*****

"I should shower," Cam said as she eased out of her jacket and started to shrug the leather weapon harness off her shoulders.

"You're fine," Blair countered as she moved to her side and lifted the holster free, then placed it over a nearby chair. The guest room was large enough for a queen sized bed, a small dressing table with mirrors, several chairs and an adjoining bathroom. The single window was open and the curtains moved desultorily in the weak summer breeze. "Just come to bed."

Stubbornly, Cam shook her head. "Its been a long day, and I dont want to lie naked next to you until Ive had a shower."

"Well, I definitely want you naked", Blair conceded. Reaching for Cams hand once again, she turned toward the bathroom and said, "Come on then, Commander."

A few minutes later they stood together beneath the warm spray, almost too tired to talk. Cam leaned forward with both palms against the wall in front of her while the water hit her head and neck. She almost groaned aloud as Blair began to soap her shoulders and back.

"God, that feels criminally good."

"Turn around," Blair said softly. When Cam complied, Blair smoothed her hands, soft with suds, over Cams chest and abdomen.

"Starting to feel human?" Blair questioned softly, sensing Cam relaxing beneath her touch. At another time, the sight of Cam nude with her head thrown back, eyes closed, vulnerable in a way that she seemed with no one else, would have made Blair surge with desire. Tonight, being able to take care of her was satisfying in a way she had barely imagined. The responsibility of loving her was wonderful and terrifying at the same time. Suddenly, she slid her arms around Cams waist and pressed against her, the white froth on Cams body coating her own.

"Whats this? "Cam murmured, feeling Blair tremble.

"Nothing. I just love you."

Cam smiled and rested her cheek against Blairs. "It feels good when you do."

"Yes", Blair whispered almost to herself.

Five minutes later they crawled between crisp clean sheets and embraced, face to face. Cam kissed the tip of Blairs nose and sighed.

"For the record, I want to make love", Cam murmured.

"But?" Blair asked teasingly, settling her head on Cams shoulder as she stroked her chest, finally gently cradling a breast in one palm.

"Im too damned tired."

"Well", Blair said as her lids began to close. "Theres always tomorrow."

The last thing Cam did before she surrendered to sleep was to hope that would always be true.

*****

"Good morning," Diane said, surprise apparent in her tone as Cam walked into the kitchen a little after 7:00 the next morning. "I didn't expect to see you up so early. In fact, I expected you to sleep for a week."

"I smelled the coffee." Cam grinned, nodding toward the coffee maker on the counter.

"Ah," Diane said with a smile, lifting her own cup to her lips. She was in the burgundy dressing gown again, but this time she was obviously nude beneath it. The plunging neckline bared a nearly lethal expanse of creamy skin between her full breasts, and the curve of her hip and thigh was tantalizingly outlined in shimmering silk.

Cam averted her gaze and asked, "Do you mind if I take some to Blair?"

"Not at all. In fact, I'd prefer it."

Cam raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Diane smiled fondly. "She's beastly in the morning before coffee, or haven't you noticed?"

"I can't say as I have," Cam replied mildly as she moved to the counter and took down two cups from a glass-enclosed shelf above the sink.

"Very diplomatic, Commander," Diane said, her voice a low purr. "One could take that to mean that you've neverseen her first thing in the morning, or that you've never found her to be cranky at that hour."

Cam turned, leaning her hip against the counter and regarded Diane solemnly. "I've seen her first thing in the morning, just not often."

"Something tells me that's going to change."

"I hope so."

Cam poured coffee, feeling Diane watching her. «Thanks," she said when she'd finished. "For the coffee, and for putting us up last night."

"She's my best friend, and I love her."

"I know, and I'm glad. Briefly Cam wondered if those two things were related or if they were, in fact, separate statements. She had never asked Blair if she and Diane had been lovers, and she never would. It didn't matter because it didn't affect what was between her and Blair now. «She needs friends like you."

"Apparently what she needs most of all, Commander," Diane said emphatically, "is you."

"It's Cam. And if it makes you worry any less, I love her, too."

Diane smiled, and this time the smile was sensuous. Her voice dropped a register as she remarked throatily, "She's very fortunate."

"No. I am."

"Are things going to work out with this latest press brouhaha?" Diane asked suddenly.

Cam was used to keeping her reactions to herself, but the question surprised her. "You know about that?"

"Some. Blair told me about the photograph in the newspaper and the fact that she expects more publicity."

"I doubt that our relationship will remain a secret much longer."

"If I may be so bold... are you ready for that?"

"More than ready."

Diane saluted her with the coffee cup. "As I said, she's very lucky."

At that moment Blair shuffled into the kitchen, dressed only in a long T-shirt that came to mid thigh. She glanced from her lover to her best friend. "Who's lucky? Is that coffee?"

Cam laughed and held out the cup. "Here you go."

Blair frowned when she realized that Cam was barefoot in old clothes that Blair kept at Diane's for emergencies-tight threadbare jeans that didn't button at the top and a shirt that was missing buttons in decidedly dangerous places considering Diane's proximity. Crossing quickly to Cam's side, she took the cup and wrapped her free arm around her lover's waist. "What are you two talking about...or shouldn't I ask?"

Cam kissed her temple lightly and murmured, "Newspaper photographs."

Blair grimaced. "Oh, that. What else."

"Don't worry, love," Diane said lightly. "Once they've had their week of fun with you, they'll move on to something else. In six months, no one will care."

"In six months, my father is going to be in the middle of his reelection campaign.Someone is going to care."

"He can handle it," Cam said with certainty.

"I hope so," Blair said, almost to herself.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Five hours later, Cam, in a two piece charcoal suit and monochrome linen shirt, accompanied by Stark, Savard, Mac, and Felicia, knocked on Blair's door.

"Hi," Blair said when she stepped aside to admit them. For an instant, seeing Cam in her professional mode, she remembered how her lover had looked that morning, disheveled and still sleep-tossed, and she wanted to kiss her. Just because.

Hi," Cam murmured as she passed, the fingers of her right hand brushing the length of Blair's bare forearm.

"There's coffee in the kitchen if anyone wants some," Blair called. "Just help yourself.

A few minutes later, everyone had settled in a loose circle around the low wide coffee table in the sitting area just to the right of the door. Cam sat on the couch next to Blair with Mac on her left. Felicia was next to him in one of the sling back chairs while Stark and Savard occupied a small loveseat on the other side of the table.

"I ran preliminaries on our team this morning," Cam said. "As we all expected, it was fairly nonproductive. I did turn up one interesting fact, however."

Beside her, she felt Mac stiffen and saw Stark's eyes widen with surprise, or alarm. Savard watched her intently. The only person in the room who seemed completely relaxed was Felicia Davis.

"It seems that Fielding was assigned as the FBI liaison in DC three years ago. The Bureau field agent he worked with was Special Agent Patrick Doyle.

"Jesus," Stark exclaimed. "He never said anything about knowing Doyle."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean anything," Mac hastened to add. "It's not like they were old friends or anything. Considering what an asshole Doyle turned out to be, he probably wanted to downplay any relationship they might have had."

Reluctantly, Stark pointed out, "Fielding was with us in San Francisco. And hed just gone off duty the night that Ms. PowBlair and the commander were photographed on the beach. He could have tipped someone to their location."

"Yes," Mac agreed grudgingly, "but there are plenty of other explanations for that photograph. The Bureau has agents there, and theyd most likely take pictures of anyone with no questions asked if a DC SAC ordered them to."

"At this point," Cam interjected before Mac and Stark ended up at odds, "I consider this only a coincidental association. It could be only a paper link-Fielding might never even have interfaced with Doyle in person. But it bears follow-up. Right now, we can't discount any potential connections." She had known her agents wouldn't like one of their own being looked at, and she didn't blame them. She would have been unhappy if they'd reacted otherwise. But it had to be done. "Savard? Can you run with it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. How about you two-any progress withmy background check?" Cam asked, looking steadily at Stark and Savard.

Savard cleared her throat. "So far, Commander, you're in the clear. We looked at...ah...family members and the list of intimate contacts you provided."

To her credit, Savard neither blushed nor looked away. Then she added, "Other than your association with the escort service in DC, we don't see anything that could potentially be an avenue for blackmail or future coercion."