the grill, but his gaze never left them as they walked away across the lawn.
* * *
“What was that all about?” Natalie said.
“Nothing. I just wanted him to know I wasn’t going to let his family bully you.”
“Oh.” She blushed, embarrassed. So he’d heard what Louise had said. She cleared her throat. “Thank you for helping me out with Belle and Louise. I thought after what happened this morning… Look, I’m sorry.”
Alex made a dismissive gesture. “Let’s start over, shall we?” He held out a hand as they walked. “I’m Alex.”
She took it with a small smile. “Natalie. Enchanted, I’m sure.”
“Well, I certainly hope so. So, Natalie, tell me something. Why didn’t you stand up for yourself back there, especially against your sister?”
“It’s…complicated.”
“Try me.”
She squinted up at him in the afternoon light. “You really want to know all this?” Apparently he did. “Well… Marcus—he’s my ex. We dated for three years and broke up six months ago. He immediately got engaged to Sandra.” She paused and shrugged. “Now they’re married, and she’s pregnant.”
Incredulity mingled with wry curiosity. “You still have a thing for him?”
She let out short laugh. “Uh, no. I guess I wonder what would’ve happened if we’d stayed together. But I’m not crying over him. It’s over, breaking up was the right decision, and I’ve moved on.”
“So what’s wrong with standing up to Belle?”
“What’s wrong is I’m not going to make a scene, especially when there are guests around. It would only make me look silly and make her want to get back at me. It wasn’t the first time she’s tried something like this. I’m used to it. And as for Louise… Well, she’s still my…mother.”
Natalie closed her eyes. It was difficult to get the word out. Even though she’d done her best to win Louise’s approval and affection during the first twenty or so years of her life, she’d never considered Louise her “mother.” More like a woman who tolerated giving her room and board, nothing more. She had a suspicion that if it wouldn’t have made the Halls look bad, Louise would have thrown her into a trash bin herself.
Natalie didn’t want to be morose around Alex. She took his arm and led him away from the other guests. “Can I ask you something?” she said, deliberately making her tone light.
“Hmm?”
“Do you have some kind of white-knight syndrome?”
He quirked an eyebrow.
“You seem very quick and eager to help. Twice in a row.”
Alex stopped and drew her to him. “I happened to see a damsel in distress and merely rose to the occasion.”
“You do that often?” She allowed her body to lean into his a bit. “Rise to the occasion?”
He looked directly into her eyes. “Whenever it’s required.”
She should feel scandalized. After all, this was her parents’ backyard. Instead, she felt nothing but feminine satisfaction that the attraction she felt for him wasn’t one-way. His breath tickled her skin, and she shivered.
“Cold?” he murmured.
She shook her head.
“Mmmmm…”
Alex skimmed her bare arm with his hand. It was an innocent gesture, but the tenderness of it was as intimate as a kiss. Glancing around, Natalie pulled him into the shadows under the deck. Sweet-smelling roses climbed the wooden beams that supported the structure and shielded them from the other guests’ view. Everyone was basking in the sun, and nobody paid attention to the shaded spot.
No wonder you couldn’t hold on to Marcus. Blood will out, and a man of his breeding can tell.
Natalie shut Louise out of her head and drew Alex closer. She could feel his strong heartbeat through his shirt, smell the man and a hint of subtle cologne. There was something about him that conjured up decadence and velvet and silk and sex and thrills and safety all at the same time in her mind. His arms circled around her, effectively caging her.
His head dipped, and his
* * *
“What was that all about?” Natalie said.
“Nothing. I just wanted him to know I wasn’t going to let his family bully you.”
“Oh.” She blushed, embarrassed. So he’d heard what Louise had said. She cleared her throat. “Thank you for helping me out with Belle and Louise. I thought after what happened this morning… Look, I’m sorry.”
Alex made a dismissive gesture. “Let’s start over, shall we?” He held out a hand as they walked. “I’m Alex.”
She took it with a small smile. “Natalie. Enchanted, I’m sure.”
“Well, I certainly hope so. So, Natalie, tell me something. Why didn’t you stand up for yourself back there, especially against your sister?”
“It’s…complicated.”
“Try me.”
She squinted up at him in the afternoon light. “You really want to know all this?” Apparently he did. “Well… Marcus—he’s my ex. We dated for three years and broke up six months ago. He immediately got engaged to Sandra.” She paused and shrugged. “Now they’re married, and she’s pregnant.”
Incredulity mingled with wry curiosity. “You still have a thing for him?”
She let out short laugh. “Uh, no. I guess I wonder what would’ve happened if we’d stayed together. But I’m not crying over him. It’s over, breaking up was the right decision, and I’ve moved on.”
“So what’s wrong with standing up to Belle?”
“What’s wrong is I’m not going to make a scene, especially when there are guests around. It would only make me look silly and make her want to get back at me. It wasn’t the first time she’s tried something like this. I’m used to it. And as for Louise… Well, she’s still my…mother.”
Natalie closed her eyes. It was difficult to get the word out. Even though she’d done her best to win Louise’s approval and affection during the first twenty or so years of her life, she’d never considered Louise her “mother.” More like a woman who tolerated giving her room and board, nothing more. She had a suspicion that if it wouldn’t have made the Halls look bad, Louise would have thrown her into a trash bin herself.
Natalie didn’t want to be morose around Alex. She took his arm and led him away from the other guests. “Can I ask you something?” she said, deliberately making her tone light.
“Hmm?”
“Do you have some kind of white-knight syndrome?”
He quirked an eyebrow.
“You seem very quick and eager to help. Twice in a row.”
Alex stopped and drew her to him. “I happened to see a damsel in distress and merely rose to the occasion.”
“You do that often?” She allowed her body to lean into his a bit. “Rise to the occasion?”
He looked directly into her eyes. “Whenever it’s required.”
She should feel scandalized. After all, this was her parents’ backyard. Instead, she felt nothing but feminine satisfaction that the attraction she felt for him wasn’t one-way. His breath tickled her skin, and she shivered.
“Cold?” he murmured.
She shook her head.
“Mmmmm…”
Alex skimmed her bare arm with his hand. It was an innocent gesture, but the tenderness of it was as intimate as a kiss. Glancing around, Natalie pulled him into the shadows under the deck. Sweet-smelling roses climbed the wooden beams that supported the structure and shielded them from the other guests’ view. Everyone was basking in the sun, and nobody paid attention to the shaded spot.
No wonder you couldn’t hold on to Marcus. Blood will out, and a man of his breeding can tell.
Natalie shut Louise out of her head and drew Alex closer. She could feel his strong heartbeat through his shirt, smell the man and a hint of subtle cologne. There was something about him that conjured up decadence and velvet and silk and sex and thrills and safety all at the same time in her mind. His arms circled around her, effectively caging her.
His head dipped, and his
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