by Gerri Hill
Cameron dropped to her knees, jerking Andrea’s jeans and panties down in one motion. She grabbed Andrea’s hips, bringing her forward to her waiting mouth, her tongue slipping between her slick folds, finding what she wanted.
Andrea thrust against her, her hands supporting herself on Cameron’s shoulders, crying out when Cameron’s mouth closed over her clit, sucking it hard and fast. They were both groaning, Cameron nearly delirious from the taste of her. She heard Andrea panting, felt her fingers digging into her shoulders, her hips grinding against Cameron’s face, increasing the pressure between them.
Andrea grabbed Cameron’s head as she climaxed, her sharp cries loud in the tiny hallway of the motor home. Cameron’s mouth slowed, moving now with gentle pressure, prolonging Andrea’s pleasure as much as she could. She felt Andrea relax, tense muscles releasing, her breath slowing.
“God, I love when you do that to me,” she murmured, her hand still threading through Cameron’s hair.
Cameron slowly got to her feet, pulling Andrea into her arms. Yes, she loved doing that to her. They stood together for long, quiet minutes, just holding each other, their bodies relaxed against the other.
It was nice. It was almost too nice.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Andrea leaned on her elbow, her fingers lazily trailing across Cameron’s breast, smiling as her nipple hardened yet again.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Mmm.” Andrea watched as Cameron’s eyes fluttered open. “Did you sleep well?”
Cameron stretched her legs out beside her. “Did we sleep?”
“Not much, no.” Andrea’s fingertips moved to the scar that slashed across Cameron’s body, the edge of which marred her beautiful breast. “Does it hurt?”
“No. In fact, it’s pretty numb. Probably always will be.”
Andrea leaned closer, her lips touching the surface of it. She pulled back, finding Cameron’s eyes in the muted light. “What happened?”
Cameron was still, her eyes never leaving Andrea’s. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes.”
Cameron’s gaze left hers and Andrea noted her expression changed, her eyes now had a faraway look as if she were rewinding a movie, trying to find the right scene. Finally, she turned back to Andrea.
“I was captured. In Pakistan. I was to be executed.” She paused. “Beheaded.”
Andrea gasped, feeling her heart jump into her throat. She suddenly didn’t want to know. She didn’t want to know the horrors that Cameron had endured.
“The rescue team got there right when the sword was in the air. It was in motion when they shot him, but the force of it... well, I managed to roll away a bit. Saved my neck, at least.”
“Oh, Cameron,” she whispered.
“Please don’t say you’re sorry, Andi. That was just my life back then.”
Andrea’s fingers lightly ran across the length of the scar, trying to imagine what Cameron’s thoughts had been that day. “You weren’t really just Special Ops, were you?”
Cameron rolled to her side, facing Andrea, her own hand sliding over Andrea’s skin. “Officially I was, yes. Technically, no.”
“Classified?” she asked, her voice only slightly teasing.
“I was part of an elite unit, of which there are several,” she said. “And that’s classified,” she added, “so you’ll have to keep it to yourself or else.”
Andrea smiled, waiting for Cameron to continue.
“We were trained in various means of warfare. Highly trained. We were trained physically, mentally...emotionally.” She took a deep breath. “I became nothing more than an assassin,” she said, her voice low. “And I couldn’t do it anymore.”
Andrea stopped Cameron’s hand as it moved over her hip. She brought it to her lips, kissing her fingers gently.
“I wanted out, but I was only thirty-three and they’d invested a lot of time and money. They offered me a position with the FBI.” Cameron rolled onto her back again. “Murdock has four teams assembled under him. All are ex-military, like me. Like Collie. We’re not exactly your traditional FBI teams. We’re more of an experimental group, a little unconventional.”
“Like this motor home?”
“Yeah. This is the only one. We’ll reevaluate after a year,” Cameron said. “When you think of the FBI, you think of Washington, New York, LA—the big cities. But the logistics for rural assignments pose a problem. Like here. If we didn’t have the rig, we’d operate out of Phoenix. Or send a team back and forth. We wouldn’t be able to hang out here for weeks, like I’ve been able to.”
“I’m glad you’re able to hang out,” she said.
“Yeah. We got off to a bit of a bad start,” Cameron admitted. “I was, you know, that arrogant, conceited person that you hated.”
“It just threw me when you started asking about LA. I wasn’t prepared for it.”
“And now?”
“You were right. You’re good for me. It helped to talk it out. I don’t know whether it was just time for me to let go or if it’s the distraction of the case.” She paused. “Or you.”
And it was true. She didn’t know. When Cameron left, would it all return? The guilt she’d harbored for so long had become second nature to her. Was she foolish to think it was really gone? That it had just disappeared without a fight? Or had she actually accepted that the guilt was unfounded. She lost her team, her best friend, her lover. That was the reality of it all. Nothing she did would change that. She could do as Cameron had said, wallow in her guilt...or she could choose to live. Because it was indeed a miracle that she survived the attack. A miracle that she’d carelessly tossed aside because she felt it was her punishment to carry the weight of their deaths on her shoulders. A weight that Cameron had taken away from her.
Cameron pulled her down for a lingering kiss. “I’ll be happy to be a distraction,” she said.
Andrea was tempted to let go and give in to her desires again, but the morning was upon them. They didn’t have the luxury of a lazy day in bed. She eased back from Cameron, leaving her with a quick kiss on her nipple. “Don’t start,” she said when Cameron tried to pull her back. “The sun’s already up.”
Cameron sighed. “I know. Time to work.”
“What’s on the agenda?”
Cameron got out of bed, and Andrea stared, seeing her naked for the first time in the light of day. Her body was exquisite and she wasn’t ashamed to watch as Cameron rummaged in her drawers for clothes.
“I’ll have to process the results of the algorithm. Hopefully we’ll get a hit on something.” She turned, raising her eyebrows as Andrea still laid there watching.
“You have a beautiful body.”
“With all these scars?”
“I’m looking past the scars. Besides, the scars are you. I just meant, your body is so...well, the guys say you’re hot. Joey is infatuated.”
Cameron laughed. “What’s he, like, barely twenty-five?”
“Yes. Barely.”
Cameron stood in front of her, still naked head to toe. “We had a lot of physical training,” she said. “Lots of running, weights, martial arts. I don’t do nearly what I used to. Jump rope, mostly, or I’ll take a run a couple times a week.” She paused at the door. “I’m going to take a quick shower.”
Andrea nodded. “I’ll start coffee.”
“So you haven’t heard back from Dallas?”
Andrea shook her head, taking a bite of muffin. “I’m going to e-mail Casey O’Connor today.”
“And I’ll try Hunter again.” She got up, taking her coffee cup with her to her tiny office. “Let me check on the process.”
She’d taken the conversion file and loaded it into the “dummy box,” as she called it. Jason had some fancy name for it as it took his results and put them into simple English for her. This part of the process took only a few minutes.
“Finished?”
“Yeah.” She moved to the side, letting Andrea see the m
onitor. “Tower Ridge Trail. What do you think?”
Andrea shook her head. “Not likely. It’s at the edge of Sycamore Canyon. Only the first few hundred feet or so has brush cover, then it crosses a ridge and goes along Coyote Canyon. It’s a mostly exposed trail, lots of rock. Great views, though. Remember when we hiked Devil’s Rock? Tower Ridge would be those cliffs above it.”
“Yeah. But eighty-four percent,” Cameron said. “Quite high.”
“Maybe it’s missing again, like it did with Devil’s Rock.”
“No. Jason fixed that. Or so he thought.”
Andrea stood back. “Show me the trail map. Let’s double-check.”
Cameron pulled it up, letting Andrea have the mouse so she could maneuver as she wanted. She quickly scrolled across the map, slowly shaking her head.
“Rim Trail wasn’t exactly concealed,” Cameron reminded her.
“Yeah. And the body wasn’t discovered either.”
“Is this a well-traveled route?”
“Not so much this time of year. It’s blistering hot on the south-facing side. You would mostly get people wanting to catch either the sunrise or sunset. It has great views of both. It’s advertised that way so tourists would know that.” Andrea picked up her coffee cup again and took a sip. “The locals would take the hike on the weekends, if at all. There’s a great sunrise spot up Oak Creek Canyon that would be closer than this one.”
“Well, the next best hit is only thirty-three percent.”
“Okay, then let’s take Tower Ridge and have a look,” Andrea said. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been out there. Maybe I’m missing something.”
“Thanks. I know you and Jim don’t think much of this program, but Jason swears by it. And I’ve used it before,” she said. “Not on this large of a scale, but it’s usually right on.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come across as being smarter than your computer,” Andrea said with a smile. “I just know the trail.”
“Fair enough.”
“I’ve got to run by my place,” Andrea said as they returned to the kitchen. “You want to meet where?”
“I’ll swing by and pick you up,” Cameron said. “Do you need to let Jim know?”
“Yes. I’ll call him on my way.” She paused to scratch Lola’s ear. “Don’t be too long,” she said. “Let’s try to do the climb up while it’s still relatively cool.”
“Okay. I need to make a call to Murdock. And I want to try Hunter again,” she said.
Andrea opened the door then closed it again, smiling as she turned back around, coming closer. “Thank you for last night. For dinner and everything,” she said as she kissed her.
Cameron had been doing a nice job—she thought—of reining in her feelings, of telling herself that her burst of emotion last night was a fluke. But as soon as Andrea kissed her, a kiss that was sweet and soft, not one derived from passion but one that only hinted at the intimacy between them, she lost what was left of her resistance. She pulled Andrea into her arms and held her, a hug not meant to ignite a fire between them—it was meant to convey her growing affection for Andrea.
Their eyes held as they stepped apart, and she wondered if Andrea guessed the direction of her thoughts. Or worse—that Cameron’s feelings were teetering between a casual affair and full-fledged falling in love.
Andrea left without another word and Cameron scooped up Lola, holding her close. She took a deep breath, letting her eyes slip closed as she simply embraced the feelings Andrea brought to the surface. It had been so long, she was surprised she’d even recognized them. In the years since Laurie, she’d had her share of bedmates, but she was never once tempted by love. They were just casual, sexual encounters that satisfied needs—both their needs. She assumed her affair with Andrea would be lumped in with the others. But she hadn’t counted on becoming so involved with her. They’d both shared emotional secrets that by their own nature brought them closer together, an invisible bond linking them. No, she hadn’t counted on that. And she certainly hadn’t counted on falling in love with her.
“Now what are we going to do?” she asked Lola, the constant purring her only reply.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Andrea led the way up the rocky portion of Tower Ridge trail, the sun scorching the already parched earth. A slight breeze helped cool her skin and she looked up, a lone raven following their progress as he landed atop a juniper, his sharp eyes never leaving them.
“Once upon a midnight dreary,” Cameron quoted, her gaze lingering on the raven as well. “Since the raven is a symbol of death, do you think this is a sign?”
Andrea smiled and shook her head. “You’ll find a raven on every trail. I hope it’s not a sign.”
“You think this is a waste of time?”
“I don’t know. Who knows how the mind of a killer works? If your program says this trail is his next stop, then who am I to argue?”
They emerged from the brush-covered lower section of the trail, now walking on bare ground. There were outcroppings of rocks and a few standing spiral formations, but no junipers, mesquites or scrubs in sight, just handfuls of thorny cactus and the smooth yet jagged edges of the red rock that symbolized Sedona—the red rock that was now baking in the midday sun.
“It’s hot as hell up here,” Cameron noted as she paused to take a drink of water.
“You need a cap,” she said, removing her own to run her fingers through her damp hair.
Cameron smiled at her. “Then my hair would look like yours.”
“Yeah? So who are you trying to impress with your perfect hair?”
“Just you.”
Amused—and flattered—Andrea put her cap back on, covering her hair again. She knew exactly how messy her hair looked after wearing a ball cap all day. “So you’ll take your chances with heat stroke to impress me, huh?”
Cameron fell into step beside her as they hiked on. “Never been one for caps, really. You know, beach bum and all, wind blowing through my hair all natural and everything.”
Andrea’s mind conjured up an image of a natural and naked Cameron Ross as she played on the beach, her skin still wet, tiny granules of sand clinging to her. And of course that thought conjured up many, many others, and she stopped, unable to deny herself what she wanted. She turned Cameron with a quick touch to her arm, leaning closer and kissing her hard, surprising Cameron.
“What was that for?”
Andrea walked on. “I had an urge,” she tossed over her shoulder.
“An urge?” Cameron caught up with her, her voice amused. “An urge to kiss me?”
“That was part of it, yes.”
Cameron laughed. “Out here, the sun beating down on us, we’re hot and sweaty, and you get the urge to kiss me?”
“It was the beach bum thing.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. Let’s just say you were wet and naked.” She grinned. “Or naked and wet.”
“Why Deputy Sullivan, whatever is on your mind?”
“Must be the heat, Agent Ross.”
“Must be.”
Andrea wasn’t sure who saw him first, but they both stopped. As if sensing their presence, he turned, and they watched each other cautiously across the expanse of rock. His hair was light brown, not the jet black as described by the Dallas detectives. Andrea’s mind flashed to the photo Detective O’Connor had faxed them, the photo of John Doe. That man—or his twin—stood before them.
Then as quick as lightning, he ran. They followed, Cameron showing off her running skills by leaving Andrea several paces behind her, struggling to catch up. Patrick was swift and agile, making Andrea think he knew the trail better than she did as he maneuvered around the rocks and cactus with ease, seemingly unphased by their chase.
The path he took ended, the rocks giving way to a drop into the canyon. He paused, flashing them a cocky grin, then turned and jumped. Andrea stopped, panting, then her eyes widened in disbelief as Cameron followed him over the cliff without b
reaking stride.
“Oh...my God.”
She ran to the edge, skidding to a halt as she peered over the side, her fear mixed with relief as she saw the drop wasn’t into the canyon at all, but to another ledge. Her relief was short-lived, however, as she spied Cameron lying in a heap on the rocks, barely two feet from a thorny cactus.
“Oh, God, no,” she groaned. She retraced her steps, trying to find a route to the ledge without having to jump herself. She found a crevice, sliding down on her ass as she carefully avoided the sharp edges of the rocks.
“She’s an idiot,” she murmured. “She’s insane.” She jumped the last five feet, landing squarely, then ran to Cameron, relieved when she saw movement. She fell to her knees beside her, touching her shoulder.
“Don’t move,” she said.
“Am I dead?” Cameron mumbled, her face still buried in the rocks.
“Not unless I shoot you,” Andrea said. “Which is still an option. Just what the hell were you thinking?” Cameron tried to roll over and Andrea stopped her. “I said don’t move. Something could be broken.”
“I’ve got to move, Andi. Or do you want to call an ambulance and have them pick me up on the street corner over there?”
She did have a point. They were more than an hour away from the trailhead, closer to two. Andrea helped her roll to her back, seeing blood on Cameron’s face. “You are insane,” she whispered. “You could have killed yourself.”
“Oh, it was barely twenty feet.”
“It’s twenty-five, nearly thirty,” she countered as she poured water into her hand to wipe the blood from Cameron’s mouth. “Besides, you didn’t know how far it was. Jesus, Cameron, that could have been one of the cliffs that drop into the canyon.” That thought shook her and she sat down, trying not to picture Cameron’s broken body after a fall into Sycamore Canyon. Or worse—the rocky bottom of Coyote Canyon. She met her eyes. “Please don’t do that again.”