“If you’ll kindly proceed to the library, I’ll be delighted to show it to you,” I snarled and made an overly exaggeratedafter yougesture with one arm.
She stared at me for a few moments then marched toward the library, shaking her head. “I read that contract—I didn’t see any kind of clause mentioning sequestration.”
“You may not have seen it, sweetheart, but you signed it.”
The contract still lay atop the desk in the center of the library. Bonnie picked it up and flipped rapidly through the pages.
“Page seven,” I offered. “Under the section marked “Spoilers and Non-Disclosure.”
Read it and weep, lady.
Bonnie was silent as she read, her face paling with each line she scanned. When she looked up at me, her expression was disbelieving and at the same time utterly defeated.
A tide of satisfaction washed through me.
“This is ludicrous,” she said at last. “You don’t really expect me to adhere to this, do you?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why wouldn’t I? You signed it.”
“Yes but… this says I can’t see anyone, can’t talk to anyone outside of this house. It says you’ll confiscate my laptop and my phone.”
“It sure does. Right there in black and white.” I gave her a wicked grin, enjoying her astonished indignation. Now she knew how it felt.
She stared at me then looked back at the contract, as if the writing on the page might have magically changed in the past minute. When her gaze came back up to meet mine there were a million questions behind her eyes.
There was also a new understanding.
I owned her.
“Are you going to have me… locked in my apartment?”
“No.”
Her shoulders relaxed but then tensed again when I elaborated. “You’ll be stayinghere. Where I can keep an eye on you and makesureyou’re not spilling any secrets.”
“Here?” Her eyes bulged. “At your house? For how long?”
“Until I turn the book in.”
“Your deadline is four weeks from now.”
“That’s right.”
Her mouth dropped open and she let out a gasp of shock. “I can’t stay here for a month. I told you about my father. He depends on me. He can’t live alone. He needs me there.”
Instantaneous guilt attacked my conscience. For the first time since walking in on Bonnie in my office, I questioned my actions. Was I in the wrong here? Itwasa little bizarre to force a woman to stay in your home.
But what choice did I have? I couldn’t risk the truth getting out. I’d be ruined. Bonnie had just proven she wasn’t trustworthy.
And I refused to let those slivers of guilt go any deeper. This was her fault, not mine. She’d forced me into this. I didn’t like it any more than she did.
But I did have to do something about her father. “I can’t let you go home, but I’ll arrange to have someone check on your father daily.”
“Who?”
Who indeed? I was making this up as I went along. “I’ll… hire a home health care service. A nurse can stop by once a day and make sure he’s healthy and eating well.”
She shook her head adamantly and folded her arms across those lovely C-cups, wearing an obstinate expression.
