Magical Midlife Madness (Leveling Up #1)(17)

My stupid face was red, I could feel the heat, but I met Austin’s eyes, anyway. I expected indignation or sullen anger. I wouldn’t have blamed him for either. It couldn’t be easy to have your world view challenged with information you probably thought came out of nowhere.

But when I met those clear blue eyes, they weren’t brimming with anger, or even narrowed in annoyance. He didn’t open his mouth to berate me for my ungratefulness or shrug me off as a hysterical woman who didn’t understand the ways of the world. His intelligent gaze silently regarded me.

“Get her better wine,” Niamh said, her voice subdued to match the moment.

Austin nodded, the movement so subtle it was almost indistinguishable, and moved away.

“Fair play to ya,” Niamh said, nodding. “You’re exactly right. Some of these muscle-head nincompoops are no better than oxen. Good for a specific job, then better off put out to pasture, dumb buggers. Put them all in a pen and let them fight amongst themselves, I say. Let Darwin sort it out.

“But I better explain how this town works. This isn’t L.A. This is O’Briens, nothing but a speck on the map. The locals here all know each other. We all look after each other. Now, if that man beside you had been a Dick—a…tourist—Austin Steele would’ve made a very big blunder, yes he would’ve. But among the locals, if Austin Steele tells someone you are to be respected, then you will be respected. And that hairy sonuvabitch is definitely a local. If he’d shower once in a while, he might get some interest. He needs a pair of scissors and a razor, the dirty bastard.

“Now, of course you wouldn’t have known that. That’s why I’m tellin’ you. Don’t you feel bad for speaking up. As I said, you could’ve been in some trouble if that was a Dick. We get weird ones around these parts, and you’re not equipped to deal with it. You don’t realize yet that this place is full of opportunities for unmarked graves. That’ll come in time. For right now, you’ve given Austin Steele something to think about. So that was good. Keep that up. I like to see him on his toes. We have too many yes men around here, if you ask me. Spineless, all of ’em. Austin Steele has it too easy. I only play nice because he’s the keeper of the alcohol, you know what I mean.”

I wanted to ask why Austin held so much clout, whether she’d created any of those unmarked graves, and also why she kept saying his full name, but before I could get any of my questions out, he came back with a bottle of wine.

He lifted the opener, his bicep straining his shirt. As he turned the handle on the cork screw, he shifted his body slightly, giving me a view of his large, flexed shoulder. Another turn of the cork screw, and I got a full display of his popping pecs within his shirt. His cockeyed grin said he knew I was enjoying the show.

I grinned despite myself and then rolled my eyes at his antics. Niamh gave him a confused frown, although I wasn’t sure why.

“You’re tough,” he said as the cork popped out. His smile dwindled, noticing Niamh. A moment later, before he poured, he leaned toward me, his eyes piercing. “Please know that I would never intentionally put you in harm’s way. You will get home safely. I will make sure of it, myself.”

I was mesmerized by the fire in his eyes. By the absolute certainty in his tone. I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

He nodded then straightened, his message delivered. The show over.

I was still holding my breath. Warmth spread through my middle.

No one had ever made a fuss about my safety before. Not since I was a little girl. Matt had been nice enough through our marriage, but he’d never thought much about my being in danger, not in upper-middle class suburbia.

My heart squished and tears welled up out of nowhere. What must it be like to be taken care of by a man like this?

“And that’s why they call him the uncrowned alpha,” Niamh murmured, holding up her drink to be refilled. Austin had moved down the bar to help someone. Paul deflated when he realized the job fell to him.

“What does that mean?” I asked, wiping my eyes quickly. I needed to get a hold of myself. An act of kindness shouldn’t turn me into a puddle of goo.

“He’s like a…” Niamh rattled the ice in her glass. “Mayor. Kinda. Without the votes.”

That didn’t make any sense, but as Austin neared I let it go. Half the things these people said didn’t make any sense.

“So?” he asked as Paul delivered another drink to Niamh. “What’s the verdict?”

“It’s fine,” I managed, reaching for the glass. I sipped it to get him to move away, ready to drink just about anything. But as soon as the flavor hit my tongue, my eyes dipped downward and the world stopped. Spicy, smoky, soft and light, the wine serenaded my taste buds. I closed my eyes, savoring the taste.

“Good?” Austin asked, his voice a deep rumble.

“Very.” I took another sip. The second sip was even better than the first. “Delicious.”

“There.” Austin tapped the bar and gave Niamh a smug look. “See? I can impress a connoisseur. It just takes the best, most expensive bottle from my personal collection to do it.” He winked at me and moved down the bar.

“Oh no, that’s—” But he was already too far away. “He shouldn’t have done that,” I said.

“’Course he should have. You were dead right—what’s he doin’ servin’ flat, cheap wine in a place like this?”