Consequences (46 page)

After they cut the cake and gently fed each other a bite, Claire chocolate and Tony white, the conductor fired up the jazz band. The music resonated soulfully, rhythmical and lively. The lights of the tent dimmed and the dance floor glittered with intensified brilliance. Tony led Claire onto the dance floor and they walked hand in hand. His eyes, the shade of melted chocolate, beheld his beautiful new wife. He regarded her with complete love and adoration. Suddenly, her doubts and fears faded away. He had the most amazing ability to dissolve her heart and soul. Gallantly he took her hand in his, encircled her small waist with his strong, powerful, yet tender embrace. Her body immediately molded to his. They moved in sync. He turned, twirled, and spun her around the floor. The bustled wedding gown swayed to his slightest inclination. They had only danced together a few times, but their bodies had moved together on numerous occasions. She became lost in his eyes, and without thought or consciousness he had complete control and dominance over every aspect of her being and every movement of her body. With each crescendo of the music Claire’s heartbeat accelerated. The guests surrounded the dance floor to watch the newlyweds waltz. Tony tall and dark, Claire petite and light, their contrast intensified the beauty and sensuality of the moment. It wasn’t until the music reached its final
fermata
 that Claire noticed the gathered crowd. Up until that moment, her brilliant emerald green eyes could only see her husband. He gently kissed his bride, and the guests applauded. Claire blushed and smiled.

The band began again, and Tony charmingly bowed and asked Emily to dance. John nodded to Emily and extended his hand to Claire. Whispering in Claire’s ear, John said, “You are beautiful in love.” The four of them danced for a few minutes until the MC asked the guests to join them. Suddenly, the floor burst with couples.

Sometime after eleven Claire and Tony, no longer in their wedding attire, kissed their friends and family goodbye and said adieu to the others. They left to begin their honeymoon adventure. Once again, Claire was being led by Tony to an unknown destination.

After their flight reached its cruising altitude Tony began to seduce his wife. He caressed, kissed, and tantalized her. He told her in a raspy, sensual tone he loved her, how amazing she had been and she was. He also told her what she already knew. “Mrs. Rawlings, you are now mine, completely. You belong to me.”

Tomorrow
is
a
mystery.
Yesterday
is
history.
Live
today,
it’s
a
gift,
that’s
why
they
call
it
“present.”

—Unknown

 Chapter 31

Claire awoke to the sensation of their plane decelerating on a runway. She’d been somewhere in a dream as her body lay upon the leather sofa wrapped in the soft cocoon of a luxurious blanket. The sudden increased roar of engines combined with the screech of brakes transported her to the present. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep or if they’d reached their mysterious honeymoon destination. But she remembered the excitement in Tony’s eyes as he talked about their romantic journey. Willingly, she continued to allow herself to be taken to places unknown.

Looking down at her left hand, she saw the familiar engagement ring now with its new mate. Her wedding band glistened with embedded diamonds that matched the circle around the large solitaire. They were truly beautiful. Pondering the past nine months, it boggled her mind that she was wearing such an amazing set of rings and more importantly their meaning—she was married. She was married to Anthony Rawlings.

Slowly, she turned to see her husband. His bare feet elevated as he lounged in a reclining chair. Watching him, she marveled at his relaxed pose, a stark contrast to how he usually looked when they flew. His attention was focused on the laptop resting on his long legs. Her cheeks and the tips of her lips moved upward as she noticed his jeans. They were the ones he had worn when they left the reception. It seemed they were both wearing what the other preferred—he in his jeans, and her out of hers. She snuggled into the soft blanket and closed her eyes.

The engines hummed as she felt the plane taxi toward its stop. Claire recalled the past twenty-four hours. Tony was right. Brad and Monica created the perfect ceremony and reception. She remembered the estate and decorations. Even the snow obeyed as if requisitioned to complement the final product. She thought about their friends, her family, and the guests. She recalled John’s kind words and Brent’s welcoming toast. Smiling, she remembered Tony, incredibly handsome in his tuxedo and incessantly complimentary of her and her gown. Cinderella at the ball couldn’t have felt more special. Like Prince Charming he only had eyes for his bride. That admiration continued onto the jet. Once the cockpit door closed and the lights dimmed, his devotion grew into fervent passion.

Suddenly, she realized the implication of her blanket. If they’d reached their destination she needed to dress and quickly. “Are we at our honeymoon?”

He turned from his computer and smiled. “You didn’t need to wake. You look so beautiful and peaceful.”

Keeping the blanket wrapped around her, she went to him and knelt beside his chair. “I think I was worn-out.” Her emerald eyes glowed as she put her arms around his exposed midsection. Looking into his milk chocolate eyes, feeling his warmth, and inhaling his scent, she thought to herself,
He
is
really
my
husband.

Tony’s eyes met hers, then scanned toward her blanket. Smiling, he said, “It was a busy day, Mrs. Rawlings.” The
Mrs.
Rawlings
made Claire’s eyes sparkle. He gently kissed his wife and playfully attempted to see under her blanket.

“And an eventful night, Mr. Rawlings.”

“It isn’t over. We are just stopping in LA to refuel. We have much more flying before we reach our destination.”

This made Claire think. “So are we going to Hawaii?”

“Would you like to go to Hawaii?” Claire said she would, she’d never been. He loved to make her squirm “Well, we will have to find out where we end up, won’t we?” He kissed her again.

The plane was now standing still. Eric and the pilot entered the cabin and bid hello to Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings. Apologizing for the interruption, they promised to be airborne in less than thirty minutes. Tony told them it was fine, just please do whatever was necessary as soon as possible. They had a honeymoon to get to. The two men promised they would and opened the outside door to the cabin. The rush of fresh air was no longer cold. They definitely weren’t in Iowa.

Tony placed the laptop on the floor and invited Claire to his lap. She climbed up, resting her head on his strong chest and listened to the beat of his heart as he spoke about Los Angeles. His hands tenderly explored under her blanket, gently caressing her soft skin. Had she ever been there? She said no, she’d been to northern California, San Francisco when she was young on a family vacation. She remembered going to Alcatraz. Her dad, being a policeman, thought it was neat. But she didn’t. She recalled during the tour actually going into cells. There were audiotaped voices and sounds of cell doors closing, she didn’t like it at all. He hugged her. “I promise not to plan a visit to Alcatraz in our future. How old were you when you went there?”

“I think I was twelve.” Claire looked up at his face. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I was just wondering.” Tony went on to tell her about Eli and MaryAnn’s home in LA, actually in Malibu. He said he’ll need to bring her to one of their parties. He wasn’t much into the whole Hollywood scene, but even he had to admit Eli and MaryAnn could throw an awesome party. Eli’s guests usually included people Claire had seen in movies or on TV. Eli could be an ass, but he’s great at what he did, and there were multitudes of people that would kill to attend his parties. He described MaryAnn and Eli’s house as an architectural marvel situated on Malibu beach, hanging off a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

“I would love to see it sometime. Do you stay with them when you travel to LA?”

“No, I—I mean,
we
,” he smiled. “We have an apartment in Hollywood, not far from Malibu.”

Claire smirked. “Maybe sometime you could tell me how many apartments
we
have?”

“
We
have many residences. It’ll take time to familiarize you with all of them.” She couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea. She had places in Iowa, New York City, Chicago, Hollywood, and other locations. “They are not all as grand as New York and Chicago. I spend more time there.”

“Yeah, well you never saw my apartment in Atlanta. I’m pretty sure that compared to it they’re all palatial.”

Claire and Tony were talking and laughing when the door reopened. She quickly closed the blanket as the pilot announced they were ready to leave
.
She began to stand when Tony pulled her toward him. “Umm, don’t you think I should be in a seat belt when the plane takes off?” Reluctantly he released his hold but not before opening her blanket and grinning. Claire kissed him, moved to the other chair, situated herself, her blanket, and buckled the seat belt. Within minutes they were airborne, and she drifted to a fitful sleep.

Still at cruising altitude Claire awoke with Tony sleeping soundly in the neighboring recliner. Finding her air legs, she eased her way to the back of the cabin, which held a small shower and dressing room. From twenty thousand feet the view out the window held only blackness separated by a scattering of stars differentiating sky from sea. She found an overnight bag, undoubtedly packed by Catherine. It contained shower, hair, and cosmetic supplies, as well as a black negligee and a summer blouse with capris. She smiled. The negligee would have been nice, but Tony didn’t seem to mind the blanket.

After a quick shower and fresh clothes she felt more alert. Her watch read eight twenty, but a glance out the window told her it was still dark wherever they were. They’d been traveling over eight hours. They should be in Hawaii soon. Finishing her makeup she smiled, thinking of sunshine and beaches. She didn’t know how long they would be in Hawaii or on which island. The idea sounded wonderful and Tony enjoyed surprising her, but she wistfully thought about being involved in the planning.

Walking unsteadily back into the cabin Claire found Tony sitting at the table with his laptop and coffee. He turned to watch her enter. “Good morning, Mrs. Rawlings, you look beautiful. I wish you would have awakened me, I could have joined you in the shower.” He grinned over his cup.

“I don’t think we both would fit. Besides, you looked too peaceful.” She sipped the warm auburn liquid and allowed its robust aroma to revive her senses. Tony said they would be landing on Oahu in Honolulu in an hour. It would only be about three in the morning, but they would deplane, find some breakfast and walk around before continuing their flight. “Continuing, we aren’t staying in Hawaii?” She sounded disappointed.

“No, Hawaii is just a fuel stop, but we will need to revisit sometime for you to sightsee. It is a lovely place.” His eyes taunted. “But not as lovely as where we are going.”

“And we are going where?” Claire asked, intrigued. Tony’s eyes sparkled, the black almost completely overtaken with the soft chocolate hue. His grin mischievous, he didn’t answer. “And how much longer until we get there?”

“Mrs. Rawlings, you are very inquisitive. What if I told you that we wouldn’t reach our destination until tomorrow?”

Claire thought about that.
Twenty-four
more
hours
of
flying?
She realized he wasn’t talking about twenty-four hours. “Well, Mr. Rawlings, I would say it sounds like we are crossing the International Date Line.” She smiled smugly.

He looked at her with admiration, and addressed Eric, who was refilling their coffee cups. “My wife is not only beautiful, she is also incredibly intelligent.” He kissed her head as he stood. “I believe I will freshen up before we begin our descent.” With that, he disappeared behind the wall at the back of the cabin. Claire noticed his laptop open on the table. The screen was, of course, locked. A quick Google search of land west of the International Date Line would’ve been beneficial. She would just need to rely on her memory. But then she wondered if they were staying in the northern hemisphere or heading south? Sighing, she sipped her delicious coffee. She would have to wait, she didn’t have a choice.