With a nod, Claire moved on to speak to other people.
Elissa was going to say something, but before she could, a woman approached, holding her handwritten invitation to the event. “Do you mind autographing this for me, Ms. Conroy?”
She blinked but recovered the instant the woman offered a pen. “I’d be happy to.”
He accepted the champagne flute she asked him to hold. It seemed Elissa was stepping into the shoes of stardom as if they had been custom fit for her.
After returning the stemware to a server, he wandered outside and got caught up on the latest Hawkeye cases with Torin. Jacob was glad for the time—it reaffirmed he didn’t miss the job one bit.
About thirty minutes later, the music trailed off, and Claire asked for everyone’s attention. She gave rave reviews about Elissa’s talent and suggested she was someone to watch. “You know how you all wish you’d have bought Bonds stock when it was under a thousand dollars a share? You know how you promised yourself you wouldn’t ever miss an opportunity like that again? Well, tonight is your chance. By tomorrow, with all the press coverage and reviews, Elissa will be a household name, and if you want to add a Conroy to your collection before you need to take a second mortgage to pay for it, this is your one and only chance.”
As if for reassurance, Elissa reached for her pendant and touched it, but instead of pausing, she continued to raise her hand, and she gave a friendly wave.
A lightbulb flashed as a photographer captured the moment forever.
“Do you mind saying a few words, Ms. Conroy?”
Elissa smiled. “Thank you for being here, and I hope to have the chance to talk to every one of you personally.” Her words sounded natural even though she’d practiced at least a dozen times. “I appreciate the way you’ve reacted to the pieces of my heart and soul that you see on the canvas. Every painting has meaning, and I’m grateful to share it with you.”
Of course, the first picture she’d ever finished, His, was on the mantel in their dungeon, in the room he’d built for her. Of course he hadn’t known it at the time, but he’d created the space with the idea of having a cherished submissive, and he wanted a private place for them to explore all the nuances of that type of relationship. He’d had no idea how multifaceted their dynamic would be or that it would change, evolve, become even more meaningful.
The first night he took her into the room, they had a conversation about the rings he’d attached to the floor. She’d mentioned being chained to them while they were in front of a fire, with him sipping whiskey while a gentle snow drifted down. She’d trusted him enough to do that.
He’d shared a fantasy of his own—her being on all fours, secured by a collar around her beautiful neck, having no escape as he slid a plug inside her ass, then took her pussy from behind.
He’d watched her press her hand to her heart as he talked, and he’d sworn to show no mercy. And he hadn’t.
And his beautiful Elissa—his beautiful submissive—had begged for more. Last week, she’d even brought a collar to him while he was working on his accounting program. She’d knelt at his side, looking up at him, and asked him to fasten it in place.
He could never have asked for anyone more perfect for him.
“I’d also like to acknowledge my future husband, Jacob. Without him, I would have never met the deadline for this showing.”
Jacob bowed to her.
“And to a good friend…” She glanced in Hawkeye’s direction but didn’t call out his name. “Thank you for setting all of this in motion.”
He and Torin both looked toward the corner. Jacob hadn’t been aware his friend had even entered. Like everyone else, he was wearing a tux, and no doubt he’d walk away tonight with a few more clients. There was no better place than New Orleans to meet people who needed to protect their secrets.
“To Julien Bonds, connoisseur of everything significant—”
People looked around for the Genius, but he wasn’t in the room.
“Thank you for the wonderful equipment that I use when I’m creating.” More photos were snapped.
“And most of all, I’d like to thank Claire Richardson and the entire staff at Gallery Royale for your belief in me and for hosting this exquisite event.”
The guests applauded, the music struck up again, and the waitstaff moved into motion with canapés and other appetizers.
Elissa returned to his side and slid her palm against his. He was leaning over to kiss her when Claire swooped in. “I’m stealing her away. I have a social media influencer who wants to meet her.”
He had no idea what that was. “I assume that’s a good thing?”
Claire ignored him and beckoned to a young woman with bright pink hair.
At a loose end, he sought out Hawkeye.
“I’m glad to see Elissa happy.”
“She’s happy you came.”
“Hell, after what Bonds said—kinky shit—” Hawkeye smiled. “I wouldn’t have missed it. Looks like she’s quite a success.”
“Two of her portraits have already sold.”
“I’m sure it will be more by the end of the night. Claire has a great eye for up-and-coming talent. And her opinion matters. When she tells people to buy, they listen.”
Right then, the lights flashed.
“Pardon the interruption…” A bigger-than-life-size holographic image of Julien Bonds appeared in the middle of the room.
A gasp rocked the air as patrons automatically stepped back to make room for the tech rock star. The music abruptly ceased, and silence echoed off the walls.
“He likes to make an entrance.”
Jacob looked at Hawkeye. “He does indeed.”
Though his image was comprised of a million shimmering parts, Bonds was both a presence and an enigma. He wore a white collared shirt, a thin bright-yellow tie, a gray jacket, blue jeans, and horrifyingly garish hot-pink shoes with glowing green laces. When he moved, the Bonds logo on his athletic shoes lit up.
“Where are you, Elissa?”
“Uhm…” Even as Claire nudged her forward, Elissa looked around for Jacob.
More than half the gathered attendees whipped out their cell phones for pictures and videos. Since Bonds was a notoriously private person, banning cameras when he attended events, this was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
Elissa found Jacob’s gaze and shrugged. He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. With his gesture, Bonds had ensured she’d be catapulted to the upper levels of the art world.
She neared the hologram and stopped.
“Ah. There you are.” He waved his hand through the air. “It’s the hour, and you are the woman of it.”
“I… Am I?” She shook her head and laughed. “What I meant to say is thank you for being here.”
“From the moment I saw your kinky shit—”
“Snooped through my hard drive is what I think you mean.”
Go, Elissa. Jacob grinned.
“Well.” Bonds cleared his throat. “Hmm. Well, then. The data had been delivered into my possession at the time, and it was a simple procedure of transferring it to your machine that is totally safe from any prying eyes.”
Hawkeye cleared his throat as he’d been the one to authorize said transfer.