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through Keri’s chest. She wants to be my baby, she thought.
    The rest of dessert was consumed with many shy glances, and Keri wondered what Marcie was thinking about. More fucking? She hoped so, because there was a multi-screen, full on, Marcie-on-her-back-Keri-on-top scene repeating in her head so loudly sometimes she missed what Marcie said.
    They left the restaurant arm-in-arm. Catching sight of their reflection in one of the many mirrors, Keri said, “You look so beautiful in that color.” The deep Caribbean blue tunic over a long, simple wrap skirt in the same color brought out the delicate, light color of Marcie’s eyes.
    “Thank you. You look pretty damn good yourself.” Marcie turned slightly and Keri wondered if it were her imagination that Marcie’s nipples were hard and pressing into her arm through the thin black silk shirt. She wanted to explore Marcie right there, find out if she was right.
    Marcie patted her tummy and said, “I could use a little stroll…before…”
    Keri finished the sentence in her head with, “Before I fuck you senseless,” but she was pretty sure that wouldn’t be Marcie’s choice of phrasing. All she said was, “Me, too.”
    Marcie fished in her pocket and withdrew a plastic card that Keri first thought was a room key. “Our bundle of freebies had this gift card to Prada. A hundred bucks probably doesn’t go that far.”
    Keri tucked Marcie’s hand under her arm and turned toward the curving escalators that led to the designer shops. “Let’s go see.”
    Marcie’s prediction turned out to be correct. For the items that even had price tags the gift card hardly dented the cost. Much as Keri would have liked to have seen Marcie in Prada heels, she knew neither of them could afford that kind of extravagance.
    “It was still fun looking around,” Marcie said. They exited the store and stepped out of the way of two leggy, shapely women. Keri recognized them from the lobby—the two slinky brunettes.
    “I’m going to get it right now, Kitty,” one was saying to the other. “I’ll wear it to the poker finals. I won that gift card and I’m going to use it, even if I have to make up the rest.”
    “Ladies,” Keri said. “Would you like another gift card? We can’t use ours.”
    “Oh wow, you’re kidding, right?” The taller of the two gave Keri a skeptical look. “Why would you do that?”
    “I can’t throw it away.” She glanced at Marcie, who nodded encouragingly.
    “Well, hey, that’s really sweet.” Perfectly painted lips curved in a smile. “Here, it’s not right if I don’t give you something back. I’ve got a gift card to the toy boutique that our convention is having in one of the suites. The last thing I need is more toys.”
    She pressed the card into Keri’s hand and accepted the Prada card in return. “Suite fifteen hundred.”
    “Women like that are selling toys?” Marcie was genuinely puzzled as Keri led her to the elevators.
    The distant ringing of slot machines was a match to the alarms going off in Keri’s head. You’re going to freak her out, she told herself. If you bring toys up, and she says no, things will never be the same. You’re falling for her, and after all the bad times, she’s a great time you shouldn’t mess up.
    “Not those kinds of toys, honey.” She had a sudden inspiration. “I think we should go pick out something really outrageous as a gag gift for the Solstice White Elephant.” Keri’s heart was beating inside her eardrums.
    “Oh, you mean…”
    “Lube, silicone, leather.”
    “I’ll bet a hundred bucks doesn’t buy much in that store either. I’ve never actually shopped for that kind of thing before.” Marcie was blushing. “When in Vegas…”
    Just a few minutes later, Keri was feeling seriously faint as she watched Marcie mull over the choices in dildos. She was very business-like, picking them up to see how much they weighed, and only rolling her eyes at one so large it could have served