It was apparent that Steven was terribly excited as Sheridan stepped away from the table. She stood back and folded her arms over her chest and smiled as her brother held the straightedge with a white-knuckled grip and slid the exacto-knife perfectly along the drawn line. "Now, all you gotta do is hold the big piece and hit the smaller one -- it should break evenly right along the cut."

Steven poked his tongue out of his mouth and tapped the smaller piece of plasterboard until it hung off the side of the table. A huge self-satisfied smile crossed his face and he looked to his sister for approval.

"Great. Now just slice away the paper and we're set. I'll meet ya inside," she said as she walked back into the house.

Steven puffed up with pride as he cut away the portion of plasterboard and discarded it. He hefted the larger piece up and hesitated at the door. "Hey, Sher, I'm gonna get Keefer's rug all powdery."

The blonde poked her head out of the bedroom and scowled. He was right, they were going to make tracks in and out if they didn't do something about it. "Good thinking. Tell ya what... I got some painter's plastic in my trunk. Leave that wall outside for me," Sheridan tossed him her car keys, "andyou can cover a path into the bedroom."

Steven did as he was told and Sheridan brought the wall into the bedroom. "I can't believe I didn't think of that," she said to herself. She heard Steven tearing tape from the other room and shook her head. "I didn't even think to tape it down, either," she laughed to herself and then stuck her head out of the room again. "What would I do without you?"

"Get Keefer's house all dirty," he answered literally.

Sheridan laughed again and returned to the task at hand. She was extending the back of the closet into an already existing walk-in closet that was accessiblefrom the hallway. How lucky was that? She silently thanked the person who built the two closets back to back. All she needed was a few pieces of wall to make sections, some more closet rods and shelves. Keefer gave her full control of the project, not offering any input at all, claiming that she trusted Sheridan to do a perfect job. It made the blonde smile at the time, but now she was nervous. Not too nervous, though. What woman wouldn't like a closet with two different entry points? she thought to herself. Still, she hadn't shared her idea with her lover and now she was a little anxious, especially after the damage was done and she had knocked down the back wall of the bedroom closet. She heard her brother walking along the newly laid plastic and snapped out of her thoughts.

"All done, Sher. I made a road from the door to the bedroom. OK?"

"That's great, Steven. Let's do the rest of the walls."

"Alright! I can do it all by myself. You just have to draw the lines. I'm too nervous and my lines will be crooked."

"Nothing to be nervous about, buddy, it's only me, and I ain't gonna say nothing if your lines are fucked up."

"Keefer will see them."

"Nope. We're painting these babies," she said with a smile. "We need another identical wall, so just take that piece you put on the side and lay it on the new piece. Draw a line on the edge and cut it. I know you can handle that. I'll be inside, bring it to me when you're done."

Steven beamed with excitement, "Cool shit!! Will you tell Keefer I made the walls?"

"Hell yeah." Sheridan went back into the closet and started to draw lines on the walls where she was going to hang the shelves. A short time later, Steven appeared with the new wall, he was dusty and happy and the blonde felt good at the sight of his proud smile.

"What's next, Sher?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Now I need you to help me cut the shelves. Wanna use the circular saw?"

"Fuck yeah!" he blurted in excitement.

Sheridan smacked him on the back of the neck. "Hey!"

"Why'd ya do that for? You say 'fuck' all the time," he pouted.

Sheridan pursed her lips, "Yeah, I guess I do. Just don't curse in front of Pop -- he'll kill me."

"Or Keefer! I wouldn't curse in front of her, I promise!"

Sheridan smiled to herself. "Oh, don't you worry about Keefer. She's heard all sorts of trash out of my mouth," the blonde snickered.

"Oooo... do you talk dirty to her?" he asked, genuinely interested.

The blonde shook her head at her brother's question, "Don't ya think that's a little personal, Stevie boy?" The blonde positioned the plasterboard exactly where she wanted it and stepped back to check it.

"Well, you used to tell me about the other girls," Steven argued, mimicking his sister's actions.

"Yeah, well," Sheridan frowned, "Keefer's different, is all," she replied, leaving the bedroom.

Steven followed her out and found her lifting a piece of wood from the driveway. He took it from her and brought it to the table Phil left for them. "Why is she different? Is it cuz you love her?"

Sheridan didn't answer right away. She took out a piece of paper with the measurements on it from her shirt pocket and unfolded it, studying it. Steven began to look at the paper, too, over her shoulder and she held it up closer to him. "Do me a favor, I'll measure the shelves and you go get the saw."

Steven walked quickly to Sheridan's car. "You were supposed to tell me what love is like, Sher. You said you would," he reminded his sister as she put the paper away.

"I did, didn't I," the blonde sighed heavily. "It's not so easy to explain."

"Cuz I'm slow?" he asked seriously.

"Fuck that, it's because it's hard, that's all." Sheridan pulled the tape measure from her belt and opened it on the wood, drawing lines in the appropriate places. "Go get me another piece. I'll measure it all out and you can cut the shelves."

"Cool!"

Sheridan was content to have the conversation dropped and work in relative silence alongside her brother. The only noise was the sound of the circular saw as Steven slowly and perfectly cut the shelves. Once she was satisfied that he could do the job without supervision, she returned to the closet and started taping off the new walls. Her stomach growled and it made her look at the clock. Man, it's almost lunchtime. Keefer should be here soon. "Hey Stevie! Keefer should be home any second, she said she was bringing lunch, didn't she?"

Steven was at her side with a stack of shelves in his arms. "Yeah, right after she kissed me," he blushed. "I think I love her, too," he said as he put the shelves down.

Sheridan laughed, "Do you feel all warm and tingly inside when she looks at you?"

Steven furrowed his brows. "I can't remember. I don't think so," he replied, still thinking hard.

"Do you smile just because she walked into the room?"

"No. Sometimes I get scared. Do you?" he asked wide-eyed.

The blonde nodded, "Can't help it. Love does weird things to a person."

Steven nodded as if he understood. He did, to an extent, Sheridanhad been acting really goofy since she met Keefer. He saw his sister wipe her hands on her shorts and looked at his. "I have to wash up. What if I have to touch her?"

Sheridan snickered, "Maybe you are in love with Keefer, too, Stevie boy."

"Am not. I don't get tingly."

Keefer approached the wide-open front door and sidestepped the plastic as she entered the house. She stopped in her tracks when she heard Sheridan mention her name. She stayed where she was, listening to the conversation.

Sheridan and her brother were side by side at the bathroom sink, washing their hands. Steven hip checked his sister and she did it back. "Quit it," she complained half-heartedly.

"Where do you get the tingles?" he asked.

"Everywhere, buddy, everywhere."

"Even in your toes?"

"Especially in my toes," Sheridan teased.

"How does it feel?"

The two left the bathroom and Keefer ducked back out the front door as they sat on the plastic that was covering the living room floor.

"It's a good feeling, Stevie. Sometimes it's scary, but in a good way."

"There's no good scary."

"Oh, yes, there is."

"I don't care if it's good or not, I don't want to be scared. I'm not falling in love."

"You can't stop falling in love. Do you think I would have chose to be in love? I mean... it scared me to death. I didn't know what was going on at all. I couldn't stop thinking about her, wanting to be with her... shit, I even smelled her in my sleep."

"She sure smells good, too. If I was ever gonna fall in love, it would be with Keefer. She's so pretty."

"She's perfect, Stevie boy, and don't you forget it."

"Is she pretty naked?"

Keefer blushed hotly from outside the front door.

"Gorgeous, and don't you even think about her naked, wipe it out of your head right now."

"Is sex different when you're in love?"

"Much better."

"What's the difference between fucking and making love?"

Sheridan rolled her eyes. Where is Keefer? "Making love is special. You only do that with someone you love."

"So you do different things when you fuck?"

"No, you pretty much do the same thing... it's just different. The tastes the smells, the touch..."

"Do you sweat when you make love?"

Sheridan raised an eyebrow, "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"Remember when you brought that girl to pop's for dinner and you two did it in the bathroom? You were all sweaty."

"It was a hundred degrees that day," Sheridan countered, ignoring the question.

"Does Keefer sweat? I don't think she sweats."

"She sweats, Stevie, she sweats just fine," Sheridan smiled.

"That makes you happy?"

"Oh, yeah. I like her sweat."

"Cuz you're in love?"

"No, cuz I'm in love, I lick her sweat." Oh, baby, I'd love to lick her sweat right now.

"Ewww!"

Sheridan laughed, "That my brother, is love." I'm getting way too turned on by this conversation. "Okay, enough about Keefer's sweat. Where is she? I'm starved."

Keefer stretched out her face to rid herself of the blush. She was sweating and was sure that this would cause a few glances between siblings. She wished there was a napkin in the many bags she was holding, but then thought even if there was, they would hear the bags rustling. She took a deep breath and made a lot of noise on the porch. "Hello?" she yelled as she walked in the house.

"Cool!" Steven jumped up to take the bags away and brought them into the kitchen.

Keefer was still flushed from eavesdropping on the conversation and Sheridan found it very arousing. "Hi, baby," she said leaning in for a kiss.

Keefer bent her head and met her lover's lips. The kiss started out as a peck, but once the construction worker smelled her lover's perfume she held Keefer's head in place and deepened it. The tall woman made a small noise in the back of her throat and Sheridan felt the sound between her legs. She broke the kiss and stepped back. "God, I want you so badly right now."

"If your brother wasn't in the next room, I'd let you have me."

Keefer's admission gave Sheridan an arousing tingle in her crotch. "Mmm... as soon as he leaves, baby."

"Are you guys done kissing yet? I'm hungry."

Keefer blushed slightly and Sheridan smiled. "Yeah, we're done," the blonde said with a chuckle.

Steven entered the room with a couple of sandwiches on plates and some beers. "Good, cuz I was afraid you'd get all tingly and want to lick her sweat or something."

Sheridan smacked him on the head and looked embarrassed.

Keefer bit her bottom lip and hid her face in her hands.

"What?" Steven asked innocently.

"Nothing, just eat," Sheridan said with exasperation.

They all sat on the floor and Steven put everything down on the plastic. Sheridan examined all three sandwiches, picked the one she liked best and grabbed a beer. "Did you get anything at the flea market?"

Keefer hid a blush and grinned shyly, "It was really crowded, I went to some stores instead."

Steven tentatively took a beer and opened it, glancing at his sister for approval.

"Go on, I won't tell Pop." The blonde looked back at her lover, "What'd you buy?"

Keefer looked at the floor.

"Sexy stuff," Steven said and punctuated it with a loud burp.

"Slob!" Sheridan yelled, backhanding him in the belly. "Where's your manners?"

"I had no idea it would make me burp like that," he said wide eyed.

Keefer smiled, "That's okay, your sister can be quite a pig at times, too."

"Sexy stuff?" Sheridan questioned.

"Oh yeah, really sexy, like the girls wear in the magazines you used to have under your bed," Steven answered.

Sheridan's eyebrows went up, as well as Keefer's.

"Oh, come on, I just read the articles," the blonde defended. Then she looked at her brother. "Why were you snooping in the bags?"

"I was looking for lunch," he said, careful not to drink his beer too fast. He still burped, but quietly. "Excuse me," he announced.

Sheridan looked at her blushing lover and grinned knowingly and excitedly, "Gonna show me what you bought later?"

Keefer nodded and bit into her sandwich so she didn't have to speak.

Sheridan chuckled to herself and ate, too.

"Can I see?" Steven asked.

"NO!" Sheridan blurted out. "I don't believe it, my brother has a woody for my girlfriend!"

Steven looked between his legs in horror, then relief. "I do not!" he argued. "It's the zipper!"

Keefer couldn't contain her giggles.

"Figure of speech, Stevie. If you really had a woody, I'd have to kill you."

Steven frowned and Keefer elbowed Sheridan.

"So, are you far along with the closet? Can I see it?" Keefer asked to break the tension.

"Yeah! I made the walls! I'll show you!" Steven jumped up and grabbed Keefer by the hand, she fell over backwards and gave Sheridan a hell of an eyeful. Green eyes narrowedas they focused between Keefer's legs and the blonde growled.

Keefer caught the action and looked lustily at her girlfriend as she stood up, "Later."

"Mmmm," the blonde hummed.

Keefer couldn't believe the mess in her bedroom -- clothes piled up on the bed, shoes scattered all over the floor, and actual rubble inside her now, much larger closet. However, through it all, she saw Sheridan's planning and loved the idea.

"I cut this one, and this one!" Steven said excitedly, pointing to each wall. "And I cut all these shelves by myself," he added proudly.

"Well, I'm impressed!" Keefer said with a winning smile. "You did a fabulous job," she added, giving him a hug.

Steven pulled away from the hug in embarrassment and then smiled shyly. He looked again to the closet and nodded to himself, "Yep, it's gonna be cool."

"I have no doubt," Keefer agreed distractedly as she kicked a couple of shoes out of her way. "Where's Fifi?"

"In the den. Do you love Sheridan?"

Keefer turned to look at Steven who looked back with genuine interest. "Yes, I do."

Steven let out a breath, "Phew. That's good, cuz she really loves you. She'd even lick your sweat!"

Keefer feigned surprise, "Really?"

Steven nodded rapidly, "I swear it, that's what she said. I don't think I'd ever want to do that," he said with a sour face.

"Wait until you're in love, then tell me that," Keefer said with a snicker.

"Uh, what's the hold up?" Sheridan called from the other room.

Keefer and Steven walked into the living room and Sheridan couldn't resist reaching out and stroking her lover's bare leg as she passed.

"Behave," Keefer whispered as she sat down on the plastic again.

Sheridan smirked, knowing Keefer wanted anything but for her to behave.

"This is good, Keefer, thank you," Steven said of the sandwich, then took a bite.

"You're welcome," Keefer repliedand turned to Sheridan. She opened her mouth to say something when her lover gave her a devious grin and then licked her lips. Words forgotten, Keefer picked up Sheridan's beer bottle and took a healthy swallow, closing her eyes as she tilted her head back. A sudden image of her lover, naked and sweaty, flashed through her mind. Blue eyes popped open in surprise, Where did that come from?

Sheridan raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend's change of expression. "You all right?" she asked, taking her beer back from Keefer's hand.

"Yeah. Fine," the brunette said quietly.

Sheridan wasn't about to buy it, but she went back to finishing her sandwich anyway. While eating, she felt Keefer's eyes on her and glanced in her lover's direction. The blonde narrowed her eyes, she knew that look -- Keefer was having less than pure thoughts and she was the object of those musings. Sheridan uncrossed her legs and bent one at the knee, leaving her crotch in full view of her fantasizing girlfriend.

Keefer's heart beat harder as her gaze traveled up the well-defined muscles of Sheridan's bare thigh and stopped between her legs. She had a perfect picture of said area in her mind... wet and open. "Oh, god," she muttered out loud without meaning to.

Sheridan grinned cockily and met her lover's eyes. "Penny for your thoughts," she teased, opening her legs wider.

Keefer swallowed hard to fight her blush and took a deep breath. "Much more than a penny," she said in a deeper voice than usual.

The construction worker's mouth watered at the tone. "OKAY!" she announced standing up suddenly. "Let's get back to work, the sooner we finish..." Sheridan gave Keefer a sexy smirk, and left the sentence unfinished.

"What?" Steven asked, standing up with his empty plate.

"Keefer and I have business," Sheridan replied, still staring directly into light blue eyes. "Business?" he wondered. "You just wanna have sex, oh, make love."

Keefer's eyes widened and she made a beeline for the kitchen.

Sheridan chuckled and patted her brother on the back. "Oh, yeah, and then some," she mumbled. "Go on and start drilling holes where I marked the walls, I'll take the dishes into the kitchen."

Steven smiled confidently and practically flew into the bedroom.

Sheridan snuck up behind Keefer and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I know what you've been thinking, and I approve."

Keefer blushed slightly and turned around in Sheridan's arms. "I don't think you have any idea what I was thinking," she said, still caught off guard by her sudden visions.

"Does it have anything to do with me naked?" Sheridan asked, then leaned forward and inhaled Keefer's neck.

"Very much so," the brunette agreed, closing her eyes as her lover began licking a trail across her throat. Another vision sprung into her head -- of Sheridan writhing in bliss, glistening with sweat. She pushed away from Sheridan's mouth and breathed deeply.

"Oh, baby... tell me."

"I keep seeing you, and you're... oh boy, just trying to say it and I picture it. Why is this happening?"

"Keef, at least once an hour, I see you naked," Sheridan said, backing her lover against the counter. "I hear you moaning, I smell your delicious scent," the blonde breathed the last words into Keefer's cleavage.

The inspector shuddered as her nipples tightened from the feel of Sheridan's breath. "Please, Sher..."

Keefer's whimper caused her sex to clench and Sheridan backed away. "The very second Steven leaves, I want you," she said with a growl.

"No, I want you," Keefer half whispered.

"Hmm?" Sheridan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I want you, I want to make love to you," Keefer said with more confidence than she felt.

Sheridan groaned. "Oh, yeah, Keef, you got me," she purred.

"Sher!"

Both flustered women looked towards the bedroom.

"You'd better go. I'm going to hide in the den -- just me and my dog. I can't be around you."

Sheridan smirked. She knew exactly what Keefer was feeling. "I'll be in the other room. Working... flexing... sweating... grunting..."

Keefer closed her eyes and whimpered.

It was as if a fire had been lit under Sheridan's ass and she doubled her work efforts. Steven had no trouble keeping up, but he was curious as to the sudden rush.

"What's the hurry? We have all day."

"Never mind, Stevie boy. Like I said, Keefer and I have business."

"Yeah, s-e-x," he muttered while avoiding his sister's paintbrush.

The blonde snickered. "Oh, yeah," she growled.

"Why don't you go do it now and I'll finish painting," he asked seriously.

"Well, Steve, this is one of those, all-nighter situations."

"You can do it all night!?" he asked in surprise.

"Well, girls can... most girls can, anyway," Sheridan answered with a smirk.

"Wow," he said in wonder.

Sheridan climbed over a pile of rubble and frowned. "Hey, why don't you start getting rid of the garbage; there's some trash bags on the porch. Phil is gonna drop by later to load up the shit and take it to the site dumpsters."

"Sure thing."

As soon as Steven was out of the room, Sheridan took offfor the den, paintbrush in hand. She opened the door slowly and spied Fifi sleeping on the floor, and Keefer relaxing on the futon, eyes closed, a shit-eating smile on her face. "Am I naked again?"

Keefer jumped. "Sheridan!" she scolded.

"Well? Am I?"

Keefer cleared her throat and blushed slightly, "Yes." She stood up and moved towards her lover.

As soon as Keefer was within range, Sheridan wrapped her free arm around the tall woman's waist and pulled her close, holding the paintbrush well out of the way. "Mm... I like the way you think," she said, nuzzling Keefer's chest.

"Sher, get back in that room and finish," Keefer said breathlessly. "The sooner you're done..."

"The sooner I'm naked," she nodded. "I hear ya," Sheridan nipped at Keefer's shoulder and ran into the bedroom.

The brunette leaned on the doorframe and sighed. "I'm like a horny teenager, all of a sudden," she complained as she went to the kitchen for a drink. She leaned against the counter and drank slowly, a small grin played at her lips as she suddenly recalled the afternoon on the couch where she'd had Sheridan at her mercy. Keefer shivered as if she could still feel the blonde's skin under her fingers. The memory of Sheridan as she lay naked, propped up against her chest, her glorious body spread out for Keefer to explore. The brunette closed her eyes as her mind began to replay the movement of her hands. She could smell the scent of the construction worker's skin as she buried her face in her neck, her hands traversing the expanse of flesh, resting in the warm, wet crevice between Sheridan's legs, the blonde's mouth opened...

"KEEFER!"

Keefer jumped out of her daydream and dropped the bottle of water on the floor. "Shit!"

"FIFI'S OUT!"

Keefer threw the dishtowel on the puddle of water and took off towards the bedroom. She bent over and grabbed Fifi, who was sporting white paint on her left side, and pulled her out of the closet.

Sheridan smirked at her lover's flushed appearance, and couldn't resist fueling the brunette's fires.

Keefer gasped as Sheridan's hand slid up the back of her leg and into her shorts. Her gaze darted to Steven who was happily cleaning up the floor, and then back to Sheridan who was flashing a crooked grin. She removed Sheridan's hand and narrowed her eyes. "You are in big trouble later," she warned.

The blonde snickered, "Hurt me, baby," then smacked her lover on the ass.

Keefer's eyes widened. "So much trouble," she added before taking her dog and leaving. "Come on, Feefs, gotta clean you up." That should keep my mind occupied for a while, she thought with relief.

Sheridan watched her tall girlfriend walk out of the room in a bent over position. She had a sudden urge to run up behind her and thrust into her ass. Her groin tightened and she sighed heavily.

"Whassamatter?" Steven asked.

"Aww, nuthin'," she mumbled as she shook her head. "You wouldn't understand"

"You're probably right, but like Pop says, it don't hurt to talk about it."

"It's not a problem or nothing, it's just that I can't keep my hands off of her and I don't want her to think that's all I want her for. Can you imagine this? Me? Worried that someone thinks I only want them for sex? That's what my whole life was about... before Keefer. I don't want her to think I'm still like that. I love all of her. Of course, being as fucking hot as she is don't hurt things."

Steven looked thoughtful for long moments. He pursed his lips and made a strange sound with them while he thought. "Do you tell her that?"

"What?"

"Do you tell her that you love her for everything and not just 'cuz she's hot?"

"I think so... maybe. I don't know," Sheridan furrowed her brow. "I should, though."

"Yeah, that way, you're sure she knows."

Sheridan smiled and patted her brother on the back. "You're all right, Stevie boy. Thanks."

"I am? I mean, yeah," he puffed up. "You're welcome, Sher," he said proudly.

"Come on, now, we're almost done. Philly will be here soon."

"You just want to have sex."

"There's that, too," she smirked.

part 39

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