“Fine, stealing. I did apologize for that, by the way. Both to her and to you.” He paused and studied her face. “You have her eyes.”

Her eyes? “You met my grandmother? When?”

“She didn’t tell you? It was before I came to see you and your father. She asked for a meeting and I obliged her.” The edges of his mouth turned up slightly. “I thought it was so she could beg me not to take her home. But it wasn’t that at all. She wanted to discuss you.”

“Me?” Why hadn’t Granny or her father informed her of this? “What about me?”

“She asked how I felt about you and how I planned to win you back.”

Florence lowered herself into a cloth-covered armchair. Good Lord, this was astounding. How had Granny learned of a romantic attachment between Florence and Clay? Florence hadn’t mentioned anything, other than Clay mentoring her at the casino. Smart old bird. Somehow her grandmother had figured it out.

She stared at Clay, still trying to wrap her head around the idea of him meeting with her grandmother. “What did you tell her?”

“That you hated me and you’d never forgive me. Both of which turned out to be true, incidentally.”

Did she hate him? While that may have been the case hours ago, she couldn’t definitively say as much any longer. She was frustrated and angry, yes. But there were many other emotions within, as well, powerful feelings she could not articulate.

He loved her.

This strong, intelligent man loved her. Deep in her bones she sensed the truth of it. He never pressured her to act the demure and proper lady. He had accepted her exactly as she was, flaws and all. Had supported her and protected her.

And when they were alone, the nymph was playful and wicked, the spark of joy his lonely life had been missing.

He’d been her spark of joy, as well. She’d been in love with him for weeks, probably since the night in the brothel.

Nevertheless, how could they possibly move forward?

Instead of worrying on that, she pushed for more answers. “Is that why you returned her house, because you met her and felt guilty?”

“No.” He leaned on a chair back, his huge shoulders bunching and appearing even larger. “I realized that I had everything I’d ever wanted, had achieved all I craved as a boy, yet, I was miserable. I didn’t have you. Trading our potential future for my past was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Absolutely. You were all I needed, my perfect other half, but I was too stupid, too selfish, to realize it.”

Emotion bloomed in her chest, rising, stretching, until a knot formed in her throat. His honesty certainly packed a punch. She sucked in a ragged breath. “Were?”