Hold Me Closer (Sea Island Brides Book 1)

by Kelly, Georgia

  She hung up, feeling restless and wishing she had never worn that stupid bikini or come up with this crazy plan to blackmail him. Julia always warned her that her habit of jumping in with both feet before thinking things through would get her into trouble someday, and she was right.

  By the time Saturday finally rolled around, Annabelle felt close to panic. She only had a few days left before she had to face Mark with an answer, and she was no closer to a solution. Throughout the day, she kept asking about Hudson and when he was expected home. Everyone seemed to think it was cute how she worried about him and seemed to miss him so much. No one could have guessed what was really going on inside her head.

  At four o’clock, a team of stylists ushered her into another suite of the house to help her prepare for the party. A few weeks ago, being pampered and having a team of professionals style her hair and do her makeup would have made her giddy with excitement, but tonight she could hardly crack a smile. She was too nervous about facing Hudson.

  All hope of talking to him before the party was lost. Guests would be arriving in a few short hours. Telling herself that she would try to talk to him before the announcement was made, she did her best to concentrate on getting ready. Before she knew it, the woman helping her with her dress spun her around toward a full-length mirror to view the results. Annabelle gasped. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she had barely noticed the transformation she was going through on the outside.

  Her dress was like a dream. The fanciest thing she had ever worn before was a prom dress, and even that was just a simple pink dress with sequins. Tonight’s dress, however, was elegant and custom fit to her form.

  The strapless black silk was covered with an intricate lace overlay and clung to her in all the right places, accentuating her curves. With her hair up in a French twist, her neck looked long and elegant. She reached up to touch the diamonds sparkling at her throat. The necklace was on loan from a jeweler in Atlanta, and she could hardly believe it was hers for the evening.

  “You look stunning.” Annabelle smiled as Sue Ellen Montgomery came through the door and gave her a hug.

  “Thank you so much for everything. I keep thinking I’ve stepped into a dream.”

  “No, thank you for what you’re doing for our family, sugar.” Sue Ellen held a small square box out to her and Annabelle’s hands shook slightly as she took it.

  “What’s this?”

  “Hudson wanted to bring it to you himself, but he got in so late I told him to run on and get ready before the guests start arriving. I have to take care of a few things myself, so I won’t keep you.”

  “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.

  Chapter Ten

  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.”

  A polite applause broke out across the crowd. As Annabelle looked out at the sea of unfamiliar faces, she concentrated on the warmth of Hudson’s hand holding hers.

  As his mother spoke about the various plans for the arts council this upcoming season, Annabelle noticed that waiters in white were passing around glasses of champagne. Her stomach knotted with nerves.

  “If you’ll please lift your glasses, my oldest son Hudson has a very important announcement he would like to make while we are all gathered here together.”

  Giving her hand another squeeze before releasing her, Hudson made his way to the microphone. His mother took his place beside Annabelle and put her arm around her, hugging her close.

  “I am so happy that you could all be here with us this evening,” Hudson began. “As you know, the annual arts council benefit is very important to my family since it was my grandmother who started the event over fifty years ago.”

  Jilly, who was standing on the other side of Sue Ellen, gave Annabelle an encouraging wink, but it did little to calm her nerves. How had she ended up in this position? She was used to bein
g the one with all the control. If things weren’t going her way, she was quick to get out and try something new. But this time things had spun so far out of control that she couldn’t see a way out. All she managed to do was get herself in deeper with each day that passed.

  “I only wish my grandmother could be here tonight as I make this special announcement. I am very happy to tell you that my lovely Annabelle, whom many of you have recently gotten to know, has graciously agreed to be my wife!”

  A loud cheer rang out in the room as glasses were raised. Sue Ellen placed her hand on Annabelle’s back and gave her a gentle push toward Hudson, who was reaching for her with an outstretched hand.

  Scarlett made her way to the microphone and continued the speech as Hudson put his arm around Annabelle. He handed her a glass of champagne, then took one for himself. “Please join me in a toast. To my brother Hudson and his Annabelle.”

  “To Hudson and Annabelle!” The crowd shouted out their toast as glasses were raised toward the stage. To her surprise, Hudson handed his champagne glass off to his mother and took Annabelle in his arms.

  Time stood still and the roar of the crowd faded as Hudson caressed her face gently with one hand and leaned close, their lips meeting in a soft kiss.

  Annabelle reminded herself that it was all for show, but she felt his warmth all the way down to her toes. Her body leaned into him and he responded, his mouth opening slightly to taste her more deeply. Their tongues met and she pulled him closer, barely registering the shouts of the crowd below. For the first time that evening, her crazy nerves focused into a single ball of energy within her and she put all of herself into that kiss.

  In that moment, Annabelle suddenly wished it were all real. If only she could have met Hudson and fallen in love under different circumstances. If only she had not gone to such lengths to deceive him. She kissed him as though it might be the last important kiss of her life.