But Ruby stayed right where she was, because…nope. She had no desire to hang around while Flynn flirted with someone else. She’d spent enough of the last year as a third wheel to Elle and Theo, and then Megan and Jake. No, thank you. At least she’d realized Flynn was a player before she spent any more time with him.
Then she noticed another woman talking to the blonde, an older woman with dark hair pulled back into a sleek twist and wearing an impeccably styled floor-length black dress. She had to be Flynn’s mother. There was no denying the resemblance between them. Which meant the blonde was probably someone his mom had brought over for him to meet. And, now that she was really paying attention, the look Flynn was giving her was more of a plea.
Hoping like hell she had an accurate read on the situation and wasn’t about to make a fool of herself, she sucked in a deep breath and walked over to them, stopping beside him. “Hi.”
He gave her a grateful smile. “Ruby, this is my mother, Nancy, and that’s Rebecca Creekmore, who’s an old classmate of Theo’s.” He gestured to the blonde before turning toward his mom. “And this is Ruby Keller. She’s a friend of the bride. We met in the gardens a little while ago.”
“How lovely,” Flynn’s mother said, extending a hand in Ruby’s direction, her accent crisp and refined. “A pleasure to meet you, Ruby.”
“Likewise,” Ruby told her with a polite smile. Her hair tickled her shoulders, as unfamiliar as the rest of her evening, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about any of it. Her arrival seemed to have interrupted whatever conversation had been flowing between Flynn, his mom, and Rebecca, who quickly excused herself to rejoin her friends. Flynn’s mother followed soon after, having spotted a business associate she wanted to greet.
“Sorry about that,” Flynn said, eyes twinkling as they locked on hers. “But thanks for saving me from my mother’s latest attempt at matchmaking.”
Ruby’s stomach got tingly and warm, like it had received an electrical surge. “Happy to help.”
“So, would you like to dance?”
“I’d love to.”
He took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. The ballroom in the Langdon estate was ornately decorated with a glittering chandelier suspended above the dance floor, casting everyone in warm, muted light, almost as if they were glowing. Flynn led her to a quiet corner, his hands in hers as they began moving to the beat. The band was playing an up-tempo tune that Ruby wasn’t familiar with.
She wasn’t much of a dancer and was glad Flynn had chosen an out-of-the-way part of the dance floor for them. He moved with the ease of someone who was one-hundred-percent comfortable with himself and his surroundings. He’d probably attended countless events like this one, maybe even other events here at the Langdon estate. Considering that his family were old friends of the Langdons, Flynn probably came from money and social standing.
Occasionally, he took her hand to give her a twirl or guide her in a certain direction as they danced. He’d taken off his tuxedo jacket, and she caught glimpses of his trim, muscular frame beneath his white dress shirt. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, and she wasn’t the only one. She caught other women watching him too, although his attention never strayed from her.
They danced together through several upbeat songs before the music slowed. Flynn took her hand, gently drawing her closer. “This okay?” he asked as his hands drifted to her hips, barely touching her as he waited for her response.
“Mm hmm,” she said, as turned on by the feather-light graze of his fingertips as she was by his manners. At her affirmation, his grip on her waist became more firm. His fingers warmed her skin through the satin of her dress. She rested her hands on his shoulders, settling against him. This close, she could smell his aftershave, something fresh and minty, faint enough not to be annoying, but present enough to make him smell nice. “So, you live in London?” she asked as they swayed to the music.
“I do,” he confirmed.
“And do you have your own place in the city?” She couldn’t quite picture him living in some mansion with his parents, but maybe he did. Rich people did that sometimes, didn’t they?
“Yes.” Humor laced his tone. “My sister Genevieve still lives with our parents, but not for long. She’s getting married in the spring. Hence the reason my mother is so keen to set me up with every available woman who crosses her path.”
She and Flynn spent the next hour or so dancing, and Ruby couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. Maybe it was the atmosphere in the ballroom, where everything seemed to sparkle with money and importance. Maybe it was the way her hair swung loosely over her shoulders, or the promise of the week ahead and her make-it-up-as-she-went adventure. Maybe it was the man in front of her, who made her laugh as much as he filled her with a sizzling kind of attraction she hadn’t felt in years.
All of those things usually made her anxious. The need for carefully planned structure usually got the better of her. She couldn’t even blame tonight’s carefree attitude on too much alcohol. She’d only had a few sips of wine here and there. Tonight, she was drunk on life and the promise of adventure.
Eventually, they made their way toward the bar for a drink. Ruby’s toes and the arches of her feet ached from the heels she was unaccustomed to wearing, a discomfort she would happily endure tonight for the chance to dress up and celebrate her friend’s wedding.
“Ruby!”
She turned to see Elle hurrying toward her, her princess-style wedding dress swirling around her ankles. The tiara on her head was a Langdon family heirloom that Elle herself had helped locate after Theo’s grandfather hid it for “safekeeping” before his death.
Ruby excused herself as Flynn walked ahead to the bar to get their drinks, meeting Elle halfway across the room. “How does it feel wearing that tonight?”
Elle reached up to touch the diamond and pearl crusted piece. “Like I’m living someone else’s life.”
“Well, Mrs. Langdon, you’d better get used to it, because this is your life now.” Ruby gave her friend an impromptu hug. “I’m so happy for you, I could cry.”
“Don’t you dare,” Elle warned. “We spent way too much time on our hair and makeup today to ruin them. Speaking of which, what happened to your hair?”
“It got caught in a rosebush.”
“Ouch,” Elle said. “But I actually really like this. You should wear it down more often. Anyway, the reason I came looking for you is…who’s the guy?”
Ruby glanced over her shoulder at Flynn, who was talking with a couple at the bar. “Flynn Bowen. He’s a friend of Theo’s.”
