Rafe chuckled and shook his head at Gio, who merely grinned and kept whistling.
“Jesus, man,” Rafe said. “You could at least try to tamp down some of that just-got-laid obnoxiousness.”
Gio kicked back in the passenger seat and shrugged. “You could be feeling the same way, but you took the let’s-think-it-to-death route.”
“Nope. I chose to be a gentleman. The poor woman had been run through the ringer last night between that prick JT, the fight, the broken phone, the twisted ankle, the two of us blackmailing her for a date while breaking the news we wanted to share her in bed, and those damn ghosts. I think she deserved to have more than two hours of restless, freezing-cold sleep before we both jumped on her.”
Gio’s smile only grew wider. “You’re not going to make me feel guilty. Because it was too fucking perfect.”
Rafe rolled his eyes but didn’t keep the debate going. Guilt hadn’t been his intention anyway. He’d just been trying to explain his actions. The problem was, he wasn’t sure if his justifications were for Gio or lies he was telling himself.
Nope. He knew the answer.
Lies.
They were lies.
He’d lain there with Keeley and Gio, in bed in the wee hours of morning, overwhelmed by a sense of belonging. It wasn’t something he’d ever experienced—and it had freaked him out.
Rafe had grown up with a single mother who was always busy with her job and current husband, a workaholic grandfather, and a rotating door of stepfathers. He had a family, but he’d always felt a bit like an afterthought, like something there just hovering in the background. That love of family that Gio and Keeley always described wasn’t something he’d ever really felt.
And while he’d been included in the greatest group of friends a man could ever have, Rafe had never been able to shake the feeling that he was the one who didn’t truly fit. The Morettis, Rhys, Kayden—they were all confident, impulsive, fun-loving guys who’d never met a stranger or doubted themselves. They knew their place in the world, in their families, and they attacked life with energy, vigor, and joy.
In contrast, Rafe questioned every decision he made. He was quiet, slow to laugh, and, at the moment, terrified.
Because Keeley and Gio were making him feel things he had no experience with. Things he’d sworn he would never feel simply because he’d been so sure he couldn’t.
He pulled up to the curb in front of Keeley’s building, parallel parking before shutting off the engine. They’d driven Keeley to her car, still parked outside the restaurant where she’d started her date with JT a little after noon. None of them had stirred before midday, thanks to their sleepless night. They’d both kissed her goodbye, then promised to pick her up for their date at six.
Gio reached for the door handle, but Rafe reached out and gripped his forearm, holding him back.
Gio looked down at his hand and shook his head. “No more fighting this. No more excuses. The cat’s out of the bag and we’re not putting it back in.”
“I know that. I just…” Rafe was perfectly aware that things were different with Keeley, but he and Gio hadn’t really discussed exactly how. “You care about her,” he said.
“Of course I do. I…” Gio gave him a lopsided grin, rubbing the back of his neck as if embarrassed to admit the next part. “I’m crazy about her, bro. Shit. More than that. I’m falling hard for her.”
Rafe nodded. He knew that. Knew that Gio wouldn’t walk away from Keeley even if—when—Rafe did. He’d thought hearing those words would help, knowing that Keeley wouldn’t be left alone at the end of…
Fuck.
And there was the truth…the KO punch. The thing that had him putting on the brakes this morning despite the fact he’d been hard and hurting and so fucking desperate for her, he thought he’d lose his mind with it.
Because Rafe wasn’t sure he could walk away from her. He only knew he should. For her, for Gio. He wasn’t a good bet. Love was uncharted territory for him, and it should remain that way, if for nothing else than his own peace of mind.
His life had changed too fucking much in the past few months, and he had the chronic stiff neck to show for it. One more upheaval and he’d likely lose the ability to turn his head completely.
Rafe couldn’t let this last domino fall. He’d help his mom pick up the pieces too many times, vowed he wouldn’t go there, do that, open himself up to…fuck…desertion.
He released Gio’s arm and got out of the car, desperate to escape before his friend saw the confusion on his face or—God forbid—asked him about his feelings.
Gio, too anxious to see their girl, joined him on the curb and slapped him on the back. “Nice to be here at the beginning of the date instead of having to crash midway through,” he joked.
They hit the buzzer to Keeley’s apartment, and she pressed the button to unlock the building’s door. Then they climbed the three flights of stairs—Gio taking them two at a time—instead of bothering with the elevator.
Keeley was waiting for them with the door open, leaning on the jamb, and grinning as widely as Gio.
She looked gorgeous. They’d told her to dress up because they wanted to take her someplace nice to show her off. Keeley had taken them at their word. She wore a gray-and-white print dress that wrapped around and tied at the side. It showcased her breasts and her legs, the hem ending a few inches above her knees. Her hair hung loose with big, full waves and her makeup—as always—was minimal, natural looking. She was pretty enough to go without, so Rafe was glad she didn’t go overboard.
Gio wolf-whistled his appreciation, and Keeley laughed with delight when he pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. She wanted romance, and Gio was determined that was what she was going to get it.
“Come inside a minute. I’ll put these in water and then I just need to switch handbags. I was running a little late.”
They walked inside, but before they’d made it more than a few steps from the front door, Gio took the flowers and put them on the small table in her entryway. Then he closed the door and pushed her against it, kissing her hard.
Gio’s hands slid down her sides until he reached her ass, neither of them breaking the kiss, consuming each other like people on the brink of starvation. Their tongues touched. It was hot and heady, and Rafe couldn’t have looked away if his life depended on it.
Keeley’s hands were everywhere, on Gio’s chest, his shoulders, in his hair. She seemed to want it all, and at the same time. Finally, she closed her fist in his thick hair and deepened the kiss, a silent demand for more.
Gripping her ass, Gio lifted her, and Keeley followed his lead, wrapping her legs around his waist, grinding herself on his dick as her breath turned ragged.
Rafe had been sporting an erection since he’d seen her in the doorway in her short dress. Now the hem shifted upwards with their position, which meant there was nothing between them right now except Gio’s pants and her panties.
Rafe knew his friend well enough to see that Gio was two seconds away from unzipping, pulling her panties aside, and giving in to his desire to fuck her. He was a passionate, insatiable lover, something Rafe had witnessed before. Just not…
Not anywhere near this level.
He reached out and put his hand on Gio’s shoulder because if he didn’t stop this now, they weren’t going to stop at all.
Gio might have been out of his mind with arousal, but the simple touch worked. He slowly broke the kiss.
It took Keeley a few seconds longer to regain her wits, her eyes still closed, her face flush, her pelvis grinding against his friend in a way that told him just how much she wanted him.
She blinked a few times before she was able to focus. “You stopped,” she whispered, the words an outright accusation.
Gio nodded as he released her ass and her legs dropped back down. He retained his grip on her until he was sure she was supporting her own weight.
“I’m not the only one here,” he reminded her before taking a large step to the side.
Keeley followed his progress only until Rafe moved forward to take his place.
“Rafe,” she breathed, smiling. “Missed you.”
Rafe ran the back of his hand along her flushed cheek. “You look beautiful tonight, Keeley.”
Her blush deepened.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said. “Just a kiss. Then the three of us are going on our date before we take this too far.”
Keeley tilted her head playfully, her tone pure seduction when she said, “I’m okay with skipping the date and going too far.”
Rafe shook his head. “No. That’s not how tonight is going to play out. We still have things to discuss, remember?”
Keeley considered Rafe’s words, then nodded her assent. “Okay.”
He lowered his head to kiss her. The second his lips touched hers, every excuse, justification, every lie and every truth fell away until there was only her.
He was already laying his weapons down.
But only for tonight, he thought to himself.
He pushed her lips apart with his, plundering her mouth with his tongue, determined to steal every taste, every breath.
Keeley moaned, her fingers fisting in his button-down shirt, wrinkling it. He didn’t give a shit.
Like Gio, he needed to feel more of her. His hands reached for her ass, but he didn’t lift her. He had a different goal in mind.
He reached beneath her dress, his fingers sliding to the front, finding her damp panties.
She gasped. “But you said…” she whispered, her words falling away when he burrowed his fingers beneath her panties—a thong—and found her clit.
“We’re not going all the way,” he murmured, rubbing his lips against hers as he spoke. “But you are going to give us one of those sexy orgasms before we leave. Then you’re going to sit with us at the restaurant with that gorgeous, just-climaxed flush on your cheeks, squirming in your chair in those wet panties, proof to every man who looks at you that you belong to us…tonight,” he forced himself to add at the end. He had to keep the boundaries clear—for them and for himself.
“God,” Keeley breathed, when Rafe backed up his words with action. He drove two fingers inside her, pumping them fast and hard—and he suddenly understood why Gio had been so annoyingly giddy all day. Keeley was hot, responsive, ready, and he went light-headed when he considered just how tightly her pussy was going to glove his cock.
He added his thumb to the game, stroking her clit, recalling her surprise that they not only knew how to find it, but how to use it to bring her pleasure so fast. He had to beat down his unexpected anger at every loser who’d taken her to bed and failed her. None of them had been worthy.
He wasn’t either, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to give her less than she deserved.
Keeley’s head flew back against the door, her eyes closed tightly, bliss etched on her face.
Rafe might be doing all the work, but he didn’t forget for a second that Gio was there, watching. Now, as always, the knowledge that he had an audience pushed Rafe higher. He loved watching, but there was something even more heady about putting on a show.
Gio stepped closer, right next to them, and Rafe felt his friend’s gaze. He wasn’t looking at just Keeley. He was looking at both of them.
The bastard had him on the ropes, knew exactly when and how to see the things Rafe worked overtime to hide. Because he wasn’t able to shield a damn thing right now as Keeley’s pussy clenched on his fingers. His name slid from between those plump pink lips of hers, lips that were going to be wrapped around his dick very, very soon.
“Fuck,” he bellowed, when Keeley’s hand found its way to his erection, firmly stroking him through his pants. The unexpected touch proved she wasn’t the only one teetering at the brink. Unlike Gio, he hadn’t found relief this morning, hadn’t taken the edge off between her legs. So he’d suffered all day, despite the fact he’d jerked off not once but twice in the shower.
Regardless, he’d be damned if he came from an over-the-pants hand job like a damn thirteen-year-old boy.
“Gio,” he said through gritted teeth, still finger-fucking Keeley, who was fighting her own orgasm, determined to give as good as she got.
God, he couldn’t wait to tame this wildcat, to have her purring in his arms. He loved a challenge, loved a woman who knew how to draw out his hidden alpha, his demanding, take-no-prisoners conqueror.
Gio, mercifully, understood what he needed. His friend gripped Keeley’s wrist and pulled her hand away from Rafe’s dick, then caught the other before she could resume her grip. He lifted them both above her head, holding them with one large hand, pressing them against the door, then he cupped her breast with the other.
She made an annoyed sound that quickly morphed to a moan when Rafe added a third finger to the two inside her. It was the equivalent to pulling a trigger, and Keeley jerked roughly as she came, Gio’s claim on her wrists and Rafe’s weight pressing against her the only things keeping her from sliding to the floor.
Once the spasms in her pussy stopped, Rafe pulled his fingers out, eliciting one last, sexy tremor in her body.
True to his word, Keeley’s cheeks were flushed bright red, something he couldn’t resist pointing out. “Pretty in pink,” he murmured in her ear, loving the way she narrowed her eyes at his cocky tone.
Her strength regained, she gave him a light shove, one that wouldn’t have budged him if he didn’t want it to. As it was, he took a step away, catching sight of Gio’s pleased expression.
He was as big a voyeur as Rafe was. They’d had a long talk about their shared kink one night after Vanessa, the second lover they’d shared, had gone to sleep. Gio had admitted how hot he got just watching, and one quick glance at the front of his friend’s pants proved he’d really enjoyed what he and Keeley had just done.
Of course, there was small comfort in the fact they were both sporting hard-ons now because—despite what he’d just done—Rafe was still determined to talk to Keeley about their desires. She was younger than their previous three lovers, less experienced, and, well…he felt protective of her. He didn’t want her walking into their bedroom blind.
His kinks didn’t end with voyeurism and sharing.
He pushed thoughts of that away for now. He had to, or he’d never get his erection under control.
Rafe had only been in Keeley’s apartment one time before, when he and his buddies all helped her move in. He’d never seen it decorated, but as he looked around now, he was impressed. She had good taste, and either she’d cleaned up for them, or she was neat by nature. He tended to believe the latter, having watched her in the mansion the past few weeks, and the way her workspace was always cleared off and tidy by the end of every day.
He walked to the kitchen and quickly washed his hands before rejoining Keeley and Gio in the living room. She had a small clutch in her hand, and she was transferring things—lip gloss, her wallet, a phone—from her larger bag.
“New phone?” Gio asked.
She nodded. “My first stop after you dropped me off to get my car was the phone store. They transferred all my information over to this one, so the only harm done was to my monthly bill because I hadn’t paid off the last one.”
Rafe listened with half an ear, too hung up on something else. “What was your second stop?” he asked, unable to keep the anger out of his tone.
“What?” Keeley asked.
“Isn’t that your favorite bag?” Rafe asked.
“Uh… Yeah.”
Gio scowled when he realized what she was holding. He stepped next to her. “I thought you left that in JT’s car.”
“I did.”
Gio crossed his arms. “Are we playing the twenty questions game again, or are you going to explain how you got the thing back?”
“I called him after I got my new phone. He had spent the night in the drunk tank, but he’d gotten out earlier this morning and retrieved his car from the bar. I drove by his place to get my bag. Met him in his parking lot because it was still in his car.”
“Keeley,” Rafe growled, displeased.
“It was no big deal.”
“No big deal?!” Gio yelled.
Keeley wasn’t the type to ever back down, and right now wasn’t going to be the exception. “It was my mom’s favorite purse. There was no way in hell I wasn’t going back to get it.”
Gio put his hands on his hips. “That’s not the point and you know it. You should have told us you were going. We would have gone with you.”
“Why? I was in no danger from the idiot. We were in public, in a parking lot. He was hungover and obviously regretting his actions.”
“What did he say?” Rafe asked.
“It doesn’t matter what he said. It only matters what I said after I got my purse. I informed him that he was a stupid asshole, right before I said I never wanted to hear from him again, and just after I told him to go fuck himself.”
Gio relaxed, but only slightly. “That’s all?”
She nodded. “That’s all.”
“Pack a bag,” he said.
“What?”
While they hadn’t discussed this, Rafe knew exactly where Gio was going with his demand, so he explained. “You’re spending the night with us again.”
Keeley, the little minx, tapped her chin as if there was some decision to be made. There wasn’t. Even so, she feigned hesitance. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I have work tomorrow and I can’t be late. My boss is a real hard-ass.”
Rafe wrapped one hand around the back of her neck while grasping one of Keeley’s hands with the other. He drew it behind him, to his ass. “All I heard was ‘my boss has a hard ass.’ Now give it a squeeze, naughty girl, then go pack that bag like Gio said.”
“Jesus, man,” Gio said, chuckling. “And you call me the caveman.”
Keeley squeezed his ass, winking at him as she did, then she walked down the hallway to her bedroom.
“Not sure how I’m going to make it through dinner,” Gio murmured. “Especially after watching you two just now.” He paused, then tilted his head. “Little rough, weren’t you?”
Rafe considered that. He had been rough with her. Rougher than with any of his previous lovers. He wasn’t sure exactly why. Part of him could tell Keeley liked her pleasure with an edge of pain. But it was more than that. In the past, he’d held back, kept parts of himself hidden.
“I know you’ve got an alpha side,” Gio continued. “I do too. I’ve just never seen you quite so…” He took a moment before adding what ultimately was the right word. “Aggressive.”
Rafe blew out a long, slow breath, trying to figure out how he could explain in a way that didn’t reveal too much. “Our past affairs have been with women we didn’t know as well as Keeley. I wasn’t sure how they’d react to my more forceful side. I know Keeley better. I can read her responses, can tell by the look on her face or the sound of her voice if she’s enjoying something, if she needs more, or even if it hurts.”
He hoped Gio didn’t look too deeply into that, didn’t realize how much Rafe had paid attention to Keeley not just in the past month but for years. He’d always watched her a little more than he’d let on, fascinated by her.
He’d chalked it up to amusement, but now he could see it had been attraction, plain and simple.
He’d also never felt the need to possess or claim his past lovers. But with Keeley…he could settle for nothing less.
Keeley saved him from having to say more when she returned with an overnight bag. “I have to say, you guys are awfully sure of yourselves. Even when past experience should have proven to you that my dates never end well.”
Gio wrapped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her to the door. “We’re about to break that unlucky streak. Show you how real men treat a woman on a date.”
She smiled her thanks when Rafe took her bag to carry for her. It was light, so she obviously hadn’t packed much more than a toothbrush and change of clothes. He was tempted to tell her to grab more. Because if she decided to go through with this, one night with her wasn’t going to be enough.
“So where are we going?” Keeley asked once they were in the car.
She’d claimed the backseat, while he and Gio were in the front. Gio, as always, made his stupid joke about them “ridin’ eye-talian,” which Urban Dictionary had taught him meant men in the front seat, women in the back. Rafe had no idea why Gio found the phrase so funny, but he used it pretty much every single time the scenario fit.
“We made reservations at Alpen Rose,” Rafe replied.
From the rearview mirror, he saw Keeley’s eyes widen. “Wow. I’ve always wanted to eat there, but it’s super expensive.”
Gio chuckled. “Rafe’s rich now, remember?”
“Is that your way of telling me I’m picking up the check?” he joked.
Gio, shameless as always, said, “Shit, I thought that was implied when we booked the table.”
Keeley laughed. “You guys are crazy.”
Rafe continued to sneak glances at her as he drove, noticing with some pleasure that the smile never left her face. Keeley was happy, and she didn’t bother hiding that fact.
Once they parked, Rafe put his hand on her back as they walked into the restaurant. Gio gave their name to the maître d’, who showed them to their table. They’d requested a booth, so Gio slid into one side as Keeley and Rafe claimed the other.
The intimate restaurant was perfect for their first date, as it only seated forty people. The dining room was cloaked in wood, and the lighting, provided by ornate chandeliers, was dim, which made it easy for them to pretend they were the only three people in the place.
Keeley ordered a glass of red wine, while he and Gio both opted for bourbon on the rocks. Once they’d placed their orders, conversation began to flow.
Keeley had remarked at Eclectic that she’d liked JT originally because talking to him had been easy. Rafe had to admit the same was true for the three of them. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d felt comfortable enough to simply be himself.
“This place is incredible,” Keeley observed, leaning closer to Rafe. He took advantage of the situation by resting his arm along the back of the booth, encouraging her to nuzzle in even more. He caught the scent of her citrus-y shampoo and marveled over how the smell of lemons had become an aphrodisiac for him lately.
“How’s your ankle?” Gio asked.
“Better. Just a little twinge every now and then. And it’s not swollen anymore.”
Gio nodded, then said, “Even so, maybe you should keep it elevated. Slip off your shoe and lift your foot up.” He gave her a wicked look that was one-hundred-percent dare.
“Are you suggesting we play footsie?” Keeley asked, though Rafe could tell from the way she shifted, she’d already lifted her foot.
Gio reached beneath the table. “Nope. I’m suggesting you play footsie.”
“Gio,” she whispered, glancing around. “Put it on the bench beside you. Not…”
“Where’s the fun in that for me? No one can see,” Gio assured her as he whipped his napkin open dramatically—for effect—then draped it over his lap.
Rafe couldn’t see where Gio had positioned her foot, but he could definitely guess, especially when Gio groaned softly.
“Press a little harder.”
“You two are incorrigible,” Rafe said. “We’ve been here less than half an hour.”
Keeley giggled, then lifted her face to give Rafe an affectionate kiss on the cheek. “You’re the one who made us stop back at my place.”
Rafe nodded, then took the opening Keeley had offered him. “I did. Because I thought we should talk before we let things progress any further.”
Gio sighed dramatically. “Talk, talk, talk. Rafe, man, sometimes it’s okay to leap without looking.”
Rafe shook his head. “That’s actually never okay, and especially not right now.” He turned his attention to Keeley. “Were you okay with everything that happened last n—” He paused and amended his timeline. “Early this morning.”
“Yes,” she said without a moment’s hesitation. “I would have been even more okay with it if you and I…” She let him fill in the blanks.
He ran his finger along the back of her neck, loving the way that simple touch caused her to shiver with need. “We’ll get there. So you’re sure you’re interested? In sleeping with both of us?”
“I am. Very much so.”
He remembered Gio’s comment at her place, and he felt the need to ask, “Did I hurt you earlier in your apartment?”
“No. I mean, it was intense. But…” Her voice had taken on a breathless quality. “I liked it. No one’s ever…”
Rafe watched her face flush. He hadn’t expected shyness from her, and while it wasn’t there often, it did peek out from time to time. It was what told him that while she’d taken men to her bed, her experience was still limited.
“You like it rough,” Rafe mused aloud.
She considered that, then nodded. “I think I do.”
He was glad to have this opportunity to talk to her. “I don’t want to hurt you, Keeley. I’ll never take more than you’re able or willing to give.”
“I know you won’t,” she said with an assurance that hit him hard, blindsiding him. It told him that she trusted him. He never wanted to betray that, but God…he didn’t see a way around it, now that they’d opened the door to this affair. “So, how did the two of you discover you liked sharing women?”
Gio reached across the table, holding his hand palm up. Keeley slipped hers into it. “Rafe and I went to dinner with Layla and her guys right after they got together. After they left, the two of us started talking, and we realized we both wanted to try it.”
“How in the hell do you pick up women together?” she asked.
Gio chuckled. “Rafe knew our first lover, Jennifer, from work. He invited her to happy hour with us, and one thing led to another. We met our second lover, Vanessa, at Eclectic. We asked her to dance, and one thing led to another…” he repeated.
She laughed. “I’m sure it did. I’ve been a part of that bump and grind. It was why I had to walk off the dance floor after one song. So hot.”
Rafe kissed the side of her head. He noticed neither he nor Gio seemed capable of being near her without touching her. “The last affair was with Jill. She and Gio dated in high school. We ran into her at a bar, and again…”
“One thing led to another,” she finished. “I only ever heard about Gio dating Jill. From Liza and Jess. You…” she started, pausing for Rafe to fill in the blanks.
“I didn’t date her,” Rafe clarified. “Only Gio did.”
“So you just…”
Rafe forced himself to nod. This conversation was going exactly where he’d intended it to, and yet he hated what he was about to confess. “For me, it was just sex. You know how I feel about relationships. Gio’s the one looking for a woman to marry. And it was clear Jennifer, Vanessa, and Jill were all looking for the same thing. So I stepped aside after their feelings changed, and Gio…”
Keeley looked at Gio. “You dated them.”
Gio nodded. His friend had been decidedly quiet throughout this part, letting Rafe do all the explaining.
“So…just sex?” she asked Rafe, repeating his words.
“Yes,” he replied, though that answer felt wrong. “That’s all.”
Keeley picked up her wineglass and took a sip. She fell silent, and Rafe got a sense she was mulling over what he’d just told her.
Finally, she said, “I see.” Then added, “And I understand.”
Rafe wondered if she did. He hadn’t come straight out and said their affair would be the same. Had she assumed so? Or did she see what was happening between the three of them as something different? Did he?
A wise man would stop screwing around with the subtleties and just state what he was thinking outright.
The problem was, his thoughts and feelings weren’t in agreement at the moment.
His head still didn’t believe in love. But his heart was starting to have some serious doubts.
So he held his tongue.
Dinner arrived, and the conversation changed, primarily to how delicious the food was. They were debating dessert when Gio growled.
Rafe looked at his friend, confused, until he realized Gio was looking at someone behind him.
He grinned. The Morettis had a special sound whenever a Russo was around, so Rafe had a pretty good idea what he was going to see when he turned around.
He glanced over his shoulder at the exact same time Penny spotted them. The maître d’ was leading her, Gage, and Matt Russo to a table.
Penny detoured to their booth instead, while Gage and Matt reluctantly followed.
“Hey, you guys,” she said cheerfully.
Rafe had grown very fond of Rhys’s little sister over the years. She’d always been a quirky thing, but lately she seemed to have blossomed. Her fashion sense was still a bit out there, but she’d traded her too-big glasses for contacts and had started wearing her hair in an actual style, as opposed to pinning it up in braids or messy ponytails.
Keeley smiled at her friend’s arrival. “Penny! Oh my God, I haven’t seen you since your birthday. Where have you been hiding out?”
Penny shoulder-bumped Gage. “This guy keeps monopolizing all my time after work.”
“Right. Just after work,” Matt muttered grumpily, making it clear Gage and Penny were indulging in some office hijinks.
Rafe grinned briefly, then schooled his features when Gio frowned at him.
Gage obviously noticed as well, and Rafe’s respect for the guy rose—despite his last name—when he decided to take himself out of the equation. He looked around and saw the maître d’ waiting on them. “Stay here and talk to your friends, Penny. Take as long as you want. Matt and I will head to the table and order a bottle of champagne.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then he and Matt walked away.
“I guess you don’t want to hear me tell you that they really are good guys,” Penny insisted.
Gio sighed. “Gage seems like a decent man, but Matt’s an asshole.”
Penny shrugged but wisely didn’t try to plead the man’s case any further.
“Champagne…?” Keeley asked, deftly changing the subject.
Penny’s face erupted in a smile so big, Rafe wondered if it hurt her cheeks. Then she lifted her hand, revealing an emerald-cut diamond engagement ring. “Gage proposed!”
Keeley’s eyes widened with glee as she looked at the ring. “Holy shit. That ring is gorgeous!”
“I know,” Penny gushed. “I couldn’t believe it when he asked me last night. I was going to text you and the girls to invite you to happy hour one day this week. I wanted to tell you in person.”
Rafe frowned. “Didn’t you just start dating the guy?”
Penny nodded. “Well, yeah. I guess officially we started dating at my birthday party, but before that, we…” She shrugged, making it clear she didn’t intend to finish whatever she was about to say.
“And your birthday was only a month ago,” Rafe pointed out. He’d never taken Penny as the impulsive type. Awkward and a little shy, sure, but never impetuous.
Penny shrugged. “Gage said we could have a long engagement. Of course, two minutes later, he was talking about how awesome a winter wedding would be.”
Penny and Keeley laughed.
“If he’s moving that fast, you definitely need to set up that happy hour,” Keeley said. “We have a wedding to plan.”
“We do!” Penny grinned even bigger, something Rafe wouldn’t have thought possible. Then she said, “I should get to my table. I’ll text you later, Keeley. Bye.”
“Wow,” Keeley said after Penny walked away, clearly tickled for her friend. “That is so awesome.”
“That is so fast,” Rafe replied, recalling how his mother’s marriages had all happened about five minutes after the first date. He hated to think of Penny making the same mistake.
Rafe expected Keeley, Miss Romantic Hearts, to argue with him, but he hadn’t anticipated Gio beating her to the punch.
“Tony said it was the same with him and Rhys. Said they both knew within days that Jess was the woman for them. Took them a little longer to convince her, but I think when you know, you know.”
“Yeah. I think so too,” Keeley agreed.
Rafe wanted to debate that. After all, his mother “had known” that same thing five times in her life. But he didn’t say that because he was too distracted by Keeley’s face, by the way she was smiling at Gio. And the way he was smiling back.
They knew.
He could see it in their eyes.
And suddenly, he didn’t want to tell them they were wrong.
Instead, he wanted her to look at him like that.