"Trent, we haven't even left the house yet." Although she was admonishing him, she couldn't hold back a soft laugh at his eagerness.
"I know. It makes more sense to take the edge off before we're bored to death talking to a bunch of my parents' friends."
The reminder that she was going to an event where his parents would be present cooled her down instantly. She stood up straight. "I'm not going to be able to talk to your mother with a straight face if I know I just seduced her son in the limo."
Trent grinned. "Okay, I'll wait to debauch you in a dark corner once we're there. It'll be more fun to see if I can do it without anyone catching us." He tucked her hand into his arm and led her to the elevator.
"You're just joking about that, right?"
Her only answer was another one of those maddening little smiles.
Trent introduced her to his old driver, Shane Morrow, who turned out to be an extremely fit fifty-something older man with a no-nonsense demeanor. He held the door for them and Mara ducked inside, tucking the small train of her dress under her legs. Trent slid in next and the door closed, sealing them inside. The sensual atmosphere of before was back and she was reminded of his earlier comment about doing dirty things in the backseat.
She was glad it was so dark that he couldn't see her blush. Or how desperately she actually wanted him to do those things.
The ride to the event was relatively quick and other than a few heated glances, Trent behaved himself on the way. She wasn't sure if the threat of his mother's displeasure or the presence of their new driver was responsible for keeping him in his seat on the other side of the car. But before she could think about it too long, they pulled over to the curb outside of a fancy building lit with what looked like a million spotlights.
"Where are we?"
Trent looked over at her. "The Metropolitan Museum of Art."
Excited at the prospect of finally seeing the famed museum, Mara leaned over and peered out the window. A woman in a long black dress passed by their car and then stopped right before the grand steps leading up to the building to pose for pictures.
Mara gulped and ran a nervous hand over her hair again.
"You look beautiful. Now let's do this." Trent shoved the door open and held out his hand to assist her out of the car.
Mara slid across the seat and allowed him to help her up. To her relief, the photographers took pictures of them as they passed but didn't ask them to stop. They ascended the steps, Mara trying hard not to gape at the massive white columns as they entered. A man at the door nodded knowingly at Trent.
"You know him?" she asked.
"He knows me," Trent responded with a small, wry smile. "I have no doubt he's aware of all of my family members. We're all on the board of my mother's charitable foundation. She insists on it. This is a fundraiser for the Townsend Grant for asthma research. Mom set it up after Travis was diagnosed."
The inside of the building was just as imposing as the outside. And it was crowded. She looked around in astonishment at the crowds of impeccably dressed people holding champagne flutes and plucking hors d'oeuvres off the trays of the tuxedo-clad waiters roaming the room. She hadn't expected there to be so many people. The price tag alone for entrance had made her imagine a much smaller, more intimate affair.
There are this many people with thousands to blow on a charity dinner?
She thought back to what Trent had told her about the Upper East Side. Most of these people were just as wealthy as his family. It was like an invitation into an exclusive club but one that she hadn't even known existed before. When yet another woman strolled past her with a completely ostentatious set of diamonds dripping from her neck, Mara had to forcibly close her mouth. There was enough pressurized carbon in this room to buy a small country.
They approached a small group of people and when they turned, she recognized Trent's parents and his sister. When they saw them, his mother held out her arms for Trent and to Mara's surprise, she air-kissed her cheeks. His father nodded at them both.
Sophia turned, her arm entwined with a handsome older man with dark hair. She tilted her cheek up for Trent's kiss of greeting.
Trent put his hand at the small of her back. "Mara, this is Sophia's husband, Thomas Winbush."
"Pleased to meet you." Mara extended her hand and the other man shook it jauntily.
"We were sorry to miss your dinner a few weeks ago. One of the boys was sick. We heard from Dad later that it was quite a night," Thomas said.
Heat rushed to Mara's cheeks. "It was something all right. My parents are always interesting dinner companions."
Sophia chuckled. "I definitely won't miss the next one." She turned to Trent. "And Mom said that Mara convinced you to come tonight. I'm happy to see you here. You don't come out nearly enough."
She looked at Mara and for once, her smile didn't appear forced. Was Trent's sister actually warming up to her? Mara was doubly glad that she'd pushed him to come out tonight.
"Well, that'll be changing." Trent looked down at her, a warm, private smile on his face.
Sophia looked between them and then a teasing smile lit her face. She walked forward and entwined her arm with Mara's free one.