and held it out; within two seconds a waiter appeared to take it from him.
“Neat trick.”
“Did your team win?”
I nodded. “Third place.”
“Congrats, Coach.”
“Thanks.”
“God, you look stunning.” He ran his finger along the upper curve of the necklace and the skin beneath. “I knew these would be perfect on you.” His dark eyes met mine. “Were you surprised?”
“Very. They’re beautiful. Thank you for lending them to me.”
His mouth opened. Closed.
“Tell me you borrowed them from your mother or the Lund family jewel vault.”
“I promised never to lie to you, Happy, so the truth is . . . they’re yours. As is the entire outfit.”
“Nolan. You can’t just—”
“Yes, I can.” He put his mouth on my ear. “Say, Thank you, Nolan.”
“It’s too much.”
“Say, Thank you, Nolan, or I’ll be forced to buy you even flashier pieces because I’ll worry you didn’t like these.”
“You’re ridiculous, Lund, but thank you.”
He kissed me again, the type of kiss that wasn’t a make-out session, but an intimate brush of lips that conveyed more.
When he retreated, he noticed the two guys who’d stuck around but had hung back to give us privacy.
Nolan offered guy number one a smile. “And you are?”
“Rupi Gilroy.” He nudged his friend’s shoulder. “This is Cooper Winchell.”
“Good to meet you both.” Nolan slipped his arm around my waist. “I see you’ve met my girlfriend, Gabriella.”
I gave them a finger wave.
“If you’ll excuse us . . .” He steered me away.
“That wasn’t subtle.”
“Wasn’t meant to be. I’ve done my social duty tonight. I’m debating between ignoring everyone so I can have you to myself and introducing you to everyone because I want the world to know we’re together.”
“Can’t we find a happy medium?”
“Mmm. Maybe.” He led me out of the ballroom into a hallway that had a long red-carpet runner covering the floor. The backdrop was the Grant Foundation Gala logo on portable walls, which reminded me of the sponsorship signs at an ice arena—albeit classier promotion, but paid advertising, nonetheless.
Before I could ask him where we were going, a man wearing two cameras stopped us.
“Lund. That area is off-limits.”
“Hey, Barnes. I was looking for you.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“My girlfriend arrived late, and I wanted a pic of us at the gala together.”
“Are you drunk, man?”
Nolan laughed. “No. I’m serious.” He practically presented me with a flourish. “Gabriella, this is Barnes, a freelance photographer I’ve known for a very long time. Barnes, this is Gabriella Welk, my girlfriend.”
“You were already here with a date—your mother—so nice try,” Barnes sneered.
“I’m trying to give you an exclusive.”
“So Notorious Nolan has settled down?”
“Yes. You know how many dates I’ve brought to these types of events over the years and how many times I’ve referred to said dates as my girlfriend.” He paused. “Zero.”
Barnes considered him. “You know I’m gonna sell this pic to the Trib’s society page.”
“Which is why I’m here. You get an exclusive and I get a formal pic of us looking hot together.”
I elbowed him.
“Deal. Stand over there.”
We trooped to the backdrop.
“What’s the deal with her?” Barnes asked, fiddling with his cameras. “Gotta have the story and not just a couple of pics.”
“The deal with her? What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.
“I’m not doing the work for you, Barnes. Google her name. That’s all you’re getting from me except a promise I’m not messing with you. She and I are together and it’s serious.”
Nolan kissed me softly.
“No kissing shots. I can’t see your faces.” He gestured and Nolan tugged me beside him. “Pose like it’s prom, kiddies. Or RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
I snorted.
“Be serious,” Nolan whispered in my ear.
When Barnes dropped his lens cap and turned around to pick it up, giving us a glimpse of his butt crack, I cracked up.
Nolan tried to stop my laughter by kissing me, but I dropped my chin, and his lips smacked into my cheek. Then we were both busting a gut.
Somehow, we managed to get a couple of killer shots.
“Email those to me ASAP,” Nolan said. “Don’t make me track you down.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Barnes ignored us so we walked away.
“Do you trust him?” I asked when we were out of earshot.
“I trust his greed.”
“But you want a pic of us to be in the paper.”
“Yes. I haven’t been in it for months and this is an opportunity to let the world know we’re a couple.”
“While I know we are, do you worry that others might interpret it as a maneuver on the part of LI to put the rumors to rest that you’re still too