Page 42 of Degrees of Innocence
His hands tighten around my hips, guiding me as the urgency builds and our rhythm increases until we are left breathless, completely overcome by our physical exertion of the day. We are freshly showered and as we crawl into bed he pulls me close against the steady beat of his heart, and that’s the last thing I recall as I drift off to sleep.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I wake to find Chasealready at the table working on his Mac with a cup of coffee.
“Morning,” he says, stretching back in invitation. I crawl into his arms. He hugs me tight and kisses me deeply. “How you are feeling this morning?” he asks.
“Much better and completely satisfied,” I respond, running my hand across his broad shoulders and up the back of his muscular neck, gently pulling his face closer to my own and kissing him back, caressing his bottom lip with mine.
“We have a lot to discuss and I can’t think straight when you’re on my lap kissing me like that,” he says.
I pretend to pout and rub the back of his neck coaxing his face closer to mine again, kissing him once more.
“Good try, Katarina, but we are going to talk about security details,” he admonishes, seeing right through my delay tactics.
“I’ll order brunch and then we can discuss security and Martel,” he says, watching me, probably waiting for an argument.
“I know how anxious you are to do this and I’ll try to be as open-minded as I can,” I say.
“The security team is eager to have a plan in place before we leave for the States. I’ve started a very basic list but I’m sure it’s going to feel like an invasion of your privacy,” he warns, turning the Mac sideways so we can both read the screen together.
The list is not an invasion of my privacy, it eradicates any existence of privacy I’ve ever had. I am sure I must be in a state of shock as I reread the Word document and try to absorb the content. I can feel the intensity of his gaze, waiting for some reaction. I attempt to keep my mounting frustration in check. My heart is racing and I am trying to maintain some semblance of control.
“Chase, I wouldn’t have considered any of these items before the last few days. I can agree to some of these security measures, but not to them all.”
“They are necessary for your protection and simply aren’t negotiable, Katarina.”
The dam breaks. “You’re serious … my family and friends need to go through a screening process? You want me to live in an apartment with a safe room? Are you kidding me? What the hell would I need so much security for? What the hell do you do for a living that would require me to have this much security?” I ask, losing the battle to maintain my composure.
“Katarina, calm down. The work I do can be contentious and the people closest to me can easily become targets. Your family and friends will not even realize they’re being screened. Jay and his team are superb at what they do. They are working round the clock to find out who has targeted you and why, but until we get this resolved, I need to make sure you are safe.”
“This scares me to death,” I say, rereading the list, trying to comprehend and make sense of it all. He wants me to live in an apartment with a safe room. I thought that was only in the movies. I will have a driver assigned to me, can’t run the same routes every day, and need to have someone with me at all times. Not to mention bugging my phone, keeping me on GPS, and the rest of the list.
“Katarina, the work I do and decisions I make often affect global environments. As a result, certain groups would like nothing better than an opportunity to exert pressure to influence those decisions. The best strategy to combat that is to eliminate the ability for those opportunities to exist,” he explains.
“Chase, I know Prestian Corp is a very successful conglomerate, but I think you are intentionally vague. I don’t understand what it is that’s so dangerous and contentious.”
“The integration of global markets has been almost entirely funded by financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations such as Prestian. The issues that arise from the global business are many and complex, ranging from labor issues to environmental issues and in any of these factions conflict can occur quickly. It often turns violent in countries that are adapting to changes in their lifestyle or culture. Katarina, in layman’s terms some countries don’t like a change in the workforce rules and they will stop at nothing to keep control over the workforce. Prestian Corp is committed to doing its part in the global market while maintaining a high level of quality both in its products and environmental practices. The safety and welfare of the workforce are imperative to me, and this can be quite controversial when it means a change to the current host country’s standard practices. You can liken it to cultural changes in our own city as we look at building the first multidivisional health facility that challenges the status quo. It’s going to shake things up a little, Katarina, and there’s always a danger in that. Security is not an option in the world that I live in, Baby. I know it’s invasive, but it’s necessary.”
“I appreciate that you’re worried about me, but these rules eradicate any existence of privacy I have at all. Besides, I can’t afford the security you want.”
“Katarina, I will be paying for your security. You wouldn’t need it if it weren’t for me and the work I do.”
“The hell you will,” I say, getting up from the table and trying to put some distance between the two of us. I don’t give a damn why you think I need a safe room and the rest of your security rules. I am not about to let you pay for my apartment,” I say, furious at the level of control being proposed.
“Katarina, be reasonable. The security you need is expensive and you can’t afford it. The money is minimal to me.”
“That’s not the point, Chase. I can pay for my own apartment and I don’t care how much money you make.”
“Calm down. This is getting us nowhere fast. You must realize the necessity for security.”
“After this week I can understand and appreciate the need for security, at least until we figure out why I’m being targeted, but I can’t let you pay for my apartment. It’s just too much, too soon. We’ve only known each other a little more than a week,” I say.
“So you are agreeable to full-time security, as long as I am not paying for your apartment,” he says.
Did I say that? “I’m looking at a few places on the outskirts of the city that are very nice with a forty-minute commute. How about if you go with me so you can take a look at the security in the apartments that I can afford? If you do that, I will compromise on the security.”
His eyes darken before me and his jaw is firmly set. “Katarina, I want you to have a safe home, security when you are not at home and if I'm honest having you on the road for an hour and a half each day seems ludicrous.”
