“I’m sore,” Paula admitted. “Every time I breathe it feels like someone’s poking a sharp stick into my chest and out through my shoulder blades. But I’m not going to do anything except sit at a table and talk. I won’t take a shift.”

“And after the briefing you’ll lie down again for three or four hours?”

“Two. Two hours and I won’t mention to the commander that you’re having trouble even standing.”

Laughing, Renée tilted Paula’s face up and kissed her. “I never realized you were so devious.”

“I can’t take you being hurt, either,” Paula whispered, closing her eyes and pillowing her face between Renée’s breasts. “Maybe you could just stay here for a few more minutes.”

“Anything,” Renée murmured. “Anything for you.”

Just before seven, Blair walked with Cam as far as the guesthouse. A light rain fell beneath a gray sky and in the distance the ocean was rough with angry chop.

“Winter’s coming,” Blair said, and for some reason, that made her feel melancholy.

Cam took her hand. “Let’s get married at the Lodge in Colorado. We can call Doris today and make arrangements.”

“What?” Blair gaped, then her eyes brightened with pleasure. “What brought that on?”

Cam brushed her thumb along the crest of Blair’s cheek. “We haven’t stopped moving for the last two months. I want a few days with you when all that matters is being with you.”

“You do?” Blair glanced down the path to the guesthouse where the current office of the Deputy Director of Homeland Security was located, knowing that Cam’s agents waited for her inside and that the work her lover was doing was critical to the nation’s well-being. She also knew that the work was essential to Cam’s well-being. The last thing she expected was for Cam to be thinking of anything except work.

“I’m sorry,” Cam murmured as if reading her mind. “I’m sorry that I haven’t made it clear to you how much I need you.”

“Cameron.” Blair skimmed her fingers through Cam’s hair. “You made that perfectly clear not more than an hour ago.”

Cam grinned briefly. “That too, but more than anything I need you…” Her eyes darkened and she touched her palm to her chest. “…in here.”

Blair caught her breath. “Oh my God. You have to go right this minute or I’m going to have to drag you back to bed. You can’t say things like that to me when we’re standing out here and I can’t have you.”

“Is that a yes about Colorado?”

“I’ll call Doris today. I know Tanner and Adrienne will love to see her again.”

“Good.” Cam kissed her. “I might be a while.”

“I know. Do what you have to do. I love you.”

“Be careful today.”

“I will be.” Blair asked the question lurking in the back of her mind. “Have you learned anything?”

“On the surface it looks like the shooter was targeting Emory.”

“On the surface?”

“He’s on her watch list, but some of these groups have multiple agendas. It’s not a stretch for an anti-fetal research zealot to also be anti-gay.”

“So it might’ve been us he was after.”

“Possibly.”

“But?”

Cam sighed. “We can’t discount the remote possibility that this might be related to the previous assault on you.”

“And you.”

“So our safest course of action,” Cam said, “is to assume all three are probable and investigate accordingly. The local FBI is putting together a file on the anti-stem cell research groups, and we’ll continue to focus on connections to Matheson.”

Blair caressed Cam’s ribs lightly, wishing fervently that she could heal them. “What about Valerie?”

“If she doesn’t contact either Diane or myself, our chances of finding her are remote. Given enough time, we might, but time is something we don’t have much of.” Cam ran her fingers through Blair’s hair. “I’m working on something that might draw her in.”

“Is it classified?”

“No, but it does involve Lucinda.”

“Uh-oh. Do I even want to know?”

“You’ll find out later.” Cam kissed Blair’s forehead. After a second she said, “No questions?”

“I’ll wait for you to tell me about the briefing. Perhaps I’ll go down to the marina in a while to see Tanner.”

“Take three people…” Cam grimaced. “I’m sure Stark will take care of that.”

Blair smiled. “I never mind you looking out for me. Stark doesn’t have to know.”

“Thanks, baby.” Cam kissed her again, then turned and strode briskly away.

Blair waited until Cam disappeared inside, then continued down the winding path to the beach. As she turned north, tucking her hands in the pockets of her windbreaker and walking quickly to keep warm in the brisk wind, she was peripherally aware of the two figures shadowing her. They had been there, of course, the entire time that she and Cam had stood on the path sharing something so intimate she still felt like crying. Those who had watched would of course never acknowledge in any way what they had witnessed, and during those moments, she hadn’t been aware of anyone except Cam. She stopped and pulled out her cell phone and speed-dialed.

A moment later, Cam answered. “Are you all right?”

“I’m sorry, I know you’re briefing. I just want you to know that I’d love to go to Colorado to get married.”

“All right,” Cam said probingly. “And?”

“And this morning in bed was wonderful, but the only thing I really need is for you to look at me like you just did for the rest of my life.”

“You can count on that.”

“I love you,” Blair said quietly. “I’ll see you later.”

Blair closed the phone, slid it into her pocket, and turned her face up to the rain. It was cold and sharp against her skin and she felt unbelievably alive.

When Blair let herself into the kitchen forty-five minutes later, Diane was waiting for her. She was without makeup, in loose cotton slacks and a pale blue cotton blouse, and she didn’t look like she’d slept at all the night before. Her freshly washed hair was loose and unstyled. She looked vulnerable and young, and Blair’s heart ached. Diane had finally fallen in love and instead of being able to immerse herself in the joy of it, she might lose Valerie and never know why.

“Morning, sweetheart.” Blair skimmed her fingers over Diane’s back as she passed behind her. She stopped abruptly when she felt Diane stiffen. “What is it?”

“This.” Diane’s normally sultry voice was scratchy from fatigue. She pointed to the newspaper spread out in front of her. “I don’t understand this.”

Blair peered over her shoulder and frowned at an article on the second page. Noted Gallery Owner Assaulted After Gala. She scanned the completely fictitious account of an assault, presumed to be a robbery, that occurred just outside the Boston Ritz Carlton the previous evening following a fundraiser for a noted research institute. The only thing in the article that resembled reality in the slightest was the fact that the victim, Diane Bleeker, was actually the owner of a trendy Manhattan gallery.

“Is this how things are done in your world?” Diane lifted her pain-filled and accusing eyes. “Are these kinds of lies necessary? I have friends, colleagues, family who will be concerned and what if…you know that Valerie will probably see this. Someone should have told me.”

“I don’t have any idea how…” Blair remembered a snippet of her conversation with Cam less than an hour ago. Cam had said she might have an idea about reaching Valerie. She had also said that Lucinda was involved, and this press manipulation had Lucinda’s fingerprints all over it. Blair straightened, her mouth tightening. “I’m not sure what this is about, but I’m going to find out.”

Grabbing the newspaper, she marched toward the dining room, now the security operations center, where she had last seen Paula and Mac. Mac was at the computer, studying what looked to be a floor plan. He swiveled on his chair to face her, his brows knitting.

“Where’s Paula?”

“She went back upstairs to bed.” Mac’s expression was polite but guarded. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“How about this? Do you know anything about this?” She extended the newspaper. From Mac’s quick glance, she knew that he was aware of the article.

“Ah, that might be something you want to ask the commander,” he replied, obviously framing his reply carefully.

“She’s in a briefing. Why don’t you explain it to me?”

Mac regarded her with mute appeal. “I’m afraid I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“All right. Of course not.” Blair turned and walked away. When she heard Mac rise she looked back over her shoulder. “Stay here, Mac. I’m not going any further than Cam’s office. God, it’s not like there’s anywhere to go.”

He grinned cautiously. “I’ve never known that to stop you. Respectfully, Ms. Powell.”

She narrowed her eyes, then laughed. “Maybe it’s time to rotate out my security team if you know me that well.”

“It does take a long time to train the new ones,” he said with a straight face.

“I suppose you have a point.” Blair felt some of her anger ease. “I’ll see you later Mac.”

“Ma’am.”

By the time she reached the guesthouse, her fury had abated enough that when Cam walked into the living room in response to her arrival, she managed to ask calmly, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Cam’s gaze dropped to the newspaper she held tightly clenched in hand. “Ah.” She slid her hands into the pockets of her black chinos. “I see that Lucinda is even more efficient than I anticipated. The article is in there?”

“Your doing?”

“Mostly. Lucinda made the necessary phone calls to the papers.” Cam shook her head. “Even with the White House behind it, I didn’t expect to see anything until this evening.”

“Lucinda doesn’t waste time or words.”

“Apparently.”

“Damn it, Cam. Diane doesn’t understand this kind of thing. You should have told her, or let me tell her.”