All or Nothing at All(45)

Sydney stared at the flowers. Read the card again.

The trembling started deep inside her body and spread everywhere, until her fingers were shaking as she gripped the note.

He'd sent her daughter flowers. How many times had she ached when Becca stared at the fathers gifting their little girls bouquets of roses on recital night? She'd sworn it didn't matter because she was able to give Becca so much more than flowers. She was able to give her a beautiful life with stability and love and comfort.

But right now, her axis shifted, and she realized everything had suddenly changed.

She just didn't know what to do about it yet.

Dragging in a breath, she called out to her daughter. As Becca raced down the stairs, she caught sight of the sunflowers, and her eyes widened. "Mama, did you buy me flowers?" she asked with delight.

Her throat closed up with emotion. "No, honey, someone else did. Here's your card."

Becca read the note and gave a whoop, grabbing the bouquet and sticking her nose deep into the flowers. "I love them! Can I call Tristan to tell him I got them?"

Sydney nodded, handing her the phone. "The number's right here. Just click on this and see if he answers."

As Becca bounced around the room with her blooms, Sydney heard her begin to chatter with excitement. Finally the phone was thrust into her hands. "Tristan wants to talk to you!"

She put the phone to her ear. Thank goodness he couldn't hear the wild thrum of her heart. "Hello?"

"She seemed to like them."

His voice was smooth and poured over her like hot fudge and creamy caramel. Her thighs squeezed together. "She loved them. Thank you. How did you know her favorite flower?"

"She told me. We shared a moment over the explosion of pink sparkles."

A chuckle escaped her lips. "What I would've given to see that."

"I discovered a few other surprises. But I'll tell you about them another time."

"That sounds ominous." His wicked laugh tickled low in her belly and brought a rush of heat. Oh, he was dangerous. She had to get off the phone. She tried to stick to business. "I intend to get the suppliers to sign off tomorrow and scheduled a Friday trip into the city."

"Works for me." He paused. "What are you doing today?"

The low rumble over the phone screamed of intimacy. Her nipples tightened. Damn him. "Exciting stuff," she drawled. "More laundry, cleaning toilets, and prepping meals for the week."

"I can take you both out to lunch."

The casual offer was dangerous. It seethed with possibility and a male curiosity that hadn't been there before. He'd invited her daughter. He wanted to share a meal with them. They'd barely been on speaking terms a week ago, and now a connection had formed.

"Thanks for the invite, but I can't. Too much going on. I'll see you tomorrow?"




 

 

"Sure."

"Bye."

She clicked off the phone and practically threw it across the table.

She would not get moon-eyed again over Tristan Pierce.

Not with this much to lose.





chapter ten




They walked out of the supplier's office with a signed contract.

One more to go.

Pride burned deep. It had taken many hours, but she'd gotten the majority to agree to a further 5 percent reduction. With Anthony Moretti on board, it was much easier to convince them to agree as a group and make this the first large-scale experiment working with a big property developer.

Tristan had been brilliant.

He let her lead, but his support was crucial. When the suppliers came back with complaints, he pondered their comments with a thoughtfulness that caused them to feel respected. She always admired his patience. It was a completely underrated virtue, but Tristan never made final decisions without carefully weighing all the options. That hard-won patience made him a brilliant businessman.

And in the bedroom, it made him a devastating lover.

They walked down Main Street. The lunch crowd was out, grabbing caffé mochas and paninis as they strolled the quaint sidewalks. Shop doors were flung open, even with the brisk air, and boats cut smoothly through the calm waters to head out to bigger horizons.

"Need to take a break?"

She hadn't slept enough, had grabbed only a protein bar and apple for breakfast, and was still jumpy in his presence. But damned if she'd allow him to see weakness. "No. I'm good. Let's go."

They hit the last supplier, made their presentation, and closed the deal. In the hours they were gone, she fielded desperate calls from Charlie, who was just learning the office routine, and Dalton, who thought he'd already invoiced the order for teakwood but never received it. She managed to text her sitter to make sure Sydney got off the bus okay and chat with her daughter regarding getting her homework done earlier rather than later.