Using Hunter’s hand, I follow him out of the backseat. I’m blinded by the numerous cameras snapping pictures of us. I almost miss Hollis Calder and his team surrounding the limo.
No wonder people wear sunglasses on the red carpet.
Hunter places my hand in the crook of his arm and guides me forward. Rory and Luke follow closely behind us.
“Reed, who’s your new girlfriend?”
“Bishop, look this way!”
“Ellis, smile over here!”
The cries of attention are endless. Thankfully, Hunter never stops. He keeps moving forward until we’re inside the building.
I finally take a deep breath, hoping the worst of it is over. “Please tell me there isn’t going to be any dancing.”
“I don’t want to lie to you, Heartbreaker,” Hunter says with humor in his tone.
I lightly pinch his arm in scolding. “You’re supposed to make me feel better, not add to the fear.”
Hunter stops, and Rory and Luke stop as well. Hunter turns me toward him and cups the sides of my neck. “You’re stronger than that. You don’t need me. Chin up.” He nods at me, then comments, “Besides, I know you like to dance when you go to clubs. You’ll be fine here.” As quickly as we stopped, Hunter has us all moving again.
“Being able to drop to the floor is a far cry from the waltz,” I grumble.
It’s a good thing I was able to breathe a second ago because the wind gets knocked out of my lungs as we enter the ballroom through an extravagant floral archway. Silver, with touches of white and baby blue, fills the room. White roses and hydrangeas, crystal candelabras, mirror accents, silk fabrics, and silver finishings cover the entire space. Everyone in the room is dressed to impress. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many diamonds and luxury watches in my life. Even the wait staff look prim and proper in their matching attire as they work their way through the crowd with trays of champagne and hors d’oeuvres.
“Wow,” I breathe. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah,” Hunter responds, matching my tone.
I feel Hunter’s gaze on the side of my face. When I turn to him, his eyes make my heart jump. I’d melt into a puddle right here if I weren’t holding on to him.
Luke clears his throat. “Coventry. Two o’clock.”
“Shit,” Rory curses softly. “Double shit. He sees us.” I feel a hand on my back, urging me to walk to the left. “Abort mission. Abort mission.”
My eyes scan the crowd, trying to figure out who this Coventry person is. Instead, I spot someone else. “I thought Hollis and his team were going to be discreet.”
“They are being discreet,” Luke comments from behind me.
“Then they need to work on their camouflage.” But as soon as the words are out of my mouth, all three of the men disappear, blending in perfectly. “Never mind.”
“We only hire the best,” Hunter says plainly.
I look up at him with my brows knit together. “But you hired me.”
Hunter nods. “I know.”
We make the rounds, interacting with various philanthropists and executives. Most dismiss me as brainless arm candy, but Hunter is quick to work me into the conversation. One CEO offered me a job when Luke told him about some of the software I had written. And when the man’s eyes dipped to my chest, I excused us quickly, afraid all three of my men were going to massacre the CEO.
A woman speaks into the microphone at the front of the ballroom, announcing the dancing portion of the evening, and a small string quartet begins playing. I try to make my way to the side of the room, but Rory steps in my way.
“May I have this dance?” When he notices the hesitation on my face, he reassures me, “I got you, Dream Girl. I won’t let you trip or fall.”
A small smile tugs at my lips. “Okay.”
Rory leads me to the center of the room, where other couples have started to dance. He places my left hand on his right shoulder, takes my right hand in his and holds it to the side, and moves his other hand to the small of my back. The skin to skin touch sends a shiver up my spine.
He takes a step to the side, and I follow his lead. Pretty soon, we’re dancing, swaying side to side, and I glance down at our feet, amazed that I haven’t crushed his toes.
