He smoothly led me through the crowds. We came to a stop once we reached the stage; he released my hand and jogged up.
Uh, did Wes and Gabe know that this guy was going to make a speech?
I looked behind me for the guys. The music stopped.
When I glanced back up at the stage, Wes and Gabe were joining mystery man. They slapped him on the back and then pumped each others hands. Okay, who was this guy? Seriously?
“Thank you all for coming,” Wes said into the microphone. “With your help tonight and the generous donations of W. Enterprises, we were able to raise over one million toward our goal of two million by the end of the year! Thank you so much!”
Gabe clapped along with Wes. They stepped out of the way while my mystery man stood tall amongst the two guys, not dwarfing them but easily holding his own. He coughed into his fist then shoved both hands into his pockets; it looked practiced, as if he wanted to show an heir of vulnerability. His eyes flashed toward mine, giving me a dark possessive look, before addressing the crowd.
“As CEO of W. Enterprises, I’m more than happy to thank all the donors, and on behalf of my father, we truly appreciate everyone’s continuing support toward bettering the healthcare in the greater Seattle area.”
More applause.
But the pieces weren’t falling into place. So he was a CEO of a company? That fit, I guess. He was dressed well, and he’d mentioned security, but what CEO had that type of security?
The guys filed off the stage. Gabe purposely bumped into me and winked before wandering off, probably to find Saylor, and Wes stopped right in front of me.
“So…” His grin was shameless. “Having fun with Charming, Miss Cinderella?”
I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms. “You mean that’s the guy—”
“I think I deserve an ‘I’m sorry, Wes, for doubting your ability.’”
I held up my hand. “Not happening.”
“Of course, the great Wes Michels knows the prettiest girl in the room.” Mystery man walked up to us. He wrapped an arm around me, tugging me closer to his body. I liked it. I shouldn’t, but I did.
“Funny, I don’t see my wife.” Wes winked. “And yes, Tristan, this is—”
“No last names!” I blurted, sounding like a complete idiot.
“We don’t want to break the rules.” Mystery man leaned down, his breath hot on my neck. “Do we?”
Oh we do, we really, really do. “Nope.” My voice came out like a squeak. “Sorry, Wes, but no names until the unmasking at midnight!”
Wes held up his hands and grinned. “That should be very, very interesting.” He covered his face with his hand and looked away. “Yeah, I’m going to go find my wife… and dance. You two…” He licked his lips. “You have fun until midnight, then.”
“Until midnight.” I nodded, leaning further into the warmth of the solid body next to me. He smelled like expensive cologne — not overpowering, just inviting. So inviting I fought the urge to turn my head a bit and breathe him in.
“So…” His low voice vibrated. “…shall we dance under the stars?”
Laughing, I pulled away and stole a glance at his face. “Who are you?”
“Nobody important.”
I sighed.
“And you? The most beautiful girl in the room… who are you?” His eyes took on another dark hue, captivating me, making me want to lean in, discover his secrets.
“For tonight?” My body shook with desire. I wanted more. For the first time in a really long time, I wanted more, and I wanted it to be him. “Your dance partner.”
He brought my hand to his lips. His light eyes brimmed with hunger as he placed a gentle kiss across my wrist. “And tomorrow? What am I tomorrow?”
Was I shaking? “I guess we’ll see.”
“So strategic in her answers. I love a woman who knows her mind.” He dropped my hand and led me toward the double doors. When he pushed them open, we were suddenly on a balcony looking at the Seattle skyline.