Darius spun to face her. “You’re kidding.” He looked at her as though he didn’t know her.
Peyton blushed, realizing just how foolish she sounded. She was a university professor. She’d earned a doctorate degree. She was a thirty-year-old professional. But she’d gotten engaged to a man she couldn’t trust just to please her parents.
She wandered farther into the living room and sank onto Darius’s armchair. “My father wanted me to marry Bruce because he doesn’t think I’m capable of taking care of myself. My mother wanted my father to arrange the relationship because she doesn’t think I can attract a man like Bruce on my own.”
“What do you mean by ‘a man like Bruce’?”
Peyton’s shrug was restless and impatient. “Handsome and successful.”
“What does Bruce do for a living?”
“He’s a financial analyst with my father’s brokerage firm. He’s on the partnership track.”
“Your father’s a financial analyst?”
“Yes.”
“What does your mother do?”
“She volunteers on boards and committees. She’s planned a lot of very successful fund-raisers for museums, hospitals, and libraries.”
“That’s how you learned to organize fund-raisers.”
“Yes.”
Darius dropped his arms. “So your parents are rich and well connected. They probably wouldn’t approve of you having a relationship with a small-town newspaper reporter.”
“No, they probably wouldn’t.”
“Do they know about me?”
“No, they don’t.”
“Why not?” His question was cold, robotic.
Peyton hesitated. “I just haven’t told them yet.”
“Because you’re ashamed of me?”
“No, that’s not why.” She was appalled at the suggestion.
“Then what are we doing here?”
“What?” Peyton stood to face him.
“You didn’t tell me about your engagement. You didn’t tell your parents about me.” Darius paced the living room, stopping when he reached the entrance to his kitchen. “How many other secrets are you keeping?”
Peyton reared back as though he’d struck her. “I’m not keeping secrets.”
“Oh, that’s right. You’re just not telling me anything.” Darius crossed back to his front window.
Peyton’s temper sparked. “I’m not a liar. I’m not marrying Bruce and I’m not returning to New York.”
“And our relationship is not going anywhere, is it? Because you’re also not telling your parents about me.”
“I don’t have to explain our relationship to my parents. It’s our relationship.”
Darius dragged a hand over his close-cut hair. “You’re not the woman I thought you were.”