'I can assure you,' Blair whispered as she leaned yet closer, 'I am just as accomplished as any professional you might procure to take care of your needs.'
'All I need from you is your cooperation for a few days,' Cam said in an even voice. She was surprised at the rapidity and accuracy of Blair's information gathering. She was far from embarrassed however. There was very little difference between the casual sex that Blair enjoyed and what she herself sought in anonymity and privacy.
Blair heard the finality in her voice. She had been rejected before, but never by anyone she wanted quite this much. What angered her the most was that she sensed Cam's desire. Cameron Roberts represented everything she could not have in her own life - independence, self-determination, and freedom. Knowing this fueled her urge to strip the self-contained agent of her will. For just those fleeting moments at the pinnacle of release, she wanted to hold Cam's self-restraint in her hands. Slowly she straightened.
'If you keep me cooped up in this place for very long, I won't be responsible for my actions.'
Cam recognized the concession in her voice. She laughed softly. 'I promise to make this as short and painless as possible. I'm sure you can be trusted, no matter how long it takes.'
Don't be so sure,Blair thought to herself.If I have to be this close to you 24 hours a day, I'm not sure I can trust myself.
Blair winced as Paula Stark led yet another 10 in a suit where the aces hadn't yet been played. If she had to watch her 'partner' make one more stupid play, she might have to take Mac's gun and shoot her. She had not left the apartment in three days. They had just finished a dinner of Chinese takeout, and Cameron had left Blair with Stark, Mac, and Taylor while she went to Blair's apartment building for a briefing with the other agents. Blair was keenly aware of her absence. The air seemed electric when Cam was around. She looked toward the door with relief when she heard the knock.
'How is your pinochle, Agent Roberts?' she asked as Cameron crossed the room to join them.
Cam raised an inquiring eyebrow. 'Are you playing for money?'
Blair laughed. 'If we were I'm afraid I'd be in big trouble.'
'In that case, I'll play. Partners?'
Paula Stark pushed back from the table. 'Please, take my place. I never was any good at cards, and I'm due back at the command center now any ways.'
Cam sat down across from Blair. They played as if they had been playing together for years. Each time Cam bid, she had a sense that Blair knew exactly what she intended. It was both unsettling, and exhilarating. Before long, Mac and Taylor were complaining that the two women had some kind of secret signal going. The score became so uneven that eventually they called it quits.
'You are a great partner, Commander,' Blair said softly. 'I might have known. I'm sure you are equally good at everything.'
Her tone was intimate, and the suggestiveness did not escape Mac's notice. His boss seemed unaffected as she stood and stretched. She had shed her jacket, and the straps of her shoulder holster stretched her shirt tight over her torso. Mac didn't miss the way Blair's eyes flickered over Cam's form.
If Cam had heard Blair's remark, or felt her appraising glance, she did not show it. She made no reply as she turned to her to agents. 'Why don't you two take a break for a few hours. Have one of the night crew come by around midnight. I'll be fine until then.'
After the two men left, Cameron took a chair in the suite's large sitting area with the day's reports. Blair sat opposite her on the couch with a sketchpad. The room lights were low, and Cam's face was partially in shadow.
'Do you mind?' Blair asked as she began to draw.
Cam looked over and smiled faintly. 'No.'
'Most people do,' Blair said without looking up.
She was sketching the fine straight nose, the deep-set dark eyes, and the sculpted cheek bones and jaw from memory. It was a face that had caught her attention the first time she saw her, and it never failed to entice her. It was a face meant to be drawn. Unfortunately, the more she saw her, the more exciting she found her. Cam was everything Blair found attractive in a woman, and the effect she had on her was unsettling. Blair found herself listening for Cam's voice when she awoke in the morning, and looking for her figure when she entered a room. She found Cam's presence both disturbing and strangely reassuring. She tried to discount her feelings by reminding herself that it was only natural to find a good-looking woman appealing. She simply chose to ignore her racing pulse and unmistakable arousal whenever Cam was near.
'I'm actually used to it.'
Blair looked up. 'Really?'
'My mother is an artist.'
Blair regarded her seriously. 'Would I know her?'
'You might,' Cam said softly. 'Her name is Marcea Casalls.'
Blair caught her breath. 'You wouldn't be joking, would you?'
