Chapter 5
“Thank you for today,” Sam said, holding Claudia’s gaze.
Her eyes widened. “It was just a fitting.”
“It was a lot more than that,” he said. “You walked into something that wasn’t comfortable for you, yet you did it anyway.”
Color touched her cheeks. She looked like she might deflect, then decided against it. “You’re welcome. But it’s really me who should be thanking you for the clothes. I’ve never had such beautiful or expensive stuff in my life.”
The mail clerk’s rolling cart squeaked outside the conference room’s door as it passed, a reminder that the building was still alive and busy. That seemed to shake them both out of the intimate mood that had been created when everyone else left and it was just the two of them in the room.
Sam cleared his throat. “I’ll be over tomorrow night after dinner.”
“Good.” Her gaze flicked to the windows and back. “I won’t take up too much of your time.”
“Don’t worry about that. It’ll be good to sleep in my own bed for a change,” he quipped.
That earned him the ghost of a smile. “It seems like you’re never home.”
She seemed to realize the observation was bordering on the nosey, so she blushed, and he was enchanted. She really was the most attractive woman he’d ever met.
He should leave. He knew it. He should tell her to get some rest and get on with his day. He had meetings booked solid all afternoon and evening.
Instead, he found himself moving closer without crowding her, close enough to see the pale crescent scar near her wrist. He wanted to know how she’d gotten that mark but didn’t ask. He was close enough to catch the clean, quiet scent of her magic, like rain on warm stone.
“Do you know anything about boats?” he asked, grasping for a topic. “I was thinking of giving you credentials from Kinkaid Maritime. Would that work?”
“Monaco is on the water. Luckily, I grew up in Galveston, and my daddy had a boat that he’d charter out for fishing trips and excursions. I helped crew it for him during my teen years, and I picked up a lot.”
He’d known that from her file, but it was good to hear the confidence in her voice.
“Monaco is known for the rich and famous that gather there. They have expensive tastes in everything from cars, to clothes, to their yachts, so you may be questioned on your maritime knowledge if someone wants to be obnoxious.”
“Don’t worry. I can handle it, though I’m not very familiar with yachts. I know the water, the tides, sailing and fishing. I’ve even done maintenance and repairs, but never on some super-fancy yacht. Just regular ol’ working boats and pleasure craft.”
“Good enough,” he assured her. “You can familiarize yourself with Kinkaid Maritime’s business model and operations over the next week. You could even call my cousin, Deidre, to get her perspective since she’s spearheading a new branch in the UK.”
“I’ll do that,” Claudia assured him.
The air between them tightened in a way that felt like the start of a storm far off the coast. Manageable at this distance. Catastrophic if you sailed straight for it without a plan.
Her phone vibrated on the table. She checked the screen. “Granny Tucker needs me to call her back.”
“Best not keep her waiting then.” He regretted that their time together was coming to an end.
They walked to the door together. He stood back to let her exit first. She stepped into the hall and paused. He didn’t move.
“See you tomorrow, Alpha,” she said.
“It’s Sam, Claudia. Call me Sam.”
She sucked in a breath but nodded before turning to leave. She went down the hall with that quick, economical stride he had come to recognize. No wasted steps. No sway for show. She disappeared into the office he’d had cleared for her use and closed the door behind herself.
He stood near the conference room a moment longer, then went down the hall into his own office and crossed to the window. Houston’s grid spread out in ordered lines, glass and steel, and the slow pulse of a city that never really slept.
He texted Barbara a thank-you, then pocketed his phone and watched his own reflection settle into the glass. He could feel his lion watching from inside his skin, calm and certain. Because the hunt had finally begun and was moving in the right direction.
Claudia made it back to her office and closed the door with a little more force than necessary. Her hands were shaking.
Call me Sam.
Three words. That was all it had taken to completely unravel the careful professional distance she’d been trying to maintain. Three words in that rough, warm voice of his, and her pulse was still racing like she’d run a marathon.
She pressed her palms flat against the cool surface of her desk and took three measured breaths.
This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman, a trained mage, not some teenager with a crush.
Except that was exactly what she had felt like standing in the hallway with Sam looking at her like she was more than just a consultant he’d hired.
Her phone buzzed again. Granny Tucker. Right. Work. She could focus on work.
“Hello, Granny,” she answered, grateful for the distraction.
“How did the fitting go?” The old woman’s voice was warm with knowing amusement.
“You know very well how it went since you just tuned my shields,” Claudia accused. “You probably felt the magical ripples from clear across town.”
Granny’s laugh was delighted. “I felt something, that’s for certain. Though I’m not sure it was entirely magical in nature.”
“I’m not discussing this with you.”
“Of course not, dear. I’m sure everything is perfectly professional between you and that handsome Alpha.”
Claudia pinched the bridge of her nose. “Was there an actual reason you called, or did you just want to tease me?”
“Can’t it be both?” Granny paused, then her tone shifted to something more serious. “Actually, I wanted to check on the protective items you’re preparing for him. Have you decided on the final configurations?”
Business. Thank goodness. Claudia sank into her desk chair and pulled her notebook closer.
“I’ve prepared cufflinks, a tie tack, and a money clip.
I had enough gold for those, and I think the work is good enough to pass as normal accessories for him.
I’ve already put enchantments into their making, but I’ll add some more tonight.
I want them to be subtle, but strong enough to deflect most common magical attacks. ”
“What about detection spells?”
“I’ll weave something into the money clip. If he’s near active magic, it will vibrate in his pocket. Nothing obvious, but enough that he’ll notice if he’s paying attention.”
“Smart girl. And for yourself?”
Claudia had been thinking about that. “I already have my rings. I think they’re good enough.
I also have my gold bangle bracelets, and I’ll put enchantments on whatever fancy jewels Barbara hires to go with my new couture wardrobe, after I cleanse them of anything that might already be on them, of course. ”
“Good plan. What about that hair pin design you were talking about before I sent you to the Kinkaids? Did you ever have time to finish it?”
“Almost. I’ll try to get that done before we leave. I’m heading back to the guest house after I make a call to Sam’s cousin, Deidre, about the maritime business.” She hesitated. “Granny, am I making a mistake going to Monaco with him?”
The line was quiet for a moment. When Granny spoke again, her voice was gentle. “The only mistake would be lying to yourself about why you’re going. Are you doing this purely for the mission, Claudia? Or is there more to it?”
The question hung in the air, uncomfortable and unavoidable. Claudia thought about Sam in that conference room, the way he’d looked at her in those dresses. The way her magic had hummed in response to his presence.
“I don’t know,” she admitted quietly.
“Then maybe Monaco is exactly where you need to be to figure it out.” Granny’s tone brightened. “Now, go make your call and finish those pieces. And Claudia? Let yourself feel what you feel. Fighting your fate, whatever that may be, will only make things harder.”
After they hung up, Claudia sat for a long moment, staring at her desk. Through her closed door, she could hear the muted sounds of the office carrying on with business as usual. Phones ringing, voices in the hallway, the distant ding of the elevator.
Sam would be in meetings for the rest of the day. Gavin had mentioned something about back-to-back calls with their international operations. She probably wouldn’t run into him again today. That was good. She needed space to think, to get her head back on straight.
She pulled up Deidre’s number and hit send.
“Claudia. How nice to hear from you.” Deidre’s voice came through warm and friendly. “Sam said you might call. How can I help?”
For the next forty minutes, Claudia absorbed everything Deidre could tell her about Kinkaid Maritime. The business model, the types of vessels they operated, the services they provided to oil platforms. Deidre was patient and thorough, answering questions Claudia didn’t even know she needed to ask.
“You’ll do fine,” Deidre assured her at the end. “Just remember, confidence is half the battle with the rich types. If you act like you belong there, they’ll believe you do.”
“Thanks, Deidre. I appreciate the crash course.”
“Anytime. And Claudia? Sam’s a good man.
One of the best. Whatever you two are walking into in Monaco, he’ll have your back.
And we’re not too far away as the crow flies, or the shark swims. Miguel and I can be off the coast and able to back you up, if needed.
All you need to do is call, and we’ll swim in. ”
That was news to Claudia, though Sam had told her that Deidre was a selkie, and her new mate was a hammerhead shark shifter.
They were both formidable and would be good to have on hand in a crisis.
The fact that Deidre was so willing to act as backup for not just her cousin, but for Claudia, meant a lot.