Page 13 of The Holiday Boyfriend

“I promise we'll spend every winter holiday together. I’m all yours,” I said, tightening my hold around him.

He raised his head to look up at me. His eyes were still red, but they looked clearer than they had been earlier. Hopefully, the water would help sober him up more, though I had to admit that he was freaking cute acting all ditzy like this. Austin didn't get drunk often.

As I was watching him, his gaze moved from my eyes to my lips. His brows furrowed like he was conflicted about something, but his expression quickly turned into a goofy smile that had me smiling along with him.

He looked happy, and it was the most beautiful sight. It mesmerized me. I was caught in the daze of staring that my brain didn't register him moving closer to me until our lips met.

A soft gasp escaped his mouth, and his eyes went wide but quickly closed shut as he fell onto my lap with his hands around my neck. His lips felt soft and cool against mine, and perhaps it was the shock of the situation that had me freezing and not pushing him away immediately.

Subconsciously, I wrapped my arms around him to keep him from falling off my lap. Austin shivered under my hands, but his lips remained in place, pressed hard against mine.

I’d never wanted, or even thought about kissing a man. I thought I would find it unpleasant, but was surprised to learn it was the opposite. Kissing Austin didn't feel strange or wrong. In fact, it stirred up something inside me that had me wanting to bathe in this feeling. This feeling ofhim.

There was a famous saying—curiositykilled the cat—and most people stopped there, but the true saying had the completely opposite meaning.

I flicked my tongue out, wanting more of the heat that boiled in my lower belly. My wet tongue seemed to have lit a fire inside both Austin and me as we both moved into action, pulling each other closer as our mouths moved in a beautiful tangle.

But satisfaction brought it back.

And I'd never felt more alive.

TEN

AUSTIN

I opened my mouth, letting in more of the pleasure this foreign object brought me.

I couldn't remember how I'd gotten here or wherehereeven was, but considering I was kissing Jim, that meant that it had to be another one of my dreams.

Dream Jim would do things that real Jim would never do. Dream Jim was always lavishing me in sweet kisses that had me melting and waking up achingly hard and confused.

In my drunken haze, I leaned into the kiss. I wondered when the dream would end, and at the same time, feared when it would. Because it would eventually.

It always did.

Nightmares always felt like they went on forever, while good dreams ended all too soon. And as expected, seconds later, Jim was pulling back from me. I let out a whimper that sounded both desperate and full of pleading. If begging worked to keep Jim with me, then I would beg him a thousand times over.

I waited for the dream to change to the typical scene of Jim pushing me away with betrayal and anger on his face. Because how could I want him when he was my best friend? I’d betrayed his trust and deserved the curses he spewed at me as he left the room.

Instead of that hated scene, I was met with a warm chuckle that sounded very close to my ears. Opening my eyes, I found Jim watching me. He didn't look disgusted or betrayed like his dream self usually did after realizing what we'd done, but looked at me with bewilderment and not the negative kind.

He moved a hand from the back of my lower waist, and I grumbled in disapproval until I felt him tuck a piece of my wild hair behind my ear. He rested his hand against my cheek, and I leaned into the coolness.

“You're drunk,” he said with another chuckle.

I hummed in reply, because there was no way to refute that. The last thing I remembered was thinking about how Jim would one day leave my side for a girl and wouldn't spend the holidays with me anymore. I'd tried to forget the negative emotions and join in Levi and Felix's conversation, but the only thing that cooled the bitter heat inside me was the cold alcohol. So I'd kept drinking until dream Jim appeared.

Dream Jim promised to stay with me for all the holidays, and considering I was still in the dream, I wanted to bask in the happiness his vow gave me.

“You promised,” I said, snuggling into his neck and closing my eyes. Jim's hands were on me again as he rubbed slow and steady strokes up and down my back.

“Promised what?” Jim softly asked. I shot back up, glaring at him. This was my dream, and I wasn't going to let him forget the sweet words he’d pledged to me.

“You're mine! At least for the holidays…right?” I started off strong, confident, but the more I spoke, the less confident I felt. The doubts crept in, wondering if I was demanding too much, even if none of this was real.

Jim laughed. It sounded like music to my ears, and I couldn't help but lean in for another kiss. He didn't resist and met my mouth with the same amount of eagerness.

Soon, the kiss turned heated again, making my already tight jeans even tighter. Before I knew it, I was wantonly grinding into him. My body was hot with need for him, and I wanted to take everything before the sweet dream ended.

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