We hadn’t spoken all week and I was dying to know whether he was missing me too.
“Ugh, this place is gonna be rammed,” Gia said, eyeing the line-up snaking around the building. “You sure you don’t want to go somewhere else?”
No! Rhett wouldn’t be somewhere else. “Relax, we won’t have to wait.” I tried to ignore the people in the line-up giving me the stink-eye as I hauled Gia to the front door. I smiled at the doorman. “Hi.”
He scowled at me. “Can I help you, miss?”
“Um, I’m meeting my fiancé—”
“So?” He pointed to the back of the line. “You’ll have to wait your turn, just like everyone else.”
“You don’t seem to understand,” Gia said, looking amused as she held up the bling on my left hand for his perusal. “Her fiancé is your boss. Rhett Lennox… you know, the guy who owns this place.”
He narrowed his eyes before sizing me up. “Just a minute.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started texting. “What did you say your name was again?”
“Briar.” I could practically feel the hostility from the people who’d probably been lined up for an hour waiting to get in. I should have thought this through a little better. Maybe texted Rhett and asked him to meet us around back.
The doorman nodded when his phone pinged and he read the response. “Okay, Rhett said he’s been expecting you, you can head on in.”
“Thank you,” I said, squeezing the doorman’s forearm.
“You ladies have a good night,” he said, smirking at me.
I was assaulted by the dim lights, loud music, and hum of raised voices as soon as we walked inside. The place was packed, not surprising for a Friday night.
“We’re never going to get a table,” Gia said, grabbing my arm. “I’m not even sure we’ll be able to squeeze in to get a drink at the bar. Can you tell if the V.I.P. lounge is just as packed?”
I’d never been up to the V.I.P. lounge, but if I knew Rhett he wouldn’t want me to have to fight off handsy drunks all night. “I don’t know, let’s see if we can make our way back there.” I grabbed Gia’s hand. “I don’t want to lose you in the crowd.” I’m sure she couldn’t even hear me, but we’d done this hundreds of times before, at every bar and nightclub in the city. She knew the drill by now.
“Hey!” Tate stepped into my path, grinning as he glanced at Gia over my shoulder. “Nice to see you here, beautiful.”
I forced a smile. “Hi, Tate.” I hooked a thumb over my shoulder. “This is my friend, Gia.”
Gia gave him a quick once-over before extending her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“What’s this I hear about you being off the market, gorgeous?”
He was totally invading my personal space now, but I chocked it up to the noise, and the fact that we couldn’t hear unless we were speaking directly in each other’s ear. “Yeah, I—”
“Excuse me.”
Rhett. His voice caused a ripple of awareness to move through me, even before an arm curled possessively around my waist.
“Oh, hey.” I felt a little breathless when I looked up at him, but that was nothing compared to the gasp that left my lips when he curled his hand around my cheek and looked into my eyes before kissing me.
“Hey, yourself.” His smile was slight as his gaze lingered on my mouth. “I’ve missed you. I’m glad you’re here.”
My heart was beating so hard I feared for my well-being. “I’ve missed you too.” I didn’t know if he was putting on a show or not, but I was willing to play along.
Rhett glared at Tate. “How did you get in here? Didn’t I make it clear you weren’t welcome back—”
“Rhett,” I said, flattening my palm on his hard stomach. “He’s just here for a good time, like the rest of us. Leave him alone.”
He sighed before glaring at Tate. “Just keep your distance and we won’t have a problem, buddy.”
“You got it, boss,” Tate said, raising his hands. “Nice seeing you again, Briar.” He nodded at my friend, “Gia.”
“What’s your problem with him?” I asked Rhett.
