Love & Honor

Chapter Three

"Is she with you?"

Stark leaped to her feet, her body rigid-nearly at attention as she pressed the phone to her ear. "Yes, ma'am. She is."

"Anyone else?"

"No, ma'am."

Stark heard a muffled curse. Protocol dictated that three agents be with Egret whenever she was outside the residence. Stark had known from the moment that they'd left the house that the President's daughter was seriously under-protected, and she also knew that it was her own fault for allowing it.

Thats it. Ill be back doing site prep and background checks by morning.

The process of gathering the information necessary to organize and coordinate any public outing for a high-profile protectee was desk work, and the assignment a death sentence for most agents who coveted the excitement of field duty.

"Put her on, please."

Stark turned and extended the phone. Blair reached up from her seat on the sand and took it.

"Hello?"

"You turned your cell off."

"I know." She turned slightly away from Stark, although she knew that the agent would do her best not to listen.Its not as if she doesnt suspect. Not as if they all dont wonder. But suspecting and knowingare not the same thing.

It was fully dark, the water black now beneath a blacker sky broken only by shafts of moonlight and pinpoints of stars. "I just brought it along it in case...just...in case."If there was trouble, I could call for help.

"Thank you for that."

"How did you know I was out here?"

Across the country, Cam shifted on the sofa, watching the lights of an airplane blink rhythmically as it banked over Washington D.C. on its approach to Reagan National Airport. "I didn't knowwhere you were. I called the house and got Davis when you didn't answer your cell. She checked upstairs and discovered that both you and Stark were missing. You weren't in the bedroom."

Blair laughed. "You didn't really think -"

"No."

"It's not her fault."

There was no response, and Blair repeated, "Cam, it's not Stark's fault. I didn't give her any choice."

"No, you rarely do. However, that's no excuse."

Blair ran a hand through her hair and got to her feet. She moved ten feet away and glanced back over her shoulder. The Secret Service agent had moved to within three feet of her. Whispering stridently, she said to Stark, "Will you back off?"

"I can't do that, I'm sorry. There's just me here and I need to be close."

"Im fine. Look aroundwere alone. So go away."

Stark didn't budge.

"God, she's almost as stubborn as you are," Blair said into the phone again.

"She'd better be, if she's your only security."

"Why were you calling me?"

A second passed, then another.

"Cam?"

"I couldn't sleep."

It was Blair's turn for silence. Suddenly, there was a fist in her throat, blocking her breath, stealing her words. Cam always did this to her-took her by surprise just when she thought she was too angry to be touched. Somehow, Cam reached past the hurt and the anger and found the places that mattered most. "The last time you couldn't sleep, you came to my bed."

"I would now, if I could." After a moment's hesitation, Cam asked, "Would I be welcome?"

"You need to ask?"

"You left the house in the middle of the night with no word to the team. Your phone's off. You're three thousand fucking miles away and I can't see your face.Yes . I need to ask."

"You make me so angry."

"I know. I don't mean to."

"I know."

"You piss me off pretty well, too."

"Yeah." Blair's voice was softer now, wistful. Lowering her voice, she added, "I just wanted to get out. Nothing else."

"I'm sorry I upset you. A regretful sigh came through the line. «Will you go home now, please?"

"Well, I had planned on a ferry ride to Alcatraz-"

"Blair," Cam said threateningly. "My sense of humor is running rather thin right now."

"All right then, Stark and I will head for home."

"No. I'll call Mac and have him send a car."

"Cam, no one noticed us, and we're only ten blocks from the house. Please. We'll be fine."

"Only if Davis walks down to meet you."

"All right."

"Put Stark back on the phone. Wait-" After a beat, she added, "Call me later when you get settled."

"Won't Stark do that?"

"It's not the same thing."

"I should hope not." Smiling, Blair held out the cell. "The Commander-for you."