“This had nothing to do with me not thinking you could pull it off.”
“Then why?” I stared at him, trying to figure him out.
“I wanted tonight to be special.” His eyes flickered with a promise that sent my stomach into butterfly barrage territory.
My body hummed with the intensity of his gaze. It would be so easy to get caught up in him and let myself forget we’d been doing this dance for months now. “Why?”
“You’re full of questions tonight.”
“You’re full of secrets.”
One eyebrow dropped, and his voice took on a coarse rumble. “You have no idea.”
My skin dimpled with goose bumps, and my lips parted. I wanted to know all his secrets. Secrets that might explain who exactly he was and why I never felt like I could get my footing when I was around him.
He spun to my left and held out his hand. “Are you ready?”
I tilted my head and stepped forward, placing my hand in his. “As I’ll ever be.”
26
Sabrina
“It’s a play on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In whatever incarnation people wanted to go with.” Hunter pointed out at the floor-to-ceiling flower pillars. They swayed along with the aerialists in hoops wearing fairy wings above the partygoers below. It was as if the sprinkler system had been triggered, but instead of a shower of suspect water from years-old tanks, they’d sprouted white, pink, cream, and purple flowers. Floral waterfalls transformed the space to the point that I had no idea what it would look like in the light of day.
I glanced over at Hunter. Getting caught up in the moment was scary, but I didn’t know how to stop myself. And couldn’t bring myself not to soak it all up.
A woman walked by and offered me a crown of flowers like other women and some men walking around wore.
I looked to Hunter.
He smiled and leaned in closer. “It’s the small touches our clients look for in making a memorable event.”
The hairstyle the designers had done on my hair made perfect sense. Dipping my head, I let her put it on me and arrange the ribbons over my shoulder. The crown nestled on top of the perfectly imperfect messy braids, completing the half-up, half-down look.
“What do you think?”
People were dressed from every era of interpretation of the play. Some were more modern, others wore period costumes, some went with a beach version in sparkling floral bikinis. I was glad Hunter hadn’t added one of those outfits to my options for the evening.
I couldn’t stop staring at the room and the beautiful people in it. “I don’t even know what to say. The first thing that comes to mind is gorgeous.”
He bent, speaking directly into my ear. “You’re absolutely right.” The heat from his lips, which weren’t even touching me, sent teasing tendrils racing across my skin.
I touched my chin to my shoulder and caught his eye. Why’d I feel like he wasn’t talking about the beautiful party he’d put together tonight? Damn him and those freaking eyes.
Servers wove their way through the partygoers with flower-covered trays loaded with champagne flutes. The music rumbled and thumped, vibrating the floor.
“Let’s go.” He took my hand, pulling me toward the elevated areas around the perimeter of the room.
My heart was in my throat, unsure of what the night held in store for me. Whatever it was, it felt like it would change things between Hunter and me forever. And I still didn’t know how I felt about this. Hunter was complicated in a way that made Seth feel like the maze on the back of a cereal box.
From the beginning I’d been drawn to Hunter, dumbfounded by him. The anger and us butting heads helped throw the brakes on and slow things down, but now the brake lines had been cut and I was powerless to stop the train barreling through my chest.
We walked to the white velvet rope, which was lifted without a word from Hunter. Inside, there were circular couches with columns from the center with tall flower arrangements that cascaded down like a floral weeping willow, creating a living curtain over whoever sat there.
Flickering lights sat inside frosted glass votive candle holders, covering the area in a warm glow. More servers came through with trays filled with food and drinks.
“You put all this together?”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “With a team of other people. Designers, suppliers, the client. But I got everyone on the same page and made it happen.” He stared out at the room, pride radiating in his gaze.
Design ideas hit me like a fire hose to the face. I grabbed my phone out of my clutch, needing to not forget all the different details I could use for inspiration. “Can I take pictures?”
“Of course. But try to keep the lens off the other VIP areas. People tend to get testy if they feel you’re horning in on a private moment.”
I nodded, not planning on taking pictures of any faces, although some of the outfits and costumes were stunning. Who wouldn’t want another reason to wear their killer costumes outside of Halloween?
Hunter handed me a pink drink in a martini glass with a hibiscus flower floating in the center. “It’s a Sakura Martini.” His fingers brushed against mine and lingered. The air around us crackled with an anticipation that felt like it was always just under the surface, even if I tried to pretend it wasn’t. “Sabrina—”
“Hunter!”
I caught myself from stumbling forward in anticipation of his next words and instead took a sip of my drink when a man in a white suit, white wig, and cane that made him look like seventeenth-century French aristocracy, walked over to Hunter and hugged him. “This is the best one yet.” The man wrapped his arm around Hunter’s shoulder and held up his cane arm, looking out at the sea of over-the-top beautiful costumes. “You’ve outdone yourself once again.”
“Thanks, Mikal. I’m happy you’re enjoying yourself.”
“How could I not?”
“I wanted to introduce you to my date, Sabrina.”
The man whirled, and his eyes widened. “A vision.” He took one of my hands and kissed the back of it while bowing low, but kept his champagne-colored gaze on me.
Once again, I had to question whether Hunter had a hotness barometer he used to gauge whether or not he hung out with someone. First his grown-up boy band of friends and partners at SWANK and now this man. My stomach did a baby backflip, but nothing close to when Hunter touched me. This new addition wasn’t trying to do anything more than flex his flirting muscles. He winked and wrapped his arm around the waist of the woman who followed him up the stairs in a similarly embroidered dress to the one I wore.
We introduced ourselves and admired each other’s outfits. Normally, I’d have never felt like I wanted to be in the same room with her while all dressed up because the comparison would find me woefully lacking, but tonight was different. I didn’t feel like I had to compare myself to her. I was me and she was her, both striking in our own ways, plus I got to go home tonight with Hunter, in whatever capacity that presented itself.
They left and a revolving door of partygoers came to see Hunter like he was holding court.
He introduced me to everyone else who stopped by to check in with him and congratulate him on topping himself. And I had to admit, I had no doubts. It was my first time seeing him in his element. He was charming, of course, and he knew the names of everyone who spoke to him or found them out quickly. The conversation was always about them and he pulled out a little tidbit from an offhand remark that made their eyes light up, and they left the conversation even happier than when it had started.