Oath Of Honor

Chapter Twenty-six

“So,” Emory said, leaning across Dana at the table and grasping Wes’s arm, “how did you meet Evyn?”

“We work together.”

“I remember her,” Dana said. “She was at the wedding. One of the agents.”

“That’s right,” Wes answered while watching Evyn thread her way through the crowd toward the back of the bar. She looked great tonight, in plain dark trousers and a white shirt. More than a few people watched her pass, and Wes struggled between possessiveness and pride. Both sensations were foreign.

“She’s very nice,” Emory said.

“Yes,” Wes said. The band was good, and the bar was packed. There hadn’t been much opportunity for conversation, for which she was grateful. Emory wasn’t as relentless as her mother or Denny when she wanted to know something, but she didn’t let up. Her curiosity had been apparent from the instant Wes had introduced Evyn, and understandably so. Evyn was great company—sociable, funny, at ease in any situation. Wes doubted she would be as comfortable meeting any of Evyn’s friends, but then she wasn’t particularly comfortable in social gatherings to begin with. She hadn’t had much practice. Evyn undoubtedly had, and thinking about her in a bar, comfortable, charming, connecting with other women, the twinge of possessiveness swelled to a surge of jealousy. She promptly extinguished it. She didn’t have any claim on Evyn, by her own choice.

“Sexy too.” Emory plucked a handful of peanuts from the bowl on the table.

“Yes,” Wes said.

“When did you lose your powers of speech?” Emory asked with exaggerated politeness.

Dana cautiously eased her chair back from the table, clearing the space between Emory and Wes.

“I could use a break here, Em,” Wes said quietly.

“I can see that—you’re out with a great-looking, sexy, charming woman and you’ve been trying to pretend all evening that she wasn’t there.”

“That’s not true.” Wes could hear the testy tone in her voice and tried to dial it back. Emory was her friend. “It’s complicated.”

Emory laughed. “Of that, I have no doubt. Neither of you strikes me as simple. Although sometimes, I think you’re kind of simple-minded.”

Dana stood up, the loud scraping of her chair audible even over the music. “I’m gonna go get refills. Another drink, Wes?”

Wes eyed her half-finished beer. She’d had her hand clasped around the bottle for most of the last set, and the beer was warm. She’d feared if she let go, her hand would end up on Evyn’s thigh, the hard, sleek thigh that had somehow come to rest against hers soon after they’d all sat down. The entire length of her leg tingled, as if Evyn had been sending a low pulse of energy into her for the past hour. “I’ll have another Pilgrim.”

“Coming up.”

“So what’s really going on?” Emory asked as soon as they were alone.

“I don’t know, Em,” Wes said, weary of pretending everything was fine and exactly the way she wanted it. “I’m still trying to sort things out.”

“But there’s something going on between you. That’s pretty obvious. She’s been watching you the entire night.”

Wes stiffened. She’d been hyperaware of Evyn since the moment they’d left the White House and driven to the club in Evyn’s car. They hadn’t talked much, but the silence hadn’t been uncomfortable. All the same, every time she looked at Evyn, she’d known the silence was masking what they both wanted to say. Even the noisy bar and the diversion offered by Emory and Dana’s company hadn’t diminished her awareness of Evyn next to her. Her brain registered the music, followed along in the conversations, and prompted her to answer when spoken to, but all she really noticed was Evyn—the heat of her body, the sound of her voice, the space she occupied at the table. Watching Evyn’s fingers curl around her glass, all Wes could think of was the sensation of those fingers gently clasping her breast, stroking her, turning her blood to fire and her mind to a sea of pleasure.

“You’re attracted to her,” Emory said, making it a statement, not a question.

“Yes.”

“Which one of you is throwing up walls?”

Wes laughed. “What makes you think we are?”

“Oh, come on. You’re both acting as if it would be a crime to touch each other.” She shook her head. “The two of you actually go out of your way not to touch when it would be perfectly natural to do so—it’s so obvious. So who shot who down?”

“No one,” Wes said, at a loss as to how to make sense of everything. “It’s mutual—we decided not to go that route.”

“What route?”

“Intimacy.”

“You mean sex?”

“Come on, Emory,” Wes said. “Don’t make this any harder for me. You know what I mean.”

“Honest, I don’t. Is she married?”

“What? No.”

“I know you’re not.”

Wes shook her head. “Can we not—”

“She’s straight?”

“No,” Wes said definitely. Her stomach twisted, remembering the way Evyn made love to her, so confidently, so perceptively, so powerfully. “Definitely, no.”

“And I know you’re not.” Emory raised an eyebrow. “Are you?”

“No,” Wes said, laughing despite her discomfort.

“So what’s the problem? You’re both available, you’re both gay, and you both obviously have the major hots for each other.”

“We work closely together—a personal relationship could seriously disrupt the team.”

“May I say, major bullshit?”

“You don’t understand—”

“More bullshit.” Emory spoke without the slightest bit of heat, just calm certainty. “I know you, and I’m betting any woman you’re attracted to would be pretty similar as far as this is concerned. Nothing compromises your work. I bet Evyn is the same way.”

“I’m what way?” Evyn pulled out her chair and sat back down next to Wes. Her arm brushed Wes’s and the tingling spread from Wes’s leg into her stomach, making it hard for her to focus on Emory’s inquisition.

“Totally serious and uncompromising about work,” Emory said.

Evyn gave Wes a what-did-I-miss look, then shifted in her chair and regarded Emory. “Yes, I’d say that’s true. Why?”

“How well do you know Wes?” Emory asked.

Wes snapped back to the conversation. She wasn’t going to discuss her personal relationship with Evyn while Evyn sat an inch away. “Never mind. Emory and I were just catching up.”

Evyn glanced from Emory to Wes. “I have obviously missed something pretty important here. Maybe you should catch me up.”

“Emory is my oldest friend—she thinks that gives her certain privileges.”

“It does,” Emory said.

Evyn laughed. “What is it you want to know?”

“Do you really think there’s anything that could make Wesley compromise her professional obligations?”

“No,” Evyn said slowly. “I don’t.”

“That’s not how you felt a few weeks ago,” Wes said.

“You’re right. But I know a lot more about you now than I did then.”

“My point exactly,” Emory said. “Experience sometimes runs counter to expectations—and proves there are exceptions to every rule.”

“And sometimes,” Evyn said softly, her gaze returning to Wes, “rules are just convenient shields.”

Wes had the urge to get up and run, and she’d never run from anything in her life. What could be so frightening about a woman wanting to be close to her? Not just any woman. Evyn. Evyn, who had provided quiet strength, and tender comfort, and fierce passion. Evyn—who refused to be pushed away.

“Sometimes reshaping boundaries is slow work.”

Evyn grinned. “I’m patient.”

Wes threw back her head, laughing quietly. “How is it I’ve never noticed?”

“Never?” Evyn murmured.

Wes’s breath caught. Evyn had been endlessly patient the night they’d made love—letting Wes lead, despite her inexperience, letting her satisfy her need to touch and taste and savor. “I remember.”

“Good.”

“Well,” Emory said, as Dana returned, “before Wesley tells me it’s none of my business, I’ll butt out.” She cleared a space on the table for the drinks and leaned to kiss Dana as she sat down. “But for the record, I think you two are smoking hot together.”

Wes groaned and Evyn grinned.

Emory lifted a shoulder. “Just my scientific observation.”

*

Russo walked out onto the back deck of his mountain cabin. His last two public appearances and the benefit dinners that followed had been great successes. His supporters had been enthusiastic, and even his wife had managed to do her part. Now he planned to celebrate properly with Nora, who should arrive any moment. Despite the frigid air, he felt totally comfortable. The sky was clear, the stars bright points of light, the moon a huge flawless globe. Snow cascaded down the mountainside and layered the bending boughs of the pines with powdery lace. He was surrounded by natural beauty, and the brisk air stung his lungs with every breath, reminding him of the surety of life.

Nora’s latest report showed his popularity growing and his strength with the electorate approaching the point where no challenger would pose a threat. Still, a substantial number in his own party found him too radical, too polarizing, and there were large segments of the Northeast and West where Andrew Powell commanded a huge following. He needed to shake up the moderates in his own party and create doubt in the hearts of the centrist liberals who might be persuaded to change allegiances if the threat to their personal safety was great enough. The time to prepare the groundwork for that shift in power was now. Certain of his course, he called Hooker.

“Hooker,” the man answered.

“It’s time to initiate our plans with the optimal timetable,” Russo said.

“That doesn’t give us a lot of time,” Hooker said.

“Yes, I’m aware of that, but given the ideal location, you should have ample time to activate all the parties.”

“I’ll need to confirm with my contact.”

“Then do so,” Russo said calmly. “Unless I hear from you, I’ll assume we are proceeding as planned.”

“My fee just went up,” Hooker said. “It’s going to take a whole lot of coordinating to pull this off so soon.”

“I have utmost faith in you. And if all goes as expected, you’ll receive a twenty percent bonus.”

“That’s very generous,” Hooker said.

“I hope we’ll be doing business for some time.”

“I’ll let you know when I’ve confirmed with my contact.”

“Wonderful. And happy holidays.”

“Yeah,” Hooker said, “ho-fucking-ho.”

Russo rang off without commenting. The new year was going to be a very good year.

*

“Are you coming to bed?” Blair kissed the top of Cam’s head and rubbed her shoulders. “It’s getting late and it’s been a long day.”

Cam leaned her head back against Blair’s stomach and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth spreading down her back from Blair’s hands. “Have I ever mentioned I love the way you touch me?”

Smiling, Blair kissed the top of her head again. “A time or two. What are you doing?”

Cam rubbed her eyes. “Reviewing reports from this morning’s security update. Looking for anything out of the ordinary.”

“Why? If you think we’re dealing with someone on the inside?”

“The leak may be internal, but if…” She hesitated. They were talking about Blair’s father.

“It’s a little late to try to shield me, don’t you think?” Blair’s question lacked the usual heat that accompanied any accusation of Cam being overprotective. “Lucinda briefed me and you know she doesn’t sugarcoat anything. If someone is going to try to kill my father, you don’t think it will be someone close to him? Someone we know?”

“I don’t know a thing for sure,” Cam said, wishing with everything in her Blair didn’t have to be a part of this. Bad enough Blair needed to worry about her father, but Blair was going to be right in the middle of any potential attack. She was almost as much at risk as Andrew, and there was no way Blair could be convinced not to go on the trail with him.

“You’re going to be there too,” Blair said with her uncanny ability to read Cam’s mind.

“How do you do that?”

“Practice.” Blair spun Cam’s chair around, straddled her lap, and kissed her with heat. They’d spent the day apart. While Cam had met with Lucinda and then gone straight into a briefing with Tom and the other agents on PPD, Blair had spent a rare afternoon with her father. They hadn’t talked about security concerns. They’d talked about his reelection campaign, the major platform issues, and the role Blair would play. For a few hours she’d been able to forget the danger and the fear. The only other person who’d ever made her feel so safe was Cam.

“I missed you today,” Blair said. “We’re still supposed to be on our honeymoon.”

Cam smiled and ran her hands up and down Blair’s back. “And I am obviously falling down on my marital duties already.”

Blair snuggled tighter into Cam’s lap, settling her ass firmly in Cam’s crotch. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. But if you’re almost done, and you’ve still got half an hour left in you, you could see to your duties.”

Cam rested her cheek against Blair’s breast. “Give me ten minutes, and I’m yours.”

Blair ran her fingers through Cam’s hair. “All right. Have you found anything?”

“Nothing substantial, really. I’m just trolling—a truckload of munitions went missing from Fort Dix. We’ve got Army CID on that. A sleeper cell we’ve been watching in San Francisco looks like it may be waking up—I’ve got a Homeland Security team moving on that. An inventory irregularity turned up at a Level 4 government-funded research lab outside of Atlanta. A team from the CDC is on their way there.”

“So you think someone on the inside is part of a larger group, and the attack is being orchestrated from the outside?”

“We have to be prepared for that.” Cam tilted Blair’s chin up and met her eyes. “We have to be prepared for anything.”

Blair smoothed the frown lines between Cam’s brows. “We will be. You’re not alone in this—no matter what, you’re never alone.”

Cam wrapped her arms around Blair’s waist and rose. Blair automatically locked her legs behind Cam’s back. Cam kissed her. “I know. Let’s go to bed.”

*

Wes kissed Emory’s cheek as they stood outside the Black Fox. “It was great to see you. Merry Christmas.”

Emory hugged her. “You too.” She hugged Wes close to whisper in her ear. “And don’t be afraid to take a chance, Wes. Sometimes, you have to.”

“I’ll call you soon.” Wes released Emory, shook Dana’s hand, and waved as they headed off toward the car. She and Evyn walked toward Dupont Circle, where Evyn had parked.

“What was that all about back in the bar?” Evyn said.

“Just the usual third degree from friends—you know, where we met, that sort of thing.”

“And are we fucking?”

“Not in just those words, no,” Wes said dryly. “But the intention was there.”

Evyn laughed. “What did you say?”

“That it was complicated.”

“I guess it is.” Evyn slipped her arm around Wes’s waist as they walked. Maybe it was the holiday lights on every porch and storefront or the excitement on the faces of everyone they passed that made her heart so light and filled with possibility, but she was tired of ignoring her need to really connect with Wes. “How come it seemed simple that night?”

“Because we weren’t thinking past the moment?”

Evyn blew out a breath. “We weren’t really thinking at all. That’s not like me.”

“Me either.”

“So,” Evyn said, “what are you thinking right now?”

Wes slowed and pointed down the block. “That my place is right over there.”

“Really? Great location,” Evyn said, testing the air. Wes had been calling all the shots up until now—another thing that was decidedly unlike her. She hadn’t minded when they’d been holed up in that hotel room in Kitty Hawk and she hadn’t had a clue what the hell was going on, but they weren’t in Kitty Hawk any longer. And Wes was no one-night stand. She needed to get in the game right now.

“Yeah, close to the Metro and all that.”

“So, what’s the chance I could get a cup of coffee before I drive home?” Evyn asked.

“Sure,” Wes said slowly before leading the way up the block toward her apartment. She shouldn’t be doing what she was doing, but the tension in her chest eased with every step they took away from Evyn’s car. She didn’t want Evyn to leave. She didn’t want the night to end. She didn’t want to wake up another morning alone and questioning.

“You know we don’t have to figure this all out at once,” Evyn said, taking her hand.

Evyn’s fingers were soft, warm, and Wes laced hers through Evyn’s. “I know. I’m trying to shut my mind off, but it’s tough.”

“Then don’t try. Some things you can’t control.”

“That’s what’s so scary.”

“It’s just coffee, Wes.”

“Right. You’re right.” Wes squeezed Evyn’s hand. Except what if she wanted more than just coffee?