He nodded, his brow clearing a bit. She wished she could feel relief but she knew better. Her lips were trembling. Her hands and knees, too. Tamara slid back onto her chair.
“I can see why your father wanted you to do your work without anyone knowing you were his daughter. People would be more honest with a stranger who had no ties to their boss.”
She wanted to nod. He was right—to a point.
She could sense that he was taking hope. Saw him working everything out in his mind.
It was an endeavor doomed to fail before he’d even begun.
The sound of the swing, back and forth, back and forth, click, click, played a rhythm in her mind. Soothing her. She concentrated on that. Focused on it.
“Did you really tell them you’re seeing me?”
“Of course.”
There were no longer any creases on his brow.
“And they were okay with it?”
“They didn’t tell me not to.” That point was key. He had to know they hadn’t rejected him—despite believing he might have stolen from them. She’d even go so far as to say, “They’re supportive of whatever choice I make where you’re concerned.”
“But they’re worried.”
She’d already told him that much. She nodded.
“Your dad knows about my past. And about Diamond Rose.”
Of course he knew. Flint had informed Howard about the baby himself.
He frowned again. “When I asked you to give me time to tell him...did you?”
“Yes.”
His brow cleared. If she didn’t know better, she’d start to take hope herself. As it was, she wanted to throw herself in his arms, beg his forgiveness and have wild, passionate sex.
She wanted to focus on him. On them. All the issues separating them be damned.
At the same time she wanted to run, but didn’t trust her knees to carry her away from him.
“So...now that the cat’s out of the bag,” he began, “how about we pack up the girl here and stop over to see them? I know Howard generally spends his Sunday evenings during football season in front of the seventy-two-inch screen he had installed in your parents’ family room.”
“You’ve seen it?” She gulped. Buying time she didn’t have.
“Of course not. He doesn’t expose his employees to his family—and vice versa. You’d be the first to know that.”
She nodded.
“So...give them a call. Let’s get this over with.” His tone was light. His expression wasn’t, but it was filled with the warm light of...caring she’d become addicted to seeing from him over the past weeks.
She shook her head.
Flint sat on the edge of the seat closest to her then leaned forward, taking both of her hands in his. “I know there’s a lot we still have to face, sweetie. Just as I understand why they’re so concerned for you. Let me assure them that I know what’s going on. That I have no intention of asking you to do anything if you aren’t ready. Even if you’re never ready. Let me set their minds at ease.”
She couldn’t do that. But how to tell this wonderful man—the man she seemed to have fallen in love with—that nothing was as it seemed.
She loved him? Nothing like going for the bottom line when everything was falling apart.
Mallory had been right. She’d known how Tamara felt before Tamara knew it herself.