Tina cut in again, “But that’s what I mean by saying that everything in that picture is faked, baby.”

She looked deeply into Bette’s eyes, “No one. No. One. Has ever made me feel the way you make me feel, sexually, emotionally, just every which way.  Our bed is heaven on earth, Bette.”

Bette kissed her softly, whispering, “I know that you think part of our secret is we each know we’ll do anything for the other.  We implicitly promise each other that, every time we kiss, we touch.”

Tina smiled and caressed Bette’s face, “Yes, baby.  There are no limits to how we feel about each other and it shows in how we make love.  We both know that each of us will do anything to please the other.  You have to know that no one’s taken me higher, felt more deeply, made me come harder, right?  Or orgasm longer?  No one ever has.  No one else ever will.”

She whispered, “Only you, Bette.  You…”

It was Bette’s turn to tear-up.  “But you looked so … satisfied and blissed-out in that photo, T.”

Tina dropped her head on Bette’s chest, her voice muffled slightly, “I don’t know what they did to make that stupid shot.  I haven’t seen the photo, but I promise you I will find out how they did it.”

“T … don’t…,” Bette started to say when she felt the cold tip of a knife’s edge slide along the skin in the back of her neck.  Unconsciously, her hand moved to cover Tina’s belly.  Tina picked up on her tension.

“I see that report about your wife fucking her new boyfriend just drove you to the arms of your hot red-head girlfriend, huh?” a man’s rough voice growled from somewhere behind Bette.

Bette stilled Tina with a comforting squeeze on her waist with her free hand, prompting Tina to keep her head against Bette’s chest.  They must have been alerted by a notification system when she acknowledged receiving the package in The:Core earlier.  Then, maybe, they somehow picked up on Tina’s trail, maybe when she approached the area? 

“Who are you?  Who do you work for?” Bette asked calmly, her mind whirring, searching for options.  Tina’s heart was hammering in her chest, but she could feel Bette’s heart beating steadily beneath her cheek, and the brunette’s voice remained cool, as if trying to steady Tina with the even timbre of her voice.