by Nadia Lee
She went to the living room, where the majority of the guests had congregated. There was an overabundance of fifty-something men, all silvering hair and golf tans. Many of them were with thirty-something women. Everyone had drinks in their hands.
Framed family portraits and photos sat on the gigantic fireplace mantel. The pictures showed a happy and well-adjusted family. Looking at them never failed to stir a bitter mixture of sadness and disgust in Natalie.
She plucked a flute of champagne from a tray and scanned the area. She knew almost all of the guests, but she suddenly felt too tired for superficial chitchat. Finally, her eyes zeroed in on Emily Rodale. Thank God. Like Louise, she was a petite blonde. But her heart was much warmer.
“Oh, there you are,” Emily said as Natalie approached. “More and more beautiful every time I see you. How’s work?”
“It’s going well. I just got promoted.”
Emily’s eyebrows, already plucked and painted into high arches, gained a bit more altitude. Despite her ultra-conservative high-society background, she’d been a feminist since day one and always showed a keen interest in Natalie’s career. “Really? So now you’re…what?”
“Senior lead financial analyst. First-in-command in my department, so to speak. I still report to the company president, though.”
Emily laughed. “Well, perhaps not for long, knowing you.” She raised her wineglass. “To success.”
Natalie clinked her flute with Emily and took a deep swallow, suddenly feeling better. Sometimes she wished she were Emily’s adopted child instead of Louise’s. Who knew where she would be now if she’d had this sort of support and encouragement when she was growing up?
“So, now that…” Emily’s words trailed off as her eyes focused on a spot beyond Natalie’s right shoulder. The transformation was immediate and dramatic. Her eyes shuttered, ice replacing the warmth in them, and the smile left her lips.
Natalie turned her head and saw Alex standing behind her. A dash of insolence twisted his lips.
“How did you get in?” Emily said. Despite her size, she managed enough condescension to outdo any member of the French aristocracy.
“The same way you did, I imagine. Massive donations, friendships based on mutual blackmail, wrecking the lives of those around me to satisfy a ruthless ambition…” He smiled charmingly. “The usual.”
What the…? Natalie glanced from Alex to Emily and back. How had he gotten an invitation? Maybe he knew Brian…or Belle, although she doubted it was the latter.
“Don’t be so shy, dear.” Alex put his arm around her. “You didn’t tell me you knew Emily.”
Natalie didn’t understand his game, but she had no intention of getting caught in the middle of it. “You didn’t ask.” She ducked out from under his arm and made a quick exit, heading toward the kitchen. Maybe a small bite before dinner would help settle the tension that had returned to her stomach.
When she was almost to the kitchen door, Belle suddenly appeared in front of her. She was a fifth-carbon copy of her mother, from her blonde hair all the way down to her size-five shoes. Natalie gave Belle a curious look, then paled when she saw the couple coming up behind her.
“Marcus,” Natalie whispered.
She’d done her best to avoid any social situation where she might cross paths with her ex and his new wife. But here they were, directly—unavoidably—in front of her.
Marcus saw her and paused, then put a hand on the small of his wife’s back. “Hi, Natalie.”
A bright smile curved Belle’s lips. “You know Marcus, of course, but have you met Sandra? She’s expecting. Already! Isn’t it wonderful?”
Natalie smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle on her dress. “Congratulations.”
She couldn’t believe Belle was doing this. Belle had always enjoyed tormenting her, but this was taking things too far. It was one thing to be a malicious teaser, another to be downright cruel.
Sandra looked at Natalie with an uncertain smile, then at Belle, then returned her attention to Natalie. “Thank you. This is a lovely party. You must be very happy for your father.”
“Yes.” Natalie glanced at the vulgarly large diamond ring on Sandra’s finger and then to her slightly protruding stomach.
Loved, married…and now pregnant.
Jealousy should have been eating at her, but it wasn’t. Although she was sure that Belle had intended to embarrass and humiliate her, Natalie didn’t feel anything except relief that things hadn’t worked out between Marcus and her. Why had she feared facing him again so much? She couldn’t even remember what had been so dazzling about him.
“There you are, darling.”
Natalie felt Alex come up behind her. Before she could protest, he turned her around and planted a kiss on her cheek. Even though it was a casual peck, her senses came instantly alive. It was all she could do to keep her hands from reaching for his shoulders, her body craving another dose of the delicious heat from the morning. How could she have compared him to Marcus? Marcus paled against the intensity of Alex’s magnetism, like a match against a bonfire.
She settled for slipping an arm around him, sensing Belle’s gaze boring into the back of her head and feeling a small bit of satisfaction and gratitude, along with an equal measure of confusion. Alex had been angry hours ago, cold and remote just minutes before. Why was he helping her?
Alex turned to the trio before them, his hand burning a brand into her waist. “Sweetheart, who are these people?”
“This is Belle, my sister. And this is Marcus O’Dell and his wife Sandra.” Natalie cleared her throat. “Everyone, this is Alex Damon.”
Belle’s eyes widened a bit. “I thought you looked familiar. How did you two meet?”
“Work,” Alex said. His eyes were cold as they gazed at Belle, who seemed to draw back a little. He turned back to Natalie. “I’ve yet to be introduced to your father, darling. Would you mind?”
She drew him away from the group. Natalie still didn’t know what to think about Alex’s behavior, but anything was preferable to giving Belle time to come up with something new. Her hand in the crook of his arm, they went to the french doors in the living room that connected to a small wooden platform with steps to the backyard. Several men were gathered around a huge barbeque grill, from which gray columns of smoke rose. Most of them held beers, and Brian was laughing at something one of them said.
“Natalie.” Louise’s voice came from behind them. “Would you take this bottle of barbeque sauce to your father?”
Natalie was looking for an opportunity to ask Alex about his capricious behavior, but it didn’t look like she was going to get one. She sighed and squeezed his arm lightly. “Can you wait for just a minute?”
“No problem.”
She went back and into the kitchen. State-of-the-art stainless steel appliances shone like alien jewels beneath cherry cabinets. The counters groaned under the weight of enough cheese to permanently clog every guest’s arteries. Louise’s heels clicked on the hard tiles as she moved around. She handed Natalie a large glass bottle. “Here.”
Natalie took it and turned to leave, then stopped. “Did you know the O’Dells were coming?”
Louise concentrated on uncorking a bottle of Riesling. “Of course I knew. I made up the guest list.”
“Did you see how Belle made sure to introduce me to his new wife?”
“I noticed the group of you talking. Why?”
Natalie knew she shouldn’t pursue the subject. She would only get shot down and made to feel silly and small. In all her years, she could never remember winning an argument with Louise. But something about Alex’s earlier support emboldened her.
“It was stupid to stage that scene, don’t you think? It embarrassed them.”
“No,” Louise said, still working on the cork. “You embarrassed them. They have every right to be here.”
“And I don’t?”
“It was necessary for you to come. People would have noticed your absence.”
Louise gave her a tiny smile. “Must we discuss this right now?”
“Yes, Louise, I think we must.”
Louise sighed, put the wine aside, and faced her, hands folded sedately against her dress. “Very well, then. No one ever told you the truth about your origins, but Brian found you.” Louise’s voice was as cool and even as paving stones. “That’s right. He found you in a trash bin in DC and brought you home instead of waiting for me to give him the child he so wanted.”
Natalie stood absolutely still. She felt as though someone had punched her in the solar plexus and couldn’t get enough air into her body.
“So don’t presume to tell me of the rights you supposedly have in this family. Your very presence is like a poison to me.” Louise’s face was completely composed and placid, but the words hit Natalie like bricks. “What kind of people throw their child away in a trash bin? Brian should’ve listened to me and given you up to an orphanage. It’s no wonder you couldn’t hold on to Marcus. Blood will out, and a man of his breeding can tell.”
Natalie swayed. She could barely think. This couldn’t be true. But…
“Now that you know, dear, do call off your hounds. We wouldn’t want the others to sniff out even a hint of trouble on our side,” Louise said, her eyes arctic.
Hounds? Wha —?
Suddenly, Alex appeared at the archway that connected the kitchen to the living room. Louise’s aspect changed instantly and completely, as though a movie had skipped a few frames. She glanced at his empty glass. “Would you like more wine?” Her voice was sweet, the very definition of hospitality.
He shot her an unreadable look. “I don’t believe so, no.” He placed his glass on the counter and pried the sauce from Natalie’s grip. “If it’s all right, I want to steal Natalie away from you to get an introduction to Brian.”
“Certainly,” Louise said, the picture of graciousness.
Natalie hurried outside with Alex, her mind reeling. The afternoon sun had warmed the temperature in the backyard, but she felt cold inside. Found? She had been thrown away and found?
Brian waved at her, gesturing at her to come to the grill. They walked toward him. His face was flushed from the heat of the grill and the beer. “Hi, honey. How’s my favorite girl?”
Louise had been needlessly cruel, but Brian had always tried to make her feel at home. She couldn’t ruin his party, no matter how disoriented she felt. She mustered a smile. “Hi, Dad.”
“Who’s your friend?”
* * *
Friend? Brian Hall was either stupid or diplomatic. Alex chose the latter.
“This is Alex Damon,” Natalie said.
Brian extended his hand. Alex put the barbeque sauce on a table next to the grill and shook it, carefully keeping his face pleasant. He resisted the urge to grind the older man’s knuckles together. That would be petty.
“Welcome.” The politician’s face never wavered, although he had to know about Alex’s relationship with the Rodales. “I heard you might drop by. Thanks for coming.”
“The pleasure’s mine.” Alex smiled, but he was sure it didn’t reach his eyes. “Nice party.”
“Thank you. Beer?”
Alex nodded and took an ice-cold green bottle from Brian. Not a bad guy, per se, but someone with something to hide. Wonder how he would react if he knew that Alex already had his men digging up facts. Evidence to stop him from meddling in something he had no business getting involved with in the first place.
“I didn’t know you were politically active in Virginia,” Brian said. “You’re from San Francisco, aren’t you?”
“Virginia’s on my radar at the moment, especially now that one of my companies here is poised for a big growth spurt. I think this year’s senatorial election could get very interesting, don’t you?”
Brian considered, then nodded. “Possibly. It’s hard to tell.”
“Incumbents always have the upper hand. But I also have a soft spot for underdogs. It’s hard to decide who should get my support.” Alex felt Natalie tense.
Brian smiled with genial good humor and took a drink of his beer. “As an incumbent myself, of course, I think I know what my constituents want better than someone with no experience.” There was a general murmur of agreement from the other men present.
“Of course. But a fresh perspective might be good for the state. Something a little more international. Although you were in China for a while, isn’t that right?”
Alex was watching carefully, and so he caught the infinitesimal narrowing of Brian’s eyes. “Yes,” the senator said. “You’ve done your homework, I see. Not many people remember that these days.”
“I try to understand people as best as I can. It helps when you need to ask a favor or get someone to see things your way.”
“I imagine it does, young man.” Brian was looking at Alex very directly now, the intensity of his gaze beginning to disrupt the genial expression on the rest of his face. “Let’s hope that you don’t ask for too much.”
Natalie began to tug discreetly at Alex’s sleeve. “There are some other guests I’d like to introduce you to. Let’s let these guys get back to their grilling, or we’ll never eat.”
Alex smiled and allowed her to draw him off. He’d pushed enough for the time being and had no intention of causing a scene at this early stage of the game. Brian had turned back to the grill, but his gaze never left them as they walked away across the lawn.
* * *
“What was that all about?” Natalie said.
“Nothing. I just wanted him to know I wasn’t going to let his family bully you.”
“Oh.” She blushed, embarrassed. So he’d heard what Louise had said. She cleared her throat. “Thank you for helping me out with Belle and Louise. I thought after what happened this morning… Look, I’m sorry.”
Alex made a dismissive gesture. “Let’s start over, shall we?” He held out a hand as they walked. “I’m Alex.”
She took it with a small smile. “Natalie. Enchanted, I’m sure.”
“Well, I certainly hope so. So, Natalie, tell me something. Why didn’t you stand up for yourself back there, especially against your sister?”
“It’s…complicated.”
“Try me.”
She squinted up at him in the afternoon light. “You really want to know all this?” Apparently he did. “Well… Marcus—he’s my ex. We dated for three years and broke up six months ago. He immediately got engaged to Sandra.” She paused and shrugged. “Now they’re married, and she’s pregnant.”
Incredulity mingled with wry curiosity. “You still have a thing for him?”
She let out short laugh. “Uh, no. I guess I wonder what would’ve happened if we’d stayed together. But I’m not crying over him. It’s over, breaking up was the right decision, and I’ve moved on.”
“So what’s wrong with standing up to Belle?”
“What’s wrong is I’m not going to make a scene, especially when there are guests around. It would only make me look silly and make her want to get back at me. It wasn’t the first time she’s tried something like this. I’m used to it. And as for Louise… Well, she’s still my…mother.”
Natalie closed her eyes. It was difficult to get the word out. Even though she’d done her best to win Louise’s approval and affection during the first twenty or so years of her life, she’d never considered Louise her “mother.” More like a woman who tolerated giving her room and board, nothing more. She had a suspicion that if it wouldn’t have made the Halls look bad, Louise would have thrown her into a trash bin herself.
Natalie didn’t want to be morose around Alex. She took his arm and led him away from the other guests. “Can I ask you something?” she said, deliberately making her
tone light.
“Hmm?”
“Do you have some kind of white-knight syndrome?”
He quirked an eyebrow.
“You seem very quick and eager to help. Twice in a row.”
Alex stopped and drew her to him. “I happened to see a damsel in distress and merely rose to the occasion.”
“You do that often?” She allowed her body to lean into his a bit. “Rise to the occasion?”
He looked directly into her eyes. “Whenever it’s required.”
She should feel scandalized. After all, this was her parents’ backyard. Instead, she felt nothing but feminine satisfaction that the attraction she felt for him wasn’t one-way. His breath tickled her skin, and she shivered.
“Cold?” he murmured.
She shook her head.
“Mmmmm…”
Alex skimmed her bare arm with his hand. It was an innocent gesture, but the tenderness of it was as intimate as a kiss. Glancing around, Natalie pulled him into the shadows under the deck. Sweet-smelling roses climbed the wooden beams that supported the structure and shielded them from the other guests’ view. Everyone was basking in the sun, and nobody paid attention to the shaded spot.
No wonder you couldn’t hold on to Marcus. Blood will out, and a man of his breeding can tell.
Natalie shut Louise out of her head and drew Alex closer. She could feel his strong heartbeat through his shirt, smell the man and a hint of subtle cologne. There was something about him that conjured up decadence and velvet and silk and sex and thrills and safety all at the same time in her mind. His arms circled around her, effectively caging her.
His head dipped, and his lips touched the hollow of her neck. He nosed the strand of white pearls around her throat out of the way, and his tongue darted out and licked her skin gently, then more firmly. She flexed her fingers against his shirt, grabbing a handful of the silky fabric. He let out a soft breath, as warm as melted chocolate.
She heard herself sigh. He responded by tightening his arms around her and tilting her face up for a kiss. She opened her mouth, inviting him inside, and felt him take control, tracing her upper lip, then her lower one, while his hands brought her pelvis closer to his. He was rock hard.
