But Stark did not hurry. She eased onto her side and smoothed her palm down the center of Renee's body, over the hard quivering muscles in her abdomen and between her clenched thighs. Instantly, she felt the heat against the palm of her hand, and she drew gentle fingers through the wet, slick folds.

Renee's hips bucked as Stark circled her clitoris, and she gave a startled moan. "There. Oh, yes, there."

Stark forgot to breathe. She forgot her own need. She forgot that she'd never done this before. All she knew was the hard, full heart of Renee 's desire and the terrible wonderful desperate longing to touch all of her, to the depths of her soul. When she slipped inside, she was immediately enclosed by hot smooth muscles. She heard Renee's breath catch as she pressed deeper. As she eased out and stroked back in, Renee came in her hand with one sharp cry.

Buried in her, Stark stilled her motion, letting Renee's orgasm play around her fingers. Then, as the ripples faded, she gently massaged the spot that made Renee whimper until she brought her once again to orgasm. She might have continued for the rest of her life if Renee hadn't finally grasped her forearm with a weak laugh.

"Paula, sweetie, stop, I have to catch my breath."

"Can I stay inside?" Stark brushed her lips over Renee's.

"Mmm."

"You feel...amazing."

"Oh God...you have no idea." Renee pulled Stark's head down onto her shoulder and rested her cheek against the top of Stark's head. She ran her fingers up and down Stark's strong forearm, marveling as she reached her own body and felt Stark's fingers disappear inside her. "You're wonderful"

"I've got this huge terrible...ache...inside." Stark shuddered, struggling to put words to the emotions that choked her. "Like if I can't be connected to you—not just connected, but inside you somehow—I might just die."

"You're inside more than my body, Paula," Renee murmured with a drowsy sigh.

I hope so. I hope I'm in your heart, like you are in mine.

"I'm sorry," Renee whispered. "I feel so good...so damn good. Tired."

Stark lay quietly, listening to Renee's breathing become deep and regular, feeling her muscles loosen as she relaxed into sleep. After a time, she tenderly withdrew from her, missing the joining immediately. She drew up the covers and closed her eyes, thinking that she might just have experienced her life's finest moment.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

F or the second time in as many days, Blair had the rare pleasure of awakening with Cam beside her. But the greater gift was that, as on the previous morning, Cam still slept. They'd awakened together infrequently, but Cam had always arisen first. Used to sleeping alone, Blair discovered that she enjoyed awakening to the comforting heat,of another body pressed close. As long as it was Cam. She'd rarely spent the night with any lover, not because of protocol or caution—as was the case with the woman she loved— but out of choice. Finding herself in the arms of a stranger was not an experience she had welcomed. Finding herself with Cam's arm thrown possessively across her middle was joy.

Blair slid carefully from Cam's embrace to the edge of the bed and slowly slipped from beneath the sheets. Standing quietly in the small, still room, she glanced down at her slumbering lover. Even in repose, Cam's expression was intense. Dark brows slashed across a bold forehead, and the strong profile spoke of strength and determination. Blair loved the way Cam's body reflected her soul. She could never look at her without wanting to touch her, hoping somehow to convey the depth of her love when words failed. She resisted the urge now, because the sight of Cam asleep was almost as pleasurable as a caress.

At that moment, Cam appeared as carefree as Blair had ever seen her, and she was loath to disturb her. Scooping up her clothes, she stole to the bedroom door, hurriedly donned her blouse and slacks, and stepped into her shoes. After a quick trip to the bathroom, she made her way through the quiet house toward the kitchen in the rear. To her surprise, she found that she was not the only one already up. Bonita stood by an open door through which Blair could see a small courtyard with carefully tended flower beds and two wooden benches.

Bonita turned as Blair entered the kitchen. "Good morning. I didn't expect to see you up so early."

"Nor I you," Blair rejoined with a smile. "Didn't you say you were going to sleep in?"

"I'm afraid my mind had other ideas. I woke with a million thoughts in my head and decided I was never going to get back to sleep."

Blair laughed quietly. "I know exactly what you mean."

"I was about to go out to pick up a few things for breakfast. Are you in the mood for a walk?"

"Cam's still asleep."

"We shouldn't be long. It's only a block or so."

She doesn 't know. She doesn 't realize that I never just go out for a walk. Blair hesitated. She felt foolish saying no, and almost embarrassed to admit that she probably shouldn't do something as simple as walk to the corner store without notifying Cam or one of the other agents. God, it's just for a few minutes, and the security detail is right out front They'll pick me up as soon as I walk out the door. Cam can't be upset about that. She realized that Bonita was waiting for her to reply.

"I'd love to."

"Good," Bonita replied, opening the rear door and holding it for Blair. "Let's walk through the courtyard. The bakery is on the street behind us."

Suddenly, Blair realized that if they went out the back of the house, the agents in front would not see them leave. No one knows that I'm here, and no one is going to recognize me. It's safe. Feeling reassured, she hurried to join her hostess.

The instant Cam opened her eyes, she knew that something was wrong. In a single, swift motion, she threw the sheets aside and bounded to her feet, scanning the room. Blair's clothes were gone. Heart pounding, she pulled on her pants, shrugged into her shirt, and, sockless, kicked into her shoes. She grabbed her shoulder harness from the chair and shrugged into it as she ran from the room. "Blair?"

The house was silent.

Ten seconds later, she was on the street and sprinting toward the black Peugeot parked five cars down from Bonita's front door. The passenger door opened and Felicia stepped out, her face calm but her eyes intense. "Commander?"

"Egret's not in the house."

"No one has been in or out of the house since I arrived at 0600," Felicia reported immediately, her tone crisp and controlled. "According to the night shift, everything was quiet after you and Egret entered the premises at 1949 last evening."

"Christ. " A muscle in Cam's jaw jumped. "There's no way I would've slept through an abduction." She took a breath. "I'll check the house again. She may have left a note."

"Should we initiate a search?"

Cam shook her head. "Not yet. I want you here with the vehicle in case we need to pursue or relocate quickly. Stand by while I assess the need for backup."

"Yes, Commander."

Once inside, Cam headed directly to the rear of the house. If anyone had entered during the night, it would not have been through the front door, which had been under constant surveillance. She checked the door that she discovered in the kitchen, examining the lock and the frame for evidence of tampering. She found none. Eyes narrowing, she surveyed the tiny courtyard enclosed by the homes on Bonita's street and those on the block behind it.

I should've posted someone out here. Christ Almighty, I wasn't even thinking about it.

Why she hadn't been thinking about it was a problem for another time. Her stomach tight, a fierce headache beating just behind her eyes, Cam made a rapid but thorough reconnaissance of the rest of the ground floor and then returned upstairs. She found nothing disturbed and no evidence of a struggle anywhere. When she checked the bedroom she and Blair had shared, looking for a note, the crumpled sheets were a stark reminder of just how quickly passion could turn to peril. And how fleeting joy. Blair. Jesus, where are you?

Grimly, she started back down once more. It was time to institute a formal search. At the bottom of the stairs, she heard a faint sound coming from the rear of the house. It took less than ten seconds for her to reach the kitchen, weapon drawn and trained on the back door.

"Cam?"

Blair stood in the doorway, holding a paper bag with a long slender loaf of bread protruding from it, a shocked expression on her face. Behind her, Bonita stared, her eyes wide, her face pale.

"God, Cam!" Blair cried. "What's wrong?"

Weapon pointed at the ceiling now, Cam moved swiftly to Blair's side. "Step inside, both of you." Once the women were behind her, she turned sideways in the doorway and scanned the courtyard. It was empty. She looked up automatically, but all the windows facing the small, carefully tended common space were empty, nothing more than blank eyes gazing back. She holstered her automatic and closed the door behind her, then turned and met Blair's questioning eyes. "Are you all right?" Her voice was harsh, her gray eyes hard as granite.

"Yes." Blair spoke quietly, seeing with brutal clarity how her absence had been misinterpreted. "I'm sorry. We were only gone a few minutes."

"You should have told me. You should have alerted the team out front." Cam's voice was clipped, her body rigid with the lingering effects of adrenaline and fear. Fear was a sensation she had never before associated with her work. But Blair was her lover, not just her responsibility. If anything happened to you...