I suppose since he’s shown me my options for my wedding tiara, I shouldn’t be surprised.
It still feels a little crazy.
I continue to look around the great hall as I finish my first glass of champagne. It went down so smoothly, I finished it faster than I meant to.
As we get the lay of the land, Hunter looks around for his father, but I follow the trail of people who seem to know where they’re supposed to be going.
After coat check, some of them linger and drink champagne or talk to friends, but most people seem to be ascending the marble staircase and heading to the upper levels.
Hunter and I decide to go upstairs, too. There’s a literal red carpet on the marble staircase. The older woman ahead of me is wearing white gloves.
I’m wearing a ballgown, but I still feel like I stick out like a sore thumb among this set.
When we reach the floor we’re supposed to be on, it becomes immediately clear. There are flags on display to represent three different countries, and two very regal-looking men standing on the staircase greeting guests on either side.
“Is that your dad?”
Hunter nods. “The better-looking one is,” he jests, but not really. “The other guy’s his cousin. This will probably just be a quick hello, he’ll have to keep the line moving.”
“Oh, God, I’m so nervous,” I tell him.
His grip on me tightens protectively. “Don’t be.”
Despite his advisement not to worry, my heart thrums furiously in my chest as the couple in front of us finishes up their greeting.
Butterflies fill my stomach as Hunter puts a hand on the small of my back and gently pushes me forward.
My feet don’t want to move. I hope I don’t look as nervous as I feel as I force myself to smile and move forward.
Hunter’s dad smiles as he looks from Hunter to me, his demeanor friendly.
“Hunter, so good to see you,” he says, wrapping an arm around his son and giving him a brief hug and pat on the back.
My heart fills up, but I’m not sure why. I don’t feel like I’m meeting a “big deal,” I feel like I’m meeting my boyfriend’s long lost dad, and that’s a little less intimidating.
Hunter takes a step back and gestures to me. “This is my girlfriend, Riley Bishop.”
His dad takes my hand between his and pulls me forward. “Riley. Splendid to meet you. Hunter has told me so much about you.”
That makes me grin. “Has he? All good things, I hope.”
“Only the best,” he says warmly, pulling me in for a hug.
My tummy flutters. I hug him back, then move to stand beside Hunter with a big, stupid grin on my face.
As Hunter predicted, his dad can only speak to us for a moment since he has more guests to greet behind us, but I still can’t stop grinning as Hunter takes my hand and leads me toward the ballroom entrance.
“He likes me! Your dad likes me,” I tell him, beaming.
Hunter shakes his head, amused by my excitement. “I told you he would.”
I’m still so hyped up, I turn to steal one last look at Hunter’s father before we enter the ballroom, but when I do, my attention is snagged by a pair of predatory blue eyes that are not only locked on me, but narrowed in careful consideration.
My heart leaps in my chest. The man staring back can’t be much older than me and Hunter. I didn’t realize how close he was behind us. I thought nothing of what I said to Hunter, but now, as the handsome stranger carefully regards me, then lets his speculative gaze drift to Hunter, I realize…
He may have just heard me refer to Hunter’s dad as… well, Hunter’s dad.
My smile disappears.
The intense look drops off the man’s face, replaced with what should appear to the world as a friendly smile, but as he turns to be greeted by Hunter’s dad, I can’t keep my stomach from rocking with dread.
I should be buzzing with excitement as we enter the opulent ballroom. It’s a magnificent space, truly incomparable. The ceilings are painted beautifully as if we’ve just stepped inside the Sistine Chapel. The room is massive and well-decorated, similarly to if there was a wedding. Round tables with immaculate centerpieces are set up around the perimeter of a dance floor. There’s a massive Christmas tree in the corner, and a seated orchestra performing live music.
Everything is so beautiful, but all I can think about is the man in the hall.
“Hunter,” I say, looking over at him anxiously.
He looks down at me, smiling faintly until he sees the look on my face. Sobering quickly, he says, “What’s wrong?”
My lips suddenly feel bone-dry, so I lick them. “I think I might have messed up.”
Hunter frowns. “What are you talking about?”
“You know how people aren’t supposed to… how your exact parentage isn’t necessarily public knowledge?” I ask carefully.
Still frowning, he nods.
My stomach sinks. Anxiously glancing back toward the hall to make sure no one is behind me now, I lean in closer and tell him, “I wasn’t thinking back there, I was so excited to meet your dad… I called him your dad.”
“Oh.” Hunter’s expression clears. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”
“No, but, Hunter.” I stop walking to look up at him. “There was a guy behind us. I think he heard me.”
He scowls and glances back. “What guy?”
Enough moments have passed that I’m sure the blue-eyed stranger is no longer greeting Hunter’s dad and his cousin, but when I turn around and look toward the entrance, I don’t see him lingering behind us anywhere, either. “I don’t know where he is. I don’t see him now.”
Hunter frowns, pulling me close and doing a cursory sweep of the room. “Well, if you see him, point him out to me, okay?”
I nod, swallowing. Looking up at him with remorseful eyes, I tell him, “I’m so sorry. I should have kept my big mouth shut.”
Hunter shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it.”
He tells me not to worry, but I know he’s just being nice.
Hunter’s father is a powerful man. The knowledge that he has an illegitimate son that the public doesn’t know about… That’s information that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.
Chapter Sixty Four
Riley
I try to enjoy the amazing dinner that is served, try to pay attention to the remarks being made at the podium by Hunter’s dad and other important people. I realize that, while I’m more of a bookworm than a history buff, just being in the same room as all these people is an insanely cool opportunity. There are so many people parading around with medals, sashes, and regalia denoting them some sort of foreign dignitaries, it’s a bit dizzying.
This ball isn’t just a who’s who of New York—it’s an international affair, and nothing I could have ever dreamed of attending in my whole life.
Here I am living it, but I’m so anxious about what that man overheard, it’s hard to fully enjoy myself.
Every table seats 10. Obviously, I don’t know any of the people at ours, but Hunter seems to know one of the couples. I don’t think he knows anyone else, but he’s good with people, so he ends up chatting up everyone at the table while I sit there all quiet and reserved, making myself sick with worry.