Hold Me Closer (Sea Island Brides Book 1) Read online

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015 by Dead River Books

  ISBN: 978-1-62421-039-6

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  Cover Design by Robin Ludwig Design, Inc.

  http://gobookcoverdesign.com/

  Editing Services by Janet Bessey at Dragonfly Editing

  http://dragonflyediting.blogspot.com/

  Formatting by Dead River Books

  http://www.deadriverbooks.com/

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  Chapter One

  When it came to seducing men, Annabelle Day’s white bikini was her secret weapon. It was the kind of string bikini that tied on either side of her hips and left just enough to the imagination to keep it interesting.

  She hadn’t worn it in a few years, and she felt completely ridiculous.

  She carefully adjusted the small triangles covering her breasts, for at least the tenth time. A quick glance at her cell phone told her it was three-fifteen. Hudson Montgomery was late.

  Annabelle bit her lip. Where in the world was he?

  Was he even going to show at all?

  She sighed and looked toward the back door of the sprawling southern mansion. Maybe it was for the best if he didn’t come. She was already feeling way too nervous and silly. Even if he did show up, she wasn’t entirely convinced she’d be able to pull this off.

  But she had to, for her cousin’s sake.

  All she needed was one great picture—the powerful playboy-turned-saint with his arms wrapped around a bikini-clad stranger.

  The media would go wild for a picture like that, which meant Hudson Montgomery would do anything to keep it a secret.

  Annabelle wasn’t sure of the exact details, but there was definitely something going on with the Montgomery family. They were often called “America’s Royal Family”. One of the wealthiest families in the country, they had made billions building upscale hotels across the globe. And it didn’t hurt that Hudson’s grandmother had been a famous actress back in her day. His grandfather had come from nothing, building his hotel business from the ground up out of sheer determination and strength of will.

  The family had been in the media constantly since the sixties. It had only gotten worse with the dawn of social media, the public eye always turned to the five gorgeous and charismatic children of the Montgomery family.

  Hudson and his twin brother Harlan were the worst, always in the tabloids for hooking up with girls or partying too hard.

  But since their father’s death almost a year ago, the Montgomery family had gone completely off the grid. Other than a few charity events here and there, the well of sin had run dry. And the media was desperate for something to break.

  The rumor was that Jackson Montgomery had put some secret stipulation in his will that was keeping his children out of the social scene.

  Annabelle didn’t even really care why the Montgomery kids were on their best behavior. All she cared about was getting one photograph that might indicate Hudson wasn’t entirely the reformed man he appeared to be this past year.

  If the Montgomery’s were avoiding scandal, that’s exactly what she needed to create. She was never going to actually sell the photos. She just needed him to believe that she would.

  She just needed to get his attention.

  A glance across the pool reassured her that her photographer, Mark, was poised and ready to shoot when the time came. Mark was the shy, quiet type, and Annabelle had him wrapped around her little finger. Or at least she hoped she did. When she’d asked for his help, he’d been eager to jump right in and contribute his time.

  She’d agreed to pay him fifty bucks to take the photos, which was the most she could offer at the time. The glint of light reflecting from his camera lens gave away his position whenever he moved, but it was doubtful Hudson would notice anything suspicious.

  Which is where the sexy white bikini came into play. The ultimate distraction. It used to be her favorite choice for a day at the beach. Well, before life got so serious all of a sudden.

  The bikini used to make her feel sexy and confident, but as she tugged at the thin pieces of fabric, she felt silly.

  And nervous.

  What if he took one look at her and told her to get out?

  She’d felt so confident this morning, ready to nail Hudson’s egotistical self to the proverbial wall. But after waiting in the hot sun for more than thirty minutes, she had started to feel deflated and insane.

  Who does this kind of thing?

  She was about to blackmail him, for goodness sake.

  She could get arrested for doing this. Not that Annabelle was blackmailing him for money. What she wanted was far more important than money. This was about payback and justice. This was about refusing to let anyone, no matter how rich, take away her cousin's chance at happiness.

  The butterflies in her stomach started doing cartwheels.

  As far as Hudson was concerned, Annabelle was there to do a casual piece on the Montgomery family estate for Southern Style Magazine. When she called him a few weeks ago, she told him to meet her by the pool and to wear something casual for the photographs. She’d told him they would keep the entire piece classy and relatable.

  He had no idea she was nothing more than an intern at Southern Style, and that no one would have dared to give her an assignment this important after only half a summer on the job.

  Just as she reached to readjust the ties around her neck, she heard the back door of the mansion swing open. Her stomach knotted, and she squinted toward the back porch, anxious to see if it was really him this time.

  When he finally walked through the screen door, Annabelle’s breath caught in her throat.

  She’d seen his picture in magazines and newspapers since she was a little girl. Who hadn’t? And yet, she hadn’t been at all prepared for the way he made her feel when he stepped out of that door. She felt his presence deep down in her core, something secret igniting below her belly button.

  His shoulders were broad and his arms had just the right amount of muscle, the polo he wore stretched across his strong chest, clinging to all the right places.

  He was just slightly tanned—enough to make his skin have a healthy glow, his bright blue eyes sparked as he stepped into the sun.

  They darkened the moment he laid eyes on her.

  “I’m sorry, I was supposed to be meeting Ms. Day?” Hudson asked, one eyebrow raised questioningly as he closed the space between them.

  A sharp sense of awareness rippled through her as his blue-green eyes surveyed her from head to toe. She had no idea if he liked what he saw or not.

  “Please. Call me Annabelle,” she said, sitting up slightly and pulling her large sunglasses down on her nose. She prayed he wouldn’t notice just how much her hands were trembling. Her stomach somersaulted and she swallowed it down like medicine. “Thank you so much for meeting me, Mr. Montgomery.”

  “I’m confused,” he said, looking around at the empty pool. “I thought we were meeting for a professional interview. I wasn’t expecting you to be dressed so, ah, casually.”

  Annabelle reclined against her elbows. She tried to push her chest forward provocatively, but she only halfway performed the move and ended up feeling even d
umber than before. Crap. She was totally going to blow this.

  She cleared her throat. “You were late, Mr. Montgomery,” she said. “I decided to make myself comfortable in case you didn’t bother showing up for our meeting. I can get dressed if you’d like?”

  “Not at all,” he said, his eyes dipping to her cleavage. He blinked and shook his head. “I mean, yes, of course. Get dressed and we can continue this inside, perhaps.”

  As southern accents go, Hudson’s was perfection. Words rolled off his tongue like honey, and Annabelle was drawn to his charm. Annoyingly so. How could someone so charming be such a snake?

  “I was thinking we could do our interview out here.” She gestured toward the pool. Thinking about what he’d done to Julia gave her just a hint of confidence. She had to pull this off. Just a few more minutes and she could get the hell out of here and be one step closer to the truth. She forced her best smile. “You could always put your swimsuit on and join me.”

  He studied her, a small smile teasing the corners of his lips. He seemed to actually be considering it for a moment.

  But just as quickly as the smile had come, it disappeared. His eyes darkened and he cleared his throat.

  “As tempting as that sounds, Ms. Day, I’m afraid I will have to leave soon to head to Savannah for another meeting,” he said, motioning to the back door. “Why don’t you get dressed and join me inside?”

  Annabelle clenched her teeth and felt tears sting her eyes. This wasn’t going at all like she’d planned. If they went inside, it would be impossible for Mark to get any good photographs.

  She needed to either abandon the idea all together, or give it one hundred percent. Who cared if she made a fool of herself in front of this careless, insensitive jerk?

  She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to ignore the constant flutter in her tummy.

  “Wait,” she called out, standing. The towel she’d had slightly draped over her legs fell to the tile around the pool’s edge and she jogged toward him.

  His eyes dipped to her chest again, and she blushed, readjusting the straps to make sure nothing had, uh, come loose.

  She took a deep breath and placed her hand gently on his arm.

  “How much time do you have, exactly?” she asked. She walked her fingers up his arm and touched his chest. God, she wasn’t supposed to care, but he had some seriously defined muscles hiding under there. “I was thinking we could get to know each other better.”

  She was standing so close to him now, she could smell the spicy scent of his cologne. Her heart was beating wildly against her ribcage and she felt the sudden desire to press herself against him.

  This was ridiculous.

  What was happening to her? It was like being near him was melting her brain or something.

  Stay focused on the goal here, she reminded herself. This is about Julia, not me.

  Hudson looked down into her eyes and for a brief moment, she thought she saw the same bewildered desire reflected there. But as she leaned closer to him, almost unable to control herself, something inside him must have snapped.

  He grabbed her wrist so hard, it actually pinched a little. Or maybe it was her ego that ached.

  “Ms. Day, I’m not sure what you’re trying to pull here, but I assure you I’m not interested in what you seem to be offering,” he said, his honeyed voice suddenly turned to stone. “You have approximately five minutes to get off my property before I have you escorted off.”

  His words stung. She wrenched her arm away from him and straightened her shoulders.

  “I’m not trying to pull anything,” she said, matching his harsh tone of voice. “I was simply trying to get to know you better, but I guess everyone was right about you. There’s nothing more I really need to know.”

  She pushed past him, her eyes watering so much now she could hardly see where she was stepping.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” he asked, his footsteps closing in on her from behind.

  She twirled around, everything she’d been wanting to say to him for weeks right there behind her closed lips. She narrowed her eyes at him.

  “You don’t want to know,” she said, turning around again and heading for the door.

  He didn’t deserve her time. And if this was the way the Montgomery family really was, up close and personal, maybe her cousin Julia was better off, anyway.

  If Annabelle was smart, she’d get the hell off this property and never look back. Hudson Montgomery was every bit the asshole she’d believed him to be, and the last thing Julia needed was to be—

  Annabelle didn’t finish her thought before a strong, warm hand closed around her bicep.

  “Wait,” Hudson said again. He pulled her back toward him, but as she turned, her foot slipped on a wet tile and she lost her balance.

  Annabelle began to fall, her arms frantically reaching out for something to hold onto. She imagined the cold water against her flesh, a scream just starting in the back of her throat.

  Then, like a miracle, she felt Hudson’s strong arms loop around her waist, pulling her against his body. Surprised, Annabelle gasped and opened her eyes as his arms continued to circle her waist, their bodies pressed together. Her face was tantalizingly close to his, and she felt the full length of his hard body against hers.

  She could hardly catch her breath, her eyes locked onto his and her heart pumping violently in her chest.

  They stood together for what seemed like an eternity, Annabelle unaware of the heat of the day or the sun beating down on her skin. All thoughts of Julia and blackmail were wiped from her mind as she stared into Hudson’s blue-green eyes, her breath uneven, her heartbeat racing. She could no longer hear the crash of the waves against the nearby shore. All she knew was the smell of his cologne and the way it felt to be in his arms.

  “What did you mean by everyone being right about me?” he asked, his breath smelling lightly of apples and champagne.

  She searched his eyes, wondering at what point he had been able to turn her knees into jello.

  “Nothing,” she said, breathless. She honestly couldn’t remember. She wasn’t sure she’d have been able to remember her own name if he’d asked.

  Hudson lowered his gaze to her slightly parted lips and something flashed in them that made her breath catch. She leaned into him, her fingers digging into his shoulders even though she’d regained her balance minutes ago. Hudson met her halfway, his mouth dipping toward hers. Her eyes closed, and she pushed up onto her toes as his lips touched hers.

  Warmth spread through her entire body from head to toe, a wildfire of emotion and need blossoming downward. Her hands rose to his neck and she urged him closer as they kissed.

  She’d completely forgotten the photographer hiding just a few feet away in the bushes.

  Hudson released Annabelle from their embrace and cursed. What on earth had gotten into him? Instinct kicked in the moment he saw her falling. He couldn’t help but reach for her.

  But did he have to kiss her?

  Even worse, all he wanted to do was kiss her again. There was nothing that could have prepared him for the rush of adrenaline once she was in his arms. Damn, had he really been out of the game so long that one simple kiss could make him feel like he could barely remember his own name?

  Holding Annabelle had stirred up some primal urges he’d almost forgotten he had. If it wasn’t for the upcoming merger and the promise he’d made to his family, he might have taken her up to his bedroom right then and there.

  Now is not the time to be playing with fire. Especially not with a reporter.

  He cursed again and ran one hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Ms. Day. That won’t happen again.”

  “Sorry?” Annabelle said, her voice breathless and incredibly sexy as she panted for air. “I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

  “Are you alright?” She was shivering. Whether from fear or surprise, he wasn’t sure. Forcing his eyes away from her mostly bare body was difficult, but he
had to get himself under control before he did something else he might regret. He grabbed a towel from the nearby stack and handed it to her. “Here, please take this.”

  Annabelle wrapped the towel around her shivering body and looked up into his eyes. There was something in her gaze he didn’t quite understand. She seemed apologetic, as if the kiss had been her fault. She looked so damned innocent and beautiful.

  Hudson fought the overwhelming urge to pull her back into his arms and seize her mouth with his own.

  “I’m fine,” she said, her voice trembling.

  “Everything okay over here?” A voice tore him away from his thoughts and he looked toward the beach to see a redheaded young man in jeans shorts and a t-shirt coming their way. Hudson’s jaw tensed when he saw the camera hanging from the strap around the kid’s neck.

  “You must be Ms. Day's photographer?” Hudson extended his hand. The kid smirked and finally reached for Hudson’s hand.

  The sudden presence of a photographer made him acutely aware of the lingering warmth on his lips. What if this guy had gotten a picture of that kiss? A relationship scandal would be a disaster right now for his family.

  “My name's Mark,” the kid said, chewing gum and flashing an awkward smile toward Annabelle. Hudson didn’t like the way the kid’s eyes roamed over her body. “Sorry I'm late, was just snapping a few shots of the house and beach and lost track of time.”

  Hudson didn't trust this kid for some reason, and it left him feeling uneasy and anxious to get away.

  What kind of interview was this, anyway?

  “I’m afraid I have to get going,” he said. “Sorry our time was cut short, but feel free to stay and take as many pictures of the house as you need. Mildred will show you out when you’re finished.”

  He nodded toward Annabelle, his eyes lingering on hers for a moment too long.

  Something felt unfinished between them. There were secrets hiding behind those deep brown eyes of hers, and part of him wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms again and spend some time exploring that hidden side of her.