Howard loved being in on the action wherever he went, so when he found he'd suddenly killed the mood, he wasn't happy about it.
He walked in, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over Yuri Sinclair before he placed his hands on Ashley Bowen's shoulders. "Don't be nervous. You can stand next to me later, and I'll stand next to Shona Joplin. That way, if anyone's going to look bad by comparison, it'll be her and me."
"Okay." Ashley Bowen nodded, but her entire body tensed up.
Howard noticed her discomfort but had no idea what was causing it.
This beautiful misunderstanding was causing Ashley Bowen an infinite amount of awkwardness.
"Shay, you really are nervous. Look, your bones are practically popping out. You could balance an egg on your collarbone."
"Knock it off. Stop teasing Shay, she's sensitive." Seeing Howard being so familiar with his wife, Yuri Sinclair couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
