Above All, Honor

by Radclyffe

See part 1 for all disclaimers and copyright information.

Blair winced as Paula Stark led yet another 10 in a suit where the aces hadn't yet been played. If she had to watch her "partner" make one more stupid play, she might have to take Mac's gun and shoot her. She had not left the apartment in three days. They had just finished a dinner of Chinese takeout, and Cameron had left Blair with Stark, Mac, and Taylor while she went to Blair's apartment building for a briefing with the other agents. Blair was keenly aware of her absence. The air seemed electric when Cam was around. She looked toward the door with relief when she heard the knock.

"How is your pinochle, Agent Roberts?" she asked as Cameron crossed the room to join them.

Cam raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Are you playing for money?"

Blair laughed. "If we were I'm afraid I'd be in big trouble."

"In that case, I'll play. Partners?"

Paula Stark pushed back from the table. "Please, take my place. I never was any good at cards, and I'm due back at the command center now any ways."

Cam sat down across from Blair. They played as if they had been playing together for years. Each time Cam bid, she had a sense that Blair knew exactly what she intended. It was both unsettling, and exhilarating. Before long, Mac and Taylor were complaining that the two women had some kind of secret signal going. The score became so uneven that eventually they called it quits.

"You are a great partner, Commander," Blair said softly. "I might have known. I'm sure you are equally good at everything."

Her tone was intimate, and the suggestiveness did not escape Mac's notice. His boss seemed unaffected as she stood and stretched. She had shed her jacket, and the straps of her shoulder holster stretched her shirt tight over her torso. Mac didn't miss the way Blair's eyes flickered over Cam's form.

If Cam had heard Blair's remark, or felt her appraising glance, she did not show it. She made no reply as she turned to her to agents. "Why don't you two take a break for a few hours. Have one of the night crew come by around midnight. I'll be fine until then."

After the two men left, Cameron took a chair in the suite's large sitting area with the day's reports. Blair sat opposite her on the couch with a sketchpad. The room lights were low, and Cam's face was partially in shadow.

"Do you mind?" Blair asked as she began to draw.

Cam looked over and smiled faintly. "No."

"Most people do," Blair said without looking up.

She was sketching the fine straight nose, the deep-set dark eyes, and the sculpted cheek bones and jaw from memory. It was a face that had caught her attention the first time she saw her, and it never failed to entice her. It was a face meant to be drawn. Unfortunately, the more she saw her, the more exciting she found her. Cam was everything Blair found attractive in a woman, and the effect she had on her was unsettling. Blair found herself listening for Cam's voice when she awoke in the morning, and looking for her figure when she entered a room. She found Cam's presence both disturbing and strangely reassuring. She tried to discount her feelings by reminding herself that it was only natural to find a good-looking woman appealing. She simply chose to ignore her racing pulse and unmistakable arousal whenever Cam was near.

"I'm actually used to it."

Blair looked up. "Really?"

"My mother is an artist."

Blair regarded her seriously. "Would I know her?"

"You might," Cam said softly. "Her name is Marcea Casalls."

Blair caught her breath. "You wouldn't be joking, would you?"

Cam shook her head.

"Well." Blair was momentarily at a loss. "I suppose I should be embarrassed to even let you see my work. She is quite wonderful."

"Yes, she is. From the little I have seen of your work, so are you. Of course, I only know what I have seen of my mother' s work, and that of her friends."

"Then you have been exposed to the best," Blair said lightly. "Did you grow up in Italy?"

A shadow flickered across Cam's face, then was gone. "Yes, until I was twelve. After that, I was schooled in the United States."

Blair spoke aloud without thinking. "I remember hearing something about her husband-"

"My father was the American ambassador to Italy," Cam responded. "He was killed in a terrorist car bombing attack went I was eleven."

"Oh god, I'm sorry. I had forgotten." Blair looked at Cam with true anguish in her face. As a child she had often been frightened that something would happen to her father. Growing up surrounded by armed guards had done that to her. She never gave any thought to her own safety. To do so would have forced her to accept that the constraining security measures taken to protect her were actually necessary. "It must have been horrible for you."

Cam looked into the distance, remembering. "It was much harder for my mother. They were completely devoted, and his death nearly destroyed her. If it hadn't been for her work, I don't think she would have survived."

"And she never remarried?" Blair questioned softly.

"No. I don't think anyone else would have compared. Fortunately, her art is her life. She travels a great deal, and has many friends."

"Are you like her?" Blair asked boldly. She couldn't help wondering about the rumors concerning the death of Cameron's lover. For an instant she was jealous, and then berated herself for her foolishness.

Again, that fleeting smile. "No, my mother is an artist."

"Meaning?"

"She is a mysterious combination of deep passion, volatile sensitivities, and uncommon vision."

"Is that how you see artists?"

Cameron focused on Blair's face. "Yes. I find them to be persons of rare fragility and unsurpassed emotional depths. Hell to live with, but worth every moment of the knowing."

Her words were delivered with a deep intensity, and Blair felt them to her core. Those words threatened to rock the foundation of her world. She had never wanted anything more than she wanted Cameron Roberts to feel that way about her. It was impossible, and the last thing she wanted to feel. This need would make her weak, and endanger what little independence she still had. She was torn between the urge to flee, and the physically painful attraction that was so much more than sexual. She wrenched her eyes away from Cameron's expressive face.

"I can't draw you when you're talking," she said thickly as she focused on her charcoal and paper.

Cam watched Blair's delicate hand stroke the textured surface, thinking how like her mother Blair was. She was beautiful, gifted, and an emotional minefield. One moment she was heat and anger, the next an ember radiating sultry sensuality, and then, just as suddenly, like now, withdrawn into herself. Blair's legs were curled under her, and she bent her upper body over her work protectively. Her blond hair fell free in riotous curls around her face. Cam's mind repelled from the image of anyone harming her. But then it was her responsibility to see that nothing did.

She returned to her reading absolutely certain that her sudden urge to run her hands through those curls was simply in response to their conversation, and had nothing to do with the compelling beauty of the woman herself.

**********

At 7:00 the next morning, Cam walked out of the second bedroom after finishing a shower. Across the room, Blair and Paula Stark were so engrossed in conversation they didn't notice her. She couldn't hear them from where she was standing, but Blair had one hand on Stark's forearm and was peering intently into her face. It looked as if Stark was trying to backup, but Blair had effectively maneuvered her against the wet bar. Cam had witnessed this particular seduction before. She wasn’t sure what made her angrier, Blair’s obvious attention to the woman or the fact that Paula Stark appeared to be fascinated by her. Any kind of romantic involvement between an agent and the individuals they were guarding was strictly forbidden. It wasn’t just policy, it made tactical sense. You couldn’t be objective in a dangerous situation if you were personally, particularly intimately, involved with the subject.

Paula Stark slipped past Blair to answer a knock at the door. Cam automatically stepped between Blair and the door, shielding her until she was certain it was Taylor. They had been there four days, and it was time for her to make a decision.

"We need to talk," she said to Blair.

Blair regarded her suspiciously, realizing she must have seen her with Paula. She hadn’t really given much thought to Paula Stark previously, although she had been aware of Stark shadowing her in the bars over the last six months. Stark was attractive, but Blair had never really been interested in her. It was probably because she guessed Stark wasn’t a lesbian, and she had learned at a very young age not to fool around with straight women. However, after having been cooped up in a three room suite for four days, with a woman who seemed to turn her on without effort, and rejected her with similar ease, Blair found herself trying to entice the pretty fresh-faced young agent out of boredom.

"It seems that one of the building cleaning employees delivered the package to your door. A nondescript ten-year old boy gave her ten dollars to do it. In all probability, the stalker used the boy as a go-between so he wouldn’t be recognized. There’s no way we’re going to ID him."

"So I can go home?" Blair asked. She had mixed feelings about that. She was sick to death of being confined, with people constantly around her, and she missed the freedom to work. On the other hand, Cam had rarely left the hotel in the four days they had been there. When she needed to sleep, she had several of the other agents stand guard. Blair had gotten used to her presence. Cam was there when she woke up, and when she went to sleep. In the many hours in between, they had talked together, read together, and shared silences together. It was the most intimate time she had spent with anyone since her days in school.

"Yes, but I think it would be best if you took some time away. A trip out-of-town might be good idea."

"Diane and I had discussed going skiing. Now might be the perfect time. I’ll call her and arrange something for this weekend."

Cam nodded in agreement. "That would work. This weekend might be a little too soon, since I'll need advance notice to inform the resort and work out the shift details."

"You can do that on the plane," Blair said with a hint of irritation. She wasn’t used to altering her plans, or delaying to accommodate her security teams.

"May I remind you that we had an agreement," Cam commented quietly.

"I think I agreed not to give your agents the slip," Blair responded pointedly.

"Actually, I believe you agreed to give us your cooperation," Cam countered, "as well as not giving us the slip."

Blair caught the quick smile that flashed across Cameron’s handsome features, and laughed in spite of herself. "Next time it will have to be in writing," she muttered. "How about if we work out the details tonight – over dinner."

Cam nodded, knowing she had been out-maneuvered, but accepting the token of co-operation.. "All right." She started to turn away, then added, "This is a first field assignment for several of my people. It wouldn’t look good for them if I had to reassign them."

"And why might you need to do that?" Blair asked suspiciously.

"If one of them were to compromise their objectivity- say through a ‘friendship’ with you – just for an example."

"Aren’t you worried about yourself, then?" Blair asked angrily. What was it to Roberts who she spent time with, as long as it didn’t get in the way. And so what if it did? She hated being dictated to!

"I’m not a rookie, Ms. Powell," Cam answered smoothly as she turned away.

Blair stared after her, seething. If she wanted to bed Paula Stark in the middle of the hotel lobby, she damn well would! Cameron Roberts might have control over her time, but she would never have control over anything that really mattered to her.

**********

Blair didn’t see Cameron again until that evening. The rest of the day had been spent getting settled back into her apartment. Her doorbell rang at 6:30.

"Let’s walk," Blair said by way of greeting. As usual, Cameron looked fit and trim in a khaki blazer over pressed stone washed jeans.

"All right," Cam said. She followed Blair to the elevator, noticing that her hair was down and the silk jacket and wide cut trousers she wore enhanced her slenderness.

Blair moved gracefully, with easy confidence, and Cam knew it was because she was going out not as Blair Powell, the President’s daughter, but as an ordinary twenty-five year old woman going to dinner. For an instant Cam regretted her job. She wished she could view the evening ahead as a simple dinner with a beautiful woman. But she couldn’t. Even though Blair could forget who she was, or try to forget, with alcohol or a never-ending series of sexual conquests, Cameron could not forget. No matter what Blair chose to show the outside world, Cameron knew her to be the many faceted, complicated woman she was sworn to protect. Nevertheless, she found herself looking forward to dinner with a sense of anticipation she hadn’t known in years.

As the elevator came to a halt and the doors began to slide open, Blair placed her hand on Cam’s forearm. "I don’t want the rest of the team to come with us," she said, an undertone of urgency in her voice. She had been watched constantly for days, with near strangers supervising her every moment. For just a few hours, she wanted to be alone to dine with a woman.

"I know you don’t," Cam responded quietly. "And I know why. But we can’t go alone. Not now, especially so soon after that package was delivered. I’ll tell them to stay out of sight."

"It’s not the same."

"I know it isn’t. Believe me, if I could change it, I would."

Blair brushed her fingers along Cameron’s sleeve, touching the back of Cam's hand with her fingertips for just a moment. She recognized the sincerity in her voice. "Thank you."

Cameron whispered a few words into her microphone as she stepped out of the elevator to take Blair’s arm. She wasn’t entirely certain this was a good idea, but she had a feeling if she didn’t allow Blair this small bit of independence, she would lose whatever chance she had of Blair’s cooperation. In truth, she didn’t have the heart to keep her constrained any longer. It wasn’t just the last four days, it was the last fifteen years.

As they stepped out into the brisk early evening air, she realized how much she wanted to give Blair these few moments of happiness. She caught her breath in surprise when Blair slipped her fingers into her hand, all too aware that at least three of her agents were watching.

"I didn’t think you were afraid of rumors, Commander," Blair said tauntingly.

"It’s not the rumors I’m afraid of," Cam said dryly, "it’s your father."

The agents threading themselves through the crowd ten feet behind looked at each other curiously, wondering what had prompted the laughter from Blair Powell.

**********

"I think we can manage it," Cam said as she leaned back in her chair. She was comfortably relaxed after a slow, quiet dinner in a small restaurant off Fourth Street in the West Village. They were sitting at a table for two in front of a large open wood burning fireplace. Blair had initially requested a table in the wide front window, but Cam had politely declined, requesting seating where Blair wasn't quite so exposed. She sipped her espresso while Blair finished her cognac.

Blair laughed softly. For once, it didn't bother her that she had to clear her plans with her security detail. Even she had to admit that Cam wasn't being unreasonable.

"I'm glad you agree," Blair said. She sipped the heavy brandy and studied her dinner companion. For two hours they had talked of art, which cities they enjoyed most in Europe, and the comparative value of various martial art forms. What they had not discussed was politics, the stalker situation, or their personal lives. It could easily have passed for a first date, filled with the anticipation and excitement of learning to know someone new. She tried not to allow reality to dispel the myth. She felt like someone she barely recognized. She finally realized what was missing was the burning anger, her constant companion. That in and of itself was frightening. If she allowed herself to get used to this feeling, the emptiness and disappointment of her real life would be devastating. She was acutely aware of Cameron's gaze upon her. Cameron had a way of looking at you that made you feel like there was no one else in the room. Her glance was as palpable as a touch, and Blair imagined that her skin tingled as Cameron studied her. She struggled to keep her tone normal.

"I spoke with Diane this afternoon. She can't wait to go."

"I'll see to the arrangements first thing in the morning," Cam assured her.

"She told me she saw you today," Blair added nonchalantly. That was far from the way she had felt when Diane casually remarked that she had had lunch with Cameron.

"Yes. We had a bit of business to do."

"I'm sure," Blair said sarcastically. She knew very well the kind of business Diane had in mind. She knew exactly the kind of woman Diane found attractive, and over the years they had often found themselves in competition for the same woman. When they were younger it had all been in fun, and no hard feelings whatever happened. This time, it felt like anything but fun. She was angry at herself for allowing her irritation to show. She kept her eyes fixed on the dark swirling liquid, afraid of what Cameron might see in her face.

Cam had a pretty good idea what Diane had insinuated about their lunch. The charming art dealer had certainly made it quite obvious what her interests were. Cameron was not offended by the blatant attempt at seduction, but she did not want Blair, for reasons she could not clearly define, to think she was so easily seduced.

"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

"I can’t believe you just said that!" Blair laughed, coaxed out of her anger by the ridiculousness of the image.

Cam laughed with her, thinking how luminescent Blair's features were when she relaxed. "Neither can I," she replied. "But in this case, it’s apt."

"I promise not to tell her," Blair continued smiling.

Cam inclined her head gratefully, "Thank you."

As they stepped out onto the street, Blair forgot for a moment that there were three Secret Service agents dogging their every step. It was one of those rare January nights when the stars could actually be seen over New York City. The meal had been wonderful, and the company better. She stopped in mid-step. Taking a chance, she asked, "I don't suppose I could interest you in a trip to the bar?"

Cameron took a deep breath of the brisk chill air. She knew very well what Blair was asking her. She refused to acknowledge her own wishes. "I can't accompany you. But if you want to go out, I will see that the team stays out of your way."

"You didn't mind having dinner with me," Blair pointed out, still not moving, not caring that they were creating a minor obstacle to other passers-by.

"That was business," Cam responded.

"Was it?" Blair stated.

Cam knew very well she was stretching the definition of business. They could have discussed the upcoming ski trip in the morning. She had allowed the excuse of the trip to give her reason to have dinner with Blair. She was on dangerous ground, and she knew it. She could not let things progress further. She certainly could not go to a gay bar with Blair as anything resembling her date. And she definitely had no desire to go cruising with Blair. Watching Blair pick up strangers for sex was not something she enjoyed.

"I can't. I'm sorry. Do you want me to notify the unit that you'll be staying out?"

"No thanks," Blair said bitingly. "When I go out, I don't want their company."

Cam supposed she deserved that. "Then may I walk you home?"

"Yes," Blair said with a sigh. "But for God sake, tell them to stay off our heels. I'm perfectly safe with you."

Cam nodded, whispering instructions into her microphone. She knew very well Blair could have been difficult about this. She was grateful that she would not have to worry about Blair's whereabouts, at least for the rest of evening. And on another level, she had to admit she would not have to worry about who Blair was spending her evening with.

Five days later they were boarding a private jet for their flight to Colorado. They would be staying at a small, rustic resort not usually known as a tourist center. It was likely to be less crowded, and an easier setting in which to protect Blair. It was a fairly isolated location, with few of the amenities so popular in Colorado ski resorts. There would be no nightly entertainment acts, or any other similar diversions. What there would be was hours of good skiing on challenging trails. Blair was apparently an accomplished skier, and enjoyed skiing the semi-wooded less manicured downhill trails. For her it might be a vacation, but for Cam and her agents, it would be anything but.

Cam settled into her seat and was just opening the Washington Chronicle when someone eased in beside her.

"This seat looks vacant," the familiar voice announced.

Cam turned toward Diane Bleeker. "These are not reserved seats."

Diane smiled. "Then I take it you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Cam responded, folding her paper. "Whatever news there might be, it can wait until later."

Diane reached between them for her seat belt, brushing her hand along the length of Cam's thigh. There was a subtle tensing under her fingertips, but to her credit Cameron Roberts did not pull away. At least she wasn't going to pretend they weren't both adults. Diane could accept rejection, but she hated to have her advances ignored. "Do you ski, Commander?"

"Yes, I do."

"Our Blair is quite the expert, did you know?"

"It doesn't surprise me," Cam commented. "She is very talented."

Diane studied her, searching for hidden meaning. As usual, she could read nothing in Cam's expression. She couldn't remember ever having met someone quite so inscrutable. And yet the agent was anything but cold. She radiated energy, and seemed to do everything with an intense focus. In fact, she was seething with promise. The promise of passion, and intensity, that Diane very much wanted to experience. It was more than just physical appeal, even though Cameron was enormously attractive with her lean, tautly muscled body. She had daunting self-confidence as well. Is there nothing that can shake her composure?

Diane leaned against Cam's shoulder as she tightened her seatbelt. "Yes, Blair is a woman of many hidden skills. And then again, she doesn't bother to hide some of her interests. I'm sure you've noticed."

Cam had no intention of discussing Blair Powell with Diane Bleeker or anyone else. "And how is the gallery?" Cam asked.

"Ah, I see. Blair is off-limits. Actually, that's perfectly all right with me. I'm much more interested in you."

Cam laughed at the woman's persistence. It was hard to be annoyed with someone who was so blatant about their intentions. In another place, in another time, she would not have resisted. It was a combination of the past, and her strange detached present, which prevented her from responding. Any kind of intimate involvement was beyond her capability.

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you," Cam warned.

"Oh, I very seriously doubt that."

"I'm flattered-," Cam began.

Diane laughed. "Oh please, Commander. You needn't explain to me the many reasons why you think you are unavailable. I am quite patient, and I enjoy waiting. Otherwise, where is the pleasure when you win?"

Cam shook her head, smiling at the sophisticated, supremely confident woman beside her. "Then I shall say no more."

Diane wrapped for long, elegant fingers around Cam's wrist, squeezing gently before slowly withdrawing. "Good. It would be to no avail."

They both settled back in their seats for takeoff. In the aisle seat one row behind them, Blair studied the two women. She was completely familiar with Diane’s tactics. She had known her since they were girls, and had witnessed her many conquests. This was the first time it mattered to her whether Diane succeeded. The image of Diane's hand on Cameron's arm provoked a response she was finding hard to ignore. She hated the thought of Diane touching Cam, but even harder to accept was the possibility of Cameron returning the caresses. Instinctively, she knew that Cameron Roberts would not make love to a woman casually. What she couldn’t know was how much that fact controlled Cameron's life.

**********

The group was greeted at the door to the lodge by a tall, attractive woman in her mid-forties. Even in winter she showed signs of a lingering tan, and her lithe trim figure spoke of her vigorous lifestyle. She greeted them warmly and ushered them into a rustic room scattered with sofas and comfortable chairs in front of a large stone fire place. Overhead lights were hidden in the exposed wooden beams of the ceiling, bathing the room in a muted soft glow.

"I'm Helen Craig," she said, extending her hand to Cameron as Cam stepped over the threshold. "Just leave your gear here until we have the room situation straightened out. Then I'll have someone bring your bags up."

She looked from Cameron to Blair Powell, who was standing just to Cameron's right. Of course Helen recognized her, and knew that this was Blair's entourage. Without a trace of shyness, Helen offered her hand.

"I'm delighted to have you here, Ms. Powell. We have eighteen inches of packed snow with a three inch fresh fall from last night. The trails are perfect."

Blair grinned, pleased at Helen's lack of pretension and the genuine warmth in her greeting. "Just the news I wanted to hear. I can't wait to get out there."

Helen nodded. "First light at 5:30 tomorrow. After you’re settled, and have some dinner, I'll show you the trail maps. You can plan your runs for the morning."

"I was hoping to get in a run or two this afternoon," Blair stated.

"It'll be dark in an hour and a half. If you hurry, you could ski one of the shorter trails."

Blair reached for her gear bag. "Just give me someplace to change."

Helen noticed the sudden tension in the group of individuals standing around Blair, but it seemed to her that this was Blair Powell's party, and if she wanted to ski, she should certainly be able to ski.

"Right this way."

As Blair followed Helen across the room and disappeared down a hallway, Cameron turned to the others.

"All right everybody. Mac - you take care of the room arrangements. Make sure we have someone on either side of Egret's room, and across the hall. Preferably everyone on one floor. Stark, Taylor-you get suited up and find out which trail she's going to run. Make sure you take an emergency kit with you. I'm going to change so I can ski with her." For a moment, she had forgotten completely about Diane Bleeker. As usual, Blair’s lack of regard for the realities of providing her protection had placed them in a difficult situation. They had no time to adequately survey the area, and they had no sense of who might be out on the trails with her. Cam was startled to feel the touch on her arm.

"I should think you would be used to her by now, Commander," Diane said softly. "As long as I've known her, she has refused to accept that she cannot behave like the rest of the world. She has always wanted to be simply ordinary."

Cameron nodded, remembering her own childhood and what it had been like growing up among her father’s diplomatic friends and her mother’s world famous artists’ circle. She had watched the children walking to school from the windows of the limousine that took her almost everywhere. She had longed to be one of the anonymous crowd, knowing all the time that it was impossible. She knew the sadness of being different, and the loneliness of being separate, no matter how hard her parents tried to create the appearance of an ordinary life.

Diane watched the emotions flickering quickly through Cam’s dark eyes, astounded at the depth of the other woman's compassion and understanding. Her own response was more than a little frightening. She had long since abandoned the desire for anything beyond a casual physical relationship with the women in her life. This one was different. There was something almost hypnotic in Cam's reserve, something tantalizing in her secrecy. She made you want to know her, without consciously inviting you near. Diane thought if she had any sense at all, she would be trying to put distance between them, instead of hurrying after the elusive commander and her errant lifelong friend.

**********

"God, that was great!" Blair exclaimed, stomping the snow from her boots and shedding her ski parka. She made her way to the small bar tucked into one corner of the huge lobby. "I'd love a glass of red wine," she said to the bartender. She turned to Diane and Cameron. "What about you two?"

"Martini for me," Diane said.

"Just coffee," Cameron responded.

"That’s a fabulous trail, don’t you think?" Blair enthused, tossing her head back and shaking her hair free. Her eyes were glowing, her cheeks faintly flushed from the cold air.

"It was everything it was advertised to be," Cam responded. She had been skiing since she was three, and it had taken every bit of her skill to keep up with Blair. The younger woman was not only expert, she was fearless. Even in the waning light of late afternoon, she had blasted down the unfamiliar trail with abandon. Diane, also a very accomplished skier, had followed several hundred yards behind them, skiing efficiently but more cautiously. Cameron had posted agents at the head and foot of the trail, in constant communication with her via radio, but she was the only one actually in near physical contact with Blair. Despite the low-risk factor of this secluded resort, she did not want Blair very far from her sight. She hadn't skied quite so aggressively in ten years. She knew her muscles would be sore in the morning. Nevertheless, the sight of Blair's pleasure made it worth it. She was absolutely radiant, and Cam had a glimpse of what she might be like were the circumstances different. There was a joy and lightness about her that Cam had not seen before. Blair was more than beautiful; she was breathtaking.

Cam looked away, gently placing her coffee cup on the bar top. "I think I'm ready for a shower." She turned slightly, murmuring into her lapel microphone. Almost instantly, a stocky red-haired man appeared in the doorway. Satisfied that her replacement was nearby, she quietly walked away.

Diane watched her leave, wondering if she had any idea how revealing the expression in her dark eyes could be. Diane had watched Cam watching Blair, and the pleasure in Cam’s gaze was painfully evident. As quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Diane wondered what force of will it took to control her feelings so completely. She wondered too why it was necessary.

Continue to Part 6

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