“Well, you know that’s true. Why are you continuing this research?”
“I really don’t want to discuss this... please?”
“Despite your suspicions, I had nothing to do with the break-in. I need to know what the perpetrator now knows.”
“My computer is password protected. No one besides me can access it.”
Tony’s ambivalent expression spoke volumes regarding her secure laptop.
Finally she said, “Obviously you disagree. If someone is able to access my information, there are documents and reports from your parents’ death.”
For a moment, Claire feared their future. Tony seemed unable to peer forward although the Mercedes cruised that direction at unknown speeds. His eyes bore into her soul. “What possible business of yours is my parents’ death?”
Claire straightened defiantly, “I suppose before it was morbid curiosity. I wanted to know if you were truly capable of hurting your own parents. Now – however --” she hesitated and sat straighter, defiantly, “now it is very much my business. I need to know about my child’s family history.”
The tenseness in Tony’s strong shoulders eased. “I suppose that’s correct.” In a moonlit glow, the countryside continued to pass outside the windows. Tony confessed, “I did not harm my parents.”
Claire reached for him, covering his hand with the warmth of hers, “I know that now. I’ve known for a while it wasn’t you; it was a woman in a blue Honda.” Claire felt the atmosphere within the car tighten. She went on, “Whoever that woman is -- you have been protecting her for years.”
“Protecting her?”
“Yes, whoever she is, you’ve kept her secret secure.”
It felt as if Tony were wrestling with himself, wanting to ask more questions, yet not wanting to divulge more information. After a moment he asked, “So all of this is on your laptop?”
Claire nodded, “Yes.”
They drove in silence until Tony said, “I want you to seriously reconsider your return flight. The estate is much safer and more secure than a condominium which has already been broken into.”
Claire squeezed his knee. “I’ve had a wonderful time. Please don’t ruin it. Let’s please take all of this one day at a time? I’d like to think about tonight now and tomorrow later.”
His grip loosened upon the innocent wheel as he contemplated her words.
When they reached Tony’s estate, he left the Mercedes sitting in front of the steps, gallantly opened Claire’s door, and kissed her hand. Earlier, in the dashboard light she’d watched the man she’d once loved fight his emotions. The intensity in his black eyes and grip upon the soft leather steering wheel no longer frightened her. Hadn’t Catherine asked her to see how hard he is trying? Claire did. And now, that same gorgeous man had her hand at his lips with an equal but different intensity in his gaze. The aura surrounding them wasn’t about laptops or airplane tickets but about pure and simple desire. She could over analyze; however, the way his lips electrified her skin and melted her insides, nullified any arguments she could form.
They walked hand in hand into the house. At the base of the grand staircase, Tony hesitantly whispered, “I suppose this is good-night?”
She stretched her toes allowing her lips to linger on his. When she pulled away, she suckled his neck, just above his perfectly starched collar. Tony’s grasp of her small waist tightened as a low groan escaped his clenched teeth. “That’s up to you.” Claire purred, “I don’t plan on using that lock.”
With their fingers entwined, they made their way toward her suite. At the door, Tony stopped to kiss the woman before him. “There is more for us to discuss....”
Claire’s finger touched his lips. She watched as the pressed straight line below her touch slowly formed a sensual grin. With her face tilted upward she whispered, “Tonight is about us... non-charade, non-performance. If you want something different, go downstairs.”
The copper walls and satin drapes were different, but the suite was the same. It held so many memories. Their history was made within these walls. Yet, as they came together it didn’t feel like the past. It felt new, rejuvenated, consensual, and real.
Their bodies united like they’d never been apart, but their roles were different.
Prison and being away hardened Claire. No longer could she trust without question or believe without confirmation. That didn’t mean she couldn’t trust or believe – it meant she needed the ability to question without fear and confirm on her own terms. As she surrendered to his erotic caresses, Claire pushed the questions away. Right now their carnal needs demanded attention. She craved what only he could give.
With all his entrepreneurial success, Tony’s private life had been anything but. He never wanted love. Why would he? He wasn’t even sure it existed, until her -- the woman now willingly beneath him. Her beautiful eyes saw into his soul. And her petite body dominated his mind. Somehow despite all of his mistakes and manipulation, Tony was once again where he longed to be. He wanted to control her and limit her access to his past and his heart. However, he knew it was too late. She’d managed to open places he didn’t know existed. And now they had a child coming. He felt his power slipping through his fingers. Nevertheless, as her eyes opened and Tony watched the shimmering emerald irises glow and her lips form a smile, he no longer cared.
Hope is the dream of a waking man.