Page 43 of Stone Temptation
“No.”
“Me neither.”
We passed some comrades and nodded, accepting their compliments.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love to dress up,” I said, “but this sucks.”
Being paraded around in hot suits, flirting our nuts off. Yeah, there might be worse jobs, but whatever. Still sucked.
“There’ll be canapés.”
I snorted. “You and your canapés.”
“I’m a sucker for the pancakey goodness.”
We reached the side entrance to the ballroom, and I took a deep breath.
“Here goes,” Dane said.
“We’ve got this.”
We strode into the decadence.
“Well, shit.” Dane’s jaw hit the floor.
Mine was right there with his, floored at the transformation of the ballroom. There’d always been a stage, chandelier, and huge dancefloor. But they’d always been gray and gray and more gray. Now, everything sparkled with elegant white-and-blue Christmas decorations and lights. A massive tree sat next to the stage, done up in the same colors, a real fucking triumph of stunning.
“Who’d have thought this room would out-sparkle yours?” Dane said.
This was the first of these galas to be held at the tower. Usually, they took place in some function room in the city. Carissa wanted to change things up, bring the party inside the tower. Wanted His Majesty here, but that was asking too much.
Baby steps. He might return to public life again one day. Or give up his throne to… A cousin? He had no kids.
The VIPs mingled everywhere, air-kissing, gossiping, and dripping in designer clothes and jewels.
“Isn’t that the bloke from that singing show?” Dane asked.
“Where?”
He pointed out a man with the puzzling young face. “That’s him, isn’t it?”
“Think so.”
“I’ll introduce myself.”
I watched Dane leave, snatching up some canapés from human waiters on his way to shake the slightly startled man’s hand.
Right. Where to begin with my mingling? Over by the lavish food tables along the west wall, or should I plant myself at the Christmas tree?
I smelled cinnamon and orange blossom. Whoa. What an aroma. It went right to the tips of my toes.
Was Christmas cake on the menu?
Loving me some cake, I followed the scent across the ballroom, weaving through expensively dressed bodies until I found the source of the aroma. I locked eyes on the seriously handsome human man in a stunning white suit, the fragrance coming off him in thick waves.
I took a moment to appreciate him. A crown of sleek auburn hair, his eyes on the azure side of blue. Something about him seemed, I don’t know, familiar. Was that the right word?
Pardon me while I drool.