Consequences(77)

There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.



—Plato





Chapter Sixteen


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Claire sat at her table, writing. Tony couldn’t see what she was writing. The cameras didn’t have enough zooming capability. Her body language didn’t look nervous. It showed a proud and defiant pose. He watched as she wrote, sitting straight, her neck tall and proud. The only hint of uneasiness could be the way her feet fidgeted under her chair.

From his office screens, he could access different views of the room. From another view, she sat farther away, and he saw her bed in the background. Of course, there was the view that kept the bed centered, but the table wasn’t visible from that camera.

Trying to contemplate his options and the consequences of her actions, Tony closed his eyes and reviewed the day. When he entered her suite, he anticipated anxiety, but found calm. Then there was that smile when they got in the car. God! Her smile when it was real melted him. Her emerald eyes could glisten and shine. Of course, he didn’t see her real smile much. He did today, and seeing her with his friends, she was perfect.

He told himself the reason he had trouble keeping his eyes off her was strictly because he needed to monitor her behavior. It had nothing to do with how beautiful she looked. Now, as he watched the screens, he wondered what she was thinking. Was she thinking about him, about her future? It was all up to him. She knew that. He knew that. The power didn’t give him the satisfaction it once had.

Damn, why in the hell did Sue give her that phone number? What did they talk about when he was away? His head filled with unanswered questions and plausible scenarios. She wanted to leave him. Why wouldn’t she? Did she initiate a plan? Why wouldn’t she follow his rules?

His internal monologue momentarily caused him to lose focus of the screens. Now, as he scanned, she was gone. He scanned the other views until he noticed the open door to the balcony. He could only see the back of her head. He needed another camera installed.

Over an hour had passed since they came home. Making Claire wait for him was part of his plan, but watching her, it seemed she controlled her nerves better than he. Maybe he needed fresh air too. No—he needed to make a decision. It was his mantra. She knew the rules. It didn’t matter if you do something 99 percent right, perfection was required. The fact remained she must have broken his rules. He needed to make a decision. Behaviors have consequences, consequences can be unpleasant. Tony told himself he had warned her, she chose not to listen.

*

She inhaled and exhaled. The country air filled her lungs with cool, refreshing strength. Claire thought about the people she’d met and about talking and laughing. It was fantastic. Courtney’s reassurance and Tony’s unusually kind smiles relieved her initial anxiety. She knew it was a charade, but it was fun, getting out around people. Then the telephone number came. It boggled her mind that something so incredibly simple could cause such ridiculous repercussions.

She thought about Tony. He would enter her suite soon—of course without knocking—and he would have some verdict regarding her insubordination. The fact that she wasn’t insubordinate wouldn’t alter his decision. She wondered if he handled business issues this way too—without input. With her mind scrambling, she asked herself, Do I have any options?

Her wild emotions caused a rush of adrenaline concealing the cool night air from her consciousness. His impending decision terrified her—his smiles today gratified her—and his physique in jeans aroused her. How could her body defy her mind so severely? Claire believed her body was the true offender of insubordination!