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safe, stored them away. Then she closed the drapes, stripped down, and
folded her clothes over the arm of the reading chair in front of the
windows. “I could probably use a shower.
“Lets talk for a second. Then we can order dinner and shower while we
wait for it to get here.
Paula lifted the covers and slid into bed. She turned on her side and
kissed Renée softly. “I missed you today. Careful y, she slid her arm
around Renées shoulders and eased onto her back with Renée in her
arms.
“Whats going on with Blair needing to come back here, do you know?
Renée rested her cheek against Paulas breasts with a sigh.
Paula hesitated. It was an innocent enough question, but she felt
protective of Blair in a way she hadnt before, even though she had been
prepared to protect her at the cost of her own life for more than a year.
“Never mind, Renée said fl atly into the silence. “That was out
of line.
“No, Paula said. “It wasnt. Youve been part of the team in one way or
another for months.
“But?
Paula sighed. “Im not
sure.
Renée kissed the soft, smooth skin of Paulas breast. “Its dif erent,
being her
security chief, isnt
it?
“You know, I owe you an apology, Paula
whispered.
“What? Renée raised her head, her expression concerned. “What
are you talking about?
“I never asked you how you felt about me accepting this assignment. Im
sorry. Renée inched away and leaned on her elbow, trailing the fi ngers
of her other
hand absently up and down Paulas stomach. “Sweetie, you got a
promotion that
you deserved. Im real y proud of you. Dont you know that? Because if I
didnt
let you know
that
“No, Paula said quickly. “I mean, I never gave you a chance to say you
didnt want me to do it.
Renées eyes darkened. “Is that how I make you feel? That I dont want
you to be Blairs security chief?
“No, Paula said, frustrated. “But it means Il be traveling more, and
working more, and probablyI dont know, distracted. And that af ects
us. She cupped Renées jaw and traced her thumb over Renées cheek. “I
dont want anything to come between us.
“Youre a secret service agent, Paula, Renée said mat er-of-factly. “Just
like Im an FBI agent. At least, I was.
“Hey. You stil
are.
“Yeah, maybe. First my shoulder, now my leg. If I dont rehab a
hundred percent theyre going to pul me out of the fi eld. Renée looked
away. “Were not talking about me. Were talking about you. She glanced
back to Paula, her eyes intent. “I understand what your job requires. Im
okay with it. Im proud of you. Im just hings are tough right now, but its
not you. She leaned down and kissed
Paula hard. “Sweetie, its not
you.
Paula drew Renée into her arms again and returned her kiss. “I hate for
you to be unhappy.
“I just need to fi gure out what Im going to do if they transfer me to a
desk job somewhere. Renée closed her eyes. “I dont think I can take
that.
Paula tightened her hold, frightened more by the despondency in Renées
voice than the thought that her lover might be transferred across the
country. “Itl be okay. Your leg wil be fi ne and youl be back to duty
before you know it.
“Im not going to accept a post somewhere if it means Im never going to
be able to see you. Renée caressed Paulas chest, then circled lower,
unconsciously tracing the line of muscles down to the base of her bel y.
“Not after everything thats happened.
Paula tried to focus on being supportive, but Renées persistent caresses
were starting to sap her concentration. Casual y, she covered Renées
questing hand and drew it away from the trigger zone that was
dangerously close to igniting. “I know. I feel the same.
“We havent made love since I got shot, Renée observed softly,
extracting her hand from Paulas grip. She cupped Paula very lightly
between the legs. “Miss it?
“Oh, geez, Paula choked, her legs starting to quiver.
“Yeah.
Renée squeezed gently. “Have you been taking many solo
fl ights?
“Not many. Paula fl ushed as she felt a fl ood of wetness between her
thighs. “Oh.
“Mmm. You did miss me, didnt you? Renée gripped a lit le harder and
jiggled her hand.
“Stop. Paula slammed her hand down over Renées, ef ectively
preventing her from moving her fi ngers. “Honest. Dont. Il get real y
excited, and we cant until your legs better.
Renée laughed. “My leg might keep me from working, sweetie, but it
doesnt keep me from taking care of the important business. She lowered
her head and licked Paulas nipple into rapid at ention. When Paula
shivered and moaned softly, she worried the smal , hard knot tenderly
with her teeth. “So I think you should hold very stil . She sucked until
Paula moaned again. “While I make you come.
“Renée, Paula said hoarsely. “We should
wait.
Renée shifted and guided Paulas face to her breast. “No. Waiting is the
last thing we should do. She hissed in a breath as Paulas mouth closed
over her nipple. Delicately, she traced the hard prominence of Paulas
clitoris with her fi ngertip. When Paula jerked and started to pul back,
she gripped her between thumb and forefi nger and squeezed. “Were
here together right now, Paula. Feel me now, sweetie. Feel me.
Unable to resist the persistent caresses, Paula closed her eyes as Renée
fondled her in just the right spot with just the right pressure to make her
come. Spinning toward orgasm, she whispered the one thing of which
she was total y certain in a suddenly uncertain world. “I love you.
Chapter Six
D iane was quiet tonight, Cam said as she sat on the side of the bed and
pul ed of her shoes. She unbuckled her belt, lifted her hips, and shed
her trousers. Across the room, Blair undressed, tossing her blue jeans
and T-shirt into the laundry basket in the bedroom closet. The circles
that had surfaced beneath her eyes earlier in the day had deepened, giving
her a haunted look.
“Things are stil pret y awful in Manhat an, Blair said. “She closed the
gal ery for a while.
“Its going to take some time before people and businesses recover. Cam
gave a mirthless laugh as she removed her shirt. “I guess recover is an
optimistic word.
“Adjust to a new reality is more like it. Naked, Blair brushed her fi
ngertips over Cams chest as she slid past her and into bed. “I guess were
just catching up to the rest of the world.
Cam removed the rest of her clothes, turned of the light, and got into
bed. She turned on her side and circled Blair with one arm, easing
close to her in the dark. “You should go back to Whitley Point for a
while. Take Diane.
“Turn the light on.
Wordlessly, Cam
complied.
“Go back to Whitley Point and stay out of the way? Blair asked
edgily.
“I dont believe I said that. Cam traced a fi ngertip along the rigid arc of
Blairs jaw. “I was thinking that twenty-four hours ago you almost
looked relaxed. She smoothed her thumb over the crest of Blairs
cheekbone. “Now youre looking a lit le weary.
Blair snatched Cams hand away from her face and bit her thumb hard
enough to make Cam wince. “Dont try to distract me with your slick
moves.
“Ow.
“Let me guess what youre going to be doing while Im painting pret y
pictures on a remote island. And Diane is doingcross-stitch.
Cam smothered a grin. Blair had been pale moments before. Now she
was fl ushed and her eyes were bright. Anger looked good on her, but
then, it always
had.
“Youl be playing super sleuth in Washington or New York or God
knows where, chasing down maniacs who would be happy to kil you,
and themselves, and anyone in the vicinity. Blair pushed at Cams
shoulder. “I already know youre going to take my fathers of er. Just
what else do you have planned?
“Im not sure. Ive been out of the intel loop since the raid. Ive got to
assemble a team and do some catching up. Cam risked diving in for a
quick kiss. “And its possible Il need to travel.
Blair sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. “Where? And dont
you dare say anywhere in the Middle East. She focused on Cam, her
face set. “I mean it. If someone has to go there, fi ne. Thats why we
have the CIA and al the other spies. She fi sted her hands so tightly Cam
thought her fi ngers must be get ing numb. “Ive never asked you not to
do something, Cameron. But Im asking this.
“Thats not where I meant, Cam said, prying Blairs clenched hands
open and clasping her fi ngers. “I was thinking Paris.
“Paris? Blair echoed.
“Why?
“Because Foster made more than a few trips there in the ten months
before the assault on you. Maybe theres a connection. Cam shrugged,
frustrated. “I dont know. Thats the problemnone of us know,
because none of us expected anything like what happened.
“Do you think Valeries in
Paris?
“Valerie? Cam circled Blairs shoulders and tugged her down onto the
bed. She stroked Blairs hair even though she could feel Blair resist her
caress. This wasnt anger. This was fear. Fear and something else she
couldnt quite get a sense of. “I suppose its possible. She knows as much
as I know about what happened in
the at ack at the Aerie and who might be behind it. Thats part of the
problem. Shes knows as much as I do, or more, and shes one step
ahead of us.
“Youre taking this assignment with OHS to fi nd Valerie, arent
you? Blair asked.
“No, Cam said. “Im taking this assignment because Stark doesnt need
me, and neither do you, not professional y. And theres no way Im
going back to providing security for presidential hopefuls or visiting
diplomats, and Im sure as hel not going to chase bad money, even if it
is funding drug cartels. There are bigger threats than drugs to worry
about now.
“And of course, you want to go after the biggest and baddest. Blair rol
ed on top of Cam and braced herself on her elbows. She very gently
touched Cams face. “Im surprised youre not in the military. Youre such
a patriot.
Cam smiled and kissed the tips of Blairs fi ngers. “I thought about it when
I was younger, but I dont take orders al that wel . At Blairs snort of
derision, she shook her head. “No, I dont. Not real y. I understand the
chain of command and I respect it. But I need the freedom to cal my
own shots in my day-to-day work.
“You avoided my question about Valerie. You do want to fi nd her, dont
you? Blair was aware of treading careful y. She did want to know what
Cam planned to do. As much as Cam could tel her. Cam was her lover,
and she needed to know what mat ered to her, what drove herwhat
danger she would put herself in and why. But she didnt want anything
that Cam might tel her to be an unwitting betrayal of their trust.
“I want to fi nd her, Cam agreed, “and I need to fi nd her. Shes either in
danger or a potential danger to others. Either way, shes not safe out there
alone.
“Im not going to use Diane to help you. Blair didnt know why she was
surprised that the words came so easily. There had never been any doubt
about what she
would do. Or wouldnt
do.
Blair started to sit up, but Cam held her close. “I never thought that you
would. You know I wouldnt ask you to, right?
Silently,
Blair
nodded.
“But just hear me out,
okay?
“You might not ask me to, but you might want me to. Blair rested her
head on
Cams chest. “I dont want todisappoint
you.
“Disappoint Cam tilted Blairs chin and met her eyes. They were
cloudy and troubled. She hated that her lover had been caught in the
tangled web of divided loyalties. “Baby, its my job. Not yours. Lucinda
was wrong to ask you to get involved.
“What
about
national
security?
“Wel have no national securityor any other kindif we resort to spying
on our friends. Cam shook her head. “I trust youl tel me if Diane gets
into any trouble.
“I wil
.
“And you have to stay out of it. Cam held Blairs jaw more fi rmly,
delving into the blue eyes that glimmered with anticipated resistance.
“Okay?
“Okay. Blair hesitated. “Can you tel me why you think Valerie might
be in danger? Diane real y loves her, Cam.
“Ah, Jesus, Cam breathed. “What a
mess.
“Love tends to get that way, Blair murmured, kissing Cams throat.
“You mess me up.
Stroking the back of Blairs neck, Cam sorted her thoughts. “Until a few
hours before the raid, the only people who knew Mathesons identity
were Valerie, Stark, Savard, and Davis. If Matheson disappeared
from the compoundor never showed up there to begin with because
someone tipped him of there are only a limited number of explanations.
I know it wasnt any of my people and not likely to be anyone on the
assault team. So, either Valerie warned him or someone Valerie told
warned him.
“Valerie must report to someone inside the Company, Cam, Blair
said.
“Of course. Whoever ordered her to infi ltrate our team to
begin with.
Blair closed her eyes. “Then that means theyl know that youre looking
for her. Jesus, this is a nightmare. And youre going to be right in the
middle of it.
“If Valerie wasnt responsible for the leak, once she got wind of
Matheson disappearing, shed know she was the weak link. Shed
have to disappear because shed know whoever tipped Matheson would
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