Page 316 of The Hopelessly Bromantic Duet

I drop a kiss to Owen’s chilly cheek.

TJ slow claps, and in seconds, everyone joins in.

Owen and I return to our chairs and finish dinner, and it tastes fantastic.

Including the pecan pie I bought at a store.

23

OWEN

TJ waves a card in front of his face. “And now, the first question,” he says in his baritone voice to the whole crew gathered around the fireplace later that night.

Flames from the hearth flicker across his dark eyes. “Would you rather be kinky or romantic?”

I squeeze River’s shoulder. Something that’s really easy to do, since he’s curled up next to me in the corner of the couch and my arm is wrapped around him.

And this is all I’ve ever craved. To be affectionate with him like this.Freely.I brush his hair from his ear, lean in close, and whisper, “Both.”

River hums appreciatively, turns his cheek to mine, and murmurs, “You aresoboth, and I love it.”

I press a kiss to his soft hair.

“Seriously?” The one-word question flies from Nisha’s mouth, but she’s not annoyed. She sounds more amazed.

“Seriously what?” I ask.

From her perch in an oversized chair, she flaps her hand at the two of us. “You literally just became boyfriends and you’re all schmoopy already.”

“Pretty sure that’s when you’re supposed to be the schmoopiest,” Reese adds in.

Holden tugs his girlfriend closer, plants a kiss on her cheek. “We’ve been together for half a year, and we’re still schmoopy.”

Reese lifts her wine glass. “To schmoop. Who’s with me?”

We all lift glasses—wine, water, cocoa, tequila—and drink to schmoop.

Laughing, TJ points at me. “Watch it or I’m going to write about you.”

I roll my eyes, undeterred by his playful threat. “Please, I’ve listened to your books. You’re the stud of schmoop in the happily-ever-after part.”

“Yup, in mybooks,” he says a little heavily, then shakes his head, like he’s shaking away whatever brief unpleasant memories paid him a visit. He flicks his thumbnail against the card. “What’s the answer?”

The crew goes around, rattling off kinky or romantic, but when TJ gets to me I give the same answer I gave River. “Both. And I refuse to pick.”

TJ smiles, glances at River then me. “Good for you, man. You should never have to choose between the two. Not when you have both.”

I squeeze River’s shoulder harder, and he snuggles closer, and soon I’m going to need to be alone with him.

But there are so many people here, and I meant what I said when I told TJ I didn’t want to have sex in a house full of so many people.

It’s too risqué.

Especially since we’re both crazy loud.

And yet, I really want to have sex with my boyfriend. Badly. As I sit here on the couch, my mind wanders away to Dirty Land, picturing him and me tangled together, skin slick and hot, breath coming fast, lips everywhere.

We could fuck, we could suck each other off, we could jerk...

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