Chapter 24

Emma adjusted her earring in the full-length mirror, admiring how the diamonds caught the light. The black gown she’d chosen for tonight’s charity gala was a departure from her usual understated professional attire—backless, fitted, undeniably glamorous.

“You’re staring again,” she said to Alek’s reflection as he leaned against the bedroom doorframe watching her.

“Professional hazard of dating the most beautiful woman in Boston.” He crossed to stand behind her, resting his hands lightly on her bare shoulders. “You look incredible.”

“So do you.” Emma turned to straighten his bow tie. Six months into their relationship, these domestic moments still gave her a quiet thrill—the easy intimacy, the shared spaces, the unguarded affection.

Tonight marked their first major public appearance since Jack’s return game two weeks earlier. The annual Hockey Fights Cancer gala drew the city’s elite—team owners, players, politicians, business leaders—for a night of fundraisin