That’show I ended up in a borrowed ball gown two weeks later, my hair twisted into an elegant updo and a nervous flutter in my stomach that hadn’t settled since I’d walked through the doors. The Audubon Tea Room was buzzing, chandeliers casting a warm glow over the elegant guests who glided through the room with champagne glasses in hand, their laughter floating above the music. I took a steadying breath, scanning the crowd, half-expecting Topher to appear any second, his eyes meeting mine across the room, just like I’d pictured a dozen times since I got the invitation.
And then, there he was.
Across the room, looking as polished as ever in a tuxedo. I froze, breath catching, waiting for him to notice me, to give me that look that always seemed like it was meant just for me.
Then, he raised his eyes and caught mine. The air between us seemed to shift, to charge. A spark passed between us. I could feel it.I knew he felt it too.
My heart thudded as he started toward me, his gaze never leaving mine. He moved through the crowd like it wasn't even there, like I was the only person in the room.
When he reached me, he stopped. Just stopped and stared.
"Kathleen," he breathed, his voice barely audible over the music. His eyes traveled over me slowly, taking me in. "You look..." He shook his head, a small, almost disbelieving smile tugging at his lips. "You're absolutely stunning."
Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Thank you," I managed, my voice coming out softer than I intended. I tried not to sound like I was winded fromstanding still.
He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his cologne, feel the warmth radiating from him. "I mean it," he said, his voice dropping lower, more intimate. "I knew you'd be beautiful, but this..." His eyes held mine, something intense and unguarded flickering in their depths. "You took my breath away."
Before I could respond, he leaned in. His lips brushed my cheek, lingering longer than necessary.
The world tilted.
That simple touch sent a rush of sensation through me, like every nerve ending had suddenly come alive. My breath hitched. I felt the shiver run through him too, the way his hand tightened slightly on my arm, the way he went very still.
When he pulled back, his eyes had darkened, that careful control he always maintained suddenly precarious.
"Kathleen," he said again, my name rough on his tongue.
Then his phone buzzed in his pocket. His thumb hovered like he might respond to whatever was buzzing, then dropped without typing. “Sorry.”
I gave him a soft smile. “You couldn’t take one night off?”
“Oh, it’s not work,” he murmured, shooting another glance at the phone. “But it is important.”
My heart sank. What could be so important?
Then the emcee’s voice rang out: “Let’s hear it for Mr. Topher Brodie!”
Topher rolled his eyes. “Here we go.”
“What’s happening?” I asked.
He stepped back, reluctantly. “I may have agreed to auction off a date.”
“A date?”
“For charity,” he added, as if that made this less bizarre.
I stared at him. “You’re being auctioned off?”
“I panicked. My mom signed me up before surgery.” He grimaced. “She said if I survived, I had to do something ‘fun and humiliating.’ Her words.”
“And you’re just... going along with it?”
He looked at me again. “I’d rather be talking to you.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, a cheerful voice boomed over the speakers. The band switched to a lively tune, and the emcee took the stage, tapping the microphone with a mischievous grin. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our charity auction! Tonight, we have a very special item up for bid—a date with one of the most eligible bachelors in the world, the very man who made this entire evening possible: Mr. Topher Brodie!”
Topher’s name echoed through the ballroom, followed by a roar of applause. He winced and took a step back. “Don’t go anywhere,” he said, eyes locked on mine. “Please.”
