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“I’ll get something for the rest of us,” Tristan says. “Penelope, what can I get you?”
“Surprise me,” I reply, smiling at him.
He smiles back and follows in the direction Dominic went, leaving me with Xavier.
It’s interesting to people watch while we wait, and I notice Dominic leaning against the bar, waiting for his drink. There’s a woman standing close to him, very obviously checking him out. She’s beautiful, in a slinky red dress with long dark hair that spills over her shoulders in silky waves. There’s a hungry look in her eyes, and she moves closer to Dom, like she wants to push her luck a little.
“I’m not the only one people notice,” I tell Xavier, nodding over to the woman.
I can’t blame her for being interested. Dominic looks fierce and hot in his suit, and he’s always commanded attention with his dominant presence.
Xavier follows my gaze and then snorts. “Yeah, but he’s not even paying attention to her, look.”
And he’s right. Dominic is just gazing back at me, his eyes flicking up and down my body like he can’t get enough of looking at me.
I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to stop blushing at this rare.
Tristan and Dominic come back with drinks, and I take something pink and fruity from Tristan with a murmured thanks. It’s good, lemony and sweet, covering the taste of whatever alcohol is in it.
“All right,” Dom says, squaring his shoulders. “Let’s get this over with.”
“You sound like you’re about to be led to the gallows,” Tristan says, sipping his drink slowly.
“You know how I feel about shit like this,” Dominic replies, and I wonder if this is the world he grew up in with his rich and influential parents. Maybe he has a particular hatred for stuff like this.
But he turns to me and holds out a hand in offer. “Dance with me?” he asks.
I smile and nod, finishing my drink. “I’d love to.”
He sweeps me across the ballroom floor and into a dance that I definitely don’t know. But Dom is an amazing lead, moving effortlessly through the steps and guiding me when I stumble a little.
“You’re so good at this,” I say, looking up at him. “You’re making up for my clumsiness.”
“I had dance lessons as a kid,” he admits. “It sticks with you. Muscle memory and all that.”
I nod. “It shows. This is fun.”
He doesn’t look like he wants to agree, but I’m determined to get a smile out of him before this dance is over. I walk my hand up his shoulder to place it on the side of his neck, feeling his pulse beat strong. I lean in closer to him, turning the dance into something more intimate than it was originally.
There are eyes on us, I can feel them now, but neither of us seem to care about that, caught up in each other.
“It’s better with you here,” he murmurs, dipping his head to brush his mouth over mine.
“I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I’m having a good time.”
When the song ends, Tristan comes up and bows to me, offering his hand as well. I take it, and we dance together as well.
He’s not as much of a natural as Dominic, but he has a strong sense of movement, commanding the space with just as much ease.
I take turns dancing with the three of them, and then take a break to eat some of the fancy hors d’oeuvres that are being circulated through the room.
Xavier comes over with champagne, and I sip mine slowly, not wanting it to make my head fuzzy.
The networking part of the ball becomes clear when two men come over to talk to Xavier, Tristan, and Dominic, asking about business and recommending a client to them.
They introduce me as their wife, and I fight the urge to blush again, instead smiling and nodding to the men with a soft, “It’s nice to meet you.”
I stay quiet during the exchange, just listening with pride as my three men talk confidently about their work and clearly impress everyone who’s listening.