‘Is this the man who became your stepfather?’ Warm brown eyes were turned on him.
‘The one and only. If I couldn’t have my dad, then he was the next best option. Not once did I feel different or not a part of the family that was to come.’ He’d got lucky. Twice. ‘I was better off than some kids at school who had their real fathers.’
‘I’m glad. Guess that’s why you’re determined to be there for our young man.’ Tamara stretched up to kiss him.
A gentle, sweet kiss that set his heart racing. They were at the end of the promenade. Alone apart from one dog and a sky full of screeching seagulls.
With his hands on her shoulders he held her gently. ‘Not the only reason.’ His stomach lurched. Too fast, man. But waiting wasn’t an option. There was so much to sort out and not a lot of time. ‘Tam, will you marry me?’
Just as well his hands were holding her shoulders. He got the feeling she’d have dropped in a heap otherwise.
She was staring at him. ‘Did you just propose? To me?’
Ouch. Not rushing to accept, then. ‘Yes, Tam, you. I want to marry you. For us, and for our child.’
‘For us?’ The words were strangled.
He nodded as he smiled away his worry and gave her reassurance. ‘Yes, us. We’ve practically agreed to live together, to raise our child jointly, to move around the world as a couple. Marriage would be the icing on the cake.’
Her shoulders sagged into his hands. Her mouth dropped. ‘Oh.’
‘I care about you, Tam. A lot. I want this. A family, you.’ Conor spilled out the words in a rush of honesty. ‘You’ve got under my skin and I can’t ignore you. You make me hope for more, and believe anything’s possible. I think we can have a wonderful future together.’
Her eyes widened and she straightened. ‘Truly?’ Doubt lurked on her mouth, in her face.
‘This is not something I’d make up.’ He wasn’t her ex. He had no hidden agenda. He needed to remember that, and give her time. ‘All I want is to make you happy. That’ll make me happy too.’
‘You care for me that much?’ Her acceptance was sinking in. It was there in the softening of her mouth, the colour turning her cheeks pink, her hands spreading across his chest.
‘Absolutely.’ Was he falling in love with Tam? Yep, he could be. ‘I don’t want you thinking I’m out to hurt you in some way. I’d never do that.’
‘You don’t think you’re rushing things? It’s only been a week since we found out we’re joined together for ever by a baby.’ She was stalling. Listening to her heart and her head?
‘I tend to make up my mind and act on it immediately. But I can say that from that first night together you’ve been residing in my mind, taunting me, distracting me, making me sleep-deprived, and it has taken learning about baby to tease that wide open. That, and hearing about your past and why you are who you are.’
‘That was important?’
‘Absolutely. I like to understand what makes people tick, and with you it was becoming a full-time need. I could see you hurting at times, and how you hid a lot from everyone by putting up insurmountable barriers, and yet you came to me so willingly that night.’ Conor’s thumbs caressed her shoulders. ‘I take that as a compliment.’
Her face softened as she studied him. ‘Yes. Let’s get married.’ She blinked, stared at him. She hadn’t thought this through. She’d be thinking she’d made the same rash decision as she had with her ex.
‘Tamara?’ He shook her gently, his heart heavy, knowing she needed space. ‘You’re sure? If you want a few days to think about it I’ll understand.’
‘You haven’t spun false hope around me to suck me in. I don’t want to live on the edge of something I might have, never knowing if I will actually get it or not. I need honesty and reality.’ Rising up onto her toes, she whispered, ‘This isn’t how I envisioned accepting a proposal, but I will marry you, Conor Maguire.’ And then she sealed her words with a kiss like no other she’d given him. It was full of hunger, and longing, and commitment, and caution.
He didn’t recognise love in the mix.
Patience, man, patience. He hadn’t exactly been brimming with love either. That was still working its way into his psyche, and could turn around and disappear before reaching its full potential. Those old gremlins were still in charge.
Conor was the one to break away, his chest rising and falling as he breathed fast, feeling out of sorts and not sure where they were headed. Other than bed some time later. ‘What is it about you that turns me into a raging sex maniac? If we were anywhere but on a public beach with half of the city wandering past, I’d have you naked so fast it would be crazy.’
Tamara was swaying on her feet, and he caught her to him. She croaked in a heat-hazed voice, ‘Let’s go home. We’re not crazy, not at all.’
But maybe they were. Nearly having sex on the promenade. Agreeing to marry with no lead-in time and no declarations of love. Having a baby after one night together. What the heck? Might as well go for broke. ‘Tomorrow after work we’ll visit a jeweller’s shop so you can choose an engagement ring.’
‘No.’ Tamara whipped around to stare at him. ‘Sorry, but I don’t want an engagement ring.’
His mouth soured. She’d changed her mind already. Shortest engagement on the planet. ‘Not now? Or not at all?’
‘I didn’t put that very well. What I mean is all I’d like is a wedding ring. A solid band with maybe one stone. A sapphire or ruby. Not a blazing big diamond.’ She shuddered. ‘I want this to be about you and me. We’re not flashy, or false. We care about each other, about our baby. We’re starting our joint life. You and me,’ she repeated. Her eyes were pleading with him to understand.
‘Got it in one.’ He swung her up in his arms and held her close to kiss her. Got it in one. ‘You and me and our son.’
CHAPTER TEN
TAMARA FOLDED THE dishcloth and hung it on the door of Conor’s oven. ‘Done.’
‘Then it’s time to call Mam and give her the good news.’
Her heart gave one hard kick. It had to happen, but tonight? When she was still getting her head around being engaged to Conor? Telling other people would make it more real.
It is real.
She swallowed down on her apprehension. ‘Will anyone else be there?’ Any one of those sisters he obviously adored.
‘It’s a family tradition to have brunch at Mam and Dave’s house if you’re anywhere near Dublin on Sundays. At least one of my sisters and her brood will be there.’
‘Will your mother be happy about you marrying a Kiwi?’ Nerves cranked up. Conor’s mother might think she’d keep her son from returning to Ireland permanently.
‘Why ever not? I suspect she might’ve been hoping I would meet someone while I was away.’
‘That’s okay, then.’ She wished. And picked up the photo frame with the image of their baby in it. Her finger skimmed over the glass while her heart knocked on her ribs.
‘Tam, I’d like you to talk to her. Everyone there for brunch will be lining up to say hello.’
She pushed her chin forward. Might as well leap in and get it over. ‘Sure.’
‘Get used to it. You’re about to become part of a large, whacky family. They’ll have a load of questions for us.’ He laughed. ‘Not that any one of them will wait for an answer before going on to the next question.’
‘You look happy when you’re talking about them. Have you ever been homesick since leaving Ireland?’
‘I’ve had massive bouts at times, but I haven’t been ready to hop on a plane and head home. The reason I left was still there.’ Conor kissed her on the nose. ‘You’ve turned my life around and now I’m ready for anything.’
Including marrying her. Was he certain about that? Or would he rethink his proposal when he’d had tim
e to contemplate all the ramifications? Tamara returned the kiss, but on his stubbly chin, and then bit down on the flick of desire heating her low down. ‘About all those questions...’
‘The ones we don’t have answers for yet? Don’t worry. I’ll tell everyone to stop being nosy and that we’ll get back to them.’
But she did worry. ‘They’ll listen?’
Conor shrugged. ‘Not at all.’ He opened his laptop, booted it up. ‘That’s family for you. They know no boundaries.’
A knot of anxiety formed. ‘We’ll tell your family, but I’d like to keep our engagement from everyone else for a bit longer.’ Everything was happening too fast, rushing at her from all directions. ‘I need to take a breath, get used to being with you, our baby, getting married, possibly moving to Sydney. There’ll be so many questions and...’ she lifted her hands in the air ‘...I don’t have all the answers.’
‘And you can’t function properly without answers. Fair enough. Your wish is my command.’ He said it all through a gut-tightening, desire-expanding smile.
She threw herself against him. ‘Thank you,’ she murmured before kissing him, deep and hard.
‘What for?’ Conor grinned when he came up for air.
‘Being you.’ She smiled back before leaning in for another searing kiss.