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“Those are meant for later,” I growled.
Luka spun around with a grin. “I’m just taste testing. Gotta make sure everyone’s going to love it.”
I flashed him an irritated look before turning my attention to the caterer. “I apologize for him. As I said before, the food looks wonderful and I’m glad my secretary thought of hiring you.”
The young chef beamed at me. “Me too. This is my first big event. I had to hire a few more waiters to pull it off, but I’m really looking forward to starting. Did you want them to offer the champagne now?”
Looking at my watch, I frowned. “Give it another ten minutes. And don’t let Luka nag you into giving him treats. He’s got more important things to be doing right now.”
“Holy shit. Yes, I do,” he replied, his voice awestruck. Frowning, I followed his gaze until I saw what he was looking at. My jaw actually hit the ground as the sea of people parted for the most beautiful goddess I’d ever seen.
Julie was a vision in red, her dress tight with a long slit and a deep neckline. She smiled at someone as she looked around, but when she locked eyes on us, she lit up with a stunning grin that nearly knocked me on my ass.
I didn’t actually feel myself moving until I stood in front of her. “You look…”
Speechless. I was speechless. There were so many words flashing through my head, and none of them were good enough to describe the way she looked. She flushed, biting her lip, and it took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to pull her into my arms and kiss her.
“Hot damn, beautiful. I think you’ve outdone yourself.”
Luka’s exclamation made her laugh, and she shook her head. “Thank you, I guess? I…” She glanced down, brushing her hands on her dress. “I feel good about it.” It was shy and a little uncertain, but I felt pride swell in my chest because normally, it would take a lot of work to get her to admit that she looked good.
“You should. You look perfect.” Stepping forward, I brushed a kiss against her cheek. It was chaste, and innocent enough that most people probably wouldn’t think twice.
Luka did the same, squeezing her hand and making her spin for us. It was when her gaze shifted to Bennett that her brow furrowed and her smile faltered.
“Is everything okay?”
Glancing over my shoulder at him, I fought back a laugh. He looked stunned, his eyes wide and locked on Julie. I had to nudge him with my elbow to get him to blink, and he still looked just as speechless as I felt.
“I– You–” He huffed out a breath, frowning. “I can’t think straight.”
Julie’s eyebrows flew up, and she looked between the three of us for explanation. I chuckled.
“You’ve blown him away, sweetheart. Give him a minute to collect himself.”
Her sweet blush made me want to pull her into my arms. I couldn’t do that here. We all agreed to keep our relationship quiet for Julie’s sake. I made do by shifting beside her and putting my hand on her lower back.
“We’ve got work to do, but do you want a glass of champagne first?”
She shook her head, smiling up at me. “I’m good. Drinking on an empty stomach is a bad idea.”
I frowned. “You haven’t eaten?”
She pursed her lips, failing to hide her smile. “It’s a dinner event, Grayson. And the chef owns one of my favorite restaurants.”
True. I’d gotten a few bites when the chef showed me the menu, and it was delicious. I was looking forward to eating as well.
“Alright, let’s get started then. We’ve got both investors and potential clients at this event, so I’ll need your help to remember who wants what from me.”
She nodded once, gesturing to her little clutch purse. “I’ve got my phone with me. I’ll make quick notes when I can, so we don't get too confused.”
And this was why I wanted her with me. I couldn’t get away with sneaking time on my phone, but she could. And she was going to use it to help me.
“I adore you, sweetheart.”
* * *
Groaning, I leaned heavily against one of the decorative columns, scrubbing my hand over my face. Like Bennett, I couldn’t stand events like these. We’d been mingling for hours, and I lost track of the amount of people looking to invest or asking about possible contracts. It was all starting to blur together, and my head was pounding.
