Page 69 of Rescued by the Single Dad

She shook her head and pointed to the glass of water Talia had grabbed her earlier. “I’m fine, thank you.”

He nodded, shoved his hands into his pockets, and rocked back on his heels. “Right.” Then his lips pinched together tight. His very kissable, very talented lips. The man knew how to kiss, there was no denying that. She just hated that she knew he was a good kisser. That made things all the more difficult to navigate now. “Well, I’m thirsty.” Then he ducked into the kitchen.

She huffed out a sigh and shook her head. This didn’t have to be awkward. He was making it awkward.

Maybe because you decided to bring up the idea of a relationship after the two of you had sex ONCE! Talk about jumping in with both feet. You’ve known the man for two freaking days. If he hadn’t already lost interest, he sure as hell has now.

He was also a widower who hadn’t been with a woman or in any kind of a relationship since his wife. No wonder this was all too much for him. He was focusing on raising his daughter and running his business. Then she came into his world—literally washing up on the rocks like a beached whale—and disrupted Clint’s equilibrium.

He returned to the living room with a glass of water. She tipped her gaze up to his. “I’m sorry.”

His blue eyes became laser-focused as his brows narrowed. “What are you apologizing for? I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

She nodded. “Well, yeah ... you should apologize for running, but I get why you did ... kind of.”

He came to sit down next to her on the couch, careful to put some distance between them. “This is all really new for me,” he said slowly. “I don’t know how to date. Jacqueline and I didn’t really date. We just ... met, and then we were together. And the way we met is really—”

“Unconventional. I washed up on shore like a whale and disrupted your world. Then I brought up the concept of a relationship and long-distance, and your eyes did the weird twitchy thing they’re doing now. And I’m sorry.”

He blinked a few times to stop the twitch. They both smiled.

Then he nodded and shoved his fingers into his hair. “It was a little overwhelming. But I shouldn’t have run out on you. I’m sorry. That was really ... low of me.”

She pressed her lips together. “It takes a lot for me to open up to people ... if you haven’t noticed. I had a really terrible childhood, and there weren’t a lot of people I could trust. Just Rocco, really. It still takes me a long time to trust. Inez—my assistant—helped me realize that I never really trusted Flynn. We knew each other for years, and I never told him about my past. After Rocco, Inez is the person I trust the most. My manager, Camelia—who also wasn’t on the boat, she was in Cabo for a wedding—is also someone who I don’t think would have it out for me.”

“We can’t rule out anyone,” he said. “Not yet.”

She exhaled and nodded. “I know. But in my heart, I know that it wasn’t Inez or Camelia. It just couldn’t be.” She was quiet for a moment, running through her mind the short list of people she trusted. And the list of people who might have it out for her. Both lists were very short.

Rocco, Inez, Camelia and … Clint. “I trust you as much as I can right now. And for me, that’s huge. I guess that’s why when you brought up the fact that I’m temporary, my mind immediately jumped to the idea that I don’t have to be. Because I feel safe here. I can trust here.”

He reached across the couch for her hand, resting his on top of hers and giving it a squeeze. “That means a lot that you feel safe here. And I don’t want to do anything to change that. I am concerned about Talia, though. She’s grown attached to you.”

“I know. The feeling is mutual.”

He smiled and gripped her hand a little tighter.

“Her dad has also grown attached to you,” he whispered.

Her smile grew. “The feeling is mutual,” she repeated.

“I can’t make any promises about the future. I’ve learned not to do that. It hurts too much. And if it’s all right with you, I think it’s best we keep any kind of intimate relationship that we have a secret from Talia. I don’t want her getting any ideas or her hopes up. I love that you two are friends, but—”

“Oh, I get it. I don’t want to hurt her ever. Discretion for sure.”

“Thank you.”

Her heart hurt less than it did this morning after he left, but it still beat with a tender ache deep inside.

She was temporary.

Or at least, that was how he saw her.

He welcomed her into his home, introduced her to his child—left her alone with his child—had sex with her, but she was still just temporary.

Only, she didn’t have to be.

This life didn’t have to be as temporary as he thought it was.

---