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“Since you two are engaged, I’m sure Claire told you about her...troubles.” Spencer touched her cheek with the smooth tip of his middle finger. “She’s worked hard to come back from those dark days, but she’s still a little shaky.”
Claire reared back from him, hot rage thumping through her veins. “I am not...shaky.”
Mike put his arm around her shoulders and brushed past Spencer still perched on the bottom step. “Claire’s fine. We’re going to check on Ethan.”
She preceded Mike up the staircase, her body trembling with anger. When they got to the second-floor landing, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the library.
She shut the door behind them and leaned against it, her eyes closed, her breath coming out in short spurts. “Bastard!”
Mike took her by the shoulders. “Don’t let him get to you.”
Her eyes flew open at the same time they flooded with tears. “You know what he’s talking about, don’t you? You, Prospero, would’ve checked me out thoroughly before taking this assignment.”
Pulling her close, he whispered in her ear, “Anyone would’ve had a breakdown, Claire. He’s a jerk for bringing it up, especially when you’re asking honest questions, but we already know that.”
“Y-you know he had me committed? They took Ethan away from me.”
His arms tightened around her and she melted against his solid chest, allowing herself a moment of weakness. He rested his cheek against the top of her head. “It must’ve been tough, but I don’t think anyone who knew your situation would think you’re crazy. What you discovered on those two videos has real merit.”
She pressed her nose against his shirt and sniffled. “I’m sorry. That’s twice today I got weepy and used you as a tissue.”
Smiling a crooked smile, he looked down into her eyes. “I don’t mind. I’ve been used in worse ways.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him and he laughed. “Wait. That didn’t come out right.”
“Okay, let’s go see Ethan.” She took a long, shuddering breath.
They hesitated outside Ethan’s door, which had been left open a crack, and Claire practiced her brightest smile.
Mike nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.
She scooped in a breath before pushing open the door. If she did have another breakdown, at least she had the right man on hand to catch her.
Chapter Six
The following morning Mike jogged downstairs, leaving Claire in Ethan’s bedroom. Mother and son should have some alone time before the boy left for the holidays. Claire hoped to be able to join Ethan in Colorado for Christmas, and maybe that was where she belonged, away from this craziness.
If Prospero came back with any kind of match between the two men in the video, the agents could handle it from there. Claire needed a break from all this, and maybe once he retired he could do a little skiing in Colorado. That wouldn’t be too obvious, would it? He’d already kind of bonded with Ethan last night over that cupcake.
He pushed through the dining room doors and Correll popped up from where he’d been...hovering over Lori Seaver, Ethan’s nanny.
“Good morning.” He pulled out a chair across from the two of them as a quick blush stained Lori’s cheeks. Had Correll been putting moves on the nanny?
“Just giving Lori some skiing tips. Do you ski, Mitch?”
“I do, took it up as an adult.” In fact, skiing and snowboarding had been part of his training with Prospero. His family could’ve never afforded a sport like skiing. Hell, his family couldn’t have afforded sending him downhill in an inner tube.
“So did I.” Correll pushed off the table where he’d been parked next to Lori and tapped his nose. “I think you and I are alike in a lot of ways, Mitch.”
Mitch swallowed a mouthful of coffee too fast and burned the roof of his mouth, but he kept a straight face. “Poor boy making it good?”
“Something like that.” Correll narrowed his dark eyes as he studied Mike.
God, the man thought he was marrying Claire for her money. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad cover story.
Liz, the maid from yesterday, came in from the kitchen bearing a plate of food. Couldn’t these people get their own damned food? He and Correll were nothing alike since it seemed the senator had adapted easily to being waited on by the minions that kept his life running like a well-oiled machine.
