“Why didn’t you tell us?” Edwin Madeau said.
Gregory raised an eyebrow at him. “Because I shouldn’t have to. This is myprivate life.I have every right to love whom I will, court whom I will, and tell the world whenmy girlfriend and Iare good and ready. Not you. And if Robert had not decided to call this inappropriate meeting earlier on than I intended atmyparty, you might have found yourself introduced to her as I intended.”
Silence. The board looked amongst each other, a dozen men who had begun to realize that Robert had overstepped his boundaries, and that perhaps he didn’t know as much as he thought he did.
Robert stared with undisguised shock and dismay at the couple. His next words cost him, and tasted terrible by the look on his face. “I’m sorry, Gregory. You’re right. I got ahead of myself. I guess I just thought we were so close, you would tell me anything this important.”
Gregory’s smile had edges. “I have always considered us close, Robert. But I don’t tell you everything any more than you tellmeeverything.”
Robert flinched, and Gregory knew he had scored a blow.I know you’re up to something, Robert Lane. Do not cross me. I refuse to be your sacrificial lamb.
* * *
The meeting adjourned soonafter Hanna’s arrival. Perhaps the men had remembered they’d left wives to themselves in the parlor, but Gregory decided they needed to retreat and assimilate this new information he’d dropped on them. So did he, for that matter.
Taking Hanna aside for an intimate conversation seemed only natural, since all the others fled to their wives’ sides. Gregory set his hand on Hanna’s arm as the others filed back into the parlor so she would remain. Once they had privacy, she said, “I’m so sorry about the surprise.”
“I’m not,” he assured her, and rested his hands on her bare upper arms. “I am possibly the opposite of sorry, though I’m definitely surprised. And confused. But grateful.”
“Be grateful to Vivian,” Hanna said, a blush pinking her cheeks. “She saw the party was going awry and came straight to my room to get me. This was her idea, though I was more than happy to help out how I could.”
“I’m going to be grateful toyoufor diving into this mess,” Gregory said. He rubbed the pads of his thumbs over the soft skin of her arms. Goosebumps sprung up over her skin. “This is far beyond your job description. Or the bounds of friendship, for that matter. You’re a lifesaver. I just hope you know what you’re getting into.”
She reached up to touch his face with her fingertips. Now, he had goosebumps. “I don’t. But I can’t wait to find out.”
He couldn’t help but tilt his face towards her touch. “God, there is no one like you,” he murmured. “You are beautiful in ways I didn’t realize existed. And just now? You swanned in wearing your confidence and this incredible dress, and I lost the ability to think. Or speak. Which was fine, because you did the talking. You even knew who Edwin was.”
“Your grandmother briefed me. I got a crash course in your board of directors and their wives,” she admitted. “We wanted it to look like you’d told me all about them.”
“It was perfect.Youare perfect.” Overcome by a depth of emotion he didn’t realize he felt for her, he pulled her towards him, nestling her against his chest as he rested his face against her hair. “Is it wrong of me to hope that what you said is true? That you are my girlfriend. That we can work through everything that is to come and find a way to be together? I want so badly to be with you. But I’m afraid to say so, because I don’t want to lose what we have already.”
Her breath caught. He felt her tense, tremble, and he feared he had said the wrong thing. Then she said, in a small, vulnerable voice, “I hoped the same thing. I just didn’t want to come off wrong. Or risk what I have with you now. It seems ridiculous to admit that when I put this dress on, when I walked into the room with the board and said I was your girlfriend, that I pretended it was true so I could experience it just once in case you never agreed with it.”
“It’s true,” he murmured, holding her tighter. “Every word of it is true. I’m only sorry you’ve had to dive into the deep end of what it means to be with me.”
“I’m not.” She pulled away so she could look up at him. “I will never be sorry for any time I spend with you. Even dealing with entitled, bigoted asses who should be clubbed with your ice sculpture.”
“I was thinking a wine bucket over their heads, then whacking it with a candlestick,” Gregory said.
Hanna laughed, and his heart sang. “I could go for that. Shall we go find some wine buckets and candlesticks?”
“You say the most appealing things.” He looked down into her eyes, and found her face tilted up, close to his. She’d colored her lips with a rich, dark crimson, and while he found them alluring at any time, tonight, they were outright irresistible.
It had little to do with the color, and everything to do with the look in her eyes, the warmth of her against him. He leaned down, felt her breath against his cheek–
“Mister Pierce?” said one of the staff. “I’m so sorry, but the string ensemble has set up in the great room and wants to know if you’re ready for them to start playing.”
Gregory closed his eyes. “I am. Thank you very much for checking with me.”
“Of course. Sorry for the interruption.”
Hanna laughed again as the poor messenger beat a hasty retreat. “Let’s go find those wine buckets. Before someone else needs something from you.”
“Before I commit homicide, you mean,” Gregory said, and joined into the laughter. He did have guests who waited for him to make a grand reappearance so they could enjoy the catering and music. All of them had family to miss them if he buried them in his garden with wine buckets affixed to their heads after they interrupted another kiss.
“Yes. That.” She hooked her hand around his arm. “Why don’t we go out there and introduce your new girlfriend?”
Just like that, he couldn’t wait to emerge from the sitting room to face the waiting crowd. “I’d like that. Are you ready to face the thousand questions they must have for you? They’re not going to be as polite as we’d want.”