by Radclyffe
Word of Honor
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What Reviewers Say AboutRadcly f fe s Books
A Matter of Trust is a “sexy, powerful love story lled with angst, discovery and passion that captures the uncertainty of rst love and its discovery. - Just About Write
Shield of Justice is a “well-plottedlovely romanceI couldnt turn the pages fast enough! - Ann Bannon, author of The Beebo Brinker Chronicles
“ The authors brisk mix of political intrigue, fast-paced action, and frequent interludes of lesbian sex and lovein Honor Reclaimed sure does make for great escapist reading. - Q Syndicate
Change of Pace is “contemporary, yet timeless, not only about sex, but also about love, longing, lust, surprises, chance meetings, planned meetings, ful lling wild fantasies, and trust. - Midwest Book Review
“ Radcly f fe has once again pulled together all the ingredients of a genuine page-turner, this time adding some new spices into the mix. shadowland is sure to pleasein part because Radcly f fe never loses sight of the fact that she is telling a love story, and a compelling one at that. - Cameron Abbott, author of To The Edge and An Inexpressible State of Grace
Lammy winner “ Stolen Moments is a collection of steamy stories about women who just couldnt wait. Its sex when desire overrides reason, and its incredibly hot! - On Our Backs
“ With ample angst, realistic and exciting medical emergencies, winsome secondary characters, and a sprinkling of humor, Fated Love turns out to be a terri c romance. Its one of the best I have read in the last three years. - Midwest Book Review
“ Innocent Hearts illustrates that our struggles for acceptance of women loving women is as old as timeonly the setting changes. The romance is sweet, sensual, and touching. - Just About Write
Lammy winner “ Distant Shores, Silent Thunder weaves an intricate tapestry about passion and commitment between lovers. The story explores the fragile nature of trust and the sanctuary provided by loving relationships. - Sapphic Reader
In When Dreams Tremble the “focus on character development is meticulous and comprehensive, lled with angst, regret, and longing, building to the ultimate climax. - Just About Write
By the Author
Romances
Innocent Hearts
Loves Melody Lost Loves Tender Warriors
Tomorrows Promise Passions Bright Fury
Loves Masquerade
shadowland
Fated Love
Turn Back Time
Promising Hearts
When Dreams Tremble
The Lonely Hearts Club
The Provincetown Tales
Safe Harbor
Beyond the Breakwater
Distant Shores, Silent Thunder
Storms of Change
Winds of Fortune
Honor Series
Above All, Honor Honor Bound Love & Honor Honor Guards
Honor Reclaimed
Honor Under Siege
Word of Honor
Justice Series
A Matter of Trust (prequel)
Shield of Justice
In Pursuit of Justice
Justice in the Shadows
Justice Served
Erotic Interludes: Change Of Pace
(A Short Story Collection) Erotic Interludes 2: Stolen Moments
Stacia Seaman and Radclyffe, eds. Erotic Interludes 3: Lessons in Love
Stacia Seaman and Radclyffe, eds.
Erotic Interludes 4: Extreme Passions
Stacia Seaman and Radclyffe, eds.
Erotic Interludes 5: Road Games
Stacia Seaman and Radclyffe, eds.
Word of Honor
by
RADCLY f FE
2008
WORD OF HONOR
2008 By Radclyffe. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 10: 1-60282-018-X ISBN 13: 978-1-60282-018-0
This Trade Paperback Original Is Published By Bold Strokes Books, Inc. New York, USA
First Edition: June 2008
THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. NAMES, CHARACTERS, PLACES, AND INCIDENTS ARE THE PRODUCT OF THE AUTHORS IMAGINATION OR ARE USED FICTITIOUSLY. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ACTUAL PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD, BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS, EVENTS, OR LOCALES IS ENTIRELY COINCIDENTAL.
THIS BOOK, OR PARTS THEREOF, MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT PERMISSION.
Credits
Editors:Ruth Sternglantz and Stacia Seaman
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design By Sheri ( [email protected] )
Acknowledgments
The Honor series has spanned nearly the entire length of my professional writing career. Above All, Honor has had multiple publishing “homes, had even more covers, and has been translated into French and Spanish. Blair Powell, Cameron Roberts, and the world they inhabit are as real to me as the room I sit in now. In the more than ten years that I have written the story of their rst tumultuous year together, my life has undergone almost as many changes. I discovered the Internet, found X-Files fan c, posted my novels online, published my rst book, started a publishing company, retired from surgery, and with Word of Honor , will have published my twenty-ninth novel. Cam and Blairs story is not the rst story I told, but it has been the most enduring, and as to whether they will return, as a good friend of mine has written, “ Never Say Never .
My thanks go to my rst readers Connie, Diane, Eva, Paula, and RB, as well as to my editors, Ruth Sternglantz and Stacia Seaman, and to the generous proofreaders at Bold Strokes Books for making this a better book. All the credit goes to these dedicated individuals and the responsibility for any shortcomings to me.
Sheri, with gratitude, for divining my thoughts and creating magical images for our covers.
To Lee, for patience, good humor, understanding, and the best of all stories. Amo te .
Radcly f fe 2008
Dedication
For Lee Every word
Chapter
Thursday
I m going to kill whoever is pounding on the ceiling downstairs, Blair Powell muttered, stretching across the naked body of her lover to squint at the alarm clock. “Its five fifteen. Im not just going to kill them, Im going to dismember them.
“ Baby, hang on for a minute. Cameron Roberts pulled Blair down against her chest and stroked her back. Threading her fingers through Blairs tousled, curly blond hair, she kissed her. She bypassed the playful first-of-the-day good morning, I love you kisses and moved right along to the deep, possessive you belong to me kisses that would distract Blair from the activities going on in the command center below them.
“ Mmm. Blair relaxed on top of Cam and fit her hips to the hollow of Cams pelvis. “Dont think I dont know what youre doing.
Cam chuckled and skimmed her hands up and down Blairs back, ending at her firm backside. She massaged Blairs ass and kissed her again. When Blair gasped and tipped her head back, Cam trailed the tip of her tongue down Blairs neck to the base of her throat. “If you dont know by now, Ive been doing something wrong for almost a year.
“ I know you think this will buy whoevers down there a few more minutes of safety.
“ Is it working?
“ What do you think? Blair braced her arms on either side of Cams shoulders and watched Cams face as she slowly rocked between her legs. In mid-November, dawn was still an hour away, and she had only the glow of the streetlights bordering Gramercy Park to see by, but it didnt matter. She would have known Cams scent, her touch, the carved angles and planes of her face in total darkness. Her heart beat to the rhythm of Cams heart, and she knew with quiet and unrepentant certainty that were Cams heart to stop beating, hers would too. Cams heart beat quickly now, strong and full, as Cam lifted her hips
to meet Blairs. Cams jaw tightened and her dark eyes focused with fierce intensity on Blairs face.
“ I think youve started something youre going to have to finish, Cam said.
Blair smiled, her breath coming faster as she felt the teasing anticipation swirl in the pit of her stomach. “Oh really?
Cam reached between them and cradled Blairs breast. She rubbed the pad of her thumb over Blairs nipple until Blair caught her lower lip between her teeth and moaned softly. “Yes, really.
“ If you keep doing that, Blair murmured, leaning down to lick Cams lower lip, “Im going to finish first. She closed her eyes and bore down harder with each rolling thrust, letting the pleasure Cam was igniting in her nipple flame the excitement between her legs. So easy, so easy to let everything go, to lose herself for just a few minutes in Cam. “God, that feels good.
A loud thumping filled the room and the bed vibrated, the legs rattling against the polished wood planks.
Blairs eyes snapped open. “What the
“ Ignore them, Cam ordered, covering Blairs other breast. Rapidly, she squeezed and released her nipples. “Werent you just about to
“ Yes.
“ Yes, what?
“ Im going to come, Blair whispered, her lips parted in pleasure.
“ Thats what I thought. Cam drank in the sight of Blair trembling above her, the muscles in her neck standing out in sharp relief as she climbed toward climax.
“ Oh thatsCam, Im Blair whimpered softly and shuddered into orgasm.
Cam caught her as she slumped down and cradled her face against the curve of her neck. She kissed Blairs forehead as Blair snuggled into her and sighed contentedly. “The alarm doesnt go off until six. Go back to sleep.
“ What about you? Blair said drowsily.
“ You can join me in the shower.
Blair murmured something that sounded like goody and dropped off.
Cam sifted Blairs hair through her fingers and watched the patterns of light flicker on the ceiling as sunlight penetrated the fall sky. The sound of hammering and the occasional screech of nails pulling free from wood filtered up from the floor below. The renovations on the command center used by the Secret Service agents who guarded Blair should be finished in a day or so. The same morning as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, four heavily armed men had invaded Blairs penthouse apartment in a building bordering Manhattans Gramercy Park and nearly succeeded in killing her. Blairs loftcode-named the Aeriehad largely escaped damage during the assault, but her Secret Service operations center one floor down had taken heavy fire. Blair hadnt been able to return to Manhattan until just a few days ago when her protection detail could resume on-site monitoring as well as coordinate the security for her day-to-day activities. In addition to personal protection, her eight-person security team coordinated advance reconnaissance for her many public appearances and assessed the myriad reports complied daily by the National Intelligence Program from sixteen or so intelligence organizations.
Unfortunately, although the command center was functional, some construction remained to be finished, and Blairs tolerance for noise and disruption was wearing thin. Everyones patience, not just Blairs, was honed to the bone. The lives of the men and women who provided vital security for the first daughter, as well as those who had been assigned to Cams special OHS counterterrorism team, had been irrevocably altered on the morning of September 11. For those who dedicated their lives to preserving the security of the nation and its most important representatives, the desperate search for answers and the heightened pressure to prevent further tragedy were a constant strain.
Cam considered her new teamthe best of the bestculled from other security agencies when the Office of Homeland Security was hastily put together and she was named a deputy director. Renée Savard, former FBI; Felicia Davis, former Secret Service; Ricky Sanchez, her newest recruit from the ATF; and one other, a deep CIA operative who might still be the target of a domestic terrorism cell and those in power who aided them. All highly trained, all seasoned agents. None of them were sleeping well. All of them struggled with guilt over their inability to foresee or prevent the terrible events of that fateful Tuesday in September. And now they lived with the unspoken fear that it could happen again unless they did something.
Two months after the attacks, the nation remained at red alert and Blairs security status at Priority One. Blair was never without a security detail, not even when she was home. The only reason there wasnt an agent in her apartment at that moment was because Cam had been Blair s security chief for most of the previous year and could stand in for an agent when necessary. Still, Blair chafed at the restrictions, and as much as Cam understood and sympathized with her lovers reluctance to have her freedom so severely restricted, she wholeheartedly embraced the necessity of safeguarding the presidents daughter. Blair was not just the presidents only child, she was an important public figure in her own right. She often represented the White House at public functions and acted as an international diplomat in her fathers stead. She was a symbol of the United States, and as such, her security was nearly as critical as the presidents.
Cam shifted carefully and tightened her hold on the woman who slumbered in her arms. Blair had already been a target of a snipers bullet and the skillfully orchestrated full-on tactical assault that had nearly succeeded in assassinating her in her own home. Cam had been in charge of Blairs security detail then, and she would never forgive herself for allowing the infiltration of her team by a traitor who nearly managed to gun down her lover. Shed been cleared of any dereliction of duty, but no report exonerating her from responsibility for the assault could assuage the knowledge that she had failed. She could not afford to fail again. None of them could.
“ Youre not sleeping, Blair said, smoothing her palm over Cams chest. “And youre not relaxed. Your heart is pounding like youre running a marathon.
“ Thats what instant replays of the good parts do to me, Cam replied lightly.
“ Cameron.
Cam sighed. “Sorry. I dont know why I havent figured out that you can read my mind.
“ I cant read your mind. But I know what your bodys telling me. What are you worrying about?
“ Nothing. Cam kissed Blair before she could protest. “I mean it. I was just thinking.
“ And Blair leaned up on an elbow and traced a finger along the edge of Cams jaw. “Dont make me pull it out of you, Cam. That will only piss me off.
“ Being back hereits hard not to think about what happened.
Blair caressed Cams face. “I suppose it would be foolish of me to think youre ever going to forgive yourself.
“ Its not about forgiveness, Cam said. “I need to understand what went wrong, so it doesnt happen again.
“ I get that part, Blair said. “But I also know youre blaming yourself.
Cam laughed sharply. “Since I was in charge, that seems appropriate.
“ See? Youre starting to piss me off.
“ I know. Im sorry. Cam ran her hands through Blairs hair and cradled her face in her palms. She traced her thumbs over the arch of Blairs cheekbones. “I love you. It doesnt matter to me who your father is or what claim the world has on you. Youre the woman I love, and that means I need to keep you safe.
“ Oh, Cam. Blair kissed her softly, then shook her head. “I love you for exactly the things about you that drive me crazy.
Cam grinned. “I think that works in my favor.
“ I think youre right.
“ Is it time for that shower?
Blair bit Cam gently on the chin. “You think if you cloud my brain with sex Ill forget that youre beating yourself up over something that wasnt your fault?
“ I know you wont let me get away with feeling guilty for long. Cam wrapped her arms around Blair and turned them over in bed until she was lying on top of her. “I know you love me and you want to protect me.
“ That seems silly, doesnt it, Blair said. “Me protecting you.
“ N
o, not at all. Cam rested her forehead against Blairs. “It makes me feel safe. The only place in the world I feel safe is with you.
“ Dont make me cry, Cam. Blairs voice was hoarse and her hand trembled as she ran her fingers through Cams thick dark hair. “Youve been hurt tooalmost killed more than once. I cant stop seeing every single bruise and scar, even when I close my eyes.
“ Blair, baby, Cam said soothingly.
“ No. Dont tell me about facts and figures and how its a one in a million thing youll ever be hurt again. Blairs smile softened the harsh edge to her words. “I understand the risks. Its a new world now, and I know theres no looking back. I understand that we all have to do what we can to make it a safe one.
Cam was quiet a long moment. “I was thinking one of the first things we need to do is get married.
Blair laughed, some of the heaviness in her heart lifting. “Well, Im glad thats on your agenda, because we have a date to do just that in just about ten days.
* * * * *
Diane Bleeker bolted upright in the center of the king-sized bed in her Upper East Side condo overlooking Central Park. The space beside her was empty, and with a gasp, she threw back the covers and swung her legs to the floor. She was nude except for a pale peach camisole, and she shivered although the apartment was warm. She grasped a navy silk robe from the bottom of the bed and pulled it on as she rushed down the darkened hall. She didnt bother turning on lights. The early gray light filtering through the double glass doors from the living room balcony was enough for what she needed to see. Valerie.
Heart sinking, she surveyed the empty living room before yanking open the closet next to the front door. Valeries coat was there, but the last time Valerie had vanished in the middle of the night, she had taken nothing with her.
“ Diane, Im here.
“ Oh! Diane clutched her robe closed and spun around. Valerie stepped inside from the balcony and closed the doors behind her. She wore an oversized cotton shirt closed with a few buttons between her breasts. Her legs were bare. “God, darling, you must be freezing.