The polished murmur of the gala faded around them, dropping into a pocket of charged silence. The gowns, the whispered deals—all of it blurred into background noise.
Only three people were in sharp focus: the elegant power couple, and the little boy trapped between them.
Eliot Blair, usually as wary as a stray pup, was glued to Austin's legs.
He'd hit her with the force of a mini linebacker, enough to knock most society women off their heels. Austin just absorbed it, solid as an oak.
Now, his face was buried against her throat, his small fists clutching her cashmere coat.
Kaius watched, something primal coiling tight inside him, as Austin looked down. Her ice-queen composure melted.Something raw and unguarded flickered in her gray eyes.
"Your name is Eliot, right? " Her
