Behind His Eyes: Truth
Page 57
Later in the morning, while reviewing emails, the door to Tony’s office burst open. There was no knock, no request, just a very determined Claire as displeasure emanated from her very being, setting the mood of the room before she ever uttered a word. “Tony, what the hell have you done?”
“What are you talking about?”
“After I got dressed, I checked my emails. One is a confirmation of my airline reservation cancellation.” She stood defiantly before him. “I did not cancel my reservation. I called the airline, and they informed me my seat has been sold. They have no open seats for my original flight or any others until tomorrow. I told you I was going back to California today. You promised me!”
Despite her obvious angst, her boldness intrigued him. He tried to conceal his amusement as he replied in a soothingly calm voice, “I promised you a return ticket. I’m a man of my word; you have a ticket.”
“A voided ticket—semantics!” Her volume rose with each phrase. “I want to be on that flight!”
“Claire, listen to reason.” He gestured toward the chairs. “Have a seat.”
“No.” Her arms crossed defiantly across her heaving breasts.
The muscles in his neck tightened as his eyebrows rose. “Very well, stand if you prefer. How are you feeling today?”
Claire glared. “You’re not changing the subject. I’m going home.”
“I hoped you’d consider yourself home.”
Claire exhaled, paced the length of the desk and back, and then collapsed into one of the chairs she’d just refused. “Tony, why do you have to push and push? I truly have had a wonderful weekend, and I’ve surprisingly enjoyed being on your estate, but I have a life. I have plans. Amber is leaving for a conference, and I want to see her before she leaves. John and Emily will be in Palo Alto Monday. They’re spending four days looking for housing. I need to be there.”
“Amber is leaving?” he asked with obvious concern. “You’ll be alone?”
“I won’t be with anyone in public, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That goes without saying. I’m asking you if you will be alone?” His volume rose. “Christ, Claire! Your condominium was broken into. It isn’t safe!”
“You’re trying to scare me into staying. I’m not falling for it. My building has top-notch security, Harry is utilizing more SiJo resources, and then there are always your people watching me. I lead a damn parade!”
“Your laptop was stolen.”
“Stuff happens. It isn’t a cause to stop living.”
He tried to reason. “We have plans beginning Friday in Chicago. In your condition, you shouldn’t be flying all over the country.” He exhaled and added, “In a commercial plane. Do you know how many people get ill after breathing that recycled air?” Tony had recently read an article on the homepage of his browser about increased illnesses on airplanes and figured it was worth a try.
“You’re really stretching here. Tell me how I’m getting back to California—today?”
He sighed. “I want to take you back upstairs and lock that door,” he glared and emphasized, “from the outside.”
Expecting Claire to retreat, as she would have done years ago, Tony watched, astonished, as Claire stood and walked toward him. Her closed lips formed a soft smile as she peered deep into his eyes. With her petite hands framing his cheeks, she bent toward him until their noses touched, and brushed her lips to his. “Tony, I believe you. I know that’s what you want. I drove to town yesterday, and I came back.” She kissed him again. “I will go to California today, and I’ll be back in Chicago—on Friday. Remember what we said the other night?” She didn’t wait for his answer. “We said we needed to trust each other.”
With his face still in her hands, he closed his eyes and nodded.
She continued in her soft and steady voice. “I trust you not to lock my suite from the outside. You need to trust me to return.”
Tony reached out and encircled her waist. His touch found its way beneath her blouse and caressed the soft skin in the small of her back. The contact soothed him as he tugged her onto his lap. She reached out and circled his neck. In a gentler tone, he said, “You don’t need to believe me. I know I need to earn that right, but I did not have anything to do with the break-in. It wasn’t a plan to scare you into staying here. I’m concerned.” He kissed her lips and moved his hand to her stomach. “And not just for you.”
Claire lowered her face to his shoulder. “Thank you. From the moment I saw the little blue plus, I’ve been concerned too. You have to know, I’ll do anything necessary to keep myself and our baby safe. I just need to be in California, especially this week. I have a lot going on.”
“What if I told you that you shouldn’t have a lot going on? You deserve to rest and allow others to do for you. If Catherine knew about the baby, then you’d never lift another finger.”
She lifted her head; her eyes glistened as they met his. “I have something to show you.”
He raised his brow. “Oh?”
Ignoring his suggestive tone, Claire removed a piece of paper from her pocket. With trembling fingers, he took the grainy picture from her grasp. “Is this what I think it is?”
Claire nodded, barely able to contain her emotion. “Yes, it’s our little one’s first picture.”
“What are you talking about?”
“After I got dressed, I checked my emails. One is a confirmation of my airline reservation cancellation.” She stood defiantly before him. “I did not cancel my reservation. I called the airline, and they informed me my seat has been sold. They have no open seats for my original flight or any others until tomorrow. I told you I was going back to California today. You promised me!”
Despite her obvious angst, her boldness intrigued him. He tried to conceal his amusement as he replied in a soothingly calm voice, “I promised you a return ticket. I’m a man of my word; you have a ticket.”
“A voided ticket—semantics!” Her volume rose with each phrase. “I want to be on that flight!”
“Claire, listen to reason.” He gestured toward the chairs. “Have a seat.”
“No.” Her arms crossed defiantly across her heaving breasts.
The muscles in his neck tightened as his eyebrows rose. “Very well, stand if you prefer. How are you feeling today?”
Claire glared. “You’re not changing the subject. I’m going home.”
“I hoped you’d consider yourself home.”
Claire exhaled, paced the length of the desk and back, and then collapsed into one of the chairs she’d just refused. “Tony, why do you have to push and push? I truly have had a wonderful weekend, and I’ve surprisingly enjoyed being on your estate, but I have a life. I have plans. Amber is leaving for a conference, and I want to see her before she leaves. John and Emily will be in Palo Alto Monday. They’re spending four days looking for housing. I need to be there.”
“Amber is leaving?” he asked with obvious concern. “You’ll be alone?”
“I won’t be with anyone in public, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That goes without saying. I’m asking you if you will be alone?” His volume rose. “Christ, Claire! Your condominium was broken into. It isn’t safe!”
“You’re trying to scare me into staying. I’m not falling for it. My building has top-notch security, Harry is utilizing more SiJo resources, and then there are always your people watching me. I lead a damn parade!”
“Your laptop was stolen.”
“Stuff happens. It isn’t a cause to stop living.”
He tried to reason. “We have plans beginning Friday in Chicago. In your condition, you shouldn’t be flying all over the country.” He exhaled and added, “In a commercial plane. Do you know how many people get ill after breathing that recycled air?” Tony had recently read an article on the homepage of his browser about increased illnesses on airplanes and figured it was worth a try.
“You’re really stretching here. Tell me how I’m getting back to California—today?”
He sighed. “I want to take you back upstairs and lock that door,” he glared and emphasized, “from the outside.”
Expecting Claire to retreat, as she would have done years ago, Tony watched, astonished, as Claire stood and walked toward him. Her closed lips formed a soft smile as she peered deep into his eyes. With her petite hands framing his cheeks, she bent toward him until their noses touched, and brushed her lips to his. “Tony, I believe you. I know that’s what you want. I drove to town yesterday, and I came back.” She kissed him again. “I will go to California today, and I’ll be back in Chicago—on Friday. Remember what we said the other night?” She didn’t wait for his answer. “We said we needed to trust each other.”
With his face still in her hands, he closed his eyes and nodded.
She continued in her soft and steady voice. “I trust you not to lock my suite from the outside. You need to trust me to return.”
Tony reached out and encircled her waist. His touch found its way beneath her blouse and caressed the soft skin in the small of her back. The contact soothed him as he tugged her onto his lap. She reached out and circled his neck. In a gentler tone, he said, “You don’t need to believe me. I know I need to earn that right, but I did not have anything to do with the break-in. It wasn’t a plan to scare you into staying here. I’m concerned.” He kissed her lips and moved his hand to her stomach. “And not just for you.”
Claire lowered her face to his shoulder. “Thank you. From the moment I saw the little blue plus, I’ve been concerned too. You have to know, I’ll do anything necessary to keep myself and our baby safe. I just need to be in California, especially this week. I have a lot going on.”
“What if I told you that you shouldn’t have a lot going on? You deserve to rest and allow others to do for you. If Catherine knew about the baby, then you’d never lift another finger.”
She lifted her head; her eyes glistened as they met his. “I have something to show you.”
He raised his brow. “Oh?”
Ignoring his suggestive tone, Claire removed a piece of paper from her pocket. With trembling fingers, he took the grainy picture from her grasp. “Is this what I think it is?”
Claire nodded, barely able to contain her emotion. “Yes, it’s our little one’s first picture.”
