Barefooted, she padded across the hardwood, steeling herself before answering.
Hawk wore a suit like no one else could. He somehow managed to make it look natural and yet suave all at once. His blonde hair gelled in obedient delectability, and his eyes flicked down her body and back up again.
“Wow,” was all he said before slipping his hand around her waist to draw her in closer.
Her grin refused to fade. She relished the feel of being held by him. “Wow? Is that good?”
He smelled amazing, like winter spice and temptation. He drew away from her just enough to place his lips near her ear and whisper, “You take my breath away.”
Ella’s stomach curled at the low timbre of his voice. Like always, she didn’t know what to say in return but saying nothing seemed to be enough.
She pulled back. “We’re almost ready. Is Ethan here? Charlotte is dying to dance with him.”
“Dying!” Charlotte called from down the hall.
Hawk chuckled. “He’s in the limo. You look like you’re missing something.” His gaze flicked down to her feet.
“Shoes?” she said, wiggling her toes. “Who needs those? With my luck, I’ll end up leaving one behind again.”
He straightened. “Ella Embers, I solemnly swear you will lose no more shoes on my watch.”
“I’ll hold you to it.” She grinned at him before turning to dip her toes into the fuzzy snow boots waiting near the door. With the three feet of additional snow, Westville had gotten just last night, she wasn’t about to try and walk anywhere in heels. She’d change into them once they arrived.
Once they made it out to the limousine, Ella startled to find a few extra people waiting in the backseat. The couple occupied the corner of the stretched, leather seat. The good-looking man with dark hair and a wool coat over his suit waved a hand, while the blonde woman beside him pressed her lips together in a thin smile. A sparkling, blue gown draped over her knees and pooled on the limo floor, hiding her feet.
Ella situated herself next to Hawk, and they waited for Charlotte to settle at Ethan's side before closing out the frigid, snowy air.
"Hey, there," the man said. The woman at his side gave a little wave.
"Who's this?" Ella asked.
Hawk adjusted his coat and gestured toward them. "I'd like you all to meet some friends of mine. This is Adrian and Gabby Bear. I invited them to join us last year, but they couldn't make it. Fortunately, circumstances are different this year."
For some reason, this pronouncement made Gabby exchange a look with her husband and beam like a lovesick schoolgirl.
"Just how old is your baby now?" Hawk asked.
"She's six months old," Gabby said. "Rolling and cooing all over the place."
"Oh, a baby? Congratulations," Ella said. The limo driver turned a corner, giving her ample opportunity to lean against Hawk's side.
"Yeah, we left her with her grandma for a few days," Adrian said, rubbing a hand along Gabby's shoulder. "We didn't want to miss the ball this year."
"Too bad all this snow is here, or we could hit up Wonderland again too," Gabby said.
"Oh, you've been?" Ella asked, thinking of the few times she'd attended the nearby theme park. For some reason, this made her think of Adelie. She'd invited her cousin to come with her the last time, but Adelie had claimed she was busy. Maybe once things warmed up, Ella would have to try inviting her again.
"Yes! It was seriously so much fun. We went last year, during our honeymoon trip." Again, Gabby beamed. "It was probably the coolest place I've ever seen. Whoever owns it really outdid themselves with the tapestry of rides all centered around the book."
Wonderland was a one-of-a-kind theme park, though from Ella's understanding, it wasn't doing well lately. The winter season probably didn't help much.
"It's nice you could come now," Ella said.
"We wouldn't want to miss such an...important event," Adrian said, but his attention wasn't on Ella; it was on Hawk. In return, Hawk shot him a warning glare.
She wasn't sure, but some kind of unspoken communication just happened between the two men. What in the world was he talking about? A ball couldn't be that big of a deal for them.
***
Hawk guided Ella around the ballroom. A live band embodied the season in a sultry rendition of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and couples swayed together beneath a glittering drape of tulle and manmade starlight.
One hand around her waist and the other holding her hand, he pressed his cheek to hers and held her close. Her teal gown flowed, wafting above the floor like mist. She’d never worn anything so daring, with its short underdress contrasting the longer, see-through fabric, but she loved it.
“I’m glad I got the chance to dance with you this year,” Hawk said into her ear.
Ella tightened her embrace. “What do you mean? We danced last year. It was our own personal ball.”
“It was one of the best nights of my life,” he said in agreement. “But I think this year is going to be even better.”
“Oh?” she said as he twirled her out and brought her back to him. This was a dress made for twirling. The skirt flared out in such a satisfying way, she wanted him to do it again. “Why is that?”
Hawk grinned, a devilish thing, and stopped, right there on the ballroom floor in the middle of the song. Peering across the couples, he caught Clary’s eye near the orchestra, lifted a hand, and gave her a nod.
It was like a line-up of collapsing dominoes. Clary responded. She tapped a finger to her ear before trotting toward the conductor. The conductor lifted his white-gloved hands, swirling his baton in the air. The orchestra obeyed, ceasing their playing.
As if they’d been planning to already, the surrounding couples parted like the Red Sea, backing
