“Nicely done,” I greet Justin with a soft kiss pressed to his scruffy cheek. They won their game tonight against their long-time rivals from Denver, and so everyone is in the mood to celebrate. Which is why Becca, the girls and I came over to the bar we like near the rink to secure some tables. The guys have been filtering in over the last ten minutes as they finished up with showers and brief media interviews. All in a night’s work, I guess.
Justin grins down at me, his hands sliding down to cup my behind. “Thank you.”
I swat his hands away. “We’re in public,” I hiss.
He only chuckles. He does that a lot lately—laughs. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. Our friends try to give me the credit for this change in him, they say he’s not such a grumpy bastard anymore, and while they like to tease us, deep down, I know it’s true. I make him happy. And I love that.
“Later then,” he whispers, pressing a tender kiss to my temple.
I nod in agreement. We’ve had an active, and exceptional, sex life. I never knew sex could be so much fun, but it is. There’s nothing to be self-conscious about, no awkward moments whatsoever. There’s just me, and the man I love and a whole lot of chemistry.
We settle in together on one side of a booth, and the waitress comes by to take Justin’s order as he loosens his tie. I already have a cocktail in front of me.
Owen and Teddy are in the corner arguing over the best whiskeys, and other idiotic shit like who would win in a fight—a grizzly bear or a shark. I can’t even with those two. It’s like puberty skipped over them—leaving them in man-sized bodies with the emotional maturity of fourteen-year-olds.
Becca looks a little somber tonight. I’ve promised her that nothing about our friendship will change just because I’m in a relationship. The look she gave me said she wants to believe me, but she’s not so sure. She’s nursing a margarita at the far end of the table, listening to whatever Sara’s whispering to her, but her eyes are on my brother. I don’t think Owen even notices her. As close as they are, he can be a little clueless sometimes.
But before I can ponder it further, Justin leans close, pushing my hair over my shoulder so he can plant a soft, damp kiss to the side of my neck that makes my toes curl.
“I love you, Elise.” His voice is deep and raspy, and my eyes swing over to his.
“I love you too.” I touch his jaw, wondering about the sudden emotion I feel flowing between us.
A second later I see movement from the corner of my vision. “Enough you two. Just because you’re dating my sister now doesn’t mean I can’t still kick your ass, Brady.”
It’s my brother. He places one hand on Justin’s shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze, but his expression is playful.
“Good game tonight,” I say, grinning up at Owen. For all his faults, my brother is a damn good hockey player.
“Thanks.” He takes a long drink of his beer, his eyes roaming over toward a group of single ladies seated at the bar. I saw them when I came in—I think it’s a bachelorette party. I was hoping Owen wouldn’t notice them. No such luck.
“Hey.” I tug his shirt sleeve, getting his attention. Owen gazes down at me. “Will you go check on Becca?”
“Becca?” He frowns, his eyes swinging over to where she sits, contemplatively gazing down into an empty margarita glass. “I’m sure she’s fine,” he says, his tone non-committal.
“Owen,” I say firmly, my tone a warning.
He shrugs, relenting. “I’ll check on her. As soon as I assess the situation at the bar. Bridal parties are my jam.” Turning toward where Teddy sits, he makes a lewd hand gesture, then motions toward the bar. “Let’s roll, baby.”
Teddy chuckles, and gets up to follow him. God, they are idiots.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself so I don’t have to castrate my brother or his friends when I feel Justin’s calming hand press between my shoulder blades, rubbing gently. It calms me almost instantly. “You okay, babe?” His chiseled features are drawn into a tight line, and his expression is unreadable.
I smile, trying to reassure him. “Fine. I’m sure everything’s fine. It’s just sometimes my brother is such a jackass.”
“There’s no denying that.” He leans closer, nuzzling his face into my neck. “I have to agree with you on that…but I may think he’s an idiot for different reasons than you. If it’s any consolation, though, I love you.”
“I know you do. And can I just say I’m so glad your manwhore days are behind you?”
He chuckles then, his lips grazing my jawline again. “I am too, sweetheart. I am too.” He kisses me once softly on the lips and then meets my eyes. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”
It might sound cheesy, but he’s right. We have each other, and it feels like everything I could ever want or need with this gorgeous, thoughtful man. I guess the rest of the guys will just have to figure that out on their own. I only hope it’s sooner rather than later for Owen’s sake.
