Page 38 of The Holiday Boyfriend

Grumbling, I turned to head back inside with my tail between my legs when the pub's door slammed open and Austin appeared with something in his hands, which I realized was the coat I'd forgotten inside.

He looked around the parking lot, and when he spotted me, he ran over. “Jim, you're going to freeze out here,” he said, his voice full of concern. He rushed forward and held out my jacket, helping me put it on.

Shit, how was this man so good?

He was worried about me and taking care of me, even when I was acting like an asshole. I deflated, and all the anger disappeared from inside of me.

“I'm sorry,” I whispered, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. I wasn't above acting pitiful if it meant that Austin would forgive me for my behavior.

He laughed, which was a good sign, right? He didn't look too mad either.

“There's nothing to apologize for. Levi was just teasing, so don't take his words to heart. Besides, I promised you that we wouldn't see anyone else while we're in this…whatever this is…”

His shoulders slumped for a second, but he perked back up almost immediately. I questioned if I'd imagined the hint of sadness in his expression.

“Anyway, we should get inside. It's freezing out here.” Austin reached out his hands to cup my cheeks. “Shit, your face is ice cold. Let's talk inside.”Before he could pull away, I placed my hands over his, locking him in place.

The women I'd dated in the past were all a lot shorter than me. I'd never minded, but after things started with Austin, I learned that there were many advantages to being with someone only a few inches shorter than me.

For one, we were the perfect height for doing the sixty-nine, and I'd come to learn that aftermanypractice sessions with Austin.

For another, it made kissing him easier. I didn't have to bend so far down that I had to strain my neck every time the urge to kiss my partner came. Like now, for instance.

I wasn't going to deny what I wanted, so I leaned forward to steal a sweet kiss from him. Austin's eyes widened in shock, but his eyes closed when our lips met. This was what I'd been looking for my entire life, and probably the reason why none of my past relationships ever worked out.

The kiss brought up a familiar feeling that I'd always sensed when I was with Austin.

This washome.

Hewas home.

This was exactly where I was supposed to be, where I needed to be. And once I’d had a taste of this, how was I supposed to let it go?

Austin sank into the kiss, almost slumping against me as his legs went soft, but he pulled back before I could get him in my embrace. His cheeks were pink under the dim moonlight, making him look like a shy maiden that had never been kissed before.

I smirked at that imagery.

“What if someone sees?” Austin said in a hushed tone. He looked left and right and only after making sure there was no one else in the parking lot did he let out a sigh of relief.

He tried to pull back, but I grabbed his hand and held him in place. “Would that be so bad?” I asked as I looked at him with determination. Austin deserved only the best, and while I tried to prove to him how right our match was, I had to make sure that no one else tried anything with him.

I couldn't give people like Jared or even Levi a chance to slip through to his heart before I'd successfully captured it.

Austin looked at me with confusion. “Would what be so bad?”

I flipped my hand to hold his palm and brought it up to my lips for a kiss. He watched me with what looked like nerves, but he didn't stop me either. The blush that had colored his cheeks turned brighter as he stared intently where I’d kissed him on the back of his hand.

“Can I make an amendment to our arrangement?” I asked in a soft voice like I was scared of frightening him off.

The worry was back in his eyes. “What is it?”

“What if we don't hide this from the others?”

His eyebrows raised in shock before furrowing. “This? You meanus?”

I nodded and threaded our fingers together and let our hands hang by our side. “Didn't we agree to be boyfriends?” I asked, knowing perfectly well that I was leaving out a keyword.

Austin noticed as well and opened his mouth to speak. “Boyfriends for the holidays. After that—”

---