“Anthony just texted to see if you were ready to go,” Lucy said as she came into the bedroom where Kiara had been getting ready.
“Yes. I think so,” she said, sitting down on one of the chairs in order to put her heels on without falling over.
She had thought she’d stay at Julian’s apartment when she came, but she’d ended up in a suite at the same hotel where the fundraising gala was being held. Lucy had the other room in her suite, while Julian and Anthony had their own suite. Cole, Annie, Duncan, and Elizabeth were also staying at the hotel.
Benji, Angie, and Jude had stayed behind at the estate, and for a moment, Kiara wished that she had too. This event was way out of her comfort zone, but she’d allowed the seed of hope in her heart to propel her to accept Julian’s invitation.
She carefully got to her feet and took a few steps in the shoes to make sure she was okay. She’d tried them on earlier and had been able to walk in them, but with the dress on now, she wanted to make sure she didn’t trip on the hem.
“You look beautiful,” Lucy said.
“Thank you.” Kiara looked over at her bodyguard. “Is that the uniform for the security people?”
“Yep.” Lucy glanced down at the black pantsuit she wore. “And honestly, I’m happy to be wearing this instead of that.”
Kiara laughed. “You are probably more comfortable, but I think I should be able to deal with this for a few hours. I doubt I’ll be closing down the event.”
They left her room and went into the living room area of the suite to wait for Julian and Anthony. The baby kicked her as she sat down in one of the armchairs, and she gently rubbed the spot. His kicks had become much more pronounced as she entered her third trimester.
So far, Julian hadn’t asked to feel the kicks, but Angie and Annie had both gotten excited the first time they’d each felt the baby kick.
When there was a light rap at the door, Lucy went to open it. Julian walked in first, followed by Anthony, who was dressed similarly to Lucy.
Julian looked like he’d just stepped off the cover of a luxury menswear catalog. His charcoal gray tuxedo was impeccably well-fitted. The jacket was open, revealing the vest he wore beneath it. His shirt was stark white, and his bowtie was dark gray. The only color in his outfit was the crisp pocket square peeking from the breast pocket, which was the same shade as her dress. His black shoes were shined to a high gloss, and his hair was styled precisely.
Julian looked perfectly at ease in the formalwear, like he wore it every day, not just for special occasions.
When he spotted her, he gave her a small smile. “You look nice.”
Nice.An ache pulsed in her heart momentarily. She supposed it was too much to hope that he thought she looked beautiful.
However, rather than let him see her hurt, she smiled back and said, “Thank you. You look very dashing yourself.”
“Thanks.” He smoothed a hand down his vest. “We should probably get going so I don’t get any more texts from Duncan asking where we are.”
Kiara got to her feet, then picked up the small clutch she’d been given to match her dress. She hadn’t been sure what to put in it, so all it held was her phone, her room key, and some tissues.
Lucy led the way out of the suite, followed by Kiara and Julian, and Anthony brought up the rear. As they headed down the hallway, Julian’s phone chimed, and he pulled it out of his pocket.
"Duncan,” he murmured, then tapped out a message as they headed for the elevator. “I hope he’s hassling Cole and Annie as much.”
They were the only ones in the elevator, and it rapidly descended with no stops. As the doors slid open, Julian returned his phone to the pocket inside his suit coat, then offered her his arm. After a brief hesitation, Kiara slid her hand around his elbow, glad that she’d gotten her nails done before she’d left Serenity.
The four of them made their way down a long hallway before coming to large doors leading into the ballroom where the dinner was taking place.
Inside, the ballroom was overwhelming by every measure. The soaring ceilings had lengths of gauzy fabric draped throughout the room in shades of autumn to reflect the changing season. The floor to ceiling windows gave a stunning view of the New York skyline since the ballroom was on the thirty-fourthfloor. Her suite was on the fiftieth, and it too had amazing views of the city.
The decor was a mix of orange, yellow, brown, burgundy, and gold. So much gold. Even the silverware on the tables was gold. There were floral centerpieces that contained flowers that were unknown to Kiara. Everywhere, there were sparkles and warm lights.
Kiara was well and truly out of her league, and it took all of her strength to stay relaxed when all she wanted to do was clutch Julian’s arm more tightly so he wouldn’t leave her side.
Unfortunately, Julian was carrying a tension of his own. He seemed distracted, and they’d barely spoken at all since she arrived. It was another thing that had her questioning if she should have come.
“Hello, you two,” Elizabeth said as she and Duncan approached them, a vision of elegance.
The dress she wore was a deep emerald green and looked stunning with her coloring. Duncan was at her side wearing a black tuxedo with a pocket square that matched his wife’s dress.
“You look beautiful, Kiara,” Duncan said with a warm smile.
