“No. I’ll be spending the holidays with my family.”
Her family and a hundred and twenty strangers.
People of influence.
It would be as much fun as a trip to the dentist.
Trying not to think about that, she hugged Lily and then mixed and mingled, accepting compliments and answering questions about her work.
It occurred to her that the only person who hadn’t congratulated her was Richard.
Even after the two wealthiest people in the room had left to go on to another Christmas event, he continued to network, pumping fists and slapping backs as he made his way round the room.
Sky was starting to wonder why he’d bothered coming when she saw him speak to the gallery owner, clear his throat and get ready to make a speech.
Her heart sank. Was he going to congratulate her publicly?
She would have preferred a more intimate exchange, a few personal words that showed he was proud of her, but she understood that this was the way Richard did things. He was all about reaching the widest audience possible. Why charm one person if you could charm ten?
He lifted a hand to silence the hum of conversation. “I want to thank you all for being here tonight.” He delivered his most engaging smile, the one that had carried him all the way to Capitol Hill just weeks earlier. “We’re all busy people, but like you I couldn’t miss Skylar’s little party. I want to thank you on her behalf.”
There were a few “ahhs” but Skylar frowned.
Little party?
He made her feel as if she was back in kindergarten. And she didn’t need him to thank people on her behalf. She’d already thanked them, as he would have known if he’d arrived earlier. He’d blamed traffic and she’d felt churlish for thinking that he should have allowed more time.
There was a rush of cold air as the door to the gallery opened and she swiveled to see if she recognized the latecomer.
She caught a glimpse of ebony hair, a long black coat and powerful shoulders dusted in silvery snow.
Several women glanced toward the handsome stranger, and then he turned and Skylar saw that it wasn’t a stranger.
It was Alec Hunter.
A friend of Brittany’s, he was a maritime historian and his expertise and on-screen charisma had combined to give him a lucrative career that straddled academia and media. They called him the Shipwreck Hunter and he’d been credited with single-handedly making history sexy. Thanks to his adventurous exploits in front of the camera, he had droves of female admirers.
Skylar wasn’t one of them.
What was he doing here?
Yes, they occasionally socialized, but the truth was they tolerated each other for the sake of their mutual friends. He didn’t hide the fact he thought she was decorative and shallow. What had he called her back in the summer? A fairy princess.
If she’d been a dog, she would have been growling deep in her throat.
Telling herself that she didn’t care what he thought of her, she looked away.
It was one thing to try to please her parents for the sake of family harmony, but she’d be damned if she’d go out of her way to win the approval of a hardened cynic like Alec.
She knew he was a casualty of a bitter divorce and it didn’t surprise her. For her, the surprise was that someone had married him in the first place.
There was no way he would have chosen to come to her exhibition voluntarily, which meant that Brittany must have threatened or bribed him.
She stood still, making mental promises to kill her friend, and then realized that Richard was speaking directly to her.
“Skylar—” his voice carried across the room “—come up here and join me, honey. There’s something I want to say to you.”
Honey? Honey?
When did he ever call her honey?
Not wanting to make a public scene, Skylar walked forward.
Out of the corner of her eye she was conscious of Alec, his stillness setting him apart from the rest of the crowd. There was something remote and inaccessible about him. She knew that those perfect masculine features masked a sharp intellect and an equally sharp and sarcastic tongue. Most women found him insanely attractive. She found him superior and patronizing.
Leave, she thought. Go home. I don’t want you here ruining my night with your brooding scowl.
But he didn’t leave. Instead, he watched her with that intense, focused gaze that made her dress feel too tight.
Her skin prickled and heat whispered across her skin.
She nodded her head briefly in acknowledgment and then forgot about him because Richard took her hand.
Remembering Lily’s words, Sky looked into his eyes and tried to work out if her heart felt too big for her chest.
It didn’t.
As far as she could tell it was behaving as it should. Normal rhythm. Normal size.
Richard smiled. “A few weeks ago, I achieved a life goal. That achievement meant all the more to me because you were right there by my side.”
Forgetting about her heart, Skylar blinked in confusion.
This was her special night and he was talking about himself?
“Richard—”
“I promised myself that when I reached a certain point in my professional life, I’d turn my attention to my personal life. That moment has come. There’s something I want to say to you, and there is no better time than right now in front of our friends.”
Her only friends here had been Lily and Nik, and they’d left already.
The rest were acquaintances, high-profile clients and the press.
And Alec.
It niggled that he was here.
Good manners dictated that she speak with him, but what was she going to say?
Go home and stop ruining my fun.
No wonder you’re divorced …
All the options that came into her head were socially unacceptable and she knew that when the moment came she’d thank him for showing up. She’d offer him a glass of champagne and they’d make polite conversation about their friends.
Fake, fake, fake.
She wouldn’t mention the fact she knew he was here under sufferance, and no doubt he wouldn’t mention it, either. On the surface they’d be civil, even though neither of them felt remotely civil in one another’s company. She could keep up appearances. After all, she’d been trained by experts. She could talk about nothing for hours.
Richard lifted her hand to his lips. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment to ask you.”
Trying to forget Alec, Sky forced herself to pay attention. “Ask me what?”
“I want you to marry me.” He’d had voice coaching and training in public speaking and it showed in the way he addressed the room. “I want you by my side for the rest of my life. From now on, we’ll be pursuing goals together.”
Sky gaped at him, wondering if she’d misheard.
She opened her mouth. No sound emerged.
“You’re in shock.” He was confident. Sure of himself. A man dazzled by the light of his own rising star. He was an only child,