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Although Steele was also far more demonstrative than Grady.
Not hard since Grady wasn’t really touchy-feely at all.
But when it came to Effie, he wanted to touch her. He hung back, trying to regain his control, which also gave him the chance to watch the two of them.
God, they looked good together. Grady wasn’t a small guy, but compared to Steele, he was. The other man was wide and tall. And while Effie wasn’t tiny, she looked petite next to him.
Beautiful.
Suddenly, he was regretting hanging back. He wanted to be a part of the two of them. But how?
Then Effie turned and gave him a worried look. And she did something unexpected. She held out her hand to him.
As she did, she bit her lip. Steele turned to look at him, glanced down at her hand and grimaced.
No doubt he thought Grady would reject her. He leaned in to say something to Effie. Her face dropped. She tried to hide it by plastering on one of those fake smiles that Grady fucking hated.
Nope. Not on his watch.
As she dropped her hand, he stepped forward and took it, grasping it in his far bigger one.
“You don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable,” she whispered up to him, trying to tug her hand free.
“Stop,” he told her firmly. “You try to pull away from me and I’ll be adding another five to Steele’s.”
He glanced over at Steele to check his reaction. The other man nodded at him.
When Grady looked down at Effie, he kind of expected her to be frowning or objecting. But her face had gone soft, filled with a sort of wonder.
Because he was touching her?
He needed to make an effort to do that more often then.
“People might stare,” she said quietly.
“Do you really care?” Steele asked.
She looked from one to the other. Then a twinkle of adventure filled her eyes. “No. I don’t think so. Most of them will probably just be jealous that I have two gorgeous hunks with me.”
“Hunks?” Grady asked. “Do people still use that word?”
“Effie uses that word,” she replied.
“And does Effie usually talk about Effie in the third person?” Steele asked, staring down at her like she was the most interesting person he’d ever met.
As though he wouldn’t mind putting her in his pocket and carrying her around.
“Effie does when Effie feels like it.” Then she started giggling.
Christ. He’d never heard her giggle like that. And he wanted to listen to it more often.
“Sorry.” She sobered. “I, uh, maybe I need some lunch.”
“Don’t apologize for that,” Grady said sharply.
She glanced up at him in surprise.
“If I could hear you laugh every day for the rest of my life, then I would’ve lived a rich life.”
