Beyond the Consequences
Page 49

Just as Tony was about to lean down and splash, the most gorgeous emerald eyes in the entire world opened and an even bigger smile blossomed on her face.
“Good evening, Claire.”
He walked toward the pool’s steps as Claire swam his direction. Soon she was standing and their lips were reunited. Without a word they said so many things. It had been two days since he’d been home. He hated traveling without Claire and Nichol, but he understood. He understood that Claire didn’t want Nichol’s childhood spent in apartments and airplanes when she had the beauty of an Iowa summer and all the amenities of a five-star resort outside her backdoor. That didn’t mean they never traveled, but sometimes separation was necessary. Thankfully with Tim’s increased role, it wasn’t too often.
“Good evening, Tony. I’ve missed you,” she said with a grin as pool water dripped from her body and puddled near his shoes. “I think you’re overdressed for this pool party.”
He’d missed her too, every minute. “Party?” he asked, intrigued. Whatever she’d been thinking about had left her in a spirited mood. “I don’t believe I was invited.”
Pulling his shirt toward the water, she teased, “You’re the only expected guest. Didn’t you get the invitation?”
Grinning, he stopped her progress toward the water and lifted her chin. “While I like the way that sounds, first tell me how you’re feeling.”
Her bottom lip playfully protruded as she released his shirt and walked past him to get her robe. Cameras be damned, Tony wanted to touch what was in front of him in the white tankini. He couldn’t resist as his hand playfully swatted her wet behind. Though the contact was minimal, the moisture caused the sound to echo as Claire jumped and smiled in his direction.
“Hey, you can’t do that!”
“Oh, I can’t?” His devilish grin glowed in the darkness. “I thought I made the rules. I asked you a question.”
With her lips pressed defiantly together, she donned her robe. As he watched her bathing suit-clad body disappear, Tony wondered how long it would be before her breasts began to grow. As he recalled, that was one of the first things he noticed when he learned she was pregnant with Nichol. Perhaps they had. Maybe he should undo the robe and take a closer look. As those thoughts came and multiplied, Claire reached for his hand and led him toward the chairs.
“If you’re not going to swim, sit with me.” She patted the cushion beside her.
“You’re going to get me wet.”
“That’s my plan.”
Shaking his head, he sat. He didn’t give a damn about his clothes as he wrapped his arm around his wife and pulled her close. “Now, answer me. How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling great!” Her eyes opened wide and sparkled. “I really am. I keep expecting the morning sickness to hit me, and it still may, but so far, I feel good.”
“Is that normal?” he asked, obviously concerned. “Aren’t you supposed to be sick?”
Claire shrugged. “I don’t think there’s any right or wrong answer. I was with Nichol, for a while. Some people are sick a lot more than I was. Poor Julia, she’s still sick—she’s into her second trimester, and she still can’t keep food down.”
“Yes, Brent told me. He said she’s even been to the hospital a couple of times.”
Claire scrunched her nose. “I feel awful for her, but I don’t want that. The only thing I notice is that I’m more emotional. I was reading a new book to Nichol about a bunny that lost his mitten. Even though I’d just bought it, she told me how much she liked the story. She said it was a story Aunt Em used to read. I started crying. I don’t think she knew, but after I left her room I cried for about five minutes for no reason. It’s the hormones.”
Tony gently rubbed a circle on Claire’s back as she leaned into him. The scent of chlorine emanated from her hair, as the cool wetness penetrated his shirt. “Hush, don’t cry now. It’s probably good that she can talk about it as if it’s not a big deal.”
Claire nodded.
He wasn’t always the most perceptive, but it didn’t take long for him to realize she was crying. Hugging her tightly, he lifted her chin again and wiped her tears with his thumb. “You didn’t think the pool water was enough for my shirt—you thought it needed tears too?”
Claire grinned and shook her head.
“I love you, Mrs. Rawlings. I love that you’re so emotionally bound to a bunny with no mittens that it makes you cry.”
“Mr. Bunny had mittens,” she corrected. “He’d just lost one.”
Tony watched as the gleam returned to her gaze. “How about we take this pool party upstairs to our suite?”
“We don’t have a pool upstairs.”
Tony stood and reached for her hand. “No, my dear, but we have a shower and a large tub. The advantage of those is the no-bathing-suit rule.”
“Oh?”
“Haven’t I ever mentioned that?”
Her lips quirked into a knowing grin. “No, Mr. Rawlings. I’ve heard many of your rules, and I don’t recall that one.”
“Have you ever worn a bathing suit in the tub?”
Claire shook her head.
“Have you ever worn a bathing suit in the shower?” he asked as they began to walk toward the house.
“No, I can’t say that I have.”