Radclyffe - Honor Under Siege

team stayed when on temporary assignment in the Capitol. She

remembered Hara dropping her off out front before he took the

Suburban around to a special reserved parking slot. Then what?

Jesus, was it possible shed fal en asleep standing

up?

“Excuse me. Flushing with embarrassment, she pushed away

from the wall and jumped between the elevator doors as they

started to close. Some Secret Service agent. Shed completely

lost track of her surroundings. It didnt matter that she wasnt

on duty. It was her job to be observant.

She slid the plastic card key from her pocket as she strode quickly

down the hal way, hoping to leave her discomfi ture behind.

She let herself into room 1020. It was dark and still inside, and

for an instant, she thought she was in the wrong place.

“Renée? Unconsciously, she swept her blazer back and rested

her hand on the grip of the Sig Sauer holstered on her right

hip. “Babe?

“Im here, Renée Savard replied.

Paula felt on the wall for the switch, then hesitated. “Can I turn on

the light?

“Just a second.

Paula heard the squeak of springs, then the bedside lamp came

on. Renée, still in the clothes she had traveled in, lay on top

of the covers on the queen sized bed. Renées holstered service

weapon rested on the bedside table next to a prescription

medicine bottle. Paulas stomach tightened, but she forced a

smile as she crossed the room and leaned down to kiss her lover.

She brushed her hand over Renées cheek.

“Taking a nap?

“Trying to.

Paula settled gingerly on the side of the bed and tapped

the immobilizer encircling Renées leg. “Is your knee bothering

you?

“Its fi ne, Renée said sharply, then just as quickly caught

Paulas hand as Paula started to get up. “Im sorry. Yeah, its a

little bit sore. She gestured toward the medicine bottle on the

table. “Im trying not to take those things, but my whole body

aches from not being able to move around much. This fucking

immobilizer She trailed off, looking disgusted. “Christ, youve

been on your feet working since dawn, and Im complaining.

Renée closed her eyes and turned her head

away.

“Since Im here now and can wait on you, Paula said lightly as she

released the

Velcro straps on the stif wraparound brace, “why dont we take this of

. The doctor didnt say you couldnt bend your knee, just that you couldnt

weight-bear. No wonder it hurts, being squeezed in this thing for hours.

You want me to lock up your weapon, too?

“You should. I was going to wait until you got here to set the

combination on the safe.

“Il take care of it in a minute, Paula said, enormously relieved. She

should know bet er than to think Renée would even considershe couldnt

even complete the thought. Unexpectedly, she felt tears prick at her eyes

and she blinked hard, her jaws clamped tight.

“What? Renée studied her through narrowed

eyes.

“Nothing, Paula said hoarsely. “Just

tired.

Renée glanced from Paula to the bedside table, and she breathed in

sharply. “You didnt think? Oh, sweetie, never.

“I know, Paula said, cradling Renées hand in both of hers. “I know. Just

for a minute there, when I walked in, it al felt so strange. Then I saw

she shook her head. “Everything is changing so fast, sometimes I just

feel confused.

“Wheres

Blair?

“At the commanders, Paula said, unconcerned by the apparent switch in

topic. Nothing happened in her life, or for the last few months, in

Renées, until what real y mat ered was squared away. And that was

Blair Powel s security. “She should be in for the night. Greg is there

now, and Hara wil take the overnight watch. Il pick her up in the

morning, unless she cal s to tel me shes going out.

“Good. Secure our weapons and change into something comfortable.

Then, come lie down with me.

“Should I order us something to

eat?

Renée careful y drew her legs up and pul ed the covers aside. She

opened her jeans and started to push them down over her hips. “In a

lit le while.

“Okay. Paula picked up Renées weapon and unholstered her own. She

crossed to the closet and, after set ing the combination on the in-room

safe, stored them away. Then she closed the drapes, stripped down, and

folded her clothes over the arm of the reading chair in front of the

windows. “I could probably use a shower.

“Lets talk for a second. Then we can order dinner and shower while we

wait for it to get here.

Paula lifted the covers and slid into bed. She turned on her side and

kissed Renée softly. “I missed you today. Careful y, she slid her arm

around Renées shoulders and eased onto her back with Renée in her

arms.

“Whats going on with Blair needing to come back here, do you know?

Renée rested her cheek against Paulas breasts with a sigh.

Paula hesitated. It was an innocent enough question, but she felt

protective of Blair in a way she hadnt before, even though she had been

prepared to protect her at the cost of her own life for more than a year.

“Never mind, Renée said fl atly into the silence. “That was out

of line.

“No, Paula said. “It wasnt. Youve been part of the team in one way or

another for months.

“But?

Paula sighed. “Im not

sure.

Renée kissed the soft, smooth skin of Paulas breast. “Its dif erent,

being her

security chief, isnt

it?

“You know, I owe you an apology, Paula

whispered.

“What? Renée raised her head, her expression concerned. “What

are you talking about?

“I never asked you how you felt about me accepting this assignment. Im

sorry. Renée inched away and leaned on her elbow, trailing the fi ngers

of her other

hand absently up and down Paulas stomach. “Sweetie, you got a

promotion that

you deserved. Im real y proud of you. Dont you know that? Because if I

didnt

let you know

that

“No, Paula said quickly. “I mean, I never gave you a chance to say you

didnt want me to do it.

Renées eyes darkened. “Is that how I make you feel? That I dont want

you to be Blairs security chief?

“No, Paula said, frustrated. “But it means Il be traveling more, and

working more, and probablyI dont know, distracted. And that af ects

us. She cupped Renées jaw and traced her thumb over Renées cheek. “I

dont want anything to come between us.

“Youre a secret service agent, Paula, Renée said mat er-of-factly. “Just

like Im an FBI agent. At least, I was.

“Hey. You stil

are.

“Yeah, maybe. First my shoulder, now my leg. If I dont rehab a

hundred percent theyre going to pul me out of the fi eld. Renée looked

away. “Were not talking about me. Were talking about you. She glanced

back to Paula, her eyes intent. “I understand what your job requires. Im

okay with it. Im proud of you. Im just hings are tough right now, but its

not you. She leaned down and kissed

Paula hard. “Sweetie, its not

you.

Paula drew Renée into her arms again and returned her kiss. “I hate for

you to be unhappy.

“I just need to fi gure out what Im going to do if they transfer me to a

desk job somewhere. Renée closed her eyes. “I dont think I can take

that.

Paula tightened her hold, frightened more by the despondency in Renées

voice than the thought that her lover might be transferred across the

country. “Itl be okay. Your leg wil be fi ne and youl be back to duty

before you know it.

“Im not going to accept a post somewhere if it means Im never going to

be able to see you. Renée caressed Paulas chest, then circled lower,

unconsciously tracing the line of muscles down to the base of her bel y.

“Not after everything thats happened.

Paula tried to focus on being supportive, but Renées persistent caresses

were starting to sap her concentration. Casual y, she covered Renées

questing hand and drew it away from the trigger zone that was

dangerously close to igniting. “I know. I feel the same.

“We havent made love since I got shot, Renée observed softly,

extracting her hand from Paulas grip. She cupped Paula very lightly

between the legs. “Miss it?

“Oh, geez, Paula choked, her legs starting to quiver.

“Yeah.

Renée squeezed gently. “Have you been taking many solo

fl ights?

“Not many. Paula fl ushed as she felt a fl ood of wetness between her

thighs. “Oh.

“Mmm. You did miss me, didnt you? Renée gripped a lit le harder and

jiggled her hand.

“Stop. Paula slammed her hand down over Renées, ef ectively

preventing her from moving her fi ngers. “Honest. Dont. Il get real y

excited, and we cant until your legs better.

Renée laughed. “My leg might keep me from working, sweetie, but it

doesnt keep me from taking care of the important business. She lowered

her head and licked Paulas nipple into rapid at ention. When Paula

shivered and moaned softly, she worried the smal , hard knot tenderly

with her teeth. “So I think you should hold very stil . She sucked until

Paula moaned again. “While I make you come.

“Renée, Paula said hoarsely. “We should

wait.

Renée shifted and guided Paulas face to her breast. “No. Waiting is the

last thing we should do. She hissed in a breath as Paulas mouth closed

over her nipple. Delicately, she traced the hard prominence of Paulas

clitoris with her fi ngertip. When Paula jerked and started to pul back,

she gripped her between thumb and forefi nger and squeezed. “Were

here together right now, Paula. Feel me now, sweetie. Feel me.

Unable to resist the persistent caresses, Paula closed her eyes as Renée

fondled her in just the right spot with just the right pressure to make her

come. Spinning toward orgasm, she whispered the one thing of which

she was total y certain in a suddenly uncertain world. “I love you.

Chapter Six

D iane was quiet tonight, Cam said as she sat on the side of the bed and

pul ed of her shoes. She unbuckled her belt, lifted her hips, and shed

her trousers. Across the room, Blair undressed, tossing her blue jeans

and T-shirt into the laundry basket in the bedroom closet. The circles

that had surfaced beneath her eyes earlier in the day had deepened, giving

her a haunted look.

“Things are stil pret y awful in Manhat an, Blair said. “She closed the

gal ery for a while.

“Its going to take some time before people and businesses recover. Cam

gave a mirthless laugh as she removed her shirt. “I guess recover is an

optimistic word.

“Adjust to a new reality is more like it. Naked, Blair brushed her fi

ngertips over Cams chest as she slid past her and into bed. “I guess were

just catching up to the rest of the world.

Cam removed the rest of her clothes, turned of the light, and got into

bed. She turned on her side and circled Blair with one arm, easing

close to her in the dark. “You should go back to Whitley Point for a

while. Take Diane.

“Turn the light on.

Wordlessly, Cam

complied.

“Go back to Whitley Point and stay out of the way? Blair asked