Heart of Steel: Steel Hawk, Book 2

by Eve Devon

  She laughed, warm and throatily, at something the British guy said. He noticed her breasts push up against the bodice of the wine-colored silk dress she wore. He noticed the guy she was talking to notice as well.

  Adam picked up his glass, swallowed back the rest of the contents, and then rose smoothly from his chair.

  He reached her in seven strides.

  Dipping his head and speaking just loudly enough in front of the other man to ensure there was no doubt that a claim was well and truly being staked, he said, “Ms. Hawk, I believe this is our dance.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Honeysuckle let herself be maneuvered onto the dance floor, and as Adam turned her and took her in his arms, she couldn’t help the “Um, you can dance?” from falling from her lips.

  “We’re about to find out.”

  They were?

  God, he looked so handsome in his tux, standing in front of her with the same look of concentration he had on his face as when he was determined to fix a problem with a design. She felt the fingers of his left hand splay against her waist and the fingers of his right hand tighten over her hand to hold her in position. Pure heat arced between waist and hand. Her free hand moved slowly up and over his shoulder to settle at his neck, millimeters from his hairline, and she saw his eyes darken.

  Why was she mad at him again?

  “Adam—”

  “Honeysuckle, do me a favor and shut up. I can’t count in my head and say what I have to say if you’re going to be talking to me.”

  “But”—she tipped her head in the direction of other couples—“do you think it’s appropriate to be dancing with your executive assistant at a public event?”

  If anything, her question seemed to put a more determined look on his face. “I don’t see a problem. Other couples are dancing. Some of them must be coworkers. Besides, you’re not going to be my executive assistant for much longer, are you?”

  This time it was she who moved in closer. As if the knowledge that soon she wouldn’t get to spend her days with him had her body deciding to take every opportunity it could get to make memories.

  “Are you?” Adam prompted, gazing down at her, his blue eyes searching.

  “I guess not,” she answered, trying desperately to get a handle on her emotions. “So, we should probably dance if that’s what we’re here to do. This is a waltz,” she said helpfully.

  Her moving against him brought Adam out of his deep thinking and shaking his head slightly as if to clear it, he said, “Right. Waltz. Know that one.”

  “You do?” She let him lead her around the floor in perfect time to the orchestra. His chest brushed against hers, reminding her of what he looked like sans shirt. Behind the interfacing fabric of her silk dress, her nipples beaded, and she started thinking that conversation was definitely the way to negate the effect his body was having on hers. Also it might keep the smitten look from her eyes. “Where did you learn to dance? I would have thought any spare time outside of education was devoted to getting lab time or coding clubs or cosplay.”

  “Ouch.” He grinned down at her. “I guess learning the basics came from Grandma Steel insisting Max and I should be able to handle any social situation. So where did you learn this type of dancing?”

  “As opposed to the nipple-tassels type?”

  “Jesus.” Adam pulled her close and whispered against her ear, “You can’t mention those here. Or around me.”

  She lifted her head forward and whispered in his ear, “Okay, Boss.”

  Adam groaned a little. “It’s not a boss thing. It’s more a…response thing.”

  His hand tightened against the small of her back, and as she brushed against him, she felt the quality of his response and felt heat wending its way up her neck to slash against her cheekbones. “Oh.”

  “Told you I was through hiding it,” Adam said with a grin that turned into a grimace as she brushed against him again.

  Honeysuckle eased the lower half of her body away slightly and looked determinedly around at the other dancing couples. After a few turns around the dance floor, she felt more in control. “So, don’t look down,” she said conversationally, “but we appear to be dancing. You appear to be dancing.”

  “Maybe it’s you. Maybe you’re inspiring me to better things.”

  “Better things, huh?” She leaned in conspiratorially and said, “Between you and me, I’m not sure this castle is ready for you to break out the Gangnam style.”

  Adam threw back his head and laughed, causing one or two other dancers to look over. “In general. I meant in general.” He brought the hand holding hers to her chin so that his fingers could tilt her head gently to look at him. “I’m sorry.”

  “What for? I can still feel all ten toes.”

  “No, I mean this is me, apologizing to you.” His thumb brushed over the fingers of her hand. “Properly. In the way you deserve. I know you didn’t take Lou’s money.”

  Honeysuckle missed a step, and Adam tugged her safely back into his strong and intoxicating embrace.

  “You definitely know that? I mean you know that in your—” She hesitated. Swallowed cautiously and forced out, “In your heart, as well as your mind? Because I know that with you, there’s a difference.”

  “I don’t know who did take that money, and I don’t care. I know you didn’t.”

  Honeysuckle whistled softly under her breath. “Dancing and an apology. I don’t quite know what to say.”

  “I figured you deserved sincerity and the grand gesture.”

  “Oh, you figured right.”

  “Something else I’ve noticed about you. You are very quick to forgive.”

  With her heart in her mouth, she answered, “Maybe that’s only with you.”

  Adam’s grin was gentle. “So you accept my apology?”

  “I’m not totally sure. Is this dance to last more than one number?”

  Adam chuckled again, the relief on his face changing him to teasing. “With this music, I can’t actually tell when one song ends and another begins, so maybe. Yeah. I’m thinking it will.”

  Honeysuckle smiled and allowed her fingers to slide that tiny millimeter into his hairline. Allowed her mind to empty and feel the music, feel Adam, feel the connection.

  She was so caught up in the moment it took her a couple of seconds to realize the room had got darker. When she opened her eyes, it was to find he had brought them to a standstill by one of the marble columns at the far end of the room. She placed her arms behind her against the cold marble and looked up at him. She licked her lips and her heart rate spiked as he tracked the movement with his gorgeous blue eyes. “We seem to have danced our way off the dance floor,” she whispered.

  “Impressed?” he asked, leaning into her.

  “Curious.”

  His smile turned into a grin, and, raising his hand, he reached out to rub the pad of his thumb against her lower lip. As if that wasn’t enough for him, he pressed in close again so that she could feel his arousal. With his lips at her ear, he whispered, “Enlightened?”

  Honeysuckle trembled as she felt the warm, moist heat of his breath. “Tempted,” she answered, turning her head to get closer, her lips wanting his. “Very, very tempted.”

  “Me too. I’ve tried. Really tried not to want this.”

  “Because?”

  “Because we work together.”

  “But I’m leaving,” she whispered back, knowing that wasn’t the only reason Adam hadn’t wanted to want this. Could she handle that and walk away afterward? It was the only way she’d get to have him, wasn’t it? If he hadn’t accepted she was truly leaving Steel Hawk, he would never let himself pursue this.

  His groan held heat and a world of delicious trouble.

  At the not-so-subtle throat clearing, Honeysuckle pushed against Adam, and he immediately sprang back from
her. Both looked up to find an amused Anton Haas standing in front of them. “I appear to have interrupted something, so I apologize. I am to escort you to your audience with Prince Zoltan.”

  Honeysuckle couldn’t look at Adam while Anton led them out of the dining hall and out into the castle courtyard.

  The clear night air made her catch her breath. Hopefully it would cool her down enough so that when she appeared before the royal couple she didn’t look like she’d been entertaining the idea of making out at a royal gala dinner.

  She dreaded to think what Anton Haas thought, and, as if he had deliberately taken them the long way to refocus their attention, he said with another hint of amusement, “It’s certainly brisk out tonight.”

  The moon was round and full, shining down on the white castle and lending it an ethereal glow, and Honeysuckle concentrated on not falling flat on her face. High heels and cobblestones did not a perfect combination make.

  Inside the seven-story part of the castle that had once been the keep, Anton greeted the two security guards and pushed the button to access the elevator.

  Honeysuckle eyed the large stone staircase with envy. She could have done with a little more time to prepare for meeting the prince and princess.

  As if Adam understood, this time it was he who brushed his fingertips against her hand. With a clutch of relief, she squeezed back and smiled at him.

  After the splendor and formal interiors of the castle, Honeysuckle didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but when the elevator doors opened, they were taken into a modern room that wouldn’t have looked out of place in any millionaire executive’s family home. Yes, there were antiques, and no doubt the art on the walls was priceless, but, essentially, the reception room screamed home comfort.

  A door to their left opened, and Prince Zoltan and his wife, Princess Izabella, entered the room. Anton bowed and said formally, “Prince Zoltan, Princess Izabella, may I present to you Adam Steel, Head of Research and Development at Steel Hawk, and his executive assistant, Honeysuckle Hawk.”

  As Prince Zoltan extended his hand, Honeysuckle bowed her head and offered a small curtsey.

  “Please,” Prince Zoltan said, “sit down. Make yourselves comfortable. It is so nice to get this chance to talk to you before the ceremony takes place.”

  “On behalf of my brother, the CEO of Steel Hawk, and all our staff,” Adam offered, “I would like to thank you for allowing us the privilege of providing the security case for the Pasha Star.”

  “Not at all. Once the Pasha Star has been presented to me in the cathedral, it will immediately be placed under armed guard led by Anton,” the prince said, gesturing to include Anton Haas in the conversation, “and brought to the castle throne room for placing inside the security case. I did want to enquire how you can have utmost faith your case won’t be tampered with while you are watching the ceremony.”

  “I have means of ensuring I am notified if the security case is touched before I get there. May I ask—do you expect an incident with the security case?”

  “I pray that there is not. And I trust Anton implicitly.” The prince hesitated and then added, “I am also aware of the circumstances of your supplying the case for tomorrow. The fact the Pasha Star is only on public display for the second time in its history and is being protected by the same company is exciting to a lot of people. But then there is the matter of the book.”

  “You are thinking that perhaps the book always intended to bring us here? That the book was meant as a direct threat to the company,” Adam said.

  “It is a theory, yes.”

  “I happen to agree with your theory,” Adam replied, and Honeysuckle thought, no wonder he’d wanted to discount Lou having anything to do with what happened in her apartment. He’d been thinking bigger than someone using scandal to upset the share price.

  “Then you must also agree, given the relationship between Zarrenburg and Steel Hawk since 1851, that there is another theory we should prepare for.”

  Honeysuckle followed the prince’s thinking and said, “That the book is, in fact, an indirect threat to Zarrenburg, or at least one that leads to an attempt on the Pasha Star?”

  “Yes, Ms. Hawk. Do you agree?”

  Honeysuckle’s mind raced. “I think if someone is using the company to get to the Pasha Star, they are going to be sorely disappointed. The case Mr. Steel has designed is—”

  “Impenetrable? Nothing is completely impenetrable, Ms. Hawk.”

  Honeysuckle’s heart gave an absurd little leap. If that was true, then maybe Adam’s heart wasn’t impenetrable either.

  “I do, however,” the prince continued, “have faith in Steel Hawk.”

  “If someone is using us,” Adam intoned with steely confidence, “you can also have faith that we will discover who it is and take care of the matter.”

  “We conducted a preliminary investigation into known threats to the royal house, but nothing turned up,” Anton Haas admitted. “Now it is imperative we use every available resource to ensure the coronation ceremony is safe and secure.”

  “You are doing all that you can do,” Adam said, and Honeysuckle sat quietly, assimilating the message the royal house was trying to convey. The message Adam had received clearly.

  No one knew where the threat was coming from, but Steel Hawk should be as prepared as they could be for something to happen.

  “We are informed,” Princess Izabella said, “that you asked for permission to access our records while you are here.”

  Honeysuckle turned to address the princess. “I hope to research the book’s claims against official records both in London and here. Our company lawyer, Edward Long, is in London now investigating the allegations leveled against Nathaniel Hawk.”

  “A good idea. You should also speak with the records librarian and our royal biographer. Gustav Ambrus can arrange that for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I understand it was Edward Long who contacted the castle when he knew the book was coming out?” Adam queried, and Honeysuckle shot him a sidelong glance. Where was he going with this? He couldn’t possibly think one of their own was involved.

  “You would need to check specifics with Gustav.”

  “Of course. I shall do that.”

  “We have been associated with Steel Hawk since 1851 and wish to continue the association,” Prince Zoltan said. “If something were to occur on Zarrenburg territory, you will have our full support.”

  Honeysuckle prayed that if they uncovered anything at all, it would be someone who had a grudge, seizing their chance to ruin Steel Hawk’s reputation.

  But if that was the best-case scenario, imagining all the possible worst-case scenarios had apprehension forming and twisting inside her.

  Tomorrow, the world was going to be watching while two families did what they had been doing for hundreds of years—one’s history and destiny was to rule, the other to watch and secure.

  It was going to have to be enough.

  * * * * *

  In her room, Honeysuckle removed her earrings and dropped them on the nightstand beside her bed.

  The royal meeting had made her realize there was a very real possibility this wasn’t going to end with the coronation going off without a hitch and her and Adam leaving after the ball in the knowledge the diamond was safe for its two-week duration of display.

  The gnawing worry wasn’t going to help Adam, though. She needed to be practical and see this through to the end.

  There was a soft knock on her door, and she looked up. “Come in,” she said, walking to the foot of the four-poster bed.

  The door was pushed open, and Adam stood leaning against the frame. Minus tux jacket and with bow tie hanging open and top button of his shirt undone, he looked ruffled and… How could it be, she thought, that in the midst of discovering there might be real danger involved
with securing the Pasha Star, she could take one look at him and all that could fade into the background.

  “You okay?” he asked softly.

  She nodded, unconsciously moving to mimic his stance by leaning with her back against the bedpost. “Why did you mention Edward in that meeting?”

  “I wanted to double-check exactly who it was that had placed us in this position.”

  “Do you really think Edward might have something to do with this?”

  One of his shoulders hiked up in a shrug. “Is the idea so very far-fetched?”

  “Edward is one of us.”

  “He’s not a Steel or a Hawk.”

  “As good as,” she defended, and his eyebrows drew together in a frown before he nodded.

  “I know. Do you think I want to believe one of our own could have organized that book to come out, delved into our pasts to come up with the juiciest bits, and then revealed them to the world? Do you think I want to believe someone hates us that much? Or that one of our own has manipulated us?” He stared down at his feet as if weighing whether to say what was on his mind. “Do you remember when you said that it felt like something bad was about to go down at Steel Hawk?”

  “Yes.”

  “How long had you been feeling like that? Was it the reason you decided to leave?”

  “No. God, Adam, if I had suspicions—serious concerns that something was happening within Steel Hawk before that day—I’d have come to you and told you. As locked in to your work as you get, I’d have found a way to make you listen. I know how much Steel Hawk means to you.”

  He stepped away from the doorframe and wandered over to the dressing table to poke at the flat-nosed pliers she’d taken out to attach her chain to the Steel Hawk key. “I’ve been thinking something hasn’t been quite right at Steel Hawk for a while.”

  Honeysuckle’s eyes widened. No wonder he’d started acting so strangely when she’d announced she was leaving.

  He looked up from the dressing table to stare at her. “And I can’t help noticing that it was Edward who helped Max and me set up an internal audit of the company, and that it was Edward who organized for us to come to Zarrenburg.”