Without doubt, those muscle responses in each of us resulted from totally different feelings.
Him with longing, me with suspicion and that familiar sense of unease rocking my foundation.
Her gaze landed on us, and her smile lit the goddamn room, shining light through the storm clouds inside me.
My face dented with a scowl.
Our gazes clashed, and her happiness dimmed.
Ash pulled away from me, and I let him go, clutching my wine glass a little tighter as he moved through the crowd intent on her.
I prepared myself for noise and judging looks his introducing her to people would bring. Backlash and ridicule.
But I told myself I didn’t care what others thought.
“Rhett!”
A familiar voice pulled my focus off Skylar, and I turned, my scowl dissolving at the threesome headed my way.
Wyatt stuck out his hand, and I clasped it firmly.
“Thanks for coming,” I said, my voice warmer than it would have been with anyone else in the room except for Ash.
“Wouldn’t have missed it.” His free hand clutched at Haley’s, and Garrett stood close behind her, his palm on her lower back.
Haley glanced around the room wide-eyed, just as out of place and starstruck among California’s rich and famous as Skylar had appeared. At least Wyatt’s woman knew how to keep her unfiltered mouth shut and not make a spectacle of herself when necessary.
“Garrett,” I shook his hand, then smiled at Haley when she finally looked up at me. “Are these two treating you well?”
“Could be better,” she sassed and squeaked a breath later, sidling away from Garrett as if he’d pinched her ass. “Jerk,” she hissed at him.
“Later,” he stated with a wink and grin.
Haley rolled her eyes.
“Is that your houseguest? The woman hanging on Ashton?” Wyatt asked, and I glanced toward where he’d tipped his chin.
Skylar clung to Ash’s hand and upper arm, leaning into him. They were a gorgeous couple, dick-thickeningly so, their faces close together as they spoke.
I fought off another frown while sipping my wine. “She’s the potential mother of Ash’s children,” I went with, my tone bland, considering the storm from that morning still roiling my insides.
“A match through the app?” Garrett asked.
I nodded, unable to tear my focus off my lovers as Ash drew her forward toward some of our guests.
We hadn’t discussed how to introduce Skylar but should have.
Most of those in attendance knew why Ash and I had created Missing Link, so the fact a woman would one day share our lives in some capacity wouldn’t come as a surprise to them.
“She’s the perfect match,” I answered Wyatt without adding for Ash like I did in my mind.
“Congratulations,” he said, and I made myself nod in acceptance.
“She’s stunning,” Haley said.
“She’s got nothing on you, cuddle bug,” Garrett told Haley, pressing in close against her in my periphery.
Haley laughed lightly and leaned upward to whisper something in his ear.