She sat beside me in the middle seat of the car as my driver drove us to the Plaza. My hand rested on her thigh, and I glanced down at her from time to time, wondering what she was thinking in that pretty little head of hers. She looked like a beauty queen beside me, making me appear unremarkable in comparison.
We pulled up to the front of the hotel where a few guests were chatting. Men in suits with women in gowns on their arms. One of the attendants opened the door so I could step up. Before he could help Rome out of the car, I extended my hand and helped her emerge like the royalty that she was.
The attendant looked at her with approval before he walked to the next car that just pulled up.
My arm circled her waist, and I held her close into my side, wanting it to be completely obvious that she was more than just my date—she was the woman who slept in my bed every night. We moved through the entrance then headed to the grand ballroom where the dinner was being held.
“So, is this a silent auction or something?”
“No.” I noticed the way her hair would brush against my arm. I couldn’t feel it through my suit, but I knew how it felt because it happened when we slept together every night. Her soft strands prickled my skin with their innate softness. “It’s to recognize the outstanding donors for the last year. Usually, other people who come forward and make big donations so their company can have that same publicity at a later time. The whole thing is a PR stunt, honestly.”
“I’m sure some people genuinely want to give back.”
Some, but not most. “Or get a tax break.”
“Oh, come on.” She bumped her hip into my side. “Give humanity more credit than that.”
“I already was.”
She rolled her eyes like I was joking.
I was being dead serious.
We entered the ballroom where hundreds of people chitchatted with colleagues or introduced themselves to corporate competitors. I recognized some of the people from my company mingling with the people who gave us the donations to make our work possible. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the tables were covered with ivory tablecloths and beautiful flowers as centerpieces.
But I cared more about the bar.
I guided my date to where the liquor was held. “What would you like, sweetheart?”
“Whatever you’re having.” The way she smiled when she spoke made me want to kiss her—and kiss her hard.
But I would do that later. I got the drinks then handed one to her.
She looked at me as she sipped from her glass, a coy expression in her eyes.
I could tell she was flirting with me without saying a single word. She did that when we were in public places sometimes. If she thought I wouldn’t fuck her in the bathroom because we made love before we left the house, she was dead wrong.
Before I could express my threat, people recognized me and moved my way for a conversation.
But there was still the rest of the night.
“You know a lot of people.” Rome and I finally got a moment to ourselves when I excused us to get another drink.
“I don’t. But they know me.”
“Then how do you remember them all?”
“I write it down on my hand.” I gave her a teasing look before I handed her another glass.
She rolled her eyes then sipped her drink. “How much money do you think we’ll raise tonight?”
That was always her end game. She wanted to know what kind of difference we were going to make for the people who needed the most help. Fancy dinners with people dressed in their finest wasn’t interesting to her. It was one of her attributes that made me fall for her a long time ago. “A lot.”
“Does that go directly to us?”
“Not necessarily. Some of it will go directly to certain groups, like the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc.”
“Oh, okay.”
“The money will be allocated appropriately.” My arm hardly left her waist all night, wanting to show her off to everyone in the room. I’d never taken a date to these sorts of things. It was much easier to come alone and mingle. But now I never went anywhere without my better half.
We walked to one of the tables, and I pulled out the chair for her. Just as she sat down, I noticed a familiar face across the room. With dark hair, blue eyes, and a strong frame, he blended in with the rest of the suits in the crowd. But his terrified expression made him stand out to me.
Hank.
He was the last person I expected to see here. Maybe he came to these events regularly, but I never noticed because he didn’t mean anything to me at the time. But he must have known I would be here—thinking he was safe with all these witnesses.