King Me (Forever Wilde 7)

The rest of the day passed quickly. Before I could even catch my breath, it was time to get ready for the call. Nerves swirled in my gut at the prospect of seeing Elek.

Linney fussed with microphones and microscopic cameras on my tuxedo, Mouse must’ve showed me how to use the fingerprint retrieval device a thousand times, and Ziv continued to make his opinion about me going into the gala clear to Falcon.

Meanwhile, Falcon looked like he was in a trance. I couldn’t decide if it was nerves, or if this was simply how he got into character before an op like this. Either way, his stoicism made my nerves even worse.

A luxury sedan had been delivered to our rental house so Falcon and I could arrive in style. Everyone else followed us in the van.

As soon as we pulled up in front of the address on the invitation, I realized I’d been here before. One of Elek’s friends had hosted a party there one summer. It was when Elek had fallen in love with the island. There had been so many people in designer swimwear with fancy cocktails in their hands, it had looked like something from a lifestyles of the rich and famous photo shoot.

Now it looked like we were walking into the winter version of the same party. The place dripped money. But instead of looking uncomfortable, Falcon looked right at home. It made me realize I had never asked about his childhood. I had no idea whether he came from money, where he grew up, or what his background was like at all. And I wanted to know all of those things.

“I’ve been here before. I didn’t realize it until I recognized the house,” I admitted.

Falcon looked over at me in surprise, the new red hair and trendy horn-rim glasses throwing me off. “Anything we need to know? I mean, besides what we learned from the blueprints and social media photos.”

I studied the house as Falcon pulled the car up the long driveway. “I didn’t spend much time inside the house because it was more of a pool party, but I remember there’s a ballroom and several smaller salons. If the party has access to all of them, maybe I can find one of the smaller salons to hide out in while you try to put your eyes on our target.”

We only had a few moments left before it was our turn with the valet. “You’re really going to let me be the one to find the boyfriend?”

“You’re the boss, right?” I teased.

“Why do I feel like I’m being manipulated?” he muttered.

After leaving the car with the valet, we entered the large residence past twin gas lanterns mounted next to the wide wooden double doors. As we moved inside, I noticed hundreds of candles lit, some in wall sconces, some in table candelabras, and some in actual candle chandeliers. It was like stepping back in time.

I could hear violin music coming from farther in the house. Servers mingled through the guests with trays of champagne in small bites. Conversation and laughter surrounded us while attendants offered to take anything we wanted to check in the cloakroom. We declined, having left our coats in the car on purpose in case we needed a quick getaway.

As we stepped through the foyer, Falcon reached out and took my hand. It surprised me. I turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. His cheeks flushed immediately.

“I’m your date, right? The ambassador to France knows David Kennedy is gay, right? So I get to hold your hand.”

I grinned at him, squeezing his hand. “Why do you sound so defensive? I’m never going to complain about you holding my hand in public. You’re the hottest guy in the room. It only makes me look better if I’m the one who’s hand you’re holding.”

He blushed a deeper red and looked away, scanning the room like a seasoned pro. While I knew he was trying to identify the players among us, he simply looked like any other socialite hunting for his golf buddies. Who knew the man had training?

I guessed that was a silly question.

“David! So good to see you again,” a voice called out. I turned my head to see who it was. The man looking at me was familiar, but it wasn’t the ambassador.

15

Falcon

“Hi,” King said, looking a little unsure of who the man was. But when King spotted the woman on his arm, recognition dawned. “Serena, how lovely to see you again.”

He reached out to kiss the woman’s cheek before shaking her husband’s hand.

“Jacques and Serena, I’d like you to meet my partner, Ethan Reeves.” He turned to me. “Jacques and Serena play tennis at the same club I do in Paris. While Serena is perfectly lovely on the court, Jacques is a holy terror.”