Another roguish grin turned her shins to mush but she held her ground. “My background is Russian, but sure.” He turned to the others. “Anise. Bea. Jessica. You all look very nice.”
As Jessica and Bea made small talk with Alex, he listened attentively but his eyes darted toward her at intervals. Star struck, Jessica gushed over Adam Maxwell’s latest movie, while Bea complimented him on the music and décor.
Anise, on the other hand, was silent.
Dana gave her a look but Anise didn’t notice.
Instead, Dana decided to check out their host in greater detail.
Alex was dressed in black trousers and a black shirt. The deep shade made the golden highlights in his hair seem even more brilliant. The beautiful fabric of his shirt caressed the curves of his arms and shoulders. The man obviously took care of himself, although he wasn’t a body builder. His long, lean build was closer to that of a basketball player. His eyes shone, and Dana wasn’t sure if it was the clever lighting or curiosity that made them pop.
As he chatted with the others, his deep voice imprinted itself on her. She loved a man with a cool baritone. People talked about “bedroom eyes.” In her opinion, Alex had a “bedroom voice.” It was the sort of voice a woman wanted to hear first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
Dirty words cried out to be spoken in Alex’s voice.
“Well.” He waved a hand around the room. “What do you think?”
“It’s gorgeous,” said Dana. “I’ve never seen so many celebrities. I feel like I should have had an audition to get in.”
When he laughed, it boomed.
Check. One more thing that attracted her. She loved a hearty laugh.
This was not good. She was sinking like a stone.
“They’re just people, like you and me.”
You and me. Right.
He gestured toward Adam Maxwell. “I’d be happy to introduce you to Adam. He’s a cool guy. We’ve been friends a long time, since he was doing theater in New York.”
The Hollywood star might be the most famous person in the room but even he, with all his celluloid beauty, paled in comparison to Alex. “That’s okay. Maybe later.”
“You look thirsty,” said Alex, grinning. “Let me get you all some drinks.” He held out his hand.
Without once considering the implications or the optics, Dana took it.
This time, Anise gave her a look.
She ignored it.
He led them to the bar. “What can I get you? Champagne? A glass of wine? Or can I suggest one of our signature cocktails?”
“Ooh, I like the sound of a signature cocktail,” said Bea. She turned to Jessica. “What about you?”
Jessica reddened. “Um, just a fizzy water for me, please.”
“Fizzy water?” Bea laughed. “Aren’t you sick of it? It’s all you’ve been drinking. I’m surprised you haven’t floated away.”
When Jessica froze, Dana spoke up for her. “Is it your stomach again? You mentioned it was bothering you earlier.”
“Yeah.” Jessica let out a sigh of relief. “I think I’m just fighting a bug. I’m trying to flush it out.”
No one else said a word about Jessica’s drink preferences. She mouthed a thank you to Dana.
Alex nodded at the bartender, a guy who looked as if he was a soap opera actor in his spare time. Within moments, a Perrier appeared on the bar, next to three identical cocktails that glistened with gold flecks. Alex distributed them to the women. “We call this cocktail Golden Oblivion.”
Oblivion. That sounded good. Dana might have to have a couple.
