“Now this is what I call a party!” Frank Knight looked around with a satisfied grin on his face and Cole couldn’t help but join in with his own smile.
“Even got a nice little write-up in the paper. Quick and to the point, no gloss, perfect really,” said his brother.
The PR company for Knight Industries had spun the union as that between a property developer and property owner, and no press had been invited today. Still, a year after walking into Wilde’s Hotel, Cole couldn’t quite believe they had managed to pull off something that should have been a PR disaster.
“Heads-up, big man’s coming.”
Cole followed his father’s and brother’s gaze and his breath caught short. This was why it hadn’t been a PR nightmare. He didn’t even notice Rocco approaching them, he just saw Briony Wilde as she walked between the guests atop the green roof garden of the biggest building in his community development. And she looked like a million bucks.
His brother nudged him. “Don’t just stand there, go talk to your wife or you’ll drool all over your tux.”
Against the spectacular backdrop of downtown L.A. and the ocean stretching its fingers far out into the distance, Briony was haloed in golden afternoon sunlight. Dressed in a pale pink gown, the Raising Hellfire flames embroidered in red thread down the back of the dress, Briony’s smile matched the summer weather.
Rocco stopped him on his way over to her. “You done good, kid. Now don’t fuck it up.”
“I don’t intend to.”
“I know you don’t. You’re family now so I’ll spare you the lecture. I’m going to talk to your pa. Anything I need to know about you in case he brings it up?”
Cole smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about it. I was just a kid back then, and they didn’t really need that extra car.”
Rocco’s eyebrows went up. “All this time and you don’t share that you coulda been the driver for that last job?’
Cole put up his hands. Briony had started mentioning something about a bank job, but he’d cut her off. He could accept that she and the Hell’s Boys were family, but he didn’t want to know any more. She’d promised him that she kept well out of it, but still, the less he had to do with it the better.
“He’s yanking your chain,” said Martinez, coming up behind Rocco. “It’s all about internet crime now. Well that, and building sites,” he added, looking around him appreciatively. Cole wondered how much of the chat was true and how much was reality. They’d had a spate of thefts on-site over the last couple of months.
“Am I interrupting men’s business?” Briony slipped her hand into his and his feelings of concern lifted and were taken by the warm breeze stirring the guests. “But if I am, it’s too bad. This guy is mine and you two can go pick on someone who’s not so busy.” She let go of his hand and snaked an arm around his waist, pulling him to the glass balustrade and pushing him against it.
“You got something to say, Mrs. Knight?”
“Nope,” she said.
He bent down and tipped her chin up with one finger. “How do you like the view?”
“I’ve always loved this view,” she said and pulled him down into a kiss. He’d never get over how touching her stirred such a riot of feelings in him. The deep, dark warmth started in his stomach then flowed downward, till his body was tight with wanting her.
“Come with me.” He took her hand, and not caring who was watching, he led her to the elevator, pressing her up against the wall with a kiss so fierce he thought he might burst with wanting her. With loving her.
The door pinged twice before he came up for air and then, hand in hand, they strolled across the boulevard that was already starting to green up with the plantings the landscape company had been busy bedding down these past weeks.
“It’s going to look beautiful when those cherry trees blossom,” Briony said and he looked at her, wondering how anything could look as beautiful as her in that gown, with his ring on her finger.
“I can’t believe I almost let you get away,” he said, nibbling at her ear.
“Well you are a bit of a stubborn ass,” she said and he smacked her on the butt.
“Says you.
“Can you believe it’s done?” he said as he pushed through the doors into Wilde’s. The bar was empty, closed for the day until the reception upstairs finished and the party descended.
Briony ran her hand along the bar, its glossy finish even better than he could have hoped for. They walked through the double doors out into the hotel reception area. The walls with their bright red and orange paint were amazing. Modern and clean, bright and vibrant, she’d gotten the colors just right so that they clashed in a hiss of life, rather than looking gaudy. The whole room felt like something was about to happen. Something big.
“I seem to recall we started out somewhere around here,” she said, and undoing the knot with swift ease, pulled his gray silk tie from his neck.
Cole’s pants felt suddenly tight as she paused and put her hand on the doorknob to the lockup, just as she had the night they’d first met.
“Shall I take you for a ride, Mr. Knight?”
He chuckled and scooped her up. “I think you’ve already done that. My turn. The Harley is next to yours.”
“I’m so glad you traded up,” she said with a straight face, but he saw the mirth in her eyes. “That Ducati was a piece of junk compared to the new bike. She’s beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as what is going to be riding her. I’m looking forward to you hitching that dress up.”
“I bet you are,” she said and pulled the side of her dress up to reveal red leather cowboy boots and a long expanse of naked thigh before kicking through into the lockup where both their bikes sat side by side. “Let’s get going. A bike and a man between my thighs, it’s the perfect wedding gift.”