It’s my turn to cut him off, standing on my tip toes to plant a kiss on his lips, my arms wrapping around his neck as he bends to ease the reach.
When we both pull away from each other, we’re smiling, a big, goofy grin.
“So is that a yes? To everything?”
“Yes. Yes to everything.”
“Wait—really?”
“Yes.”
He scoops me up and tries to spin me in a circle, but my legs hit buckets, and shit goes flying before he puts me down. We both crack up, looking at the mess we’ve managed to make while hardly doing anything.
“Ready to get back to the party?”
I nod, and my boyfriend takes my hand, leading me out.
It’s like there’s renewed energy surrounding us as we walk out hand in hand. Thankfully, Kai had found a closet awayfrom everyone; I couldn’t imagine what it would’ve looked like if we’d been caught. Although I’m not technically an employee anymore, I still care about how Kai is perceived.
As soon as we’re back in the mix of things, Kai jumps on stage for the first of many giveaways, and then there’s dancing and more talking. The alcohol warms my body, but it’s not enough to make me all crazy, just a slight buzz that eases my nerves. I jump on the dance floor and bust a move. Kai joins me for the Macarenaand even the ChaCha Slide,but he runs back off when Church Clapcomes blaring through the speakers.
Everyone is snacking, drinking, and laughing—if Christmas was going to be anything to me, it would be this: surrounded by good people with good times and good drinks without a care in the world. That I have this delicious man waiting for me is just the icing on top.
As the song ends, I walk over to him, allowing his heavy arm to wrap me up. His lips plant a kiss on the top of my head, and I watch everyone else continue. My body just wants to be touching him; it’s a stupid natural thing that I want to be embraced by him, even if we are newly official. It’s like stupid young love.
“Do you want to get out of here?”
I look up at him, his eyes brows quirked with mischief. “I thought you’d never ask.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
KAI
My thumb tracescircles on the back of Jax’s hand as we drive down the street. There’s still hours left of the party, but I don’t want to be there any longer. I just want him, in my bed, none of the outside noise to distract us as we get lost in one another.
There’s always been this forbidden feeling, this inkling of what happens if we get caught, so now, I get to experience him in a whole new light. The lights from the downtown area flash over his face, illuminating the lazy grin he’s wearing as we go back to my place. I’ve never brought anyone here, never had a reason to, so this is even more significant to me. My home is my safe place, but Jax has become that too. I can’t imagine not having the two intertwined.
We pull in, and I park, our touch only breaking long enough for me to round the car and open his door before his hand is back in mine. My cock has been painfully hard since we left the party, but as much as I hope that’s the ending for us, I’m not going to pressure it either. It’s new, fresh. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still hurt with how I went about it all. Now that I’m able to look back at it, I’m sure there were easier ways, probably a ton ofoptions, but I chose the route, and now, I have to deal with the repercussions.
When we get to my door, I open it and let Jax through first. His hand leaves mine, but he’s in my space, so I’m okay with it.
As if it’s second nature, he reaches into his coat pocket and pops a candy into his mouth as he looks around, the plastic wrapper crumpling.
I have to say, my house is one of my favorite places. The walls are all a light grey, with more big windows to show off the skyline, which is one of my favorite parts of living in the big city.
The best part of my place isn’t that, though, and it’s not the open floor plan, although that’s pretty cool too.
My favorite is all the pictures from all my travels.
There are pictures from Belize, Bali, Puerto Rico, even more local places like Chicago and San Francisco. Every single one highlights a new view, a new culture, a new time when I was able to be a part of something bigger than me. I’ve always been welcomed, trying new foods and learning more about something that’s further than my own backyard.
Touch grass, if you will.
Having these experiences is a luxury, something I’ll never take for granted, because I have been afforded these things. But fuck, I am so thankful for each and every moment.
My favorite picture, though, is my newest, and the one Jax is standing in my living room staring at. I walk up behind him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and bending down to pepper kisses along his neck.
“Whe-when did you take this?”
