Radclyffe - Love & Honor

"Don't mention it," Lucinda called dryly as the door slowly closed behind the president's daughter.

*****

When Cam opened the door, Blair's heart lurched with worry. Her lover was still in the same jeans and polo shirt that she'd worn on the plane.

"I thought you had an appointment at Justice?" Blair said as she entered, her fingers curling around Cam's bare forearm. "Why aren't you dressed? It's almost nine."

"It seems I don't have anywhere to be this morning after all," Cam replied.

"Cam, if they've suspended you alre-"

Cam grinned and shook her head. "Quite the opposite. Carlisle's secretary called me at 8:03 to advise me that the scheduled meeting with him had been canceled-and that he also had instructed her to inform me that the matter of Loverboy was closed."

Blair slipped her arms around Cam's waist and sighed with relief. "Thank God."

"What exactly did you do?" Cam inquired in astonishment.

"Not much," Blair replied. "Lucinda and I traded favors."

"Thank you for that-for everything."

"It feels good to be able to do something for you," Blair murmured, running her hand across Cam's chest, seeing the scars again in her mind's eye. Every time they made love, she saw them-felt them with her fingers and her lips. Remembered the moment the bullet struck. She shook her head, letting the memory go, savoring her lover's solid embrace. "You don't need to thank me."

"I still do, though," Cam whispered as she kissed her.

"Yes, well," Blair managed when she caught her breath, "Lucinda will be sure to remind me when she needs something done on short notice, I'm sure."

"She's a very fast worker," Cam noted admiringly. "Whatever strings she pulled, it didn't take long."

"Lucinda Washburn probably has more power than anyone in this country, next to my father. If she wants something done, it gets done."

"You have some very interesting contacts," Cam observed, her grin widening. "You're a very good woman to know."

"You think so, Commander?" Blair said as she ran her hands lightly up and down Cam's back. "Impressed?"

Cam nuzzled Blair's neck, kissing the tender skin beneath her earlobe which Cam knew was a trigger point for her sensitive lover. "Uh huh.Very impressed."

With her lips very close to Cam's ear, Blair whispered throatily, "Then you'll probably be especially excited to know that we have an appointment with the President of the United States in an hour."

Cam stiffened, then straightened suddenly. "Excuse me?"

"He's got a busy day, so we've been sandwiched in between the morning briefing with the national security agency and a meeting with a representative from the People's Republic of China."

"Christ, I've got to change my clothes!"

"You look fine. It's a family visit, Cam, not a briefing."

"That may be," Cam replied, turning toward the bedroom. "But I'm not going to pay a visit to the president in blue jeans."

"Youre going to have to get over that eventually. I expect youll be seeing quite a lot of him in the future. You knowbirthdays, holidaysthat sort of thing."

"That's going to take some getting used to," Cam called back over her shoulder and disappeared around the corner.

Blair smiled and followed after her.

Better get started then, lover.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Andrew Powell looked up as Blair and Cam walked into the Oval Office. He set aside the report which he had been reading and gestured to the small seating area across from his desk. "Sit down. Coffee?"

"No, thank you, sir," Cam said crisply.

"I'll take some," Blair replied. She moved to the far side of the room where a small service set of cups and utensils were arranged with a coffee urn. "Dad?"

When he shook his head, she poured herself a cup and returned to sit next to Cam on the sofa, facing her father in his customary wingback chair. "I'm sorry to spring this on you so suddenly."

"It's all right. Is there a problem?"

"Not exactly," Blair said, unconsciously resting her hand on Cam's knee. "There's something I wanted to tell you before you heard about it anywhere else."

He nodded and waited.

"I've decided to make a public statement about my relationship with Cam."

His expression didn't change as he looked from his daughter to her lover. "All right."

"Lucinda is going to be unhappy about that," Blair pointed out.

"She'll deal with it." His smile was fond but his tone was flat, uncompromising. "Is there any reason that you've chosen this time, if I might ask? Has something else happened?"

Blair shrugged. She had no intention of telling him of recent developments. That was Lucindas call. "Sooner or later the press is going to get the story. I don't want to worry every day about hiding our relationship. I'd prefer to bring it out into the open now, rather than have someone else sensationalize it." She glanced at Cam. "And we both thought the timing would be better now instead of next year when you're in the midst of your reelection campaign."

"I appreciate that, but as I said, it's not of particular concern to me. On the other hand, if you want to control the issue, I suggest you fire the first volley."

Cam nodded, and Blair replied, "That was our thought, too."

Blair took a deep breath and carefully avoided Cams eyes. "There's one other thing. There's the problem of Cam continuing as my security chief once it becomes public knowledge that we're lovers."

Cam tried to hide her surprise. Blair had not mentioned she was going to bring this up with her father.

It's her father. And her show.

The president shifted his attention from his daughter and fixed it on Cam. "Does your relationship with my daughter affect the way you do your job?"

"Yes sir, it does," Cam said evenly as she returned his gaze steadily.

His eyebrow quirked but he gave no other sign of surprise. "How?"

"Ordinarily, sir, the only concern of the Secret Service is to ensure the physical safety of the protectee. I find that occasionally my judgment is affected by my concern for Blair's...happiness."

A fleeting smile twitched at the corner up his mouth. "Does this endanger her?"

Cam blew out a breath and considered the very issue that had concerned her since she first realized that she was falling in love with Blair Powell. "I don't think so, sir. It does provoke me to bend the rules on occasion, but in terms of her physical safety, my reactions are instinctual."

"And I'd be happier if they were a littleless instinctual," Blair said darkly. "I was hoping youd tell her she had to resign, Dad."

"I gathered that somehow." She had rarely asked him for anything. He thought about the intense wash of fear that had flooded through him the day he had been informed that shots had been fired at his only child. He had been grateful to the core that a Secret Service agent had taken the bullet meant for her. On the other hand, he could only imagine how his daughter must feel having someone she loved nearly die in her place. Carefully, he said, "Agent Roberts, if you were no longer providing security for my daughter, would your reactions be any different if she were endangered?"

"No, sir," Cam responded instantly. "Whether I am officially assigned to her or not, I'm still going to read the terrain with an eye toward her security. That's instinctual, too. If someone threatens her, I'll respond in the same way."

The President glanced at Blair, sensing that this was not an answer which would please her. "Well, it seems to me, Blair, that if she's going to behave the same way whether she's officially assigned to you or not, we might as well let her do her job."

And I'll feel a hell of a lot better.

"I can't argue the point with both of you," Blair replied resignedly. She glanced from her lover to her father. "I certainly hope this isn't a harbinger of future alliances, because if you two gang up on me like this very often, I'm going to be seriously pissed."