One side of Ava’s mouth kicked up. “Maybe I’ll start a trend.”
“I hope not. I’d like to see you stick around.” His father still hadn’t released Ava’s hand, and Dominic felt himself getting territorial, which was probably why dear old Dad was doing this, to wind him up. Finally, his father let go, and Dominic ungritted his teeth.
“Where is the lovely Tracy?” Dominic asked.
“In the ballroom.”
Ava’s eyes widened so much Dominic had to hold back a laugh. Didn’t everyone have a ballroom?
“Let me introduce you both.”
Ava leaned close as they started walking through the crowd. “You haven’t met her yet?”
Dominic shrugged. “I’ve been busy.”
“That’s terrible,” Ava chastised.
“Talk to my boss.”
She shoved his arm, but he refused to let go of her hand, and she stumbled into him. She laughed, and he leaned down and kissed her on the lips.
His heart started pounding, and his skin burst into flames when she kissed him back despite being surrounded by strangers. Everything and everybody in the room vanished. Her free hand curled into his lapel to draw him closer.
A loud wolf whistle split the air, and he pulled away. Ava blushed a deep red. She wiped the lipstick off his mouth with an expression that was embarrassed, but her eyes shone with what looked like happiness.
He carried on into the ballroom not caring what anyone thought of him or Ava or the fact they were here together. He looked over the heads of most of the crowd and spotted his dad near the far wall beneath the world’s biggest mirror that reflected the world’s largest chandelier.
“Wow. You guys sure know how to throw a party. Do you have indoor fireworks too?”
He shook his head. Ava Kanas was an ocean breeze in this stuffy DC atmosphere.
They made their way through the crowd, Dominic nodding to old acquaintances but moving fast enough not to invite conversation. Finally, he reached his father’s side.
“Dominic, I’d like you to meet Tracy Fitzgerald. Tracy, this is my youngest son. As I told you, he works for the FBI.”
The woman turned, and Dominic was pleasantly surprised. Unlike his father’s former wife, Fiona “call me Fe-Fe,” Tracy appeared older than he was. Rather than platinum blonde Tracy wore her hair in a short brown bob and had freckles all over her nose. She wore a pretty red gown, and her dark eyes were emphasized with dark shadow.
She looked intelligent and friendly.
Tracy held out her hand—one with an impressive-looking diamond on the third finger. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dominic. Your father has talked about you so much I feel like I already know you.”
Her accent was slightly southern. Not full-on Alabama, but maybe North Carolina.
“Nice to meet you too, Tracy. Sorry it took me so long to show up.”
She gave him a warm smile. “I understand you’re busy. Your father is incredibly proud of what you do. Well, he’s proud of all his children, but I’d say especially you.”
Dominic clenched his jaw at the unexpected feelings the words evoked. The Sheridans prided themselves on their stoic demeanors in the face of unimaginable pain, but a little human kindness sent them reeling.
He’d pissed his father off when he’d joined the FBI, but that had been a long time ago. Maybe it was time to get over the old resentments.
“This is Ava.” He introduced her to Tracy, as the emotion he was feeling seemed to grow and spread. Contagious. Dangerous. Knotting his throat so that he couldn’t speak.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Ava.” Tracy shook her hand.
“You too, ma’am.”
“Tracy runs the Smithsonian—”
“I don’t run it,” Tracy admonished the governor. “I work there. Stop trying to make me sound more important than I actually am.” She pursed her lips then joked, “He’s going to get me fired if he’s not careful.”
The governor pulled her close and gave her a kiss. “You’re important to me.”
Dominic grinned. Obviously, Tracy was smart, independent and dedicated to her job. He liked her already.
The man responsible for the wolf whistle joined their party and clapped Dominic on the back. Hard.
“Didn’t think you’d show up.” His brother’s pupils widened as he scanned Ava from hair to toe and then let his gaze rest on her breasts. He swayed slightly, obviously drunk.
“Stop leching after my date or she’ll shoot you.” Dominic wanted to smack Franklin, but Ava was more than capable of defending herself.
“Does that mean she also carries fluffy handcuffs?”
Franklin and his father both sniggered at the innuendo, but Tracy glared at his father.
Ava said sweetly, “How about we find a radiator and you can try them out for a few hours?”
Franklin’s eyes narrowed, and his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He did not like to be challenged. Dominic’s brother was five years older than he was and he’d screwed his way through the female population without thought for years, including the only other girl Dominic had brought home and, he was pretty sure, step-mother number two.
Dominic watched his brother’s cynicism twist all the fun out of his face and wondered if that was what he himself usually looked like. If that was the expression he usually showed the world. His stomach churned. He didn’t want to be that jaded or condemning or self-isolated.
“Where’s Gwen?” Dominic asked when the silence lingered, and Ava started to worry she’d said the wrong thing.
“Over by the punch. She’s still dating that asshole Geoffrey. True love.” With a sneer, Franklin knocked back his Champagne like it was water.
Dominic blinked.
“I heard the crash you were involved in was pretty bad,” his dad said quietly. “Glad you’re still with us, son.”
“It was just a fender bender.”
“You totaled the car,” Franklin pointed out.
“The insurance company wrote it off. You know how they are sometimes.”
Ava’s brows climbed halfway up her forehead.