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Emma turns to me with mock exasperation. “You’re the sensible one. Tell her she was being dramatic.”

I make the mistake of actually studying her.

The navy dress fits her too perfectly, hugging every curve tightly. A loose curl brushes her cheek whenever she moves, and her eyes meet mine with an easy warmth that wipes every useful thought from my head.

“I…”

Theo clears his throat beside me with enough theatrical effort to earn a glance from a waiter walking past.

I drag my attention back where it belongs. “I think you look beautiful.”

Theo coughs again, earning himself a grin from Lena.

Emma keeps her eyes on mine, her smile easing into one that sends the rest of the rooftop slipping quietly out of focus. “Thank you.”

Lena claps her hands once. “Right. Before you two start making prolonged eye contact in public, I’m borrowing Emma.”

Emma blinks. “For what?”

“Dancing.”

“I’ve already explained my position on dancing.”

Lena rolls her eyes. “I know.” She plucks the prosecco from Emma’s hand and passes it onto a waiter’s tray before Emma can reclaim it. “You’ve had enough courage juice. Come on.”

Lena catches her wrist. Emma digs her heels into the floor and looks at me with exaggerated desperation.

“Bane.”

I fold my arms. “Yes?”

“I need legal representation.”

“I think your case is weak.”

Emma lets herself be pulled toward the dance floor, glancing back over her shoulder with the expression of someone already drafting my disciplinary review.

I watch until she disappears into the crowd.

Theo drifts back to my side, champagne in hand. “So…”

“No.”

“I haven’t even asked anything.”

“You were about to.”

He grins. “Fair.”

Emma laughs as Lena twirls her into another spin before she catches herself, grabs Lena’s arm, and dissolves into another fit of laughter that quickly spreads through the group.

A developer wanders over to join them, then a few people from marketing, and within minutes they’re coaxing each other into increasingly terrible dance moves with the confidence that comes from an open bar and months of hard work finally paying off.

Her laugh carries across the rooftop.

I can’t remember the last time I saw her this relaxed.

Every week since she started at Wolf Shield, another layer of tension has slipped away. The woman who walked into my office months ago measured every word before she spoke it.