Bette rolled over, closer to Candace. She could feel the other woman nuzzle against her neck.

            “You want me, baby?” Candace purred. “You can’t get enough, can you?”

            A quick glance at the clock told Bette it was about 2 in the morning. She and Candace had been out but come back early, deciding to head to Candace’s place. Between short naps Bette had ceded control to the carpenter that night. Several times.

            “I’ll be right back.” Candace got up out of the bed, wrapping herself in a short cotton robe. She slunk from the room, casting a look back over her shoulder towards Bette.

            Bette smiled and laid her head back, her eyes closing.

            Suddenly, she awoke with a jerk, yet alone. Candace was missing. Bette had thought she had heard a dull thud coming from the kitchen. She slipped out of bed, slipped into her jeans and shirt, and slipped from the room to investigate.

            She headed into the living room. It appeared empty. As she turned towards the kitchen, a pair of strong arms slipped around her, holding her immobile.

            “Candace?” Bette knew the carpenter was strong, but the strength in the arms that grasped her seemed beyond what she’d experienced before with the other woman.

            “Not Candace,” came the reply. The voice was a woman’s voice. Not an unpleasant voice. And not the individual that held her, either.

            Bette turned her head towards the speaker. It was a woman, that was certain. A woman dressed all in black, with the majority of her face covered. “What’s going on? Where’s Candace?”

            “She has been neutralized.” The woman’s tone was flat.

            “She’s been what?” Bette’s tone was far less flat. In fact, it was bordering on emotional, or at least skirting strong emotion while staying far from hysterics.

            “It’s not important.”

            “Maybe not to you, but she was going to,” Bette let the words drop. She roamed the black outfit of the woman, wondering what lurked beneath. In fact, she was more than willing to determine what was beneath had the other woman given her a chance. After all, Candace was a means to an end. Bette never considered her a long-term relationship.