Page 66 of Come A Little Closer

As I strode up to them, I schooled my features, intent on remaining calm no matter what she’d been spewing to my brand-new girlfriend. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

My mother spun to face me, a cool, polite smile on her lips as her bright blue eyes met my own. Wearing one of her cream-colored linen suits with the pearls and a sky blue camisole underneath, she was as put together as ever, which was good to see. At least that meant that she wasn’t visiting because something was wrong, but she also didn’t move to hug me or show any sort of affection at all.

“I was just talking to Tallulah here,” she said pleasantly. “I must say, Niall, she’s an incredibly nice employee of yours. Have you met her?”

I groaned. “Yes, Mother. I have. Thank you. You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”

Tallulah’s eyes were wide as they bounced between us, her gaze finally settling on mine after she swept her tongue across her lips. “This is your mother?”

“Gretta Morrison,” Mom said, glancing back at my girlfriend and extending a hand toward her. “I’m sure he rarely speaks of me. If he ever speaks to you at all, that is. I know he’s become known as a somewhat icy tycoon around these parts.”

I scoffed. “What are you talking about?”

She shrugged as she smiled politely at me again. It drove me nuts when she did that and she knew it. “Don’t be offended, Niall. People talk and I’ve heard what they’re saying about you. I would’ve thought you’d know about it yourself. Your father was always plugged into these things. It’s only good business.”

“Yes, Mother,” I gritted out. “Thanks for the tip. I do know what’s being said about me. Again though, I still don’t know what you’re doing here.”

“Oh. Yes.” She smoothed a hand over her hair and motioned vaguely toward the festival with the other. “Catherine Hillfox, Rebecca Weston, and I put together a group of ladies to come see that mansion and the festival you care so much about that you can’t take any time to come see your dear old mother.”

As she said the names, I saw Tallulah’s expression change from the corner of my eye. She blinked rapidly, her face falling as she stumbled back a step or two. Fuck. She knows them.

On the other hand, while my family made our fortune in real estate all along the east coast, the Hillfoxes were national. California was something of a stronghold for them even. The Westons had had one of those intrusive reality shows made about them a few years ago, so everyone knew who they were these days.

While my mother had been right that I rarely mentioned her, I’d definitely never mentioned how connected my family really was to Tallulah. The fact was that to me, all these families were simply people. Since they weren’t even people I still had much contact with, I hadn’t thought it was relevant mentioning them, but all I could do now was hope that this didn’t send Tallulah into another tailspin.

Desperate for a moment alone with her, I forced myself to smile at my mother. “Why don’t you go gather your friends and I’ll arrange an exclusive tour for you?”

“Excellent,” she said, glancing at Tallulah again and wiggling her fingers in a wave. “It was lovely to meet you, darling.”

Tallulah returned the wave as my mother turned and walked away, but she seemed a little dazed, her eyes slightly glassy and unfocused. “Was that really your mother?”

“I’m afraid so,” I said, taking her hand and pulling her aside. “I’m so sorry about whatever she said to you. She’s not always very nice.”

Finally, my girl refocused on me and to my surprise, she didn’t seem very bothered. She even managed a real smile. “Honestly? I liked her. She and I were having a really good chat before you showed up. I believe that she’s not always very nice but she really was nice to me.”

I sighed, threading the fingers of both my hands around hers and looking deep into her eyes. “I’m glad, but she might not be so nice when she finds out we’re in a relationship. Dating outside our circle isn’t something she generally approves of.”

“By ‘your circle,’” she put the words in air quotes, “do you mean Kaitlyn Hillfox and Sarah Weston?”

I groaned, knowing this was crushing her. “I hate that we’re even having this conversation right now, but yes. My mother would love to see me with either of them, but I’m not interested in them and they’ve never been interested in me. It’s going to be okay, Tallulah. I promise. Just enjoy yourself and I’ll talk to her, okay?”

She sighed but nodded, those hazel eyes so much more muted now than they had been before. As I was about to turn and leave, she tightened her grip on my fingers, keeping me in place for a minute longer. “Don’t be too hard on your mom, okay? She really was nice to me, and while it’s not great hearing that she won’t like it that we’re together, we’re okay, Niall. You and I are okay.”

Relief thundered through me as I tugged her to me, slamming my lips down on hers and giving her a kiss that made me want more before I released her to go find my mother. Her being here was the last thing I needed right now, but she’d come anyway and that meant I had to deal with her.

And to make it crystal clear that whatever she and her upper-crust friends were cooking up in relation to me and either one of their daughters, it wasn’t going to happen. I was in love and I would make damn sure they all knew it.

31

TALLULAH

Once upon a time, cut off from the outside world once I got home after school, I used to lock my bedroom door and devour the tabloids I’d snuck into my house. My parents didn’t approve of celebrity gossip or entertainment news, but like all teenagers, I’d had a curiosity about the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Kaitlyn Hillfox as well as Sarah Weston had been a couple of the “it girls” of my generation. Gorgeous, glamorous, and belonging to families so wealthy that the thought of it made my head spin, they’d been a few years older than me.

As old as Niall, apparently.

I remembered envying them for always jetting off to exotic locations, vacationing on yachts and partying with the stars. I also remembered them both always having a different stud on their arms. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought I’d even meet someone who knew them. Let alone someone their mothers wanted them to marry.