“Why two?” Carly asked.
“One’s for Ash.” Desiree beamed at someone behind her, so Carly turned.
And her heart jumped into her throat.
Ashton’s massive chest blocked her view. She tipped her chin up, their eyes locked. His familiar earthy scent surrounded her and she breathed deep. He was home and inches away, drilling her with that smoldering gaze. She wanted to throw her arms around him and confirm he was standing right in front of her. But the fiery look in his eyes was anything but friendly.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Avoiding me?”
“Of course not.”
The second he wrapped his arms around her, she melted into him. He tightened his grip and held her there, locked in place. The best damn spot in the entire world.
“Welcome home, Ash.”
He broke the bear hug and stared into her eyes. Inches away, she tried ignoring the pull. But she couldn’t. Electricity flowed between them, the charge energizing her. She’d missed him so, so much. Ticked off the days before she could see him again.
So what if he’d seen her getting off? It’s not like he didn’t have his own stable of women, ready to drop everything… especially their panties.
“It must be two hundred degrees in here. Let’s go outside.” He swiped the trickle of sweat from his temple. “You probably have a story or two you can entertain me with,” he said with a wink.
There it is. He’d taken the offense and flung the first ball. She could catch or she could duck.
“What about your guests?” She handed him a beer.
“They can chill without me for ten.”
She loved how he placed his hand on the small of her back as they inched their way toward the entrance. He shoved open the door to the patio. “After you.”
“Hey, can I get your attention, please?” Hudson hollered over the din of the crowd.
Someone whistled.
“Hey, be quiet,” shouted another guest. “Hudson wants to make a toast.”
Standing behind the bar, Hudson raised his bottle of beer. “I have something to say.”
Conversations continued.
Ashton stepped back into the restaurant, threw his finger and thumb into his mouth, and belted out a whistle. “Quiet!”
The room fell silent, all eyes on him. He grinned. “Much better. Hudson, you’ve got the floor, bro.”
“Thanks. First, thank you all for coming. Ashton—Maverick to most of you—has always been my hero. Now, he’s everyone’s, but I don’t mind sharing. Second, if you’ve got a drink in your hand, thank him, because he’s footing the liquor bill.” Hudson raised his bottle. “To my brother. I missed the hell out of you. We all did. How ‘bout a speech?”
“Speech, speech, speech,” friends chanted.
Always the showman, Ashton jumped on a chair. His boyish grin fooled everyone, except Carly. She caught the wince, the shock of pain in his eyes. Definitely physical. Maybe emotional, too. She wanted to help him, but he’d created this impenetrable wall around himself and wouldn’t let anyone in. Not even her.
The room quieted. All eyes fell on him again.
He peered around. When his gaze locked with his brother’s, he smiled. “Thank you for this party, Hudson.” Pausing, he eyed the guests standing shoulder to shoulder. “To my family and friends who flew to Germany. I got my butt kicked…and hard, so while I don’t remember seeing you, thank you for dropping everything to visit me. To my coworkers, especially Gunner and Penelope, you are never going to be allowed to run ThunderStrike again. Ever.” He winked.
Lighthearted laughter filled the restaurant.
“Seriously, you two saved my ass more times than I can count.”
“We love you, Mav,” Penelope called out and raised her wine glass.