She fidgeted with the slim gold chain on her glittery bag. “I already told myself that I wasn’t going to. That it wasn’t a good idea, even if I wanted to. But ask me again after I’ve had a cocktail or two.”

  “You need liquid courage to dance with an old friend?”

  She met his gaze, staring straight at him. He stared back at her, too. If their affair hadn’t ended, he would be sliding his hand along the slit in her dress, reaching up to cop a sweet feel of her panties. Then again, if this had been happening during their affair, she probably wouldn’t even be wearing them.

  “You’re not an old friend,” she said.

  “A new one, then.” He moved away from her, pulling back to modify his position. He’d already been leaning too close. “I’ll do what you said and ask you to dance later.” He would allow her to build up the courage she needed. He could probably use an alcohol-infused boost, too.

  Or maybe he’d come to his senses and not dance with her at all.

  Five

  The ballroom shimmered in black and white with touches of red, the Old Hollywood theme evident in its decor. The nameplates on the tables were shaped like clapper boards, and brightly painted stars embellished the floors. Popcorn stands added bits of whimsy, surrounded by movie reel confetti. Champagne towers were everywhere. The guests milled around during the cocktail hour, checking out the memorabilia up for silent auction.

  In this day and age most of the bigger auctions involved entering the bids on handheld digital devices, but this was being done the old-time way where bids were written on sheets of paper.

  As Margot sipped her champagne, she tried not to worry about the rest of the evening that was still to come. Dinner would be served by a waitstaff in vintage uniforms, and during dessert—something decadent, no doubt—the dance floor would open up with a live band playing music from the golden age of Hollywood.

  She glanced over at Zeke. He was handling himself quite well, drinking scotch and water and chatting with Lenny Newberg, a prominent director who was at least twice his age.

  When that conversation ended, Zeke returned to Margot’s side, and they stood in front of a glass display containing a prop from a 1930s horror film.

  “What’s up with Lenny?” she asked.

  “He’s an old acquaintance of my mom’s. He knew I was her son and asked me to give her his regards. He belonged to the same golf club as my dad, too. I gave him my contact information and reminded him that I was in security and that he could call Z-One if he ever needed me.”

  “It’s good that you’re networking.”

  “The potential for new clients is endless.”

  “Have you come across any of your current clients?”

  “Yes, and they seemed surprised to see me in this capacity as a guest. But it stands to reason that they would be. Normally I’d be wearing an earpiece and standing in the back of the room, instead of attending the party with a drink in my hand.”

  “I’m glad you came with me.”

  “Are you?” he asked, a bit roughly.

  “Yes, I am.” She thought he was the most compelling man at the ball. But he was making her nervous, too, with how big and strong and serious he was.

  He turned to study a colorful brooch once owned by Ann Sheridan. “Are you going to bid on anything?”

  “I was actually thinking about bidding on that brooch. My mom always said that I reminded her of Ann Sheridan.” She gestured to a cardboard cutout of the actress next to the display. “You can’t tell by that photograph, but she was a redhead, too.”

  He made a curious expression. “I’m not familiar with her work. What types of roles did she play?”

  “She could be sweet or sultry. A girl next door or a femme fatale.”

  Zeke released an audible breath, the chandelier above them casting a film noir glow. “You’re definitely like that, too. Sometimes I think those qualities in you were my downfall.”

  Margot got a racy chill. He was gazing at her with memories of passions from the past in his eyes.

  “I’ll bid on the brooch for you,” he said.

  She shook her head. “You don’t have to. I can do it myself.”

  “No, let me. Then if I win the bid, I can give you the brooch as a gift. And if I don’t, then it’ll just be one more uncertain thing about this night.”

  She blinked. “Uncertain?”

  “I still don’t know if you’re going to dance with me, or if I should even pursue it, regardless of how many drinks either of us have.”

  Her pulse pounded at her throat. “My champagne glass is still half-full. Or half-empty, depending on one’s perspective.” She didn’t know which way she was leaning.

  He wrote down a bid for the brooch. There didn’t appear to be anything she could do to stop him, other than bid against him. But that would only create an unnecessary competition.

  “I’ll keep checking back before it closes and increase my bid if I have to,” he said. “I’m going to try my damnedest to get it.” He paused. “It’s for a good cause.”

  Did he mean the charity? Or was she the cause he was referring to? Margot glanced away, struck by his impact on her. Trying to distract herself, she said, “Maybe I’ll bid on some items for my mom.”

  Going up and down the aisles, she scoped out five different things. If she won them all, her mom would have a sizable bounty. After she placed the last bid, she and Zeke returned to the party.

  They wandered around together, stopping to talk to other guests. Mostly, it was Margot who embarked on those conversations. Zeke had gone quiet. Would he ask her to dance later? Or would he let it go? She couldn’t tell by his behavior.

  As the cocktail hour came to a close, they proceeded to their table, but all she could think about was the uncertainty of that dance and how it would feel to have his body pressed against hers.

  * * *

  The meal was exceptional. Zeke chose the steak and seafood platter, and Margot went for the vegan option even though she wasn’t vegan. He never knew what to expect from her. She kept him guessing.

  Some of her castmates from The Grown-up Years were there, sitting at their table. By now, they’d gotten the gist that he and Margot had become friendly exes. But they didn’t know that he still had the hots for her. As always, Zeke’s desire for Margot ran rampant. He had to stop himself from staring at her while she ate.

  She chatted with the female news anchor sitting on the other side of her. Mostly they talked about their children, showing off pictures from their phones. The topic was foreign to Zeke. He couldn’t exactly chime in. He’d always been the big silent type, anyway. It sounded like a cliché, but it suited him, especially in his line of work.

  Would Margot have been better off marrying another actor? And what about Zeke? What type of woman should he be with? When he’d fallen for Margot, she’d seemed perfect for him. But there was nothing perfect about the way it turned out. Even this ball didn’t make sense. He shouldn’t be here with her. He should’ve just let Jordan What’s-His-Face take her.

  By the time Zeke finished his dinner, he was frowning. He excused himself to check on the brooch.

  He wandered over to the auction area and saw that he needed to increase his bid. If he wasn’t so pigheaded, he would let someone else win it. Yet he was determined to acquire it for Margot. The last piece of jewelry he’d given her was the diamond-studded wedding band he’d placed on her finger, which she no longer had cause to wear. So why should this bauble matter?

  Because it represented her in a way that made him ache, he thought. Her innocence. Her wildness. Everything that made him crave her.

  He cursed under his breath and raised his bid, almost as if he was raising the stakes on his feelings for her.

  He returned to the table and resumed his seat next to Margot. She was indulging in the dessert that had just been served: a lavishly frosted black forest cake with cherry filling.

  “This is delicious,” she said.

  “I can tell.” He thought she looked downright orgasmic, going after another bite.

  “Are you going to eat yours?” she asked.

  “Maybe just a little.” He sank his fork into his cake, and she watched him taste it.

  Damn, it was good. Thick and gooey and bursting with flavor. He ate a bit more. He’d always had a sweet tooth that he struggled to contain. But he worked off the calories in the gym. Staying fit was part of his lifestyle.

  A waiter came by, offering coffee, tea or port. Zeke and Margot both chose the wine. Soon after, the band took the stage and opened with, “I’ll Never Smile Again,” a song Frank Sinatra had crooned in his youth with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Zeke’s dad had been a Sinatra fan, so he’d heard it before.

  As the tune continued, Zeke sipped his port, letting it warm him from the inside out. The next song was equally slow and melodic. He didn’t recognize it, but he appreciated the soft sound.

  People got up to dance, swaying to the old-fashioned beat. Was Margot waiting to see if he would make his move? Or would she prefer that he didn’t? There was only one way to find out.

  “Have you had enough liquid courage to dance with me?” he asked.

  She hastily replied, “I never finished my champagne from before, and I’ve only had a few sips of this.” She fingered the stem of her glass. “I’m not impaired.”

  “Neither am I.” He was on his second unfinished drink of the night, too. “Do you plan on getting tipsy later?”

  “Probably not. What about you?”

  “I’d rather keep my wits about me.” He stared longingly at her mouth. “But I think we should dance together, regardless. Then we won’t have to keep obsessing about it.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Her voice turned breathy. “But you can’t kiss me when we go out there. A friend wouldn’t kiss a friend.”

  “I never said anything about kissing you.”

  “No, but you look like you want to.”

  He quit staring at her mouth. “I’m not going to try anything. I’ll be the kind of friend you need.” Someone she could trust, someone who would keep his yearnings in check. “I won’t take advantage of you.”

  “I won’t do that to you, either. No flirting. No encouragement.” She removed her napkin from her lap, folding it neatly beside her dessert plate. Was she giving herself time to calm her nerves, preparing to let him hold her?

  He knew the feeling. But he stood and offered her a hand, escorting her onto the dance floor.

  * * *

  Margot swayed in Zeke’s arms, lost in an attraction that she wished would go away. He’d promised that he wouldn’t kiss her, and she believed him. But was she as trustworthy as he was? Would she stop herself from enticing him?

  A part of her wanted to seduce him, to charm him back into bed. But she needed to respect her own boundaries.

  She’d never danced to old songs like this before, and now that she was in the midst of it, she imagined that she and Zeke were being swept away to another era. Would life have been simpler for them then? Somehow, she doubted it. The same problems that existed between them now probably would’ve surfaced in those days, too. When it came to romance, the world was a complicated place.

  She lifted her chin. Their faces were close enough to kiss, to do exactly what they’d agreed not to do.

  Could he tell what she was thinking? Did he know how badly she wanted to taste him? Would it cause a scene if they kissed here? This wasn’t a heavily publicized event, but it wasn’t completely private, either. Photographs were permitted.

  Margot leaned closer into him, making the dance more intimate. The only barrier between them was her shiny little evening bag, draped across her body and resting at her hip. Zeke had taught her to never leave her belongings unattended.

  He met her gaze, and her imagination took flight. Was he still bewitched by her lipstick? She hadn’t reapplied it, but the formula had staying power. She suspected that her lips were still a wild shade of red, much like the cherry filling in the dessert they’d eaten.

  Everything they did together tonight seemed sexual, every second of every moment. Heaven help her, but she missed their affair. The erotic feeling of having him inside her.

  She pulled back. “I think I need some air.”

  “Do you want to go outside for a bit?”

  “Please.” She was desperate to cut and run. But it was her own fault for wanting what she shouldn’t have.

  He led her to the courtyard attached to the ballroom, and they stood off by themselves. Although the temperature was mild, Margot felt a chill. Zeke removed his jacket and gave it to her, clearly aware of her shiver.

  “Thank you.” His jacket was big on her, but it made her feel safe. Which was weird, considering how threatened she was by her attraction to him.

  “Are you okay now?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She cuffed the sleeves of his jacket, rolling them up several times, so she didn’t look like a scarecrow. “It’s pretty out there.” On the other side of the courtyard was a garden surrounded by twinkling lights. “Lots of flowers.”

  He nodded. “From what I recall, carnations were always your favorite. Do you see any of those?”

  “I can’t tell from here.” From her vantage point, all she could see were some tall leafy blooms. Larkspur, maybe. “But you’re right about carnations being my favorite. They’re not fancy or exotic. But they’re hardy, and that’s what I like about them.”

  “The garden at my mom’s always reminds me of our wedding. That damned maze.” He frowned into the night. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

  “It’s all right. We can’t pretend we don’t have a past or that reminders don’t come up. Being honest with each other is probably the only way to get comfortable with being friends.”

  “Then honestly, us dancing together was a mistake. It just made me miss our affair.”

  “I know. Me, too.” She couldn’t deny that she’d had the same reaction. “But maybe in time, things like that won’t matter anymore.”

  “I hope so.” He quit frowning. “It’s nice talking to you like this.”

  She was calmer now, too. “You know what makes it easier? That neither of us ever says that we miss being married. We only ever say that we miss the affair.”

  He tugged a hand through his hair. “The affair was less painful. But I did get a family-type feeling when I was in the pool with you and Liam. It almost seemed like you and I were still together and Liam was ours. But it wasn’t as big a deal as it sounds. That feeling only lasted for a second.”

  She could do little more than stare at him. “But why would you even get a feeling like that?”

  “I don’t know. I think I was just caught up in the moment. But I’m not under any delusions about us being a family. We’re divorced, Margot, and nothing is going to change that.”

  That was true. Their marriage was over, and she wasn’t going to worry about him getting caught up in one little moment. “Thank you for telling me about your feelings in the pool. With the way we’re opening up to each other, we might actually be on our way to becoming genuine friends.”

  A slight smile appeared on his face. “I really want our conversations to get easier.”

  “Me, too.” She smiled back, grateful that they’d come this far without imploding. “What happened with the brooch?”

  “I increased my bid, but I should probably check on it again. The bidding is supposed to close at ten.” He glanced at the Rolex on his wrist, the classic timepiece perfectly complementing his formal wear. “That only gives me about five more minutes. I can check on your stuff, too.”

  “Okay. But you don’t have to increase my bids. I’ll take my chances with what I offered.”

  He dashed off, and she stayed in the courtyard, gazing across the fence at the garden. It wasn’t anywhere near as elaborate as the location where she and Zeke had gotten married. His mother had spent a fortune replicating the labyrinth of Versailles, and Margot had been thrilled when Eva had suggested using it for the ceremony. It had seemed so magical at the time, a storybook wedding for a dreamy bride. The honeymoon had been equally spectacular. They’d gone to Samoa, traveling throughout the islands, the tropical air caressing their naked bodies at night. But that wasn’t something she should be thinking about. Even as dazzling as everything had been in the beginning, their life together hadn’t been a fairy tale.

  Zeke returned shortly. He approached her and said, “I won the brooch. You only nabbed one of your items. The autographed still from Citizen Kane.”

  “That’ll make my mom happy. She loved that movie.”

  “They said that we can pick up our stuff before we leave tonight.”

  “When do you think we should go?”

  “That’s up to you. This is your scene, not mine.”

  She nodded. The ballroom was filled with her crowd. The people he knew were either Z-One clients or associates of his mother’s. Not anyone he would typically socialize with. “Maybe we can stay for a bit longer.” She wasn’t ready to leave just yet. “I’m enjoying the night air.”

  “You don’t mind standing, do you?” He glanced around. “All of the benches out here are taken.”

  “I’m fine. I like looking at the flowers.” She noticed that other guests were strolling the garden path, carrying their after-dinner drinks with them. “It’s soothing.”

  “This is going to sound like a stupid question, but did your wedding bouquet have carnations in it? I can’t remember what it looked like.”

  She remembered, all too well. “It was pink carnations, white roses and baby’s breath. Your boutonniere was a rose.”

 

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