Answering a knock on the door, she opened it to a lovely older woman carrying a stylist’s kit.
“Aren’t you pretty?” she exclaimed and sauntered in.
She arranged Brie’s hair in a waterfall style that flowed down her back. Dramatic eyes and a light gloss on her lips was all she said was needed.
Thanking her, she took in her appearance before walking to the window. She crossed her arms and inhaled deeply. Then her eyes registered that across the manicured lawn, there was a mausoleum featuring stunning scrollwork and gargoyles.
Grabbing her sketchbook, she took the stairs and searched for a door to the side of the house. Approaching the courtyard in front of the stone structure, she smiled at a marble podium that provided the ideal surface at the right height.
Brie took her time outlining the primary columns and statuary. She was filling in the central details when movement in her peripheral vision startled her.
Several men took up positions around her, standing at attention. Still holding her charcoal, she turned to see Elijah crossing the grass in her direction. He didn’t look pleased.
“Brie.”
“Hi. Um, I shouldn’t wander off?”
Raking his eyes over her from head to toe, he said, “You look stunning.” She watched as he inhaled carefully. “How would you feel about being fitted with a tracking device?”
It felt like her smile took over her entire face. “If you really think it’ll help.”
He glanced past her at her book. “That’s amazing.” Going to attention, he bowed slightly and extended his arm. “Miss Hernandez, the party started twenty minutes ago. Shall we?”
Grabbing her book, she slid her hand along his forearm. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to lose track of time.”
“We thought you were still getting ready.”
The idea that she’d take longer than half an hour to fully prepare for any occasion made her laugh. When she explained to Elijah, he shook his head.
“We’re in such new territory with you.”
She nodded with a sigh. “I know.”
Just inside the door she’d used to exit the house, Harper waited. He held out his hand and she placed the sketchbook in it with a sheepish grin.
Taking her in, he winked, “Absolutely worth the wait. You look even better in that dress than I imagined.”
Elijah kissed her hand with another bow and placed it on Harper’s arm. As they passed Harper’s office, they set her book on his desk. She hated to leave it but didn’t tell them.
Instead of returning immediately to the hall, the darker man removed a box from one of the drawers.
“Before you throw a fit about this, I want you to know I asked Riya to help me select a simple set she thought you’d be willing to accept without kicking me in the dick.” He grinned. “We opted for custom, designed and created by arthritic natives.”
It was impossible to contain her snort of laughter.
“Now, I wanted to use gold and she insisted on silver. I tried to counter for platinum and she rolled her eyes and told me Mexico creates some of the most stunning sterling in the world and to stop being a pretentious douche.”
Brie laughed so hard she thought she’d pass out.
“I tell you all of this so that you understand this wasn’t bought in bulk, stored in stacks in my safe, to be used in payment of services. It’s important that you know this was made for you. One of a kind like the woman you are.”
Opening the box, he held it out to her and Brie took in the intricate feathers in varying lengths that formed a triangle of aged silver. There were matching earrings with a single delicate feather that would almost touch the top of her shoulders.
“Harper. They’re beautiful.” Blinking back tears, she added, “Thank you for thinking of me.” She hugged him tightly.
He hugged her back carefully at first and Elijah took the box so he could return it with both arms.
“You’re welcome, Gabriella.” Tilting her face up with the side of his hand, he murmured, “Only my mother was ever touched by gifts.” His smile was gentle. “I’d forgotten how it felt to give them to such a person. Thank you for reminding me.”
“An even better gift is how relaxed you look.” She trailed her finger over his forehead. “I love that one most.”
They pressed into her from the front and back. “If there weren’t sixty guests in my house, you’d already be naked.”
Hopefully, she suggested, “I could strip down and wait here. You could pop by for intermissions and refreshments.”
Nose to nose, he said, “Not happening, Gabriella.”
“After the party, Brie.” Elijah stroked his hands over her through her gown.
Sighing, she nodded. “Alright. Let’s get this over with so I can have more naked time in the bat cave. Hustle.”
Laughing, Harper clasped the necklace and they watched as she put the earrings in. Whispering about the things they’d do to her later, they led her through the house.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Dozens of guests milled in the ballroom when the three of them entered and many didn’t bother to hide their shock.
There were several faces Brie recognized and could well imagine what they thought about seeing someone like her walk into a Delkin party with Harper and Elijah.
She remembered the first time she’d danced at Riya’s Christmas party, how her friends had made her feel welcome and showed her she belonged. Channeling that memory, she decided she’d wallow in every wonderful moment for as long as she had them. She lifted her chin.
Fuck what these elitist assholes thought about her.
“Excellent,” Elijah murmured.
She circulated as she’d been taught, made small talk she’d learned from Isabella, and smiled no matter the expressions of the people she spoke to or their impertinent questions.
An hour into it, her head started to pound. Harper told her quietly, “You’re so tense, Gabriella.”
“Not gonna lie. I’d rather be alone with the two of you.”
A voice behind her said loudly, “Little mouse…?”
Fuck me running.
Turning, Brie met the shocked gazes of her parents. Plastering a smile on her face, she said, “Mom. Dad. Hello.”
“You are in Washington. How long have you been here, Gabriella? When did you plan to see your family?”
The look on her mother’s face promised a battle royal if the answer provided wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“Gabriella flew in a few hours ago,” Harper interjected smoothly. “It was intended to be a surprise but I wasn’t informed you’d arrived.” Leaning, he kissed her mother’s hand and shook her father’s.
Frowning, Cabral said, “You came here first?”
“I’ve been commissioned to paint the estate. I agreed to meet with Harper before he leaves on business.”
“Harper…? I was unaware you were acquainted.”
Fuck. A social misstep.
“We became friends throughout the wedding preparations for Hudson and Natalia. He liked the painting of the building I did for Winters Enterprises.”
“Ah, yes. I heard Harper was the best man. We couldn’t get away to attend. I was sad to miss it.” There was a slight pause. “I like that Hudson far better than the other one.”
Brie stiffened with a small gasp but her mother didn’t notice. In Spanish, she began to rant. “That was quite the mess. I still don’t understand why you…”
“Mom.” Their eyes met. Also in Spanish, she told her, “I’d rather not discuss this. Now is not the time.”
“I’m sorry. It still makes me angry, Gabriella.”
“It makes me feel many things. English.” Her heartrate continued to rise. Thankfully, her mother changed topics.
“Isabella said the painting you did was good, Gabriella. I had no idea you still enjoyed your little hobby. You should paint the winery.”
Touching her temple to relieve the pain there, she reminded herself where sh
e was and who she was. “I’ve painted it, Mom. Many times.”
“You have?” Brie nodded as the pressure built. “You always drew pretty flowers for your grandmother. I didn’t know you painted other things.”
“Yes. I dabble. It’s still just a hobby.” Inhaling carefully, she kissed their cheeks and hugged them tightly. “I’ll see you later this week. I need to get photos of the estate while the weather is good.”
Cabral smiled. “Hmm. You will go to the winery next. I know how you are. They miss you, little mouse.”
“I know, Dad.” Swallowing hard, she smiled. “I see one of the clients for the winery and I need to say hello.”
They hugged her again. “Of course. You can give us your annual report when you come to the house. I like how the numbers get bigger every year.”
Mechanically, Brie replied, “They’ve grown again. You’ll be pleased. I love you.” In general, she said, “Excuse me.”
Making her way out of the ballroom, she didn’t know where to go. She was unsure what part of the house she was in and was grateful to find a small seating area along a deserted hall.
Lowering to it carefully, she caught her breath after one of the most awkward conversations of her life. She wasn’t surprised when Harper and Elijah sat on either side of her.
“Your parents hurt your feelings…regularly, it would seem. I’m sorry, Gabriella.”
“They aren’t emotional like me. They don’t realize they do it.” She met Harper’s eyes. “I’m sure your parents had many expectations for you, Harper. You met and exceeded all of them.” She shook her head. “In a family of hyper-organized and ambitious people, I’m a continual disappointment.”
“They don’t know how important your art is to you?” Elijah’s voice was quiet.
“When I was seven, my grandmother wrote a cookbook. She asked me to illustrate the foods. A year later, she wanted me to help her catalog our family tree and fill it with sketched flowers that were native to her village. Always, to my parents, it was a hobby, a silly thing I did.”
“Why did you get a master’s in marketing?”
“It’s a real job. They wore me down through high school and I let them because I was tired.” Inhaling deeply, she explained, “When I was instructed to choose a corporation to assume, I was offered construction, real estate, restaurants, and hotels.”
She twisted her fingers together. “I chose the winery because I thought if I had to have a job they approved of, I wanted to be close to beauty, to things that grow, so it would ease the agony of it.” She met Harper’s eyes.
“I built it bigger than they ever dreamed, nurtured strong relationships with staff and clients, and established the brand across the United States. Since I was sixteen, I’ve worked on or in the winery every day other than the time I was in the hospital. It comes easily to me but it isn’t easy for me.”
Turning to Elijah, she whispered, “I feel like a spoiled bitch complaining when…I’m sorry.”
He held the side of her neck and said, “Pain is delivered in many ways, Brie. That yours was different doesn’t mean it hurt you less. You are neither spoiled nor a bitch.”
Harper stood and lifted her to her feet. “You won’t hide. You can’t hide, Gabriella.” He stroked his finger along her temple to her chin and raised her face. “Eyes up. Give no fucks.”
He dropped a kiss on her lips and Elijah did the same. He stared into her eyes and said in excellent Spanish, “You are a magnificent woman whose past does not define you.”
Blinking back tears, she nodded.
As they escorted her back to the party, Harper said quietly, “As for your art, it isn’t a fucking hobby. It’s your goddamn calling and should be treated as such.”
Local business owners didn’t hide their surprise that she was in public. Several times over the course of the evening, she fielded questions about the diet that finally helped her lose weight, had she received therapy for her introversion, and was she still working at the winery for her parents.
Harper was abrupt and protective, bordering on acidic. It startled more than one of his guests when he came to her defense in ways that would have made Hudson proud.
A woman with whom her parents had done multiple real estate deals snidely remarked, “I heard a little rumor that you left Washington for a man. I didn’t believe it, of course. You were such a chubby little thing. Whatever cosmetic surgery you received seems to have done the trick.” She chuckled. “I thought perhaps you’d gone off to hide an unwanted pregnancy.”
Stunned, Brie found herself speechless, frozen in mortification.
Stepping close enough so that no one beyond them could hear, Harper said coldly, “Your lack of class tells me your success to date is due to luck. One more word and there will be a sharp reversal.” He added with a smug smile, “Gabriella didn’t leave Washington for a man. She visits Washington for two.” The woman’s eyes went wide. “Get out of my house.”
Elijah stood close enough that she could feel his body heat on the bare skin of her back.
A glass of champagne appeared in her hand and Harper said quietly, “Drink this, Gabriella. You’re shaking.”
Blinking against tears of embarrassment and fury, she focused on Harper’s tie. Allowing herself to zone out, she meditated long enough to slow her heart rate and calm her nerves.
Meeting his eyes, she whispered, “I told you. I’ve never fit in your sphere, Harper.”
He took her empty glass and handed it to a passing server. “And yet, here you are. Beautiful, successful, talented, and the sexual focus of two men who have allowed you closer than any other.” Lowering his head, he added, “These functions are necessary and you know that. Trust Elijah to guard your back. Trust me to guard your delectable front.”
Unable to resist, she gave a trembling laugh.
“Now, we circulate. I’ll piss people off as you wow the men, and more than a few women, with that dress. Elijah will glare them into silence. A good time had by all.”
They were several hours into the party when Marciella Canfield entered with the Ghonim cousins to the shock of several guests. All three were known to be practically reclusive outside the charity circuit.
Making a beeline for their threesome, the cousins shook Harper’s hand and nodded imperceptibly to Elijah.
Marci hugged Brie tightly. “It’s so good to see you fully mobile. You look damn good, Brie.”
“Thank you. So do you. Your shoes make me want to cry with envy.” She wore a pale gray sheath and truly fabulous heels. Her strawberry blonde hair was perfectly coiffed in an up-do. “I’m also giddy to see a familiar face.”
“Let me guess, the catty bitch socialites giving you shit?” One brow lifted. “I love to scare them.”
“You’re so lovely and sweet. I can’t imagine you scary.”
Harper gave a small bark of laughter. “You haven’t been in negotiations with her. She’s downright terrifying.”
“No,” Brie breathed. “I don’t believe it.”
Marci nodded seriously. “In business, I’m a stone cold bitch and I never, ever apologize. I have Hudson to thank for honing my natural skill.” Leaning closer, she whispered, “Harper liked me before I started giving him fits and referring to him as Delkin in talks.”
Hand on her hip, Brie giggled. “I have a vision of Harper in his office, shaking his fist and growling Winters.” Elijah stifled a laugh behind her but Marci didn’t hold back. “I might have to create a graphic novel now. Hudson would love it for his birthday.” She winked. “I can do one for each of them with the roles reversed.”
“You’re definitely an original. You get into graphic novels and all of us are ordering our own.”
The cousins stepped forward and bent as one to kiss Brie’s cheeks. Each took a hand and bowed slightly. She loved the way their black eyes sparkled with happiness.
Fahad told her, “Your gift was spectacular, Gabriella.”
“I’m so glad you liked it.”
She grinned.
Fahad turned serious. “How would you feel about spending a few days at a small winery we own in Southern California? We purchased it and hired highly recommended managers who cannot seem to figure out why it turns no profit.”
Accepting a glass of champagne, Brie asked, “Are they riding the fields? You wouldn’t believe how much waste I found in the fields and processing divisions when I took over.”
The cousins shared a look. Nuri frowned. “You ride the vineyard on horseback?” She nodded. “Does your security detail also ride?”
She was confused. “For the most part, I’ve always ridden alone.” Brie watched the cousins glance at Harper and realized their concern. “My first job was picking grapes but I’ve worked every position. I’m safe there.”
Sipping her wine, she changed the subject. “You’ve got such a diverse collection of businesses. I only have one but I know everything about it so I’d be happy to tour your facility and tell you what I see.”
“Allow us to compensate you for your time.”
“Absolutely not. I’m glad to do it. I’ll send you a report.” She grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t ruffle any feathers.”
That made Marci laugh. “As if you would. You bring out the soft little kitten in everyone. Sashay in there, smile, and they’ll have no secrets.” Arm around Brie’s waste, she tugged her away. “Let the boys talk because I’m done with business for today.”
A dozen feet away, her friend took her hand. “You’re glowing. I promised Hudson and Natalia I’d report back.”
“They’re on their honeymoon,” Brie moaned.
“I know but they have to eat sometimes. Not every meal can be consumed on the human body.” Brie struggled to contain her laughter. “I got the call today at brunch.” She rolled her eyes. “For god’s sake, eat.”
“They’re going to come back sleep deprived and malnourished. Tell them not to worry.”
“Gabriella.” Her mother’s voice behind her startled her badly. “An introduction please.”
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