Radclyffe - Honor Reclaimed

"Ooh," Diane breathed, her eyes sparkling. "Will you give me a blank check and permission to do anything I want?"

"Nothing fancy."

Diane pouted.

"All right, nothing too fancy."

"Wait a minute, won't the White House want to plan this?"

"No fucking way," Blair said succinctly. "This is mine and Cam's, and no one is going to take any part of it away from us."

"Then leave it to me." Diane jumped up and started to pace. "Oh, this is going to be such fun. Can I dress you too? Oh, Cam is going to look so drop-dead gorgeous in a tux. Versace this time, I think, although I know she always wears Armani-—"

"What makes you think I'm not going to be wearing the tux?" Blair asked archly.

Diane stopped and looked at her, a small smirk on her face. "Please. You might be butch in bed, bu—"

"Ah," Cam said from the door, "is this a private conversation?"

"We were just discussing Blair's sex life," Diane said without breaking a smile.

"Really." Cam crossed to the sofa, leaned down, and kissed Blair. Then she straightened and settled a hip onto the arm of the sofa, resting her fingers on the back of Blair's neck. "Past, present, or future?"

"All of them, actually It makes quite an interesting-—"

"Okay," Blair said firmly. "That's enough."

Cam grinned. "I think I might be able to contribute something. On two out of three, at any rate." Blair punched Cam's thigh, and Cam winced. "On second thought, maybe not."

"How are things going?" Blair asked.

"Slow." Cam's expression darkened for an instant, then she forced a smile. "But we're just getting started. I didn't expect the answers to be easy to find. If they were, it never would have happened to begin with." She stroked Blair's hair as she studied Diane. "You look even more happy than usual, which is saying a lot. What's going on?"

Diane's brows rose. "You really are a secret agent, aren't you. Very good, Commander." She took one look at Blair, seeking permission, then at the slight nod of affirmation, replied, "Blair has just given me carte blanche to plan your wedding."

Cam sat up straighter. "Really."

"Uh-huh."

"Tell me when and where to be, and I'll be there." She kissed the top of Blair's head and stood abruptly. "I'm going back to work."

"Chicken," both Diane and Blair called toward her retreating back.

*

Savard rolled over onto her back and tilted her face to the Florida sun. The ocean sounded a gentle roar twenty yards away, and a breeze cooled the sweat from her skin. She and Stark were the only ones on the beach behind her parents' beachside home. Eyes closed, she stretched out a hand and found Stark's arm, then trailed her fingers down until she reached her hand. Clasping Stark's fingers, she said, "This is wonderful."

Stark turned her head and surveyed her lover. Her caramel skin had darkened in just a few days to a dark bronze, and the shadows beneath her eyes were nearly invisible now. The last two nights she'd slept without awakening. Stark knew it would take more than a few days away from the stress and horror to heal, but her heart felt lighter to see Renee's pain ease even a little bit. "It's great."

"It's our first vacation."

"I know. I never knew you golfed."

"I played on the junior circuit as a teenager," Savard said, turning onto her side and smiling at Stark. "It seems like a million years ago now."

"I was pretty terrible at it yesterday."

"Yeah, you were. But you looked really sexy in those shorts and that tight shirt." She stroked Stark's forearm. "You've got such a great body."

"Jeez," Stark mumbled, but she grinned with pleasure.

"Honey, you know I love you, right?"

Stark frowned. "Sure I do."

"I want to go back to work."

"We've only been here five days. The commander said at least a week."

"I know what she said," Savard replied, drawing random patterns in the sand between them. "But they need me up there. I'm the FBI connection, and I was in the counterterrorism division. They need me working on what happened at Blair's."

"You need a little bit of a break," Stark said carefully, "so you'll be able to work the way you should. That's all."

Savard met Stark's eyes. "I know I almost lost it for a while there. And I know you know."

"Sweetheart—"

"No, it's okay. I'm not embarrassed that you know that I'm not always... strong."

"You are. You're the strongest woman I've ever known. And the bravest."

"I love you." Savard smiled softly. "You know I've seen my old therapist—the one I saw when I was a teenager—twice since I've been down here. It's helped."

"Yeah, but sometimes it takes longer—"

"I know that too. But I can talk to him on the phone from wherever we are, whenever I need to. And I will, I promise."

"I just want you to be okay. I don't care about anything as much as I care about that."

Savard braced a hand in the sand and leaned forward, brushing her mouth over Stark's. "I know. And that's one of the reasons I'm going to be fine."

"Can I tell you something?" Stark said quietly.

"Anything."

"I want to go back to work too. It's driving me crazy that the commander's doing my job."

Savard laughed out loud. "I never would've guessed you were that territorial."

"Oh yeah?" Stark reached out and pulled Savard onto her beach towel, and kissed her hard. "Just try looking at some other woman."

"Really?" Savard's voice rose, surprised at the unexpected show of aggression from her normally laid-back lover. "We did need this vacation. I'm learning all sorts of wonderful things about you."

"I'm really glad we came. I love being alone with you like this. Your folks are great too, though."

"I told you they'd love you," Savard said. She frowned and ran her hand over Stark's abdomen. "Did you put on your sunscreen? Your stomach's getting pink."

"I did, and that's not a sunburn." Stark grinned. "It was the kiss."

"Don't tell me you're ready again."

"I've been saving it my whole life just for you."

Savard leaned closer, her breasts nestling against Stark's, and kissed her lightly on the mouth. "You are adorable. And so goddamned sexy. And as soon as we shower, I'll take care of that burn of yours."

"We can't."

"Why not?" Savard sat up and dusted sand from the back of her legs.

"Your mother's home."

"Paula, honey, she knows we sleep together."

"Yes, but if we disappear into the bedroom in the middle of the afternoon, she's going to know we have sex."

"Oh, I'm sure that never occurred to her before." Savard smiled. "We'll do it in the shower, then."

Stark's breath caught. "Oh man. Now we're going to have to."

"What's the matter," Savard asked, pressing even closer, the bare skin of her stomach sliding over Stark's, "did that just make you wet?",

Stark blushed. "It made everything...happen." She glanced down, half expecting to see her sudden excitement apparent through her bathing suit. "Just thinking about you touching me makes me so excited, I want to.. .you know. Come."

Savard groaned. "That's it. We're going in the house."

"Yeah," Stark muttered, standing and lifting her towel at the same time. "Maybe we can sneak by your mother."

Chapter Twenty-five

Wednesday, September 26

C am pulled up a chair and regarded the three women seated around the dining-room table that now served as their conference area. Savard, she noted, looked tired, but not haunted. There was a clarity in her blue eyes that had been missing ten days ago. Some of the improvement, Cam surmised, was due to the fact that Stark showed no evidence of anthrax. Neither did Blair, and Cam knew just how much that meant in terms of her own peace of mind and ability to concentrate. She wouldn't feel completely comfortable until the sixty-day incubation period had passed, but Blair was taking the medication prescribed by Captain Andrews, and at this point she was perfectly healthy.