doesn’t think that.”
“Show them, you mean.” Gavin jerked his head back in the direction of the crowd where his father was the center of attention.
Chip appeared out of the crowd of carefully vetted guests. “One of the guests of honor is conspicuously absent from the party.”
“I’m here.” Gavin was always “here”, though easily missed. That familiar inattention would be nice right now, perhaps allowing him to slip off with one of the waiters for a bit of distraction if not actual fun.
“I will keep Lily from being trampled if there’s a stampede for Beluga and crème fraîche on toast points,” Chip said, though his gaze, as usual, was sweeping the room, holding him aloof from everyone. “You’re supposed to be—”
“Demonstrating my sanity by holding conversations with CEOs and politicians? In your professional opinion, wouldn’t hiding back here be a better indication of me being of sound mind?”
“Gavin.” His sister Taisy appeared at his other side. “I want you to introduce us to your rescuer.”
He’d been outflanked. He’d never met anyone as single-minded as Taisy.
“Promise you won’t let Lily stand too long,” Gavin urged Chip as their sister dragged Gavin off. Her husband materialized as if she’d summoned him from wherever he’d been sent while she made her arrangements.
“Lee.” Gavin nodded at his brother-in-law. Gavin had known him since prep school. With dark blond hair and bright blue eyes, Lee Sullivan had a pleasant earnestness that made a lot of people underestimate him, all of the teachers at Deerfield included. Gavin wondered if his sister really thought her husband was as malleable as he appeared.
Taisy wasn’t interested in meeting the police diver who’d found her brother, but in schmoozing the mayor of the biggest city in Maryland. The mayor moved to accommodate the increase in the conversation-group size. Donnigan said, “Thank you, Chief,” as the other man wrung his hand and slipped away.
“Officer Donnigan. Pl—” Gavin began.
“Jamie,” the man corrected.
Gavin froze for an instant as the full force of Jamie Donnigan hit Gavin right in the face. God, that mouth. And the way the suit emphasized his broad chest. But it wasn’t the mouth or the muscles under fine tailoring that pumped a wave of heat into Gavin’s cock, it was the direct stare. One that picked out Gavin alone in the middle of the crowded hall.
Copper brows arched toward the thick wave on his forehead, but the expression in the blue eyes was amused, confident. “While you’re busy remembering the face of the guy who saved your life, why don’t you hang the name Jamie on it.”
Name. Right. A hand squeezed Gavin’s forearm to remind him of his sibling duty.
“Oh. Jamie Donnigan, please allow me to introduce my brother-in-law, Lee Sullivan, and my sister, Bronwyn—”
“Taisy,” his sister corrected.
“Taisy Sullivan.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Jamie shook hands with Lee and gripped Taisy’s offered fingertips.
“Thank you so much for returning Gavin to us—more or less in one piece.” Taisy gave them all her camera-ready smile.
“And you both know Mayor Burke, of course.” Gavin got to the point of this whole exercise, for Taisy to ingratiate herself—and Lee—with the mayor.
“Of course, Mr. Mayor.” Taisy beamed.
At that moment, Gavin, Jamie and anyone who wouldn’t further Taisy’s ambition became irrelevant.
There was the familiar invisibility Gavin usually experienced. In the middle of the party, and completely unnoticed. Well, not completely. Donnigan—Jamie—was staring at him. Gavin supposed he had it coming for all the staring he’d done.
“Nice tux,” Gavin said.
Jamie shrugged. “Yeah, guess my baby won’t be getting her new cowl induction hood for a while, but maybe I can write it off as a work expense.” He stretched out a sleeve and tugged the cuff.
“Baby?”
Gavin knew Jamie was gay. No way had Gavin read the