Burning For Claire (The O'Connell Family Book 2) by C.M. Steele Page B

told me that I was wrong and that they would talk to Claire in the morning and straighten all this out and that I shouldn’t be spewing lies.”
    “What makes you think I believe a fucking word you’re saying?”
    “I have the texts I sent them and theirs to me. I can forward them to your phone. I promise I wouldn’t do anything to harm my Éclair. What can I do to make it right?”
    I could hear the remorse in his voice and it was truly sincere, but if he didn’t want to go to jail he may be trying to look innocent, not sorry.
    “Send me the text messages via screenshots,” I ordered.
    “Okay. I’ll figure out how to do that and send them right over.”
    “Hold the side button and the front button at the same time,” Claire answered.
    “Thanks. I’m really sorry, Éclair. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. I swear.”
    I ended the call because I didn’t want to hear his pathetic ass excuses and apologies. I looked down at my woman who sat on the bed with her head hung low.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked.
    She huffed out a deep breath she’d been holding and whined, “I just feel like so much has happened, and I wish I could get a do-over.”
    I sat down with her and started rubbing her back. “Babe, we survived. We have a chance for a do-over.”
    “You’re right. I’m just feeling sorry for myself. I need to stop.”
    I moved her hair to the other side, and nuzzled her neck. I wanted to make her happy, but I knew that happy moments were few and far between when she was going through so much shit. “Claire, there is nothing wrong with feeling the way you do. You just can’t let it keep you down.”
    “I guess when you’re older, you do get wiser,” she joked.
    “Ha-ha. While we wait for his text let’s get ready for the day.”
    “Oh, yeah. I still have to meet your sister and her family.”
    “Yes, you do and their probably here already or on their way. Eli and I still have a lot to do. I don’t know if these are two different cases or if it’s all related, but I need to get some answers. Time is of the essence.”
    We showered together. It may have not been the best idea, but I wanted to get down to business and to see if Tad was really an innocent fool, or a conniving criminal. I tried to avoid looking at her, but she was too tempting to miss. I was strong enough to not bury myself in her, but now, I had a major case of blue balls.
    After dressing, I grabbed my phone and looked at the messages that pinged in from Tad. He wasn’t lying. He’d let them have it, and they claimed to be innocent. I let Claire look at the messages, but it was a mistake. She started crying all over again. I wanted to kick my own ass.
    “Baby, this shows he didn’t do it.”
    “I know, but it still hurts knowing that people I trusted could steal from me. Even worse, they could be involved in the fire that almost killed us and destroyed my livelihood.”
    “Come on we need to get a move on so you can meet my sister and the kids. We have a future to plan for, and I want you to look at all we still have to look forward to.”
    “Oh, no. I’m a mess,” she screeched as she looked into the vanity.
    Looking at her through the mirror, I smiled and said, “You look beautiful.”
    “Bullshit, my face is puffy and streaked with tears.”
    “So, everyone knows what you’ve been through, and your tears are only normal.”
    She shook off her worry and demanded I get a move on. “Fine. Take me to them.”
    I stopped her in her tracks before she opened the bedroom door. “Wait, I need to do one thing first.”
    “What?”
    “This,” I whispered as I held the sides of her face and lowered my mouth down on to hers. Ours mouths met in a kiss that only messed with my heart even more than I could handle.
    “I love you, Claire.” I didn’t mean to say it so soon, but I wasn’t going to take it back or ask that she return the words. I’d been moving fast in every way. I wanted her to mean it when she said