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He heard her suck in a breath, but he didn’t glance down at her. Instead, he headed into the diner. That might be the end of his mushiness for the day. Maybe the week.
Or, you know, the century.
* * *
Effiebarely even noticed entering the diner. Or if anyone stared at her being led inside by two stunning men. She was too busy reeling from Grady’s words. Not only were they beautiful words. But they’d come from Grady, who clearly had issues expressing himself most of the time.
If I could hear you laugh every day for the rest of my life, then I would’ve lived a rich life.
She knew she’d treasure those words for the rest of her life.
Grady let go of her hand and she felt a stab of disappointment. But he simply turned and started to unravel her from all of her layers of clothes. Then he slid into a circular booth. Steele placed a hand on the small of her back to push her into the booth. She soon found herself sandwiched between the two men. And they were close. So close she could feel their thighs brushing against hers.
Arousal filled her.
She was in real trouble here.
“You all right, Miss Effie?” Steele said to her quietly. He placed an arm over the back of the booth and she instinctively leaned into him.
Grady glanced over at them and she worried about giving him the same affection. But it was harder with him. She’d felt sure he was going to refuse to hold her hand before, and the disappointment had hurt.
But he hadn’t.
So she risked reaching over to brush her hand over his as it sat on the table.
He gave her a look filled with warmth. Which was like a long hug from Grady.
“I’m fine,” she said huskily.
“Are we overwhelming you?” Grady asked.
She held up a thumb and forefinger. “Little bit.”
“Good,” Steele said.
“That’s good?” she asked, surprised.
“If you’re busy thinking about us and what we’re going to do or say next, then you’re not going into your head and worrying about shit you don’t have to concern yourself with.”
“How do you know it’s stuff I don’t have to worry about?” She turned to him and he ran a finger along her lower lip.
“Because anything that you truly have to worry about, you’ll tell us and we’ll take care of it for you.”
Holy heck.
She knew he’d said that earlier in the truck, but it still sounded magical.
“You’d really want to do that?”
“We wouldn’t just want to do it,” Grady replied, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket. “We need to do it.”
“Because you like to be in charge?”
“Yes,” Grady replied. “And because we want to take care of you. Now, if you’re going to be with us, there are a few things to discuss.”
She glanced up at Steele in alarm, but he seemed unworried. He just winked at her.
The server approached and Grady ordered coffee for them all.
