Hold Me Closer (Sea Island Brides Book 1) (7 page)

Even
with all of her questions and doubts about the situation, Annabelle
always kept one goal in mind: to find Harlan and convince him to take
a paternity test. Once the family knew the baby was a Montgomery,
and that Julia wasn’t just some tramp looking for make a few
dollars, surely they would want her to be a part of their lives.

The
limousine drove down another gravel road parallel to the Big House,
and when it came to a stop Annabelle stared out at a beautiful little
cottage. The outside was plastered with a mix of shell and concrete,
and she knew from her time spent on St. Simon's Island as a child
that houses covered with this mixture were often called tabby houses.

Raymond
opened the door for her, and she climbed out of the car.

“Here we are, Ms. Day. This is the
cottage where you'll be staying.”

“Thank
you, Raymond. This is gorgeous.”

As
she walked closer, she ran her hands across the rough shells embedded
into the walls. It was truly beautiful, and even though Hudson had
described it as being small, she figured it was at least twice as big
as her apartment in the city.

Inside,
she found that she had her own kitchen, a large bedroom with a
private patio that overlooked the ocean, a huge bathroom with a
whirlpool tub, and a living room with a cozy gas fireplace. Moving
from her busy life as a low-level reporter in Atlanta to this
charming tabby cottage by the sea was like a dream. She’d
always wanted to live by the ocean.

None
of this is real
, she reminded herself.

Just
as she was starting to feel better about her decision to come here,
her eyes landed on a dress laid out on the bed. She walked over to
admire the light chiffon fabric. It was the most beautiful color of
yellow, like a slice of lemon meringue pie, and she ran her hand
along its sheer length.

A
note lay near the thin spaghetti straps, and Annabelle sat on the
soft bed to read it.

Dear
Annabelle,

Please
join us for dinner at the Big House this evening at six thirty. I
look forward to meeting you this evening. Accept this dress as my
welcome gift. If you need anything else to help you settle in, don't
hesitate to ask.

The
note was signed by Hudson’s mother, Sue Ellen Montgomery.
Annabelle was touched by the sweet gesture, even though she knew his
family was well-informed about their phony engagement plan. Still, it
was sweet of his mother to treat her as a welcome guest instead of a
business partner.

Or
worse.

Annabelle
walked over to the full-length mirror and held the dress in front of
her. The image of her own mother standing behind her in a mirror
similar to this one came to her in a flash of memory that almost took
her breath away. It was her thirteenth birthday party, and her mother
had bought her a beautiful white dress to wear. That night was one of
the last vivid memories she still had of her mother.

With
a sigh, Annabelle threw the yellow dress back onto the bedspread and
walked into the bathroom to splash her face with cold water. As
tempting as it might become over the next few weeks to believe that
she was being welcomed into a new family, the Montgomery’s were
only being nice to her so she would help them with their important
business deal.

Still,
she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if she were really
in love with and engaged to a man whose
mother showered her with gifts and tender words. No matter how good
that might feel someday, Hudson Montgomery was never going to be that
man.

She
would do well to remind herself of that on a daily basis during the
months to come.

Glancing
at his watch, Hudson muttered a curse under his breath. He was
running late for dinner. He could hear a small crowd beginning to
gather in the next room, and although his mother would make a fine
hostess, he wanted to be there to introduce her to Annabelle.

Damn.
Just thinking her name sent a surge of desire through his body. Every
time he walked within twenty feet of her, he felt the air between
them crackle with energy. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since
they’d parted, and already he missed
being around her.

During
his business meetings all morning, he’d found himself wishing
he had postponed them and ridden down to
Sea Island with her. They needed some time to get to know each other
in case the press started digging into their relationship.

Oh,
hell. Who was he trying to kid? This wasn't about the press. He
wanted her. Plain and simple. From the first moment he laid eyes on
her, he knew he had to have her. The photograph in The Informer only
gave him a reason to get closer to her. Granted, the photograph had
caused a few problems once Mr. Takahashi got wind of the ordeal, but
luckily Jack was there to put out the fire before it got out of hand.
Once Jack told the old man that Hudson and the lovely woman in the
photo were in a very serious relationship and were talking about
marriage, he had been pleased to hear that at least one of the
Montgomery siblings was thinking of finally settling down.

An
engagement was the perfect catalyst to sealing the deal, Hudson was
sure of it. He was so close now to realizing his father's lifelong
dream of expanding their family empire into the Asian market.

Time was slipping by these days with the stress of the acquisition
consuming him, and he glanced at his watch again. Six twenty-five. He
forced himself to lower his pen and set aside his papers for the
evening. Annabelle should be arriving any moment.

Hudson
made his way down the hall quickly, but stopped short the moment he
saw a slight flutter of yellow fabric. His body reacted instantly.
When he turned the corner, he could feel her presence like a beacon
calling out to him.

She
was standing in the middle of a small group of people, looking
beautiful in her soft yellow dress. Her silky blond hair was pulled
up on one side with a daisy. She looked young and innocent, but the
moment her eyes flickered to him, he recognized a flash of desire
that suggested a naughty side as well. Maybe a quiet dinner for two
would have been more appropriate on her first night here.

He
couldn't take his eyes off of her.

“Oh,
well, there you are, dear.” His mother crossed the room and
kissed his cheek. Her cheerful voice carried throughout the entire
room. “I was about to send your sister looking for you. After
all, you are the host this evening. And we couldn't be more excited
to finally meet your beautiful new friend.”

“Hello,
Mother,” he said, walking into the
dining room. “I see I'm too late to give the introductions.”

“Oh,
nonsense,” she said with a wink toward Annabelle. “No
formalities needed. We're all friends here tonight.”

Drawn
to her, Hudson crossed the space between them and leaned down to kiss
Annabelle on the cheek.

“You
look stunning in yellow,” he whispered into her ear, feeling
her tense at his closeness.

“I
had no idea there would be so many people here this evening,”
she whispered back. “I thought it was just going to be your
family.”

“I
didn't see any point in wasting time. Besides, it isn't everyday that
my future fiancé moves in. I wanted to show you off.”

“Is
there anything in particular I need to say or do? Honestly, I feel a
little bit lost here.”

“Just
follow my lead,” he said, taking her hand in his.

She
smiled, and he felt it all the way down to his toes.

Reaching
for a water glass on the nearby dinner table, he dinged a salad fork
on the crystal to get everyone's attention.

“Good
evening, everyone. Thank you all so much for coming tonight. I'd like
to introduce someone very special to me.” He met her eyes and
smiled, still holding tightly to her hand.
“This is Annabelle Day, and as I’m sure you’ve all
seen in the papers, we are dating. I’m excited to announce
that, as of this afternoon, she is Sea
Island's newest resident. I hope you'll all join me in welcoming her
to our small piece of the world. Please enjoy your dinner, and thank
you again for being here tonight.”

There
was a rush of people wanting to say hello to his new girlfriend. He
knew that this was only the beginning of the frenzy that would
surround them all once the engagement was announced next weekend at
the charity ball. Hudson was notoriously unattached, so naturally
they were about to create quite the stir. At least,
this time it would be positive gossip instead of harmful bachelor
bashing.

Taking
his place at the head of the table, he directed Annabelle to a seat
by his side. The other guests followed suit and they were treated to
a delicious meal.

Every
time his eyes met hers, he felt a stirring of something he hadn't
allowed himself to feel for a very long time. He had the sudden urge
to reach out and touch her soft skin. The room full of people kept
him from acting on his sudden desires, but each time he looked at her
or heard the tinkling of her bright laughter, he became more aware of
just how much he wanted her.

And
he was amazed at how well she seemed to fit in with his family and
friends. She had an easy way about her, as if she genuinely liked
everyone she’d ever met.

He
tried to make an effort to look away from her, but it suddenly
occurred to him that he was acting exactly as he should be.

To
anyone paying attention, he would simply seem to be head over heels
in love with his new girlfriend. What could be wrong with that? It
would make it all the more convincing when they announced their
engagement.

Hudson
let a mischievous smile tug at the corner of his lips as he
contemplated a new idea. For months now, he had reined
in the passionate side of his personality in order to focus on the
family business. Getting engaged had been so far from his mind, he’d
never really given it much thought in the past. He didn't exactly
consider himself to be the settling down type. At least not yet.

But
there just might be some advantages to having a fiancé in his
current situation.

After
all, who would accuse him of being a playboy if the only woman in his
bed was his own fiancé?

The
cool night air caressed her shoulders, and Annabelle inhaled the
fresh scent of the ocean. It was so nice to get out of the house for
a minute. She’d had no idea tonight
was going to be a social event, and it made her uncomfortable to know
that Hudson never thought to tell her ahead of time. Annabelle wasn’t
used to other people making decisions for her, and she didn’t
like having a lot of unspoken expectations put on her behavior.

Yes,
she’d agreed to this charade, but she didn’t even know
the rules yet.

Even
the beautiful dress she was wearing suddenly felt like a
manipulation. What looked like a thoughtful gift was actually a
passive way of saying,
Here, wear this and look the way I tell you
to look tonight
. Besides, maybe believing that Hudson’s
mother was as ruthless as her son was much safer than feeling
grateful and sentimental towards her.

Annabelle
was here to get Julia into this family, not herself, so becoming
attached to Hudson’s mother was like asking for a broken heart
in the end. This whole thing was messy enough without letting her
emotions get involved any more than they already were.

She
made a mental note to corner Hudson as soon as she got the chance and
ask him to explain exactly what was expected of her in the coming
months.

She
didn’t get much chance to talk to him at dinner, but afterward,
when most of the guests had said their goodbyes, Hudson asked her to
join his family by the pool for drinks. Sue Ellen handed her a mint
julep, and she leaned in to smell the cool, fresh mint leaf. The
smell reminded her of a mojito, but when she took a sip, the strong
taste of bourbon surprised her, and she coughed. Behind her, she
heard Hudson’s deep, full laughter.