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Jake's jaw dropped when she opened the door to him a few minutes later, which boosted her confidence even more.
"Wow!" he spluttered. "You look absolutely stunning."
She did a little twirl for him and laughed. "I clean up pretty good, huh?"
"Pretty good might be the most colossal understatement ever." He winked. "I am going to be the envy of every man there. I'll have to keep an eye on you or they'll all be trying to steal you from under my nose."
Desi giggled merrily and grabbed a lined satin wrap and her evening bag before giving Jake a deep, contrived curtsey and extending her hand light-heartedly. "Shall we, dear Sir?"
Jake laughed and took her hand, following her lead with a flourish and a bow before placing a kiss on the back of her hand. He was pleased to see the playful side of her was back.
"By all means, my lady. Your carriage awaits."
The venue for the event didn't disappoint. Held in the original ballroom of one of the area's finest hotels, it had the luxury of 1920s glamour with its double height, vaulted ceiling complete with dripping crystal chandeliers and its sweeping marble staircase that accessed a colonnaded viewing balcony with mahogany and deep red velvet upholstered chairs surrounding little cocktail tables.
The music was provided by a wonderful string quartet, and as Desi listened appreciatively, she couldn't help noticing that some modern numbers had been reworked and nestled seamlessly between Beethoven and Haydn. She particularly liked the renditions of Coldplay's 'Viva la Vida' and The Rolling Stones 'Paint it Black'. They mingled for a while, nodding to the odd acquaintance and enjoying the atmosphere.
Jake stopped a passing waiter and took two glasses of champagne, handing one to Desi and she sipped, enjoying the feeling of the bubbles tickling her nose.
Across the room, she saw Connor chatting to another man, who from his distinctive black hair and blue eyes, Desi guessed must be Joseph Blackwood. There could be little doubting the family resemblance. The elder Blackwood was still a handsome man. There were wings of silver at his temples which gave him a distinguished look and he didn't appear to be as tall as either his son or his nephew, although that was difficult to tell, given that he was standing next to the giant who was Connor Griffin. Pretty much everyone looked small next to that man.
Jake followed her gaze. "Want to go say hello?" he asked.
Desi looked at her equally handsome escort. She had checked in her bag and wrap at the cloak room, so she was unencumbered.
"No," she said, finishing her drink and setting her glass on a nearby table. "Let's dance first!"
Jake grinned and led her to the dance floor, "It would be my pleasure, ma'am."
He spun her across the floor in a practiced foxtrot. Jake was an excellent dancer and she could tell by the attention they garnered that they made a striking couple. They were about to take a second turn around the floor when a familiar figure tapped Jake on the shoulder.
"May I cut in?" Joel asked smoothly, and Jake gave his cousin an odd, tight look and raised an eyebrow in askance before he allowed Joel to take her hand.
Desi smiled her consent to Jake. She could do this. She needed to do this, to prove to herself that she could function efficiently and without too much awkwardness in Joel's company. No time like the present to test the water and get a grip on how any future contact with Joel might turn out. It could probably only get easier from this point on, she reasoned.
Her stomach did a familiar flip-flop as he pulled her close, and his large palm seemed to almost brand her flesh with its heat as he placed it low on her bare back, slipping his fingers familiarly and maybe slightly inappropriately underneath the fabric of her dress where he proceeded to rub small circles across her skin while they danced in a somewhat stilted silence.
Desi felt a quiver slide down her spine at his attention and wondered if it would always be this way or whether time would eventually desensitise her to him.
She took a breath and was about to ask him exactly what he had wanted to achieve by asking her to dance, when he finally spoke. "My father would like to meet you," Joel said awkwardly. He seemed unusually agitated, not significantly so, maybe not noticeably to anyone who didn't know him as well as she did, but as if something was just bubbling under the surface. She wondered if he was uncomfortable because of her revelation, or if it was simply that the last time they were together, he had fucked her senseless. Or maybe it was something entirely different that had nothing to do with her.
"Of course," Desi replied politely but with a hint of reservation in her tone and body language. "Jake suggested an introduction earlier, but I wanted to dance first."
"Look, Desi. About the other night…" Joel began hesitantly, but Desi cut him off swiftly. She was sooo not going there with him, especially not here and now.
"Please don't," she said stiffly, pulling away from him slightly. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she lifted her chin unashamedly and looked him straight in the eye, standing tall and confident.
"I understand, Joel. I understand everything," she told him clearly and noticed that he at least had the grace to look a little embarrassed that she'd recognised his play for what it was.
She stared deep into his eyes until he started to get uncomfortable with the intensity. Then she said sincerely, "I hope you find whatever it is that you're looking for, Joel. I hope what transpired was worthwhile for you—that you've slain those ghosts and you're finally at peace with yourself. More than anything in the world, I want you to be happy, my love. And I want you know that I'm finally at peace with myself. So, it's all good." She finished with a tremulous smile, bringing her hand up to touch his cheek with a mere feather of a touch.
"Now, let's go and meet your father." She closed the subject decisively and turned to make her way to the group of a dozen or so people whom she recognised were from The Blackwood Corporation.
As she reached the group and waded through the formal introductions of a bunch of men she would probably never remember the names of, she was aware that Jake seemed curiously uncomfortable and disconcerted, too. She also noticed that both Jake and Connor were shooting dagger glares at Joel, and she wondered if the three men had had some kind of falling out.
Connor met her affectionately, drawing her into his massive arms and hugging her tightly before placing a great smacking kiss on her cheek. Now that she knew him better, she was starting to see the cheerful guy behind the sombre exterior he so often presented. It was a nice juxtaposition for such a bear of a man who exuded an aura of remoteness and danger. She wondered if that was maybe just a gut reaction people had to his sheer size. Her final introduction was to the powerful mogul who was Joseph Blackwood.
"Desirae Harper!" he exclaimed. "Ah, Ms. Harper, finally, we meet. May I call you Desirae? What a pleasure!" he enthused and continued without waiting for an answer.
