“No. I can.” She accepted the microphone, took a fortifying breath, stood, and said, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. If you would indulge me in a few words?” She glanced at Max, who had taken his seat, hoping for an encouraging nod or a wink of solidarity, but he wasn’t looking at her. All right. She was on her own.

She did everything she was supposed to do. Welcomed the guests. Introduced herself. She was confident with a dash of self-deprecating humor thrown in. She told funny stories about Leo and segued into a less humorous and more heartfelt ending. She actually made a few people get misty.

She did a damn fine job. Take that, Your Royal Highnesses.

She sat to an enthusiastic round of applause, and as Max started talking, she picked up her drink and took a big, relieved gulp.

“Welcome to my wedding. Ah, no! I jest. It’s not my wedding anymore, is it?” He smiled at Marie and Leo with a mix of affection and impishness as the crowd laughed. She supposed he wanted to address the elephant in the room. He made sure, though, to telegraph his love for the couple and his genuine excitement over their union. He did a bang-up job, handling what could have been a fraught situation with his signature breezy humor and emotional intelligence. Dani cast a glance at the crowd. Lavinia, seated next to Max’s mother, was rapt.

When Max was done, he sat on the other side of Marie, which meant Dani no longer had to look at him—and that she was done with her official duties. She was relieved on both counts.

She understood that she couldn’t simply disappear for the rest of the evening, and really, she didn’t want to. She wanted to celebrate Leo’s wedding. She just needed a break. So as the servers started bringing the first course, she got up and headed toward the exit. There was a parlor outside the ballroom set up for the wedding party to use as a green room. It had comfy chairs, beverages, and, most critically, a door that closed. She would sit for a few minutes, get her shit together, and shake off this mix of Max-inspired attraction and annoyance. Then she would go back into the ballroom, and hopefully whatever weirdness was going on between Max and her would be gone. Because, honestly, they were supposed to go to Austria tomorrow.

Maybe he wanted to take Lavinia instead.

Well, whatever. Dani was going to Austria with Leo and Marie. Max could do what he wanted with whomever he wanted. It was no concern of—

Just as she escaped the ballroom, a hand came down on her shoulder. Oh, shit. She knew who it was. She could feel who it was.

“Wait.” His voice confirmed it.