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Talking to him is easy. When I mention that the Hartwell’s ballroom ceiling leaked during a wedding last winter, he tells me about a pipe bursting above a conference for three hundred accountants.

“We moved the entire event to another floor in forty minutes,” he says. “I still have nightmares about it.”

His arm has been resting along the back of my chair for the past few minutes. He isn’t touching me, but I’m aware of how close he is. Whenever the applause grows too loud, he leans toward my ear so I can hear him.

This is exactly the kind of flirting I came for. It’s easy and comfortable, with a man who has never sent me a mug covered in photo’s of his own face.

While Oliver and I have been talking, Chloe has slipped away from our table. I spot her three tables over with a handsome man in a black tuxedo. She holds a glass of champagne in one hand and wears the focused look that means she’s already deciding whether he could be a client. Apparently, neither of us is wasting the evening.

The presenter announces a short break, and voices rise across the ballroom as guests leave their seats and head for the bars. The others at our table join them. Within seconds, Oliver and I are alone.

He glances past my shoulder and sits straighter. “No way.”

“What?”

“The Vosses are here.”

Oliver is already halfway to his feet when I turn. Through the guests gathering between the tables, I spot Eric standing with two dark-haired men who look enough like him to be his brothers. All three wear black tuxedos. Of course. Eric hasn’t attended these awards once in the fifteen years I’ve been coming, yet he chose tonight to make an appearance.

He turns his head and catches me watching him. People pass between us, but his eyes stay on mine. For several seconds, neither of us looks away.

Oliver lets out a quiet laugh. “I’ve been trying to get five minutes with Eric Voss for years. I’ll be back.”

Oliver crosses the ballroom, leaving me alone at the table. I reach for my champagne, but my attention returns to Eric. He’s still watching me. He starts toward me, but Oliver steps into his path. Eric stops and shakes his hand, though his jaw tightens. A moment later, his gaze returns to me over Oliver’s shoulder. He looks irritated, and the small rush of pleasure it gives me is far too satisfying. I take a sip of champagne and decide not to examine that.

Chloe drops into Oliver’s empty chair and pulls out her phone. “Potential client. Thirty-seven, divorced, no children. He owns a restaurant group, wants to remarry, and claims he’s terrible at meeting women.”

“You learned all that in ten minutes?”

“Three.” Her fingers move across the screen. “I also have his number and permission to call him on Monday.”

Chloe follows my gaze across the ballroom. Oliver is still talking to Eric, though Eric seems to have lost interest in the conversation. He gives short replies and keeps glancing past Oliver toward our table.

“You didn’t tell me the Vosses would be here,” Chloe says.

“How would I know?”

Oliver says something that earns a stiff nod from Eric. It’s polite, but only just. A moment later, his eyes find mine again.

Chloe notices. “He keeps looking at you. This is perfect. You can introduce me.”

“To Eric?”

“No. To his brothers.” She stands and smooths her dress. “Come on.”

“I don’t know his brothers.”

“But you know Eric, and he’s standing with them.” Chloe glances across the ballroom. “Of course, if you stay here, he may think you’re too intimidated to face him.”

That gets me out of my chair. Chloe hides a smile as we cross the room.

Oliver is still talking when we reach them, using both hands as he explains something. Eric nods at the right moments, but his expression is politely blank.

Oliver spots us and turns. “Rachel. Come meet the Vosses.”

Eric’s attention shifts to me. “Rachel and I are well acquainted.”

Up close, the brothers look even more alike. All three are tall, dark-haired, and broad through the shoulders, though Daniel’s features are sharper than Eric’s. His blue-green eyes give little away, and even in a tuxedo, he looks ready for a board meeting.