Over the next half hour, we walked from group to group. All were surprised to see he had an actual date, and many hit us with the same questions that the first group we’d spoken with had asked.
Some of the men treated their female companions like they were just pretty ornaments. Dane didn’t do that to me. He included me in conversations, touched me constantly, kept me close, and would sometimes turn his full attention to me. Whenever he did the latter, my nerves went a little haywire. Being the center of his focus could be a heady thing.
Conscious of our audience, I made sure to occasionally touch him or cast him brief, soft smiles that held secrets. I was always rewarded—sometimes with a brush of his mouth to my temple, sometimes with a stroke of his hand over my hair, and sometimes with a slow, lazy smile I felt in my core.
It wasn’t long before I caught a glimpse of his brothers and Hope watching us from the corner of the room. I was guessing Kent’s guest was his wife. I’d never met her.
I expected them to approach, but they seemed intent on merely observing us for the moment. I gave them a little wave and then edged closer to Dane. Without pausing his conversation, he smoothed his hand up my back and rested it on the crook of my neck. His thumb brushed my nape, and the featherlight touch almost made me shiver.
A warm flush unfurled in my stomach and trickled through my system like honey. Torture. It was a delicious torture.
Soon enough, we were on the move again. As we walked over to the next cluster of people, the bottom fell out of my stomach. The arm that was curled around my waist tightened as Dane smoothly greeted the group, not even so much as stumbling over Owen’s name.
My ex stared at us, his face hard. “Dane. Vienna.”
The beautiful raven-haired woman at his side lifted her brows and smiled. “Vienna? Our little girl’s name is Vienna. You don’t hear it a lot.”
My gut twisted. Shit. This had to be Owen’s wife.
Owen’s boss nudged him, a rakish grin on his face, and said, “Told you I was sure there was something going on between Dane and your friend.”
“Friend?” Tiffany’s smile faltered as she glanced from me to Owen. “You two know each other?”
“We went to school together,” I said. Well, what else could I say? I certainly wouldn’t spill the whole story, especially in front of so many people.
Dane’s dark gaze met mine. “The dinner will be starting soon. Shall we go find our table?”
Eager to scamper, I nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
He nodded at the group. “Enjoy your evening.”
I echoed his sentiment and gladly allowed him to lead me to the spiral staircase. I wouldn’t have to worry about slipping on the marble stairs, thanks to the carpet runner. “Did you know Owen would be here?” I whispered.
Dane put his mouth to my ear. “I suspected he might be. It’s a good thing. He needs to believe you’re off-limits. Needs to believe you mean something to me.”
Reaching the second level, I took in the many tables. They were all beautifully presented. Floral centerpieces. Pure white tablecloths. Artfully arranged napkins. Fancy wine glasses. Gleaming silverware.
When we consulted the seating plan, I felt my nose wrinkle. “Your brothers have been seated at our table.”
“I figured they would be.”
We crossed to one of the large, round tables and sank into our allocated seats. A few people were already there, and they said their hellos.
Dane draped an arm over the back of my chair and leaned close. “Did you know that Owen had named his daughter ‘Vienna?’” he asked, his voice low.
“Not until a few weeks ago when he turned up at my apartment,” I quietly replied. “He said he wanted to ‘honor’ me because I’d always supported him. Still, it’s just … weird. And wrong to everyone involved.”
“I’ll be surprised if his wife isn’t asking herself if him choosing that name for their child had something to do with you. As she pointed out, it’s not a common name. He might find that he has to answer a lot of uncomfortable questions later.” Dane combed his fingers through my hair, admiring the blonde strands. “I like that you wore it down for me.”
I felt my brow crease. “I only left it down because I didn’t have the time to pin it up.”
One corner of his mouth hitched up. “Ah, I see.” He didn’t sound as though he believed me. “Have you told your family about us yet?”
“I told my foster parents and their daughter.” I lowered my voice, adding, “They bought the story a lot easier than I thought they would.”
“It’ll be best if you introduce me to them soon.” Before I propose, he didn’t add but I heard.
Spotting a mood-plummeting sight in my peripheral vision, I sighed. “Speaking of relatives …” I pasted a polite smile on my face when Kent, Travis, and their wives appeared at the table moments later.
Dane stood to shake hands with his brothers. Kent’s greeting was one of genuine warmth, but Travis’s was somewhat stilted. Hope merely smiled at Dane, but Kent’s wife stepped forward and offered Dane her cheek. He gave it an obliging peck and went to introduce me, but she touched his arm to get his attention and tried drawing him into conversation. Rude.
Dane ignored her attempt and then offered me his hand. Once I took it and stood, he said, “Kent, Travis, Hope, I believe you’ve all already met Vienna.” He looked at me. “Beside Kent is his wife, Jen.”
Kent’s genuine smile didn’t falter. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Vienna.”
“Same to you,” I told him.
Travis merely inclined his head while Hope offered me a weak smile.
Jen lifted her chin and gave me a condescending head-to-toe look. “I don’t often have the chance to meet one of Dane’s women.”
Dane stilled, seeming a little surprised by her attitude. He shifted closer to me and away from her. She noticed his withdrawal and didn’t appear to like it. I had no idea what her deal was, but I suspected she’d voice it at some point. Snobs usually did.
Dane sank back into his chair and again hung his arm over the back of mine. The others took their own seats … which sadly placed Jen next to me. Ugh. A waiter quickly appeared and poured drinks before melting away.
Travis looked from me to Dane. “So, you two are an item now,” he said, his voice carefully even. But I detected the hint of skepticism there.
“We are,” confirmed Dane.
“How long has it been going on?” asked Kent, seeming rather pleased.
“A few months,” replied Dane.
Travis’s brows dipped. “Really? I wouldn’t have guessed. You did well to keep that under wraps.” His eyes slid to me. “No wonder you turned my friend down. You were secretly after my brother.”
I’d turned down his friend because, like Travis, he was a fucking tool. And I wasn’t “after” Dane at all.
Seeing that Dane had stiffened, Travis lifted a placatory hand. “I know, I know, I’m not supposed to let my friends hit on your employees. He and I were a little drunk at the bar that night.”
“Wait,” said Jen. “She works for you, Dane?”
“She’s his PA,” Hope told her.