by T. J. Kline
Gabe felt the weight of responsibility grow even heavier. He wanted to promise he would find a way to release them both from being forced down the aisle by their families, but Stephanie was right. She had nothing else to fall back on and he wouldn’t cast her aside. He wouldn’t turn his back on his friends.
“It’s Anna, isn’t it?” Stephanie looked up at him through her dark lashes. “I’m sorry, Gabe. I think you two would’ve been good together. It just seems too late.” Gabe heard the defeat in her voice.
He slid his arm around her and squeezed gently. “Don’t give up just yet.”
“Anna!” Stephanie rose from the love seat and hurried to greet her as she entered the living room, where several women waited for lunch to be served. Looking around her, Anna felt immediately out of place, especially with her knockoff clothing. Usually she had a healthy dose of self-confidence, but amid the perfect women surrounding her, her morale took a nosedive.
“This is the floral magician I was telling you about. She can make anything look beautiful.” Stephanie’s praise made Anna feel a little better.
“She should have tried harder with that dress and those shoes.” A brunette seated in a wing chair laughed, glancing to another woman for confirmation.
Several of the women tittered quietly and Anna clenched her jaw. It was going to be a long, trying lunch. If these first few minutes were any indication of how many times she’d bite her tongue, she was in trouble.
“Personally, I love the combination of black and tan, Anna,” Stephanie said as she shot a warning look at her friend. She might be trying to help Anna feel more at ease, but it was going to take more than a compliment to make Anna feel like she wasn’t trapped in a room filled with prissy debutantes ready to pick her apart.
Stephanie tugged at her arm. “Come with me. I want to introduce you to Fallon and Alexandra, Gabe’s sisters.”
Anna felt worry skitter down her spine. If either of them were half as bad as their grandmother, she might as well jump in front of a firing squad and get it over with. But as soon as she met them, she realized she needn’t have been concerned. They were both bubbly and kind, and she instantly liked them.
Anna had only said a few words to them when Mrs. Dillard announced lunch and led everyone into the dining room. The bridal party was split between two large round tables. Anna was grateful to be seated to Stephanie’s left, until she saw Wilhelmina Radcliffe arrive in time to take the seat on Stephanie’s right.
“Good afternoon, ladies. I apologize for my tardiness, but I had a prior engagement.” Her smile was genuine as she looked around the table at Stephanie’s friends until her gaze fell on Anna. Mrs. Radcliffe’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Why, Miss Nolan, I’m surprised to see you here.”
“I invited her. With Krista’s wedding just a few months after mine—”
Mrs. Radcliffe laid a hand on Stephanie’s shoulder, making her pause. “Your kindness to others never fails to astonish me.” Lifting her chin, Mrs. Radcliffe looked down her nose at Anna. “It’s a…pleasure to see you again, Miss Nolan.”
“Anna, please.” Anna hid her satisfied smile at Mrs. Radcliffe’s obvious displeasure.
The old woman lifted a glass of water to her lips. “How droll,” she murmured.
Anna slowly inhaled, counting backward from one hundred to keep from saying something she’d regret. The conversation rallied around clubs and charity events, subjects Anna had little experience with. She was grateful that, for most of the meal, she was ignored. The few times her input was requested, she was able to nod and fake her way through the conversation. Anna congratulated herself on keeping her temper and surviving unscathed when Mrs. Radcliffe suggested they take their coffee and dessert in the living room.
As the ladies rose with cups in hand, the woman beside Anna roughly bumped her elbow, spilling Anna’s coffee down the front of her dress. “Oh, Anna, I’m so sorry, but you bumped my arm,” she gushed, setting her own cup down. Her words were apologetic, but her tone definitely wasn’t. Wilhelmina Radcliffe’s eyes gleamed with catlike sadism, pleased with Anna’s misfortune.
Stephanie turned with a napkin, trying to dab at the hot coffee soaking through the thin material. “Oh! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Anna muttered, blotting at the dress.
“I’ll have Tessa find you something else to wear,” Stephanie offered.
“I’m sure I’ve left something in one of the rooms,” Alexandra chimed in, looking at her grandmother for confirmation.
“If not, I’m sure one of the maids has something that would suit her while they launder her dress,” Wilhelmina said with mock concern.
Alexandra scowled at her grandmother and one of the ladies gasped in shock but several others laughed quietly at the suggestion. Anna lifted her chin, her pride flaring brightly. She was unwilling to be shamed by the pettiness of these haughty women. She might not be rich, but she deserved as much respect as anyone else in this room.
“Actually, Stephanie, I have to run. I have an appointment this afternoon, and now it looks like I’m going to have to change,” Anna lied before meeting Wilhelmina’s gaze. “I believe it’s rude to be late, regardless of prior engagements.”
Wilhelmina was waving for the maid. “Tessa, please show Miss Nolan out.”
The women followed Wilhelmina out of the room as Stephanie hugged her. “Anna, I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect them to act that way.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been around catty women before. It doesn’t bother me.” Anna gave her a confident smile, even though she wasn’t feeling confident at all. She wondered when it had become so easy for her to lie. Working with the Radcliffes was becoming a nightmare.
Chapter 18
“Anna?” From the office in his sitting room, Gabe caught a glimpse of her running down the back patio stairs, heading toward the garage.
What was she doing here?
Honestly, he didn’t care why she was there, he was just happy to see her. Gabe hurried down the stairs to the exit from the back of the atrium. “Anna,” he called as he stepped outside.
She looked back at him, wiping her face, but not before the sun reflected off her tear-stained cheeks. His heart clenched and he felt his stomach knot at the thought of anyone making her cry. Rage surged within him.
“What happened?”
“Nothing. It was nothing,” she insisted. “Just me being clumsy again,” she amended with a forced smile.
He tipped his head to one side. He didn’t believe her for a second. Glancing back at the house, he saw Mrs. Meyers watching them from the window of the music room, her lips pursed sourly. This had something to do with his grandmother; he’d bet money on it.
“Come on.” Gabe reached for her hand.
“I’m going home, Gabe. I don’t—”
“Fine. Then we’ll get Remington.” He started toward the garage when Anna jerked her hand from his.
“No. Don’t you see?” She threw her hands into the air. “I don’t want a chauffeur taking me home. I don’t want to worry about people looking down their noses at me. I’m going home. I’m tired of trying to measure up to this.” She waved a hand back at the house.
Anger built in her eyes, even as tears beaded. He understood her agonized frustration at being constantly judged. He’d faced it for years in reverse—forced to succeed and live up to the Radcliffe name. It was a facade, all of it, and he’d thrust her into the middle of this social minefield he hated so much.
And he did hate it.
He hadn’t even realized how much until he’d met Anna. She’d awakened him to the reality of freedom outside the demands of his social circles. When he was with her, he forgot about being Gabriel Radcliffe, heir to the Radcliffe fortune, and was simply Gabe. Anna treated him like she did everyone else, especially when she teased him. She made him feel grounded. Around her, it was like he could be more than another Radcliffe in a long line. She made him feel like he could create his own legacy.
Gabe closed the distance between them. He cupped her cheek, wanting to be a rock for her. “I’ll get my car and drive you home.”
“Really?” Her hands slid over his forearms and, for a moment, no one else mattered. “You’d leave to take me?”
“Of course I would.”
Anna narrowed her eyes and doubt flickered in the depths as she glanced back toward the house. “I should probably have Mr. Remington take me.”
“Because the rumors have already started.” Gabe’s shoulders slumped. He knew there would be talk; there always was.
Anna didn’t deny it and avoided meeting his gaze.
“So what?” he said. “I’ll squash them when we get back. Come on.”
Gabe reached for her hand and pulled her into the garage. Hitting his key fob, he started the car before holding her door open. After he jumped in, he revved the engine, letting the rumble fill him with excitement as he watched her laugh nervously.
“You realize this isn’t helping anything, right?”
“Anna, there are always rumors. If it’s not staff, it’s paparazzi. Hell, my second cousin once started one about herself.”
“Doesn’t sound like your life is as great as it seems.” She turned toward the window.
“Trust me, it’s not.”
She looked back at him, surprised by his admission.
“It’s really not.”
“This isn’t the way to my apartment,” she pointed out. “Where are we going?”
“Away from the prying eyes, rumors, and bullshit.”
“Gabe?” A note of warning colored her tone, but he ignored it, pressing his foot down on the pedal. “You’re not going to throw me off the bridge, are you?” she asked.
“Nope, but we’re going somewhere near the bridge.” He smiled at her across the car.
“Not instilling confidence. How do I know you’re not a serial killer?”
Gabe chuckled. “Just going to have to trust me, I guess.”
“Not the answer I was looking for.”
Gabe wove through the afternoon traffic, second-guessing his destination. It wasn’t a place he’d normally take a woman he was interested in, but that was precisely why he wanted to take Anna there. To prove that she was different, that she made him different. Gabe turned into the parking structure.
“The Embarcadero?” she asked, and he could hear the confusion in her voice.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“But why?”
“You’ll see.” Gabe helped her from the car and led her down to the pier, twining his fingers through hers. The movement was completely natural. He remained silent until they reached the end of the pier, where massive ships had docked alongside it. Gabe let go of her hand to grip the metal railing. “I practically lived here when I was a kid. Did you know that my family originally made their fortune in shipping?”
“I didn’t know that.” She moved closer, her shoulder brushing his. Her sweet scent enveloped him, more potent than the salty air that lifted her auburn tresses to kiss her cheeks. Tucking the lock behind her ear, she watched him rather than the scenery.
“Once I was old enough to work with him, this was the only time I ever saw my dad. He taught me the value of hard work and sacrificing in order to get ahead. I never knew the cost until I was grown, when I realized I never knew my father. And the man I know now…” Gabe shook his head, turning to face her. “Now I’m supposed to fall in line and make sacrifices for the family. I’m not sure it’s worth what I’m giving up.”
“You can’t let someone else dictate your decisions, Gabe. You’re the one who’s going to live with your choices.”
Gabe let his gaze glide over her. She was so beautiful. And not the same way Stephanie was. She didn’t need primping to enhance her beauty; it was natural. There was nothing manufactured—Anna’s loveliness simply was. Like the woman herself, she didn’t try to pretend to be something she wasn’t. While most women he knew fought to maintain stick-thin figures, Anna embraced the curves, valleys, and dips of her body that begged to be explored. They were her perfections.
“What is it about you, Anna?” he asked.
She frowned and took a step back.
“How is it possible,” he said, “that someone I met by accident only a few days ago has me reconsidering everything I’ve been raised to believe? You have me thinking about just walking away from it all.”
“I…I didn’t try—” She shook her head.
“I know you didn’t,” he said with a chuckle, reaching for her hand and tugging her into his arms. The moment she touched him his pulse kicked a notch higher. “You’re just you, and that’s what has me so bewildered. My father did everything my family demanded, yet he’s miserable. My sisters and I never even considered challenging my grandmother’s authority. It’s how things are for us.”
Gabe shook his head, recalling how insistent everyone had been that he and Stephanie get engaged immediately.
“You have me second-guessing everything. I now know what I want, Anna.”
He wanted her, plain and simple.
He looked into her eyes, willing her to see the truth there. It wasn’t the best step for his reputation, it wasn’t the prudent step for his social standing, but it was the right step. Anna Nolan had stolen his heart, but in doing so, she’d given him the opportunity to regain his freedom.
Chapter 19
Pre-wedding jitters. That’s what this has to be.
Anna could feel Gabe’s heart pounding beneath her fingers. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, fighting back the desire to take advantage of his moment of weakness. Surely, he didn’t have many. She knew she needed to move away from him. But before she could, Anna felt his lips cover hers.
She gave in, opening beneath him, and it felt so right. Their breath mingled with the cool salty air. Their tongues danced as his fingers burrowed into the tangled mass of her windblown hair. She tried to convince herself that she needed to stop, but her hands clung to his shoulders like the lifeline he’d become to her. Heated longing coursed through her veins, igniting her blood, making her want things that could never be for the two of them. She was a small-town girl scrimping to make ends meet; he was one of the wealthiest men in San Francisco. They were worlds apart. There were too many differences between them. This wasn’t a fairy tale and there would be no happily ever after for them.
Anna pulled away. “Gabe, we can’t.”
His lips found the curve of her jaw, pressing a kiss to the hollow of her throat. Liquid heat nearly melted her resolve, pooling low in her belly. A sigh of desperation fell from her lips as she realized how many people could be hurt. Anna splayed her hands over his chest. “Gabe, I can’t. Stephanie.”
He dropped his forehead to her collarbone and sighed, his breath fanning over her skin, making goose bumps rise. Anna bit back a groan as he pressed a quick kiss to her neck. “There’s a lot you don’t know about Stephanie and me.”
“I know you’re getting married.” Her words were enough to strengthen her resolve. “I need to get home.” Anna moved away from him, but the haunted expression in Gabe’s eyes made her think twice.
He looked like a man on the verge of giving up.
Anna stopped in her tracks, looking shocked. “Wait, what? What happened between you two?”
He smiled at her. How could she not know? “You did.”
“Me?” She paled. “Gabe, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
It was so like Anna to immediately think of others first. He smiled and took a step, closing the distance between them, his fingers brushing her jaw. “You didn’t. You opened my eyes and made me realize I couldn’t go through with something that had been nothing more than a business arrangement.”
He could see her confusion. This wasn’t how most people lived, so she couldn’t comprehend it. He twined his fingers in hers. “Come with me. I’ll explain everything.”
She didn’t move. “Where?”
“We’ll take a drive. I want you to see the real me, not Gabriel Radcliffe of the San Francisco Radcliffes. I want you to see Gabe.”
She bit her lower lip, contemplating, and he worried she might refuse. “Please, Anna.”
“I don’t want to hurt Stephanie,” she said.
“Stephanie and I are just friends. It’s all we’ve ever been, since we were kids. Seriously. This trip was her idea.”
Chapter 20
Gabe turned off the main road and Anna could see the excitement building in him. His face grew animated as he talked to her about the vineyard and winery, explaining how his was one of the only biodynamic vineyards and how he’d spent years cultivating the perfect balance between the various plants, beneficial insects, and animal habitats. But even with his elaborate descriptions, she wasn’t prepared for the beauty laid out before them as he turned into the drive leading up to the main house.
Through the cypress trees and crepe myrtles dotting the side of the road with color, Anna could see rolling hills covered with vines. A sea of green. Men working between the vines shouted and waved, and Gabe returned the greeting enthusiastically, calling each person by name. As they drew closer to the house, she could see the landscaping. It was impeccably well-kept, but seemed like a natural, flowing design of plants, each one specifically chosen to serve a purpose. The house itself wasn’t nearly as large as she’d expected it to be. Nestled behind several black oak trees was a Tuscan-style villa, complete with pond set off to one side and several small ducks milling nearby.
“You have ducks?”
He laughed. “The ducks and geese are wild. But I keep a few chickens near the barn.”
Anna’s brows shot up on her forehead. “Barn? You have a barn?”
He nodded. “We have some cattle, sheep, and a few goats. I even keep a couple of horses, but they belong to my sister Fallon. I can have my livestock manager saddle them up if you want to go on a ride to tour the vineyard.”