A Vengeful Heiress

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

"The happiest I've ever felt was that moment when I discovered you love me too."
---anonymous

Claire chastised herself the whole drive home. She'd known taking his wristwatch and necklace was a bad idea. From the moment she'd spotted them in her room this afternoon she'd been at war with herself, going back and forth over whether she should drop by to his house.

She been worried the gesture would come across such sucky and ingratiating, though she was desperate for Alex to agreed to go with her in that birthing sessions.

Then he'd asked her to join for his dinner. The next she'd known she had a piece of brie in her hand.

Not what she'd anticipated, although she'd been lying if she pretended that she hadn't enjoyed their conversation until she noticed his piercing eyes that burned her whole being. She doesn't want them to end up in bed again but what she could do, Alex can easily intice her.

A hot flush of embarassment washed over Claire as she remembered the way she bolted for the door after he'd made that crack about jumping her bones. With the benefit of hindsight it was clear to her that he'd seen her tension and had been trying to put her at ease---and she'd responded by behaving like a scared rabbit.

She threw her keys onto the kitchen counter as she entered the house and crossed the sink. Pouring herself a glass of water, she drank deeply. The empty glass thunked loudly against the counter as she set it down with too much force. She stared out the window past the dim reflection of her own features.

The world outside was dark and still. In contrast, she was buzzing with adrenaline, her head filled with mixed-up thought and half-acknowledged emotions.

She read self books. She knew this was all stardard fare for a pregnant woman to know the changes of her body and the psychological changes during that period of time, so she'll understand--to what she went through.

Her gaze shifted, focusing on the ghostlike reflection in the window instead of the yard outside. The woman staring back at her looked so confuse and weary that she felt an instinctive surge of compassion for her.

"Stay strong Claire, give him another chance even just this once. Dion was right, do it for the sake of your child."

Turning away, she flicked the light and walked to her bedroom. The familiar bedtime routine of washing her face and brushing her teeth was infinitely soothing a form of behavioral valium, and she climbed into the bed and pulled the quilt high around her shoulders.

Rather than give her a whirling thoughts more oxygen, she deliberately called up the image of different designs of the nursery room.

Her brow furrowed with concentration, she begun to plan her design. After a few minutes, her brow smoothed out.

Not long after that, she slipped into the forgetfulness and comfort of sleep.

The first thing Claire remembered the next morning that she asked Alex to accompany her later today at her birthing sessions.

She groaned covering her face with her hands. Everything in her rebelled at the thought of facing him again after her undignified retreat last night.

"Here we come morning sickness again." she whispered, then hurriedly padded to her bathroom and throw up all the content of her stomach that she had eaten last night.

Feeling so exhausted she lazily go back on her bed and grabbed another minutes of sleep.

"Hummppp." she can still tasted the salty acid in her mouth as she closed her eyes, hoping no more surge of morning sickness.