a warm, sexy smile that made me tingle in all the best places.
After the group asked us a few questions, such as how we met and how long we’d been dating, the conversation switched to business. No surprise there. A lot of networking went on at such events. But as that wasn’t Dane’s main purpose tonight, it wasn’t long before he moved us on.
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