38. Austin

CHAPTER 38

AUSTIN

My joke did not ease Greer's growing anxiety. But as the two men approached the table, I noticed a few things.

One, they were not wearing the Portland PD's uniform. Close, but no cigar.

Two, they were ... shiny. And it reminded me of the way the Commander glistened the other night when we walked in on them.

And three, this had that fucker's name written all over it.

Glancing over at Dreamboat, he was intently watching me like a hawk. Not one ounce of concern on his face, nor did my so called best friend attempt to come to my aid.

The fucker. This was exactly what I thought it was.

Payback.

Retribution.

Or just Dreamboat being Dreamboat.

Reaching over, I put my hand on Greer's thigh and patted it. "It's going to be fine, babe. I'll take care of it."

I stood from the table as the room fell silent. "I'm Austin Wentworth, officers. What's this all about?"

Both men looked at me, then to Greer. "I'm Officer Hardman and this is Officer Stiffwood. Are you Mr. Rowan?" the super shiny one asked. He looked like he'd gone a little overboard with the body oil.

I glanced over and raised an eyebrow at Dreamboat, who still sat there like he didn't know what the fuck was going on.

Greer cleared his throat and stood. "I am. What's this about, officer?"

I looked over at him and marveled that he hadn't caught on. My almost innocent, first time gay husband actually thought these two were real police officers.

"Would you two mind stepping over here, please, so we can talk privately?"

Greer looked at me, and I nodded. Better to get this over with before I killed Dreamboat.

We complied with Hardman's request as Stiffwood pulled out two chairs.

"Have a seat, gentlemen,' he said as he pulled at the fake buttons on his shirt. When the seductive beats of Pony by Ginuwine filled the air, Greer whipped his gaze to me as heat rose from his neck.

I smiled, trying to reassure him. "It's okay. It won't last long. I promise."

Wide eyed and embarrassed as hell, my husband watched for about two seconds as each dancer gyrated around us, ripping off their velcro clad shirts to expose their bare, slick chests.

I laughed as he awkwardly tried to sit back further in his chair, even though there was no place to go. I knew their performance was not meant to embarrass him, but it became very clear he'd never experienced anything like this before. So I kept a close eye on him, trying not to laugh as he tried to look at anything other than them.

Everything was fine until one of the two rubbed his ass too close to my man. I poked a finger on his ass cheek and pushed him back. When he looked startled, I shook my finger at him. "You're too close. Don't touch him," I growled.

The dancer's eyes went wide before he winked at me. He made the wise decision to step back before pulling off his pants, down to his g-string. If he took that scrap of fabric off and shook his dick in Greer's face, he might need an ambulance to leave here.

Suddenly, images of Greer in the pool in Costa Rica filled my mind, and I couldn't contain my laughter. Fucking hell, this was a disaster. This had gone on long enough for my liking, and when my husband was a bright crimson color, I stood and planted my hand in the middle of the oily wiggle worm's chest and pushed him back. Pulling out my wallet, I fished out two hundred-dollar bills and handed one to each of them with an expression that clarified we were done.

"We've had enough, officers. Thank you."

Extending my hand out for the love of my life, the other assholes around us clapped and whistled.

I pointed at Dreamboat, who was up, shaking his ass like he'd be taking his clothes off next. "I'll get you."

He threw back his head and laughed. "How do you know it was me? Maybe it was Phantom. Or GQ."

I shook my head. "Nah. This has you written all over it," I said, returning to my seat. Somehow, some way, I'd pay him back. And I'd capture the moment on video for posterity.

Turning my attention to Greer, I found him staring at me. My brow furrowed as I sat down and pulled my seat closer to him. "You okay, babe?"

He nodded. "Well, that made things crystal clear."

"What do you mean?"

His hand found my thigh as he looked into my eyes. "In a room full of handsome people, my heart always looks for you. And for as long as I can remember, it's always been you, Austin. As unnerving as this was," he gestured toward the two men who were heading for the door. "It all makes sense now. Why no one has ever captured my attention the way you did so long ago. It is just more proof we're meant to be together."

I nodded, then reached for his hand to lace our fingers together. All our friends disappeared from the room when I looked at him.

Right before we left, Alex walked up with Jackson. If I were a betting man, I'd say he'd made a decision about his career, and I knew Greer was anxious about it.

"Guys, I just wanted to say how happy I am for you. Just watching the two of you together, it's pretty obvious how much you love each other."

Austin smiled. "Thank you, Alex. It's been a long time coming, but I'm a firm believer in things happen for a reason."

"Me too," Jackson added. "You just have to go with what your heart is telling you. Fuck everything else."

I chuckled as Alex rubbed the back of his neck, then looked over toward Christian. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say. Greer knew this was coming, eventually. A man couldn't play football forever.

"I sense you have something to tell me," Greer said.

He nodded and looked him in the eye. The quarterback looked torn about what he was about to say. But he said it anyway. "It's time, Greer. This is going to be my last season. I have loved every second with this team, but I want my family more. Zach will start high school next year, and Megan will be in middle school. I want to be there for them."

I watched my husband put him at ease. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Alex. I understand. Your kids deserve a father who'll be there for them. We'll make this season your best yet."

He nodded. "Yeah, we will."

Greer extended his hand, but Alex pulled him into a hug instead. I'm sure his eyes were damp from the thought of saying goodbye to him.

"Don't worry, Alex," Jackson said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Greer seems to find a way to keep us old timers around."

I laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "That's what he does with family. Keeps them around."

I couldn't help but think about Carter. I wasn't ready to forgive him yet, but knowing Greer, he would be. Thank god no one had commented on the faint bruise on his cheek.

"Ready to go, babe?" Christian asked, wrapping his arm around his husband's waist. They were the first couple to come out on the team.

"Yeah," he said.

Alex clapped Greer on the shoulder. "See you in a month, boss. Pre-season workouts will be here before we know it."

"Enjoy your time off," he said, glancing over at me. "I know I'm going to."