Blair turned to face her, her body rigid with fury. 'Then do your job, but stay out of my way!'
Cam nodded, accepting the slight concession. She let Blair move ahead of her, wishing she could reach Mac for backup. The best she could do was stay close to Blair until she settled for the night, and then call for another team.
Which is how she came to find herself on the phone in the lobby of the Franklin Hotel at two am. 'Mac?'
'Yeah, Commander. Tell me you got her - please.'
'Send two of our people, not the White House detail- to the Franklin Hotel on the parkway. Ill wait 'til they get here. Shes in Room 1302, and I think shell be here for the night. I need someone in the room across from hers - Ive booked it- and a car downstairs. And Mac, keep this quiet for Gods sake. If the White House press corps catches on to her little foray, theyll be all over us.'
'Any info on who shes with?' Mac asked hesitantly.
'No,' Cam said curtly. Except that she was young, recklessly beautiful in an androgynous way, and had followed Blair without hesitation when Blair walked up to her, kissed her by way of introduction, and said, 'Im leaving. You coming?'
Cam had followed them the few blocks to the hotel at a discrete distance, hanging back in the shadows every time Blair stopped to grope and fondle her leather clad conquest. Blair never looked in Cams direction, but she had to know Cam was there, watching the display. If the seduction was meant to anger Cam, it did, but probably not for the reasons Blair intended. Cam was infuriated at the risk Blair was taking by picking up a stranger and checking into a hotel a few blocks from the White House. It was dangerous on more levels than she could count. Blair Powell was beautiful, bright, and talented. She didnt need to waste herself on one-night stands. It was physically hazardous, politically suicidal, and willfully self-destructive. Cam came close to breaking up their little tryst at one point, but she reminded herself that Blair Powell had every right to do what she was doing, and any effort to intervene would only make her more reckless. The last thing she had seen was Blair backing her girlfriend up against the door to their room as she fumbled to fit her card in the lock behind them, kissing her with an intensity that echoed in Cams body. The door finally swung open and they disappeared breathlessly inside.
'Boss -you still there?' Macs voice interrupted her reminiscences.
'Yes,' she retorted, her voice thick with the memory.
'Ill have someone there in five minutes.'
'Good.'
**********
Cam was still seething when she stepped off the elevator into the foyer in front of her apartment. She stopped in surprise when she saw the stately blond put a book aside and smile in her direction.
'My god!' Cam exclaimed. 'I didnt mean for you to wait out here in the hallway!'
Her visitor stood, sliding the book into a stylish leather bag. 'I know, but my evening was already planned, and its safe enough. I know Im presuming, and I can leave if you like. But you did book the whole night.'
'No,' Cam said as she unlocked her door. 'Come in.' She hit the dimmer switch inside the door, giving them just enough light to maneuver by. She turned to the woman who stepped inside after her. 'Im sorry-'
'Dont be,' the blonde said, touching Cams cheek lightly. She felt the tremor, and the heat. She knew the signs.
'You need some attention,' she whispered throatily. Without waiting for an answer, she pushed Cam gently back against the door as she worked loose the buttons on Cam's fly. She heard the swift intake of breath, a wordless assent. She leaned one arm along the wall beside Cams still form and reached into her jeans.
Cam grasped the handle for support, closing her eyes. She was aching, had been since the bar, and her body had never quieted. The first touch was excruciating.
'Oh god,' she groaned, praying she could stay standing. The strokes were certain, commanding, relentless, and she heard herself moaning. She pushed back against the wall, rigid with the effort to control the mounting pressure as her hips bucked forward into the waiting hand.
'Im losing it,' she gasped, clenching her jaw until it ached. She cried out as the explosion spread through her, her head rocking from side to side with the pulsations. When it subsided she was amazed she was still upright.
'Oh, Christ,' she gasped breathlessly. 'I didnt mean for that to happen so fast.'
'I dont think it was up to you,' her companion laughed softly, moving away discreetly so Cam could regain her composure. The arousal certainly had nothing to do with her, which she suspected was most often the case.
'Will you have that drink now?' Cam asked dryly as she fumbled with the buttons on her jeans. Her hands were trembling.
'I would definitely like that,' the blond said with a smile.
Cam moved over to the bar and poured them both a drink, then settled on the sofa in front of the floor to ceiling windows. They sat in silence in the near darkness for a few moments, each privy to her own thoughts.
'Does it bother you?' Cam said at length. 'The lack of reciprocation?' When her guest failed to answer, she added quietly, 'Im sorry. That was inappropriate, and none of my business.'
'No, its all right,' came the soft reply. 'I dont expect any reciprocation, and most of the time I wouldnt want it.'
It was Cams turn to be quiet. As many times as they had met, they had never talked of anything personal. She had never wanted to know. She had no idea why she was asking now.
'You should know this is by my choice, and there is absolutely no abuse involved,' the woman added.
Cam nodded - she knew all the details of the operation, right down to how often all the employees had health exams. What she didnt know was who they were, or what they felt. Both of them kept their identities, and their secrets, hidden. It was a business arrangement, with a veneer of civility, and so far it had worked for both of
