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I smiled and shrugged. “Probably not. It’s one-way glass.”
Austin laughed, then nudged me back. “We need to shower. We have a party to attend.”
I held him a minute longer, then spoke softly, even though we were alone. “What are we going to do about Carter?”
My best friend had gone silent over the last two days. It made me wonder if our friendship had come to an end. All I could do was hope he’d listen to reason at some point. Austin had refused to call him, and it left an empty feeling inside me.
He turned in my arms and looked at me. “We’re not going to do anything. We’re not wrong, and he’ll figure that out, eventually.”
Leaning in, he kissed me quickly. “Now, hurry up, babe. I can’t wait to show off my hot new husband to everyone.”
I grinned and followed him out of the tub. “Then we better get showered.”
Ninety minutes later, we pulled up to Bernardo’s a little before eight and parked on the street. In the few days we’d been back in Portland, I’d learned it was best to humor Austin and let him follow his instincts when it came to my safety.
“Wait here, babe.”
So I sat back and watched my private show that featured my thirty-six-year-old husband unfolding himself from the driver’s seat. After smoothing down his shirt and dress pants, his eyes scanned the area outside the restaurant as he made his way around the car. His expression was professional and serious, but the moment he shifted his focused attention to me and met my eyes, everything changed. He was happy, and I got immense joy in knowing I’d been the one to finally put that look on his face.
Somehow, as if it were possible, I fell a little more in love with him.
Austin stopped and looked away from me before opening the door. His brow furrowed as he took in our surroundings once more. I had to imagine his time as a SEAL made him hyperaware of things going on around him. That attention to detail made him good at his job.
Satisfied with whatever had alerted him, he looked back down at me as he opened the door and held out his hand. I took it and stepped out of the car. Smiling to myself, I smoothed down my pants and shirt before looking up at him. “You’re looking awfully smitten there, Mr. Rowan.”
He smirked as he closed the door behind me, then clicked the fob to lock the car. Pocketing the keys to my Jaguar, he smiled before wrapping his arm across my shoulders to pull me close. My arm circled his waist as we walked to the door. When he leaned in to whisper in my ear, the smell of our body wash and his cologne aroused me.
“I’m not smitten, Mr. Rowan. I’m in love. There’s a difference.”
All I could do was smile like a giddy fool as he opened the door to our favorite Italian restaurant. The familiar sensation of his hand to the small of my back as he ushered me in made my body hum from the intimate touch.
“Good evening, Mr. Rowan, Mr. Wentworth. And congratulations!” the hostess said as she beamed up at us. “You’re party is waiting for you .”
“Thank you,” I replied, shocked at the number of people in the quaint space. “Are we late?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think they were probably early. ”
I looked back at the massive table set for at least twenty-five people as we walked toward everyone. I’d expected dinner with Jesse and Dominick, and Marcus and Aidan. Maybe even Alex and Christian, since Alex and Aidan were brothers. They were all connected to Austin through work.
But I didn’t expect to find Adam and Cole from Fallen Angel. I knew they were preparing for the second leg of their upcoming fall tour and Patrick was still healing.
“Did you know they were coming?”
Austin draped his arm over my shoulders. “I figured they would. Phantom doesn’t let Adam out of his sight, and Cole is the same way about Patrick since the accident. I think the connection you’re missing here is all these guys are part of this big, crazy extended family that you started with this team. Why are you surprised they’d want to celebrate with us?”
I shook my head, speechless as I took in Jackson and Simon Kincaid, and Declan and Callum Miller talking to Greg and Cooper Evans. They had children at home, and time off in the offseason was precious.
Turning to say something else, I caught sight of Preston James carrying out what I was sure were appetizers on a platter. He’d barely cleared the kitchen when Alejandro Sanchez followed him with another tray. Were they working the party?
I loud roar of laughter caught my attention at the bar. My two favorite bartenders, Ben and Nick, were serving up drinks and laughing as Preston grabbed a bottle of Fireball Whiskey and drank a couple of mouthfuls. The wide-eyed look of surprise on his face had them laughing even harder.
“The newlyweds are here!” Jesse announced over the crowd as whistles and catcalls filled the room. My face heated from the attention as Austin raised his arm in the air as if he’d just won a big prize.
But as I looked at all these faces, I realized I was the winner here.
Jesse was the first to approach us, carrying two glasses of white wine. “It’s good to see both of you happy. Makes me proud that I could play a part in that.”
“Under different circumstances, I’d bust your balls for that GQ. But this time, I have to admit you were right.”
