Hold Me Closer (Sea Island Brides Book 1)

by Kelly, Georgia

  With a deep sigh, she accepted the call and said hello.

  “Annabelle? Where are you, sweetie? I just got back to Atlanta, and I stopped by your apartment to see you, but I couldn’t get in. Someone famous must be moving into your building or something. The press was everywhere. You won’t believe how huge I’ve gotten!” Without even waiting to hear Annabelle’s response, Julia chattered away happily. “I had an awesome time with the girls up in the mountains. It rained half the time, but we didn’t mind. So, how are you? Do you want to come over this afternoon?”

  By the time Julia took a breath, Annabelle’s heart was beating so fast she was scared to open her mouth. How many times had she broken upsetting news to Julia about some stupid mistake or a plan-gone-wrong? More than she cared to think about. And none so potentially upsetting as this.

  “Annabelle? Are you there, hon?”

  “I’m here, Jules.” Her voice came out all wobbly, and she paused to take another breath.

  “Are you okay? What’s happened?” Annabelle recognized her cousin’s worried tone all too well.

  “I’m fine. I’m not hurt or in any real trouble, but there’s something important I need to tell you. I did something completely crazy.”

  Julia giggled, the relief in her voice obvious. “Really? There’s something I’ve never heard before.”

  “Okay, before I tell you, please promise me you won’t do something major like go into early labor.”

  “Gosh, Annabelle. What in the world did you do? Where are you? Why don’t you just come over so we can talk about this in person?”

  “I can’t come over, Jules. I’m not in Atlanta. I’m on Sea Island.”

  There was total silence on the line, and Annabelle bit her lip. When Julia finally asked her to continue, the floodgates opened and Annabelle confessed everything, down to the very last detail, Hudson’s number one rule be damned.

  “I know I shouldn’t have gotten involved, but I couldn’t bear to sit back and watch this snobby family treat you like a liar and a nobody.”

  “Oh, Annabelle,” Julia said. “You know I don’t need them to tell me I’m not a liar.”

  “I know,” she said. “But that doesn’t make it right. So you aren’t mad at me?”

  “I probably should be, but I know that you were acting out of love,” Julia said, sighing. “You already know how I feel about the Montgomery’s though. We’ll be fine without them.”

  “You shouldn’t have to raise this baby alone,” Annabelle protested.

  “I won’t be alone,” Julia said. “I have you. I already moved my whole life to Atlanta to be close to you.”

  Annabelle exhaled and sank into the mound of pillows at the head of her bed, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Julia was a saint. No matter how badly Annabelle screwed up, Julia was always supportive and never judgmental. She had every reason in the world to be angry right now, but instead she was sweet and supportive. If Harlan Montgomery couldn’t see how amazing she was, then he didn’t deserve her.

  “You’ll always have me, Jules.”

  “So, tell me about the Montgomerys. It sounds like you’ve gotten in way over your head. How are you holding up?”

  “I’m doing okay, but if I tell you something, will you try not to laugh at me?”

  “Shoot.”

  “Well, let me put it this way. If Harlan is anything like his twin brother, then I completely understand why you fell for him in that bar.”

  Julia’s laughter rang through the phone, and Annabelle had to pull it away from her ear.

  “You said you wouldn’t laugh.”

  “I said no such thing,” Julia cried, still giggling. “Besides, I think it serves you right to be honest. The Montgomerys are not to be underestimated. Personally, though, I don’t know what you could possibly see in Harlan’s brother. Sure, he has Harlan’s same good looks, but from what I saw, Hudson is nothing but thorns and ice.”

  “He’s definitely got that air about him, but there’s more too. I feel guilty even talking to you about this, because I know how much he hurt you. Every time I look at him, I feel like I’m betraying you by even talking to him, much less getting butterflies in my stomach over him.”

  “Well, if there’s anyone whose advice you should listen to about the dangers of being attracted to a Montgomery brother, it’s me. I’ve been down that road, and look where it’s gotten me. Four months away from having a baby girl to raise on my own, that’s where.”

  “You’re going to be such a wonderful mother,” Annabelle said, smiling at the thought of Julia’s baby coming in only four short months.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I love my baby already, but being a single mother wasn’t exactly my dream, you know.”

  “I know. That’s part of why I’m here. At the very least, Harlan should acknowledge that this baby is his.”

  “So you haven’t spoken to him or seen him yet?” Julia’s voice was softer, as if she were suddenly nervous to ask about him.

  “No, I can’t believe I didn’t tell you right away.” Annabelle sat up on her knees. “He’s in Japan shooting some movie. Hudson told me his brother was in Califormia before this, shooting the last few episodes of the TV show, and he only had a few days here in Sea Island before he flew to Japan. He wasn’t avoiding you at all. In fact, I seriously doubt Hudson even told him about you.”

  At this, Julia gasped. “Do you think that’s really possible?”

  “Hudson told you that he didn’t believe there was any way your child could be Harlan’s, right? So why would he call Harlan and tell him about it? If he truly didn’t see any possible truth in your story, he probably wouldn’t have bothered to even tell his brother about it. And I found out from Hudson that the two of them had agreed not to go out to bars or to do anything that might prove itself to be a scandal for the company. That’s why he didn’t take you seriously.”

  “Oh, my god, Annabelle, what if you’re right?” Nerves and excitement apparent in her cousin’s voice. “I need to talk to Harlan. If he doesn’t even know I’m pregnant...”

  Her voice trailed off.

  “I don’t know anything for sure yet. I’m just sort of putting things together on my own here. But the good news is that now I’m in a position to ask questions and to get closer to the family so I can find out more about what Harlan knows. I just have to be careful not to alert anyone to the fact that I’m trying to dig up information.”

  “So, you’re really getting engaged to Hudson Montgomery?”

  “Well, fake engaged, I guess. Can you believe it? I’ve really gotten myself into a mess this time, haven’t I?” Annabelle laughed lightly and closed her eyes. “Thanks for not being mad at me, Jules. You’re the only person in the world who matters to me.”

  “I could never be mad at you, ’Belle. But you’d better be back here by the time I have this baby. And keep me updated on how things are going down there. Don’t let that Montgomery boy seduce you, either.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Annabelle said jokingly. “I love you, Jules.”

  “I love you too, ’Belle.”

  As she hung up the phone, Annabelle made a silent promise to stick with this crazy scheme long enough to find the answers her cousin needed and to make sure that Harlan Montgomery knew he was going to be a father.

  All she needed to do was to find a way to control her growing attraction to his brother.

  Chapter Six

  Hudson was just placing a bottle of Merlot in the picnic basket when Annabelle walked through the door the following morning.

  “Good morning,” he said, eager to get the day started on the right foot. Everything was planned out meticulously, and he wanted to make sure nothing went wrong.

  “What’s all this?” she asked, eying the basket on the table.

  “Today, I’m taking you on a grand adventure. First, we’re going to take a tour of Cottonwood Plantation and have a picnic on the beach, then I’m taking you to Savannah in the helicopter for a tour of
the new hotel. And tonight, dinner here at home.”

  Her big brown eyes grew wide. “So, we’re spending the entire day together?”

  “Yes,” he said, placing the rest of the food his housekeeper had prepared in the basket. “We still have a lot of information to go over. Plus, we need to get to know each other better for when the press descends on us full force.”

  “And when will that be?” she asked, taking a grape from an open container and popping it into her mouth. His gaze was drawn to her soft, supple lips, the memory of them pressed against his own rushing back in an instant.

  Did she have any idea how crazy she made him?

  Hudson had barely slept since Annabelle moved to Sea Island. The thought of her sleeping in the cottage next door kept him tossing and turning, images of her lush curves dancing in his mind. He knew he would never survive this engagement plan if he didn’t get her into his own bed. Soon.

  Struggling to bring his mind back to the subject at hand, he pulled his gaze away from Annabelle and concentrated on filling the basket.

  “Any day now, is my guess. News of your move has already hit the stands,” he said. “Soon, we’ll probably start seeing a few cameras at the front gates or boats out on the water, but that’s nothing compared to what it may be like once our engagement is officially announced. And there will definitely be some reporters at the bonfire in a few days.”

  “What bonfire?”

  “It’s the annual Sea Island end-of-summer bonfire on the beach.” He lifted the finished basket off the table and walked toward the door. “Usually, it’s just residents of the island, a mix of those who only come down for the summers and those who are returning after vacationing somewhere else. But this time, I’ve invited ten different magazines and newspapers to attend. It will be a good opportunity to introduce you to the press as my girlfriend, and also to the rest of the island.”

  Outside, a golf cart waited near the bottom of the front steps. Hudson set the basket on and climbed into the cart, unable to take his eyes off Annabelle’s long legs as she took her place beside him. Her khaki shorts were form-fitting and when she sat down, they rose up, revealing most of her thigh.

  That was another thing he liked about her. Unlike a lot of the conservative women his mother was always pushing his way, Annabelle wasn’t afraid to show some skin. She seemed to understand her body well enough to know just what would look sexy without going too far.

  It took every inch of his self-control not to rest his hand on her bare leg as he drove the cart down the long driveway. To distract himself, he took on the role of plantation tour guide, pointing out the various types of trees and flowers and explaining the history of the plantation and the three larger houses there.

  When they got to Harlan’s house, Hudson pulled into the front yard and stopped the cart. “When he’s in town, this is my brother Harlan’s house. It was originally over in Brunswick, across the bridge, but our mother always admired it. Several years ago, it went on the market and we had it moved here.”

  “I can’t even imagine moving an entire house.” She gazed up at the house, and Hudson let his eyes scan the length of her lean body and supple curves. They were only ten minutes into their day together, and already he was thinking of ways to get her back to his house and into his bed.

  Hudson gave himself a mental shake. This would be a very long day if he couldn’t get his thoughts under control.

  “Believe me, it was quite the undertaking. The entire house had to be rewired, and the foundation needed some repair, but the end product is breathtaking.”

  “All this house for just one man?” she asked, walking up the steps, giving him a luscious view of her backside.

  “For now,” he said. “But who knows what the future will bring.”

  Annabelle turned and gave him a look that took his breath away. Her eyes were soft and full of hope. He was certain the meaning of her look was lost on him, but he didn’t care. Whatever was going through her head as she looked around the old house made her achingly beautiful and somehow tender.

  “What do you think?” he asked her, hoping to gain some insight on her thoughts.

  “I’ve always loved these old southern houses with bead-board ceilings and heart-pine floors. These floors are in exquisite shape. What year was this house built?”

  “Around eighteen-forty.”

  “It looks like the perfect place to raise a family,” she said, and he could swear he saw a hint of moisture on her eyelashes. Was she crying?

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yep,” she said, abruptly turning around and heading back outside to the golf cart. “What’s next on the agenda?”

  Hudson lingered in the doorway, wishing he was a mind reader. There was so much more to Annabelle than he ever could have imagined the first time they met. With most women, the half-naked, flirty side was all he ever wanted to know. Once he got to know them better, they were usually boring or unintelligent or just plain wrong for him. But with Annabelle, each new facet of her personality intrigued him.

  They rode in silence to the smaller yellow house where his mother lived. She wasn’t home this morning so they didn’t go inside, but Hudson walked with her while Annabelle explored the garden behind the house.

  With the Japan deal teetering between catastrophe and success, Hudson’s mind should have been one hundred percent occupied with business. But ever since Annabelle came into his life, she was all he could think about. He wanted to know what made her tick. What mattered to her most in the world. All of her secret thoughts and desires.

  Especially her desires.

  The fact that a woman was distracting him from the most important business deal of his career could mean only one thing. It had been entirely too long since he’d taken a woman to bed. Every man had needs, and Hudson’s only mistress over the past year had been his job. That was the only explanation for why he was craving Annabelle.

  She came around the corner, and his body flared again at the sight of her. It was infuriating how easily he became aroused around her. For someone who was in control of an entire division of an multi-billion-dollar company, he was having an awfully hard time controlling his own libido.

  Maybe some food would help. “Are you ready for lunch?”

  “Sure,” she said. She hopped into her seat and propped her feet up on the front bar of the cart, stretching out her tanned legs, as if taunting him.

  He fought to keep his eyes straight ahead as he drove to their picnic site on the other side of the plantation.

  “Wow,” Annabelle exclaimed, her head moving from side to side as she looked around their new location. Two rows of small, dilapidated homes rose up from the weeds and tall grass, their white paint cracking and peeling. “What is this?”

  “These are the old slave quarters,” he explained. “This land used to be an actual, working cotton plantation, and this is where the workers lived. My dad thought about bulldozing the area and building something new over the top, but I always liked these old buildings for some reason.”

  Annabelle peeked into one of the houses, her energy and excitement obvious by the spring in her step. “There’s so much history right here where we’re standing. Can you imagine the stories that must have been told right here in the evenings? The struggles the people who lived here must have gone through?”

  “Exactly,” he said, amazed that Annabelle had been able to put into words what he had always felt about this part of the plantation. “When I was a boy, I used to sneak over here to be alone. I always thought I’d like to do something unique and different with this part of the property, but so far, I haven’t had any time to even think about it.”

  Hudson spread the blanket out across the grass under a large pecan tree as Annabelle took the food from the basket and put a portion of each container on their plates. As they feasted on chicken salad sandwiches and fresh fruit, they talked about the history of the island and the importance of preserving that history. He was surprised to
find that she was as interested in Georgia’s history as he was.

  “You know what you should do with this place?” she asked suddenly, excitement gleaming in her eyes. “You should restore these houses and turn them into a museum of sorts. A history of the island. The area out here around the homes would make a great place for a small historical garden. Plant flowers and put out a few picnic tables. Can you imagine? You could donate it to the island’s historical society.”

  The idea struck a chord deep inside of him. It was exactly the kind of thing he’d always wanted to do here. Bulldozing the whole thing was like covering up a part of history, like trying to pretend that slavery wasn’t a part of the rich history of this island. But creating a museum or a historical landmark out of this place seemed so much more fitting.

  “That’s a great idea,” he said, sipping his wine and looking back at the broken-down shacks, imagining all the possibilities. “It would be a tribute to the people who worked this land and spent their lives here raising cotton.”

  For the rest of the afternoon, they discussed the renovations that would need to take place. Time and again, Hudson was amazed at Annabelle’s knowledge and interest in the subject. She had so many great ideas, and there was no doubt she was excited at the thought of the project. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were practically sparkling.

  It would be so easy to draw her into his arms and make love to her under the boughs of the pecan tree. As she spoke, he imagined pulling her close, exploring every inch of her body as she cried out for more. But now was not the time or the place. The things he wanted to do to her right now didn’t need to end up on the cover of any magazine.

  He knew now that privacy was an illusion. Even on his own private property. He’d learned that the hard way when those photographs showed up on the front page of The Informer. But one thing was certain. If anyone had been watching them together, there would be no doubt as to their mutual attraction and respect for each other. Convincing people they were engaged was going to be a piece of cake.