“Holy hell.”
She halted in the back hallway, smiled, and turned at the sound of Ben’s voice. He stood in the doorway leading to the club with Quinten. Both men were slack-jawed. Sylvan Anders stood with them. She winked at Camilla, gave her a surreptitious thumbs-up, and slipped away into the club.
“You were saying?” she asked as she sauntered up to her men, who were supremely delicious in their sleek black suits, polished black cowboy boots, and black Stetsons. Sex-on-a-stick was the only phrase that came to mind.
Ben flapped his jaws a couple of times before saying, “Sugar, you look fantastic.” He slid his arms around her and kissed her forehead and whispered, “My God, I could eat you alive. Are you comfortable in this?” He slid his fingers along the steel boning in the corset but didn’t say anything else.
“Very. I loosened it.”
Quinten kissed her cheek and whispered, “How’s your stomach?”
“It’s just fine. I ate a little meal before Spencer picked me up. You know that wasn’t necessary, by the way. I could’ve driven myself. Now he’s stranded without his truck.”
“That’s handled already.” Quinten gestured toward the club entry. “Come take a look.”
The hallway they’d been standing in led to the restrooms and provided rear access to both the nightclub and the restaurant. They drew her into the main room of the club. She gasped as she took in the full effect with the lights down low and the music playing. Oak paneling lined the wall behind the bar, and the rest of the walls were painted a deep shade of ruby red, giving the room a warm, sensual feel. Mirrors were hung at intervals along the walls. The dance floor was set up almost identical to The Dancing Pony, in the center of the club space, with groups of tables on either side. The only difference was that The Twisted Bull had a slightly larger seating capacity and dance floor.
Patrons were already coming in the brand-new front entry, stopping to be carded by Heath, before making their way around the room to mingle and find seats. The club would be mostly country and western with a decidedly rock-and-roll edge, which would be reflected in the music the DJ played and the types of bands they booked. This was a big night, and she felt nothing but gratitude as she looked up at her men. If it had been up to her, she would’ve stayed at the club to help prepare and allowed herself barely enough time to get home, showered, and changed before heading back.
Seeming to read her mind, Ben said, “I know you didn’t sleep last night, sugar. You tossed and turned most of the time. Did you lie down and rest like I asked you to?” The question had the barest lick of steel to it, which her pussy responded to with a quiver.
She nodded. “Yes, I did. I thought I’d be too excited to nap, but I did. I also took a bubble bath.” It had felt decadent to lie there and soak like that while all the last-minute details were put together by the people she’d hired to do the job. Not exactly how she’d envisioned it all these years, but definitely the way to go.
“You hired good people, and they got their jobs done like they should. Now you can relax and mingle and enjoy the opening of your club.”
“Our club.”
“No, your club. We’re just your silent partners.”
“No, our club. I thought it would be just me, winging it, when I opened my own place. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
Quinten kissed her. “We love you, baby. We’re here for you, always. Here comes Ethan and Grace.”
Ethan gave her his winning smile and held his arms out. “Congratulations, it looks like a winner. I declare your partnership with Ben and Quinten a big success.” Camilla hugged Ethan, gratitude welling up in her heart.
After Camilla hugged Grace, too, she looked up at Ethan and said, “Thank you for all your help and for sharing your wisdom with me.” Ethan shrugged casually. “We just helped you put the pieces together. You’ve had a stressful time of it the last couple of months, between all the break-ins, starting this place, and your change in status. I’m glad I could be of help. Oh, and I heard from the restaurant equipment distributor today. You should get the first shipment for the kitchen by the first week in January.”
“Good thing we didn’t wait on them, huh?”
“Yes. Well, let’s get you girls set up at a table so you can do the fun part of your job and make the rounds. You’re going to say a few words, once the crowd thickens, right?”
Camilla’s jaws flapped. “Um—um. That’s always been your job, Ethan. I’m not so good in front of people like that.”