Lucien’s gaze on her from across the terrace where he spoke to Jacob,
Ian, and Davie. She strongly suspected that he was waiting for her to slip up and say something she shouldn’t with all the
alcohol that had been flowing given the celebratory mood of the party.
“Not at all. They’re really nice guys. Davie, Justin, Caden, and you are roommates, right?”
Francesca nodded. “Davie watches over us all,” she said, smiling.
“You’re lucky, to have such good friends,” Elise said feelingly. For a horrible moment, her throat tightened. Too late; Francesca
noticed.
“Elise. Are you all right?” Francesca asked, sitting forward slightly, concern etching her features as she stared at Elise’s
face.
Elise slid her social mask back into place, only missing a beat. “Yes, of course. I’ll bet you’ll miss them, after you move
in with Ian. Your friends, I mean. When will the wedding be?”
“We haven’t decided yet. Probably next spring. I finish my classwork this winter at my program, and then I just have a final
project due before I can get my master’s. I’ll likely be finished by the spring. We’re thinking of eloping to Hydra. Ian owns
a place there.”
“Oh, that’ll be beautiful.”
“You’ve been to Hydra?” Francesca asked, eyes wide.
“Yes, my parents own a home in Poros. I haven’t been to the islands in ages, though.”
Elise threw a surreptitious glance in Lucien’s direction, but his attention was on Davie as they conversed.
“Ian and Lucien seem like good friends,” she said in a hushed yet off-the-cuff manner.
“They are. Ian is very comfortable with him. He doesn’t worry about his true intentions, like he has to with so many other
potential friends he meets,” Francesca said.
Elise nodded in understanding. “It’s hard. A man like Ian has to always wonder about people’s motivations. How long have
they known each other?”
Francesca wrinkled her brow. “I’m not sure if Ian has ever said exactly, but I do know they were introduced by a common acquaintance
in Paris several years back. Ian took to visiting Lucien in his restaurant whenever he was in Paris, and they discovered they
both loved fencing. They started working out together when they got the chance. When Ian decided to open up his headquarters
here in Chicago, he asked Lucien to open the restaurant in the tower as a personal favor.”
“Hey, Ian,” Justin called across the terrace, interrupting a conversation Elise found extremely interesting. Ian and Lucien
paused in their exchange, turning toward Justin. Night had almost completely fallen. Elise noticed idly that Lucien’s and
Ian’s shadows were exactly the same height, their profiles both stark and arresting. “Why don’t you put on some real music?
I might want to teach your fiancée how to dance,” Justin called.
Francesca snorted into her champagne.
“I taught you how to dance, you braggart,” she chastised.
“Just keep the gymnastics to a minimum, please. The last time I saw these two dance, Francesca left the floor with tennis
elbow,” Ian told Elise drolly as he passed them.
“Tennis elbow?” Elise asked, confused.
“Don’t ask,” Francesca said, laughing.
Elise thought she understood after Ian went behind the bar and changed the music selection to a dance mix. Justin immediately
pulled Francesca into an athletic, exuberant dance that did, indeed, look potentially harmful to life and limb. She was enjoying
watching the two friends dance beneath the stars when Caden approached her.
“Come on, we can’t let these two steal the show.”
Elise removed her high-heeled sandals and took Caden’s hand. As she walked over to the designated dance floor—an open area
behind the outdoor furniture—she noticed Lucien’s eyes gleaming in the firelit darkness as he watched her. A thrill went through
her for some reason. He’d been ignoring her all night—well, not
ignoring
exactly. She’d
Ian, and Davie. She strongly suspected that he was waiting for her to slip up and say something she shouldn’t with all the
alcohol that had been flowing given the celebratory mood of the party.
“Not at all. They’re really nice guys. Davie, Justin, Caden, and you are roommates, right?”
Francesca nodded. “Davie watches over us all,” she said, smiling.
“You’re lucky, to have such good friends,” Elise said feelingly. For a horrible moment, her throat tightened. Too late; Francesca
noticed.
“Elise. Are you all right?” Francesca asked, sitting forward slightly, concern etching her features as she stared at Elise’s
face.
Elise slid her social mask back into place, only missing a beat. “Yes, of course. I’ll bet you’ll miss them, after you move
in with Ian. Your friends, I mean. When will the wedding be?”
“We haven’t decided yet. Probably next spring. I finish my classwork this winter at my program, and then I just have a final
project due before I can get my master’s. I’ll likely be finished by the spring. We’re thinking of eloping to Hydra. Ian owns
a place there.”
“Oh, that’ll be beautiful.”
“You’ve been to Hydra?” Francesca asked, eyes wide.
“Yes, my parents own a home in Poros. I haven’t been to the islands in ages, though.”
Elise threw a surreptitious glance in Lucien’s direction, but his attention was on Davie as they conversed.
“Ian and Lucien seem like good friends,” she said in a hushed yet off-the-cuff manner.
“They are. Ian is very comfortable with him. He doesn’t worry about his true intentions, like he has to with so many other
potential friends he meets,” Francesca said.
Elise nodded in understanding. “It’s hard. A man like Ian has to always wonder about people’s motivations. How long have
they known each other?”
Francesca wrinkled her brow. “I’m not sure if Ian has ever said exactly, but I do know they were introduced by a common acquaintance
in Paris several years back. Ian took to visiting Lucien in his restaurant whenever he was in Paris, and they discovered they
both loved fencing. They started working out together when they got the chance. When Ian decided to open up his headquarters
here in Chicago, he asked Lucien to open the restaurant in the tower as a personal favor.”
“Hey, Ian,” Justin called across the terrace, interrupting a conversation Elise found extremely interesting. Ian and Lucien
paused in their exchange, turning toward Justin. Night had almost completely fallen. Elise noticed idly that Lucien’s and
Ian’s shadows were exactly the same height, their profiles both stark and arresting. “Why don’t you put on some real music?
I might want to teach your fiancée how to dance,” Justin called.
Francesca snorted into her champagne.
“I taught you how to dance, you braggart,” she chastised.
“Just keep the gymnastics to a minimum, please. The last time I saw these two dance, Francesca left the floor with tennis
elbow,” Ian told Elise drolly as he passed them.
“Tennis elbow?” Elise asked, confused.
“Don’t ask,” Francesca said, laughing.
Elise thought she understood after Ian went behind the bar and changed the music selection to a dance mix. Justin immediately
pulled Francesca into an athletic, exuberant dance that did, indeed, look potentially harmful to life and limb. She was enjoying
watching the two friends dance beneath the stars when Caden approached her.
“Come on, we can’t let these two steal the show.”
Elise removed her high-heeled sandals and took Caden’s hand. As she walked over to the designated dance floor—an open area
behind the outdoor furniture—she noticed Lucien’s eyes gleaming in the firelit darkness as he watched her. A thrill went through
her for some reason. He’d been ignoring her all night—well, not
ignoring
exactly. She’d
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