Page 4 of The Billionaire Invitation

“Hello,” she said as brightly as she could muster.

“Hello.” His brows pinched. “Are you as surprised to see me as I am to see you?”

So he hadn’t expected to find her here.

“Yes,” she admitted. “I am.”

“Eli asked me to show up tonight. He needed a Crane to keep up appearances.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, a sign that he was uncomfortable. She knew exactly what was coming next, even before the wave of sadness slipped over his face. “I’m so sorry about Christian.”

“Thank you. We miss him very much.” Her older brother by ten years had been a force to be reckoned with, even when he’d been stationed away from home. “So, you told Eli yes.”

Dante lifted his shoulders into a barely-there shrug. “I was available. You look… Wow.” He blew out a breath. “Amazing.”

“Thanks.” She swept both hands down her dress. The long, black formal was sleeveless and backless, perfect for an unexpected run-in with her ex.

“You look…” She searched for the right word. “Grown up.”

His cheeks were more sculpted, his jaw sharper, but it was his expression that made him seem older. More controlled. Stoic. Hardened. The twenty-one-year-old version of him had had a wild glint in his eyes and an easy smile.

He showed her his empty glass. “I could use a refill. How about you?”

Her wineglass was two deep drinks from gone. Rather than decline, she slugged it back and handed him her glass. “It was a small pour.”

“Sure it was. Nice to see you retained some of your skills from college.”

She watched him walk to the bar with his long gait and squared-off shoulders. One of her other “skills” from college had involved Dante naked. Either in his apartment off-campus, or in her dorm room when her roommate was out. The flutter in her stomach worked its way lower as she recalled the many things they’d done together in that tiny bed…

She shook off the memories and blew out a long breath. She blamed that reaction on being single for the better part of a year—not that Boyd had satisfied her in his clumsy attempts at intimacy.

She was grousing when Dante returned. Unlike him, every thought showed on her face.

“Everything all right?”

“Yes. Just tired.” She tried not to touch him when he handed her the wineglass, but their fingers brushed anyway. A little jolt of electricity shot through her.

Remember how he left, her heart reminded her.

And that he left, she mentally added.

It was hard to believe this was the same man whose virginity she’d taken. The same man who had been as dedicated to her as if they’d secretly eloped between keg parties. And now he was so…so…inaccessible to her.

The contrast was jarring.

“Beautiful speech, my dear.” An older woman, her husband in tow, stood a little too close to Honesty as she spoke. “Your brother seemed like an amazing man. And to lose him to something as silly as a blood clot!” She put her hand on her ample bosom. “I know you must be cursing out God for that one!”

Honesty opened her mouth but no sound came out.

“We lost our son overseas. It’s something you never get over. And if I could, I would stand on that stage and tell everyone about him. But I’m no good at public speaking.” Her eyes widened behind her glasses. “Do you think I could tell you about him, and you could feature him next time? You would have loved my sweet Charlie. Should we exchange telephone numbers?”

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Miss…” Dante stepped forward and offered his hand.

Her eyes filled with tears when she squeezed his palm. “Mrs. Richter. This is my husband, Bert.”

“Mrs. Richter. Bert. Nice to meet you both. Do either of you know Evelyn Barter?” He gestured to the other side of the room. The Richters each shook their heads. “You should introduce yourselves. She lost a son as well. It often helps to share our stories of grief with others who understand. You’d be doing her a great service.”

“Well, I’d be delighted.” Mrs. Richter’s face rounded, her smile widening to show off pearly dentures. “Thank you. And it really was a beautiful speech, dear.”

“If you’ll excuse us,” Dante extracted his hand from hers, which took some doing. “I’m escorting Ms. Benitez to the balcony for some fresh air.”