Hold Me Closer (Sea Island Brides Book 1) (17 page)

“So,
he’s here? Do you think there’s time for me to speak to
him before the announcement?” She tried to keep her voice even,
as if speaking to him was no big deal, but she was afraid she came
off sounding a little too anxious. Sue Ellen’s brow furrowed
with concern for a moment, but she seemed to recover quickly.
Annabelle wondered how many times a Montgomery woman had to reach
within herself to come up with a false smile when it was needed.

“Don’t
be nervous, sweetheart. I don’t think there’s much time
now, but you’ll have plenty of opportunities to dance and talk
tonight at the party, so don’t you worry.” Sue Ellen made
her way to the door, then stopped and turned to look at Annabelle.
“You really do look beautiful, Annabelle. I would be very proud
to have you as my daughter-in-law.”

Annabelle
felt hot tears sting the corners of her eyes at Sue Ellen’s
words. She could barely remember her own mother, and suddenly the
pain of not having anyone here for such an important occasion, real
or not, broke her heart. Her mother would never see her get engaged
or married. No one could ever take her mother’s place in her
heart, but she knew after spending time with Sue Ellen over the past
few weeks that she would have made a wonderful mother-in-law.

Careful
not to let the tears spill onto her cheeks and ruin her newly applied
makeup, Annabelle took a deep breath and dabbed her eyes with a
tissue. She still had to open the box from Hudson. In her heart, she
knew there was only one thing it could be. She’d known this
moment was coming, but had somehow imagined Hudson would be the one
to put it on her finger.

With
trembling hands, she opened the box and pulled out a smaller one that
was tucked carefully inside. The velvet box flipped open with a snap,
and Annabelle’s free hand flew to her open mouth. A two-carat,
princess cut solitaire sparkled up at her, so simple and beautiful
that it nearly took her breath away. She pulled it from the box and
slipped it onto her left hand. It was a perfect fit.

Of
course, she would have to return it soon, but for now, she allowed
herself to imagine what it would have felt like if Hudson had
proposed to her for real and slipped this ring onto her finger in a
moment of joy and excitement. In another time and under different
circumstances, she would have been very happy to tell him yes.

“This
isn’t exactly the way I envisioned my first son’s
engagement party, but you look every bit as handsome as I knew you
would.” His mother looked at him with the hint of a tear
forming in the corner of her eye, and Hudson tossed her a sympathetic
look from his place in front of the mirror.

“I
know, mother, but what’s best for the company is best for all
of us right now,” he reasoned, untying his bow tie and starting
over.

“Your
father would have loved Annabelle,” she said.

He tried to concentrate on his tie, but for some reason, his nerves
were getting the best of him this evening. Helping to run a
multi-billion-dollar corporation on a daily basis was no sweat, but
announcing his engagement to a room full of family and friends was
turning him into a clumsy oaf.

My
engagement to Annabelle.

“I
think he would have liked her, too,” he said, wondering what
his father would say about their sham of an engagement.

His
father had been a shrewd businessman, and he’d manipulated the
press when he’d needed to. But Hudson wished he had his father
here now to ask him for advice. He wasn’t sure what to do when
his business deals got so wrapped up with his own heart. He wasn’t
sure how he’d let that happen, but it was undeniable now.

“Too
bad it’s not real,” his mother said. “Seems
terrible that something so beautiful is tangled up with a lie.”

“A
little white lie never hurt anyone, mother,” he said, messing
up the tie and having to start again.

“Are
you sure about that?”

“What
do you mean?” Hudson asked.

“Just
that the human heart is far more fragile than anything you’ve
ever bought or sold in a business deal. I’ve seen the way you
look at each other, Hudson, I’m not blind.” Her tone
caused him to stop and think.

“The
way I look at Annabelle is the same way I look at any other business
associate,” he said, not wanting to admit the truth, even
though he knew Annabelle meant so much more to him
now... “If you think you’ve seen anything else, then it
was just a part of the act we’re both playing to make this seem
real. Nothing more.”

“Is
that why you had Raymond move her things into your suite instead of
one of the empty ones?” His mother waltzed toward him wearing a
knowing smile and kissed his cheek. “All I’m saying is
that it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if this engagement tonight
were real. The guests are starting to arrive, dear. I’ll see
you downstairs.”

He
finished tying the tiny black bow tie with some effort, then shrugged
into his black coat. His mother’s words still hung in the air
like her perfume. Trying to deny that there was any truth to her
statement was futile and he knew it. Already things with Annabelle
had gotten much more complicated than he ever intended.

Hudson
stepped out onto his balcony and rested his hands on the railing. The
air was still warm even though the sun was setting in the early
evening sky. He found himself replaying their week together over and
over in his head. When was the last time he’d opened up that
way to a woman? Hell, to anyone? There was just something about her
that made her so easy to talk to. When she wasn’t being
stubborn, that is.

As
soon as she put her walls up, she became impossible. Immovable. He
had come to respect and admire her strength, but this
self-preservation routine of hers was annoying to a fault. No matter
what technique he tried, she had yet to really let down her walls
around him.

And
what about his own walls? No matter how scared he was to let someone
into his heart again, he was helpless to defend himself.

Hudson
groaned as he thought about the night they spent together in his bed.
God how he wanted her. There was a time when he thought that one
night was all he needed to get this hunger out of his system, but now
that he’d had her, he only wanted more. Pretending it was
merely a physical need wasn’t working anymore. He wanted all of
her. He needed to possess her, to crack her open and see what was
inside. He wanted to know her and to understand what made such a
beautiful, stubborn, intelligent woman like her tick.

And
he wanted to know what she was hiding.

Hudson
knew that Annabelle had been holding back, but after Scarlett’s
phone call to him the other day, he feared there was more to it than
just a desire for privacy. When his sister told him about the strange
man who had been arguing with Annabelle in Atlanta, he’d tried
to dismiss it, but it had stuck like a thorn in his side ever since.

The
whole thing concerned him. She’d been talking to a scrawny guy
with red hair. The photographer?

What
was she doing with him?

And
what was it that Scarlett had overheard him say?

Twenty
thousand dollars or I go public with this story.

Annabelle
was obviously in trouble. Now that she was linked with Hudson in the
press, the kid who’d started it all was expecting her to pay
up. Hudson was all too familiar with this type of extortion. Some
people were just parasites, expecting that anyone with money and
connections will pay up at the first hint of trouble. No questions
asked.

But
Hudson had learned the hard way that some questions had to be asked,
no matter how tough or painful. He would have liked to have had some
time to ask Annabelle about the kid’s threat before their
engagement announcement, but he had his best private detectives
looking for the guy.

Poor
Annabelle was probably scared to death. Hudson hoped he’d be
able to surprise her with some good news after Mark was caught and
thrown in jail for attempted blackmail.

The
worst part about it was that Annabelle had called that guy her
friend. They had worked together at the magazine and he had obviously
used her once and was looking to get more.

Greed
could turn even the most loyal friends against you. He shuddered as
he thought of his own ex-girlfriend. Haley. Back then, he’d
trusted her with his heart. That was before he’d learned a few
things about how the world worked.

The
sound of voices below interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced at his
watch. The time for thinking was done. It was time to announce his
engagement to Annabelle.

With
careful steps, Annabelle made her way down the large staircase. She
could feel the eyes of the crowd on her and did her best to keep
smiling and act composed.

In
truth, her insides felt like a revved up engine just before a big
race. When she’d agreed to the engagement, it had never
occurred to her just how many eyes would be on her once it was
official.

She
was, after all, getting engaged to the CFO and part-owner of one of
the largest and most successful hotel chains in the world. Not to
mention the grandson of a famous Hollywood actress and a respected
Georgia senator. Of course there were going to be eyes on her. But it
never seemed more real than when she stepped onto the stairs and
looked out on a sea of strange faces.

Instinctively,
she looked for Hudson’s face in the crowd. Just as she started
down the second bend of the massive staircase, she saw him. Hudson’s
gaze was locked on her. She paused, her breath catching in her throat
as their eyes met. The passion of their night together was still
smoldering in his eyes, and she knew that if he offered to take her
back upstairs and make love to her right then and there, she would be
helpless to resist.

As
if he shared her thoughts, she watched his right eyebrow rise
in mischievous acknowledgment. Her cheeks flushed with warmth. She
placed her hand on the railing for support and made her way down to
him.

“You
are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he said, taking
her hand in his.

“I
bet you say that to all of your fiancées,” she teased.
His eyes told her that his comment was sincere, though, and
excitement fluttered through her.

As
Hudson led her through the crowd, she felt more comfortable than she
had all week leading up to this event. When they reached the large
ballroom, Annabelle marveled at how beautifully it had been
decorated. Just yesterday this room was nothing more than
chandeliers, hardwood floors, and empty space.

Now,
there were flowers everywhere. White blossoms filled the edges of the
room and hung from the ceiling along with white ribbons and billowy
fabric. A large stage was set up on one end where a large jazz band
played.

Hudson
led her to the edge of the stage where his mother and sisters were
already waiting, and panic seized Annabelle’s heart. Were they
making the announcement so soon? She’d assumed it would happen
later in the evening. She hadn’t even had a chance to speak
with him yet.

“Hudson,
I need to talk to you before we make this announcement.” She
spoke as softly as she could, careful to keep smiling at the crowd
around them.

He
squeezed her hand. “Whatever it is can wait, Annabelle. It’s
time.”

“No,”
she said, a little louder than she intended. She stopped moving,
forcing Hudson to stop with her in the middle of what would soon be a
dance floor filled with smiling couples.

“Are
we back here again? After everything we’ve been through?”
Hudson leaned close to her, his voice quiet and firm, “If
you’re worried about Mark, I’ve already got my people on
it.”

Shock
rippled through her. “How do you know about him?”

“Scarlett
told me, and I put it all together,” he said. “Don’t
worry, everything is going to be fine. Just smile and enjoy the
evening.”

He
grasped her hand and squeezed. Shocked and confused, Annabelle forced
a smile onto her face as Hudson led her onto the stage.

If
he knows about Mark then why is he going through with our engagement?
Does he know about Julia?

A
hundred questions rocketed through Annabelle’s mind, but she
pushed them aside the best she could. What other choice did she have?
Backing out now would be impossible. Her heart raced as she joined
the rest of the Montgomery family on the stage.

“Good
evening, my dear friends,” his mother began. The crowd from the
hallway poured into the ballroom and conversations slowly came to an
end. When it was quiet enough to continue, Hudson’s mother
spoke again. “We would like to welcome you all to our home this
evening. Your support for the local arts council means so much to
this community, and for that we all thank you so much.”