Page 43 of My Bodyguard’s The Boss

“You paid for lunch,” Dominic pointed out.

“I can afford it,” Austin said flatly. “Come on. Call it a tip. For going above and beyond.”

Dominic snorted, rubbing his chest bandage through his shirt. “Again, it’s the job.”

“The job is making sure crazy fans don’t mob me,” Austin said, scrolling through Uber Eats. “Getting stabbed is not part of the job description.”

“It’s always a possibility,” Dominic said.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, what are we getting? I’ll even let you order me more carbs.” Austin kept scrolling, holding his breath. He was pushing it; he knew that. Even he would want to go home at this point, if he was in Dominic’s position. And he always got the feeling that Dominic valued his alone time. He’d had to talk Dominic into staying over, let alone staying all the next day. Surely now was the time Dominic would politely excuse himself and head home.

He waited. But Dominic didn’t say anything. Finally, Austin risked a look over at him.

Dominic was watching him from the other side of the couch, his arm slung along the back. Austin had never seen him so relaxed. He’d spent the last year watching Dominic stand at attention, scanning the room for any potential threat.

Austin smiled, nudging their socked feet together. “What?”

Dominic shook his head. “Nothing. Just realized I’m on shift.”

“Huh?” Austin checked his watch. Tonight was a Dominic night. He wasn’t going anywhere tonight, which usually meant coaxing Dominic in from the outer perimeters of the house and roping him into a conversation until he made an excuse to leave.

“Guess so,” Austin said slowly. “So, you’re saying you have to stick around and watch another Fast and Furious movie?”

“I’m saying I should probably head out and talk to the team at some point,” Dominic said. “Address the Gail situation. But I suppose I can fit another movie in.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Dominic gave Austin’s socked foot another gentle shove. “Should probably head home after that, though.”

Austin reminded himself this was the part where he should accept that gracefully. Should remind himself that he had already coaxed Dominic into staying one night; he shouldn’t try for another.

He climbed into Dominic’s lap instead.

“What if,” Austin began, settling down against Dominic’s thick thighs. “I made it worth your while?”

Dominic hid a smile, but not fast enough that Austin missed it. Dominic put his hands on Austin’s hips, rubbing thoughtfully at the skin showing underneath his shirt.

“How so?” Dominic asked, his voice so low it made Austin shiver.

Austin bit his lip, letting all his desires show on his face. “You've thought about me since you started working for me. You must have some fantasies you want to try.”

Dominic’s eyes darkened. His grip tightened on Austin’s hips, sending a fissure of excitement up Austin’s spine.

“You sure?” Dominic asked.

“Anything,” Austin said eagerly. His throat still throbbed, and his arms still ached from this morning, not to mention his tender hole from last night. But he didn’t care. Not with Dominic looking up at him like this.

Dominic hummed, stroking a hand up Austin’s spine before wrapping tantalizingly around the back of Austin’s neck.

“Call us a car,” he said. “We’re going out.”

CHAPTER 14

It was probably too much, picking the same bar. But Dominic couldn’t help himself.

He stood at attention at the end of the bar, waiting. They had to swing by his place to pick up a replacement outfit. Dominic couldn’t exactly show up on shift wearing Austin’s clothes, which were so tight they counted as genuinely indecent.

People aren’t meant to look at me, he told Austin as they drove to the bar. I’m meant to blend into the background. Can’t do that with my pecs about to burst out of my shirt.