Kate Cross - Touch of Steel

“No,” Ashford said. “I won’t support this.” His cronies nodded in agreement.

“I will support it,” Lady Wolfred said, and three others agreed with her. Still, Ashford had more supporters.

Alastair’s shoulders straightened. “If you do not support my motion to enter into this agreement with the Company, I will resign from the Wardens.”

“No.” Claire tried to stand up, but the automatons pushed her back down into her seat. “Alastair, you can’t do that!”

Evie rose to her feet as well. “I too will resign.”

Claire stared at the woman, who turned and gave her a supportive smile. This time, there was no stopping the tears that filled her eyes.

Luke stood beside them, as did Arden. “And you’ll never get anything out of me or any more inventions from my wife.”

Ashford glared at them all before turning to the director. “What are you going to do about this, woman? I demand you take action!”

The director smiled. “I am for the agreement, and if this conclave doesn’t agree to it, you will have my resignation as well.”

The old man sputtered. “You’re doing this for her?” He gestured at Claire.

The director barely glanced at her. Instead, she nodded at Alastair. “I’m doing it for him. For all he’s done for this organization and this country, we owe him. I trust him entirely, and if he says this is something we need to do, then by God we will do it.” She sat back in her chair. “Now, shall we take a vote? All those in favor of recruiting Claire Brooks and entering into an accord with the Company say aye.”

Several hands rose—more than half. “Aye,” came the chorus of voices.

The gavel came down. The director turned to Claire. “Congratulations, Miss Brooks. You are now a Warden, and a free woman.”

A sob tore from Claire’s throat. She hadn’t expected this. She hadn’t thought . . . Suddenly she was caught up in a hug that smelled slightly of amber. It was Evie. She wrapped her arms around the other woman and hugged her fiercely.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Evie drew back with a wide grin. “I’m so happy for you.” She stepped back.

Luke was there next. He gave her a smile and a hug before moving aside for the director. “Welcome to the Wardens,” she said. “I look forward to working with you. You will be released into Alastair’s custody after all the necessary paperwork is filled out.”

The guards took her by the arms and led her from the room. She craned her neck to look over her shoulder. “Alastair?”

He looked up and smiled at her. That was the last thing she saw before the door slammed shut.

An hour later, Claire was brought to Dhanya’s office. Alastair had just finished signing the papers that made Claire his responsibility. Basically he was to be a guardian of sorts, and the person on whom all the blame would fall should she betray the Wardens. All that was left was for her to sign as well.

Her eyes were red, but she walked with a straight spine. He’d never seen her look so uncertain before. It was oddly humbling. He’d thought she was unshakeable.

Dhanya handed her a fountain pen. “If you’ll sign these papers, Miss Brooks, you can go on your way.”

Claire’s fingers shook as she accepted the pen. She looked at Alastair. “Are you certain you want to do this?”

His lips curved slightly. He’d been expecting this. “Give us a second, will you, Dhanya?”

His friend and superior nodded. “Of course. I’ll be just outside.”

When the door clicked shut, Alastair turned to Claire. “What’s the matter?”

She stared at him as though he were mad. Perhaps he was. “Alastair, think about what you’re doing.”

He shoved a hand through his hair. “I’ve done nothing but think about it for days, Claire. It was my idea to offer you a place in the Wardens so you wouldn’t be a target for other agencies. I was the one who worked out the details of trading Robert for you. I was the one who went to Paris and sat down with the Company director—who didn’t try to take my head off, I’m pleased to say. So don’t you dare ask me to think about it any further. It’s done.”

“This is a big risk you’re taking,” she informed him. “What if six months from now you decide I’m not worth the effort?”

“That won’t happen.”

“What if it does?” Her eyes were round, like saucers.

He understood what this was. She was afraid. His brave, foolish Claire, who had faced dangers that would turn most men to gelatin, was afraid of love—afraid that maybe she wasn’t worth it. He brought his hands down on her shoulders.

“I love you,” he confessed—not that she hadn’t figured that out already. “It hit me fast and hard, and I’ve tried to think my way out of it a dozen times, but that doesn’t change that I do indeed love you. I love everything about you—even the things I don’t know yet. I’m not naive enough to suppose we’ll never have troubles, but I do know that I would have never forgiven myself if I didn’t do everything in my power to give us the chance to try. Maybe it won’t last, but, Claire, what if it does ?”

As speeches went, it wasn’t his most eloquent, but she didn’t seem to mind. Tears welled up on her lashes and spilled onto her cheeks. “I don’t know what to say.”

Alastair smiled and wiped away her tears with the backs of his fingers. “Yes, you do.”

She stared at him, and his grin widened. “Do it,” he commanded, as she had to him that morning not so long ago in the little Scottish inn.

Her lips parted. “I—I love you,” she whispered.

He laughed. “Louder.”

“I love you,” she repeated, her lips curving into a smile. “It’s insane, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he agreed, wrapping his arms around her. “It is insane, and I don’t care. You’re stuck with me, Claire Brooks, for as long as you like.”

Her arms came up around his neck. “For the rest of my life.”

“Agreed.”

She pulled back and shoved her hands against his chest, knocking him back a step. “But don’t you ever take such a foolish, dangerous risk for me again! I won’t stand for it, do you hear me?”

Alastair laughed. Not even her ire could dur ime all the joy he felt at that moment. “Of course, you would never take such a risk yourself?”

Her smile faded as she lifted her hand to his face. Her palm pressed gently against his cheek. “I’d rather rot in a Warden prison than live a life without you in it.”

He swallowed, a sudden thickness in his throat. “No foolish risks. I promise.”

“Then so do I.” Her breasts pressed against his torso as he pulled her close once more. “You really want to do this?”

“I do. You?”

She nodded, pulling his head down to hers. “I do. I really do.”

And then they kissed, and nothing else mattered.

Six months later

“Amazing performance, Miss Clarke. You are the best Tatiana I’ve ever witnessed.”

Claire smiled as she accepted the bouquet of lilies the older gentleman offered her. “That’s very kind of you. Thank you so much.” She turned and gave the flowers to a girl who worked for the theater, who took them away to put them in water like the six such offerings that had come before.

She worked her way through the small crowd of theatergoers who had attended that night’s performance until finally she was alone in the dressing room. With a weary sigh, she dropped onto the stool in front of her vanity.

Shakespeare. Of all the plays she had to perform and win accolades for, why did it have to be Shakespeare? Fate had a rather ironic sense of humor, it seemed.