“Have a good time, Renee. And thank you for getting us to tonight.”
She squeezed my hand. “You two are an incredible team.”
“What is it?” I asked Knight.
He rubbed the side of his jaw. “There’s something we need to do.”
I grimaced. “Now? The party isn’t over yet.” The bad was about to start their third and final set.
“After this dance,” he added. “Dance with me.”
I smiled, taking his hand. Knight walked me into the middle of the floor. I wondered what we looked like to the outside observer. I knew we were a stunning couple. But could they see past that? Did they know the bond we had? The history. The layers of pain and anguish. Could they see the beauty in how we had healed each other? Did they know how we burned for each other? Was it as obvious to everyone else as it was to me?
“What are you thinking about?” His hand pressed into my low back. We swayed to the saxophone.
“That I’m happy.” I met his eyes. I felt dizzy with love like the first time we danced at Seraphina’s engagement party. Was that really five years ago?
“About?”
I pinched my lips together. “You know exactly why I’m happy.”
He dipped me, making me lose my breath. He winked. “Well, tonight’s not over.”
“The honeymoon suite,” I replied.
“I’ve got something else.”
I frowned. “What else could there be? This night has been perfect. Look at this party.”
He leaned toward my ear. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course, I do.”
I didn’t trust anyone the way I trusted this man. He adored me. Loved me. And he would protect me above all else. For six months we had worked tirelessly to create one organization, the Noctem Global organization. Sometimes I thought it was the work that saved us when the grief was the thickest. Others, I knew it was how we could look up from our screens and that one look. That one glance told us everything we needed to know about each other. All the colors of our love. All the pain and the joy that loving each other created. It was all in one look.
“Good. Since you trust me, then don’t say anything when I do this...”
“What are you—”
Knight started to lead me off the dance floor, out of the side door. His sports car was parked at the exit. He opened the passenger side and shuttled me in. I felt as if we were Bonnie and Clyde rushing off with a bag a cash.
“Remember, you said you wouldn’t say anything.”
I nodded, biting my tongue as we drove away from our party and our guests. I could still hear the music until he pulled into the downtown streets. It wasn’t long before I knew where Knight was taking me. I couldn’t believe it.
He parked in front of Marguerite’s. It looked empty or closed. Then I saw the curtains rustle in the window.
I didn’t say a word as he jogged around the side of the car and helped me find my balance in my heels on the cobblestone.
“This way.”
Marguerite greeted us at the door. “I was worried you weren’t coming.” She looked at Knight.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” He dotted kissed on each of her cheeks.
She laughed. “For you, I’m okay waiting all night.”
I laughed. Such the charmer.