He walks off, and again, I look at his wife, who is beaming ear to ear at her husband as he meanders back to her, stopping to shake a few hands and clap a few men on their shoulders.
Having Ansel come say hello was a much-neededdistraction. This is twice now he’s rescued me without realizing it. It’s like he and his wife know when I need a savior.
“Hey!”
I nearly come out of my skin, jumping from the sound of Raina’s voice.
“Oh my God, you just scared the hell out of me.”
Laughing, she grabs my hand and urges me to spin for her. “This dress is absolutely phenomenal on you, Vins! You look like a goddess.”
“You’ve already seen me in it!”
“Yeah, but not with your hair and makeup done. Seriously.” She scrunches her fingers together and brings them to her lips, making a kissing noise as she flicks them away. “Chef's kiss.”
“Well, you look amazing yourself. I’m so glad you went with this one. That necklace is a showstopper.”
She picked out a Pluie de Cartier necklace with over thirty carats set in white gold. I found it hard to stomach the price tag, but she swiped her black card without blinking.
“Thanks! I’m glad I went with this one. It ended up being perfect. What was up with that old guy?”
“That’s Ansel Emmons. He’s a sweet older gentleman who always seems to know when I need an angel on earth.”
“Emmons, as in, Emmons Technologies?”
The light bulb in my head clicks on, and I can’t believe I didn’t realize it before.
Emmons Technologies is one of the biggest techconglomerates in the country. They’re known for buying tech companies that are going under, but keeping on the staff, therefore winning them praise around the country and being known as a company that cares. It’s been all over the news that they just bought out a company called Skyline Tech out of some small town in California.
Raina starts laughing—clearly the look on my face reflects me connecting the pieces.
“I can’t believe I didn’t make that connection.”
“You crack me up, babe. You know, they have three sons.” She lightly nudges her elbow against mine.
I flash her a pointed look. “Have you already forgotten our conversation from earlier this week?”
A waiter passes by and she plucks two flutes of champagne off his tray, passing me one.
“I haven’t forgotten.” Smiling, she brings her champagne close to her mouth and over the rim says, “Look, there’s your man now.”
Following her gaze, I see Sly step into the ballroom, looking gut-wrenchingly handsome in a black tuxedo. Following his usual fashion trend, everything he’s wearing is black—from the black-collared shirt to the black tie. His hair is impeccably styled, his facial hair trimmed and groomed.
Just looking at him makes me weak in the knees.
I watch as his eyes wander the room as he scans the crowd, his gaze piercing and sharp when it finally lands on me. Even though he’s far, I can see the desire in his eyes as they graze my body, drinking me in.
Beside me, Raina whistles lowly. “God damn, that man looks like sex on a stick, Vinnie. No wonder you’re breaking all the rules for him.”
Sly’s gaze is heavy against mine, neither of us wanting to look away. “Damn, and his cousin looks fine as hell, too. Those Lucchetti men have good genes, don’t they?”
Coming up beside him, Enzo’s presence severs our stare, causing Sly to look away. Knowing it's for the best, I loop my arm through Raina’s and say, “C’mon, let’s go find our table and hope this night flies by.”
Tonight’s no different than the last two times I’ve attended events on my parents' behalf. A delicious meal, boring speeches, and a parade of men keeping me on the dance floor until my feet are numb.
The only difference is all throughout tonight I’ve felthiseyes on me.
I’ve tried not to look over to where I know he’s sitting, failing time and time again. He’s always engrossed in conversation with the people across from him, knowing just how to make it look like his eyes are onthemwhen really he’sactuallylooking over their shoulder at me, slowly sipping on an amber liquid.
