this rebuke. Her pain angered her, and as she turned and walked rapidly toward the door, she called caustically, 'Don't mistake lust for affection, Commander. My interest in you, as I believe you once said, is strictly biological.'
Cameron watched her go, struggling with her own disappointment. Of course she knew that she was only a potential conquest, but that did not lessen the pain of Blair's words.
**********
A knock on her door brought Cam from deep sleep into adrenalized arousal in an instant. She grabbed her gun from the night table as her feet touched the floor. The bedside clock read 4:44 a.m. Cam looked through the peep hole and cursed silently to herself when she saw the figure on the other side. She opened the door an inch and whispered, 'What is it, Stark?'
Paula Stark stared white faced at her boss. She swallowed once audibly, and licked her suddenly dry lips nervously. 'I need to talk you, Commander.'
'Can't it wait?'
'No ma'am, it can't.'
Cam opened the door to admit her young subordinate, replacing her gun in its holster on her table. She switched on the bedside lamp and motioned Stark to a chair at the small desk in front of the windows. She sat down across from Stark and looked at her inquiringly. For a moment, she thought that Stark might cry.
'I need to be transferred,' Stark stated flatly.
'Is there some reason you felt you needed to wake me in the middle of the night to tell me this?' Cameron asked sharply. She had a bad feeling she knew where this conversation was going.
'I needed to tell you now. I need to leave in the morning.'
Cam sighed and leaned back from the table. She ran both hands briskly over face, then peered intently at the pale young woman across from her. 'Do you want to tell me what this is all about?'
'I--I don't feel I can continue to carry out my assignment.'
'That's not what you told me two weeks ago,' Cam stated.
Paula Stark raised her eyes to Cam's for the first time. Her shoulders stiffened slightly as she stated, 'I hadn't slept with her then.'
Something hard settled deep in the pit of Cam's stomach. She clenched her jaw to stifle the curse that leapt to her lips. She stood abruptly and paced to the other side of the room, turning so quickly in the small space that Stark flinched.
'Are you out of your mind?' Cam seethed, her fury barely contained. She knew instinctively she was handling this poorly, but her immediate reaction was one of deep-seated anger, and uncomfortably, something that felt a great deal like jealousy.
'I didn't know it was going to happen. It was--I don't know--it just, she--' Stark raised her hands in a helpless gesture. 'She asked me, and I just couldn't say 'no'.'
'Jesus Christ,' Cameron muttered. Was there no end to the chaos that woman could create? Now she had to deal with the potential ruin of a very capable young woman's career. 'How do you feel about her now?'
Stark looked at her in surprise. It was as if she had never considered the question before. 'I don't know.'
'Are you in love with her?' Cam asked quietly. For some reason, the words were hard to get out.
'I don't think so,' Stark said, clearly embarrassed. 'It was--physical.'
'Yes, I'm sure it was,' Cameron said under her breath. She refused to think about the two of them together, but it was difficult keeping the image of Blair making love with this woman from her mind. She shook her head, forcing herself to deal with the real issues at hand. 'I wish that there was some way I could overlook this, but I can't. Even if you have no personal feelings for her, I can't trust you to be objective. I can't trust you not to allow your relationship with her to cloud your judgment. It could be dangerous for her-- and it could be dangerous for you.'
Stark looked down at her folded hands resting on the tabletop, her expression one of abject misery. 'I know. I've thought of nothing else for the last three hours. Ever since I left her room, I've been agonizing over what to do.'
'Why did you tell me?'
Stark looked at her in surprise. 'Because if you found out, it would ruin my credibility forever. I made a mistake, but I am not irresponsible.'
Cameron looked at her with growing respect. Stark did not drop her gaze as Cameron studied her unwaveringly. 'Can you swear to me that there is no romantic attachment between you and Ms. Powell?'
'Yes ma'am, I swear.'
'You may continue with your post, Agent Stark. If I find that your judgment or performance is compromised in any way, I will transfer you immediately without regard for its impact on your career.'
Stark stood, nearly at attention. 'Yes ma'am, I understand ma'am. Thank you so much.'
Cameron nodded, suddenly weary. As the door closed behind the young agent, Cameron stretched out on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Eventually she closed her eyes, and tried to ignore the image of Blair Powell naked, her legs entwined with the shadowy figure of Paula Stark.
