Honor Under Siege - Radclyffe

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