Chapter 27 THE FOUNDATION GALA
Harper stared at the dress hanging on her closet door and wondered if it was too much.
It was definitely too much. The deep emerald silk clung in all the right places, with a neckline that was sophisticated rather than provocative but still showed more skin than Harper usually felt comfortable displaying. Amanda had insisted on it when they'd gone shopping last week, claiming that Claire's foundation gala required "serious glamour."
"You look like you're planning a dress's murder," Sebastian said from the doorway.
Harper jumped. "I didn't hear you come in."
"You were glaring pretty intensely. What did the dress do to deserve that look?" He walked into her room, already dressed in his tuxedo, looking unfairly perfect. The bow tie was slightly crooked, which somehow made him more attractive.
"It's too much. I should wear the navy one instead."
Sebastian studied the dress, then looked at her. "Wear the green one."
"It's too revealing."
"It's elegant. There's a difference." He moved behind her, his hands settling on her shoulders. "Harper, you're going to be the most beautiful woman there regardless of what you wear. But that dress is stunning, and you should absolutely wear it."
"You're biased."
"Completely. But I'm also right." He kissed her temple. "Besides, Claire specifically requested that we both look incredible tonight. Apparently, several major donors will be there, and she wants to make a good impression."
Harper turned to face him. "Is that why you're wearing the tuxedo that makes you look like a movie star?"
"This is just a regular tuxedo."
"Nothing about you in formal wear is regular, and you know it."
Sebastian smiled, the genuine one that still felt like a gift every time she saw it. "Wear the green dress. Trust me."
Forty five minutes later, Harper stood in front of the mirror barely recognizing herself. The dress fit perfectly, the silk cool against her skin. Amanda had taught her how to do her makeup properly, and her hair was twisted into something elegant that had taken three YouTube tutorials to master.
Sebastian appeared behind her in the mirror, his expression unreadable.
"Too much?" Harper asked nervously.
"You're breathtaking." His voice was rough. "I'm going to spend the entire night trying not to stare at you."
"You have to stare at me. We're married. It would be weird if you didn't."
"There's polite spousal attention, and then there's what I'm currently feeling, which is significantly less appropriate for a charity gala." He handed her a flat velvet box. "I got you something."
Harper opened it to find a delicate necklace, a single emerald pendant on a platinum chain. "Sebastian, this is too much."
"It matches your dress. And before you argue, it's a loan from my mother's collection. Claire suggested it when I mentioned what color you were wearing." He took the necklace and fastened it around her neck. "There. Perfect."
Harper touched the pendant, feeling its weight. "Your mother won't mind?"
"She insisted. Said any woman brave enough to marry me deserves access to good jewelry." Sebastian's hands lingered on her shoulders. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
The gala was being held at the Four Seasons, and by the time they arrived, the ballroom was already packed with Seattle's elite. Harper recognized several faces from previous events, tech CEOs and old money families and the kind of people who treated charity galas as competitive sports.
Claire found them immediately, resplendent in silver sequins that caught the light with every movement. "You both look perfect. Thank you for coming early." She hugged Harper, then held her at arm's length. "That dress is incredible. Sebastian, you have excellent taste."
"Amanda picked it out," Harper admitted.
"Well, Amanda has excellent taste then. Come on, I want to introduce you to some people before the program starts."
The next hour passed in a blur of introductions and small talk. Harper met foundation board members and philanthropists, artists whose work Claire's organization supported and educators whose programs received funding. Everyone was charming and interested, and Harper found herself genuinely enjoying the conversations rather than just enduring them.
Sebastian stayed close, his hand on the small of her back, a steady presence that made navigating the crowd easier. Every so often, she'd catch him looking at her with an expression that made her breath catch.
"You're doing great," he murmured during a break between conversations. "Half these people are going to want to invest in the Adriatic after hearing you talk about it."
"I wasn't trying to pitch anyone."
"You don't have to try. Your passion is obvious. It's one of the things I love about you." The words came out casually, but Harper felt their weight. It was the first time he'd used that word outside of their private moments.
Before she could respond, Claire called everyone to dinner. Harper found herself seated between Sebastian and a philanthropist named Catherine Werner who had strong opinions about historic preservation and wanted to hear everything about the Adriatic renovation.
The meal passed pleasantly, punctuated by speeches from Claire and several program directors whose work the foundation supported. Harper felt herself relaxing, the initial nervousness fading into genuine enjoyment.
Then the dancing started.
The band struck up a classic jazz number, and couples began moving onto the floor. Sebastian leaned close, his breath warm against her ear. "Dance with me."
It wasn't a question, but Harper's heart still jumped. "I should warn you, I'm not very good at this."
"Neither am I. We'll figure it out together." He stood and offered his hand.
Harper let him lead her onto the floor, acutely aware of all the eyes tracking their movement. Sebastian's hand settled on her waist, pulling her close, and Harper's hand found his shoulder.
"Just follow my lead," he said softly.
They started moving, and Harper realized Sebastian had lied. He was excellent at dancing, leading her through the steps with easy confidence. She stumbled once, stepping on his foot, but he just smiled and kept going.
"Where did you learn to dance?" Harper asked.
"Cotillion classes as a kid. My mother insisted. Said every proper gentleman needed to know how to waltz." He spun her gently, and Harper felt the silk dress swirl around her legs. "I hated it at the time, but I'm grateful now."
"Why now?"
"Because I get to dance with you." Sebastian pulled her closer, until there was barely any space between them. "And because everyone in this room is watching us, and I get to show them exactly how lucky I am."
Harper felt heat rise in her cheeks. "You're going to make me self conscious."
"Good. You should know how incredible you are."
The song shifted into something slower, more intimate. Around them, other couples swayed together, lost in their own worlds. Sebastian's hand moved from her waist to the small of her back, his thumb tracing small circles through the silk.
"Harper," he said quietly.
"Yeah?"
"I need to tell you something." His gray eyes were intense, serious. "I know we agreed to keep things private, to not make any big declarations, but I can't keep pretending this is still casual. Not when you look like this. Not when I feel like this."
Harper's heart hammered against her ribs. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I love you. Not falling, not moving toward. I'm there. I'm in love with you, and I don't care who knows it."
The world seemed to narrow to just the two of them, the music fading into background noise. Harper stared at Sebastian, seeing the vulnerability in his expression, the fear and hope mixed together.
"Sebastian," she whispered.
"You don't have to say it back. I just needed you to know."
"I love you too." The words came out rushed, honest. "I've been in love with you for weeks, maybe longer. I just didn't know how to tell you."
Sebastian's expression transformed, the careful control melting into pure joy. He cupped her face in his hands, right there on the dance floor with hundreds of people watching, and kissed her.
It wasn't appropriate for a charity gala. It was too deep, too intense, too real. But Harper didn't care. She kissed him back, pouring four months of feeling into it, all the fear and hope and desperate love she'd been trying to contain.
When they finally broke apart, breathless and grinning like idiots, Harper became aware of the silence around them. She looked up to find every eye in the ballroom fixed on them.
"Oops," she said.
Sebastian laughed, actually laughed, loud and genuine. "I think we just made a statement."
"Claire's going to kill us for stealing focus from her event."
"Claire's going to love this. She's been waiting for me to publicly show emotion since I was twelve."
As if summoned, Claire appeared beside them, her eyes suspiciously bright. "You two are making a scene."
"Sorry," Harper said, not feeling sorry at all.
"Don't be. That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen my brother do, and I've been waiting years for evidence that he has feelings." Claire hugged them both. "Though now everyone's going to want to know your story, so prepare for questions."
She was right. As soon as they left the dance floor, people converged from all directions. Suddenly everyone wanted to know how they'd met, how long they'd been together, whether they were as in love as they appeared.
Harper let Sebastian handle most of the questions, watching him navigate the attention with surprising ease. He kept her close, his arm around her waist, and every few minutes he'd look down at her with an expression that made her knees weak.
"You're staring," she murmured during a break in conversation.
"I'm allowed. You're my wife."
"People are going to talk."
"Let them. I don't care anymore." Sebastian kissed her temple. "I spent too many years caring what people thought, managing every perception. I'm done with that. If people want to talk about how much I adore my wife, that's fine by me."
Harper felt tears threaten and blinked them back. This was Sebastian without armor, without the careful control he usually maintained. This was him choosing her publicly, definitively, in a way that couldn't be taken back.
The evening continued in a blur of champagne and conversation and stolen moments on the dance floor. Harper danced with Claire's husband, with several of the foundation board members, with Marcus who made pointed comments about Sebastian's unusual display of emotion.
But mostly she danced with Sebastian, who seemed determined to keep her close, as if afraid she might disappear if he let go.
Near the end of the night, they escaped to the terrace for some air. The Seattle skyline glittered in the distance, the sound of the party muffled behind closed doors.
"That was quite a night," Harper said, leaning against the railing.
Sebastian stood behind her, his arms coming around her waist. "Regrets?"
"About publicly declaring our feelings in front of Seattle's elite? Maybe a few." She turned in his arms. "But mostly no. Mostly I'm just happy."
"Me too. Happier than I've been in a long time. Maybe ever." He was quiet for a moment. "Harper, about the contract."
Her stomach tightened. "What about it?"
"I want to tear it up. Not extend it or modify it. Just destroy it completely and start over. No end date, no terms, no exit strategy. Just us, figuring out how to build a life together."
Harper's breath caught. "Are you sure? Sebastian, that's a big decision. We've only been really together for a few weeks."
"I've never been more sure of anything. These past four months have been the best of my life, even when we were fighting or confused or pretending this was just business. You make me want to be better, braver, more honest. And I don't want an expiration date hanging over us anymore."
"What about your board? Marcus? The whole reason you needed this marriage in the first place?"
"I'll figure it out. Whatever consequences come, I'll handle them. But Harper, I can't keep living with one foot out the door. Either we're doing this for real or we're not, and I'm choosing real."
Harper felt tears spill over, happy ones this time. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Yes. Let's tear up the contract. Let's do this for real, no safety net, no backup plan. Just us."
Sebastian kissed her then, slow and sweet and full of promise. Behind them, the terrace door opened and music spilled out, along with the sound of laughter and celebration.
But Harper barely noticed. She was too busy kissing her husband, her partner, the man she loved. No contract, no pretense, no carefully maintained distance.
Just love, messy and terrifying and absolutely worth it.
When they finally pulled apart, Sebastian rested his forehead against hers. "I love you, Harper Colton."
"I love you too." She smiled through tears. "Even though you made me wear this ridiculous dress."
"Especially because I made you wear that dress. You look like a dream."
"You're biased."
"Completely," he agreed. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."
They stood on the terrace holding each other as the party continued inside, both
of them grinning like fools, both of them terrified and hopeful and completely, devastatingly in love.
The contract could wait until Monday. Tonight was just about them.
And that was more than enough.