Taming McGruff (Book 3, Once Upon A Romance Series) (15 page)

“McGruff,” she whispered, smiling to herself as she fought to keep her eyes open.

Half asleep, she felt herself being picked up and carried. “I’m floating,” she murmured, snuggling into his warm, hard chest.

“That’s what pixies do,” Griff said softly.

She giggled.

He sucked in a sharp breath.

“Wait. Tabby.”

“I already fed her.”

“You’re so sweet. Thank you.”

“For feeding her?” he asked with a smile in his voice as he headed up the stairs. “Or the whipped cream and cherries?”

“That was fun and incredibly sexy.” Her middle tugged at the memory of their intimate playtime when they’d gotten home earlier and afterward when they took a shower together. “But I’m thanking you for today, for putting up with my family. The noise, the people. I know it’s hard for you.”

His gentle kiss on her forehead brought a rush of love to her heart. “Sleep.”

Sighing, Priscilla melted into him. “You make me feel safe and cared for.”

“Because you are.”

She must have drifted off; the next thing she sensed was him lowering her to the bed. The cool sheets made her shiver. “Stay?” she asked as he was pulling away.

When he joined her, she curled into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He tucked her in close to him, pulling the blankets over them.

His strong, steady heartbeat sounded like music to her ears. His scent filled her senses. The shelter of his arms felt like heaven.
I love you, Griffin James
.

***

Her murmured declaration of love shocked him. Griff waited a half hour before he slipped out from under her, gently eased her onto his pillow, and pulled up the covers to her shoulders.

He stared down at her, soundly sleeping. In the back of his mind, he wondered how the hell he’d gotten so lucky when he’d found this little strawberry blonde pixie.

But his gut churned with the knowledge that what he was about to do would change everything between them. Love would turn to hate. He knew that from experience.

Why couldn’t life be simple? Why would clearing his father’s name be the very thing that would destroy her trust in him? Destroy them?

Why did it have to be that no one stayed?

***

The announcement to the employees went well on Monday morning. Caught up in the excitement of another King daughter’s marriage, they fed on the fairy-tale romance aspect. The department managers speculated it would bring in curious customers and additional sales since it had when Charlie and Francie wed their husbands months ago. And Griff did notice some of the more standoffish managers and employees now seemed ready to accept him. They really had little choice. They assumed he was there for the long haul.

“That went better than I expected,” Priscilla murmured, as yet another employee took their picture on their cell phone.

“Too much for you?” Griff asked, holding her tightly against his side. He liked the feel of her close to him, her scent tickling his senses, and the way his blood pulsed whenever she was near. Since meeting his pixie he felt alive.

“Scoot this way, Boss,” Peg ordered, holding a camera. “This one is for the company newsletter. Holy jeepers, we should get all the King daughters and their husbands in a shot to put in the newsletter.”

The flash went off, but Griff pulled away, finished with the photo ops. “Thanks, everyone,” he said, nodding as the managers filed out of the conference room.

Their low murmurs blended together, but he picked up on one. “I would love to be a fly on Mrs. King’s wall when she finds out.”

“Mother,” Priscilla said under her breath. “I forgot to call her.”

Griffin tensed. Should he lie? “I called her Saturday.” He had, but he decided not to mention the face-to-face meeting afterward.

His wife looked up at him, her eyes wide with a mixture of curiosity and fear. “Tell me. What did she say?”

Now that he certainly couldn’t answer with the whole truth. “She was stunned. Angry. At me.”

“Oh, Griff, I’m sorry! You shouldn’t take the brunt of this—”

“I will. So before she tries to discredit me and our marriage, I arranged a small press conference.” Just saying it made his stomach turn. He’d faced those monsters too many times while growing up. Later, he’d limited their access to his retail success, keeping them at bay for the most part. He’d been labeled as difficult and mysterious. It worked. It shut them down.

Peg interrupted, “Ready and out, or is it Roger and Wilco? Whatever it is, Boss, the vultures are outside.”

“Now?” Priscilla turned from Peg and asked Griff.

He nodded. “The sooner the better. We give them the story first, instead of trying to defend something someone else says later.” He’d lived the futility of that.

“I’m going with you,” she said with a firmness in her voice that couldn’t be mistaken.

“You don’t have to.” He wanted to shield her from them. “I’ll make a statement. I won’t answer any questions.”

“They’ll just badger us at another time, right?” she reasoned. “So let’s face them together, answer the way we want to and walk away.”

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently on her lips. He pulled away, staring into her big green eyes, getting lost in them. “Thank you.”

He heard the camera go off. Easing away from his wife, he turned to his assistant. “Peg?”

“Ah, Boss, this is the best one yet. I’m gonna load this on the computer and we’ll release this picture to the press. Ain’t no way they can lie about the feelings you two have for each other now.”

***

A few minutes later, Griffin stiffened at the sight of the large crowd outside King’s. He cursed under his breath.

“I’ve been saying worse for the last half hour,” Bruno said, coming up to Griff’s side.

“I thought you got off two hours ago?”

“Yep, well, I gotta say congrats to my baby girl and you.” Leaning in, he said in a low voice, “You treat her well, ya hear?”

That fierce protection made Griff smile. He was grateful this man would always look out for his pixie. “Bruno, you ready for this?” Griff nodded to the onlookers just outside the building. “You stick by Priscilla’s side and if anything, I mean anything, starts to look bad or starts going wrong, you hustle her inside. Got it?”

“Yes, sir. They’ve got to come through me to get to her.”

“Good answer.”

“What was?” Priscilla asked, coming up as Rico rushed by her side to fluff her hair and pat some powder on her face.

“Bruno’s sticking to you like glue,” Bruno said. “No arguments, baby girl.”

Her smile trembled. Griff’s heart squeezed in his chest. He reached out to take her hand. “You don’t have to go, or stay, if you just want to put in an appearance.”

“I’m going to stand by you and you’ll stand by me. We’re in this together, Griff.”

A ray of admiration beamed through him. If only she knew how much that meant to him.

Benny, the doorman, came up to them. “Mr. Griff, they’re trying to come in. I had to lock the doors.”

“It’s a circus already,” Griff muttered. “Thanks, Benny. We need to get this done and over before it disrupts the store any more than it already has.” Looking to Priscilla, he asked, “Ready?”

Her curt nod gave him his answer. But it was her worried expression that told him of her inner turmoil.

“I’ll protect you,” he whispered to her as they made their way outside.

“Wait,” Charlie called, striding toward them. “I’m coming, too.”

“Me, too,” Francine said, her arm hooked with Charlie’s as the united sisters joined them.

“Well, if you think I’m staying behind, then you’re nutso,” Rico added.

“Holy, moly, look at all these people,” Peg said. “Don’t you worry, Boss, I know a few karate moves. I’ll use them, too, don’t you think I won’t.”

Griff led the way, blocking the others from the instant blur of flashbulbs going off. The bright white lights and constant whirls and clicks sent him hurtling back in time. His middle tightened.

“Gentlemen, ladies, please.” He held up his hand to quiet the growing noise of chatter. Most settled down, but a few dared to shove microphones in his face and ask questions. He ignored them. He waited as Priscilla and the others trickled out behind him. Bruno, a man of his word, stood close to Priscilla.

Once they did join him, Griff became aware of a commotion in the depths of the crowd.

“The troops,” Charlie said. “I called them, Griff, when we decided on the press conference early this morning.”

“Hey, watch it,” someone yelled.

“Outta the way, buster,” Edward said, leading Alex and Marcus. Dolly wasn’t too far behind, hanging onto Eddie’s coattails.

Griffin swallowed hard. When they pushed their way through, he shook the men’s hands and got a fierce hug from Dolly.

“You think we’d just let you swing in the wind by yourself?” Dolly asked. “No, sirree. We’re all in this together. One big happy family.”

A combination of gratitude and guilt swarmed inside Griff. They’d do this for him. But what would he do to them in the end?

Each one lined up alongside of the other, a united front. To Griff, he likened it to his line of defense.

He pulled himself together and faced the press. Priscilla slipped her hand in his and held it tightly. “Thank you all for coming this morning. I’ll give a short statement, answer no more than five questions, and then this press conference will be over.”
Firm. Direct. To the point
. There would be no mistaking this was anything but business.

He didn’t wait for their approval. “Most of you might recognize me. I’m Griffin James. The King family has allowed me to head up their store to revitalize it. I’m grateful for the opportunity and humbled by their trust in me.” It was never more true than at this moment. “I have been faced with many challenges in the retail industry over the years; however, I believe with the King family and King’s employees we will band together, work hard, and far exceed any expectations that we could ever imagine. King’s Department Store will live up to the late Charles King’s dream for this store and for his daughters. The legacy lives on.

“Now, I would like to briefly introduce you to my wife—”

Shocked gasps rent the air. Cameras clicked.

“Priscilla King James,” Griff said, putting his arm around her. He felt her tremble against him. “Yes, she is the youngest stepdaughter to the late Charles King. Yes, she works at King’s, currently as a manager. However, in the near future, she will be utilizing her creativity more and designing. No, we didn’t know each other before I got the job. Yes, it was a whirlwind courtship and wedding. No, I don’t want to own King’s. I refuse any of my wife’s inheritance or monetary gain from marrying a King daughter. I didn’t marry her for her money.”

“That’s an understatement,” Priscilla said, once again not filtering her words.

The reporters in front heard and chuckled. Priscilla’s family and friends joined in.

It eased Griff’s tension. “I am a very lucky man,” he said, “to have found someone as special as Priscilla.” He meant it. “Any questions?”

There were a dozen or more people clamoring to be heard, but Griffin zeroed in on one overzealous reporter. He recognized the woman from the gossip columns she’d written nasty insinuations about Francine and Marcus a few months ago. “Does Mrs. King approve of the marriage? Why isn’t she here today? Is there a feud in the family?”

“Oh, no,” Priscilla said softly.

“I’ll answer,” Griff injected before any of the daughters had to. “No, Mrs. King doesn’t approve; obviously that’s why she’s not here today. She doesn’t know me or what her daughter wants. She doesn’t support any of her daughters. That’s her loss. As far as a feud…” He longed to roast the woman, especially now in the press. For Priscilla’s sake, Griff held back. “No, there’s no feud. Her daughters and their families refuse to engage in such futile actions when it concerns a troubled woman. I hope you give her the privacy she needs to work through the issues that have plagued her for years.”

The woman’s jaw dropped. She closed her mouth, but, thankfully, didn’t have anything else to ask. Maybe he’d stunned her into silence. He hoped so. But, he realized, this one would be the first to interview Mrs. King to get her take on the events.

This wasn’t over by a long shot.

“Don’t tell Griff,” Priscilla ordered Rico.

“Who,
moi
?” He lifted his hand to his pressed lips, turned the invisible key, and then threw it away. “My lips are sealed.”

“Okay, you can come in now,” she said, holding the door open. She swept her arm through the air to show him the newly redone foyer. “Ta-dah!”

“Shut up!” he screamed, holding his hands to his cheeks. “Love, love, love the color! What is it called?”

“I call it ocean aqua blue. I mixed a few colors together to get the shade I wanted. Not girly and not too manly. Somewhere in between.” She beamed with pride at pulling the large space together in just a few days.

“Girl, look at those stairs! O-M-G, you graduated the color from dark to lighter shades going up the risers. Gorg!” He trailed his hand over the table, fluffed the big, white gardenias standing in the crystal vase, and then air touched the candles. Rico gazed around, and then up. “Love the sparkly chandelier. Did you find aquamarine gems to fill in? To die for. D-I-E!”

“Oh, I’m so glad you like it. You’re the first person that’s seen it complete. Do you think Griff will like it? I’m saving it, though. Come see the living room. It’s not done yet, but I had the painters do the same color when they did the foyer.” She was talking a mile a minute, her excitement bubbling over.

“No you didn’t?! Chocolate brown with the ocean aqua blue. I’m in love.” He raced through the large room, going to each wall and then to the next. “Take my picture, quick. I’m going to faint with lust.”

She laughed, clasping her hands over her mouth. “I’m adding touches of tangerine, too. What do you think?”

“Love it.” Rico rushed to her and picked her up, swinging her around. “You did it, girl. You’re a professional designer.”