Blair stirred, slid a hand under Cam’s shirt, and caressed her stomach. “I think I could sleep anywhere as long as you were next to me.”

“It’s a good thing. Because you’ll probably have to.”

Blair laughed softly. “Thanks for keeping me from falling off while I slept.”

Cam kissed her. “No problem.”

“I needed this.”

“Me too. I love you.”

“Mm, good.” Blair rubbed her cheek against Cam’s chest. “I think I’m hungry.”

“Feel like dinner?”

“Maybe my father and Lucinda are fre—”

Cam’s cell rang.

“Damn it,” Blair said.

“Sorry.”

Blair sat up. “It’s okay. Take it.”

Cam fished her cell out of her pocket and checked the readout. “It’s Renée.” She took the call. “Roberts.”

“I’ve got something for you, Director.”

“Go ahead.”

“You were right about Graves. It took some doing and calling in a lot of favors, but we got into the right database finally. No surprise, really. Army Special Forces. Black ops, Major Augustus Gary.”

“Background?” Cam’s focus crystallized, sharp and cold. Finally her quarry was in sight, and every predatory instinct kicked in. Until now she’d been chasing phantoms, but at last the mists were rising and she could see the fight ahead. One she welcomed.

“Just like you expected. Idaho native, career military until voluntary retirement eight years ago. A lot of his service record is redacted, and it will take some time to work through it, but we got the personnel file. His original enlistment forms are in there.”

“Children?”

“Three, two daughters and a son.”

“One unaccounted for,” Cam said softly, the burn of the hunt churning in her depths. “Find them.”

“No hits on any of the names.”

“I’m not surprised. If he’s black ops, chances are parts of his personnel file were modified.” Cam bit back her frustration. Stay on the trail, keep the prey in sight. “Work the timelines in reverse and search a five-year window on either side of the probable birth dates—court records, school registers, hospital and local police reports.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And, Renée, start vetting every single person on this train. Check every transcript, reference, and clearance report.”

“We’ll need more people.”

“I’ll make the calls. You’ll have more bodies within the hour.”

“We’ll find him,” Renée said.

“Good work. Keep me updated.”

“Roger that, Director.”

Cam disconnected and looked at Blair. “There’s a third.”

“I heard.”

“Dinner will have to wait. I need to talk to Tom Turner and Stark.”

“You think he’s here?”

“Probably not, but we can’t take that chance.” Cam pulled on trousers and a fresh shirt, slid her shoulder rig into place, and took a blazer off its hanger. Blair watched her with a closed, flat expression. “I can’t not do this.”

“I know. I’ll see you after the briefing.”

Cam kissed her. “I’ll leave it to them. If I can.”

Blair framed her face, kissing her back. “Just keep your head in the game. And find the bastard.”

Chapter Twenty-two

Off! Off, off, off,” Viv said.

Dusty sat up so quickly the room swirled. “What? What happened?”

“Nothing. Everything.” Viv grabbed the bottom of Dusty’s shirt and tugged on it. “I want you naked. Now. Off.”

Laughing, relief bursting like sunshine in a cloudy sky, Dusty yanked the shirt over her head and sent the top button careening across the floor. “I thought I’d done something wrong.”

“Wrong? God. If you’d done anything more right I’d be comatose.” Viv trailed a finger down Dusty’s midsection. “Mm. Stay just like that. I want to look at you.”

Dusty knelt astride her, her stomach in knots. She wanted her hands on Viv again, wanted Viv’s hands in her. The press of her jeans between her thighs was torture. “Viv, I’m on the edge here.”

“Perfect. My turn.” Viv gripped her own sweater, arched her back, and lifted it over her head. Her breasts rose, firm and full.

Dusty groaned, her fingers aching.

“You like?” Viv asked softly.

“You’re so beautiful,” Dusty gasped. She cradled Viv’s breasts and rubbed her thumbs over the taut nipples. Her head threatened to explode, and she groaned again.

“Don’t…distract…me.” Viv drew an unsteady breath, covered Dusty’s hands, and gently pulled them away. Hurriedly, she unzipped her trousers, pushed them down, and kicked them away with one bare foot. Rearing up, she wrapped her arms around Dusty’s hips, gripped her butt, and pressed her mouth to Dusty’s stomach. “I knew you’d look like this. All hard and sleek and sexy.”

Dusty closed her eyes. Viv’s mouth was so hot she couldn’t breathe. Her thighs trembled, and she fought to keep herself upright.

“Your pants.” Viv licked the center of Dusty’s stomach. “Off. Off, off, off.”

“You have to…let me go, then.” Dusty looked down. The sight of Viv’s mouth against her sent a jolt of pleasure down her thighs. A warning. A promise. “Viv. I’m going to die here.”

“Mm. Not yet you aren’t.” Viv pressed her open mouth to Dusty’s belly again, this time with her teeth grazing skin.

Dusty jerked. A heavy pounding started in her loins. Another few seconds and she’d explode. “Viv. Come on. I can’t stand it.”

Viv laughed, a wild triumphant sound, and Dusty shivered. She felt conquered. Owned. She liked it. Way more than liked.

“Please,” Dusty whispered.

“Soon, I promise.”

Viv’s fingers curled around the waistband of Dusty’s jeans and yanked them down. Dusty half tumbled off the bunk and caught herself before she fell on the floor. She danced from one leg to the other and finally got her pants off. She stood, suddenly naked and uncertain. Viv made a little cooing sound in her throat and sat up with her legs on the floor, her knees between Dusty’s. Her face was level with Dusty’s belly again and she looked up, a strange fierce light burning in her eyes.

“Am I the first?”

Dusty nodded.

Viv’s face, her skin flushed and damp, glowed like she’d just won a battle on some unsettled plain a few centuries before. Her hair lay in an untamed tangle on her throat. She smiled greedily. “Good. All mine, then.”

“Yes.” Dusty slipped her hand around the back of Viv’s neck by instinct. Viv’s mouth closed over her. Wet, hot, piercing pleasure. Her back arched. Her stomach convulsed. Blinded, she gripped Viv’s head in both hands. “Wait, fuck, no.”

“Oh yes.” Viv licked her.

“I can’t. I can’t…Viv, I can’t…”

Viv traced her tongue through the valley between Dusty’s thighs and sealed her lips around her clitoris. Dusty twitched, clenched her fist in Viv’s hair, and came in a shudder of wild, white light and sweet surrender.

Viv held on until Dusty softened between her lips and her breathing steadied. She leaned back. “Good?”

Dusty gripped Viv’s shoulders so she didn’t collapse and make a fool of herself. “Incredible.”

“It was. You are.” Viv smiled and rubbed her cheek against Dusty’s thigh. “Lie down with me. I want you all over me.”

“Hell, yeah.” Dusty stumbled when she took her first step, but finally caught her balance and stretched out on the bunk. Viv rested her head on her shoulder and their legs entwined.

“You’re amazing.” Viv kissed Dusty’s throat, straddling Dusty’s thigh, sensuous and thrilling. “You drive me crazy. I can’t believe I want to come again already.”

Dusty kissed her, caressed her breasts, the soft curve of her belly, between her legs.

Viv tensed, her hips lifting, and moaned.

Dusty stroked in smaller and smaller circles. “I love the way you sound when I touch you.”

“Keep doing that and I’ll come,” Viv murmured into Dusty’s neck. “So, so good.”

Dusty caressed her until Viv tensed and thrust against her fingers, her wordless cries stopping Dusty’s heart in her chest.

“I’m shameless,” Viv gasped, collapsing against Dusty. “I’ve never been this responsive in my life.”

Dusty rested her chin against the top of Viv’s head. “I think you’re amazing. I can’t stop touching you.”

“You do amazing things to me.” Viv rubbed her cheek against Dusty’s chest. “I just have to look at you and I get hot.”

Dusty chuckled. “I have no idea why, but I’m really glad.”

Viv tilted her head, studying Dusty through heavy lids. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“What?”

“How damn sexy you are. How beautiful.” Viv stroked Dusty’s face. “How special.”

“I’m pretty simple,” Dusty said.

“No, anything but.” Viv smiled and kissed her. “What you are is real. And I like it.”

Dusty rested her forehead against Viv’s. “I’m really, really glad. I can’t stop thinking about you, and now I’m never going to stop wanting you.”

“I’ll hold you to that if you’re not careful. Last chance to tell me you’re not serious.”

“I’m very serious.” Dusty clasped Viv’s hand and entwined their fingers. “I want you to hold me to it.”

Viv settled on top of her and kissed her. “Easiest assignment I ever had.”

*

Cam gritted her teeth. Arguing with the president of the United States was just not done, especially when he also happened to be her father-in-law. Never mind that she’d awakened him and his chief of staff after midnight to inform them she recommended terminating their much-publicized and so far very successful reelection expedition. “Sir, I’ve conferred with Tom Turner and Evyn Daniels and we’re in complete agreement. The threat level is unacceptable, given what we know now.”

“I can’t see how this changes anything,” Andrew said. “You’ve made good progress, Cam, better than anyone could hope at this stage, and I predict you’ll get to the bottom of this mess by the time we reach the end of the trip. But we can’t cut this excursion short, especially when we can’t supply a reasonable explanation.”