Page 78 of Say You Remember Me
And with that, I moved through the crowd, my pulse quickening with every step closer to her. When I reached her, I couldn’t stop myself—I had to touch her, to make sure she was real. So I slid my arm behind her waist, resting my hand at the base of her bare back.
And wow, the contact of her smooth, soft skin against my palm sent an immediate rush of heat through me.
“Hello, darling.” I leaned in, brushing a kiss against her cheek, trying to play it cool even though my heart was skittering around in my chest.
“Hi,” she said.
“You look breathtaking,” I murmured against her ear, my voice low and sincere.
“Thank you,” she said softly, sounding almost shy.
And I couldn’t help but smile, wondering how someone so effortlessly stunning could be completely unaware of the effect she had on everyone around her.
On me.
“Did you get some rest?” I asked, my hand still lingering on her back.
“I took a little nap.” She nodded. “Got to talk to Grant, too.”
“Good,” I said, meaning it. I wanted her to feel as incredible as she looked tonight. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Her gaze flicked to my champagne flute. “I’ll have one of those.”
“Perfect choice.”
So I led her toward the bar, stealing glances at her along the way. Every move she made, every flick of her hair, every soft smile she gave someone who caught her eye—it all drew me in deeper.
We grabbed her drink and were standing at one of the tall cocktail tables, chatting with Drake about the latest expansion plans he was spearheading, when I noticed Margot approachingfrom across the room. And when we made brief eye contact, a polished smile lifted her lips.
Was she headed our way, then?
I hoped not. We’d already seen too much of each other at this event. No need to keep interacting even though we’d once been close.
But she continued to move gracefully through the crowd, a wine glass in hand, her gaze flicking between Maddie and me as she closed the distance.
I straightened instinctively, sensing Maddie stiffen slightly beside me as well. But then, Maddie’s hand brushed against mine—a seemingly fleeting touch that somehow grounded me more than I expected.
“Ian,” Margot greeted smoothly, her voice light. “I know you’re busy, but I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you how incredible your keynote was earlier. You really have a way of wowing a crowd.”
“Thank you, Margot,” I said, her compliment taking me by surprise. “That means a lot.”
“Of course. I know we have a complicated past, but I hope you understand that I can still appreciate how talented you are.” Her smile stayed fixed, and I was just about to say something back when her attention shifted to Maddie, her gaze sweeping over her. “I love your dress, by the way. And those earrings—they’re stunning.”
“Thank you.” Maddie returned the smile, her voice graceful but steady. “They were a gift from Ian.”
“I thought they might be.” Margot’s lips twitched slightly. “They looked so similar to the ones he bought me back in college that I figured he must still have the same taste today.”
And there it was. The little jab I knew had to be coming.
But instead of lingering, Margot cast Maddie, Drake, and me one last smile before moving fluidly to the next group as thoughthe exchange had been nothing more than a passing breeze—or more accurately, a fart in the wind.
Maddie and I exchanged a brief glance before Drake said, “Anyway, what was I saying again? Oh yes…” before picking up the conversation right where he’d left off.
His energy helped ease the moment’s tension, and I found myself relaxing again. Maddie leaned in slightly, laughing softly at one of Drake’s anecdotes. Her eyes sparkled in the warm light, and for a moment, I forgot we were even at the mixer since she had this way of making the rest of the world melt away, no matter where we were.
In fact, I was so caught up in watching her that I almost didn’t notice Slade Jennings approaching us, his booming laugh cutting through the conversation. Slade was an acquaintance I’d crossed paths with during my last couple of years at this conference—a guy I barely knew but who seemed to think we were closer than we were.
“Man, Ian, you’ve come a long way from last year,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder like we were old friends. “From living it up at the mixers to giving the keynote. What a step up.”
