I force myself to look away before I start drooling like an idiot.
Play it cool, Sterling.
You're a goddamn man, not some horny teenager.
"You were almost late to this shindig," I drawl as she plops down next to me, fighting to keep my voice casual.
Aggie shoots me a smirk that sets my blood on fire. "Fashionably late, sweetheart. And look at me, arrived just in time."
I can't help the grin that spreads across my face.
God, I love her sass. "Just in time to see me sweat my balls off in this monkey suit? How thoughtful."
She laughs, the sound like music. "Oh aye, that's exactly why I rushed over. Couldn't miss the chance to see big bad biker Jolt all gussied up."
"Hey now, I clean up nice," I protest, puffing out my chest a bit. "Admit it, you're swooning inside."
Aggie rolls her eyes, but I catch the way her gaze lingers on my arms, tracing the edges of my tattoos peeking out from under my sleeves. "Keep dreaming, lad. I've seen better."
I clutch dramatically at my chest, earning another laugh. "Ouch, Ghost. You wound me."
God, I love making her laugh.
The way her eyes crinkle at the corners, how her whole face lights up.
It does something to me, seeing her like this.
Relaxed.
Happy.
Makes me want to keep her laughing forever.
We go silent as the last of the guests arrive.
I can't help stealing glances at Aggie, drinking in every detail.
The way the sunlight catches the copper highlights in her hair.
How she absent-mindedly toys with the silver chain around her neck.
The slight furrow of concentration between her brows as she takes in the scene around us.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she murmurs, gesturing to the desert landscape stretching out behind the altar. "Never thought I'd see anything quite like this."
I nod, following her gaze.
The red rocks in the distance provide a striking backdrop, the sky an endless expanse of blue above.
Somehow the stark beauty of it all seems fitting for a biker wedding.
"Yeah, it's something else," I agree. "Though I gotta say, never pictured myself at a desert wedding. Always figured if I ever tied the knot it'd be in some dingy chapel off the Strip. You know, full Elvis impersonator and all that."
Aggie snorts. "Classy. Though I suppose that's about what I'd expect from you lot."
I raise an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what's your dream wedding then, Ghost? Let me guess—all black everything, skulls for centerpieces?"
She elbows me in the ribs, but there's no real heat behind it. "Fuck off. For your information, I've always wanted to get married back home in Scotland. Up in the highlands, surrounded by nothing but green hills and mist. Just me andmy..." She trails off, a wistful look crossing her face. "Well, doesn't matter now, does it? Not like I'll ever find a bastard willing to put up with me crazy arse long enough to marry me."