Love & Honor

Chapter Thirteen

At 7:30 the next morning, Cam walked into the kitchen and headed directly for the coffeepot. She helped herself and carried the mug out onto the rear deck, taking advantage of the rare morning sunshine and unusually clear sky. Even in summer, fog was the norm on a San Francisco morning.

At the sound of the door sliding open, the woman standing at the rail turned in her direction.

"Good morning," Cam said. She leaned a shoulder against the open door frame and sipped her coffee, taking a moment to appreciate the sunlight on her lover's face.

"Good morning," Blair said quietly, leaning back with an arm outstretched on either side of her body, her hands curled over the top rail.

"Mind company?"

"Not yours", Blair rejoined with a smile.

Cam crossed the deck to join her, quickly surveying the densely shrubbed rear property down to the street, which was barely visible as it fell steeply away below them.

"Felicia is down there somewhere," Blair noted as she watched Cam do a perimeter scan. "Its her shift."

Cam merely nodded, watching until she saw the faint shadow of her agent move across her view. Satisfied, she turned to the woman beside her. "How are you?

"Better than I was yesterday morning at this time," Blair answered, a husky tone in her voice. "Im contentfor the moment."

"AndI'm sorry," Cam replied with a laugh. "I fell asleep-"

"Don't apologize. First of all you needed it," Blair admonished. "Second of all, it makes me feel like a stud."

"Huh...I'm wondering just how to take that. Does that mean that I'mnot ?"

Blair met her eyes, noting with relief that the shadows beneath them were rapidly fading and that the pain which Cam thought she couldn't see was gone as well. "Oh no, Commander. Your stud credentials are well intact."

"That's good to know," Cam said, grinning. She leaned on the rail and worked on her coffee, allowing her mind to drift in the postcard-perfect view. Eventually she asked, "Have you seen my wayward mother this morning?"

"I certainly wouldn't expect to-not this early. Not if I read the situation with Giancarlo correctly."

"I believe you did, Cam agreed with a fond smile. «If she's not back by this afternoon, I'll call her before we depart for the airport."

"I'll be sorry to leave here," Blair said quietly.

Cam moved her left hand along the rail until it covered Blair's right. Their shoulders were nearly touching, but only someone on the deck with them could have seen the movement. Automatically, their fingers entwined, thumbs brushing over the tops of each other's hand.

"Yes, so will I. I've been here before, but it takes being here with you to realize how beautiful it is. Being with you makes the entire world look different."

For a moment, Blair was speechless. It was one of those times when Cam took her completely by surprise, and it was just the way she had always imagined that being in love would feel. She had just never imagined she would feel it herself. "We don't have to leave that feeling here, do we?"

Cam met her gaze again, marveling at the myriad shades of blue that moved in the depths of her lover's eyes. "No. We don't. Let's make sure we don't."

"Cam, I..."

At that moment, the cell on Cam's belt vibrated. Grimacing, she said, "Sorry," as she pulled it off and flipped it open. Turning slightly away, she answered, "Roberts."

Something about the way Cam's shoulders stiffened nearly imperceptibly caught Blair's attention. Ordinarily she barely noticed these frequent calls from an agent checking-in or an intelligence update being relayed to Cam, they were so much a part of her life. Now she found herself listening without really intending to.

"Where are you calling from?...You're sure?...When?...Are you allrig...No. Not for a day or so...Yes...Yes...I'll find you...Okay...Yes. Good."

"Problem?" Blair asked as Cam terminated the call. She was certain that Cam had been timing the conversation.

"No," Cam said automatically, her eyes cloudy, her voice distant as she moved back to the rail. She met Blair's eyes and saw the disbelief in them. She let out a long sigh as she raked a hand through her hair. "I'm not sure. Maybe."

"Is it something to do with the action in New York?"

"No. It's personal."

Blair tried to keep her face expressionless as the words registered.Personal. Personal as in personal callas in something that is none of your business. As inwhata lover ?Why not-we never talked about being exclusive.

"Oh," Blair finally replied. "Sorry."

She started to turn away, gathering her coffee mug and the book she'd carried out onto the deck earlier, when Cam's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Blair...it's not what you're thinking."

"You have no idea what I'm thinking," Blair answered, her voice low-pitched and controlled. Too controlled. She kept her gaze averted because she didn't want Cam to see the hurt in them.Stupid. Jesus, Blair. Grow up!

"All right then," Cam allowed softly, her fingers still curled around Blair's forearm, "incase you might have gotten the idea that it was a ...romantic issue...it wasn't."

Blair's head came up and she was about to make a vehement denial when she saw Cam's face, and the angry retort died on her tongue. Secret Service Agent Cameron Roberts, twice commended for bravery by the President of the United States, stood looking at her with worry and uncertainty in her eyes. She looked vulnerable and defenseless and Blair wanted to hold her and never let go.

"You don't have to explain. It's none of my busi..."

"Yes. It is." Cam stepped closer, forgetting where they were or who might come out through the kitchen behind them. Urgently, she added, "There's no one else. No one..."

Blair placed her fingers lightly on Cam's lips. "Stop. It's okay."

Then she kissed her security chief, swiftly but with intent, and pulled away. "I'm going for a run. Come with me."

"All right," Cam said, following her into the house, hoping that Blair really did believe her, because the wounded look in Blair's blue eyes had made her own heart bleed.

******

After the run, Blair showered, dressed and spent a few hours shopping on Ghirardelli Square. Davis and Foster accompanied her while Cam met with Mac to review the flight arrangements and pilot dossiers for the evenings departure. She and Cam hadnt mentioned the mornings phone call again, and Blair didnt plan to. Cam had said it wasnt a lover, and even if it had been, the two of them certainly werent at a point in their relationship where she could object-as much as she wanted to.

Later in the afternoon, she read a book out on the deck, napping on and off in a lounge chair. Marcea returned in time for a late lunch, for which, to Blair's delight, Cam unexpectedly joined them. The three of them talked of art, and of old friends of Marcea's whom Cam knew from childhood, and of Blair's plans for a new project. It was the kind of easy, casual conversation that friends and lovers might have and not something she was used to sharing. It was exhilarating and by the time they were ready to leave for the airport, Blair finally was able to put the disquieting effects of Cams mysterious call out of her mind.

The chartered Gulfstream II turbojet seated sixteen when fully occupied and was large enough to allow the team to spread out slightly for the cross-continental flight. As was customary, the Secret Service agents boarded last and took the seats forward in the cabin, allowing Blair, already seated in a small separate area at the rear, some privacy.

Blair looked up from her book as the last passenger boarded and moved slowly down the aisle, stopping occasionally to murmur something to one of the agents along the way. She enjoyed watching the dark-haired, handsome woman approachenjoyed the way her suit fit her so well it looked ordinary, when Blair knew it was custom cut and tailored, and she enjoyed the intense focus on her face as her grey eyes scanned every inch of the interior, and she especially enjoyed the flicker of a smile that softened the concentration on Cams face when their eyes met.

The security chief settled beside her just as the aircraft began to taxi down the runway of the small airport just outside San Francisco. The seats were roomy in the luxury craft, but the length of their thighs touched and their shoulders pressed lightly together nevertheless.

"Good book?" Cam asked as she buckled in.

"Mmm", Blair nodded, closing it on one finger to mark her place. "Funny, sexy, and well put together."

"Sounds like a winning combination."

Blair brushed her fingers lightly over the top of the agent's hand where it rested on her trousered thigh. "I think so."

"Be good," Cam whispered, suppressing a grin. "Im working."

"Oh, really?" Blair raised an eyebrow, then laughed. "All rightIll give you a reprieve. But only for the rest of the flight. Then I intend to tease you as much as I like."

"Ill look forward to it".

Blair eased the seat back and rested her hand on Cams forearm, below the sightline of the agents in the front of the plane if they happened to turn around.

"Any pressing plans for the rest of the week?" Cam inquired. "We haven't had an itinerary review since we've been here, and I want to get everyone back to routine. It's better after what happened."

"Nothing special," Blair replied. "Since were going to be traveling again soon, I want to work. I'm hoping to have a full show this fall, and as of right now, I don't have enough canvases completed to do that." She sighed. "Theres always the chance that something will come through from the West Wing that I need to doI havent heard anything for a few days and thats never a good sign."

"I get a full briefing in the morning", Cam reminded her. "We can go over the weeks itinerary after that."

"Fine."

"Ill be out of town for a day or so", Cam said quietly.

Blair stiffened, automatically withdrawing her hand from Cams arm. "Oh?"

"If everything is quiet, Ill leave tomorrow night. Mac will have the detail."

Blair opened her book again. "Im sure he can handle it."

Cam didnt reply, because she didnt have any explanation that she could share, and half-truths would only make things worse. They were both quiet on the rest of the flightBlair reading and Cam sleeping on and off. Despite the silence, however, they leaned close together, their bodies still touchingtheir connection not completely broken.