah, Caroline,

for the excitement of the afternoon. She looked pretty good too.”

Shannon didn’t miss the innuendo in Nikki’s statement and a wave

of jealousy ran through her. If she made a move on Caroline…

“Get some sleep, Shannon. You’ve gotta win tomorrow,” Frank

said as he and Nikki walked out the door arm in arm but not before

Nikki blew her a kiss over her shoulder.

Shannon sat in one of the chairs at the long table in the middle

of the room. Nikki was not the first married woman to come on to her,

and she wasn’t the first wife of a sponsor to do so either. There was

that time in France a few years ago when the wife of the event sponsor

cornered her in the hotel bathroom. She had met her the night before at

the sponsor event and the interest was unmistakable. She had chatted

Shannon up all night, and toward the end of the evening when she

followed Shannon into a stall in the ladies room and locked the door

behind her, Shannon wasn’t surprised. It really couldn’t be called a stall

at all. The walls went from the floor to the ceiling and the door was full

length with slats that allowed you to look out but no one could see in.

There was plenty of room and the woman dropped immediately to

her knees after a searing kiss that left Shannon’s legs quivering and her

clit throbbing. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, but as the woman

worked her skillful tongue on her she couldn’t think of one reason why

not. Several women came and went, none of whom had any idea what

was going on in the stall second from the end.

Shannon was normally a vocal lover, and the combination of the

circumstances, the thrill of the place, and what was being done to her sent

her over the edge. She came biting her tongue, her moan camouflaged

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Descent

by the sound of the hand dryer. When the woman washing her hands

left, the woman between her legs stood and unlocked the door. She

walked out of the stall, washed her hands and face, straightened her

blouse, and calmly strolled out as if she hadn’t just had her mouth on

the most intimate place of a virtual stranger. Shannon had never had

such an erotic experience before or since.

Shannon pulled her jacket over her shirt, the TKS logo embroidered

on the back and over her left breast. She found it ironic that the clothing

line Frank Striker made protected her from the scrapes and scratches

on the trail, and she wondered if he made anything to protect her from

his wife.

On her way back to the hotel she passed the expo village and the

party was in full swing. The Saturday night before the final was always

a night of adventure and excitement for everyone. Everyone except the

most serious riders, that is. They needed to be sharp the next day or

run the risk of smacking into a rock, catapulting over their handlebars,

or worse yet, falling down a mountain. When she was first on tour she

hadn’t missed a Saturday night. If she somehow had not made the finals,

she partied without hesitation. If she was on tap the following day, she

still partied, but not with the abandon she normally would have. It was

hell to fly down a rough, rock-strewn mountain with a headache. She

kept walking, the sounds of laughter and music fading behind her.

• 93 •

• 94 •

Descent

ChaPTER TwElvE

Caroline was at the bottom of the lift waiting for her and her

bike to be taken to the top of the mountain. The final day of

the second race in the series was bright and clear and the crowds were

enormous. The gondola operator recognized her and allowed her to sit

alone on the wide bench instead of having to share with others. The

chair could hold as many as four, but since she was alone, she sat dead

center.The nineteen-minute ride to the top was noisy. The hum of the

cable pulling her and her fellow finalists, their bikes, and the hundreds

of fans that dotted the course up and down the hill was steady. She

could see most of the trail below her and watched as a rider made her

way down the mountain, zigzagging around the hairpin turns, jumping

over rocks, and vaulting over ditches. No one rode that good. No one

could do what that woman was doing except one person, and Caroline

watched intently as Shannon negotiated every turn and challenge. When

she crossed the finish line, the roar of the crowd hurt her ears, even as

far away as she was.

Caroline shuddered. It wasn’t because it was cool at the top of the

eight-thousand-foot mountain or because of the 360 degree view of the

valley. She shuddered after watching Shannon conquer the mountain

with the skill and grace rarely displayed by any other rider, male or

female. Her bike was an extension of her body. Her legs connected to

the pedals as if they were her own feet, the handlebars a lengthening

of her arms, the machine flowing under her like a ballerina floating

through the air.

• 95 •

JuliE CaNNoN

It had been ten years and Shannon had only gotten more attractive

with age. Where once was a lanky teenager, now was a stunningly

gorgeous woman. Her shyness had been augmented with confidence

almost verging on cockiness. Her hot looks were replaced with

charisma and sex appeal. Either way, Shannon still had the ability to

take her breath away, and she hated herself for it. She knew Shannon’s

reputation on the circuit. Hell, she had seen it in person. She had more

women after her than anyone she had ever seen. Caroline was no prude,

but even she drew the line at someone new in her bed in every city.

Maybe she was jealous. The thought of Shannon doing to another

woman what she had done to her made it seem somehow cheap and

superficial. Touch here, get moan in return. Run tongue down there and

get quiver of response. Insert finger into slot A then remove. Repeat

action until orgasm is achieved.

“What in the hell am I doing?” Caroline shouted into the thin air.

Her seat bounced in reaction to her body’s forceful question. “This is

one of the biggest races of my life and I’m thinking about everything

other than the next forty minutes of my life. I could get myself killed.

Snap out of it, Caroline. Pull your head out of Shannon’s crotch and

concentrate.” The last word finished just before she arrived at the

summit.

Caroline smoothly stepped off the lift and gathered her thoughts

back to where they should be—on the race ahead of her as she waited

for her bike to be passed to her. She had to be on the top of her game or

not only could she lose this event, she could hurt herself severely if she

weren’t careful. A broken collarbone, or any other major injury, and her

chance at the championship was over.

Approaching the start line, Caroline closed her eyes and envisioned

the course below. She had memorized the trail as described on the map

and after the ten practice laps she had run over the past few days, she

was comfortable with what she needed to do when. The course was

challenging, to say the least; this was, after all, the world championship.

Not a race for novices or the tentative. She would attack the mountain

like she attacked everything and in the end would not say she didn’t

give it her best.

The bell sounded and in almost the blink of an eye she was

approaching the bottom half of the course. The turns were tighter,

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Descent

the climbs steeper, the terrain rougher than at the top, and even more

dangerous as the riders tired. Her front tire hit a mogul harder than she

anticipated, the jolt absorbed by her front fork shock absorbers. Her

right hand slipped off her grip and her handlebar veered to the left. Her

front wheel threatened to spin out from under her and she struggled to

maintain control. If she fell on this part of the course it would be more

than a little painful, it would be disaster.

Crossing the finish line, Caroline knew she had not beaten

Shannon’s time. She turned and saw that her slip in that last turn had, in

fact, cost her the race. She finished second to Shannon by seven tenths

of a second. The crowd was cheering and she knew some of it was for

her but most was for Shannon who was in the hot seat, the place just

under the scoreboard where the leader sat until dethroned by the next

fastest rider. She was half sitting, half standing against her bike, her

helmet in one hand, a Gatorade in the other. The smile on her face said

it all.Before Caroline could turn away, Shannon looked directly at her.

She was too far away to read the expression in her eyes, but her wide

smile dropped ever so slightly before she nodded at Caroline. It was as

if she were telling her something but Caroline had no idea what it was

and quite frankly didn’t care.

A crowd gathered around her and Caroline dismounted before she

was knocked over. Congratulatory slaps on her back and “good race,”

“nice try,” and “you’ll get her in France” echoed from all directions.

Twenty minutes later, one of the race sponsors somehow found her and

took her bike and led her to the podium. Being the second place finisher,

she would stand on the pedestal to the right of where Shannon would

stand. The third place finisher would flank Shannon’s other side.

Caroline drank from her water bottle while the pomp, circumstance,

and speeches droned on. She was sweaty, hot, tired, and more than a

little disappointed. She could have won this race if she had only had

her complete attention on the race the entire time leading up to her final

run. But no, she had to have a wet dream about Shannon and what it

was like when she—a jolt in her side and a whistle brought her out of

her daydreaming. Her name must have been called because everyone

was looking at her, including the woman in third place. Tentatively, she

stepped forward and onto the box with a big number two emblazoned

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on the front. She was handed a bouquet of flowers, and a medal was

placed around her neck.

Caroline acknowledged Fran, who had managed to get no

closer than three deep in the crowd. She was waving and whistling

and jumping up and down. Fran didn’t care she had come in second.

Fran’s enthusiasm was contagious and Caroline couldn’t help but smile

in return. It was only one race, after all. There were ten more to go,

including the marathon twenty-four-hour race in Australia. She and

Shannon were tied in points and she was only five tenths of a second

behind her.

Caroline was acutely aware of Shannon standing next to her.

Shannon’s body was fit and firm and she filled out her bike shorts

better than anyone Caroline had ever seen. Some riders chose to wear

baggies, modified hiking shorts with the traditional bike short sewn

in. Caroline had several pair herself but chose to wear the more fitted

shorts in terrain like today’s where branches could snag on the material

and slow her down, or worse.

A tall, too thin blonde placed the medal around Shannon’s neck

and instead of kissing her on the cheek, she planted her lips directly on

Shannon’s. The crowd loved it, Shannon appeared to be surprised, and

Caroline steamed.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer’s voice boomed over

the public address system. “The winner of stage two of the world

championship mountain bike series. Shannon Roberts.”

Flashbulbs blinded Caroline and she smiled and waved to the

crowd. It was expected of her and she played the part. What she really

wanted to do was slap that grin off the blonde’s face and push her down

the mountain behind them. But she didn’t, and after the interviews and

pictures were finished, she and Fran walked to her sponsor’s trailer.

“I can’t believe she beat you. I was watching you on the JumboTron

and I thought you had her.”

Caroline pulled off her chest protector. Sweat, grime, and dirt had

accumulated on her no-longer-white T-shirt and she washed her face in

the sink. The trailer wasn’t fancy, but simply a cargo trailer Striker used

to store their gear at the races. It would be packed up by morning and

on its way to Madrid.

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“My hand slipped,” Caroline said by way of explanation. “And

my concentration,” she murmured not quite soft enough.

“I heard that last part. What are you talking about? What got you

off your mark?” Fran had been to enough races to know Caroline’s pre-

race routine and how sacred it was to her.

“Nothing.” Caroline tried to change the subject.

“Don’t give me that. Your concentration is as legendary as your

technical skill. What’s going on? You never make a careless mistake

like that.”

“Jeez, Fran, you make it sound like I’m a machine and mistakes

never happen. My hand slipped; that’s all.”

“Other people make mistakes, not Caroline Davis,” Fran said

standing with her arms folded across her chest.

“Yeah, well, Caroline Davis isn’t perfect, no matter how much

you’d like her to be. I lost, but next week is Madrid and after that France

and Andorra. I’ll beat her in every race through Europe so that by the

time we get to Switzerland, I’ll be so far in front of her she’ll need a

compass to even get close to me.”

“She’s gotten under your skin.”

“No, she hasn’t,” Caroline snapped. “Get over it, Fran. I have. Let

me repeat myself for the last time. There is nothing going on between

me and Shannon Roberts. What was is long over and nothing but a high

school crush. I have moved on, and by her reputation, she has too.”

Caroline slammed the lid of the equipment box. “Now shut up about

it.”

• 99 •

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ChaPTER ThiRTEEN

Caroline was true to her word and she finished ahead of

Shannon in France, Madrid, and Italy. Shannon had beaten

her in Germany, Andorra, and South Africa. At the end of eight races,

Caroline had fifty-five points to Shannon’s fifty-three. Having the

highest number of points, Caroline was wearing the blue jersey for

this race. Nine weeks had passed since she tore Fran’s head off during

their argument in Scotland, and she was due to arrive at the end of the

week.The flight from South Africa to Geneva was a marathon twenty-

one hours of travel time and three different flights. She was battling

jet lag, fatigue, and unsuccessfully trying to avoid Shannon. Shannon

seemed to be everywhere she went. It didn’t matter if Caroline was in

Madrid, Munich, or Florence, Shannon was in the restaurant, at the

required sponsor event, on the practice track. This was their week off

with no races and she needed time to rest, practice, and be alone. The

Swiss resort in downtown Champéry was the perfect place.

Located ninety minutes from Geneva, Champéry was the picture

postcard of a small village in the Swiss Alps. The Les Dents du Midi

Mountains framed the village and its chalets and hotels. The town

consisted of narrow streets lined with small shops and restaurants

catering to the international clientele that came to Champéry in the

winter for its excellent skiing and the summer for beautiful outdoor

activities.

The ninth race was being held at the Bike Park, the largest mountain

bike domain in Europe. Formed by the Swiss resorts of the Portes du

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Soleil, Champéry, Val d’Illiez, and Morgins, the park boasted twenty-

four lifts, nine downhill trails, and hundreds of miles of marked trails.

If the opportunity to ride the fabulous trails didn’t make your heart stop,

the stunning views of the Swiss Alps would.

Caroline skidded to a stop after her second practice run down Trail

105, the official downhill track this year. As she had expected and didn’t

want, Shannon was waiting for her at the bottom of the course.

“Good ride.”

“Thanks.” Caroline unbuckled her helmet and pulled off her

gloves. Sweat dripped down the side of her forehead and trickled down

her cheek. She wiped at it with a shaking hand. Caroline didn’t see

Shannon’s bike in the vicinity and wondered what Shannon wanted.

She let her do the talking.

“When did you get here?”

“Yesterday.”

“Are you staying at the Hotel Suisse?” Shannon shifted her weight

from foot to foot.

“No. I’m at the Chalet Eden. My parents and a friend of mine

are coming in.” Shannon wondered if the “friend” was the woman she

saw Caroline with in Canada and Germany. She didn’t like it but held

her opinion to herself. She didn’t know why she was here, but when

she saw Caroline’s name on the practice sheet she found herself at the

bottom of the mountain waiting for her.

“How are the folks?” Shannon asked with more than a bit of irony.

She could see Caroline’s father’s face when he was standing in that

doorway like it was ten minutes ago.

“Fine,” Caroline answered hesitantly.

“Do you have time to get some lunch?” Shannon blurted out

before she realized it. The expression on Caroline’s face said she was

equally surprised.

“Just lunch. I’m not going to try to pump you on information

about your gear or your strategy.” Shannon tried to laugh but it came

out more of a choke than anything else. She had no idea why she’d

asked Caroline to lunch or even why she wanted to spend any time with

her. They had been at the same races for several years and had kept their

distance, so what was it about now that changed? Maybe it was seeing

her with her father again that brought back all the memories.

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“Shannon, I don’t know.”

“It’s just lunch. It’s not as if we’re strangers.” That was an

understatement.

“But we’re adversaries.” Caroline’s tone was cautious.

“So? Do you think I’m going to feed you bad food so you’ll be

barfing instead of beating me?” This time when she laughed it came

out as expected. “Come on, Caroline. We haven’t spoken to each other

in ten years. We’re grown women now. Let’s catch up.” God, it even

sounded lame to her own ears.

Shannon watched Caroline struggle with her invitation. Maybe

she would say sure, what the hell, let’s catch up. Maybe she’d say no

because her girlfriend wasn’t here. Maybe she’d say yes for the same

reason.

“All right,” Caroline answered hesitantly.

Shannon jumped on it before she had a chance to change her mind.

“How about I meet you at the Verita Café, say, eleven thirty?” That was

an hour from now, giving Caroline enough time for another ride if she

wanted and a quick shower. Shannon thought she looked fine just as she

was, dirt and all.

“Eleven thirty,” Caroline said and pedaled off toward the chair

lift. Shannon watched her secure her bike and sit in the chair. Just as

the lift began, Caroline turned and looked directly at Shannon, her face

betraying nothing.

The back of Caroline’s head floated farther and farther away as the

gondola took her to the top of the mountain. Except this time, Shannon

knew she’d be back.

v

She looked at her watch at least a dozen times before Caroline

finally walked through the door. The closer it got to the time they had

agreed to meet, the more Shannon began to doubt that Caroline would

actually show up. She wasn’t used to this uncertainty. The women she

went out with always showed up. As a matter of fact, most times they

were early and Shannon was the one they waited for. It felt odd to have

the shoe on the other foot. She didn’t like it.

For the past year, thoughts of Caroline had crossed her mind more

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and more often. She wondered just how different her life would have

been if they had stayed together. Would it be any different? Would she

still have bounced around from woman to woman never staying long

enough to learn more than just her name?

She was the bad girl on the circuit. It was her persona even though

just as much was conjecture as reality. She was tired. Tired of the

travel, the junk food, and the endless empty nights. Who knew she was

seriously thinking about retiring and settling down? But what surprised

her the most was how often thoughts of Caroline popped in her head.

The chiming of the bell above the door rang again as another

patron entered with Caroline right behind him. Shannon barely glanced

at the man, her complete focus on Caroline. She had changed into a

tangerine-colored sleeveless blouse over matching plaid shorts that fell

just above her knees, accentuating her long legs. A tattoo that hadn’t

been there ten years ago circled one pale ankle above camel and tan

boat shoes. Shannon wondered if Caroline had any more surprises

hidden under her fashionable clothes.

When Caroline saw her, Shannon’s heart jumped a beat or two

faster at the flash of recognition in her eyes. That expression didn’t last

long as Caroline quickly covered it up. But Shannon knew it was there.

It reminded her of every time they saw each other those many years

ago. Caroline took a deep breath as she approached the table where

her ex-lover sat. Funny, she thought, she had never really thought

of or referred to Shannon as an ex-lover. It sounded so intimate. But

wasn’t that what they had been? Intimate? No, she shook her head. Sex,

fucking, and lust are what you have when you’re seventeen. The word

“lover” just sounds too mature for teenagers.

All of this and much more raced through her head as she closed

the gap between them. Shannon stood as she approached and Caroline’s

reaction to her was as thrilling today as it was all those other times that

seemed like ages ago.

Caroline was a freshman when she first saw Shannon walk across

the courtyard of MHA. At first she thought she was an upperclassman,

the way she walked with confidence, as if she had always belonged

at the prestigious school. Her hair was longer than it was today and

equally blond and unruly. She had the swagger of someone who went

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Descent

after what she wanted and the sophistication that only the wealthy seem

to inherit. Caroline had started to suspect she was attracted to girls and

one look at Shannon Roberts confirmed it. But it wasn’t until two years

later and that fateful summer that changed her life.

Caroline was a virgin when she and Shannon finally got together.

She knew all about the boy/girl thing but had no idea what to put where

to make a girl cry out and beg for more. But with Shannon she caught

on fast. It was as if she had been pulled out of a fog that she only

thought she was seeing through. With Shannon, every day was brighter,

every minute an adventure. As in typical teenage fashion, Shannon was

everything to her and Caroline thought she couldn’t live without her.

But obviously she had. They both had, and here they were all these

months and years later. And Caroline felt as she did back then.

“You seem surprised to see me,” Caroline said. Shannon pulled

out the chair for her.

The waiter arrived and took their drink order, giving Shannon a

reprieve from answering. But Caroline wasn’t letting her off the hook.

“Didn’t think I’d show up?” And why is she so relieved that I did?

“I wasn’t sure if you would or not,” Shannon admitted.

“I said I’d come.” Caroline tried to relax. The conversation felt

forced and awkward and it got worse with a long pause when neither

she nor Shannon said anything. Shannon looked anything but the

sophisticated, cocky poster girl of the circuit. She looked scared to

death. Caroline took pity on her.

“How have you been, Shannon?” What have you been doing with

yourself? How do you spend your days? Who do you spend your nights

with? Do you ever think of me? Did you fall apart like I did when you

left? Those and a dozen other questions threatened to spill out of her

mouth. Her pride kept them in.

“No complaints, I suppose. How about you? I was sorry to hear

about your crash.” Shannon toyed with her spoon, a sign of nervousness

Caroline remembered.

“I’m okay now. It was a nasty spill and I still have two pins in my

leg, but it only bothers me when it’s really cold, or when I sit too long.”

Actually, it bothered her more than she cared to admit, but a steady dose

of ibuprofen and ice kept the major discomfort at bay.

The waiter returned with their drinks and Caroline ordered a roast

• 105 •

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beef sandwich with chips and Shannon ordered a rare burger and fries.

There was another long pause when he left.

“Why did you invite me to lunch?” By the look on Shannon’s

face, Caroline might as well have asked her to recite the entire periodic

table of elements. “We haven’t spoken to each other since high school.

Why now? Why this race?” Why did you leave me? Why didn’t you

stay and fight for me? Why didn’t you ever call me?

“I don’t know. I guess I thought it was time.” Shannon squirmed

in her seat.

“Time for what?” Caroline was surprised when long dormant

anger simmered to the surface. She had been angry at the way Shannon

had left her. Angry that she never made more of an effort to contact her.

Angry that she had practically ignored her at every race they competed

in. It wasn’t as if she had fallen off the face of the earth.

“Jesus, Caroline, would you give me a break here? I know it’s

been a long time, but that was years ago.”

“And we’re supposed to act like, what…we let bygones be

bygones? It never happened?” Caroline could just as well forget what

it was like to make love with Shannon as she could her own shoe size.

That was the trouble. She couldn’t forget. At the rate she was going

she’d never forget.

“No, of course not,” Shannon replied quickly, finally showing

some spark in the conversation.

“Of course not what? We let it go? Or act like it never happened?”

Their food came and the waiter left without saying a word, the tension

between the two of them obvious.

“Neither one.” It was Shannon’s turn to be angry. “For Christ sake,

Caroline, why don’t you flay me open right here, right now? Will that

make you feel better? It was years ago. An entire lifetime ago and I’m

sorry.” She raised her hand cutting off what Caroline was about to say.

“I’m sorry that was the way your father found out. I’m sorry that you

were put in that position. I’m sorry that you had to deal with all of it.

But what I’m not sorry about is that we were together in the first place.”

Shannon took a long drink of her tea.

“Is it too much to want to talk, to find out how you are, what

you’ve been doing with your life? I don’t want to pretend like it never

happened, Caroline, because it did. We had a teenage fling. It was

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intense, it was powerful, and it was a defining moment in our lives.”

Shannon hesitated. “At least it was for me. You can’t simply pretend it

didn’t happen. Well, maybe you can, but I can’t.”

Shannon took a breath expecting Caroline to interrupt and was

surprised when she didn’t. She just sat there looking at her as if she

were crazy. “What?”

“What do you want from me, Shannon?” Caroline was tired of

dancing around the two of them. It was the main question she had been

asking herself for weeks, especially knowing she’d see her every day

for weeks instead of once or twice a year. The tension in her shoulders

and the butterflies in the pit of her stomach were all the evidence she

needed that Shannon still had the ability to affect her.

“I just want to talk with you. Tell me what you’ve been doing with

yourself, how you are.”

“Talk to you. You want me to talk to you.” Shannon nodded. “Fine.

After I left MHA I went to Columbia. My undergrad and graduate

degrees are in physics and I defend my dissertation for my Ph.D. in

astrophysics three weeks after the tour ends. I’ve been accepted to the

astronaut program at NASA. I train in Colorado and have a cracker-box

apartment in New York. I have good friends, my baby sister has five

kids, God help her, and my parents love me. Other than what you know

about me and the tour, that about sums it up.” Caroline sat back in the

booth. There were a few more words about her life after that fateful day

her father opened her dorm room door, but she was not going to share

them with Shannon. She hadn’t told anyone except for Fran, and that

was just recently.

“NASA? You’re going to be an astronaut?”

Out of everything she said, this was Shannon’s follow-up question?

Nothing about how I was after she left me? What did my father say?

Did he hit me or scream at me? Did I curl up in a ball and cry? Did I

miss her? Shannon had the reputation of being a party girl on the tour,

not serious about anything, no commitments other than the next race,

and she sure was showing her colors now. “Yes, I am.” Caroline had

always dreamed of walking in space or being the first woman to step

foot on the moon.

“That’s cool. And Ashley has five kids?”

“Yes, one right after the other.”

• 107 •

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Shannon asked a few more basic questions that Caroline answered

in simple sentences or with a yes or no. She didn’t feel particularly

chatty and certainly didn’t trust either Shannon’s motives or her own

body’s response. She kept herself on a tight leash during the stilted

conversation.

“I got an invitation to our ten-year reunion,” Shannon said referring

to their time together at MHA for the first time.

“I did too.”

“Are you going?” Shannon asked, hiding behind a French fry

going into her mouth.

If I say yes, will you ask me to go as your date, Caroline wanted

to say, but instead answered truthfully. “No. I’ll be at NASA then and

I’m not interested in going.”

“Why not? It might be fun going back and seeing what everyone

has turned into. Who has the most kids, the biggest house in the

Hamptons, the ugliest husband.” She chuckled.

“I haven’t kept in touch with anyone from MHA, so I don’t really

care what they’re up to.” The two weeks between being discovered and

graduation were the longest of her young life. Somehow word must

have gotten out that she and Shannon were caught together because

she was ostracized by girls that had been her friends the day before and

others had given her a silent thumbs up in the cafeteria. Either way, the

only thing good that came out of MHA was that it got her accepted to

Columbia.

Shannon didn’t know what to say next. She had tried casual

conversation, current events, the tour, and had even brought up MHA,

but nothing made Caroline talk with her like she had years ago.

“I thought maybe we could go as friends.”

“You’re kidding, right?” An image flashed in her mind of heads

turning when she walked in with Shannon Roberts on her arm.

When she didn’t respond, Caroline continued.

“You want us to be friends? Like have lunch once in a while

and chat about the weather or whether a carbon or aluminum frame is

stronger or how much travel we have in our front shocks? Are you out

of your mind?”

Anger and embarrassment filled Shannon’s stomach and she

wanted to throw up. This had gone terribly wrong. What was supposed

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to be a nice get reacquainted lunch had turned sour very fast. If it didn’t

start out that way to begin with. Caroline was right about one thing—

what in the hell had she been thinking? She let anger take control.

“I guess I must be to think that you were mature enough to handle

this. But obviously I was wrong. I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your lunch and

upset you. You won’t have to worry about me bothering you again.”

Shannon tossed money on the table and walked away.

• 109 •

• 110 •

Descent

ChaPTER FouRTEEN

On Friday of race weekend the expo was in full operation.

Every manufacturer of bicycle gear, frames, components,

sports drinks, energy bars, and nature trails was represented. The tents

were set up surrounding the winner’s circle and people were milling

about, some carrying packages bearing the logo of their purchase.

Fifteen feet from the Gatorade tent was autograph central, where riders

were assigned shifts and signed autographs for fans passing T-shirts,

hats, and pictures across the table to their favorite rider.

Shannon was stationed at the table with one of the male riders

and she was attracting much more business than he was. The people

that came to these events were typically in their late teens and twenties

with an occasional thirtysomething attending as well. Shannon signed

autographs, recognizing a few familiar faces of those fans that had been

at previous events. These people must have money to be able to follow

the circuit, she thought as she scrawled her name across her image

embossed on a white tank top. One after another, they stood in line

patiently waiting their turn to offer a compliment, share a word or two

with her, or ask a question.

“I think you’re the best rider on the tour,” the fan gushed. She

wasn’t much older than twenty and by the look of adoration on her

face Shannon could be between her legs within the hour if she were so

inclined. But she wasn’t interested, which was a surprise. Shannon had

usually scored at least once, sometimes twice, at races, but for the first

time in a long time she had no desire to fuck a total stranger no matter

how attractive she was.

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“Thanks, enjoy the event,” Shannon said coolly but politely. The

young thing sported a pout of disappointment and moved on.

“I think you squashed her plans for the night, or at a minimum hurt

her feelings.”

Shannon cringed inside and glanced at her watch before looking

up to see Nikki standing in front of her. Perfect timing, she thought, her

one-hour shift was over.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shannon stood; her

back was sore from sitting on the hard metal chair.

Nikki moved to the end of the table effectively blocking her

exit. “Sure you do, sugar. She wanted a piece of you, the infamous

Shannon Roberts, mountain bike rider extraordinaire, famous lover on

the tour.”

Shannon detected a whiff of something alcoholic on Nikki’s breath

and her stomach turned. She was hard enough to handle lately, but the

addition of alcohol was a new and potentially dangerous development.

“She’s just a kid,” Shannon said, unsuccessfully maneuvering

around Nikki without touching her.

Nikki turned at the exact moment Shannon passed, her arms

skimmed the tip of Nikki’s man-made breasts. She heard her sharp

intake of breath before Nikki said, “Oh, yes, I liked that. I definitely

like that.”

“Have you seen Frank? I have to talk to him.” Shannon tried

to deflect the conversation. She knew it was pointless, but she tried

nonetheless.

“He’s in a meeting with somebody,” Nikki replied. She stepped in

front of Shannon. “He won’t be finished for at least another hour.”

Her insinuation was clear and Shannon was tired of Nikki chasing

her like a bitch in heat. She was not interested and the more she pushed,

the more disgusted Shannon became. She wanted to slap her, or at the

very least scream at her to leave her alone. She bit back what she really

wanted to say.

“Okay, thanks. That’ll give me enough time to talk to Norm. My

gears are slipping between five and six and he’ll know what to do,”

Shannon lied through her teeth. There was nothing wrong with her

bike. Even if there was, she could fix it better than the THS mechanic

Frank kept on staff. “If you’ll excuse me.” Shannon quickly sidestepped

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Descent

her. She didn’t relax until she had turned the corner and was heading

back toward her hotel. Even then she kept glancing over her shoulder,

expecting to see Nikki following her.

The sliding doors opened silently and a whish of cool air blew over

her skin. It was hot and more than a little humid and she had practically

run the half mile from the expo to her hotel. She veered to the left and

within five minutes had a lukewarm beer in one hand, a glass of ice in

the other, and a bowl of pretzels between them.

The hotel lounge was crowded, another sign that one of the biggest

events in Switzerland was in town. She had managed to get to a table

in the back of the room without being recognized and she sat with her

back to the wall watching the scene in front of her. Even though it was

considered a big no-no by beer aficionados, Shannon preferred her beer

ice cold and expertly poured the beverage over the ice and waited for

the small head of foam to subside. Studying the room, she recognized

more than a few fellow riders, both male and female, all sporting their

sponsor logos like the money on their back it was.

Not long after she sat down, a pair who had been all over each

other in one of the dark booths in the corner practically ran out of the

lounge to what Shannon guessed was one of their rooms. Hooking up

was one of the pastimes of riders at every race. Some did it to kill time,

others to alleviate the stress of the ride, and others simply because they

could. One rider went so far as to call his liaisons his “weekend wife.”

Shannon wondered if his “weekday wife” was savvy to his escapades.

She doubted it. What happens on the circuit stays on the circuit. At least

as far as the riders were concerned. It was the worst kept secret as to

who was fucking whom, but nobody said anything about it outside of

the tour.

She was into her third beer when Caroline walked in with the

woman Shannon had seen her with in Scotland. Fran had also been

with Caroline in Madrid, France, and Germany and Shannon couldn’t

help noticing how close they were. She had watched them together,

Fran handing Caroline her gear, wiping off her goggles, and even

straightening her shirt. The act was almost intimate, implying that they

were more than just friends.

A surge of jealousy crept into her throat and she unsuccessfully tried

to wash it down with her beer. She signaled the waitress for another and

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couldn’t stop herself from watching the two of them squeeze through

the patrons at the bar. Fran was leading, holding on to Caroline’s hand

with what looked like a firm grip pulling her deeper into the crowd.

Finally they had their drinks and Caroline looked relieved to get out of

the crowd and into a booth.

As they laughed and talked, Shannon saw Fran touch Caroline’s

hand more than a few times to emphasize a point or God knows what.

Every time she touched Caroline or laughed at something Caroline said,

the hair on the back of Shannon’s neck stood up. She had no right to

feel this way about Caroline. She was free to socialize with whomever

she wanted, but Shannon hated it nonetheless.

She was jealous, pure and simple. For no good reason other than

she was. She couldn’t pinpoint why and didn’t even try. She had never

been jealous of anyone before and it was an uncomfortable sensation.

She wanted to rip Fran’s head off, and if she touched Caroline one more

time she might have to cut her hand off at the wrist.

Without warning, Caroline looked her way and caught Shannon

staring at them. Shit. The last thing she needed was for Caroline to know

how she felt, but by the look on her face, she did. Faking bravado she

didn’t feel, Shannon raised her glass as if to say “here’s to you and your

girlfriend.” She drained the half glass of beer without stopping to take a

breath. The waitress must have been watching her as she appeared out

of nowhere and Shannon nodded for her to bring another.

Against her better judgment, Shannon drank the beer knowing she

would feel groggy and sluggish in the morning. She didn’t have to race

until after two, but she had enough experience chasing away hangovers

to know exactly what to do to be in shape for her race. An espresso, two

tall glasses of pure orange juice with extra pulp, a poached egg, three

slices of bacon, and she’d be ready to go.

Several times Shannon caught Caroline looking her way and then

quickly turning her attention back to Fran. Was she the type of girl to

cheat? Shannon didn’t think so, but what in the hell did she know about

her? She never would have thought she’d be sitting here in Geneva,

Switzerland, a favorite to win the world championship, but here she

was. Things definitely change in ten years. But then again—she studied

the shape of Caroline’s legs, the curve of her breast, the way her face lit

up when she smiled—some things never change.

• 114 •

Descent

v

The bright lights of the bathroom were not pretty on Shannon’s

bruised and battered skin. Road rash covered her left arm from the top

of her shoulder to her wrist. Blood had seeped through the bandage

around her elbow and would need to be changed soon. The crash during

her second run had ended Shannon’s day in a very painful way.

Her riding gloves had protected her hands, but her fingers hurt as

she opened and closed her fist. Moving down to her legs, the knee pad

and shin guard had taken most of the damage, but a purple bruise was

already forming on the outside of her left knee. A matching bruise was

well under way on her hip spreading to the middle of her ass cheek.

Somehow, she had a scrape on her right cheek, a fat lip, and she would

have a doozy of a shiner on her right eye by morning. All in all, it

could have been much worse. She could have broken her neck or her

collarbone at a minimum. The result of going ass-end-over-tin-cups, as

her grandfather used to say, was not pretty.

Shannon’s entire body ached when she reached to turn on the

water in the tub. She would have preferred a shower, but the aide at the

health center had washed off most of the dirt and grime and she doubted

if she could stand the force of the water against her raw skin. Shannon

downed three ibuprofen with a beer from the minibar, unconcerned with

the potential side effects of mixing alcohol and medication. Hopefully,

it would knock her unconscious for the night because sleeping was

probably out of the question.

She ignored the knock at the door and watched the hot water

slowly fill the large Jacuzzi tub. Any other time she would slide in and

let the jets work their magic, but just the thought of them bombarding

her flesh sent a chill down her spine.

Cursing the persistent knocking, she limped to the door. “Go away.

I don’t want anything, and I’m in no mood for company.” She peered

through the peephole and into the concerned eyes of Caroline.

“I’m not going away, so you might as well let me in,” came the

muffled reply.

Shannon couldn’t see Caroline’s body language, but her tone

definitely said she was not taking no for an answer. Sighing, she slid

open the safety chain and turned the knob.

• 115 •

JuliE CaNNoN

Caroline held back a sob at the sight of Shannon’s face peeking

out from behind the door. She was pale, her face clearly showing the

pain she must be in. “I came to check on you.”

“You did, I’m alive, now go away and leave me alone.”

She started to shut the door but Caroline refused to be dismissed.

Shannon had taken a nasty spill on the last run and, along with the

crowd, Caroline had held her breath until Shannon gave them a thumbs

up while being carried to the first aid tent.

“Not a chance. Let me in or I’ll knock you over, and you know

I can.” She watched as Shannon debated with herself as to whether or

not to obey. When she stepped aside Caroline knew she had won—this

round.What she wasn’t prepared for was that Shannon was totally naked

and not even trying to cover herself. Her lustful thoughts were quickly

replaced by concern and horror at the sight of her injuries.

“My God, Shannon. How are you even able to walk? Let me

help you.” Caroline dropped her bag on the floor, hurried over, and

froze when she didn’t know how to help or where to touch her where

it wouldn’t hurt.

“I was just getting into the tub,” Shannon said, indicating the open

door to what Caroline guessed was the bathroom.

“Good idea.” She stood with her hands up trying to find a place on

Shannon’s body that wasn’t bruised or scraped. She settled on taking

her hand and wrapping her arm around her waist. Slowly, they walked

the short distance to the tub.

The water was about three-quarters full and Caroline turned off

the spigots. The last of the water dripped into the tub with a drip, drip,

drip. “Can you get in?”

Shannon lifted her injured leg and banged her ankle on the side of

the tall tub. “Ouch, shit. The goddamned tub is too high. I can’t even

lift my leg over the edge.”

Still holding Shannon, Caroline surveyed the situation. The tub

was on a pedestal of sorts. It was designed more for sensuality than

functionality and she knew there was no way Shannon would be able to

get in or out on her own. There was only one thing to do.

“Okay, hang on.” She kicked off her shoes, pulled her shirt over

her head, and started pulling down her shorts.

• 116 •

Descent

“What are you doing?” Shannon watched her in the mirror on the

wall adjacent to the tub.

“Getting in with you,” Caroline answered as if it were the most

obvious thing in the world. “You can’t do it yourself and I don’t feel like

falling in when I’m helping you.” She was now as naked as Shannon.

“Is there a problem?”

Caroline watched as Shannon’s eyes roamed over her body.

They had seen each other naked hundreds of times but never as grown

women. Time and hard work had transformed her body from girlish

to all woman, and by the look on Shannon’s face, she had done a fine

job of it. She knew the look of desire in Shannon’s eyes and her body

heated under the intense approval.

“Stop it, Shannon. You can barely stand on your own two feet

and you’re getting into this tub right now.” Caroline stepped into the

warm water first then helped Shannon in. Caroline lowered herself and

Shannon into the frothy water, her back sliding down the porcelain

side. Shannon moaned as her raw skin came in contact with the warm

water. Caroline knew the sound wasn’t from ecstasy but agony and

she ached for the pain Shannon must be in. “I know it hurts,” she said

stupidly. This time Shannon hissed and cursed.

“Just try to relax.” That was the second stupid thing she said.

“Easy for you to say,” Shannon snapped.

Caroline didn’t know what to do with her hands so she cupped

them with water and poured it down Shannon’s back.

“Thanks. I think that’s the only place on my body that doesn’t

hurt. At least right now. Tomorrow, however, will be a totally different

story.”Caroline repeated the motion several times and on the last handful

followed the trail of water with the palms of her hands massaging the

tight muscles in Shannon’s back.

Her heart raced and her pulse beat loudly in her head each time

she touched Shannon. Her skin was soft and slick from the water, her

fingers gliding over the firm, tan flesh. The patch of skin that was much

lighter than the rest of her back was just where she remembered it—just

below her right shoulder blade. Caroline remembered when she first

discovered the birthmark and how she had traced the shape with her

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JuliE CaNNoN

fingertip first, then with her tongue. She shuddered at the memory and

the water suddenly got much hotter.

“Caroline?” Shannon asked, piercing her haze of arousal. “I don’t

feel too good.”

Shannon’s comment and the weakness of her voice jolted Caroline

out of her trip down memory lane. “Lean back against me for a minute.”

It was the only thing she could think of. She surely couldn’t lift Shannon

out of the tub if she passed out. Maybe if she sat back for a few minutes

she would feel good enough to at least help Caroline get her out.

All medicinal thought flew out of her head when Shannon’s back

made contact with her breasts. Her nipples were already hard and had

excellent recall of Shannon’s body and tightened even harder. When

Shannon’s head dropped back on her shoulder, Caroline swallowed

hard and forced herself to maintain her composure.

Shannon’s hair was just under her nose, the scent not an unpleasant

combination of strawberry and dirt. Her arms rested on the side of the

tub and her nipples peeked out from the water with each rise and fall

from her breathing. Caroline’s legs were on either side of Shannon, her

left one bent at the knee so as not to come in contact with Shannon’s

injured leg.

Any other time Caroline would be taking advantage of their

position, and on more than one occasion in the past, she had. But this

time Shannon was hurt, seriously hurt, but the way her body was reacting

to Shannon’s closeness—her familiarity, her nakedness pressed against

her—it didn’t seem to know that. Caroline had thought Shannon had

fallen asleep and jerked when she spoke.

“I think I should get out. The drugs they gave me at the clinic are

putting me to sleep and I’d hate to slide down and drown. However nice

it would be to die in your arms.”

Shannon was starting to slur her words and Caroline wasn’t sure

she heard the last part correctly. She wanted to ask but didn’t dare.

Instead, she pushed Shannon into a sitting position. “You’re right. The

water is getting cold and we’ve still got to change your bandages and

get you into bed.”

Caroline stood, her legs shaky from the inactivity as well as the

sight in front of her. She grabbed a towel from the stack on the shelf

above her head, quickly wiping off her hands and arms.

• 118 •

Descent

“Okay, let’s get you up. On three. Ready?” As she counted,

Caroline put her hands under Shannon’s arms and lifted. She froze

when Shannon screamed. “Oh my God, Shannon, what is it?”

Shannon’s breathing was coming in short, fast pants. It took her

several moments before she was able to answer. “It just hurts,” she

finally said.

“What? Where?” Caroline’s heart was still in her throat, her own

breathing shallow and quick.

“Everything. It’s all right, just get me out of here.”

Five minutes later Shannon was lying in the large bed, the covers

drawn up over her nakedness. Caroline was wrapping the last of the

gauze around her elbow, its whiteness a stark contrast to the red, raw

skin. “There, that should do it.” She secured the last piece of tape.

Caroline looked into dark eyes slightly glazed from pain and

medication. “Try to get some sleep.” She had an overwhelming urge

to kiss Shannon’s forehead like her mother used to when she was sick.

She stopped herself as she started to lean toward her.

“Thanks.” Shannon’s voice was barely a whisper. As she fell

asleep, Caroline gave in to the need and placed a light kiss just above

her eyebrows.

• 119 •

• 120 •

Descent

ChaPTER FiFTEEN

Caroline watched the rhythmic rise and fall of Shannon’s chest

for the next several hours. It felt like her heart stopped every

time she relived the scene of Shannon missing the turn and tumbling

headfirst into the stand of trees. Due to the JumboTron at the finish

line, all twelve thousand people in attendance saw it as well. The eerie

quiet after the screech of horror was nerve-wracking until Shannon

waved from the litter she was carried on. She was taken immediately to

the on-site clinic. Caroline had no idea of her condition until after she

received the third place medal and practically bolted off the stand in the

direction of the first aid tent. She was stopped before she could enter,

but the man on the door told her that Shannon was conscious and all of

her limbs were moving. Caroline almost collapsed in relief.

She couldn’t help but notice Shannon’s body both when she was

in the tub and as she helped her into bed. She was thin almost to the

point of being skinny, every muscle defined and hard. She had a tattoo

of an abstract female bike rider going downhill on the outside of her

right calf and a series of symbols on her left. Her breasts were small

and Caroline’s palms tingled as if remembering just how perfectly they

fit in them.

No matter how much she wanted to forget, various things over

the past ten years reminded her of Shannon and at the oddest times.

A flavor of ice cream, a movie title, even the words to a song flashed

feelings of warmth or pain through her gut.

Caroline had no idea what she was doing here, in Shannon’s room.

Well, she did, but why was the question. Other racers she knew had

• 121 •

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been injured, some more severely than Shannon, and she never felt

the unrelenting need to see how they were. She needed to verify with

her own eyes that Shannon was all right. She hadn’t even bothered to

change out of her riding shorts and shirt. She had dropped her safety

gear off at the trailer and found Fran to tell her where she was going.

They were supposed to meet back at the Shimano tent after the awards

ceremony and interviews and head back to the hotel together. But Fran

nodded her understanding and Caroline found herself at Shannon’s

door soon thereafter.

As she watched her sleep, Caroline thought back on their

conversation earlier in the week. What was Shannon trying to do?

What was her intention? What did she want from her? She admitted she

hadn’t given her a chance to say much, but laid into her instead. She

didn’t realize that she was still angry and hurt over the way it ended

between them. Good God, it was ten years ago and she was seventeen

at the time. What did she expect? Some sort of nice, neat closure? It

had been anything but. And why hadn’t Shannon called? Caroline had

asked herself that question hundreds of times over the following year,

each time imagining what she would say to Shannon when she did.

She had called Shannon until the numbers wore off her phone.

She used mutual friends to get in touch with her, but for two weeks

all they were able to do was trade voicemails. It was frustrating and

when they finally did connect their conversation was forced and stilted.

They used to talk about everything, but during that last conversation

they had almost nothing to talk about. It was amazing that at seventeen

how quickly things went from great to over. Caroline buried her hurt in

training and driving herself to exhaustion studying for her Ph.D.

And now here she was. Five feet from the woman who at one time

meant everything to her—or at least she thought she did. But that was

a lifetime ago when she thought Shannon was the love of her life. That

they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. But when she

had heard via the rumor mill that Shannon was with someone else, she

knew it was simply a teenage thing. Here one day, gone another. So

what was she doing here now, hovering over Shannon’s every breath,

worrying herself sick that she would be okay? While Shannon slept

she had watched her, looked at her, and fought the urge to touch her.

• 122 •

Descent

The feelings that overwhelmed her all those years ago came back in

tidal waves, one after the other. The joy, the happiness, waking every

day knowing Shannon Roberts was in her life. It felt as if those years

between never happened, that they were still together, finishing each

other’s sentences, knowing what the other wanted almost before she

did, holding each other tight in passion. What in the hell was she

supposed to do now?

v

Shannon was falling, faster and faster down the hill until there

was nothing under her but the thin air between her and the ground some

eight feet below. She was suffocating and every muscle on her body

screamed in agony as she struggled to sit up. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re

okay, Shannon. You’re safe.” A familiar voice seeped past the thick fog

of her subconscious. The darkness came again, ending her tormenting

dreams.

When she woke again, this time more fully awake, Shannon didn’t

move, giving herself a chance to gather her wits. She hurt. God, did she

hurt. Her left arm throbbed and it felt like her entire left side was lying

on hot coals. Her head pounded. The light coming in from the window

was the soft rays of dawn.

Cautiously, she turned her head, waiting for the pain to subside

before focusing her attention on Caroline, who was in the chair beside

the bed. She was curled on her right side as much as possible in the

rocker recliner, her hair falling over one side of her face. She was

wearing a terrycloth robe with the emblem of the hotel near her right

breast. The front gaped open revealing her chest and the swell of her

other breast. Her feet were bare, her toenails polished bright red.

Shannon smiled at the sight, the nail pedicure a complete

contradiction to the mud and dirt of mountain bike racing. Then it all

came back to her with agonizing clarity. She had somehow missed the

last turn and remembered falling but nothing after that until the bright

lights of the first aid tent. They had poked and prodded, x-rayed her

from head to toe and, finding no injuries other than a severe case of

road rash, had let her go. She had to fight like hell and sign a dozen

• 123 •

JuliE CaNNoN

forms releasing the clinic from responsibility if complications arose, but

Shannon was determined not to spend the night in the local hospital.

She remembered getting back to her room and running a bath

when Caroline arrived and wouldn’t leave. Shannon’s body flushed

with heat as she remembered Caroline climbing into the tub with her,

her hands gently stroking her back, the feel of the erect nipples when

she lay against her. Shannon moved in reaction to the sensation and

couldn’t stop the moan of pain from escaping her parched lips. Caroline

was instantly awake and alert.

“Shannon? Are you okay?”

The concern on Caroline’s face was almost heartbreaking. She

didn’t want Caroline to hurt over her. Not again. Never again. “I’m

fine, just a little sore. And thirsty. Can I have some water?”

“Sure.” Caroline jumped out of the chair, her robe gaping open

even more giving Shannon a glimpse of what she had seen last night.

She wasn’t that out of it not to remember how Caroline had looked

standing naked in front of her. She had filled out into a beautiful woman,

and no matter how banged up and battered she was, Shannon’s body

took notice.

“Here, let me help you sit up.”

With Caroline’s arm around her good shoulder Shannon was able

to sit but not without a lot of pain, her head swimming more than once.

Her hand shook when she reached for the glass and Caroline wrapped

her own around Shannon’s as she put the glass to her lips. The liquid

was cool and felt wonderful filling her mouth and sliding down her dry

throat. After several swallows, Caroline moved the glass away.

“Not too much. Let’s see how this sits before you have any

more.”

“I’m just banged up, nothing life threatening.” Shannon’s voice

was stronger this time.

“I don’t care. You are banged up but that doesn’t mean you can act

like it’s nothing. You might have a concussion.”

“I don’t have a concussion, just a headache where my head hit

a damn tree or something.” Caroline paled at her flippant remark and

Shannon realized just how affected Caroline was by her spill. “Really,

Caroline, I’m fine. Just a little tingle that a few aspirin will take care

of.” She was rewarded by Caroline’s laugh.

• 124 •

Descent

“Yeah, and I’m the King of England. Come on, Shannon, how are

you feeling? Besides the road rash of course.”

Caroline was looking up and down her body as if checking to

make sure she really was all right. “Honestly, I’m fine. A little stiff and

my arm burns like hell, but nothing that a little time and a new layer of

skin can’t cure.” As much as she wanted to lie in bed all day and look

at Caroline, she had other pressing matters that were demanding her

attention.

“I do have to go to the bathroom though.” She tossed the covers

off and swung her legs off the bed. Slowly, she stood, careful not to

move too quickly or cause too much to hurt. “No, don’t get up; I can do

it,” she said quickly as Caroline started to help her. Bandages covered

pretty much the entire left side of her body and she felt so bad she didn’t

care that she was almost completely naked.

When she returned to bed she didn’t know if she wanted the answer

to the question but she asked it anyway. “What are you doing here? And

in my robe,” she added pulling the sheet up to cover her bare breasts.

Caroline sat back in the chair, gathering the front of the robe tight

against her chest. She looked around the room as if searching for an

escape route.

“We were worried about you. You took a nasty spill,” she said

weakly.

Shannon raised the glass to her mouth, her hand steadier than

a moment ago. “I asked why you were here.” Caroline’s eyes darted

around the room again before settling on her hands now clasped in her

lap. “I wanted to make sure you were all right. You needed some help

getting into the tub…and…I…”

“Thank you,” Shannon said quietly, ending Caroline’s

awkwardness. “I appreciate it. I don’t know why, but I do appreciate

it.” “It’s what anyone would have done,” Caroline said finally looking

at her.Shannon held her gaze, branding the clear cocoa color in her brain

before she spoke again. “But nobody else did. Did they?”

Caroline stood, grabbed her clothes from the luggage rack, and

disappeared into the bathroom. When she returned several minutes

• 125 •

JuliE CaNNoN

later, her hair was damp, her face freshly scrubbed. The bright blue

jersey signifying her winning the previous race was smeared with dirt

and sweat. Her bike shorts were tight and revealing and showed off her

long muscular legs.

Shannon knew Caroline wasn’t going to answer her question so

she asked another instead. “Who won?”

“Gertrude Brasille over Stephanie McClennen. By eight tenths of

a second.” She buckled her shoes.

“What about you?” Shannon asked. Caroline held the second

place slot when she left the starting gate.

“Third.” Caroline didn’t say anything else.

Shannon nodded her understanding and Caroline turned toward

the door. She didn’t want her to leave. “Where are you going?”

Caroline hesitated before turning back around. “You said yourself

you’re all right. I have to go. People are waiting for me.”

Caroline didn’t mention any names, but she didn’t have to. Shannon

had seen her and Fran together and she wondered what excuse she had

given her girlfriend as to why she hadn’t come home last night.

“Make sure she knows that I didn’t take advantage of you in my

weakened condition. Tell her I said thanks for sharing you.”

Caroline’s expression went from uncomfortable to confused to

something Shannon couldn’t quite put her finger on in the span of a few

seconds as her words sank in. “Take care” was all Caroline said as she

closed the hotel room door behind her.

• 126 •

Descent

ChaPTER SixTEEN

What are you doing?” Shannon flinched in surprise at the

voice coming from behind her and was rewarded with

sharp pain shooting through her left biceps. Most of her road rash

was healed due to several days of intravenous antibiotics. The stitches

were still a week away from removal, but all in all, three days after

her fall she didn’t feel too bad—considering. She concentrated on her

movements as she took her bike out of the THS trailer, careful not to

give any indication of her discomfort that would add fuel to the fire in

Caroline’s voice.

“Taking out my bike.”

“Let me rephrase the question. What in the fuck are you doing?”

“Same answer.”

“You’re in no condition to race tomorrow.” They were in

Schladming, Austria, just east of Salzburg for the next to last race.

The nastiness combined with possessiveness made Shannon

angry. “So in addition to getting a doctorate in, what was it again, astro-

physics, you’re now a physician?”

“Don’t be flip.” Caroline’s eyes glowed with anger.

“Who do you think you are? You’re not my mother or my

girlfriend. Even if you were you wouldn’t have any say in what I do or

don’t do.”

“I wouldn’t be your girlfriend for that and many other reasons.

You wouldn’t care what I thought, what I wanted, or if I were scared to

death of what might happen to you.”

• 127 •

JuliE CaNNoN

“You’re right on that one, honey. That’s why I don’t have a

girlfriend. Because I don’t care. I’m here to win the championship, not

worry about what people think.” Especially you, she thought.

Caroline shook her head. “You know, Shannon, if you do win,

do you know what the caption will be under your picture? Biker Babe

Wins. Better yet, you’ll have some bike bimbo with big tits and no

future draped all over you and you won’t even remember her name,

if you ever knew it to start with. You fuck anything that looks at you

twice. You’re more famous for the notches on your bike stem than what

you do in the saddle.” Caroline moved as Shannon rolled her bike to the

side of the trailer but she didn’t stop talking.

“You know I don’t think people fundamentally change, but you’re

the exception. There is not one shred of the Shannon Roberts I knew.

I don’t know whether to pity you or envy you.” Caroline did an about-

face that any drill sergeant would be proud of. As she whirled, Shannon

could practically feel the euphemistic slap on her face.

v

Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, Caroline chanted to herself. She

was good at holding her emotions in check but nothing could stop the

crack from forming in her heart—again. Tears burned behind her eyes

and choked her throat. She had been so angry when she saw Shannon

unloading her bike she had gone off the deep end.

It was a total surprise when she saw Shannon. The talk on the

circuit and from the race sponsor was that Shannon would skip this

week’s race. Since the championship was won by the total number of

points earned in the eleven races, the other riders were thrilled, believing

this was their chance to gain valuable ground in the standing with their

number one competitor out of the way—at least for this race. Caroline

felt just the opposite. She was worried that Shannon was more seriously

injured than she thought. After a day or two of worrying herself sick

she finally talked herself into thinking that Shannon was sitting this one

out because she didn’t want to risk a more serious injury if she was not

ready to compete.

She had seen how Shannon gingerly handled her bike and saw

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Descent

how she was favoring her left arm and shoulder. The race this week was

a single track course, the first half predominately uphill and scattered

with rock and brush hanging over the track. The second half was all

downhill with a series of switchback turns, some of which were 180

degrees over some of the roughest washboard trails on the series,

made more dangerous due to the fatigue of the rider. One lapse of

concentration or slip of a tire could mean disaster.

Caroline didn’t remember exactly what she had said to Shannon,

but the remnants of her anger still smoldered inside. She had seen Frank

Striker’s wife sniffing around Shannon and then when she gave every

indication she was going to ride in a race she had no business riding in,

it was too much for Caroline’s taxed emotions.

She plastered on a smile when a man and woman approached

asking for her autograph. He asked a few questions about her gear and

bike but before Caroline had a chance to answer, his arm candy said,

“Do you know Shannon Roberts? Have you seen her? Is she going to

race this weekend? She is so hot in those tight shorts.”

Her male friend jabbed her with his elbow and looked at Caroline

as if to say “sorry” and looked embarrassed for both of them. Caroline

simply nodded, too tired to say anything. He practically dragged the

woman away from her, the questions about Shannon still spewing from

her mouth. Several other race fans stopped and asked her questions or

simply wanted a picture.

Don’t cry, almost there, don’t cry, almost there. Caroline screamed

in her head approaching the elevator door. One, two, three, floor after

floor she counted. Five, six, seven, eight steps to her door. She fished

in her pockets for her door key. Where in the fuck is my key, she

practically shouted, grateful for the empty hallway. She finally found it

in her back pocket and inserted it into the lock. The green light flashed,

the latch clicked, and when the door closed solidly behind her, Caroline

fell to her knees and wept.

v

Shannon watched Caroline walk away, stunned at the venom she

heard in her voice. Who in the hell did she think she was, questioning

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Shannon’s decision to race this weekend? She was here to win the

championship, not pussyfoot around over a few cuts and scrapes.

And what in the fuck did she say about the caption under my

picture on the winner’s stand? Biker babe wins? So what? It would be

true. But that crack about the babe and the notches on her bike was a bit

much. So what if the women she slept with didn’t have a future? She

wasn’t looking for anything other than that night, maybe the next. She

knew what she wanted out of life. She wanted to win.

What would Caroline’s caption say? Practice makes perfect?

Caroline was famous for her dedication to the sport. Shannon had a

life and lived it every day. There was more to Shannon Roberts than

training and riding. She had a life, and a very full one. What did

Caroline have?

And what is with that bullshit that people don’t change? She

certainly had. Shannon was so deep in thought that her inspection of

her bike and safety gear was more rote than real inspection. Caroline

had graduated from Columbia University, one of the best colleges

in the country, if not the world, not once but twice, with a degree in

astrophysics. Shannon doubted she could spell it even with spell check.

And she was going to be an astronaut. Shannon stopped suddenly,

realizing exactly what Caroline had accomplished. But what had

Shannon done?

Sure she had won races, lots of them. But what would her legacy be

when she was done? And she would be done, and soon. The competition

was getting younger and tougher. At eighteen, nineteen, or twenty, they

were fearless and healed a lot faster. When would they start whispering

behind her back, “She’s embarrassing herself, she’s too old, too slow,

not as quick as she used to be. She doesn’t have it anymore”?

Shannon didn’t go to college. Hell, she barely finished high school

because of the fiasco in Caroline’s room. All she had wanted to do was

ride. Even without a formal college education, she had done well for

herself. She surrounded herself with people she trusted who knew what

they were doing with the money she earned and her inheritance. She

was financially set, and if she were careful, could probably do whatever

she wanted for the rest of her life. But what would that be?

Shannon didn’t like what she saw in her future. She didn’t want

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to be a has-been that didn’t know when to stop, when the competition

had passed her by in the fast lane. She wanted to go out on top and she

would do it this year, with this championship. Starting with this race,

she would have no greater pleasure than beating the sanctimonious

Caroline Davis.

• 131 •

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ChaPTER SEvENTEEN

Ladies and gentlemen, riding for Bellow and wearing the blue

leader’s jersey, Caroline Davis.” Even with her third place

finish the race before, Caroline still led the series with the highest

number of points.

Her concentration was so intense the only thing Caroline heard

was the garbled muffle of her name being called. She didn’t hear the

roar of the crowd or the ring of the starter’s bell but somehow knew

when to shoot off the starting line.

Dig, dig, dig, she commanded her legs with each up and down

stroke of the pedals. Stroke after stroke took her farther up the trail,

her legs burning from exertion and her breathing heavy. Shifting eased

some of the strain on her legs and she rose off the saddle, leaning over

the handlebars for more traction and power.

Up, down, up, down, she commanded and before she knew it, she

was at the top of the hill. Not sparing a moment to enjoy the view,

she crested the trail and started her descent. Shift, shift, shift, shift,

the popping of her gears was in direct synchronization with the up

and down strokes of her thighs. Concentrate, easy, shift, brake, shift,

pedal, hard turn, keep it tight, keep it tight, shift, pedal, pedal, were the

commands in her head transferring to her body. Suddenly, she was out

of the last turn and in the final straightaway. Dig, dig, dig, she chanted,

this time out loud, and the roar of the crowd as she crossed the finish

line drowned out any other sound. Skidding to a stop and breathing

heavily, Caroline felt light-headed. Breathe in, out, in, out, she chanted

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in her head and her well-trained body followed directions. She had

beaten everyone’s time and the course record by an astonishing one

point two seconds.

Her hands were shaking so badly she couldn’t unbuckle her helmet

strap. After a few moments, a familiar face was in front of her, and

Fran’s steady hands were doing the work for her.

“CD, you kicked ass, girl. If you keep this up, you’ll wipe out the

competition and have them for lunch.”

Fran’s all-access pass blew around her head in the breeze, almost

poking Caroline in the eye.

v

The knock on the door was unexpected. Caroline was in her robe.

Normally she and Fran shared a room but Fran had insisted on her own

this trip. Debating on whether or not to answer it, she stared at the door

as if she could see through it. She sighed and got up when the knocking

continued with no sign of stopping. She peered through the peephole

and quickly stepped back as if it were blistering hot. In a way it was.

Shannon was framed in the oblong lens looking right at her.

Caroline didn’t know whether she was up to seeing Shannon.

She was exhausted and, considering her reawakening feelings toward

her, she knew she needed to be at her sharpest whenever she was with

her. She didn’t want to get caught up in the memory and say or do

something she would regret later. Against her better judgment, she

opened the door.

Caroline’s stomach jumped when Shannon’s face softened and she

smiled. Her smile, with the slight dimple on her left cheek, had taken

her breath away ten years ago and still had the same effect.

“I hope I’m not bothering you,” Shannon said tentatively.

“No, not at all.” Caroline closed the top of her nightgown when

Shannon noticed the exposed flesh.

“I just wanted to…uh…compliment you on your ride today.”

Shannon shifted her weight from foot to foot the way she used to

when she was nervous.

“Thanks. I’m glad you’re okay.” That was the best she could do

and even that was difficult. She was still pissed that Shannon had risked

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her life to race when she might not have been ready. She certainly

wasn’t going to congratulate her for doing something stupid.

It looked like Shannon wanted to say more and Caroline deliberated

on whether or not to give her an opening. Silence hung in the air like

fog before Shannon finally spoke.

“May I come in?”

A combination of excitement and uncertainty coursed through

Caroline’s body. What did she want? What else could she possibly have

to say? A dozen other questions popped in her mind in the second it

took her to make up her mind. Opening the door was just as much a

signal for Shannon to come into the room as it was for her to step back

into her life.

Shannon’s hair smelled like strawberries again when she walked

by and Caroline’s hand shook as she closed the door. When she turned

around Shannon was standing at the foot of the bed, looking at it as if

it were going to swallow her. Caroline walked around her and opened

the door to the minibar.

“Would you like something to drink?”

Shannon chuckled nervously. “I’d like a strong drink, but no

thanks, I’m fine.”

Watching Shannon’s body language, Caroline knew she was

anything but relaxed. She was wringing her hands, and her gaze shifted

around the room before finally settling on Caroline. Shannon was

making her nervous.

“Is there something on your mind?” Caroline wasn’t sure if she

wanted to know the answer to her question.

“Can we be friends?” Shannon asked softly in a rush of air.

Caroline wasn’t sure if she heard her correctly. Could they be

friends? Did she mean like hang out together, talk about their girlfriends,

and go shopping?

“Are you fucking kidding?”

“I guess I am. You know me, the jokester?” This time her laugh

was sarcastic and she stepped to the other side of the small room. “What

ever would make me think you’d want to be civil with me? I must have

hit my head harder than I thought I did when I fell. Maybe I should

crash again. Maybe this time it’ll knock some sense into me.” The last

sentence was directed more toward herself than Caroline.

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The image of Shannon lying crumpled on the ground flashed in

her eyes and her stomach dropped from where it was lodged in her

throat to just above her crotch. “Don’t say that, Shannon.”

“Why not? It’s obvious you don’t want anything to do with me.

You probably wish I’d hurt myself bad enough you could just coast to

the winner’s circle.”

Shannon’s eyes flashed in anger sparking Caroline’s own

answering furor. She marched the five steps to close the gap between

them. “Don’t you dare put words in my mouth.” Caroline pointed her

finger at Shannon. “You don’t know the first thing about me. You don’t

know what I’m thinking. You have no idea what I want and you certainly

can’t speak for me.” Caroline jabbed her finger into Shannon’s chest

emphasizing each point as she made it. When she was finished she was

practically toe-to-toe with her.

“I know more about you than you do about yourself. I know what

makes you tick. I know what buttons to push and levers to turn to

make you crazy, and don’t think I won’t use them to my advantage.”

Shannon’s breath was hot on her face. Her words felt like jagged shards

of glass. The truth often hurt.

Shannon’s eyes burned, this time with something very different.

Something Caroline recognized immediately. Caroline forgot what she

was going to say next. She was furious. Her heart was racing and her

pulse beat in her brain. Before she knew what was happening, Shannon’s

lips were on hers.

Shannon couldn’t control herself as she kissed Caroline. She

was wound tight from pain, anger, and desire and she needed release.

Holding Caroline’s face between her hands, she devoured the mouth

that could cause her such pain and unspeakable pleasure. Second after

second, minute after minute, she kissed Caroline and Shannon had no

idea when Caroline started kissing her back. She wanted more of her

and the force of her kiss pushed Caroline against a small desk.

Shannon dropped her hands from Caroline’s face to the belt of her

robe, their lips never parting. The bare skin had teased her long enough

and she easily untied the sash and slid her hands inside. When her hands

met Caroline’s soft skin again after so long, Shannon didn’t even try to

mask her moan of pleasure. Needing to feel every inch of her, Shannon

slowly moved her fingers over Caroline’s stomach, until finally cupping

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her breasts. Caroline leaned into her. That one little acknowledgment

of Caroline’s desire opened the floodgates of Shannon’s pent-up desire

along with the unending need to have her. To give Caroline every ounce

of pleasure she possibly could. She was consumed by her.

Shannon spun them around and dragged Caroline’s robe off

leaving her naked in her arms. Her craving spiked as Caroline tugged

and pulled on her clothes, and soon it was flesh against flesh, woman

against woman on the big bed.

They fought for domination, until Shannon finally pinned

Caroline’s arms above her head. The throbbing in her injured leg had

been replaced by throbbing between her legs and when Caroline slid

her thigh between hers, Shannon fought for control.

As tempted as she was to fall into the orgasm that was pounding

at the door, Shannon focused her attention on Caroline. She released

Caroline’s hands and trailed her mouth down Caroline’s neck, planting

hard, wet kisses along the way. Caroline grabbed the back of her head

urging Shannon closer. Back and forth Shannon moved, kissing, sucking,

and nibbling on Caroline’s lips and exposed neck. It was a mating. The

arch of Caroline’s neck symbolic of an animal fully surrendering to its

mate.Shannon continued licking and sampling Caroline’s skin with her

tongue while her hands explored her womanly form. She was soft and

warm, with curves and valleys in just the right places. Caroline’s body

was a wonderland years ago and she was going to rediscover every inch

of it again.

Shannon felt Caroline’s nipple grow harder in her palm. Her breast

was larger than before, filling her hand with its soft suppleness. When

she rolled the nipple between her fingers, lightly tugging on the hard

tip, Caroline moaned softly. Caroline pushed her head downward in

the universal symbol of need and when Shannon’s mouth replaced her

fingers, Caroline cried out in pleasure.

Shannon wanted to grind into the thigh moving between her legs

to release the pressure that was building, waiting to explode. Instead,

she shifted so that the temptation was not in direct contact with her

hot flesh. She explored first one breast, then the other, taking her time

to travel over every millimeter of soft, sensitive skin. As much as she

was enjoying Caroline’s breasts she needed to kiss her again, taste her

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lips, feel her tongue. To verify she was real. That this was actually

happening. That Caroline was in her arms, not a willing substitute or

the dream that had teased her for the past ten years.

Caroline’s hands shook as they ran up and down her back. She

clutched Shannon’s ass and arched into her. Shannon knew she was

ready. Ready to be touched, caressed, loved. With agonizing slowness,

Shannon kissed her way down Caroline’s tense, responsive body. Her

hot kisses turned tender over the pale scar that ran down Caroline’s leg,

the dent in her knee, the brush burn on her calf.

It wasn’t long before Shannon wanted, no needed, to taste

Caroline again, smell her, see her beauty, but she also wanted to savor

the anticipation. It felt like it was their first time together again. They

were two very different women, who knew very little about each other.

Discovering each other in a way they never had before. A thrill ran

through Shannon as she remembered the sensations, the feelings of the

times they were together before this moment. The moment just before

she arrived at the center of her universe.

Caroline unabashedly spread her legs giving Shannon free access

to her both literally and figuratively. Shannon’s need increased more

than she ever thought imaginable when her mouth touched Caroline’s

warm, wet center.

If she died right now, Shannon thought, she would die with

everything she had ever wanted. She explored every curve, peak, and

valley, discovering every hidden treasure within. She flicked her tongue

over Caroline’s clit. Caroline arched and grabbed the sheets in her

fists and Shannon watched as she writhed in ecstasy. The vision was

stunning. Caroline, lying naked with her. Her head thrown back, chest

heaving with shallow breaths. Her entire body was moving. Every inch

experiencing, receiving pleasure.

Caroline lifted her head, locking eyes with Shannon. At that

moment, in that very instant, Shannon was connected to another

human being like never before. She held their gaze and slowly stroked

Caroline’s clit with her tongue. She watched Caroline’s eyes glaze as

she increased the speed and pressure on the sensitive spot. Caroline’s

body moved in rhythm and Shannon knew she was very, very close to

climax. She reached out grasping Caroline’s hand as Caroline whispered

her name and exploded in her mouth.

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v

The sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon when

Shannon woke. Caroline was still sleeping, lying on her side with her

head on Shannon’s shoulder, her hand cupping one breast. Heat seared

through Shannon’s body as her mind flashed back to how they got here.

What she and Caroline had shared through the night was breathtaking.

Hour after hour they took turns pleasing each other, touching, kissing,

stroking until finally falling asleep in complete exhaustion. The large

clock on the nightstand read three forty-five just before she closed her

eyes.Today was a pivotal day in the series but Shannon didn’t care.

It was more important to be with Caroline, to talk to her, touch her,

than it was to win the race. When Caroline whispered her name in the

darkness, begged for relief, Shannon forgot about everything else.

Not wanting to wake her, Shannon gathered the clothes, picked

up her shoes, and tiptoed toward the door. She dressed with as little

movement as necessary so not to wake Caroline. Forgoing slipping into

her shoes, Shannon tucked them under her arm and reached for the

doorknob.

The click of the lock was deafening in the silence of the small

room and she waited to see if the sound had woken Caroline. Hearing

nothing, she turned the knob, opened the door, and took the first step

into the hall. She was not prepared to come eye to eye with Steven

Davis.Shannon had seen that look before. It was the same one she saw

in Caroline’s doorway those many years ago. Confusion, shock, rage.

But this time the circumstances were very different. Before, they were

kids; today, grown women who had shared something magical that only

adults can.

“Mr. Davis,” she said firmly, knowing it wasn’t really appropriate

to say, “Good morning, Mr. Davis.” By the look on his face, it was

anything but. He didn’t return the greeting but looked at her with fire

in his eyes.

Shannon figured she had three choices. Go back in the room and

close and lock the door, go around him, or stand her ground. She chose

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the last one. Contrary to the look on his face, Shannon wasn’t concerned

that he would hit her, no matter how much he may have wanted to.

They stared at each other as the seconds ticked by. Shannon swore

she could hear the second hand on her watch move. She refused to back

down. She had done that once and had regretted it almost every day

after. She was an adult and demanded to be treated like one. She would

stand there as long as she had to. She didn’t have to wait long before

Caroline’s father finally spoke.

“It’s my job to protect my daughter.” His voice was barely

controlled anger. “And I will do everything in my power to do so. I did

it before and I’ll do it again if I have to.”

“Yes, sir, it is and she’s very lucky to have you as her father.”

“She was young and I did what I thought was best for her. I cut off

any contact she had with you. Then you went to Switzerland and even

if you were able to contact her at least you couldn’t see her.”

Davis continued and the pieces started to fall into place. That was

why Caroline hadn’t answered her phone and was so difficult to get in

touch with. Her letters had been returned as well.

“I kept tabs on you for a few years. Made sure you stayed out of

her life. You were committed to the European circuit, which at least put

more than a few miles between you. When I was satisfied Caroline had

forgotten about you and you her, I breathed easier. And now here you

are. Again.”

He took in her disheveled appearance and there was no doubt that

Davis knew that “here” was in his daughter’s bed. Shannon didn’t take

her eyes off his face.

“But Caroline was a child then and she’s an adult now. She makes

her own decisions. I may not agree with them, but she is my daughter

and I support her.” Shannon knew there was a but in there somewhere.

“But let me make one thing clear, Ms. Roberts. If you do anything

to intentionally hurt Caroline, to cause her any pain whatsoever, you

will answer to me.”

Steven Davis had not raised his hand or his voice during the

awkward conversation. He didn’t have to. The love for his daughter

was clear and Shannon had no doubt he would follow through on his

actions. Before Shannon could reply, a sharp intake of breath came

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Descent

from over her left shoulder. Preparing for the worst, she turned and saw

Caroline standing right behind her.

For the second time she watched the interaction between Caroline

and her father. Like her father, Caroline’s face showed shock, fear, and

uncertainty. She was clutching her robe to her chest in a death grip,

her knuckles white. Shannon watched Davis take in her just-fucked

appearance and the fact that she was obviously very naked beneath the

short silk robe. She wondered what it was like for a man to actually see

his daughter as a sexual woman. Know what she had done, imagining

someone touching her, stroking her, making her cry out in desire. In

that instant, and that instant only, she felt sorry for him.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Mr. Davis,” Shannon

said. She turned and faced Caroline. As much as she wanted to, there

was nothing she could do to help her. This was between Caroline and

her father. She reached out, grasped Caroline’s hand for a moment, and

smiled what she hoped was a sign conveying that she was with her

before stepping around her father.

“Daddy,” Caroline said, not knowing what to say. Her father

entered the room, the two cups of coffee he was holding all but forgotten.

Caroline glanced at Shannon’s retreating back before closing the door.

“What you do is your business, Caroline. It’s not my place to

interfere like it was years ago. I did what I thought was necessary and

I’d do it all again if I had to. But you’re a grown woman now with

a smart head on her shoulders. You make your own decisions and I

support you. You’re my daughter and I love you. Nothing will ever

change that. Now, let’s get you ready for the race today, shall we?”

Caroline stood there speechless. She certainly hadn’t expected to

see her father and Shannon together this morning. God, especially not

this morning. The sound of voices woke her and when she saw who was

talking and heard what they were saying, she was practically paralyzed

in the past. Shannon was standing her ground with her father and he

was making his intentions clear. What may have looked like a stalemate

to others was really a meeting of the minds of two of the most important

people in her life. After a moment, she padded over to her father in her

bare feet and lightly kissed him on the cheek.

v

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Shannon was oblivious to the activity around her as she walked

the short distance down the hall to the waiting elevator. It was empty,

thank God. She didn’t feel like she could make small talk with anyone

she knew. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were

tired but bright, her face flushed. Did she look any different than she

had when she exited this same elevator hours ago? She certainly felt

different.

Sometime last night with Caroline she had changed. In the minutes

before dawn, Shannon had thought not only about what had happened

between them, but how it had affected her. She had touched and been

touched. Not just physically, but emotionally, and it frightened her. She

had never felt this way about anyone, never allowed herself to. The

more she thought about it, the more she realized that no one had ever

taken the place of Caroline. No one had even come close. For lack of

any other way of describing it, she felt like she had come home.

Shannon unlocked the door with the cardkey she pulled from

her pocket and stepped inside. The strength of the early morning light

barely penetrated the drawn drapes. She let her shoes drop on the floor

and lay on her own queen size bed. She curled up in a ball wanting to

savor and remember the taste, the touch, the feel, the scent of Caroline

Davis.The smell of her was still on her fingers, the taste of her in her

mouth. Shannon didn’t care how ridiculous she appeared as she licked

one finger after the other, inhaling the scent of the woman who meant

the world to her. They hadn’t talked much during the night. They hadn’t

talked about anything at all. They simply reached out to each other

time and time again; their need for each other unspoken. Words would

trivialize what they were experiencing. Shannon had never felt so loved

and felt so much love for someone in return. What she had felt for

Caroline before was simply young love. What she sensed now was the

full, mature love of one woman for another. She savored the feeling

for one more moment before getting up, peeling off her clothes, and

stepping into the shower.

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ChaPTER EighTEEN

Shannon was next on the starting line. The final of this race was

a series of three heats. She and Caroline had both completed

the first two and Caroline was ahead of her by eight tenths of a second.

This was her final run. Shannon had to ride her best to give herself

enough cushion so that Caroline had to ride better to beat her.

The start clock ticked down and Shannon readied herself for the

most important race of the series so far. She had pushed Caroline out of

her mind as soon as she had turned off the shower faucet knobs. She had

to focus. She couldn’t allow Caroline to intrude on her concentration.

Five, four, three, two, one. Shannon rocketed out of the starting

blocks. Her skill and strength climbing hills dominated the tour and she

had no trouble on the first half of the race. Up and down her powerful

legs moved, each stroke of the pedals churning over the dirt effortlessly

under her wheels. Her ass was out of the saddle giving the extra power

she needed to get over the next rise. Crossing the top, she immediately

downshifted and tried to make up any speed she might lose on the

downhill side of the course.

Alternating shifting and pedaling down the hill, stroke after

stroke, her full face helmet and goggles kept any wind off her face. The

bandana under her helmet kept the sweat from dripping into her eyes.

Her long sleeves rustled in the breeze created by her fast descent.

A sharp turn came quicker than expected, and her disc brakes

responded immediately to the command to slow down. She mastered

the turn without the slightest hesitation and was pedaling even before

she was out of the turn. She repeated these movements time and time

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again, turn after hairpin turn, as she steadily descended the mountain.

She crossed the finish line with a time of 5:22:04. She glanced behind

her knowing that her main rival and the woman who had come back

into her life was preparing herself at the start line at that very moment.

Shannon walked over to the post-race staging area to watch

Caroline on the JumboTron. Due to the wonders of modern technology,

Shannon could watch the entire race, and as the seconds ticked down to

zero, Caroline jetted out of the starting gate.

Caroline climbed the steep ascent. She was a woman in control

of the mountain, her tires on her lime green bike kicking up no dust as

they churned up the steep trail. Her arms were as powerful as her legs

and Shannon watched in awe as she used them to give herself extra

leverage and power to climb the hill.

On the back side of the mountain Caroline practically floated over

the steep terrain. She mastered each turn, one after the other, almost

effortlessly, but the fatigue in Shannon’s arms and legs told her that

even though Caroline made it look easy, it was anything but. Shannon

held her breath as Caroline maneuvered through each turn, knowing

that any minor slip and Caroline could go down as hard as she had the

week before.

Finally, Caroline was through the last turn and Shannon dragged

her eyes away from the screen to watch her speed to the finish. Caroline

flashed by the banners on either side of the straightaway as she came

closer and closer to the checkered flag. Twenty yards, fifteen yards, ten,

five. With a flash and a roar Caroline crossed the line.

The crowd erupted and Shannon had no indication if she had won

or lost this race. She was afraid to look at the scoreboard where the

time of all three races was displayed. She wanted to win. She wanted

to show Caroline that she knew what was best for her, that she could

still compete even with a few bumps and bruises. But a piece of her

also wanted Caroline to have some of the glory as well. Caroline had

worked hard, had trained diligently for this, and a small part of Shannon

wanted it for her.

She had won dozens and dozens of races. Big ones, big-name

races, races that had catapulted her to the top of the heap, and her skill

kept her there for years. Caroline had also won her share of races,

some larger and more important than others. But what came naturally

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to Shannon she knew Caroline had to work and struggle and sacrifice

to achieve. And Shannon admired her for that. It was one thing to win

something that comes easily, but another to struggle and work and put

your heart and soul into something that you may or may not win.

All these thoughts crashed through Shannon’s head in the span of

the second it took her to look up from Caroline crossing the line to the

scoreboard. She had beaten Caroline by three tenths of a second.

The crowd swarmed her slapping her on the back, the top of her

helmet, her ass, with quite a few idiots slapping her on her injured arm.

She was grateful for the protective gear. She had learned early on, albeit

the hard way, that race fans had a tendency to be overexuberant in their

congratulatory wishes.

Shannon fought to look through the crowd to catch a glimpse

of Caroline. She saw her. She had not yet dismounted, her forearms

dangling over the handlebars, her head down in defeat. It was late in the

afternoon on Sunday and Caroline was silhouetted in the sun making

her disappointment more poignant. Shannon watched Fran approach

Caroline and give her a very conciliatory, sympathetic hug. Shannon’s

mind went down an ugly trail that Fran would find a way later tonight

to boost Caroline’s spirits.

A sick feeling in the pit of her stomach came with the knowledge

that Caroline was the type of woman who would sleep with one woman

one night and a different one the next. She didn’t know why she was

upset with that; she had done it many times herself. But it was different

with Caroline. Or at least her gut told her it should be. Caroline hadn’t

said anything about a girlfriend, but then again, it wasn’t as if they had

stopped fucking long enough to have a conversation. The only things

they said to each other last night were words like “yes,” “right there,”

“faster,” “harder,” “again,” and several others that two people having

sex would share. A flash of anger shot through her limbs, her arms

flailing and almost knocking a few fans to the ground. She mumbled

something akin to an apology and used her bike to clear a path through

the crowd.

She knew she would be seeing Caroline on the winner’s platform,

Shannon on the top step, Caroline on the step reserved for the second

place finisher. Caroline would remove the blue leader jersey before

stepping on her box, and after receiving her own medal, Shannon, now

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ahead in the standing by a mere three points, would receive her own

blue jersey that she would be wearing in next week’s race. Shannon

despised baby blue; it made her look pale and washed out. She thought

it a sissy color, but she would accept it nonetheless.

As Shannon removed her helmet, strong female hands grabbed

her shoulders, spun her around, and pinned her in a lip lock. She had no

idea who it was other than a woman who was trying to stick her tongue

down her throat. As respectfully and calmly as she could, Shannon

pushed her away. When she saw who it was she wanted to gag.

Forcing herself not to spit out the evidence of Nikki Striker’s kiss,

Shannon plastered a fake smile on her face and waved at the crowd who

were cheering as if she had just kissed the most beautiful woman in the

world. She kept her grip on Nikki, squeezing her arm tight, conveying

her disapproval of her actions. She was furious with Nikki for taking

advantage of her and putting her in this position. But she knew the role

she had to play and at this very moment in her biking career, she was

sick of it. Frank approached from her right slapping her on the back so

hard it was all she could do not to gasp for air to refill her lungs.

“That’s my girl. I knew you could beat her. I knew. There was

never any doubt. You got the brains and the look and the skill. You’re

gonna take this whole goddamn thing. You’re going to clean fucking

up. Nobody has what you have. And you’re mine, all mine.”

Shannon broke away from Frank more roughly than she had his

wife. She wasn’t going to put up with his shit. Not today. She was

tired, she hurt everywhere, her arm was killing her, and it felt like her

stitches on her leg had pulled out. To top it all off, his sleazy wife had

blindsided her with probably the most disgusting kiss in her life. The

last two minutes had spoiled her win. To the winners go the spoils, and

if Nikki and Frank Striker were the spoils, she had to rethink her goals

in life.

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Descent

ChaPTER NiNETEEN

Caroline watched in dismay as Shannon was surrounded by

her sponsor and a woman who could only be Nikki Striker.

There were rumors on the circuit about Nikki, and she chose not to

believe them. She didn’t believe the chatter on the circuit because half

the rumors were false, and it was often only a matter of time before the

other half became true. And quite frankly, she didn’t care if they were

about her and she certainly didn’t care if they were about the woman

who had snatched the victory right out from under her tires. No, that

wasn’t fair. She didn’t slip, didn’t make any errors. She had run this

course perfectly. Shannon had beaten her fair and square and she gave

her her due. In this race, Shannon was the more skilled rider. She had

won this race, not stolen it from her, and Caroline had not given it to

her. Shannon had beaten her. Caroline’s head knew that, but her heart

and stomach felt just the opposite.

“You all right?” Fran’s familiar voice calmed her jittery nerves.

She was in the Bellow trailer alone, shooing everyone out. She

needed her privacy, she needed a moment, she needed to regroup, she

needed to prepare herself to remove the blue jersey and hand it over

to Shannon Roberts. Fran was one of the few people she was willing

to see in these moments. She knew what to say and, most importantly,

what not to say. There were no empty words of platitude. No you’ll get

it next time. She didn’t say anything to her. Fran knew her. Knew what

Caroline needed probably better than she knew herself. She needed

just a friendly face, a calming smile, and the presence of her very best

friend.

• 147 •

JuliE CaNNoN

Caroline shed the jersey, folding it neatly before setting it on the

table beside her. Clad only in her T-shirt, sports bra, and body armor,

she loosened the laces on the hard plastic chest protector. Without

thinking, she peeled off her T-shirt and her sports bra, unconcerned of

her nakedness in front of Fran. They had seen each other naked before,

either in the gym, skinny-dipping, or in situations just like this. They

were friends, nothing more. She didn’t think twice about it and neither

did Fran.

“What in the hell is that?” Fran asked in her not-so-subtle way.

“What?” It took a moment for Caroline to register what Fran was

talking about. When it dawned on her that she was staring at her breast

she remembered that there was a vivid reminder of the passionate sex

she had shared with Shannon the night before. She felt her face flush

with embarrassment. Wasn’t it she who made a disparaging comment

about Shannon’s hickey that night weeks ago?

“Exactly what it looks like,” Caroline replied, knowing the twenty

questions had just begun.

“I know what it is. Where did you get it?”

“Right here on my left breast,” Caroline countered in an attempt

to joke her way out of an awkward situation.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. Give.” Fran waved her

fingers at Caroline.

“Fran, I don’t want to—”

“Details, Davis. What happened last night after we left?” She held

up her hand, palm facing Caroline. “Wait, don’t answer that. I don’t

want a smart-ass answer. Who gave that to you?” She pointed at the red

bruise for effect.

Caroline didn’t want to share the night she had spent with Shannon

with anyone. She was still processing exactly what had happened, or

more specifically how she had let it happen. Again and again, as a

matter of fact. The butterflies in her stomach started up again. She had

felt jittery ever since waking up this morning to find Shannon and her

father in the doorway. But she also knew Fran would not let up until

she had all the answers.

“Shannon.” Caroline braced herself for the onslaught that would

come. Fran didn’t disappoint her.

• 148 •

Descent

“Shannon? As in my red hot high school lover that my dad caught

me with Shannon?” Fran always did have a way with words.

“Yes, and I don’t want to talk about it.” She grabbed the clothes

Fran had removed from the locker at the far end of the trailer. Caroline

went to the basin, drew some water and a washcloth, and quickly

washed her face, arms, and neck, splashing some of the cool liquid

over her head.

“Too bad. You’re not getting away that easily.”

Caroline pulled on a fresh T-shirt with Bellow broadcast across

her chest in bright yellow letters against the black background. “Fran,

please. I can’t.” Her voice cracked on the last two words. Caroline took

another quick look at herself in the mirror, checking to make sure she

didn’t have any dirt on her face. She grabbed another full bottle of

Gatorade and stepped out the door.

Shannon watched Caroline approach the winner’s stand holding

her head high. She was proud of her accomplishment, and Shannon

was proud of her. Caroline received several congratulatory hugs,

handshakes, and even a few kisses. As her name was called, she stepped

onto the platform, a smile on her face that Shannon thought didn’t quite

reach her eyes. But anyone that didn’t know her as well as she did

wouldn’t know the difference. She lifted her arms in the air and waved

at the crowd showing her appreciation for their cheers. She stepped

up onto the box and the crowd roared again. Caroline acknowledged

them with another wave and a dip of her head, which was true Caroline

Davis style. She was a gracious winner and a more gracious loser. She

never said anything negative about her fellow racers; she recognized

their skill and their accomplishments and simply moved on to the next

competition.

The mayor of Schladming presented Caroline with a bouquet of

flowers and draped the second place medal over her head and it bounced

lightly against her chest. He shook her hand and kissed both checks in

the European way and stepped aside.

Shannon knew she was next. She wanted to let Caroline savor

this moment, but this was her race. She had won, damn it. Against

all odds, she had shown them, all of them. Especially Caroline. As

she approached the winner’s platform her eyes never left Caroline’s.

• 149 •

JuliE CaNNoN

She tried desperately to read what was in those dark eyes but she

couldn’t. One second they said, “great race,” the next, “you could have

goddamned killed yourself.” It didn’t really matter. It was over. It was

done. And as she stepped up on the highest position on the platform, the

only thing she cared about was how good it felt to be on top.

She turned to her left, shaking the hand of the third place winner.

She turned to her right and when her hand touched Caroline’s it was as

if a jolt of electricity went from her fingertips to her feet, practically

gluing her to the platform. For a few seconds she couldn’t move. She

couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t do anything but look into the smoldering

eyes looking up at her. There was a connection between them. There

always had been and even after ten years it was still there. Shannon

didn’t know whether to be thrilled or scared to death.

The festivities over, the photographs began. Snap after snap,

flash after flash, all vying to get the perfect shot. One persistent writer

followed Shannon back to the TKS trailer. He bombarded her with

questions the entire way.

“So, Shannon, how do you feel? Did your injuries slow you down

at all? Did your injury compromise your chance to win the race? Did you

feel any different out there? Were you afraid to go down the mountain?

Were you afraid you were going to fall again? What was going through

your mind at the top of the hill? Do you have any kind of post-

traumatic stress syndrome from your fall?”

The reporter and his asinine questions dogged her the hundred

yards to her trailer. Shannon kept her temper, knowing that he could

easily paint a very ugly picture of her in his article with the simple tap

of the keys.

She was polite but clearly brushed him off when she got to the

door. She stepped inside and the coolness of the air conditioner chilled

the sweat on her skin. Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone.

“Well, the champion has finally arrived,” a not so sultry voice

greeted her. Shannon thought for a moment to step outside into the

clutches of the idiot reporter.

“Nikki.” Shannon knew Nikki expected her to cross the trailer to

her locker, but there was no way that was going to happen. It was too

far away from the door and too close to Nikki.

“I just wanted to offer my congratulations.”

• 150 •

Descent

Nikki’s tone immediately told Shannon that she was after more

than a simple acknowledgment of a job well done.

“Thanks,” Shannon replied, trying to keep it light while at the

same time surveying her options—they were few.

Nikki walked across the floor, her eyes pinning Shannon with a

look that said this time she was going to get what she wanted. Shannon’s

mouth went dry but it was not due to desire.

“Nikki,” she said.

“Shannon, you look a little tense. You were awesome out there.

The way you handled that bike gave me the shivers. You were one

with it. It was as if it was an extension of you. The way you handled

that mountain was how you would make love to a woman. Strong,

demanding, unrelenting.”

Shannon almost choked at the absolute ridiculousness of what she

was hearing. How could anyone equate what she had just done, what

she had to do, what she put her body through, to making love to a

woman? She never conquered a woman; she never needed to.

“I’ve never heard it phrased quite that way.”

“You’ve never had anyone watch you like I’ve been watching

you.”“I’m sure Frank appreciates you keeping an eye on me.” She had

no idea why she injected his name into the conversation. Nikki was

immune to it; it meant nothing to her. Nothing was going to stop her.

She wasn’t getting the hint. Subtlety was not working with this woman.

And that was exactly what Shannon was afraid of.

“Frank has no idea how I’ve been watching you.”

Before Shannon had a chance to respond Nikki had her in a second

unwanted lip lock pushing her against the lockers. She had her tongue

in her mouth and her hands up her shirt before Shannon even realized

it. Shannon tried to squirm away from her, but Nikki was stronger than

she looked. Shannon had to use more force than she thought she would.

She was breathing heavily from anger but not nearly as heavily as Nikki

was from desire.

“Nikki.” Shannon seemed to be repeating herself and getting

nowhere.

“You want this as much as I do. Frank doesn’t know and if he did

he wouldn’t care. All he’s interested in is your body for the money it

• 151 •

JuliE CaNNoN

can make him.” She moved closer to Shannon again. “I, on the other

hand, am also interested in your body but for what it can do for me, and

what I can do for you. I know your type, what you want. Quick, fast,

anonymous. Let’s celebrate your victory.”

“That’s very flattering, Nikki, but I’ve told you, and at the risk of

pissing you off, I’m going to repeat myself. I don’t do this. I don’t do

married women. I don’t do straight women, and I certainly don’t do the

boss’s wife.”

The look in Nikki’s eyes told Shannon that she was trying to

decide if she was going to get angry or let it pass and try again. She

chose the former.

“Who do you think you are?” she spat. “Where in the hell do you

think you’d be without my Frank and his company? Who gives you

money, buys your first class tickets, your hotel suites? You ride a bike,

a silly little bike. One that happens to cost eight thousand dollars. For a

bicycle, for God’s sake. How stupid is that? You would have nothing if

not for my husband. And you are very close to having nothing again.”

Nikki was not known for her subtlety, and she didn’t disappoint

Shannon now. There was no mistaking the innuendo in her words. With

one word to her husband, she could have Shannon’s contract canceled.

She would do it.

“Nikki, I’m sorry if I offended you. You’re a very attractive

woman. Another place, another time, another situation.” Shannon let

the words hang in the air letting Nikki draw her own conclusions. “But

I don’t do this. I’m sorry if it upset you.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Nikki snapped. “I can have any women

here I want. As a matter of fact, I have. And your main competitor,

I’ve seen the way she looks at me. I think I’ll go over to her trailer and

see how she’s doing. See if she needs any consoling from her loss.”

Without another word she spun and left with a parting, “Ta ta.”

v

Caroline felt it was only right to congratulate Shannon. She had

run a good race. She looked around the expo grounds and the vendors

packing up their wares. With no sign of Shannon, she headed to the

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Descent

TKS trailer. It would be the last place she’d look before going back to

her hotel room.

Caroline didn’t knock on the door. She didn’t think she needed

to. She didn’t think at all. She opened the door and froze. Shannon was

pressed up against the lockers, a woman’s body flush against her hers.

From the angle, Caroline couldn’t see who it was, but she was able to

see it was a serious kiss and the woman’s hands were under Shannon’s

shirt, palms splayed across her breasts.

They were obviously too deep in what they were doing to notice

that she had walked into the tête-à-tête. Finding Shannon in such a

compromising position was shocking. Caroline backed out as silently

as she entered.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid.” She berated herself with each step taking

her farther away from the scene that was burned into her mind. Why

did it bother her so much? Shannon was a playgirl, she knew it. She

had accused her of it earlier and Shannon hadn’t said anything to try

to change her mind. So why should she be so upset to find her in such

a position? She had no claims on her. Shannon had said as much to

her earlier. Why shouldn’t she celebrate her victory in any way she

wanted? Hell, if I’d won the race and had a good-looking woman, I’d

be celebrating the same way as well. But this was different. This was

Shannon and she had made love to her not twelve hours ago.

Since they’d made contact again, she thought about Shannon

constantly. Why couldn’t she get her out of her mind? It was obvious

that Shannon was no good for her. She didn’t even want her. Caroline

didn’t want Shannon in her life. She had a career, a future. NASA

was waiting. Shannon was a career liability and Caroline knew it. She

couldn’t risk it. She wouldn’t risk it. Shannon had no place in her life.

Could she imagine showing up at a NASA party with Shannon on her

arm? She might as well give up her dream of being an astronaut right

now. It would never happen.

She came to see Shannon and what did she get? A slap in the

face—again. She was much better off when they weren’t speaking to

each other. Barely acknowledging each other’s existence. There was a

lot less pain and confusion the way it used to be. She walked back to her

hotel room vowing Shannon would never hurt her again.

• 153 •

• 154 •

Descent

ChaPTER TwENTy

The flight to Melbourne for the final race of the series was

grueling. The fact that Fran peppered her with questions about

her night with Shannon didn’t help.

When she had an opportunity to close her eyes, all Caroline saw

was images of Shannon. The fire in her eyes just before she kissed

her. The trembling of her hands as she removed her clothes. The

hard, demanding kisses of desire. Shannon wanted her and Caroline

had surrendered without a second thought. Jesus, what had she been

thinking? Shannon was her rival. She stood in the way of everything

Caroline wanted, what she had trained for, sacrificed for. She could

not afford the diversion and disruption Shannon caused in her life. Not

now. Not when she was so close to winning.

But she had. Boy had she. Heat raced through her body as it

reflexively recalled Shannon’s touch. How she had practically begged

for her touch. Caroline wasn’t normally an overly aggressive lover, but

with Shannon she was insatiable. The instant Shannon’s lips touched

hers she lost everything. Her inhibition, her doubts, fears, and most

troubling, herself.

Making love with Shannon was the most exciting, most moving

experience of her life. It was nothing in comparison to what they had

shared years ago and absolutely nothing like the women she had been

with since. It was more than simply the physical release. Her heart

pounded in her chest, her blood churned, and she was lost in sensation

and emotion. Shannon’s lips were soft, her tongue teasing, her hands

• 155 •

JuliE CaNNoN

in her hair holding Caroline to her while she flicked her tongue over

Shannon’s hard clit. She wanted Shannon. She halfheartedly tried to tell

herself that it just happened, that Shannon had taken advantage of her.

But that was bullshit. She knew what she was doing from the moment

it started, and she did nothing to stop it. She didn’t want to.

No one made her body respond the way it did when Shannon

touched her. No one excited her with just a look. No one made her

come alive like Shannon did. She had never compared lovers, but now

that she had been with Shannon again Caroline realized that no one

could ever compare.

But it would never happen again. Not after seeing Shannon and the

woman yesterday. The woman’s hands were under Shannon’s shirt and

it appeared as though both of them were getting what they wanted. She

hadn’t stayed around to see the rest, preferring to throw up in private

behind the trailer instead.

Caroline eventually made it through customs and to the cool hotel

room in Canberra. With a population of over 345,000, Canberra was

Australia’s eighth largest city, located 170 miles southwest of Sydney

and 410 miles northeast of Melbourne. The race was to be held at

Stratford Park with over twenty-five miles of fire trail and single track

trails.The twenty-four hours of Australia was a grueling marathon of

riding through some of the most breathtaking, treacherous terrain on

the continent. After ten races in twelve weeks, the course pitted rider

against nature against the clock against stamina. The race was simple.

The rider who completed the most laps in the twenty-four-hour period

won.The race began with the riders running four hundred yards to their

bikes. Once they were in the saddle, a three-mile fire trail ascended the

mountain before the course turned to seven miles of twisting, turning

single track before another three miles of flat trail led back to the

starting point. Each rider was fitted with a GPS so that race officials

knew exactly where every rider was at all times. The round trip was

thirteen miles, providing the riders plenty of time to spread out the

pack.In the eight years the event had been held at the park, no rider,

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Descent

male or female, had ridden the course for the entire twenty-four hours.

Riders were able to stop and start at their leisure, riding as many laps

as they could with any number of rest breaks in between. There were

no limitations.

The race started at four p.m. Last year, due to her injury, Caroline

was unable to compete at full throttle throughout this race. She

finished fifty-sixth. Respectable, considering her injury, but it was a

heartbreaking finish nonetheless. This year Caroline knew how she was

going to attack the course. She was going to complete five laps then take

a ten-minute break. She would repeat this sequence for the first three

hours then increase her break time by five minutes in each sequential

three-hour block. The race was similar to a marathon in which runners

ran 26.2 miles. The first half of the race, generally speaking, was pretty

easy for most runners. It was the second half that was more difficult,

and the seasoned runners knew that it was the last six miles that made

the difference between winning the race or not.

The terrain was a combination of dirt, sand, rocks, pea gravel,

boulders, and washboard roads that would rattle the fillings out of any

unsuspecting rider’s teeth. It wasn’t unheard of that after the first ten

hours of the race, half of the contestants had either voluntarily withdrawn

or involuntarily withdrawn due to a fall or a mechanical breakdown

they couldn’t repair. When the mental and physical fatigue set in was

when mistakes began. Hands went numb from their tenuous grip on the

handlebars. Fingers started to blister from the constant pressure from

squeezing the brake levers. Toes tingled from the continuing pressure

of pushing down on the pedals. Leg muscles quivered from the sliding

back in the saddle on the descent, pushing on the ascent, and absorbing

all the shock on the way down.

If the riders didn’t rest, rehydrate, and refuel they would find

themselves in the dirt. Sometimes they would be able to pick themselves

up and continue, but more often than not, they would be seriously

injured with a broken arm, broken collarbone, or worse. Caroline knew

that this would be a test not only of her physical stamina but of her

mental stamina as well.

v

• 157 •

JuliE CaNNoN

Caroline had intentionally kept an eye out for Shannon in the

airport, hotel lobby, and here in Canberra. She knew she couldn’t avoid

her for long, but the longer she did delayed the inevitable.

She felt like a fool, or an idiot. She wasn’t sure which. How stupid

of her to think that Shannon wanted something from her other than

a quickie trip down memory lane. The sex between them had always

been more than unbelievable.

The scene with Shannon and her father two mornings ago was still

fresh in her mind. She needed to put it in its proper place and devote her

full concentration on preparing for this race. The races in this series had

been won and lost in tenths of a second. This race would be determined

by much more than that.

v

Shannon finally cornered Caroline three days later. She had

knocked on Caroline’s hotel door until her knuckles bled, staked out

the practice runs, and roamed the park grounds desperately searching

for her. It was as if she had not arrived, but Shannon knew better. The

Bellow trailer was there and showed signs of constant activity. But no

matter what she did, or where she went, she was never able to connect

with Caroline.

She wanted to see Caroline again. Needed to see her again. Shannon

had to reinforce the connection they shared because it didn’t seem real.

She thought she didn’t have any residual feelings for Caroline, but one

touch, one kiss, and she knew she had been lying to herself all these

years. The feelings intensified as she finally saw Caroline walking

across the expo grounds.

Shannon slipped behind the giant tent to cut off Caroline’s access

to her sponsor trailer. She stepped out from behind a stack of boxes

and gently grabbed Caroline’s hand and pulled her back into the area

away from the prying eyes of others. Before Caroline had a chance to

react, Shannon covered her mouth in a searing kiss. Shannon’s head

spun from the contact and she was left hanging when Caroline pushed

her away.

“Don’t touch me.” Caroline’s voice was harsh.

• 158 •

Descent

“What?” Shannon was dizzy from the kiss and Caroline’s rejection.

She hadn’t expected this reaction.

“You heard me.” Her voice was like ice.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know damn good and well what I’m talking about. If you

think for one minute I’m going to stand for that, to be treated like

another one of your biker babes, you have another think coming. Get

out of my way.”

Caroline started to brush by but Shannon grabbed her arm and

stopped her. She had no idea what Caroline was talking about and was

not going to let her walk away again. Before she had the chance to say

anything else, Caroline slapped her. Hard.

“I said don’t touch me.” Shannon had never seen such flames

of anger in Caroline’s eyes. “Not after her. Now get out of my way.”

Caroline enunciated each word. Shannon was too stunned to do anything

but let her walk away.

Frowning, Shannon shook her head trying to clear it. What in the

hell just happened? What was Caroline talking about? Her who? Those

and several other questions pounded in her head as she walked back in

the direction she had just come. With each step Shannon relived every

moment after their night together searching for something, anything,

that would give her a clue to what Caroline was talking about.

Shannon stopped suddenly and her stomach lurched, pushing bile

into her throat. Nikki. It had to be. Somehow, Caroline must have seen

Nikki with her and assumed the worst. It couldn’t be anything other

than that. She had barely spoken to anyone after the race, and certainly

not in a way that would lead Caroline to believe she had been with

anyone else. She pivoted and ran after Caroline.

“Caroline, wait. It’s not what you’re thinking,” Shannon shouted

when she was still yards away from her retreating form. “Caroline,

let me explain,” she added finally alongside, hurrying to keep up with

Caroline.

Caroline didn’t respond or even acknowledge that she knew

Shannon was at her elbow. “Caroline, please.” She was not above

begging. Caroline stopped so suddenly Shannon ended three steps

ahead of her.

• 159 •

JuliE CaNNoN

“Let me make this perfectly clear. Leave me alone. Don’t talk to

me, try to see me, or even look at me. That night was a mistake. A very

bad mistake. And it will never happen again.” Caroline walked away

leaving Shannon breathless with fear.

• 160 •

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ChaPTER TwENTy-oNE

But this time she did something about it. Caroline hadn’t gone

five yards before Shannon caught up with her and blocked

her retreat.

“I don’t know what in the hell you think you saw, but you’re going

to listen to what I have to say.” Her feet were planted firmly in front

of Caroline and there was no way she was getting around her. When

Caroline tried, Shannon shuffled her feet to maintain her position.

“I don’t give a shit what you have to say,” Caroline growled.

“And I don’t care what you think,” Shannon shot back. This did

little to deflate Caroline’s anger and she crossed her arms in front of her

in typical defensive body language, her face devoid of any emotion.

Shannon was not going to be deterred.

“I ran away from you once before, and it’s not your turn to do it

to me. Not like this. There is nothing going on between me and Nikki

Striker. There never has been and there never will be. She’s been after me

forever, but I am not interested and I’ve told her that on more than one

occasion. What you saw was just another attempt to get me…her way

of trying to convince me…to get me to change my mind…” Shannon

was flustered, unable to find the right words. The right words were

important. She needed to convince Caroline that Nikki was nothing,

never was, and never would be.

“You don’t expect me to believe that you turned her down? She’s

just your type.”

Caroline’s words stung, but then again the truth sometimes did.

• 161 •

JuliE CaNNoN

With her reputation, why should Caroline believe her? She had to make

her believe it.

“Yes, Caroline, I do expect you to believe me.” Caroline’s amused

expression said it all. “And let me tell you why. First, I’ve never lied to

you. Never. Well, there was that one time when you found that locket in

my drawer and I told you it was for my mother,” Shannon said trying a

little humor to deflect her nerves. It didn’t work.

“Seriously, Caroline. I didn’t lie to you when we were together,

and I’m not lying to you now. If I’d slept with half the women I’ve been

rumored to, I wouldn’t be here. You know what it takes to compete at

this level.”

Caroline’s body had not relaxed but she wasn’t trying to sidestep

her anymore either.

“I’ve missed you. I didn’t realize how much until the other night.

And no, it’s not about sex,” she added hastily lest Caroline think it was

all about the sex. “I miss talking to you, holding you, watching you

move, listening to you breathe, seeing the sparkle in your eyes when

you’re excited, the fire when you’re angry. I miss arguing with you,

debating with you, agreeing with you.”

Shannon took a chance that Caroline wouldn’t run and stepped

away a foot or two. She needed to move, to help herself think. The

words were pouring through her and threatened to spill out of her

mouth unchecked.

“I’m sorry I left you all those years ago. I was a stupid kid who

didn’t know any better. I was afraid. Afraid of my feelings for you.

Scared to death of your father. Dean Phillips held my future in her

hands. Without you I didn’t have anybody to lean on, nobody to help

me get through it. My parents were only concerned with themselves.

They had no clue how to be parents. I let you go and spent years trying

to find your replacement. But I never did because no one can ever

take your place in my heart, in my life. I never should have let you go

without tracking you down to the ends of the earth.” Shannon took a

breath, her courage building.

“I’ve done some things in my life I’m not terribly proud of.

Especially after…well, after high school. I’m not going to make any

excuses or try to pretend they didn’t happen. I was ugly and mistreated

people and I can’t begin to say how sorry I am. If I could make it up in

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Descent

some way, I would. But all I can do right now is accept it, learn from it,

and try to be a better person because of it.”

Shannon was suddenly very tired, like she’d been carrying a heavy

wet blanket around her shoulders for the past ten years. She was weary

and worn out, fatigue pulling down her limbs and her spirit. She had

one more thing to say and she had to get it right. She might never have

another opportunity.

“I wish I could do it all over again, that day. I’d tell your father that

I loved you and I wanted us to be together for the rest of our lives. I’d

tell him that he might be able to keep us apart until we were eighteen

but after that, we’d be adults and would be together regardless of what

he said. I’d tell him that I’d take care of you, in sickness and in health,

for better or worse, and all the other words people in love say when

they make a commitment to each other. And I would forsake all others.

I’d say all that, Caroline, because I loved you.”

Shannon stopped pacing and stood directly in front of Caroline.

Risking painful rejection, she grasped Caroline’s hands in hers. She felt

them shaking. “And I’d say it all again today because I still love you.

I’ve never stopped loving you; I just didn’t know it. But I do now and I

will do anything to convince you of it. Whatever you want me to do or

say I will. I don’t want to lose you again.”

Shannon was breathing fast. She took the first deep breath in

minutes and tried to calm her racing nerves. She had no idea she was

going to say what she had, but realized that it was the truth. Every

single word. She had used other women to try to find the same thrill,

excitement, and connection she had had with Caroline. The more she

failed, the more she tried until being with Caroline again ended the

spiral.Shannon expected Caroline to say something, anything. But she

just stood where she was and stared at her, her expression unreadable.

Shannon didn’t know whether to repeat everything she’d just said or

fall on her knees and beg. She’d do anything to see Caroline smile

at her, reach for her, touch her again. But she didn’t. Caroline simply

walked away. Again. This time Shannon let her go.

v

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Caroline readied herself at the starting line. Glancing around,

she recognized the faces she had seen for the past three months. Some

looked tired and haggard, others deep in concentration, and no one was

smiling and joking like they were before the first race. It seemed like

a lifetime ago and when it came to what had happened with Shannon,

it was.She had managed to avoid Shannon for the past four days. When

she did catch a glimpse of her on the track or on the expo grounds,

Caroline changed her course so as not to run into her. Her voicemail

was full of messages from Shannon, going from eight or ten a day to

now just one or two. At the first sound of her voice, Caroline hit the

erase button and moved on to the next.

Shannon’s words had stunned her. She’d expected any explanation

other than the one she got and she was still shell shocked. Shannon loved

her? Was in love with her? After all this time? So much had happened

between them, to them, and with other women. How could she be? She

was a totally different person than the spineless teenager who almost

blindly followed her father’s instructions. She was a grown woman,

with different thoughts, beliefs, and goals in life. Or was she?

On their second night here, Fran had finally pried out of her

exactly what had happened between them. As a good friend should, she

let Caroline vent, spew, cuss, and cry before putting in her two cents’

worth. Fran had admitted she had no idea what to say or do so she

simply tried to keep her busy and had also acted as a lookout.

But now as they readied themselves at the starting line, Caroline

knew Shannon was behind her. She didn’t turn around to confirm her

suspicion but could feel her gaze in the pinpricks on her back. She

didn’t know what to say to her. Shannon had declared her love and

Caroline had casually walked away. She had thought about Shannon

constantly since that afternoon and still had no clue what to do, where

Shannon fit in her life. Or even if she did at all. But she did know what

she needed to do today, right now. She needed to win this race. She

had a game plan and she needed to stick to it. Shannon would only be

a distraction to her wining the championship. I will not let that happen,

she repeated to herself.

She checked her gear one last time. She had an extra bike tube in

her pack along with a tire pump and four energy bars, and her CamelBak

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was full to the brim with the energy drink she needed to fuel her body.

In the fanny pack strapped under her seat she stowed her repair kit, her

bike wrenches, tube extractor, and the pocket knife she never left home

without. In the pocket of her bike jersey was a pack of bubble gum and

a tube of sunscreen ChapStick. Her face, arms, and the back of her neck

were coated with SPF 50 sunscreen.

The race organizers intentionally started the race in the late

afternoon. The excitement of the beginning and end of the race

necessitated daylight hours. The riders usually made it through the

darkness with minimal mishaps, but it was when dawn broke the next

day that fatigue and lapses in concentration set in, resulting in falls,

crashes, and flaring tempers.

It was 3:59 p.m. and Caroline was ready. She adjusted the fit of

her gloves, the fit of her helmet on her head, and the snugness of her

Oakley sunglasses protecting her eyes. The clock ticked down; thirty

seconds to go. Caroline said a quick prayer. “God, give me strength and

watch over all the riders today.” She took several deep breaths, and as

the starting horn sounded, the final race of her career began.

v

Shannon was breathing much too hard and she knew it. She

tried alternating her pace, slowing down, shifting gears. But she was

still breathing too fast for this early in the race. The first three hours

had been filled with jockeying for position around other slower, less

experienced riders. Except for the burning in her lungs, she had settled

into a comfortable rhythm, completing lap after lap without incident.

She glanced at her odometer secured just to the right of her left

handlebar grip. She was struggling. Something was not right. Her

gear was correct, her bike in top condition, but there was something

wrong with her. Ever since she spilled her guts to Caroline, who had

walked away without saying anything, she had felt like her world was

collapsing around her. She couldn’t keep any food down and battled

waves of dizziness. It was as if her body was in shock.

Shannon expected the years of training to take over once the race

began, shutting out everything except the feel of the course under her

saddle. But for the first time in her racing career, it didn’t. When the

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horn sounded, she hadn’t overexerted to get ahead of the pack. She

was a seasoned enough racer not to get caught up in the adrenaline

of the start of the race and burn herself out too soon. She had laid

back, assumed the pace she needed to take. The trail was marked in

half-mile increments and she knew the pace she wanted to achieve for

maximum results. It was a long twenty-four hours, and pace and tempo

were important. So far, she was on track, if not slightly behind. If she

found herself ahead, that would account for some of the fatigue she was

feeling, but that wasn’t the case. Rising out of her saddle gave her legs

the extra push they needed to traverse a particularly nasty steep stretch

of trail. She maneuvered around a rider repairing a flat tire and crested

the trail. She barely noticed the breathtaking view of the Australian

countryside before downshifting for the descent.

Shannon reached into the pocket in the back of her bike jersey

and pulled out an energy bar. She used her teeth to rip off the end of

the wrapper, then squeezed the coffee-colored bar out of the paper like

a Popsicle out if its protective wrapper. She was careful to take only a

small bite. She chewed it thoroughly and washed it down with her sport

drink in the bottle cage between her legs. Again and again, she repeated

the maneuver until she finished her energy bar and one complete bottle

of her drink. She hoped she was able to keep it down.

After a sharp right hand turn, Shannon emerged onto a flat, dirt-

packed road most people would consider a fire road. No wider than ten

feet, it was used for fire suppression crews to get their machinery to the

point of a fire as quickly as possible. It was on these roads that Shannon

had first learned how to mountain bike and it was on these roads that

Shannon had ridden the week before the championship series began.

The roughness of the road, the dirt kicking up between her legs, the grit

layering over her face, her eyes, and in her mouth was comforting. It

was what she knew. It was what she was and she struggled to find her

groove.

Squinting against the setting sun, Shannon saw Caroline fifty

yards ahead. She had kept an eye on her lap after lap, stopping and

resting when she did. Faster and faster she pedaled, and within minutes

she was inches behind her. Five more strokes of her strong legs brought

Shannon directly beside her.

“I have to talk to you,” Shannon said between gulps of air. Caroline

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turned her head and by the shocked look on her face had not expected a

conversation from anyone, let alone her main competitor.

“Are you out of your mind?” Caroline pedaled faster and Shannon

easily caught up.

“I must be.” She thought she had convinced herself not to approach

Caroline. Her pride could only handle so much and another rejection

wasn’t included. But here she was, in the middle of the final race in the

world championship, trying to talk to her. Another indication she had it

bad for Caroline.

“I am not having a conversation with you. Get the hell out of here.

Get the fuck out of my life.”

Shannon tried several more times to talk with Caroline, but each

time was met with staunch silence. Finally deciding their conversation

would have to wait, she let up on the pedals and let Caroline slowly

extend her lead.

v

“Bike left.” Caroline shouted the universal notification to riders

ahead that there was a faster rider approaching. The line of riders

stretched out in front of her for at least a mile, a cluster here, a group

there, a single rider once in a while, but more often than not, at clusters

of riders taking advantage of the drafting effect provided by the rider

ahead of them. She hadn’t seen Shannon since she tried to talk to her

over an hour ago.

She passed a rider on a red Trek, downshifted, and increased her

pace. She was twenty yards behind another woman in a bright yellow

riding jersey and a hot pink helmet and as they approached a tight left

turn, Caroline watched as if in slow motion. The rider’s back tire lost

traction and spun out from under her. She went down hard on the dirt.

Caroline was far enough behind not to get caught up in the crash and

asked, “You okay?” as she passed.

“Fuck yeah,” came the reply. If the rider had been injured Caroline

would have flagged down one of the race officials at the next mile

marker.

She made it through the turn followed by another series of left

and right turns, all the while pedaling faster and faster. She had to get

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away from Shannon. She hadn’t been surprised when she pulled up

beside her, but was absolutely stunned when Shannon started talking.

Did she really expect her to carry on a conversation while in the middle

of a race? What did she imagine she’d say? That she loved her too?

Hell, up until a few days ago she didn’t even like her, let alone love

her. She certainly wasn’t going to try to figure it out in the middle of

the most important race in her career. Was it a ploy to make her lose

concentration so she could have some advantage over her? Who knew,

and frankly, Caroline told herself, she didn’t care. She couldn’t care, at

least not right now. She had a race to win.

Her legs pushed and pulled against the pedals, the memory of the

thousands of hours of training that led up to this point making them

work. She released her grip on the handlebar, grabbed the tube of her

CamelBak and stuck it between her teeth all in one smooth motion.

She took a couple of short sips making sure she didn’t choke on the

cool liquid, giving her body the chance to absorb the much needed

nutrients.

Passing a few riders struggling to climb the steep trail, Caroline’s

lungs burned and her legs ached. But she wasn’t worried about it. She

had planned her race in just this manner and so far, everything was

going as planned. Downshifting into third gear, Caroline completed the

ascent over sharp rocks and obstacles. The trail leveled off and she

downshifted, increasing her speed and continuing to maintain control

of her bike. She’d been riding for three hours and twenty-nine minutes

and she knew she was near the end of the lap.

The road was rough. Her legs and arms acted like shock absorbers

getting a complete and thorough workout. It was for this reason she

pushed herself so hard in the gym, almost to the point of exhaustion.

At this critical point, she had the stamina and her muscles the strength

to continue.

She had spent months with her trainer Carlos, lifting, sweating,

and running, all the while hating him with one breath and thanking

him with the next. The mental toughness was something no one could

train her in except herself. Other riders meditated or hired therapists to

help them achieve the mental toughness they needed. Caroline simply

listened to her body.

Prior to each race, she memorized the course so that she knew

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exactly where every turn, dip, and obstacle was and planned her attack

accordingly. When her hard work and training were in sync, she rode

her best race. Sometimes she was not the winner or even second or

third, but her time was respectable and most importantly she had read

her body and the course perfectly. And that’s what she was striving

for. The riders were on their own during the race. Other than medical

services, they could not receive any help or assistance. Any repairs

needed had to be completed by the rider only and no coaching was

allowed. For the entire twenty-four hours it was a test of mental

toughness. Mind over matter when your brain was screaming to your

body to slow down, shut down, to stop. It was mental toughness and

tenacity that would win this race. Caroline had it, and she knew it.

Night fell as Caroline pulled into her rest area. Based on her race

plan, this was the time she had scheduled to take a break, rehydrate,

and refuel. As she nibbled on an energy bar she snapped her light in the

bracket on her handlebars and one on her helmet. The NiteRider would

illuminate the ground in front of her for about twenty yards, giving her

enough time to adjust her line as darkness closed in. Her night gear

in place, Caroline lay on her back, elevating her legs. Her feet were

swollen and her back hurt from the hours of constant beating. Her plan

to rest and refuel for thirty minutes was scuttled by a familiar voice

above her head.

“Caroline.” Shannon’s voice pleaded.

“Go away. I have nothing to say to you. Especially now.” Caroline

hadn’t expected Shannon to follow her into her tent. The shadow from

the small lantern made Shannon appear larger than she was. Shannon

didn’t move.

“How else do I have to say it to you, Shannon? I don’t want you in

my life. You are not good for me. You are not the kind of woman I need

even if I wanted you. And I don’t. We hooked up again and it was like

old times, but that’s all it was. A mutual thing. Now leave me alone.”

Caroline practically shouted in frustration. She was trying to win the

biggest race of her career and she was having a lovers’ quarrel instead.

She grabbed her helmet and pulled her bike through the small opening

and into the night.

“Fuck!” Caroline shouted into the darkness. She hadn’t had

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enough rest and when she hit the dirt after missing the turn she was

tempted to lie there. Repeating the curse, she checked to make sure she

wasn’t seriously injured and slowly got to her feet. Using the light on

her helmet, she surveyed the condition of her bike. The only damage

appeared to be a slight tear on the edge of her seat and she remounted

intending on finishing the lap.

How could she be so careless? She was thinking about Shannon

and not paying attention to the road in front of her and look what it got

her—a fresh batch of road rash on her leg, dirt down the front of her

shirt, and thoroughly pissed off.

Lap after lap she rode, one hour melting into the other until finally,

the sun began to creep over the horizon. She hadn’t seen Shannon all

night and had no idea if she was ahead of her in the lap count or not. At

noon, the current standings would be posted and Caroline knew that’s

when the race really began.

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ChaPTER TwENTy-Two

Shannon was exhausted. Her legs felt like rubber, her eyes

burned, there was a painful cramp in her right hand, and she

had lost feeling in her ass hours ago. Forty minutes remained in the race

and she was behind Caroline by half a lap. It wasn’t an insurmountable

lead, under any other circumstance, but this was anything but. She

didn’t think she had it in her to chase after Caroline, let alone catch her.

She was physically drained and mentally numb. She was pedaling by

rote, braking more often now than in the first forty minutes of the race.

Her lips were chapped, dried blood snaked a path in the mud caked

from knee to sock, and the gash at her elbow dripped blood onto her

thigh. She was a mess and it was only by sheer guts that she was able

to stay in the saddle.

She hadn’t seen Caroline since just after two this morning and

had stopped looking for her long before that. Caroline had made it

painfully clear that she wanted nothing to do with her, and as much as

it hurt, Shannon let her go. She wasn’t going to chase after someone

who didn’t want to be caught. She had said her peace. The rest was up

to Caroline.

v

Don’t fall, don’t trip, don’t stumble, the cadence in Caroline’s

head echoed with each step. Her head was spinning, her heart racing

in direct competition with the shaking of her legs as she climbed to the

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top of the winner’s platform. The crowd chanted her name as she finally

arrived at her destination.

This was more than about winning, much, much more. It was the

achievement of everything she had worked a lifetime for. Millions of

beads of sweat, thousands of hours of practice, and untold sacrifices to

get to this point. She was the best in the world. She had proven it. To

herself, her critics, and her adversaries.

She was finally here. She should be euphoric, ecstatic, on top of

the world. It should be the happiest day of her life. But all she felt was

empty. Hundreds of people surrounded her, but she was alone, totally

alone when it really mattered.

She scanned the crowd searching for the only person that mattered.

She recognized many familiar faces, but none contained the crystal

clear eyes that she desperately wanted to see. Sometime during the last

hours of the race, when her body was exhausted, her mind unable to

fight the fatigue, her heart had taken over.

She loved Shannon. It was that simple. It was so simple she

couldn’t even see it until her cluttered mind was empty. She heard

Shannon’s words in her head and very easily could repeat them word

for word. She had been in love with Shannon in high school but had

attributed it to a rite of passage everyone went through at that age.

And as she had always thought, that love was supposed to be intense,

fleeting, and as a result, painful. It had been all three but also all wrong.

Her feelings for Shannon had been intense and painful, but Caroline

realized they were not fleeting.

The way they had avoided each other for years, never sharing

more than a few words when their two different racing tours coincided

kept her feelings for Shannon buried. But they were just below the

surface all along, and after that night, that wonderful night, could never

be buried again. Her name was called and Caroline stepped forward.

After the pomp and circumstance of the awards ceremony, the

interviews and countless pictures, Caroline was finally alone in her

hotel room. Her medal hung heavy around her neck and it clunked

loudly as she dropped it on the oak table. She grabbed a bottle of cold

water from the minibar and kicked off her shoes. There was a knock on

the door when the lid on the bottle cracked open. Her heart jumped and

the first name that came to mind was Shannon. Having finished fourth,

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she didn’t need to be at the awards ceremony and she wasn’t. Other

than their discussion in her tent last night, Caroline had successfully

avoided Shannon for most of the week. She prayed her luck had not

run out. She still had no idea what to do with her feelings for Shannon

going forward.

Looking through the peephole, Caroline sighed, unlocked, and

opened the door. “Hey,” was her greeting as Fran walked into the

room.“Hey yourself. Where’d you run off to? We looked for you at the

party. Your parents sent me on the search mission.” She hesitated. “You

okay?”

Caroline didn’t want to get into it with Fran. She was physically

tired, emotionally exhausted, and for one frightening moment she

thought she was going to cry. She’d made her views known, told

Shannon to leave her alone, never speak to her again. How could she

go back to her now? She was going to cry over Shannon Roberts. Been

there, done that, and she was going to do it again and again.

“Yeah, fine. Just a little tired.” Caroline busied herself with opening

her bottle of water. She offered one to Fran who shook her head as she

plopped in the chair by the small desk. She knew Fran well enough to

read her body language and Fran had just settled in for a long, probing

interrogation.

“Come on, Caroline.”

Caroline crossed the room and pulled the curtains to shut out the

setting sun. She took a long moment before turning and facing Fran.

“There is nothing to talk about. We got together for old time’s

sake. She moved on and so have I.” It was a rather succinct explanation.

It was the truth. At least the first two parts. She was going to have to

work on the third.

“And?” Fran wasn’t going to accept her explanation at face

value.“And nothing. It happened, and it won’t happen again.” Caroline

didn’t know if she was trying to convince Fran or herself. She kept

talking to do both. “I don’t fit in her life and she definitely doesn’t fit

in mine.”

“What does that mean?”

“Come on, Fran, you know what I’m talking about. We haven’t

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said more than three things to each other in ten years. Other than riding

her bike and sleeping with more women than I even know, I have no

idea what she does with her life. And it doesn’t matter. It was just a trip

down memory lane. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“You are so full of shit. How do you even stand yourself?” Fran

hadn’t moved or even raised her voice. “Don’t bullshit a bullshitter.

I’ve seen the way you can’t keep your eyes off her. You knew every

minute of every day where Shannon was this week. And you wanted

to be with her. Just admit it and stop pretending she doesn’t still mean

something to you.”

“Shut up, Fran,” Caroline said louder than she intended. “Just

shut up. You have no idea what I want and certainly not what I’m

thinking. The season is over. I’ve done what I wanted to do. I won the

championship. I’m the best rider in the world. Now it’s time to grow up

and be a big girl. In three weeks, I’ll be standing in front of six people

who will judge me like I have never been judged before. They will

control whether or not I get to do what I’ve always dreamed of. Those

men will have my future in the palms of their pompous, fat, little hands.

I don’t need any more pressure right now and I certainly don’t need any

more shit about Shannon Roberts, so please just shut the fuck up.”

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ChaPTER TwENTy-ThREE

Shannon smoothed the nonexistent wrinkles out of her pants

and centered the gleaming silver buckle on her belt. She was

more nervous than she expected to be. She still wasn’t sure why she was

here. She had nothing in common with these people except for the fact

that they had gone to the same school ten years ago. She hadn’t spoken

to any of them since the day Caroline’s father walked into Caroline’s

room and changed Shannon’s life forever. If not for the pictures in

Facebook, she probably wouldn’t recognize any of the people here

if they walked past her on the street. It still wasn’t too late to turn

around and leave. And do what? Go back to her empty hotel room

and drink? Worse yet, think, remember? She’d been doing enough of

that lately, especially the drinking part. Whoever said drinking washed

away sadness never had her heart broken by Caroline Davis.

The tastefully ornate sign indicated the Grand Ballroom was to

her left. The lobby of the Marriott Royale Resort was as stuffy and

pretentious as she remembered from the time she and her parents stayed

there when they had come to visit the campus of Mount Holyfield. Good

God, was it almost fifteen years ago when they had spent the weekend

touring and interviewing with the administration and faculty? For a

moment Shannon wondered if Dean Phillips would be in attendance.

What would she say to her now?

Subdued music led her to the large room decorated with

balloons—green and white, the school colors of MHA. A large sign that

read WelcOMe aluMni hung over the wide double doors. People floated

in and out of the room chatting and laughing, many of them holding

champagne glasses.

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Shannon hung back observing the scene. The women were

immaculately dressed in an assortment of cocktail dresses and evening

wear. They were all thin, almost to the point of being emaciated, and

made up to the point of being comical. More than one pair of surgically

enhanced breasts passed in front of her.

The men were equally stylish. Some had donned tuxedos for the

event, others simply wore dark suits with conservative power ties. They

were as tan as if they had just stepped off the tennis court or a week

on a yacht. The people and the place reeked of old money, superficial

smiles, and air kisses. And what in the hell was she doing in the middle

of it? She had absolutely no idea but kept putting one foot in front of

the other.

Unclenching her fists, Shannon walked to the registration table.

Three women way too perky to be for real greeted her. “Hello, welcome

to our reunion. Your name?” The women looked at her, searching her

face for anything that would jog their memories for Shannon’s name.

Shannon knew there were many memories. She was the proverbial bad

girl and she was certain her last week at MHA had become a legend.

“Shannon Roberts.” Shannon watched as the woman with hair too

dark to be natural recognized her name. She looked her up and down

as if searching for any sign that the scandal that had forced her out of

Mount Holyfield was still clinging to her. The other woman squinted

as if she couldn’t see Shannon clearly without the glasses she probably

refused to wear.

“Here you are. Shannon Roberts. My, you haven’t changed a bit,”

she said looking between Shannon and the picture on her name tag. She

finally handed it to her.

“Thanks.” Shannon glanced at the picture and cringed. God, she

hoped she didn’t still look like that.

“We’re in the room to the right. Dinner is at seven, the program

starts at eight, and dancing after that. Did you bring a guest?”

Shannon barely recognized there was a question in the high-

pitched chatter from the woman. “No,” she replied and stepped toward

the door to her past.

Ten years, she repeated to herself. She hadn’t given MHA

anything more than a passing thought since the day she left. Now she

was expected to mix and mingle with women she had barely spoken

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with in high school and make inane small talk with their husbands. She

seriously doubted that any of the other lesbians at MHA would be in

attendance with their girlfriends. But then again neither was she.

Snagging a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, Shannon

stepped further into the crowded room. Several heads turned her way

and she vaguely recognized a few faces. But they knew who she was.

The expressions on their faces told her as much. After the incident with

Caroline’s father, a few of her friends had managed to get in touch

with her. Her absence hadn’t gone unnoticed and she was the subject of

just about every conversation on campus. Rumors were rampant. She

had heard they included everything from stories that she ran off with

a college coed from Tufts University in Boston to suggestions that she

was pregnant. Shannon had had a good laugh over that one.

Shannon expected this when she had RSVP’d to the reunion

committee chairman that she would be attending. She had checked the

box, licked the envelope, and dropped it in the corner mailbox the week

after she’d returned from Australia. In the weeks since, she had hashed

and rehashed her decision and at the last minute almost didn’t come.

She was getting dressed when a case of second thoughts crashed in on

her. Why was she going? Did she have something to prove? To whom?

Herself? Dean Phillips? The other members of her senior class? She was

a graduate just like they were, even if she didn’t walk down the aisle to

the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance.” She deserved to be here.

Shannon had asked herself those questions plus a few hundred

more in the days leading up to tonight. She was no closer to an answer

now that she was here than when she was sitting on her deck last week

in Big Bear. She was as much alone then as she was right now.

Before she had a chance to contemplate her state of mind any

further she was grabbed from behind and spun around and ended up

face-to-face with Marci McMillan. Marci with an i, as she always said

when she introduced herself, was at least thirty pounds lighter and had

much larger breasts than the last time Shannon had seen her.

“Oh my God, Shannon!” she exclaimed causing several people to

look their way. “Is it really you?”

“Marci, how are you? You look great,” Shannon managed to say

when her ex-roommate finally turned her loose.

“I’m fine, and thanks. After three trips to the fat farm, I finally got

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it right. Bernard promised me if I lost the weight and kept it off for two

years he’d buy me a new pair of boobs.” It was obvious that Marci had

accomplished her long-term weight loss and was proud of it.

“Very nice.”

“Shannon, you look great too. What’s your secret?” Marci asked

in a co-conspirator tone.

“Nothing as exciting as you, Marci.” Shannon knew she looked

like hell. She wasn’t sleeping, the circles under her eyes were

darker on her now pale skin. She had lost weight, her naturally lean

body was painfully thin. A glass of Chivas more often than not was

her evening meal. When she first returned from Australia it was her

lunch and sometimes her breakfast as well. She looked for the passing

tray of alcohol. Marci grabbed her arm and practically dragged her

across the room. Marci’s voice was far more animated than Shannon

remembered.

“You have got to come see Beth and Courtney. They are going to

crap when they see you.”

Approaching the women in question, Shannon steeled herself to

face two of the biggest snobby, self-righteous, bigoted, girly girls at

MHA. One look at them and Shannon knew they had only refined those

traits as the years passed.

“Girls, look who’s here! Shannon Roberts. We were just talking

about whether or not she’d be here tonight and I looked up and there

she was. Can you believe it?”

Taking the high road, Shannon held out her hand first to Beth

Hardel. “Hello, Beth.” Beth took one look at her outstretched hand,

then back to Shannon. She saw the look of disapproval Beth didn’t even

bother to hide as she passed judgment on Shannon’s choice of wardrobe

for the evening. More out of politeness and good breeding, Beth finally

took her hand. Shannon repeated the same greeting to Courtney.

Marci filled the awkward silence. “Shannon, what are you doing

with yourself? I didn’t see your profile on Facebook.” The reunion

committee had encouraged all alumni to create a Facebook page so that

they all could reconnect even if they weren’t able to attend the event.

“I didn’t know until the last minute I was coming. What about you,

Marci?” Shannon switched the topic without answering the question

posed to her.

• 178 •

Descent

Shannon listened with half an ear to Marci drone on about her

husband and kids and when the talk between the women turned to the

trials of braces and puberty, she tuned out all but the essentials and

merely nodded when she thought it appropriate. Her name brought her

attention back to the women in front of her.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” She hadn’t heard whether she was

asked a question or simply was supposed to respond to a statement.

“I asked if you were married or had any children?” Beth said too

sweetly.

Shannon knew Beth was intentionally trying to embarrass her

with the question. Beth had hated her in high school and obviously still

did. She thought Shannon unworthy of a school like Mount Holyfield

and had told her so on more than one occasion.

“No, I’m not. They don’t allow lesbians to get married in the state

I live in.” Shannon let the statement hang in the air. She had nothing to

hide, especially from these people. She didn’t care what they thought.

Never had and never would. That same apathy clouded her judgment

more and more every day. She knew she was depressed, but like

everything else lately she didn’t seem to have the energy to face it, let

alone tackle it. With a wicked sense of perverted pleasure, she watched

the color drain from Beth’s perfectly made up face to be replaced by

an unattractive shade of green disgust. Shannon continued looking her

straight in the eye while she waited for what would come next.

“That’s disgusting. You’re disgusting, Shannon Roberts. I always

knew you were a pervert. You were always looking at me that way.”

Beth emphasized her last two words.

“Actually, Beth, I never gave you a second thought. I prefer my

lovers to be passionate and alive. You never did fit the bill. Still don’t, I

see. If you ladies will excuse me.” Shannon left all three women standing

with their mouths open, one laughing, the other two speechless.

A prickling along the back of her neck made her pause. It was the

same feeling she always got just before she caught Caroline staring at

her. Her heart beat against her chest and she suddenly felt lightheaded.

She maneuvered around several couples laughing loudly and past the

buffet table. She knew that unless she left now, she wouldn’t be able

to avoid Caroline all night. She didn’t think Caroline would come. She

had said as much at the race and when Shannon couldn’t help herself

• 179 •

JuliE CaNNoN

and had Googled Caroline last week, a press release from NASA stated

that she had accepted a position and would immediately be entering the

astronaut training program.

What would she see when she turned around? More precisely, who

would she see with Caroline? It had been a little more than two months

since she had seen her in Australia and Caroline had been celebrating

with Fran. That was one of many images that kept her awake at night.

Finally ready to face Caroline and whoever she brought with her,

Shannon turned around.

It was about goddamned time, Caroline thought. She had been

nervously following Shannon around the ballroom for fifteen minutes

before she turned her way. She was stunning in her faux tuxedo, deep

red shirt, and shiny black loafers. Her hair was a little longer, but not

much. She looked tired and thinner but still wore that same cloak of

edgy confidence and looked totally at ease in this crowd.

She had scoured the room when she first arrived for any sign of

Shannon. Even though her name was on the list of attendees, Caroline

didn’t know if Shannon would actually be there. She had tried and

failed miserably during the past week not to get her hopes up lest she

be disappointed.

Caroline knew there was music playing but didn’t hear anything

except the drumming of her heart and the pounding in her ears. When

their eyes met, her stomach flipped several times and her hand shook

so bad she almost spilled her cocktail. It was that same look. The same

intense gaze as if Shannon could see right through her and into her soul

and know what she was thinking. If that were true, Shannon would

know that Caroline had thought about her often in the last few weeks.

She had relived their one night together in Austria more times than she

could count, remembering and savoring each taste and touch of her. She

had shed a million tears in the last two months over losing her again.

Especially after realizing she was hopelessly in love with her.

She approached Shannon and watched the expression on her

face. There was a spark of joy that was quickly covered up with steely

reserve. Caroline wet her lips nervously as she closed the distance

between them.

“Hello, Shannon. It’s good to see you.” Caroline was surprised

• 180 •

Descent

that her voice sounded normal. She was outwardly calm and restrained

but what she really wanted to do was throw herself in Shannon’s arms

and never let go. Her heart threatened to stop when Shannon didn’t

immediately reply.

“You too. I didn’t know you’d be here. I didn’t expect a renowned

astrophysicist, soon-to-be-astronaut, would come to a small town class

reunion.”

Caroline’s chuckle came out sounding more like a strangled cry.

“Hardly. I just got my Ph.D. and I haven’t even started work yet.”

The fact that she had postponed her start date with NASA she kept to

herself. Somehow she had made it through defending her dissertation,

and just barely at that. She was an emotional mess and knew that if she

didn’t get her shit together before starting at NASA she would fail and

fail miserably.

“Maybe I wanted everyone to see what a swanky private school

can produce?” Caroline continued trying to lighten her mood. “Maybe

I wanted to relive my youth?” Shannon laughed. Caroline jumped off

the cliff of her emotions. Her love for Shannon gave her the strength to

take the first step. “Maybe I just wanted to see you.”

Caroline said it so quietly and calmly it caught her off guard. She

knew what she wanted to say to Shannon, had practiced it dozens of

times, but she hadn’t expected to say it within the first three minutes.

Her world was spinning, and she was being carried along for the ride.

“I’m sorry. That didn’t come out quite as I had planned.” Her heart

jumped back in her throat and for a moment she thought she might be

sick. “Can we go somewhere and talk?” Caroline glanced around at the

noisy crowd. She heard the faint pleading in her voice. She desperately

wanted to talk to Shannon. No she needed to talk to her. To explain, to

ask for another chance, to beg if she had to.

Shannon lowered her eyes and shifted her weight from one foot to

the other. Then she looked at Caroline as if deciding if she would say

yes or no. Caroline got very nervous.

“Sure, how about outside? There’s a nice patio across the

courtyard.” Shannon motioned in the direction of the exit doors.

Caroline led the way feeling Shannon’s eyes on her bare back.

She had chosen her dress carefully for just this occasion. She was the

• 181 •

JuliE CaNNoN

opposite of her techno-geek degree and was bound and determined to

look perfect if she was lucky enough to see Shannon again. Fran had the

fashion sense Caroline lacked and the checkbook to pay for a designer

label and had gone with her to pick out the Kate Spade dress.

The deep plum color of the dress complemented her dark hair and

complexion and more than half the men in the room had looked twice

when she entered. The high neckline gave no indication of the plunging

back that tapered to a straight skirt that hung just above her knees.

Black sheer stockings and matching pumps completed her outfit. Her

hair was up in a French braid, accentuating her bare shoulders. Her

jewelry was a simple silver watch and diamond stud earrings. She had

barely recognized herself when she looked in the mirror.

Shannon had to remember to put one foot in front of the other

as she followed Caroline out of the room and across the atrium to the

patio. She was stunned by Caroline’s admission that she wanted to see

her. She had as much as told her to drop dead months ago. Whatever

could she want to say to her now?

Caroline was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She

was sophisticated, lovely, and every degree a very successful woman.

It took everything she had to wait for Caroline to speak.

“Are you still riding?”

Shannon chuckled. She hadn’t been on a bike since the finals.

“Not much. I own a bike shop in Big Bear, California. It’s just a small

place. You know, a few bikes, some gear, that sort of thing. It doubles

as a ski shop in the winter.” Shannon had bought the shop several years

earlier as an investment and had barely stepped foot in it. Until recently.

She had taken to spending more and more time in it trying to occupy

her mind from persistent thoughts of Caroline.

“Sounds perfect for you.”

“Yeah, well a girl’s gotta do something to make a living.”

Good God, Caroline thought. We’re standing here talking as if we

were long lost lovers who’ve just run into each other on the street. They

were anything but, and she was not about to tiptoe around it again.

“I’ve missed you.” Caroline’s declaration came out of nowhere and she

was not prepared for its powerful simplicity.

“Caroline—”

• 182 •

Descent

“Shannon, please, let me talk.” Caroline stepped closer, Shannon’s

familiar scent drifting in the air. “You were the best thing that ever

happened in my life. You were when we were seventeen and you were

again during the championship.”

“And you came all this way just to tell me that?”

Caroline bit back the pain at the sarcasm in Shannon’s voice. It

wasn’t much but it was there nonetheless. It hurt but she knew she

deserved it. She closed the distance between them. Her hands trembled

as she took Shannon’s.

“No, not really. I came because when Marci said that you were

going to be here I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to see you again. I

needed to see you.”

Caroline couldn’t take her eyes off Shannon even if she wanted

to—and she didn’t. She never wanted Shannon out of her sight again,

but Shannon’s restraint and body language told her she didn’t want the

same. Her nerve fluttered and before she had a chance to change her

mind she spoke again. “I was stupid. I didn’t give you a chance. I didn’t

think we had anything special, anything that we could build a future on.

All we did was dance around each other and when we stopped moving

all we did was fight. I couldn’t see what was right in front of me. I

pushed you away.” Caroline stopped and let her words sink in. “And

I’ve regretted it ever since.”

Shannon said nothing, her face betraying nothing as well. She

couldn’t give up, not when Shannon was this close. “I love you,

Shannon. I loved you in high school and I love you now. I didn’t know

it ten years ago or even three months ago, but I know it now.”

Caroline took Shannon’s hands in hers. A shiver of familiarity

melted through her body where the hard calluses had caressed her,

worshiped her, brought her to orgasm time and time again, loved her.

“I have nothing to lose because if I don’t have you then I don’t have

anything. You’re in my heart, under my skin, in every breath I take. I

need you in my life. You make my life complete. You make me happy,

you make me angry, and you make me feel loved.” Caroline took a

half step back so she could look directly into Shannon’s eyes. Caroline

could feel the heat coming off Shannon’s body, smell her, taste her

lips. She sensed Shannon’s emotions were barely in check and took

• 183 •

JuliE CaNNoN

advantage of the situation. “I love you and I want to build a life with

you. If you’ll have me.” It wouldn’t be easy. They lived in different

places, had careers they were devoted to. But they’d figure it out.

Shannon was not prepared for Caroline’s declaration and it felt as

if the rug had been pulled out from under her again. Her stomach was

somewhere in the vicinity of her throat battling for position with her

hammering heart. She had wanted exactly this. In Australia she had

declared her love and wanted Caroline to say exactly what she just

did. But she tossed her aside like yesterday’s newspaper and Shannon

had been devastated. She couldn’t go through that again. Hell, she

was nowhere near through it now. What if Caroline changed her mind

again? What if they couldn’t agree on anything and it didn’t work?

What if it did?

Suddenly her mind shut down and she was looking into the eyes

of the most beautiful woman in the world. The woman who had taken

her heart when she least expected it was looking at her, waiting for her

answer. It was her decision and hers alone that would shape the rest of

their lives. Caroline’s hands held hers tightly giving her the strength she

never thought she needed. There was only one answer. She leaned in

and whispered, “I love you too, Caroline.” Then she kissed her.

• 184 •

About the Author

Julie Cannon is a corporate stiff by day and dreamer by night. She

has six other books published by Bold Strokes Books: Come and Get

Me, Heart 2 Heart, Heartland, Uncharted Passage, Just Business, and Power Play. Julie has also published four short stories in Bold Strokes

anthologies. A recent transplant to Houston, Julie and her partner Laura

live on a lake with their two kids, two dogs, and a cat.

Visit Julie at www.juliecannon.com.

Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

The Devil be Damned by Ali Vali. The fourth book in the best-selling

Cain Casey Devil series. (978-1-60282-159-0)

Descent by Julie Cannon. Shannon Roberts and Caroline Davis compete

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Kiss of Noir by Clara Nipper. Nora Delany is a hard-living, sweet-

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Father Knows Best by Lynda Sandoval. High school juniors and best

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Collision Course by C.P. Rowlands. Tragedy leaves Brie O’Malley

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Mephisto Aria by Justine Saracen. Opera singer Katherina Marov’s

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Document Outline

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Table of Contents

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