Public Secrets Part 183

She looked over her shoulder. The wind blew strands of pale hair over

her eyes. "Since the start of the tour."

Brian jammed his hands into his pockets. "For weeks, then. For weeks,

and you didn't bother to tell me."

She tossed her head back as she turned. "I'm over twenty-one, Dad. I

don't have to ask my father's permission to go on a date."

"You were hiding it from me. Dammit-come inside." He bit the order off.

"The b.l.o.o.d.y press has their telescopic lenses trained on this place."

"What difference does it make?" she demanded, holding her ground.

"Everything we do ends up as public fodder eventually. That's part of

the price." She gestured to the piles of prints on the table. "h.e.l.l, I

do it myself"

"It's not the same, and you know it." He stopped himself, dragging

a furious hand through his hair. "It hardly matters at this point. I

want to know what's going on between you and Drew."

"You mean am I sleeping with him? No, not yet." She braced her hands on

the rail. "But it's none of your business, Dad. Just as you told me,

years ago, that your s.e.x life was none of mine."

"I'm your father, dammit." He heard himself He was her father. Somehow

he'd become the father of a grown woman. And he didn't have a clue what

to do about it. He waited until he was sure his voice would be calm.

"Emma, I love you, and I worry about you."

"There's no need to worry. I know what I'm doing. I'm in love with

Drew, and he's in love with me."

Now he couldn't speak. In defense, he picked up her cold coffee and

downed it. A dove flew by the terrace, soft gray wings flapping.

"You've only known him for a few weeks, that means you don't know enough

about him."

"He plays a guitar for a living," she pointed out. "You'd sound

ridiculous criticizing that."

"The last thing I want for you is to see you involved with someone in

the business. For Christ's sake, Emma, you know what it can do to

people. The demands, the pressures, the egos. I don't know any more

about this kid than that he's ambitious and talented."

"I know all I need to know."

"Listen to yourself You sound like some bubble-brain. Like it or not,

you're not in a position to trust a man just because he has a pretty

face and says he loves you. You've got too much money, and too much

power."

"Power?"

"There's no one who knows me who would doubt I'd do anything for you.

Anything you'd ask me."

It took her a minute, but the words slowly sank in. Angry tears blurred

her vision as she stepped toward him. "So that's it? You think Drew is

interested in me because I have money, because he thinks I could sway

you to help him in his career? It's impossible, isn't it, that he or

any man might be attracted to me, might fall in love with me?

Just me."

"Of course not, but-"

"No, that's just what you think. After all, how could anyone look at me