Public Relations (36 page)
“I wish I knew my father as well as I know you. I wish…maybe I could’ve been there for him so he didn’t feel like he had to do what he did. I think…he was lonely. With the way he was brought up, he didn’t know how to find true intimacy, and then when he and my mother grew apart, he sought comfort where he knew how.”
Tears ran down her cheeks, making tiny glistening rivers. He rubbed his thumbs over them, stemming the flow, and gently made her keep her gaze on him.
“Anything I did? Anything your father did? That was our choice. Not yours.” He kissed her, lingering long enough that he tasted the salt of her tears. “I’m just lucky enough I saw what being a jackass could cost me. The sad thing here? Is that your father never got to know you.”
“I love you.” The words were muffled in his lapel, but he heard them just the same. Holding her, he let her cry and swore to himself he’d never, ever be the one to cause her pain again.
“I’m stepping down as chairman,” he said when she lifted her head minutes later with a final sniff. “And I reopened the paper. I’m sorry for everything. Just…everything.”
She opened her mouth, and he pressed his fingers to her lips.
“I want to spend time building that boat and getting to know my family. You’ve allowed me to see how important people are. What small things mean to people. Not money, but time. My father has always wanted to build a schooner, and I’d like to heal our relationship.” Allowing all the love he felt for Georgia to shine in his eyes, he continued, “And even more important, I want time for a proper honeymoon with my wife.”
“Your…wife?” Georgia leaned back, ostensibly to get a better look at his face and body language.
Suddenly he wasn’t quite as sure of himself as he had been when he’d made the suggestion.
“Unless she wants a longer courtship?” he hedged.
Long lashes fluttered low before lifting. With all the emotion he felt mirrored back at him, she asked, “How do you feel about being an earl?”
He started back in shock. It was her turn to surprise him.
“I hadn’t considered…” He blew out a breath and felt a grin spread over his face. “You know, together we could do some pretty spectacular things. Maybe even open an international center for underprivileged and handicapped youth. And there’s the paper to whip into shape if you’d still like to take that task on.”
Relief poured from her, and she laced her fingers with his.
“I love you,” he said, examining their joined hands. “Marry me?”
Georgia’s smile lit up the room.
“You forgot the ring,” she teased.
He raised both brows at her, and her lips parted to form a little O as he lifted a velvet box from his pocket. Opening the lid, he took out his great-grandmother’s modest diamond and held it up to the light. It shone with all the brilliance of every gem he’d ever seen, and possibly more.
“I really do love you,” she whispered. “So much it hurts.”
His heart gave a funny flip as he took in her statement and realized though he’d heard those words a million times, he’d never really understood them before today.
I love you
used to be a fantasy—something plastic or frilly like the topper on a wedding cake, at best. At worst? A jumble of words someone might use to wrestle control away from him. After all his careful maneuvering and avoidance, it turned out that love really existed. It was a deep well of give-and-take, protector and protected, cherisher and cherished.
As he slipped the ring on Georgia’s finger, a tap sounded on the window and they both jerked around guiltily, the moment broken.
Heart thundering, Peter recognized Sid’s shock of hair.
The man held up a bottle of champagne and shouted, “Time to celebrate?”
Georgia gasped. “He and Carl knew about this? About the proposal?”
“I made them promise not to tell.” Peter came to Sid and Carl’s defense, knowing men had to stick together.
“Hmph.” Standing, Georgia pretended indifference, but Peter saw the way she admired the ring on her finger.
Hand at the small of her back, he guided her to the door. She reached for the knob, then paused to look up at him.
“This could be seen as pretty risqué, you know. Us leaving the room together.” Her gaze swept him, heating as it lingered at all the right spots. “Looking like this. Maskless.”
Pulling Georgia into his arms, he kissed her soundly and threw the door open. Framed there, he made love to his future wife’s mouth and composed his own scandalous headlines, until he realized the bells of midnight were chiming and everyone else was too busy kissing to notice.
“So much for a scandal,” he said, lifting his head.
“Come here,” Georgia said, pulling him close again. “I’ll show you how it’s done.”
Catching a glimpse of Sid through the window, his camera raised, Peter kissed her. And for once he couldn’t wait to see the news.
Loose Id Titles by Tibby Armstrong
Public Relations
* * * *
The HOLLYWOOD Series
No Apologies
Acting Out
Full Disclosure
Outtakes
Tibby Armstrong
Tibby Armstrong has a lust for books and a love of travel. On the terrestrial plane, she dreams of springtime in a Paris flat, and summer at a cottage in Oxford. She travels more extensively, through worlds both strange and familiar, via romance, mystery, urban fantasy, and biography.
Having recently completed her Master of Library Science, when she’s not writing, Tibby works toward defying librarian stereotypes; yet, she lives with three cats, seven computers, and enough books to collapse a poorly engineered house.
Tibby loves hearing from kindred bibliophiles like you wherever she travels. More the armchair type? Visit her Goodreads author page or email her at [email protected]. You never know where she’ll turn up next.