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Eventually, she said, "Obviously you disagree If someone is able to access my information, they’d see docuer was peripheral vision enough; Tony turned to stare incredulously at his ex-wife "What possible business of yours is my parents’ death?"

"I suppose that before, it was morbid curiosity I wanted to know if you were truly capable of hurting your own parents Noever…" She hesitated and sat straighter, defiantly "…now, it is very much my business I need to know aboutsome of the stress upon the leather wheel "I suppose that’s true" He paused "I didn’t harm my parents"

Claire reached out and covered Tony’s hand, a simple touch that reassured him more than words "I know that now I’ve known for a while It wasn’t you--it was the woman in a blue Honda"

His newfound calm disappeared Before he could process, Claire continued "Whoever that wo her?"

"Yes, whoever she is, you’ve kept her secret secure"

Tony struggled with Claire’s knowledge How could she have learned about Catherine’s car? That information, as well as eyewitness accounts, had been disposed of years ago Could he now tell her the truth? After all, Catherine had opened his secret world when she mailed that damn box Should he return the favor? First and foreet her laptop back and discover who took it "So all of this is on your laptop?"

Claire nodded "Yes"

He conteht No doubt she’d be upset that he’d cancelled her flight; perhaps he could make her think it was her idea "I want you to seriously reconsider your return to California The estate is much safer and more secure than a condominium that has already been broken into"

Her petite hand once againfor his knee, she explained, "I’ve had a wonderful time Please don’t ruin it Let’s just take all of this one day at a tiht now and toue It wouldn’t ht When they reached the estate, Tony opened Claire’s door and took her hand She’d said she wanted to concentrate on tonight So did he Even without the airline ticket, Tony doubted he’d be able to convince her to stay an extra night, week, orinto her emerald eyes, he touched his lips to the top of the hand resting within his Silently, they walked hand in hand into the house At the base of the grand staircase, Tony 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 shtened as he pulled her hips toward his and 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 He wanted as beyond that door, what they’d done in that room hundreds of times However, if he didn’t tell her about the ticket, was that lying? He began to confess, "There’s er reached out and covered his ether and watched as desire and deter e He’d seen it before and kneas being reciprocated in his gaze Slowly, below her touch, the tips of his lips ht is about us, noncharade, nonperforo downstairs"

She wanted control; he’d allow soht, her computer, or his history Instead, they’d continue their reunification within the walls of their shared history It was a rooood and bad--of domination and consent, and of lust and love

Love? Tony couldn’t believe it was real, yet it was He’d never wanted love Why would he? He wasn’t even sure it existed, until her--the woly beneath hier desired do She was an active, willing participant, capable of acco her own Her beautiful eyes saw into his soul, and her petite body dohts Despite all of his ed to be

He kneouldn’t be easy Each moment was an internal battle Instinctively, he wanted to control Claire and limit her access to his past and his heart; however, Tony kneas too late She’d already ed to unearth e Despite his power slipping through his fingers, when Claire opened her eyes and Tony saw the shilow and her lips forer cared Within the copper walls and satin drapes of Claire’s suite, it was only the two of the when Tony woke, he didn’t slip fro the warainst his side, the sweet smell of perfume that whiffed from her hair, and the soft tickle of her breaths across his chest Everything within hiht’s activities; however, the entire weekend had gone too well He didn’t want to push her any further than she illing to go With their relationship still undefined, Tony forced himself from her bed