“I’m still proud of you, though. I am keeping those images of you. I printed them off and framed them,” I said as I squeezed her hand.
“No way!” Sienna gripped my hand in both of her own.
“You looked gorgeous. Even if you never do it again, you ought to be proud of them.”
“Thank you. I am.” She squared her shoulders. “So, who would like to bring Lou to the charity gala Estate Styles is hosting on Christmas Eve?” Before anyone could answer, Sienna spun to me. “I also want you to meet my new friends sometime. Say you’ll come to the New Year’s Eve party?”
“Of course,” I answered.
“Sadly, though, the ball is plus one only. Will that be a problem?” Her smile turned into a grimace.
“That’s perfect, actually. Group time is important, but so is one-on-one time. Do you all agree?” Harris glanced at Jack and his brothers.
“One hundred percent,” Royce responded.
“I certainly have some one-on-one time in mind.” Tate’s gray eyes darkened with desire, and I wondered when this one-on-one time with him would occur. We’d had some great sex in our relationship, but so far, I felt he’d been holding back his true dominant ways. I wanted him to show me exactly what he was capable of.
“Once you decide who you’re bringing, let me know. I’ll have to put your names on the guest list,” Sienna informed us, cutting through the heated moment Tate and I were sharing.
“Who’s your plus one? Is Ruben in town?” I asked.
“No. He’s not coming back until after Christmas. He’s got family commitments.” She tried to keep her cheerfulness in place, but we could easily see through her pretense.
“Oh, no. We can’t have that.” Eric was always thinking of other people.
“It’s okay. I’ll be busy anyway. I have to work the room and get as many donations as possible.”
“Let one of us escort you,” Eric insisted.
Harris pointed at Eric. “Philanthropy is right up Eric’s alley. Why don’t you take the ladies to this event?”
Eric winked at us. “Absolutely.”
“Then it’s settled. Eric can also be our family’s business representative for the evening and provide your chosen charity with a generous donation,” Tate decided.
“Sounds good to me.” Eric folded his thick arms across his chest.
“I swear it’s not necessary. I’ll be so busy I won’t have time to think about anything but making sure things go off without a hitch,” Sienna insisted.
“Well, okay. But I’ll still come along with Lou.” Eric leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Which charity have you guys chosen?”
“I’m not sure whether any of you are familiar with Children’s Health Foundation?” She lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug.
Jack perked up. “Hey, yeah, I know it. That’s an awesome charity to support. I love kids. I’d love to have a whole tribe of them one day. It won’t be much, but you’ll also get a donation from me.”
“Awesome! Thank you, Jack,” Sienna gushed.
Jack’s statement stabbed at my heart even though I knew he meant nothing by it. I hadn’t told him about my inability to have children yet. Eric and Harris were the only ones who knew. Alex and I hadn’t been concerned about children. But that didn’t mean I didn’t want them. It didn’t mean I’d fully come to terms with never being a mother. I had buried that longing deep in the recesses of my mind, locked it away in a vault, and hidden the key. The thought of being unable to give someone I loved everything they ever wanted pained me, and now that old emptiness was threatening to engulf me once again.
My lip began to tremble, so I bit down hard on it. “It sounds like it will be a great evening. I’m looking forward to it.” I had to keep talking. Eric and Harris’ gazes were on me, but I forced myself to ignore them and focused on the pretty brunette.
Sienna squeezed my hand. “Me too.”
Clearing my throat, I leaned closer to her. “This band is fantastic. Do you think we can get close to the stage?”
“Leave it to me.” Sienna hauled me to my feet. “Coming through,” she announced as we pushed past drunk guys and even drunker women.
We stopped right at the edge of the stage, and the lead singer and guitarist winked at Sienna.I shot her a questioning glance, and she waved it off.