by Ivy Layne
"I'm good," Tate said, "Especially if you're not planning to kick us out before dinner is ready."
I hadn't noticed until he'd mentioned it, but the scent of garlic and tomatoes had wafted into my office when William had opened the door. Was Abigail cooking? She was supposed to be resting, not cooking for the horde of Winters and girlfriends who'd descended on her. I didn't wait for Aidan to respond to my question before heading out to Abigail. Aidan would make up his own mind, and unlike William, I could trust him to treat Abigail graciously, even if he sided with William and wanted her gone.
I didn't think that was going to happen. Oddly, Abigail had more in common with Aidan than almost anyone else I knew. They both hid their feelings behind a mask of dignity and reserve, relying on manners in difficult situations. They both loved nothing so much as their family and would sacrifice anything to keep the people they loved safe.
William was distracted by meaningless gossip and old scandal. He was family, but he wasn't a Winters. We'd lived through scandal and gossip and come out the other side, not once, but twice. We could survive it a third time if it came to that. I sure as hell wasn't going to sacrifice Abigail because I was afraid of what people would say. If I were that weak, I didn't deserve her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ABIGAIL
* * *
I was stirring a huge pot of Bolognese sauce when Jacob's office door opened and an older man stormed out, sending me an icy glare as he half-stalked and half-fled through the penthouse and out the front door. The other occupants of the kitchen looked startled at his rushed exit but didn't comment. We were all trying to ignore the awkward conversation we'd overheard.
I had no doubt the older man was the source of the most scathing accusations about me, mostly because the other voice had been too young and too calm to belong to that harried, angry man.
I couldn't quite believe I was cooking dinner for Jacob's family. I'd woken to the sound of their voices, and after cracking the door to make sure there wasn't an emergency, I'd ducked back into Jacob's room to change into something more appropriate for guests. My clothes had been hung in Jacob's expansive walk-in closet opposite his own so that we each had our own side. It looked too cute, the shared closet, and I might have stopped to absorb the strangeness of it, but I felt as if I needed to know who was in the penthouse.
Quickly, I'd brushed the tangles from my hair and twisted it into a simple spiral bun, a style I loved because it was easy, once I got the hang of it, but it looked somewhat ornate. A little makeup and a simple linen sundress in poppy red with matching patent leather flip-flops, and I was ready. It was casual enough to wear around the house, yet tailored enough that it provided me with armor to face whoever had invaded our sanctuary.
I emerged in time to hear Jacob's office door close. Three men were in the kitchen, and I was relieved to see I knew at least one of them. Tate. The other could have been Tate's twin, except for his dark brown eyes. The third man shared Tate's vibrant blue eyes and bone structure—definitely another Winters male—but he had dark blond hair, cut close on the sides and messy on top, and had a heavier build than the other two. He wasn't so much taller as packed with muscle. Well-developed shoulders and biceps strained the fabric of his worn T-shirt, and I couldn't miss the colorful tattoo sleeve on his right arm.
Not the normal type of Winters, then. This must be Vance, the artist. I couldn't see this man in a board room. There was something a little wild about him, though maybe that was just the tattoos.
Straightening my spine and pasting a serene expression on my face, I entered the kitchen with a smile and said, "Tate, it's so nice to see you again. How are you?"
He knew what I was asking and grinned at me, breaking away from the other men to come forward and take my outstretched hand, tugging me into a quick hug and dropping a kiss on my cheek. "I'm great, thanks in part to you."
"Really?" I asked. "You worked things out with Emily?"
"I did. Actually, she's downstairs with Holden's girl, Jo. We thought we'd see what you were up to before we dragged them along with us."
The Tate clone stepped forward, his hand outstretched, and said, "Tate has no manners, but I'm Holden, his cousin and Jacob's brother. This is Vance, Tate's older brother. Don't let the tattoos scare you off."
I shook Holden's hand and turned to Vance to take his, surprised when he lifted my fingers to his lips and kissed them in lieu of shaking. Blushing a little, I said, "It's nice to meet you, Holden, and Vance, I've seen your work. You're very talented, but I'm sure you know that. I particularly like the piece on the terrace at La Mystere. It anchors their whole aesthetic. Did you make it on commission or did they design around it?"
Not releasing my fingers, Vance turned to his brother and cousin and said, "I like her. Maybe I'll steal her away from Jacob."
Tate winked at me and said, "I would love to see you try."
Gently, I extracted my fingers from Vance's grip and took a discrete step away, raising my eyebrow to let him know I was waiting for him to answer my question. He gave me an almost imperceptible nod and said, "They designed around it. The owner had purchased it a few years before he planned the restaurant and moved it from his own garden to the dining terrace."
"I'd always wondered," I said. The French bistro was one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Their outdoor eating space had an overgrown, wild quality that formed the perfect counterpoint to the almost muscular, oversized metal sculpture at its center. I knew Vance's name, but I'd never seen him up close. Now that I had, I could imagine this man—with his powerful arms and colorful tattoos—creating the piece. He reminded me of a debonair Viking, if such a thing were possible.
I looked at the clock and realized we were nearing dinnertime. I didn't know what Jacob had planned, but if everyone would be happy with a simple meal of pasta with Bolognese sauce, I'd stocked the ingredients in the pantry and freezer, just in case we needed an emergency meal.
"Do you all have plans for dinner?" I asked, not sure if I wanted them to stay or go.
"We do now," Vance said. "Can we help?"
I shook my head. I was still a little wobbly, but I could make pasta with Bolognese sauce in my sleep. I even had a loaf of bread in the freezer from the week before when I'd made too much and realized it would go stale before we could use it.
"I'm calling the girls," Holden said, pulling his phone from his pocket. I was taking the defrosted meat from the microwave when a knock sounded on Jacob's door. Tate went to answer it and returned, followed by two women. They were a few years younger than me, one dressed casually with long, dark blonde hair and pretty blue eyes. She was curvy, though her t-shirt and jeans didn't show off her figure as well as they could have. Holden grabbed her arm and pulled her into him, sliding his hand over her hip in possession as he kissed her. She must be Jo.
That meant that the brunette tucked into Tate's side was Emily. She gave me a shy smile, her shiny, dark hair falling into her unusually clear gray eyes. Like Jo, and like me, she was all curves, her figure soft and well-rounded. It seemed the Winters men had a type.
We were in the midst of greeting each other when an older man's voice cut through from Jacob's office. We couldn't hear every word, but the sounds of my name and 'damaged goods' were clear, as was the word 'tainted', repeated twice. I swallowed and pretended not to hear, saying, "Holden, there's a loaf of bread in the freezer. Would you get it out and defrost it in the microwave?"
"For garlic bread?" Jo asked. "I'll make it, if you don't mind."
"Jo makes fantastic garlic bread," Emily said, smiling at me to cover the awkwardness left by the words we'd all overheard.
"Thank you, that would be great," I said, hanging on to my smile and their friendliness as we heard a younger voice cut in, too low for the words to be distinct, then Jacob, again too low to make out. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
We fell into a rhythm of cooking, me putting together the sauce as Jo and Emily poked in
the fridge and set the bread to defrost, when the first voice shouted, "Jacob, stop acting like a horny teenager. There are more important things at stake here than your cock. Find some other woman. Abigail Jordan is already reflecting on this family. People are talking, and it’s unacceptable—"
Tate swore and whirled out of the kitchen. I started to tell him not to bother when Holden's hand landed on my shoulder. "Let him go. That's uncalled-for." Holden's dark eyes were thunderous. Vance leaned against the counter, thick arms crossed over his chest, his expression just as pissed as Holden's. He shook his head.
"Fucking William. He's like family, but he can be an ass. Ignore him."
I looked from Holden to Vance. "Are people talking?" I asked. Both men shared an uncomfortable glance. Vance shook his head at me, less in denial than in commiseration.
"A little, but it's not bad, and it's nothing we can't handle. Don't let William bother you."
"Do you know who I am?" I asked. If he knew who I was, he might agree with William and wish me gone, my tainted past far away from his cousin. Without a flinch, Vance met my eyes and said, "I do. I know exactly who you are, Abigail Jordan, born Abigail Wainright to Gerald and Anne Louise Wainright. I don't give a shit about gossip, but I do pay attention to my family. I also trust Jacob's judgment. I'm sure he knows everything about you. He probably knows things you've forgotten."
"Cooper," Holden cut in. "Jacob would've had Cooper Sinclair run a report. Don't take offense. It's habit. Aiden's probably already run one on Jo and Emily."
"What?" echoed from both women on the other side of the kitchen. "He ran a report on us?" Jo said.
Holden gave a sheepish shrug and said, "Just let it go, love. Both of them are control freaks. It's easier to let them invade your privacy a little so they feel better and back off."
Emily shook her head, and Jo let out an irritated huff, but they both dropped it. I looked back to Vance, waiting for him to finish making his point.
"If Jacob has you living with him, when no other woman has been invited to do more than spend the night, and that only rarely, then he must have a good reason. I trust his judgment. Besides, you recognize my talent, so clearly, you're intelligent."
Not sure how to thank him for his reassurance, I said, "It's good to see that you're not plagued by insecurity like so many artists."
Vance winked at me—definitely a debonair Viking—and Tate said with a laugh, "Insecurity? If Vance didn't have Magnolia around, his ego would blow up so big it would carry the entire city away."
"Magnolia?" Jo asked. "I didn't know Vance had a girlfriend."
Vance let out a scoffing grunt and ignored his brother, going to the refrigerator for a beer and saying, "I'll put water on for the pasta."
"Vance doesn't have a girlfriend," Holden said. "He has a string of girls who think they're his friends. With benefits. Magnolia is his long-suffering assistant. She's way too good for him, and I have no idea why she puts up with him. We've all tried to hire her away, but for some reason, she's loyal to the charming bastard."
Vance must have known his way around Jacob's kitchen, because he pulled the oversized spaghetti pot out from the cabinet and set it in the sink to fill. I expected a snappy comeback to Holden's taunts, but instead, his shoulders looked tight and his jaw was set. Interesting.
That was when Jacob's door swung open and the angry older man stormed out, ignoring the rest of us in his rush to leave. As the door slammed behind him, Jacob left his office and headed straight for me, his silver eyes sharp with concern as he scanned the room, taking in the mood. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to him as he turned and headed out of the kitchen, past another man who could only be the mysterious brother, Aidan.
"Jacob, the sauce," I said, looking over my shoulder at the pot of meat sauce simmering on the stove.
"Holden will get it," he said. Holden was already moving to the stove when we disappeared down the hall to the bedrooms. Jacob crowded me into his room and shut the door behind us with a slam.
"Are you okay?" he asked, cupping my face in his hands and tilting my chin up so he could meet my eyes.
My throat tight, I nodded, unable to lie to him when he was looking at me so closely. Instead, I said, "Your family is very nice."
"They are," he said, dropping his hands from my face and pulling me into his arms. "But don't listen to a thing Vance says. He's charming, but he's an asshole. I'm a much better bet."
I giggled, a silly, light sound that surprised me.
"Jacob," I started. He squeezed me in his arms.
"You heard what William said?"
I nodded against his chest.
"Some of it," I admitted. "Enough."
"Forget about it," he ordered. "He's old school, and he thinks if we all have pristine reputations, we can erase the past and restore the Winters name to glory. It's bullshit. The only person who cares about that is William."
"But I don't want to be the reason people are talking about you. This was supposed to be a secret. I didn't want to taint you with—"
"Don't fucking say that word." Jacob's arms tightened until I could barely breathe. His head dropped until his breath washed hot over my ear. "Don't ever refer to yourself as tainted. Ever. You are perfect. Nothing will ever change that. Do you understand? Tell me you understand, or so help me, I will beat the ever living shit out of William Davis. I don't care if he is an old man."
This time, I wanted to giggle, but I couldn't quite find it in me. My emotions swung from shame to wonder to confusion. I settled for letting out a sigh and melting into Jacob's steely embrace. He rubbed his hands soothingly up and down my spine.
"I don't want you on your feet, cooking this crowd dinner," he said.
"It's too late," I said. "I already invited them."
"Then they can finish cooking. You can sit at the counter and supervise with a mug of tea."
"Bossy," I said into his shirt.
"Damn straight. I'm always going to be bossy. You should just get used to it and prepare to let me have my way."
"Not likely," I mumbled under my breath.
"I heard that, sweetheart."
His arms loosened from around me, and he leaned back to kiss me, first on one cheekbone, then the other, butterfly kisses, before dropping his lips to mine for a kiss that was as ardent and possessive as the first two had been sweet. My knees were weak with more than fatigue when he pulled away.
"Let's go eat," Jacob said, his hand clasping mine. "Did Tate and Holden bring their new girlfriends?"
"They did," I said. "They seem very nice."
"I think they are," he said, "which makes me wonder what they're doing with Holden and Tate." He spoke loudly enough for the occupants of the kitchen to hear him, and I said under my breath, "Jacob!"
Both Emily and Jo had clearly overheard and were grinning at Jacob. Holden said, "I thought you'd be less of an asshole once you got your own girl."
To my surprise, Jacob pulled me into his side and dropped a kiss on the top of my head before he said, "Now that I have a woman as amazing as Abigail, I'll probably be more of an asshole."
"Smug," Vance said.
"Absolutely," agreed Jacob.
Jacob sat me at the counter and, true to his promise, made me a mug of tea and wouldn't let me do more than supervise the preparation of the meal. He took a stool on one side and Vance the stool on the other, as if standing guard. The guys all ribbed each other, and in between, I managed to get to know both Jo and Emily. They were younger than me, graduate students at Georgia Tech. Both were also brilliant, which was a little intimidating, but they were too nice to rub it in. They invited me out for drinks, and I started to demure, when Jacob said, "Not until this situation is resolved, sweetheart."
"I know," I said, elbowing him in the side in annoyance. To Jo and Emily, I said, "I'm having some problems with my former father-in-law, and I can't really go out until they're resolved. But once they are, I'd love to get a drink with you."
Holden cut
in to say, "Not without us. Not unless you go to Manna. I don't think my heart can take the stress of the three of you let loose on Atlanta."
Jo slapped his chest with a potholder and said, "I think it's cute the way you think we're in constant danger of men hitting on us."
Tate crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head at both Jo and Emily. "We don't think it's cute the way you two are completely clueless. If you had any idea what men are thinking when they're talking to you—"
"He's right," Vance cut in. "If either of you ever left the lab, you'd know. Those geek boys you work with have their heads too buried in their projects to know what to do with a woman. If I'd run into one of you before these two clowns—" He ducked to the side, dodging the apple Holden lobbed at his head, catching it easily out of the air and taking a bite, an amused grin stretching across his handsome face.
"You need your own woman," Holden muttered, "so you can stop flirting with ours."
"He should just go out with Magnolia," Tate said. "She's the only woman who can put up with him for more than a night."
"Magnolia is too good for him," Holden said. "And anyway, she's engaged."
"Whatever," Tate said. "Maggie's been engaged to him for two years, and there's no ring and no wedding."
Vance mumbled something into his apple, catching Jacob's attention. He straightened and pinned his cousin with his silver eyes, demanding, "What did you say?"
Vance swallowed the bite of apple and let out a sigh. "They broke up. Don't tell her I told you, because she feels like shit. But the fucking bastard broke up with her."
"I thought you didn't like him," Jacob asked evenly. Vance braced his elbows on the counter and shook his head, all the charm drained from his expression, his eyes dark and serious.
"I didn't. He was a tool and a user, proven by the fact that not only did he never get her a ring or set a date, but he lived with her without covering a single one of the bills, and the second he finished his residency and got accepted into a good practice, he dumped her for the daughter of the lead surgeon in his new office."