Tessa was in her element, gliding through the crowd, chatting with a group of heirs and socialites. I stood a few paces behind her, sipping a drink I didn't want, my eyes locked on Charles.
He looked devastating. He wore a midnight-blue tuxedo that made his grey eyes look like polished steel. He was holding court with a group of investors, but every few minutes, his gaze would drift. He didn't look at me with affection; he looked at me like I was a piece of forbidden fruit he was planning to devour the moment the lights went out.
"Ariana, you're daydreaming again!" Tessa laughed, looping her arm through mine. "Come on, I want to introduce you to Julian. He's a curator at the Met and he's *totally* your type."
"I'm not really in the mood for curators, Tess," I murmured, my eyes sliding b
