“Hey, now,” Tyler argued in an offended tone. “There’s a big difference between trying to take care of you because I want to and doing it because I think you’re incapable of taking care of yourself. I’m not your father. And you’re not your mother.”
Visiting Amelia’s home when they were kids had been an eye-opening experience. In Tyler’s home, everyone pitched in. Both his parents worked. The older kids helped take care of the younger ones. The boys and the girls all did their share, equally. That was the only way they could get by, day to day.
Then he went to Amelia’s house and watched with surprise the way Principal Kennedy fawned over and protectively guarded his wife and daughters. He treated them as though they were delicate and helpless, a perception Amelia’s mother worked hard to create. She was fragile and often ill with headaches or other ailments, although Amelia insisted there was nothing actually wrong with her. It didn’t matter. Amelia’s father took care of everything. He made all the decisions, earned all the money. He hired a cleaning woman to come a few days a week and relieve her mother of that burden. The two Kennedy girls were expected to do nothing but be pretty an
d shop, just like their mother.
It had made Amelia crazy growing up. She was far from helpless and fragile—she had a spine of steel. She was smart and independent, but her father never gave her enough credit for anything she did. He expected her to marry well and carry on the way her mother had.
And he supposed she had done that, even if she hadn’t meant to. Tyler was successful. His business in gemstones and antiquities was amazingly lucrative. The markup on diamonds was insane. A quick trip to his suppliers in India or Belgium would set him up easily with a stash of high-quality stones at an amazing price. On any given day, he could have a quarter of a million dollars in precious gems tucked into his lapel pocket. If Amelia wanted to quit her job, he could take care of her and their child for the rest of their lives.
But he knew she would never allow that. He wouldn’t even suggest such a thing for fear of bodily harm. She wasn’t her mother. Not even close. “You might not like it,” he continued, “but I’ve got a vested interest in your welfare. For one thing, I haven’t had a chance to get a life-insurance policy on my wife yet.” He grinned wide and was pleased to see her reluctantly smile and roll her eyes at his joke.
“And for another,” he said, getting to his feet and sitting beside her on the bench, “that’s our kid you’re hauling around in there. It’s my job to make sure both of you have everything you need to stay happy, healthy and safe. You can complain all you want and it won’t make any difference.”
Amelia searched his face for a moment, looking for something he didn’t understand. Then she nodded and placed her hand over his, squeezing gently. “Thank you for that. I’m sorry for being difficult today. I feel as though my whole life has been hijacked and shifted off course. I’ve gotten used to being on my own and taking care of myself. It may take a while for me to adjust to anything else. But I do appreciate it. You. No matter what happens between us, I know you’ll be a good father.”
Tyler watched a bright red lock of hair slip from its clip and curl around the curve of her heart-shaped face. The peachy tones of her skin had returned, beckoning him to reach out and caress her velvet-soft cheek, pushing the hair behind her ear. Today, he would do it because he could.
He reached out to her, letting his knuckles softly graze across her cheekbone as they swept the errant curl away from her face. The pale peach of her skin was replaced with a rosy pink as her cheeks flushed. Her dark eyes watched him, but she didn’t pull away from his touch.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he said.
“Really?” she said, her voice betraying the disbelief that reflected in her eyes.
“Absolutely. You’ve got the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen. It’s like liquid fire.”
“Tyler,” she began, hesitating, “I know I can be difficult in a relationship, and you know that better than anyone. Part of me has begun to wonder if I’ll ever...” Her gaze dropped into her lap. “Do you really think you can fall in love with me in thirty days?”
Tyler didn’t want to lie to Amelia, but he knew he had to. If he told her that he had no intention of ever falling in love with her—or anyone, for that matter—it would all be over. If he wanted to succeed for their child’s sake, he had to play along and keep those dark secrets inside. He couldn’t let his own doubts spill over and taint Amelia with his negativity.
As it was, he was stunned by her fears. How could a woman so smart, so beautiful, so talented have any doubt that a man could love her? At least, a man capable of opening himself up to loving someone?
“Are you kidding me? You are incredible in a hundred different ways. Your cooking is the best thing I’ve ever tasted. You tell better dirty jokes than any guy I’ve met. You’re strong of will and spirit. You care so deeply for others that I don’t know how you don’t get your heart crushed every day. You amaze me in a new way every time I’m with you.”
Amelia listened to him speak with silent tears welling in her eyes. He couldn’t bear to see her cry, ever. He opened his arms to her and pulled her tight against his chest. She rested her head against his shoulder, allowing him to press a kiss into the silky strands of her hair.
“I didn’t want to make you cry, but you need to know how important you are. I measure every woman I date against the bar you’ve set, and each of them has fallen miserably short. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You need to think like a winner and erase all those doubts. Then you need to ask yourself, how could I not fall in love with you?”
When he finished speaking, she sat back and looked up at him. She studied his face with a curious expression that wrinkled her delicate nose.
He didn’t know what she was thinking, but he was hyperaware of how close she was. The scent of her body lotion perfumed the air with tropical flowers. He breathed it into his lungs and held it there, remembering that scent from their night together. The muscles in his neck tensed as the memories rushed into his mind and flooded his veins. It would be so easy to touch her. Kiss her. And he wanted to, first date be damned.
As though she’d read his mind, Amelia reached up and rested her palm against his cheek. Then she leaned into him. She closed the gap slowly, her eyes focused on his until their lips touched and their eyes closed. Her mouth was soft and hesitant against his own. He tried not to push too hard or too fast, applying just enough pressure, but letting her take the lead this first time.
It was hard. The sweet, gentle kiss was enough to start a hum of electricity traveling through his body. Tyler wanted to tug her against him and drink her in. He wanted to caress her silken tongue with his own and press his fingertips into her ample flesh. But he knew she was testing the waters. If he pushed too hard, he would lose valuable time trying to coax her back to this place.
She finally pulled away and he reluctantly let her go. Tyler opened his eyes to find her looking up at him with a dreamy smile curling her lips. She took a deep breath and sat back, tugging down at her tunic. “I’ve, uh...” She stumbled over her words. “I’ve really got to get back to work.”
“Okay.”
Tyler swallowed hard, trying to suppress the heated need she’d built up inside him. His every muscle was tense, his fingertips tingling with the need to touch her. It would have to wait. But not for too much longer. She’d kissed him. That was an important first step on the road to success.
He stood and stepped back, helping her get up from the bench. They walked to his rental car and made their way back to the wedding facility she owned with her friends. Once there, he parked the car and came around to open the door for her. Amelia got out but didn’t get far. Before she could escape, he leaned in, pressing a palm against the car and blocking her exit.
“So I’ll let you know when the real estate agent finds us a place and I can arrange the movers to pack your apartment. In the meantime, can I take you out to dinner tomorrow night?”
She looked up at him with surprise in her dark eyes. “So soon?”