“No way,” Ramona said, hurrying to keep up with me as I started in Aiden’s direction.
“Seriously.” And I stopped to look at her so she’d know just how serious I was. Ramona held up her hands in surrender and fell back, although she didn’t hide the disappointment on her face.
Satisfied that she’d stay put, I moved forward, weaving between small clusters of guests, keeping my eye on him the whole time. I felt warm all over—from the champagne, of course—but managed to will my racing pulse into submission despite the fact.
Everything else faded. The laughter, the clinking glasses, the egotistical posturing of collectors, Troy fluttering around like a social butterfly, even Ramona’s running commentary receded to the edges. He walked in, quiet, efficient, scanning, and I had a moment to watch him without him noticing me.
I counted the steps in the way my body measured space as I navigated the floor, approaching him without tripping over anyone. Every surface kept me aware of my own presence and how I had it angled in his direction.
“I didn’t think you were coming,” I said as I came up to him.
His face broke into a smile that was both surprised and relieved. “I wouldn’t have missed it. Never been invited to anything this fancy before. I even skipped a team appearance to be here.”
I snorted. “You love being invisible, so don’t pretend it was a hard choice to make. Something tells me you were gonna skip that appearance whether I invited you here or not.”
He shrugged, eyes glinting. “Guilty.”
“On a different note: You clean up kind of okay. Almost didn’t recognize you.”
“And you look… out of place,” he replied, the warmth from his body brushing mine.
He was trying to be cocky, but I noticed the way his gaze snagged on the scooped neckline of my dress for an inappropriate number of seconds.
“Always such a charmer.”
He laughed then, a gesture that softened the blue steel of his eyes. “So, where’s the famous piece?”
I turned and began leading him to the back of the room. My pulse jumped when I spotted Ramona across the floor, tracing our path with exaggerated gestures and hands that clearly had no place in polite society. I shot daggers at her with my eyes, and she quickly stopped.
Aiden followed close behind, and then his hand suddenly brushed against my arm, floating down. I stopped, turning slowly as his fingers closed around my wrist. His eyes were fixed on my back, not me. The low cut of my dress had revealed a sliver of skin, and part of the ink that wrapped across my ribs.
“So you do have a tattoo,” he said, voice low enough that I couldn’t ignore it.
I tugged at the fabric, trying to cover it. Useless. He’d seen it, and he looked smug in that infuriating way, like he’d discovered a secret he was already enjoying.
“I have more,” I said, keeping my tone casual. “You won’t get access, though, so you can wipe that stupid grin off your face.”
He chuckled, still pleased with himself, and let his hand fall back to his side. I pretended that smallest of losses didn’t affect me, and led him down the aisle toward my work. I kept one eye on the drawing and another on him, making sure he didn’t get too comfortable with the sight of me in anything other than full control.
The piece was mounted on the wall, a frame of charcoal and shadow capturing Ramona’s intensity. Aiden’s gaze traveled from the name card to the portrait, and I felt myself hold my breath, curious for his reaction.
“Looks just like her,” he said after a moment.
The real Ramona suddenly appeared out of nowhere, making both Aiden and me startle. “There’s only one person with the talent to capture my intensity.”
“And you repay her by inducing cardiac arrest?” Aiden clutched his heart, a breathless smile threatening to expose him.
Ramona folded her arms across her chest, and narrowed her eyes. “I thought I recognized you from the bar the other night.”
“Your band was great, by the way,” he replied. “Killer vocals.”
Ramona bowed her head graciously. “Why, thank you, kind sir.”
“Didn’t you say you were looking for Troy?” My other, totally unspoken, message was issued with nothing more than a pointed look.
A look Ramona completely ignored. “No, but if you want him, he’s over there.”
“Go to him, then. Now,” I said, sharper this time.
