Sabrina pulled her lower lip between her teeth and the gesture made him want to press her against the wall of the elevator and kiss her until they both collapsed.
“Does that mean he knows Audrey?”
The mentioning of Audrey’s name drove all amorous feelings right out of his body. “I’m afraid so.”
When he saw Sabrina frown, he put a calming hand on her forearm. “But don’t worry. He assured me that he didn’t invite her. He’s aware that we split up, and he’s very cognizant not to create a firestorm at his party by inviting exes.”
A sigh of relief came from Sabrina’s lips. “Thank you.”
A soft ping announced that they’d reached the top floor, and the elevator doors slid open. Sabrina tensed and Daniel tugged on her hand.
“What if your friends don’t like me?”
He chuckled and led her into the elegantly appointed hallway. “I’m afraid they’re going to like you too much,” he confessed and let his eyes wander over her enticing curves.
When he lifted his eyes back to her face, her cheeks were flushed.
“You’re terrible,” she whispered. “Now you’ve made me even more self-conscious.”
“There’s no need for that. Once you’ve survived this crowd tonight—” He motioned to the only door on this floor. “—you can survive anything. And I know you can knock that bunch dead. By the end of the night, they’ll be eating out of your hand.”
“I’d rather they don’t take much notice of me.”
“Too late. There isn’t a man alive who wouldn’t take notice of you in that dress.”
Sabrina sighed. “It was the only one I had that seemed elegant enough for an occasion like this. I’m sure New Yorkers dress more elegantly than I’m used to in San Francisco. I still feel underdressed.”
“Trust me, if I thought you were underdressed I would have told you so earlier. You look perfect, Sabrina. In fact, you’ve never looked more beautiful.”
When their gazes locked, he saw the tension in her shoulders melt away and a smile light up her face.
“You always say the right things,” she murmured. “Thank you.”
He laced his fingers with hers and rang the door bell. Behind the door he could already hear music and voices.
The door opened and a man in a dark suit appeared. His mouth twisted into a wide grin, his eyes twinkling mischievously, adding warmth to his handsome face. “Hey Daniel!”
Daniel reached his hand out for a shake. “Hi, Michael. So Zach roped you in for door duty?” He stepped inside, pulling Sabrina with him.
“You know Zach. He can’t help himself.” Michael shut the door behind them. “But his manners aren’t quite as bad as yours.” He motioned to Sabrina. “You haven’t introduced me to your beautiful date yet.”
“Yeah, and if my mother hadn’t taught me such good manners, I wouldn’t introduce her to the likes of you at all.”
Michael winked at Sabrina. “I’m sorry you have to slum it with this guy. Say the word, and I’ll remove him from your presence.”
Daniel playfully boxed him in the side. Then he smiled at Sabrina. “Sabrina, this is my old college buddy, Michael Clarkson. Be warned: he’s a shameless flirt and a ruthless businessman. Michael, this is my girlfriend, Sabrina Palmer.”
Michael laughed. “Nice to meet you, Sabrina.” He shook her hand.
“Likewise,” she answered with a smile.
Michael leaned in and dropped his voice. “Daniel forgot to mention that I’m also a member of the Eternal Bachelors Club.”
Daniel cringed. He hadn’t expected this to come up tonight.
Sabrina turned to him, her forehead creased in amusement. “Eternal Bachelors Club?”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “Thanks a lot, Michael!”
His old friend beamed. “Any time!”
“This clown here and a few others we went to college with came up with a bet one night when we were way too drunk to think straight. We formed a club which we called the Eternal Bachelors Club. The deal was that every year everybody would contribute financially to the club’s coffers, and whoever turned out to be the final member in the club would get the entire purse.”
“The final member?” Sabrina asked.
“Yes, whoever remained a bachelor for the longest would be the final member and hence get all the money,” Michael continued in Daniel’s stead.
Sabrina shook her head. “You guys are funny. So how much is in the club’s coffers? A couple of thousand dollars?”