“You may not like it.” She winced, looking up at him.
Griff sighed.
She pulled away from him and hurried to her ottoman, shifting her papers to a neat pile on the floor, and then plopping down on the cushion. “Here,” she patted the seat of her chair, “sit and I’ll explain.”
“I don’t think I like the sound of this,” he murmured, but he did come around and take a seat, sitting so her knees were between his as he faced her.
“Well,” she gulped, “I want to include you.”
“Me?”
“Pictures. Stories. What better way to show our loyal customers that, after all we’ve been through, Charles King’s daughters have triumphed in the end? They’re invested in our family. They want the best for us. They want to see that dreams can come true.”
“This is getting personal.” Too damn personal.
“I know this is hard for you.”
“This isn’t a show-and-tell,” he said, “nor the latest reality show.”
She blanched at that. “I don’t want that either.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.” Visions of camera crews knocking down his drunk father flashed through his mind. No matter his pleas, they never relented.
“No videos.”
Leaning forward, Griff came within inches of her beautiful face. He reached out and brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “How necessary is this, Priscilla? Do you really want our lives on display?”
She searched his stare. “It’s not like we’re not already. The employees gossip about us. I hear some of the things they say.” She shrugged. “The papers. The speculation. I’m surprised my mother isn’t calling me, badgering me about our marriage even more than showing up out of the blue the other day.”
Should he tell her? “She’s called me. Left messages.” Each message became more frantic, more threatening. He saved every one of them.
Frowning, she asked, “How did she get your number? And what is she saying?”
He evaded telling her all the details. “I blocked her number on your phone.”
“You blocked her number,” she said slowly. “Without asking me?”
I want to protect you.
Chapter 19
A sliver of unease dropped into her middle. Priscilla gulped hard. “If I did that to you, blocked a number from your phone without telling you, would you be angry at me?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation, surprising her.
“What else have you done that I don’t know about?” she asked. When he wouldn’t meet her gaze, another warning bell went off.
A muscle along his clenched jaw jumped. “I have a lot of things I’ve done I’m not proud of.”
“Before or after we met?”
“Both.”
“Griff,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Why?” A part of her didn’t really want to know the what, so she didn’t press that issue.
He held her hands. “At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do.”
“If you could go back and change things, would you?”
“Most everything.”
That sucked the breath out of her. “Us?”
“No.” His answer came out fierce and fast, easing her fears.
She leaned her forehead against his. “You had me worried. I know neither one of us wanted this, but now that we are an us, I…I don’t want to give it back.” Not this. Not the feelings I have for you.
He moved away, gently kissing her on the forehead and drawing his hands away from hers. “There may come a time when you want to give it all back.”
Looking at his face, so serious and stony, she wondered why he always pulled away, put up the walls. “Griff, I’m here now.” She sighed heavily. “Next time, ask me first before you get all heavy-handed about blocking calls or numbers or both. For the record, I would have done it myself weeks ago if I knew how to. But, as you say, it’s lady’s choice, all right?”
He nodded. “Point taken.”
“And what do you say about your picture on the website? And a few, not too personal, stories about us?”
“I’m sure I’m going to regret this, but yes. Very limited, though. The whole point is to showcase you, not me.”
“What if we showcase King’s together?” She scooted away from him, and then stood. “Maybe it is time to show you the remodel.”
A few minutes later, Priscilla led Griff out the back door and around to the front of the house. She tugged on his hand. “We couldn’t just walk down the hall?” he muttered.
“You can’t get the full effect that way. Now, don’t look.”