Breathless (73 page)

“Yes, that
ouchy
that Nichol mentioned was a small incision sealed with glue,” Taylor added. “I asked her when it happened and she said after the ice cream shop.”

Claire shook her head. “I don’t know if Nichol mentioned Sophie’s injury before or not. I don’t remember. I’d bet that if she did, I didn’t think anything of it.”

“The FBI confirmed that the DNA on the electronics matched Rudolf’s.” Phil forced a reassuring smile. “There’s no reason to think he was acting in conjunction with anyone else. The FBI is confident that he also isn’t related or involved with the sender of the
Rawls-Nichols
gifts.”

“Great, so one psycho down and another to go,” Claire said with a sigh.

“The most important thing is that you and Nichol are safe,” Tony reiterated.

“And you,” Phil added. “In Rudolf’s delusions, he foresaw
saving
Claire and Nichol, and setting them
free—
by keeping them with him—assuring that you were permanently out of the picture.”

Claire leaned forward. “Is there any chance of this man getting free?”

“It won’t happen,” Phil replied.

“Thank you, both of you,” Claire said.

“Is there anything else?” Tony asked.

Phil and Taylor exchanged glances. “No, that about covers it,” Phil responded, as the two of them stood and left the office.

Once they were alone, Claire raised her brow and asked, “Did you see that?”

“What?”

“The way they looked back and forth at one another, and the way Phil was saying
we
.”

“Yes, I guess.” Tony wrinkled his brow. “I have no idea what you’re asking.”

“I think Phil’s getting used to having someone else around. I mean, he’s been pretty much been in control of all things security, and although he agreed to our hiring Taylor, I got the feeling he felt like she was invading his turf. It just seems like after this, well, she was able to be in the bathroom with us when he couldn’t. If she hadn’t been there, and he’d been outside, who knows what would have happened.”

“I don’t even want to think about it.”

Claire grinned. “I like it. It’s good for him to not be alone.”

Tony shrugged. “He’s got Eric.”

“I don’t think it’s the same thing.”

Shaking his head, Tony pressed his lips together. “Mrs. Rawlings, don’t go playing matchmaker. I want Phil and Taylor’s attention on you and Nichol, not one another.”

“No one said they can’t do both.”

Chapter 6

February 2017

Where there is love there is life.

—Mahatma Gandhi

LIFE BACK IN Iowa was everything Claire wanted and needed. Rudolf was indeed working alone—a quiet, strange man fixated on someone he perceived as needing his help. According to the police files that Phil could glean, Rudolf truly believed he was put on this earth to save Claire Nichols from the clutches of Anthony Rawlings. The psychological evaluations were incomplete, but without a doubt, the man was a few cards short of a full deck. Nevertheless, restraining orders were successfully filed. According to the law, Rudolf would never come within one hundred yards of Anthony, Claire, or Nichol Rawlings. According to Phil, he’d never get within five hundred yards.

Though snow and cold prevailed for the rest of January and into February, Tony and Claire managed to make the most of it. For Tony’s fifty-second birthday, the three of them, and Eric, Phil, Taylor, and Shannon, traveled to Phoenix. Honestly, Tony had business, but it was a nice break from the cold. Now that they were home, they were once again facing a holiday. It was Nichol who was the most excited about celebrating Valentine’s Day with her parents. Of course, it didn’t take a lot of convincing to have Claire jump on board. She was pretty sure this would be a Valentine’s Day like no other for her husband. The curiosity of seeing his reaction propelled Claire through the painstaking paper-heart-cutting and cupcake-frosting afternoon.

On the afternoon of the fourteenth, Nichol paced the lavish kitchen, scanning the paper hearts and flowers hanging from the ceiling and littering the floor. Her dark eyes searched desperately, double- and triple-checking all of their hard work. “Momma, I want it perfect.” She peered up through her long lashes. “Do you think Daddy will like it?”

Claire stifled a giggle as she shook her head. Their daughter couldn’t be more like her father if she tried. “Honey, I think he’ll love it.”

“Are you sure?”

Claire wrapped Nichol in a warm hug. “I’m sure, sweetie.”

“But...” Nichol scrunched her eyebrows together. “...what if he doesn’t like paper hearts?”

“I’m sure he’ll love paper hearts, especially when they’re made by his two favorite girls.”

Nichol clapped her hands as the sound of voices traveled from the foyer. “Oh, Momma, he’s home!”

Before Claire could answer, Nichol was gone and running toward the front door. Claire took one last look around the dining area. Pink, red, and white construction paper lay everywhere. She shook her head, confident that Anthony Rawlings had never celebrated Valentine’s Day with paper hearts and homemade cupcakes; nevertheless, that was Nichol’s idea, and Claire was not about to discourage their daughter’s plans for their first family Valentine’s Day since Nichol was only months old. Now that she was three, Claire relished the idea of arts and crafts.

“Don’t look, Daddy.”

Claire turned to watch their daughter leading Tony by the hand, with his eyes squinted shut. By the way his lips turned upward in that mischievous grin, Claire was confident that he could see the colorful explosion all around him. Moments later, he winked at his wife, confirming her suspicions.

“May I open my eyes yet?” he asked. Even after all the years, his deep baritone voice gave Claire shivers up and down her spine. She thought she’d never tire of hearing him banter and play with their beautiful daughter.

“Not yet. Momma and I have something for you.” She led Tony to a waiting chair. “Sit down here.”

Yes, thought Claire. Demanding just like her daddy, too.

“You do?” Tony asked as he sat. “What does your momma have for me?”

Claire’s insides tightened as she brushed his cheek with a fleeting kiss and whispered, “Later.”

Placing a paper crown on his thick salt and pepper mane, Nichol clapped her hands and shouted, “Open your eyes! Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Tony laughed as he pulled Nichol to his lap and kissed the top of her head. “Is this all for me?”

Her little pigtails swung back and forth as she nodded. “It’s because we love you! We also made cupcakes!”

“We did,” Claire added as she grinned at Tony’s paper crown. “However, I think we should eat dinner before cupcakes.”

“No, Momma,” Nichol pouted and looked pleadingly from Claire to Tony. “It’s a special day.” Her little hands fumbled with the neckline of her top. “See, I even got to wear my great-grandma’s necklace. That means it’s
very
special. So we can eat cupcakes before dinner.”

Tony shrugged and smiled at Claire. “My dear, your negotiating skills have been passed on to the next generation. I don’t know how we could possibly argue with that reasoning.”

Claire sighed. “All right, you two, but we have a wonderful dinner waiting, so after the cupcakes...”

“We’ll eat dinner,” Nichol and Tony said in unison.

***

AFTER DINNER AND a bedtime story, Tony and Claire tucked Nichol into bed and closed her door. Melting against her husband’s side, Claire enjoyed his strong embrace as she let out an exaggerated breath.

“Are you tired of celebrating, my dear?”

“I think I am. You have no idea how long it took to cut out all of those hearts.”

Leading her toward their suite, Tony opened the door to a candlelit surprise. Their private table was set with white linen, a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses, and covered dishes.

“Tony? What did you do?”

“Well, I may have been tipped off about the paper and confection celebration.”

Claire raised a brow. “Who told you? It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“Shannon may have said something—but don’t be upset with her. When I told her that I wanted her to work tonight and watch Nichol while I took you out to celebrate, she explained the secret plan. She didn’t want me to ruin Nichol’s surprise.”

Claire turned slowly, noticing the rose petals strewn across their turned-down sheets. “What is all of this?” she asked as she motioned toward the table. “We already ate.”

With a devilish grin, he lifted one lid to reveal strawberries.

“Hmmm,” she replied. “I think I could be persuaded—”

Before she could finish he lifted the second lid revealing chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Her eyes opened wide. “Tony?”

He gracefully moved toward her, his eyes darkening with each step, twisting her insides to a painful pitch. Tired was no longer part of Claire’s thinking. Tony held her close, pressing her breasts against his strong chest, and seized her lips. Moments later, his skilled fingers began to unbutton her blouse.

Less of a protest than a question, Claire repeated, “Tony?”

His warm breath tickled her exposed shoulder as he whispered, “We don’t want to get chocolate sauce or whipped cream on this beautiful blouse.” Cocking a brow, he added, “Or your slacks, or any colorful lace you have underneath.”

Holding his shoulders for support as her slacks joined her blouse in the puddle of silk on the floor, she replied, “We don’t?”

“No, because, my dear, it’s time for our own confection celebration, and if you think our kitchen was messy...” He grinned as his dark eyes sparkled in the candlelight. “...you haven’t seen anything yet.”

“Hmmm,” she managed, words forming with some difficulty as Tony’s lips followed a path from her ear to her shoulder. Before speech was totally out of reach, she asked, “W-what about you?”

“What about me?”

Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. “I wouldn’t want chocolate on this nice shirt either.”

When she undid the last button, he seized her hand. “My dear, you and Nichol planned your surprise. This is
my
Valentine’s surprise for
you
. Do you trust me?”

Claire nodded, allowing Tony to back her toward the bed, buckling her knees. Wearing only her pink lace bra and panties, Tony’s dark admiring gaze scanned her from head to toe. Each second filled her with both vulnerability and anticipation. Finally, she answered, “I trust you.”

A lust-filled grin radiated from ear to ear as he heatedly said, “Good. I have something I’d like you to wear. Remember...you said you trust me.”

Claire’s eyes widened and her breaths became shallow as she sucked her lower lip. “W-what do you want—”

Before she could finish, Tony opened the drawer of her bedside stand and removed her satin sleep mask. Claire’s cheeks rose approvingly as she reached for the mask.

“No,” he said, as he lifted her dark hair and kissed her neck. “Let me.” Tenderly, he placed the mask over her emerald eyes and secured the elastic band behind her head. “Can you see?”

“No.” She giggled.

Her amusement soon morphed to unbridled desire as his sensual caresses traced an invisible line from her cheek to her breasts, teasing the round globes from their lace enclosure. Each time she began to speak, his finger gently touched her lips. When his mouth retraced the path, Claire fell back upon their soft comforter, giving him access to her newly exposed nipples and enjoying the sensation of his warm breath on her sensitive skin.

Soft moans came from somewhere deep in Claire’s throat as he moved slowly—painfully slowly—down her stomach, touching, caressing, and igniting the flames of her desire. Just before reaching the trim of her panties, Tony stopped. Gasping, Claire reached for him—finding only air in the darkness.

Before she could sit, she heard her husband. “God, you’re so beautiful.”

Blood flushed her cheeks as she listened to his sultry tone. Suddenly, she felt his presence on the bed behind her. Within moments, his strong embrace tenderly pulled her back, situating her in front of him. When she leaned back against his bare chest, Claire smiled with her green eyes gleaming under the mask. From what she could tell, they were now dressed—or more accurately, undressed—to match.

“Open your mouth,” his deep baritone voice dripped with seduction.

Obediently, she did as she was told. Her compliance was rewarded with the rich taste of warm chocolate. Immediately, Claire opened her mouth wider allowing him to place the strawberry upon her tongue. Quickly, she closed her lips, purposely licking the chocolate from his fingers. His chest vibrated with his resonating growl as she sucked each finger clean. All the while, her insides quivered at the sound. Sweet strawberry juice mingled with the decadent chocolate as Claire swallowed.

“Again,” he commanded.

This time, cool whipped cream covered the berry and her lips. As she swallowed, Tony captured her chin, turning her toward him and tasted the cream from her lips. Without her sight, her senses were on high alert, making each move unexpected and erotic. Next, Tony gathered her hair and secured it on top of her head with a clip. Before Claire could decipher his intent, the alternating sensation of warm chocolate and cool whipped cream dribbled over her chest. She gasped as he laid her back, moved in front of her, and began to savor the contrasting culinary delights.

“Oh, Tony,” Claire panted, as the alternating sensations found new and creative locations.

It wasn’t until Claire’s breathing became erratic and they were both a sticky mess that Tony removed the mask and they came together as one. No longer blinded, Claire’s emerald eyes stared deep into the only chocolate she would ever crave. They moved as one until both of their worlds shattered in blissful ecstasy.

As they later stepped into the warm spray of the multiple showerheads, Tony kissed his wife and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Mrs. Rawlings.”

With a smile glistening with sparks of emerald, Claire replied, “Mr. Rawlings, not so fast—now it’s my turn.” Her husband’s devilish grin was all the encouragement she needed.

When they finally settled into their bed for the night, Tony pulled Claire close and whispered, “To many more celebrations with Nichol...” He pulled her tighter against his side. “...and more with just the two of us.”