movies with you.'
Cam stopped what she was doing, her smile turning to an expression of sad understanding. Softly, she said, 'I know. I'm sorry that we can't. If I were anyone else-'
'No,' Blair said adamantly, crossing quickly to her and stopping between Cams parted thighs, then brushing her fingers through Cam's hair. Looking down, her mouth still bruised with their kisses, she said again, 'No. IfI were anyone else we might be able to do that. Even if you weren't my security chief, it would still be very difficult for us to do something that simple. Your position may complicate things for us, but it didn't create my problems.'
Resting her forehead against Blair's midsection, her arms lightly clasping her lover's waist, Cam murmured, 'It won't always be this way.'
'I know.'
Finally, Cam looked up, her dark eyes swirling with emotion. 'Id do anything to be able to take you out for a late lunch and then stroll around Dupont circle holding your hand, just letting whatever happens, happen. I'd give you that if I could.'
'I believe you.' Blair knelt, nestling her body between Cam's legs, her eyes meeting her lover's. 'And that's what makes it bearablenot being able to do that. Sometimes knowing you understand is theonly thing that makes it bearable.'
'Christ, I love you,' Cam breathed, her fingers lightly tracing Blair's face. Then, Cam kissed her forehead and finally, because she had to, she glanced at her watch. 'The team should be downstairs by now. Are you ready?'
Blair lingered for just a moment, her hands slowly caressing Cam's shoulders and chest, unwilling to let her go because she didn't know how long it would be before she could touch her this way again. Then with a sigh, she pushed herself upright, straightened her shoulders, and said firmly, 'Yes. I'm ready.'
They didn't stop to kiss at the door of Cam's apartment, because their goodbyes had already been said, but instead, they walked directly to the elevator, waited for the doors to open, and then rode down to the lobby in silence. They stood close together, their arms lightly touching.
As they crossed the brightly lit room toward the front doors, beyond which Cam could see the Suburban idling with several agents inside and Stark waiting by the rear door, the building's security guard called out, 'Excuse me. There's a package for you, Ms. Roberts.
At her look of surprise, he added, «The courier said not to call up, but that I should give it to you when you came downstairs.'
'Courier?' Instinctively, Cam glanced around the lobby, one hand unbuttoning her blazer for access to her weapon. Other than the security guard, she and Blair were alone. Nevertheless, she spoke quickly into her wrist microphone. 'Mac, secure the street. Stark-inside.'
Outside, the Suburban's doors flew open and agents piled out, weapons drawn. Cam positioned her body between Blair and the glass front doors, one hand cupped lightly under Blair's right elbow, blocking a direct sightline from the outside to the presidents daughter while waiting for Stark to enter the building and take her place.
'What is it?' Blair asked urgently.
'Probably nothing,' Cam said in a low voice. 'But it's unusual for anything to be delivered to me here. No one should have this address except for Treasury, and they dont leave anything without an ID and a signature.'
'What-'
Stark approached at a near run and Cam instructed, 'Escort Ms. Powell to the vehicles and evacuate to fifteen hundred yards. Do it now.'
Then she looked at the guard and said, 'Step away from the desk.'
Her tone left no room for question and to his credit, he didn't. He simply slid off his stool and moved hurriedly around the front of the waist-high partition which enclosed the building's closed-circuit security monitors.
'Cam?' Blair protested, her voice rife with alarm as Stark began to direct her to the door.
'Evacuate her, Stark,' Cam ordered without turning back, walking around the partition and studying the package sitting on the shelf. It was an oversized manila envelope, the kind that had been delivered to Blair's apartment the day before. Without touching it, she leaned closer and studied the hand printed address written in bold magic marker. There was no return address. Outside the vehicles screamed away from the curb.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
She had no reason to suspect that it was incendiary or explosive, especially since it had already been handled with no particular regard for caution by the security guard. She lifted it by the corner. It was light, and she suspected that it held photographs or documents of some kind.
'Should I call for a bomb squad?' the guard asked, his voice high with tension.
'No. Thanks. I've got it.'
Clearly stunned by the rapid evacuation of the remarkably familiar-appearing blond and just as taken aback by 17 B's commanding attitude, he merely nodded and said, 'Yes, ma'am.'
She flashed him a wave as she walked out the door. Once outside, she began walking north and radioed Mac a location to pick her up. A few minutes later, the lead Suburban, Stark at the wheel, appeared and pulled up beside her.
Once settled in the back with Blair across from her, she leaned forward and said through the privacy partition, «All clear for the airport, Stark. Nice execution, by the way.'
When she turned back, she was nearly pinned to seat by the fire shooting from Blair's blue eyes.
'Was that really necessary?' Blair demanded.
'I could hardly let you stand there if there was any possibility that someone had delivered a volatile package,' Cam said reasonably.
'Oh, but it's okay if you get blown into a few million pieces?' Blair asked, biting off each word as she fisted her hands by her sides to stop the trembling.
'There was very little chance of that, considering that the guard had already handled it-unless someone was watching for me to pick it up and triggered the device with a remote detonator. It was very unlikely that it could be harmful.'
'But you were careful enough to getme out of the building.'
Of course,' Cam said with a hint of genuine confusion in her voice. 'Even the slightest risk to you is unacceptable.'
'You don't have any idea what this does to me, do you?' Blair said incredulously.
'It was just routine, Blair,' Cam began. 'I-'
'Do you haveany idea how I felt watching you get hit that day?' Blair said in a low, tormented voice as if Cam hadn't spoken. Almost as if Cam was no longer there. 'Do you know what that did to me to see you lying on the sidewalk, blood pouring from your chest, knowing you were dying? Knowing I couldnt touch you-couldn't stop it? That I was losing you, too?'
Cam's face drained of color. Her voice was hoarse as she whispered, «Yes. I know.'
Stunned by the transformation in her usually imperturbable lover, Blair suddenly realized what she had said, and she knew, too, that Cam had experienced almost the same thing the day her lover had died. 'Jesus, Cameron, I'm sorry. I didn't think.'
Cam held up her hand. 'No. It's all right.' She cleared her throat, chased the demons away. 'I never realized...I'm sorry. I would never want you to go through that again.'
'I can't seem to get used to you putting me first,' Blair said, leaning forward, her fingers touching Cams hand. 'Not just physically-all of it. It will take a little practice.'
'I don't put you first just because of the job, Blair,' Cam said emphatically. 'I do it because I love you, and I know that if the situation called for it, you'd do the same.'
Blair nodded, knowing Cam was right. It wasn't so much about who protected whom, but much more about the urgency they both felt to keep the other safe. She would die before she let anyone harm Cam.
'Just don't get hurt, OK?' Blair said, her voice breaking.
'I won't. I promise.'
As the vehicles turned off the road into the airport, they smiled at each other, peace following in the wake of trust.