This story copyright © 2003 Mia McCroskey
The characters from The Avengers and other sources are the property of their respective owners.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] people have read this story since April 2004
Steed is interested in demolition
Emma invests in real estate
Chapter 12
"Come in Steed," Emma said as she opened the door to her apartment and stepped aside for him to enter. He took in her black velvet dress and upswept hair and smiled appreciatively. Her makeup subtly emphasized her fine bone structure and beautiful eyes.
"You're radiant," he said, taking her hand to kiss it. Then his eyes alighted on the one ornament that she'd allowed herself. He raised his hand to her throat to touch one of the three deep red rubies set in platinum. "You still have this," he said wondrously. His eyes flicked to hers and saw that she was pleased he'd noticed.
"I put in my box at the bank when Peter came back. I couldn't wear it. He would have asked where it came from," she said.
"I'm glad that it wasn't lost in the explosion," he said, his finger tracing the chain across her throat. "And I'm glad you're wearing it tonight."
"I thought when you gave it to me that it was such an extravagant gift," she said, inclining her head a little and looking into his eyes. He smiled and slipped his hand to the back of her neck.
"I had a lot of competition -- all those flowers from the other agents," he said and she leaned into his hand and laughed.
"Yes, I'm sure you were threatened by their attentions to me," she said with more than a hint of sarcasm.
"There were a lot of flowers," he said.
"Which were completely irrelevant and you knew it," she said. "But I did enjoy that weekend, and this necklace. I'm glad it wasn't lost, too."
He leaned close and placed a light kiss on her lips, being careful not to smudge her lipstick.
"Come on, Mrs. Peel, let's go announce our engagement."
James Bond finished his martini and set the glass back on the bar. So much for liquid courage, he thought as he checked his appearance in the mirror behind the bar. He was still anxious about seeing Sally at Steed and Emma's engagement party. Would she bring Terrance? Would he be able to keep himself from strangling the young man?
He'd come back from his mission four days ago and found the invitation in his mail. He'd phoned immediately, apologizing for the late response. Steed had been typically gracious. Now that he was here in the restaurant he was having second thoughts. He knew that all of the inevitable, tedious comparisons between him and Steed would be made, and countless self-proclaimed wits would ask him when he would admit that there was a woman for him somewhere. They all conveniently forgot that there had once been, and that he'd learned the cruelest lesson years ago. He sincerely hoped that neither Steed nor Emma would ever have to learn it too.
With a resigned sigh he headed for the steps to the private party room upstairs. He'd watched quite a few people -- both familiar faces and strangers -- ascend them while he sipped his martini in a dim corner of the bar. He'd been quite startled when Mother himself had wheeled in with his four-man escort. The hand picked bodyguards had carried the invalid up the stairs so discretely no one else in the bar had noticed. Rhonda however, climbing up behind Mother, had looked directly at James and nodded. Now there was a woman who noticed everything.
Sally checked her makeup one last time before putting on her coat and picking up the sweet little evening bag that Purdey had loaned her. News of Steed and Emma's engagement had spread through the ministry faster than the daily security codes. She had seen little purpose in denying that she was invited to the engagement party, although she had not told any of the other trainees that she was in the wedding party.
She'd been puzzled by some of the gossip she'd heard. Many long-time ministry employees spoke knowingly about the couple, claiming that they'd been sure all along that it would happen. But it was the others, both men and women, who smirked and observed that Steed, or Emma, was very lucky indeed. Sally had a sense that they were speaking of intimate matters. She knew Steed's reputation as a lady's man was deserved, but she could not understand how anyone could claim intimate knowledge of Emma, who Sally was positive had never pursued romantic relationships beyond Steed, and her former husband. But Sally hadn't yet heard anyone making such comments who she knew well enough to question about it.
Her shoes, borrowed from Meg, were too tight. Sitting on the underground she lifted her heels out of them to ease the pressure on her toes. She had debated inviting Terrance -- she knew he would have been welcome -- but she would have had to explain who Steed and Emma were, and it was likely that the Knight employees at the party would mention her departure from the firm. So she'd decided to tell him it was a work function and go alone. As for James, well, as far as she knew he was still on assignment. She had schooled herself not to think about him over the last three weeks.
She pulled open the door to the restaurant and stepped into the warmth generated by bodies and cooking. A young woman her age took her coat and handed her a claim check. The hostess directed her toward a staircase behind the bar. As she reached the bottom step a man in a suit emerged from among those clustered around the bar. He apologized to a woman whom he had just squeezed past, then turned toward the stairs and Sally.
All of her forbearance evaporated under his singular glance.
"James," she said, almost a whisper.
"Sally," he replied, equally softly. Someone in the crowd behind him jostled him and he was pushed so close to her she had to look up to maintain their stare. She could smell his scent, aftershave and shampoo and clean clothes, and the subtle, sensuous muskiness that was more a sensation than an actual smell. She swallowed hard and resisted the urge to reach up and caress his face.
He stared at her a moment longer, then glanced behind her and frowned.
"Are you alone?" he asked abruptly.
The familiar twinkle in his eyes made her heart race. The memories she'd repressed of his hands on her, the feel of him inside of her, crashed through the thin barriers in her mind and she swallowed again.
"Not anymore," she said, hearing hopefulness in her voice. "Are you?"
To her delight, he smiled happily and turned to climb the stairs, placing a hand on the small of her back.
"Not anymore," he agreed, his face so close to her ear she shivered with hopeful anticipation.
"Who is that attractive couple?" Amanda asked Emma. American agents Lee Stetson and Amanda King had surprised Steed by accepting the engagement party invitation and flying to London for a few days. They had all agreed not to tell Emma. They'd appeared in the restaurant to Emma's complete surprise and Steed's amusement. She was already plotting out everything that she needed Amanda to do during the four days that her American friend would be in town. She followed Amanda's glance and frowned, unable to identify the couple Amanda meant.
"Where?" she asked.
"The man with the dark hair and perfect smile, and the young woman with the long, strawberry blond hair? She's a bit younger than him, I suppose, but they look very happy," Amanda replied. Emma's gaze fell on the two people Amanda was describing.
"I'll kill him," she growled.
"Why?"
"That's Sally."
"Your assistant?"
"My former assistant. She's in the ministry training program now. And he is James Bond."
"The agent? I've heard of him," Amanda nodded.
"I'll bet."
"He seems very attentive to her. What's the problem?"
"He's very attentive to whatever woman is handy."
"Does she know that?"
"Everyone knows that."
"And you're feeling protective. But shouldn't you let her make her own decisions? Don't you think she needs to learn to if she's going to become an agent herself?"
"I don't want her to be hurt. If it weren't for me she'd be safe with her family in her village, not here in a room full of operatives."
Amanda studied Emma for a moment, then looked back at Sally and James. "It's not about them, is it?" she asked. Emma frowned at her. "Steed lives a dangerous life and so do you. It's terrifying to commit to someone whose work is deadly. If you are having second thoughts, walk away, but don't project your fears onto Sally."
"I am not having second thoughts about Steed," Emma snapped, and Amanda smiled. It was the response she'd expected.
"So you must accept that Sally's choices are not your responsibility, Emma. In fact, as you have so correctly pointed out to me in the past, her personal life is none of your business," Amanda said as gently as she could.
"What's none of Mrs. Peel's business?" Steed asked, stepping up on Emma's right and handing her a glass full of ice and clear liquid. "Soda," he added quietly.
She took a sip and gave Steed an appraising look. "That James has seduced Sally," she said. Amanda's eyes widened and Emma realized that she had not understood the extent of James and Sally's relationship.
"Ah, that," Steed said, smiling mildly at her own surprised look.
"How long have you known?" she asked rather too sharply.
"I have suspected since the night he returned your father's painting to you. There was something between them then."
Emma stared at him, once again amazed at how much he noticed and how little he discussed.
"Amanda is correct. It is not your business, darling. Sally is capable of managing her own affairs."
"Sally should not be having affairs," Emma retorted, turning back toward where Sally and James had been standing. To her embarrassed surprise, Sally had vanished and James was approaching them. She schooled her expression as best she could, but she could tell from the look James gave her that her anger was evident.
"Welcome back, James. We're very glad you could join us," Steed said, shaking James's outstretched hand. "Allow me to introduce Mrs. Amanda King."
To Emma's consternation, Amanda, greeted James pleasantly and accepted his habitual flattery. Amanda's opinions on sex were very conservative, so Emma had expected an ally.
"Emma," James raised her hand to his lips, then looked into her eyes appealingly. "I met Sally on the way in," he said, "but she was called away by someone just now. She has developed quite a circle of friends among this crowd."
Emma nodded, eyeing James carefully. His message was clear -- he had not arrived with Sally, and despite Amanda's supposition, he was not here as her date. He had, apparently, acceded to her wishes.
"We really are glad you got back in time to come, James," she said graciously. She saw relief suffuse his face. Then she saw Sally coming toward them with Nancy in tow.
"Here she is," Steed said cheerfully, watching them as well. When the two women reached them Steed performed the introductions. Sally greeted Amanda, with whom she'd spoken over the phone, warmly. Nancy greeted Amanda politely but with her usual assessing look. She also studied James with interest until she saw James smile at Sally. Emma saw it too -- a look that reminded her of one Steed reserved for her -- full of promise and joy. Sally, she saw, returned it with her own open, endearing smile.
Nancy, clearly on a mission, quickly maneuvered Amanda and Sally away to discuss "wedding business," James's eyes followed them before turning back to his hosts and meeting Emma's calculating expression. But Steed had been observing all of them. He wasted no time leaning close to James.
"Be careful, my friend. It's addicting when one gets through to you," he said so quietly Emma almost couldn't hear him.
"I know," James replied, and Steed looked embarrassed.
"Forgive me," he said, regretting stirring painful memories.
James sucked in a quick breath and forced a smile at Steed and then Emma before glancing at their mostly full glasses.
"I need a drink," he said, nodding curtly and striding away.
"Addicting, did you say?" Emma asked. Steed's hand pressed against the small of her back and he smiled pleasantly at her.
"I prefer intoxicating, actually," he said and she couldn't help responding to his private little leer with a smirk. "I may be wrong," he went on, "but I think our Sally has the tiger by the tail, so to speak."
"It never occurred to me that he might be seriously interested in her," Emma admitted. "He might have said so."
"And you might have minded your own business, darling."
"Perhaps you should find a different intoxicant this evening," she retorted, one eyebrow arched meaningfully.
"Forgive me," he quickly replied, a mocking smile showing he recognized that the phrase was becoming a habit. She simply couldn't stay annoyed with him. She raised one hand to his face, thinking to steal a discrete little kiss, just as a burst of activity erupted at the top of the stairs.
"My sister has arrived," Steed said without looking at the source of the disturbance.
"Then I'll save this for later," Emma replied, moving away from him toward the stairs to greet the Hills.
"If I may have your attention," Steed rose from his seat beside Emma at the head of the u-shaped table. The dinner guests quieted, and waiters began making their way around topping off champagne glasses.
"We have invited you all here to make an announcement that some people have been heard to say is long in coming," Steed went on, letting his gaze stop on some of the people in question. "I, for one, have to agree." This brought a ripple of chuckles and murmurs from the guests. "Second chances are rare, but when Mrs. Peel re-entered my life a year ago, she offered me one. Quite suddenly the sacrifices that I had been so loathe to make three years before were as nothing in comparison to the joy of her companionship." He looked down at her, taking her hand in his and smiling into her eyes. He faced the guests again and raised his glass. "To Emma Knight, who, to my great relief, has consented to be my wife."
A chorus of "To Emma" and "here, here," echoed around the room as the guests sipped their champagne. Steed squeezed her hand and Emma rose beside him.
"Your turn," he whispered into her ear.
She picked up her glass and looked into Steed's eyes, basking in the affection she found there and buffered by the humor. The guests hushed again expectantly.
"John Steed," she said, slowly turning to look out across the table, "is a very difficult man to pin down."
Most of the guests laughed outright and Steed ducked his head in acquiescence.
"Some time shortly after he dragged me into his unsavory business, I realized that I wanted him, and his mad life, to be a part of mine." She looked back at Steed, her expression growing serious. "For a time I thought it could never be," she paused, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. Steed nodded encouragement and she blinked. He was amazed to see that she was fighting tears.
"But my father taught me to make my opportunities, and never to accept an unacceptable situation. So I took the necessary action and cast my lot in with this man again. There are those," she glanced around the table, finding Freddy Leighton sitting with Nancy, his right arm still strapped across his waist. "Who have attempted to show me the folly of my choice," her gaze paused again, this time on Edmond Stanton. "But you don't know John Steed the way I know him. Every moment that we have together is worth the struggle. He is everything to me. To John Steed, who will soon be my husband and has long been my love."
There were several sniffles in the room as the guests joined in her toast. Emma set her glass down and faced Steed.
"I think this is an appropriate moment to kiss, darling," she said, putting her hands on his upper arms. He nodded and put his hands on her waist, then pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that was somewhere between chaste and deeply romantic, and hinted at the passion they shared. There was scattered applause among the guests.
"I knew it!" some one called out, "they were more than just good friends!" This generated another ripple of laughter and Emma turned toward the general direction of the anonymous speaker.
"But that has always been true, we are good friends," she said. "The best of friends, in fact."
"How are you getting home," James leaned close to Sally's ear to ask. She set down her coffee cup and turned her head to face him. She'd been thinking the very same thing. His hand had been on her thigh for the past fifteen minutes, encouraged by the caress of her toes on his ankle. She would never admit that she'd taken her shoes of because her feet were aching in them.
"I hadn't planned," she said truthfully, although she had taxi money in her bag. The ministry training program compensated the candidates at about the same rate as her entry-level job at Knight, so taxi fare was an extravagance and she'd hoped to find a less expensive but equally safe mode of transport. But she knew very well that accepting a ride with James would not take her home, but to his penthouse.
"I'll take you," he said, and as if reading her mind he added, "to your flat." She felt herself blush. She'd miscalculated. James was a gentleman at heart and would never force her to sleep with him if she chose not to.
"Will you take me to yours?" she asked. His eyes sparkled above a delighted smile and the hand on her thigh squeezed lightly.
"We'll meet you at your hotel tomorrow at ten, then," Emma said to Lee and Amanda. "We'll all have lunch at the restaurant in the village -- I'll call ahead."
"I can't wait," Amanda said.
"Would you mind more company on this expedition?" Steed asked, stepping up with his sister and brother-in-law.
"We would like to come see the house too," Caroline explained. Emma nodded enthusiastically.
"That would be delightful," she said, glancing at Steed as he slipped his hand into hers. He wore a happy, almost absent smile. He was, she realized completely worn out from the stress of playing host to friends, colleagues, and family. She squeezed his hand encouragingly, hoping to lend him strength as he so often did her.
"Apparently we're staying in the same hotel," Caroline added, looking at Lee and Amanda. "Do you think John was thinking ahead when he suggested it?"
Steed's smile brightened. "It did occur to me that Mrs. Peel would want to show off the house to all of you," he said.
"Really John, when are you going to stop calling her that?" Caroline scolded. Emma studied him with a particularly curious expression while the other three looked rather shocked at Steed's sister's forwardness. For his part, Steed just looked surprised.
"Why, never," he said with a little shrug. Emma's face turned affectionate and she slipped her arm around his waist.
"It's all right, Caro. I'm quite used to it. From Steed it's more like an endearment than a name."
Caroline shook her head ruefully. "Well, I'm for my bed. It's been lovely, you two. As you know, we fall into the ëit's about time' category of your guests," she said. Then she leaned close to kiss both Emma and Steed on the cheek. Harry did the same, winking at Emma as he followed his wife toward the stairs.
"Us too, I think," Lee said, watching them go. Looking around he realized that he and Amanda were the last of the guests.
Walking with the other couple toward the stairs Emma tried to remember whether she'd seen James and Sally leave, and if they'd gone together. The she looked at the back of Amanda's head and forced herself to stop thinking about it. They're right. It is none of my business.
Sally lay on her back, one hand under her head, the other on her bare stomach, staring at the closed bathroom door where James had disappeared. Her body was completely sated, her nostrils filled with their combined erotic scents, her groin warm and moist from their lovemaking. She bent one knee up to ease her lower back and closed her eyes. For the first time since that first time with James, tears rose unbidden to her eyes. Damn him. I'll never get over him at this rate.
Then he was back beside her, stretching out on his side, head on hand, looking down at her. His other hand covered hers on her stomach. She turned her head to look at him and was surprised that his contented expression had been replaced with concern.
"Am I sick, James? I want you, but when I'm with him I want him," she said. He smiled, understanding displacing the concern.
"You're a normal, healthy young woman, Sally," he said gently. "Being involved with two men is not so bad," he added, but he didn't sound so assured.
"I don't know what to do," she sighed, willing herself to stop talking. At least stop talking to the cause of her turmoil.
"Tell me how you feel about me," he said. Her eyes widened in surprise, but he looked completely serious, almost anxious again.
"Oh no," she shook her head, forcing herself to smile at him, to make light of it all. She desperately wanted to achieve the suave detachment that he was known for. "Emma's right. If I give you my heart, you'll break it," she said.
He stared into her eyes for a moment and she felt apprehension growing. She could not imagine what he was thinking and it frightened her.
"If you don't give me your heart, you may very well break mine," he finally said. And now she stared at him for a long while before slowly taking her hand out from under her head and reaching for him. She rolled onto her side to face him and ran her fingers into his hair.
"Should I believe you?" she asked, desperate to let go. She wanted to let herself feel the joy that was welling up within, but months of training, both before and after entering the ministry's program, had taught her to guard herself carefully. James wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him, but not kissing her. He held his face back from hers in order to speak. But the feel of his body against hers was so distracting she could barely concentrate on his words.
"You aren't an enemy agent, so I think it's fair to assume I don't have an ulterior motive," he said. "How do you feel about me, Sally?"
"I'm crazy about you, James. And you know it," she confessed, amazed at how easy it was to say. Probably because it wasn't the real words, not the three little words.
"Good, because I'm rather overly fond of you," he replied, and suddenly she felt empty. She thought of Emma's stories of her earlier life with Steed, of the endless circling around their feelings. It all seemed so exhausting.
"James," she said. He paused, his lips nearly touching hers. He pulled back a little to look into her eyes again. "What I meant to say," she cleared her throat, "is, I'm in love with you."
For a moment he seemed frozen and the emptiness spread. He didn't want that. He doesn't love me, and it's too much, too real. She broke his stare, looking instead at his mouth. Then it opened and he spoke.
"I love you too, Sally," he whispered. "God help me, I do."
"Ummmm, what time is it darling?" Emma put her hand over Steed's on the thatch of reddish brown curls between her thighs. His fingers were tickling between the lips of her labia and she didn't really want to resist. But they had people to meet, places to go.
"Early," he muttered into her ear, his words like feathery tickles that made her tingle all over. Or maybe it was his fingers.
They'd fallen into his bed after separate showers last night, both too exhausted to do more than kiss one another good night. Emma had long ago come to understand that sex after a rest was better than sex after a tiring social event. She'd drifted off fantasizing about what they'd do in the morning. But now it was morning and she did not want to be late meeting the Stetsons and the Hills. But if Steed says it's early, she sighed, parting her legs to his fingers and enjoying the pressure of his erection against her ass. He was kissing her back and shoulders, his fingers leaving her genitals to caress her breast. She reached back to run her hand up and down his flank, then carefully search for his hard penis. He moaned and pinched her nipple when her fingers found it. She smiled as he compulsively pressed against her. Sensing that he was more ready than she was, she brought her other hand to her vagina, slipping two fingers in to take up where he'd left off, timing light strokes with his kisses and pinches on her breast.
"What are you doing," he whispered between kisses at the back of her neck, his hand sliding down as if to catch her in the act, which he did. She felt his penis throb against her and she smiled again. "Let me," he demanded and she understood that his ego was bruised.
"I like what you were doing," she pointed out. "It felt good, both at once."
"Are you suggesting that I don't have enough hands to satisfy you?" he chuckled, lifting his torso to free his other arm, then snaking it around under her chest and bending his elbow sharply so that his fingers just touched her nipple.
"Try it the other way round," she suggested, not rolling to face him, but directing his hands to assume opposite posts. She fell silent as his fingers plunged into her with demanding strokes. His other hand, damp from her own early ejaculations, caressed her breasts again. In an instant she had overtaken his level of arousal. She scratched at his flank, her leg wrapped back around his, drawing his genitals tight against her. He rolled her onto her stomach and lifted her hips beneath him, rearing up to position himself behind her. She reached between her legs with one hand, balancing on the other, and guided his massive erection into her, pressing it upward against herself as he thrust slowly, endlessly into her. Deep within her the tip of his penis made her ache and she cried out. He withdrew a little and she wailed, "No, come back." Even though she could not see him she knew he was grinning with carnal pleasure as he thrust back in, hard and fast, making her ache with his sharp jabs.
"I can never go deep enough for you," he said, but his tone was satisfied, not accusatory. He wiggled within her and she came, closing her eyes as white flashes filled them. He felt her orgasm, rode it with several hard thrusts as hot fluids gushed around him. Now everything was slick and fast and he pounded himself into her, feeling her come again, less this time, but squeezing him so hard he cried out her name and came in a great, surprising flash.
"Up and at ëem, darling. We'll be late," Steed whispered into Emma's ear. He smelled fresh and damp. She cracked open one eye and took in his freshly showered form.
"I fell back to sleep," she said dreamily. Then realization hit and she rolled over and sat up. "What time is it?"
"Nine-thirty," he said, heading for the walk-in closet. Emma removed her hands from her face, which she had been rubbing to wakefulness and frowned at him.
"How long have I been asleep?" she demanded, extending one long, bare leg to the floor.
"Only about ten minutes," his muffled reply came from the closet. Now she scowled at him. She stood up and stretched.
"Perhaps we should discuss your definition of ëearly,'" she grumbled, knowing he hadn't heard her. Then she stretched again, enjoying the warm sensation still lingering in her loins. It was worth it. The Stetsons and the Hills will wait, she decided, heading for the bathroom.
"The house suits you," Caro declared when the three couples were settled at a table in the Swan, a restaurant near their new house that they'd already visited often enough to be known as regulars. They'd been twenty minutes late arriving at the hotel, but Caro and Harry had been running late too. Emma had not allowed herself to contemplate if they had the same excuse.
They'd toured the house, free of workmen on a Sunday morning although the evidence of their labor was everywhere. Amanda had unabashedly exhibited her surprise at the size of the place and Lee had been openly appreciative, but Emma wondered if he wasn't hiding a pang of envy. It had not been her intention to belittle their American friends, but it seemed like Lee regretted not being able to provide such a home to Amanda. But he was silly if he did -- this house had been bought with family money, not intelligence service salaries.
Caroline and Harry had been less surprised at the size of the house and grounds and had focused on the place's potential. It seemed not to affect either of them that this place dwarfed their sprawling farmhouse. Emma was glad that she knew why -- that they lived in their ramshackle house by choice, not out of financial constraint. Nevertheless, that line of thinking had brought her to a loose end that she'd been meaning to tie up for weeks. So she'd contrived to be alone for a few minutes with Harry.
"Harry, I've been wanting to thank you for being so understanding," she said. The big redhead had studied her with a benign smile. Emma had all but promised him a lucrative job with Knight Industries, but she'd had to renege on the offer when Knight's finances were failing.
"I will admit I was disappointed, Emma," he said, "but I definitely understood. How are things now?"
"Actually, I have been revisiting our situation. There are some new futures markets opening up that Knight could benefit from involvement in. How do you feel about expanding your areas of expertise?"
Harry was a very talented futures trader, but his experience was almost entirely with copper. Knight had had to reduce its holdings in minerals, so it had less need for his talents. But energy futures -- that was a different story.
"I would not want to make false promises," he said tentatively, but she could see he was interested. "But the concepts are much the same across all markets. I'd have to depend on your experts at first -- is that feasible?"
Emma thought for a moment of Frank Harris. His "death" had caused a ripple of shock throughout the company, and then senior management he begun searching for a replacement. Too bad, she thought, that Harry's not the man for that.
"Certainly, Harry," she said, then heard footsteps approaching the master suite where they were standing. "May I telephone you during the week to discuss it further?"
"I'll look forward to it," he replied, eyes twinkling. Then he turned toward the door and their conversation was set aside. Emma knew that he wouldn't bring it up again in front of the others.
Lunch lingered on well into the afternoon until the wait staff had reset all of the other tables for dinner and were eyeing them with veiled annoyance. Finally Lee checked his watch pointedly and Steed signaled for the check.
"I actually have a meeting this evening," Lee said apologetically and Emma noticed Amanda's surprised look.
"Good!" she said, "Because I could use Amanda's company for a while and I would hate to leave you at loose ends, Lee."
"What about me?" Steed asked plaintively. She smirked at him and he grinned.
"You could go with Lee," she suggested mischievously.
"Come on, Steed, we're staying in town tonight. Why don't you join us for dinner?" Harry said.
"I wouldn't want to be a third wheel," he said, taking the check from a waiter and holding it close to his chest as both Lee and Harry made to reach for it.
"Come on, Steed, let us get this," Lee said.
"Not a chance," Steed replied.
"After last night? It's hardly fair not to let us reciprocate," Harry put in.
Steed smiled, studying the check and taking out his wallet. Harry and Lee exchanged a glance.
"So it's settled," Caro said, "John buys lunch and we buy him dinner, Harry."
Emma couldn't help grinning as Steed counted out bills. She suddenly felt very lucky to become a part of the Steed family.
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