“It may not seem like it,” he began as he took her into his arms, “but my grandmother paid you a very high compliment. She sampled a bit of everything you made, and she’s convinced you’re Greek. You couldn’t have made traditional Greek desserts with such skill otherwise. And ...” He twirled her stylishly. “You and your partners have saved the family an enormous argument. Getting her approval for this venue wasn’t easy.”

“And if Yaya isn’t happy ...”

“Exactly. Do you get into New York often?”

“Now and then ...” Her heels lifted her to nearly his height. A nice balance for dancing, she decided. “The business keeps us pretty close to home. It must be the same for you. I worked restaurants while I was studying, and before we got the business off the ground. It’s a demanding field.”

“Crises followed by drama followed by chaos. Still,Yaya’s right. Life’s shorter than you think. If I called you sometime, maybe we could both get away from the job.”

Dating moratorium, she reminded herself. But ... It might be a good idea to end it so she’d stop obsessing about Del. “Maybe we could.”

The dance ended, and with fanfare and cheers, the band moved into the traditional Greek circle dance. Laurel started to back away, but Nick kept her hand in his.

“You can’t miss this.”

“I really shouldn’t. Plus I’ve only watched it at events, never done it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll guide you through.”

Before she could come up with another excuse, someone else gripped her free hand, and she was linked in the circle.

What the hell, she decided. It was a party.

Del came in during the slow dance, and automatically looked around for Parker. Or so he told himself. Almost instantly he saw Laurel.

Dancing. Who was she dancing with? She wasn’t supposed to be dancing with some guy he didn’t know ... She was supposed to be working.

Had she brought a date? They looked as if they knew each other when he considered how they moved together—and the way she smiled at whoever the hell he was.

“Del, I wasn’t expecting you tonight.” Parker strode over, kissed his cheek.

“I just dropped by to ...Who is that?”

“Who?”

“With Laurel. Dancing.”

Bemused, Parker glanced over, picked Laurel out of the crowd. “I’m not sure.”

“She didn’t bring him?”

“No. He’s one of the guests. We’re doing a kind of after-engagement, prewedding reception. Long story.”

“Since when do you dance at your events?”

“It depends on the circumstances.” She slid her eyes toward Del, said, “Hmm,” quietly under the sway of music and chattering voices. “They look good together.”

He only shrugged, slipped his hands into his pockets. “It’s not smart for you to encourage guests to hit on you.”