Oath of Honor

your father, you need to know what the potential threats are, to best

protect yourself.”

“And you know I’d kick your ass if you kept this from me.”

Cam grinned again. “That too.”

“So tell me what you think I need to know.”

“I will.” Cam kissed her, a slow exploration that melted the tension

in Blair’s body and settled the disquiet in her mind. “As soon as I say a

proper good morning.”

Blair slid her hand under Cam’s shirt and stroked upward to her

breasts. “Not too tired?”

“Not tired at all.”

v

Just before 1800 hours, Wes finished writing a prescription for

one of the groundskeepers who had severed the tip of his little finger

while attempting to clear ice from his snow blower. He hadn’t been

able to find the missing piece of tissue, so Wes had shortened the bone

fragment beneath his nail and closed it with a local skin flap. A week of

antibiotics and a protective splint ought to be all he needed. His finger

would be a little bit shorter, but he should have no functional deficit.

He was lucky. She walked down to the treatment area where the PA on

duty with her was splinting the digit. “Here you go. Stop by in two days

for a bandage change. We’ll get the stitches out in a week or so. How

does it feel?”

The groundskeeper smiled. “Doesn’t bother me at all. Can I go to

work tomorrow?”

“Is there work you can do one-handed, because I don’t want you

taking that splint off.”

“I’ll manage.”

“The splint stays on.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“All right, then you can go back to work.” She clipped the

• 240 •

Oath Of hOnOr

prescription to his chart and went back to her office to finish her notes

and shut down her computer. Five minutes later she headed for the

briefing room she’d been in that morning. When she walked in, Evyn

was there, sorting through an array of equipment on the table.

“Hi,” Wes said, eyeing the small receiver and attached wires.

“What’s happening?”

“The director asked me to suit you up.” Evyn looked up. “You

need to be wired.”

Wes loved the hazy purple of Evyn’s eyes, a sure sign her

emotions were running hot. She hoped she was the cause—even if the

timing was bad. Even if that turmoil in Evyn’s gaze was annoyance

rather than attraction. Anything was better than the indifference and

distance Evyn was so adept at hiding behind. “What do you want me

to do?”

“Just take off your shirt and loosen your belt,” Evyn said

neutrally, her attention back on the equipment.

Wes removed her blazer, folded it over the back of a chair, and

unbuttoned her shirt. She tugged it from her pants and laid it with her

jacket. She opened her fly and pulled up the bottom of the silk tank she

wore beneath her shirt.

Evyn held up a slim black box about the size of a deck of cards,

only thinner. “This audio transmitter is small enough we should be able

to secure it inside the waistband of your trousers in the middle of your

back. Unless you get...cozy, it won’t show.”

“I’m not planning to get cozy.”

Evyn grew still, her expression flat and closed. “Really? How do

you plan on extracting personal information if you don’t?”

“People tend to relax in a social situation, even when it’s not

intimate. They talk about their schedules, what they plan to do the next

day, where they plan to go. Any of those things might help us pinpoint

a potential exchange point.”

“You’re right,” Evyn said abruptly. “And I apologize.”

Wes grasped Evyn’s wrist, stilling her in mid-motion. “This

morning, you said last night wasn’t over.”

“I remember.”

“What changed overnight?”

“I know you have no reason to believe this, but I did.”

• 241 •

RADCLYfFE

“How?”

“I thought if I really connected with you, if I really let myself be

open to caring about you, to letting you close, I’d lose my edge, lose

control. Not be able to focus on what mattered.”

“Is that what happened this morning in the briefing?”

Evyn grimaced. “Yeah, it kinda looks that way. I hope I didn’t

make you—”

“I said I liked that you care, and I meant it.” Wes moved around

the table and gripped Evyn’s shoulders. “I don’t want to make you

unhappy.”

“That’s just it, you don’t. The closer we are, the more I feel like

myself, and that really scares me. Because if I need you for that, what

happens when you’re not here?”

“What happens if I don’t go?”

“A whole other reason to be scared,” Evyn said, her heart belying

the words. She was anything but frightened by the idea of having Wes

around all the time. She was exhilarated.

“I get being scared—you walked away last night, and that hurt.”

“I know. And I know sorry doesn’t cut it, but I am.”

“I guess we’re both a bit scared,” Wes said.

“Yeah. And I don’t like that much.”

“Neither do I,” Wes said, “but you’re good at handling the tough

jobs. So am I. We ought to remember that.”

Evyn grasped her hand. Threaded her fingers through Wes’s. “I

will if you will.”

“You’ve got a deal, Agent Daniels.” Wes wanted to kiss her—but

Evyn needed to keep focus. So did she. “Later.”

“What?” Evyn frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll tell you when this is over.”