by M. S. Parker
He pushed himself up on his elbows. His hair was mussed, making him look younger than usual. His expression was serious. “I’ll never think that.”
I shook my head. “You’re already under enough pressure from them, running the family empire. I’m just going to make things worse for you.”
“Only if you don’t let me sleep.” His voice held a teasing note as he sat up. He held out his hand and I went to him. He pulled me into his lap and I sat down. He tucked his chin into my shoulder and held me close, my body pressed to his.
When we were like this, any and all doubt faded. I felt certain. I felt safe and loved and right. But...
“They’ll think I’m a gold-digger,” I continued. “How could they not? I don’t bring anything to the table. I don’t even know what table I’m bringing it to.”
“Gabriella, we’re adults.” He brushed my hair away from my neck. “I’m an adult and I’m not going to let my family tell me who I can love. I love you.” His voice softened. “Don’t you believe me?”
“I do,” I said. “I want to believe you.”
“I understand.” His hands fell away from my shoulders.
Shit. I’d hurt his feelings. I turned towards him, needing him to understand. “I believe you. I love you. I do. I’m just scared. This feels like a dream.”
His voice was soft as he reached for my hands. “What can I do to make you understand this is real, that we are really getting married and that I’m thrilled you said yes?”
I knew what I was going to say would hurt him, but I couldn’t lie about it, not if we were going to have a life together. “It won’t feel real, won’t feel possible, until I meet your family. I’m sorry, Edward, but I don’t think I can marry you until I know the family I will be marrying into.” The one thing I didn’t add was that I also needed to see for myself how he’d behave when his parents discovered where I came from.
He flopped back on the pillows and heaved a big sigh. I’d known he wasn’t going to like what I had to say. But could he blame me?
I picked up his arm and wrapped it around my shoulder, pulling it tight as I stretched out next to him, putting my head on his chest. For several minutes, neither of us spoke. I listened to his heartbeat and tried to ignore the sound of his teeth grinding.
I needed him to understand. “This is going to be for the rest of our lives, Edward. Always. I can’t go into that thinking your family wishes it wasn’t me.”
He didn’t say anything, but he kissed my head as his fingers made slow circles on my upper arm. It was comforting, but not enough. Minutes ticked by and I tried not to cry. Whatever happened now was going to decide if I got my happily ever after or not. The pure reflection of the perfect emerald cut diamond caught the slim moonlight from the window and I tipped it back and forth, wondering how long I’d be wearing it.
“This is ridiculous,” Edward finally said.
He slipped out from under me and sat up. Before I could stop him, he tossed the covers aside and slapped his bare feet onto the floor. I watched his lean muscles ripple as he strode across the room naked. As hot as he was, I couldn’t focus on that.
“What are you doing?” I asked, hating the way my voice shook.
“Calling my mother.”
I stared at him. “But it’s past three in the morning!”
“This is exciting news and it can’t wait,” he said as he dialed.
I held my breath as I listened to his half of the phone conversation.
“Mother, it’s Edward. No, everything’s fine.” He paused for a moment and then continued, “Yes, I got your notes on the spring line. Mother, I have exciting news. I asked Gabriella to marry me and she said yes.”
There was a long pause and I could feel my chest tightening as I waited.
“That’s exactly what she said,” he sounded amused. “Yes, perfect. Gabriella and I will meet you and Father tomorrow at the club. Thank you. Goodnight. Yes, right, good morning.”
He padded back across the room and dove into the bed, wrapping his arms around me. He pulled me close, pressing his mouth against my ear. “Now come here and tell me your answer again.”
“Yes,” I said with a smile. “Yes, I will marry you.”
Back to reality...or maybe not.
Instead of sleeping in and waking with slow, leisurely sex, followed by a slow, leisurely breakfast, we were up by seven, on the road by eight and back into the city about the same time I would have preferred to have been rolling out of bed.
We went by the apartment I shared with Kendra, my nerves singing as I opened the door. But she wasn’t there and I was spared the tension of telling her what should have been happy news.
I was dreading her reaction. I thought she’d be happy for me, but still, Edward and I had only been dating a few weeks. It felt right, but even I knew this was fast and until I met his family, I’d have misgivings.
Kendra would sense those and I didn’t want that.
I wanted to be certain when I faced her.
She’d understand it better if I was certain.
She’d know if I wasn’t.
I hurriedly grabbed some clothes. Edward had convinced me to get ready at his place, so I just traded out the outfit I’d planned to wear for the clothes I’d packed for the lodge. I still had my toiletries. It took less than ten minutes and we were back on the road.
The drive to his place was silent.
It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was unsettling. Once we reached the staggering stone mansion, my nerves returned in triplicate. The home was impressive and now I was seeing it in a whole new light.
Soon, I would be part of this legacy.
The house was grand, but I had only ever felt comfortable in Edward’s master suite or the study. The other rooms, the glimpses I’d gotten of them anyway, seemed hollow.
I buried myself in his bathroom. He’d offered to use one of the others and I was too grateful to argue. Now, as I blow-dried my hair, studied my reflection, applied my make-up only to wash it off and start again, I couldn’t fight the rising tide of nerves.
Edward appeared in the mirror behind me, already dressed in a suit that cost more than I made in a month, naked pictures included. I gulped.
“You look terrified.” Resting his hands on my shoulders, he pressed a kiss to my shoulder, bare save for the strap of my camisole. “Relax.”
“I can’t!” Panicked, I stared at my reflection. Simple, ordinary me, lost in the elegance of his white and gold bathroom. “We’re getting ready to meet your family. I feel so out of place.”
“First, we’ve got time. Second, you’re not out of place. You’re with me, right where I want you to be.” He slid a hand up and cupped my cheek, guiding my head back against his shoulder. “And I’m with you. Where you want me to be, right?”
The calm assurance of his voice did something to level me.
Taking a deep, slow breath, I forced myself to nod. “Yes.”
“Good.” He turned me around and his mouth closed over mine in a deep, slow kiss.
“Hmmm…”
He pressed his brow to mine and for a moment, we stood there like that. Then he lifted his head. “I’ve a few more calls to make. Why don’t you spend some time walking around, seeing more of the house? You hardly ever go outside my…” Then he grinned, the smile bright and open. “Soon it will be our room. At least until we find a place to make ours. But walk around the house. Get to know it better. Alright?”
I found Paul in what looked like the kitchen of a first class restaurant. He was chatting with a cute redhead, but when they saw me, it was like they both jerked to attention.
“Miss Gabriella.” Paul smiled warmly. “Do you need something? Are you lost?”
I winced. “Maybe.” Then, because kitchens, at least, were something I understood, I eased farther inside. “Edward said he had to get some work done before we left and I…” I shrugged. “I wanted to look around.”
They stood by while I wandered the kitchen
and then Paul came to my side. “Why don’t I show you around, Miss Gabriella?”
Feeling more and more like an intruder, I nodded. The redhead looked nervous and I tried to give her a friendly smile, but she wouldn’t look at me.
As we left the kitchen, she busied herself at the counter. Once the door swung shut behind us, I blew out a breath. “Did I mess up?”
“Of course not.” Paul gave me a polite smile.
He’d say that even if I’d broken every dish in the place.
“You’ve worked for Edward a long time, haven’t you?”
“I have.” He glanced down a hall and then at me. “Do you enjoy gardens? There’s a greenhouse with lovely flowers. They bloom all year.”
“Sure.” Anything was fine as long as I wasn’t thinking—or lost. “Do you like your job?”
“Very much.” There was no doubting his sincerity.
“So how long have you worked for Edward?” I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to ask him before.
“I’ve been with his family for twelve years now.”
“What are they like?” I asked.
Paul smiled, but it was tight-lipped and he said nothing. Apparently that was a line I couldn’t cross.
“Please.” I spread out of my hands to encompass everybody in the house—the servants who were mostly invisible, the redhead I had somehow made nervous, Edward, Paul. “None of ya’ll have any idea how nervous I’m getting over the idea of meeting his parents.” I groaned. “And look there. My Tennessee is showing.”
The crack made Paul chuckle and he sighed. After a moment, he relented. “They can be very stiff, very snobbish. They can be very set in their ways, but you must understand, they do love him. Edward’s mother would do anything for him. She wants what’s best for him.”
“And his father?”
Paul shook his head, like he’d said too much, but I didn’t give up.
“What about his siblings? Edward said everyone would be there today.” I stopped in the middle of the path and looked around, realizing we were in the middle of the greenhouse. I hadn’t even noticed. The heat started to sink into my bones and I felt lightheaded, although it wasn’t from the temperature. “I think I’m going to faint.”
Taking pity on me, he guided me over to a curved, wide bench. “His brothers are different; a little, ah, freer. They don’t have the same responsibilities as Edward. He’s the eldest son and he has a specific role to play in his family. He’s a good man, Miss. Gabriella.”
I agreed with that. “He’s the best man I’ve ever met.”
As if that was his cue, the doors to the greenhouse swung open and Edward came striding in. “I was hoping you would think to show her the greenhouse. I swung by the kitchen looking for you, Gabriella. Hayley said Paul was giving you a tour.”
I smiled at him, determined not to let him see my nerves.
Cut straight from a high-priced catalog in perfectly pressed khakis, a white polo shirt, and a blue sports coat, he came toward me, so elegant and perfect…and mine. Paul quietly excused himself and I rose to meet Edward. I smoothed a hand down my linen dress.
“You look lovely,” Edward said, catching my hand and lifting it to his lips.
“Do I?” I glanced down at my dress. “The color…does it clash with my hair?”
He bent his head and kissed me. “You’re lovely,” he reiterated. He slid his hands up and down my arms. “You’re tense. What’s wrong?”
“I’m terrified.” Slowly, I lifted my eyes to his and shrugged. “Your family…I mean, you’ve said you’ve had a couple of rough relationships. What if they think I’m just some gold digger and they try to scare me away?”
“What if they do?” he countered. “Will you let them?”
I looked up at him and his eyes searched my face. He was honestly concerned and that chased away some of my own fear. I kissed his cheek and then scrubbed off the lipstick smudge.
“No,” I said firmly. “But what if my accent slips or I get mad and call them snobs?”
“Then we’ll laugh and they’ll get over it.”
As Paul drove, Edward kept me distracted with clever comments about people he’d met at various events at the club. I mentioned some of the plaids I’d seen men wearing on golf tournaments on TV which brought up a whole new conversation.
I ended up laughing away some of the tension, but as we pulled up to the security gate, an offhand comment he made brought up a whole new set of concerns.
“I’ll have you added to my membership,” he said, catching my hand and squeezing it. “I rarely come here, but you might enjoy it. Once you’re my wife, you might find yourself with more free time on your hands.”
Free time…?
I went to ask him what that meant, but the gates opened up and he nodded ahead. “It’s time, love.”
Free time.
Time.
Shit. We hadn’t talked about what things would be like when we were married. We hadn’t discussed my writing, my job. Did he want me to quit the job I hated? Yeah, he could support me, but I didn’t want to become one of those women who lived off of her husband. And what about kids? Did he want them?
Did I?
All of those questions and more were on the tip of my tongue.
But the car stopped.
A moment later, Paul was opening the door for us.
Time was up.
Chapter 10
Mouth dry, pulse racing, I took Edward’s arm and he steered me through the formal dining room and out onto a sun-drenched patio that overlooked a carefully pruned garden.
“A mimosa and a screwdriver, light on the orange juice,” he told a passing waiter. He looked down at me, “Is that all right?”
I shrugged, not trusting myself to speak. What I really wanted though was whiskey. A double.
I felt like I had a million eyes staring at me and if an alarm had started blaring INTRUDER ALERT, INTRUDER ALERT, I wouldn’t have been surprised.
Were people staring?
Was it that obvious I didn’t belong?
“Are you okay?” Edward’s voice low, so low I barely heard him.
I nodded. Off to the corner, a group of women, probably in their fifties or so, glanced our way. One of them eyed me, from the top of my head down to my shoes. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed and I felt the red rush to my cheeks.
Men were gathered in a group close by.
I didn’t see any couples together. Everybody was grouped together by gender. And Edward thought I’d hang out here? Who would I talk to? The people bringing out the drinks? I’d certainly feel a lot more comfortable with them.
“Is that what we’ll be like?” I asked suddenly. I gestured towards the groups. “Doing our own thing, you discussing business with the men while I’m off with the women talking about parties and raising the kids?”
His mouth twitched in amusement. “I hope not. I don’t want separate but connected lives. I want our life, Gabriella.” He leaned in, brushed a kiss over my cheek. “You can have a career or do as my mother did, get involved in charities...or raise the kids.” He gave me a mischievous smile. “You decide. One thing though. I’m not changing my name to Baine. But if you don’t want to change yours, that’s fine too.”
While I was still nervous, I did feel a measure of relief at his words. Now I just had to keep myself distracted until it was time to meet the future in-laws.
“That reminds me, I’m about to find out your family name. Does that mean you’re going to turn into a pumpkin? Or is it more of a Rumpelstiltskin thing where you’ll have to grant me a wish?”
Edward laughed and I felt myself relax even more. I could do this as long as he was with me.
“I’ll grant you a wish for every day that you’re mine,” he said.
“Well, my first wish is for one of those heavenly croissants. I’m starving.”
I watched a basket of the buttery pastries bob by on a waiter’s tray, but before I could snag one, the hostess came by
.
“Mr. Edward? Your party is here.”
We walked arm in arm into the formal dining room. In the doorway, we paused a moment and I had that split second to try and guess who Edward’s parents were.
A half dozen couples could have been contenders. Several tall, distinguished men, several attractive women with brown hair. But nobody stuck out and then time was up, because Edward was already guiding me to a table occupied by a handsome man who appeared to be in his fifties, still robust and powerful looking. The woman was blonde and statuesque. The moment she looked up, I could see where Edward had gotten his ice blue eyes.
She stood, eyes only for her son. “Edward, darling, it’s been too long.”
Edward kissed her cheek and then nodded at the man I assumed was his father even though they didn’t look anything alike. “Mother, this is Gabriella. Gabriella, this is my mother, Claire.”
Claire shook my hand lightly and I could tell she thought about reaching for a napkin when I let go.
“And now I see what’s been keeping you away.” Her expression was tight.
Edward pulled out her chair and waited until she sat down to kiss her on the cheek again. She patted his cheek and then waved me to the chair next to her. I sat down without assistance and was glad to catch Edward’s wink as he circled the table to sit next to me.
“What a lovely necklace, Claire. May I call you Claire?” I asked.
Claire gave a faint smile and flagged down a waiter without answering my question. “We’ll need one more place setting, please. The three of you are always busy, but at least one of your brothers is able to join us, I hear.”
“I know. He texted me earlier. The more the merrier.” Edward smiled. “It’ll be nice for her to meet more of the family.”
“So, Gabriella, what do you do for a living?” Mr. Rumpelstiltskin or whatever their last name was gave me a pleasant smile.
“I’m an assistant for a writer for a television show, but I’m hoping to write my own someday.” I braced myself for the usual onslaught of comments that followed a pronouncement of a career in the arts.
