Consequences
Page 44
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“Perhaps, but if I have anything to do with it—cold is not what you’d be feeling.”
After a lingering kiss, Tony disappeared into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and with a groan, moved the levers to cold. When he emerged freshly showered and shaven, Claire looked amazing! After a little investigation, he learned that she was wearing some kind of hosiery that only went to her thigh. It was ingenious! Each step of obedience, each time she had the opportunity to disobey and didn’t, his hope and anticipation for her answer was fortified.
After they’d eaten dinner and seen a play, Eric drove Tony and Claire to Central Park. The night was much cooler than Tony had planned; however, he was prepared for a carriage ride with gloves, scarves, and blankets. The longer the carriage moved, the happier Tony was for the cooler temperatures. It was as if no one else was out, and Central Park was lit up just for them.
He leaned close and began talking. It was something he’d never done to excess, until Claire—well, until her accident. Those days and weeks of talking just to talk had opened something inside of him. He had no desire to talk that much around others, but with Claire, he could. So, he did. As the horse trotted along the deserted paths, he talked about dating other women and how Claire was different. He explained that she knew the real him—the man few people ever get to see. Tony wanted her to understand, he had feelings—more than he’d ever experienced with anyone in his life. For the sake of the conversation and the proposal, he’d call them love. It wasn’t that he thought his wording was deceitful. It was that he’d never experienced this feeling before, and he wasn’t completely sure what it was—but, he believed it could be love.
“Claire, the other night you asked me if I cared about you. Honestly—with our initial arrangement—I never intended to, but without a doubt, I do.” Tony looked down and took a deep breath. Resuming their eye contact, he asked, “Do you care about me? Do you enjoy being with me?”
He loved her smile and the way she never took her eyes off of him. “Tony, I do care about you. I want you to be happy, and I would do anything to help that happen, and on a night like tonight, or even a quiet night at home, I enjoy being with you,” her eyes glistened in the cold air with the twinkling reflection of the lights from the trees, “more than enjoy; however,” her eyes fluttered, “honestly, there are times I don’t. There are times I want you away from me, or vice versa.” Although her honesty may have been difficult to voice, she did just as he’d taught her and never looked away.
Tony smiled and leaned closer. He needed to kiss her. All he could think about was the taste of her lips. When he pulled away, he held nothing back, wanting her to know that not only did he expect honesty, he craved it. There were too many people in his life who were yes men, yet this woman who’d seen the absolute worst in him, could look him in the eye and be totally honest. “You’re the most amazing woman. I have vice presidents, presidents, and chairmen of boards who’ve never experienced me as you have. None of them would have the courage to answer that question as honestly as you just did. It’s your strength and determination that have infuriated me. That strength and resilience have also made me fall in love with you. Claire, I experienced life without you—after your accident.”
He’d made his decision. Dr. Leonard wasn’t the ultimate test: this was. She could walk away—he’d try to allow it. He would try, if that’s what she wanted, but he had to know. He had to present the option.
He continued, “I don’t want to be without you again, but I want you to make your own decision. Tonight, I’d like to present you with two options: your freedom—you may leave tonight and your debt is paid, or,” he removed the ring he’d bought from his jacket pocket, “you could agree to marry me and spend the rest of your life with me, not out of obligation or contractual agreement, but because you want to be with me.”
Perhaps Claire would think that his shaking was due to the cold. He waited. When she didn’t reply, he said, “You told me yesterday no more black boxes, so I took it out of its box.” He grinned. “Could we see if it fits?”
Claire nodded and extended her left hand, covered by a large mitten.
Tony smiled as he removed the fuzzy mitten and placed the ring on her fourth finger. “It seems to fit.” Tony looked into her emerald eyes. “The question still seems to be unanswered. Do you want to keep it on and stay with me? Will you please be Claire Rawlings?”
“I-I’m so surprised,” she stuttered, “ar-are you seriously asking me to marry you?”
He grinned and bowed his nose to hers. “Yes, my dear. This entire night has been leading to this proposal. I’ve watched you with me in private, in public, and with my closest friends. I want you there always. I love you.”
“Please,” she implored, “please, let me think. I promise you an answer soon.”
He did what she asked. It wasn’t often that Claire asked anything of him, and now she wanted time to think. As the carriage moved slowly around the frost-dusted park, Tony wondered how much time she wanted. Each moment made him more anxious. Maybe he hadn’t thought this through enough. What if she chose freedom? Could he do what he’d said? Could he give it to her? As the panic continued to build a defensive wall, her beautiful voice broke through—shattering his doubts and calming his anxiety.
“God help me, yes—Tony, I’ll marry you.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly. When their lips separated, Claire confessed, “I love you too.”
After a lingering kiss, Tony disappeared into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and with a groan, moved the levers to cold. When he emerged freshly showered and shaven, Claire looked amazing! After a little investigation, he learned that she was wearing some kind of hosiery that only went to her thigh. It was ingenious! Each step of obedience, each time she had the opportunity to disobey and didn’t, his hope and anticipation for her answer was fortified.
After they’d eaten dinner and seen a play, Eric drove Tony and Claire to Central Park. The night was much cooler than Tony had planned; however, he was prepared for a carriage ride with gloves, scarves, and blankets. The longer the carriage moved, the happier Tony was for the cooler temperatures. It was as if no one else was out, and Central Park was lit up just for them.
He leaned close and began talking. It was something he’d never done to excess, until Claire—well, until her accident. Those days and weeks of talking just to talk had opened something inside of him. He had no desire to talk that much around others, but with Claire, he could. So, he did. As the horse trotted along the deserted paths, he talked about dating other women and how Claire was different. He explained that she knew the real him—the man few people ever get to see. Tony wanted her to understand, he had feelings—more than he’d ever experienced with anyone in his life. For the sake of the conversation and the proposal, he’d call them love. It wasn’t that he thought his wording was deceitful. It was that he’d never experienced this feeling before, and he wasn’t completely sure what it was—but, he believed it could be love.
“Claire, the other night you asked me if I cared about you. Honestly—with our initial arrangement—I never intended to, but without a doubt, I do.” Tony looked down and took a deep breath. Resuming their eye contact, he asked, “Do you care about me? Do you enjoy being with me?”
He loved her smile and the way she never took her eyes off of him. “Tony, I do care about you. I want you to be happy, and I would do anything to help that happen, and on a night like tonight, or even a quiet night at home, I enjoy being with you,” her eyes glistened in the cold air with the twinkling reflection of the lights from the trees, “more than enjoy; however,” her eyes fluttered, “honestly, there are times I don’t. There are times I want you away from me, or vice versa.” Although her honesty may have been difficult to voice, she did just as he’d taught her and never looked away.
Tony smiled and leaned closer. He needed to kiss her. All he could think about was the taste of her lips. When he pulled away, he held nothing back, wanting her to know that not only did he expect honesty, he craved it. There were too many people in his life who were yes men, yet this woman who’d seen the absolute worst in him, could look him in the eye and be totally honest. “You’re the most amazing woman. I have vice presidents, presidents, and chairmen of boards who’ve never experienced me as you have. None of them would have the courage to answer that question as honestly as you just did. It’s your strength and determination that have infuriated me. That strength and resilience have also made me fall in love with you. Claire, I experienced life without you—after your accident.”
He’d made his decision. Dr. Leonard wasn’t the ultimate test: this was. She could walk away—he’d try to allow it. He would try, if that’s what she wanted, but he had to know. He had to present the option.
He continued, “I don’t want to be without you again, but I want you to make your own decision. Tonight, I’d like to present you with two options: your freedom—you may leave tonight and your debt is paid, or,” he removed the ring he’d bought from his jacket pocket, “you could agree to marry me and spend the rest of your life with me, not out of obligation or contractual agreement, but because you want to be with me.”
Perhaps Claire would think that his shaking was due to the cold. He waited. When she didn’t reply, he said, “You told me yesterday no more black boxes, so I took it out of its box.” He grinned. “Could we see if it fits?”
Claire nodded and extended her left hand, covered by a large mitten.
Tony smiled as he removed the fuzzy mitten and placed the ring on her fourth finger. “It seems to fit.” Tony looked into her emerald eyes. “The question still seems to be unanswered. Do you want to keep it on and stay with me? Will you please be Claire Rawlings?”
“I-I’m so surprised,” she stuttered, “ar-are you seriously asking me to marry you?”
He grinned and bowed his nose to hers. “Yes, my dear. This entire night has been leading to this proposal. I’ve watched you with me in private, in public, and with my closest friends. I want you there always. I love you.”
“Please,” she implored, “please, let me think. I promise you an answer soon.”
He did what she asked. It wasn’t often that Claire asked anything of him, and now she wanted time to think. As the carriage moved slowly around the frost-dusted park, Tony wondered how much time she wanted. Each moment made him more anxious. Maybe he hadn’t thought this through enough. What if she chose freedom? Could he do what he’d said? Could he give it to her? As the panic continued to build a defensive wall, her beautiful voice broke through—shattering his doubts and calming his anxiety.
“God help me, yes—Tony, I’ll marry you.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly. When their lips separated, Claire confessed, “I love you too.”
