Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Butterflies frantically took wing in my stomach as we entered the ballroom of the opulent hotel. It was truly beautiful with vaulted ceilings, marble flooring, sparkling chandeliers, and intricate crown molding on the walls.

Thick, scarlet drapes framed the pretty French windows. A spiral staircase led to a second level, where I could just make out a few tables and chairs. I wondered if that was where they’d be holding the gala’s dinner and auction.

Muted laughter and the murmur of voices flowed throughout the space. A lone male played soft, classical music on a grand piano. White-gloved waiters meandered through the ballroom, offering canapés and flutes of champagne to the many guests—all of whom were dressed in tuxedos or gowns, much like Dane and I were.

My floor-length, ruby red chiffon gown was gorgeous. Dane had tried giving me money to buy one, but I’d point-blank refused and lied that I already had one. In truth, I hadn’t wanted to take any cash from him to buy clothes. It would have felt weird.

I’d originally intended to pin my hair up into an elaborate do, as many of the other female guests had done. Dane had asked me to wear it down. When I’d asked why, he’d merely replied, “Because I like it down.” To be honest, I’d still had every intention of pinning it up, but I’d been running late so I hadn’t had time.

My hand flexed around my satin clutch. “There’s a whole lot of people here.” I spotted several of Dane’s business associates. There were also a few celebrities, including an English model, Jaxxon Carter, and her race-driver husband, Connor McKenzie.

Most of the attendees stood around in clusters, deep in conversation. Others breezed around the room, admiring the décor. The event organizers had used a beautiful combination of gold, silver, white, and copper tones that worked well in the large space. There were also floral arrangements here, there, and everywhere.

Dane grabbed two champagne flutes from a passing waiter and gave one to me. “Here.”

“Thank you.” I sipped at the bubbly liquid. “Are your brothers and their wives here yet?”

“Not that I’ve noticed.” He curled an arm around my waist and cupped my hip, making my pulse jump. Jesus, he smelled good. His signature cologne was sensual, mysterious, and powerfully masculine. It made me want to lick him all up.

“Stay close to me,” he added.

I took a steadying sip of my drink. “Will do.”

I wasn’t entirely sure why I was so nervous. It was just a fundraising gala ball, for heaven’s sake. But, to be fair, I was under a lot of pressure tonight. Our fake dates were easier when we were seemingly exercising subtlety. My job this evening was to convince people I was enamored with Dane, but I had to be careful to not overdo it. And I’d need to stop my body from going into meltdown after a night of him touching me more openly than normal—which would be easier said than done.

If I couldn’t get through this gala without losing my nerves, I’d never get through my upcoming, fake wedding. Just thinking of it made my stomach roll.

Reaching for humor to lighten my mood, I joked, “So, should I call you babycakes from now on or something?”

Dane gave me a droll look. “No.”

“Shnookums? Dear one? Sugar lips? Light of my life? Ooh, I know—big daddy.”

He sighed and shook his head, but his eyes were dancing. “Only you, Vienna. Only you.” He guided me across the room to a group of people I didn’t recognize.

One beamed at him. “Ah, Dane.”

My fake date nodded. “Cliff.”

Cliff’s eyes drifted to me, gleaming with speculation. “And who is this beautiful guest of yours?”

“This is my Vienna,” said Dane, his voice loaded with possession. And, yep, several sets of eyebrows lifted high.

Cliff blinked. “Your Vienna? Like that, is it?”

“Wouldn’t you claim such a stunning creature if you could?”

Cliff grinned. “Oh, I sure would.”

Dane looked down at me, one corner of his mouth kicking up into a warm, sexy smile that made me tingle in all the best places.

After the group asked us a few questions, such as how we met and how long we’d been dating, the conversation switched to business. No surprise there. A lot of networking went on at such events. But as that wasn’t Dane’s main purpose tonight, it wasn’t long before he moved us on.

Over the next half hour, we walked from group to group. All were surprised to see he had an actual date, and many hit us with the same questions that the first group we’d spoken with had asked.

Some of the men treated their female companions like they were just pretty ornaments. Dane didn’t do that to me. He included me in conversations, touched me constantly, kept me close, and would sometimes turn his full attention to me. Whenever he did the latter, my nerves went a little haywire. Being the center of his focus could be a heady thing.

Conscious of our audience, I made sure to occasionally touch him or cast him brief, soft smiles that held secrets. I was always rewarded—sometimes with a brush of his mouth to my temple, sometimes with a stroke of his hand over my hair, and sometimes with a slow, lazy smile I felt in my core.

It wasn’t long before I caught a glimpse of his brothers and Hope watching us from the corner of the room. I was guessing Kent’s guest was his wife. I’d never met her.

I expected them to approach, but they seemed intent on merely observing us for the moment. I gave them a little wave and then edged closer to Dane. Without pausing his conversation, he smoothed his hand up my back and rested it on the crook of my neck. His thumb brushed my nape, and the featherlight touch almost made me shiver.

A warm flush unfurled in my stomach and trickled through my system like honey. Torture. It was a delicious torture.

Soon enough, we were on the move again. As we walked over to the next cluster of people, the bottom fell out of my stomach. The arm that was curled around my waist tightened as Dane smoothly greeted the group, not even so much as stumbling over Owen’s name.

My ex stared at us, his face hard. “Dane. Vienna.”

The beautiful raven-haired woman at his side lifted her brows and smiled. “Vienna? Our little girl’s name is Vienna. You don’t hear it a lot.”

My gut twisted. Shit. This had to be Owen’s wife.

Owen’s boss nudged him, a rakish grin on his face, and said, “Told you I was sure there was something going on between Dane and your friend.”

“Friend?” Tiffany’s smile faltered as she glanced from me to Owen. “You two know each other?”

“We went to school together,” I said. Well, what else could I say? I certainly wouldn’t spill the whole story, especially in front of so many people.

Dane’s dark gaze met mine. “The dinner will be starting soon. Shall we go find our table?”

Eager to scamper, I nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

He nodded at the group. “Enjoy your evening.”

I echoed his sentiment and gladly allowed him to lead me to the spiral staircase. I wouldn’t have to worry about slipping on the marble stairs, thanks to the carpet runner. “Did you know Owen would be here?” I whispered.

Dane put his mouth to my ear. “I suspected he might be. It’s a good thing. He needs to believe you’re off-limits. Needs to believe you mean something to me.”

Reaching the second level, I took in the many tables. They were all beautifully presented. Floral centerpieces. Pure white tablecloths. Artfully arranged napkins. Fancy wine glasses. Gleaming silverware.

When we consulted the seating plan, I felt my nose wrinkle. “Your brothers have been seated at our table.”

“I figured they would be.”

We crossed to one of the large, round tables and sank into our allocated seats. A few people were already there, and they said their hellos.

Dane draped an arm over the back of my chair and leaned close. “Did you know that Owen had named his daughter ‘Vienna?’” he asked, his voice low.

“Not until a few weeks ago when he turned up at my apartment,” I quietly replied. “He said he wanted to ‘honor’ me because I’d always supported him. Still, it’s just … weird. And wrong to everyone involved.”

“I’ll be surprised if his wife isn’t asking herself if him choosing that name for their child had something to do with you. As she pointed out, it’s not a common name. He might find that he has to answer a lot of uncomfortable questions later.” Dane combed his fingers through my hair, admiring the blonde strands. “I like that you wore it down for me.”

I felt my brow crease. “I only left it down because I didn’t have the time to pin it up.”

One corner of his mouth hitched up. “Ah, I see.” He didn’t sound as though he believed me. “Have you told your family about us yet?”

“I told my foster parents and their daughter.” I lowered my voice, adding, “They bought the story a lot easier than I thought they would.”

“It’ll be best if you introduce me to them soon.” Before I propose, he didn’t add but I heard.

Spotting a mood-plummeting sight in my peripheral vision, I sighed. “Speaking of relatives …” I pasted a polite smile on my face when Kent, Travis, and their wives appeared at the table moments later.

Dane stood to shake hands with his brothers. Kent’s greeting was one of genuine warmth, but Travis’s was somewhat stilted. Hope merely smiled at Dane, but Kent’s wife stepped forward and offered Dane her cheek. He gave it an obliging peck and went to introduce me, but she touched his arm to get his attention and tried drawing him into conversation. Rude.

Dane ignored her attempt and then offered me his hand. Once I took it and stood, he said, “Kent, Travis, Hope, I believe you’ve all already met Vienna.” He looked at me. “Beside Kent is his wife, Jen.”

Kent’s genuine smile didn’t falter. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Vienna.”

“Same to you,” I told him.

Travis merely inclined his head while Hope offered me a weak smile.

Jen lifted her chin and gave me a condescending head-to-toe look. “I don’t often have the chance to meet one of Dane’s women.”

Dane stilled, seeming a little surprised by her attitude. He shifted closer to me and away from her. She noticed his withdrawal and didn’t appear to like it. I had no idea what her deal was, but I suspected she’d voice it at some point. Snobs usually did.

Dane sank back into his chair and again hung his arm over the back of mine. The others took their own seats … which sadly placed Jen next to me. Ugh. A waiter quickly appeared and poured drinks before melting away.

Travis looked from me to Dane. “So, you two are an item now,” he said, his voice carefully even. But I detected the hint of skepticism there.

“We are,” confirmed Dane.

“How long has it been going on?” asked Kent, seeming rather pleased.

“A few months,” replied Dane.

Travis’s brows dipped. “Really? I wouldn’t have guessed. You did well to keep that under wraps.” His eyes slid to me. “No wonder you turned my friend down. You were secretly after my brother.”

I’d turned down his friend because, like Travis, he was a fucking tool. And I wasn’t “after” Dane at all.

Seeing that Dane had stiffened, Travis lifted a placatory hand. “I know, I know, I’m not supposed to let my friends hit on your employees. He and I were a little drunk at the bar that night.”

“Wait,” said Jen. “She works for you, Dane?”

“She’s his PA,” Hope told her.

Jen’s brow furrowed as she stared at him. “I thought you didn’t get involved with your employees.”

“Obviously I made an exception,” said Dane, picking up his champagne flute.

“Well,” began Hope, “you should consider yourself lucky that Vienna’s willing to overlook your many … exploits, Dane. I mean, she was the one who ordered the flowers for those women and booked your dinner reservations, so she knows you’ve been around the block quite a few times.”

I almost rolled my eyes at the non-too-subtle reminder of Dane’s past.

“Speaking of those exploits, some of them are here.” Travis turned to me. “If they do anything petty like shoot you little smirks or try to flirt with him, just ignore them.”

I hated that his comment twisted my gut, but I really did despise the idea of being around Dane’s exes. They were all grace and elegance and chic designer clothes. Still, I didn’t let Travis see that his verbal arrow had hit its mark. “Petty people are easy to ignore.” Him included.

He narrowed his eyes, clearly picking up on my insinuation.

“Enough, Travis,” said Dane, dancing his fingers over the side of my upper arm.

Travis lifted his shoulders, all innocence. “What?”

“You’re trying to make Vienna feel uncomfortable—I don’t fucking like it,” said Dane, his voice low and dripping with frost.

“How about a change of subject?” proposed Kent.

How about if Travis and Hope went the fuck home?

The conversation was a little awkward after that, so Dane and I mostly talked between ourselves. The waiter soon returned, poured more drinks, and took orders for the upcoming dinner.

“I hope they hurry with the food,” I told Dane. “I’m starving.”

“They’ll hold the auction first,” he said.

“You planning to bid on anything?”

“I’m planning to win.”

“And you’re so sure you’ll procure whatever you bid on?”

He gave me a pitying look, as if I was dumb as a rock for thinking differently. He also managed to later win the two pieces of art he bid on. Well, of course he did.

Once the auction was over, the meals arrived. Talk flowed easily around our table as people ate, although both Dane and Kent mostly ignored Travis, who became increasingly obnoxious the more he drank.

After the dinner was over and soft music began to play, Dane took my hand. “Dance with me.” It wasn’t a request.

On the dance floor, he drew me so close I was pressed up against him. Which basically sent my nerve-endings into a frenzy. Standing tall, he splayed one hand on my lower back as we swayed—slow, sensual, intimate.

Other couples danced around us, but I paid them no attention. I was far too caught up in the way Dane’s dark eyes stared into mine, as soft and warm as hot chocolate. God, he should have been an actor.

“You didn’t tell me Travis’s friend came onto you,” he said, his voice so low and smooth I almost missed the anger there. “When did that happen?”

“A month or so ago.”

“And I didn’t learn of this why?”

I shrugged. “It wasn’t worth reporting. He asked me out. I said no. Get rid of the frown. You’re supposed to look happy.”

His mouth twitched into a smile. “That’s right, I am.” He stroked the pads of his fingers along my back. “If someone puts any moves on you again, I want to hear about it.”

I gave a slow nod. “All right. So, I know why Travis and Hope don’t like that you’re dating someone. What’s Jen’s problem? Do you think she’s eager for Kent to get his share of your trust fund?”

He hesitated to answer. “I can’t be certain what her issue is.”

“You didn’t expect her to be rude to me, did you?”

“No. But Jen’s a complicated person. She’ll no doubt feel bad about it later.”

Maybe, but neither Hope nor Travis would. Making a conscious effort not to let my irritation show in my expression, I said, “It annoys me that Travis is so intent on having a share of your trust fund.”

“He feels that he has more of a right to it than I do because I’m more financially comfortable than he is. But even if I wasn’t, he’d still want his share. Really, he doesn’t have many scruples—hence why he cheats on Hope so often. But she does the same to him, so …” Dane shrugged.

I shook my head, not understanding why they’d stay together if they were going to disrespect themselves and each other that way. “Do Kent and Jen have a better relationship?”

“Yes, although they’re not as close as they once were. And, going by some of the things Kent has said, they argue so frequently he once considered moving out for a while to give them both some space. I don’t think he’d have married so young if the conditions of his trust fund hadn’t been what they were. I think he might have waited for someone who’s better suited to him to come along.”

“Have you held out as long as you have because you had some hope that you’d meet someone you cared for?”

“No. I just wasn’t in a rush to get my hands on the money the way my brothers were; I wanted to make my own way in life.”

And he had, which I deeply respected. He’d set up o-Verve on his own, and he’d built it up through sheer hard work.

I lowered my voice to a whisper as I asked, “If I’d said no to marrying you, what would you have done? Asked one of your other employees?”

“No. I’d have hounded you until you said yes.”

I blinked. “You’re not serious.”

“When do I ever joke?”

“Never, but—”

“Vienna, I’m a man who gets what he wants. Always. No exceptions. I never stop or back down until I have it.”

I didn’t want to find that a turn-on, but I did, and I hoped that it wasn’t written all over my face.

I didn’t realize that I was biting my lip until his eyes dropped to my mouth. They traced its shape, bold and blatant. Without thought, I flicked out my tongue to lathe my lower lip. A muscle in his cheek ticked, and the hand on my back flexed.

His gaze flew back to mine, hot and intent. I swallowed hard. Jesus, someone needed to throw a bucket of water over me.

The music changed then, flowing into a tune that was a little faster than the previous song. “I need to use the restroom,” I said.

“I’ll walk you there.”

“That’s not necessary,” I assured him, but he did it anyway.

In the surprisingly fancy restroom, I did my business. I almost stumbled when I walked out of the stall to find Owen’s wife standing at the sink.

She paused in fixing her lipstick and smiled. “Hello again.”

“Hi,” I said simply. I quickly washed and dried my hands, eager to get out of there. I turned toward the door and—

“You weren’t just Owen’s friend,” Tiffany blurted out. “Were you?”

Shit. I slowly spun on my heel and just stared at her, not sure what to say.

“There’s more, isn’t there?”

I inwardly groaned. “You really should ask Owen.”

“I did. He blew me off, which makes me believe there’s a lot I don’t know. Please just tell me. If you were me, you’d want me to be honest with you.”

Fuck if she wasn’t right. I licked my lips. “He and I dated in high school. We were also engaged for five months, but he broke it off and we went our separate ways.”

She swallowed and took a step back. “He must have regretted it. He named our child after you.”

“I was his friend for much, much longer than I was his girlfriend. We were better off as friends, and we both knew it. He was just the first to act on it. It was you he married. You he built a life with and had a child with.”

“And me he’ll soon be divorcing,” she said, a bite to her tone that told me she wasn’t as good with that as he seemed to think. “I hate that he gave her your name.”

“I hate it, too.” Because it caused unnecessary pain to people who didn’t deserve it. I opened my mouth to apologize, but the fault wasn’t mine. The guilt wasn’t mine to feel either, but the emotion settled in all the same.

Tiffany turned back to the mirror and took a shaky breath. Knowing I was the last person she’d want comfort from, I walked out of the restroom.

Dane was waiting a few feet away, deep in conversation with a man I didn’t recognize. Pasting an easy smile on my face, I crossed to them. “Thanks for waiting for me,” I told Dane, sure my needless guilt didn’t show in my expression or voice. But his eyes narrowed.

Before he could ask what was wrong, I introduced myself to his conversationalist, who flirted shamelessly with me. For all of five seconds. The moment Dane slid an arm around me and drew me close, his hold nothing short of proprietary, the other man’s sentence trailed off.

“It was good seeing you, Richard,” said Dane. “We’ll talk again soon, I’m sure.” He led me away and whispered into my ear, “What’s wrong?”

I sighed. “I saw Tiffany in the restroom. She asked me some questions. She’d already guessed there was more between me and Owen than being childhood friends.”

“I’m not surprised. He’s been staring at you most of the evening.”

He had? I’d been so wrapped up in Dane, I hadn’t noticed. “She’s hurting right now.”

“That’s his fault. Not yours.”

“I know. I still feel bad. In her shoes, I’d be devastated to hear my husband named our child after his ex. It’s not like she can change the kid’s name. Well, she could, but it would be hard to make the little girl understand why it needed to be done. I don’t know if he truly sees that what he did was wrong.” I let out an exasperated sound. “I wish he hadn’t come here tonight.”

“I don’t. He needed to see us together and get the message that you’re taken. And it’s better for his wife that she knows the truth. She would have learned it sooner or later anyway.”

“Maybe. But I detest that I was the one who put that look on her face.”

He slid his hand up my back and squeezed my nape. “Bear in mind that later—when she’s no longer hurting—she’ll be glad you were straight with her.” He paused. “You ready to leave now?”

“More than ready.”

Dane pulled his phone out of his pocket and rattled off a text, no doubt summoning Sam. “Now, if you can, wipe the anger off your face or people will think we’re fighting.”

I drew in a long breath, dug deep for calm, and blanked my expression. “Better?”

“It will be when you smile.”

I thought of Freddie, who could always lift my mood, and felt my mouth curve. “Done.”

He squeezed my nape again. “Good girl.”

Oh, he shouldn’t have said that. My body went all tingly again. “What about your paintings?”

“They’ll be sent to my home.”

We returned to our table, said a quick goodbye to his family, and then made our way downstairs. People stopped us here and there, wanting to speak with Dane, but he artfully dodged their efforts to draw him into deep conversation.

Outside, we slid into Sam’s waiting car. Noting that the privacy partition was up, I turned to Dane and said, “Think we accomplished what we came to do?”

“You mean convince people we’re a couple? Yes.”

“What happens next?”

“Next I put my ring on your finger. But not until we’re in Vegas.”

And now my belly was rolling again. “Do I get to pick the ring?”

“No.”

I frowned. “Why not?”

“You’ll pick something understated.”

“So?”

“So I don’t do ‘understated.’ People know that.”

I huffed. “Fine. Just don’t pick something too big and expensive—that’s all I ask.”

“Hmm.”

Not liking that noncommittal sound, I shook my head and turned my gaze back to the window. What a freaking night.