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Jocelin is still clutching the box of baked goods to his chest. “Should I pass them to Bjorn or am I still responsible for guarding them?”
“Hold on.” I open the tin and grab a handful of the small, golden cookies, then look Jocelin square in the eyes. “Take them in the house, and give them to Astrid.Onlyto Astrid. She’ll know what to do with them.” I hold out a bite-sized cookie to him. Jocelin looks at it and then at me, then slowly parts his lips. Fuuuuuck, that’s hot. I place the cookie on his pink, wet, tongue, and when he closes his mouth and chews, I swear my entire body is going to catch on fire.
Bjorn groans. “Good god, save it for when you’re alone. Some of us are painfully single right now.” He laughs and leads us into the house.
I take Jocelin’s hand, and we go inside, kicking our shoes off at the door. We head through to the kitchen, where a cheer goes up, and everyone gives us crap for being late.
“We’re five minutes late, and we had to stop at Mrs. Clarke’s.”
Astrid’s eyes go wide, and Jocelin hands her the container of cookies. “Gunnar said you’d know what to do with these.” She nods and disappears with the box, coming back a minute later, licking her lips, the box nowhere to be seen. She winks at me and goes to sit by Gary.
Jocelin inhales deeply and smiles. “Something smells wonderful.” I turn toward the smell and watch Erik pull a large pan out of the oven.
“It’s paella. Jules and I have been taking a cooking class, and we made this recipe last week. It’s pretty easy, so we figured it’d be perfect for family dinner. We have a really great Tempranillo that pairs nicely with it.”
I snort. “Pairs nicely? Are you suddenly Gordon Ramsey?”
Erik brandishes a spoon at me. “Yes, I’m Gordon Fucking Ramsey, and get the fuck out of my fucking kitchen.”
“It’s not your fucking kitchen.” We all laugh, and even though this is my family, and I’m used to their teasing, I’m grateful no one seems to be making a big deal about me being here with Jocelin. I lean against the counter next to him. “Can I get you something to drink? Wine? Beer? Cider?”
His eyes widen. “The cider sounds interesting, but I think I’ll have some of the red that Erik suggested. I’ve learned never to question the chef.” Erik grins and nods in acknowledgement.
I grab the bottle and pour him a glass, then glance around. “You know everyone here, I think.” I gesture to Gary, Astrid, Bjorn, and Erik. “Wait, where’s Jules?”
Erik points to the ceiling with his spoon. “Upstairs. We came over early to go swimming, and he went to shower and change.”
“And now I’m clean and wearing dry clothes. And I think I deserve a reward for that.” Jules hurries across the kitchen and slips under Erik’s arm.
Erik grins down at him. “And what reward would you like?”
“Kisses. I deserve lots of kisses.” Jules leans back and puckers his lips, waiting for Erik, who obligingly bends down and gives him a quick peck. Jules glares at him. “Excuse me? That won’t do at all!” He tugs on Erik’s arm, trying to pull him back down, not budging him. Erik laughs and cups Jules’ jaw, gently tilting his head up. Jules tries not to smile or respond to the kiss as Erik all but devours his mouth. He fails at both.
Laughing, Jules shoves against Erik’s chest. “You’re lucky you’re loved, you big goof.” Erik goes back to stirring the paella, but he’s blushing and has a gentle smile on his face.
Astrid pouts to hide her sappy smile and turns around to face Gary. “I need a kiss. Everyone else is getting kisses.”
Gary raises an eyebrow. “Everyone?”
Her shoulders droop dramatically and he gives in, sliding a hand around her neck to bring her face very close to his. He whispers something directly into her ear, and it makes her cheeks flush pink. She giggles as he presses their lips together, but it turns into an appreciative hum as he kisses her like it’s their last. Erik and Bjorn make whooping noises and catcalls, and Jules laughs.
I shield my eyes. “Ewwwww. Please! That’s my sister you’re kissing like that!” I make gagging noises for extra drama, but I’m sure it’s obvious I’m trying not to smile.
Jocelin nudges me with his shoulder. “This is not at all what I was expecting. Your family is wonderful.” I don’t tell him it’s not at all what I was expecting, either. Everyone seems to be in a really good mood, and it’s not often that happens in this family. I slide my arm around his waist and squeeze. Astrid clears her throat.
Jocelin and I turn to find her pointing at us. “Youhave not been kissed. Both of you must kiss someone in this room right now. So who’s it going to be?”
I’m about to point out that Bjorn hasn’t been kissed either, but he’d probably try to kiss me as a joke, and that’s not happening. I would also prefer not to kiss Jocelin in front of my entire family. It’s still new, and I really don’t want to put him on the spot like that.
As if we’ve choreographed it, we both point to her, but Gary holds up his hand, stopping us. “No way guys. Gunnar, eww. That’s your sister.” He’s obviously enjoying throwing my words back at me. “And”—he directs his next words to Jocelin—“that’smygirlfriend, and I’m claiming all of her kisses tonight. So pick someone else.”
Bjorn raises his hand, and I scowl, wrapping Jocelin in my arms. “No way. You are not kissing either one of us.” I glare at Bjorn. “Hands off! Don’t even think about it.”
I turn Jocelin so we’re almost nose to nose. He’s grinning, and I can’t help but return it. “Gunnar, your family is very unique.”
I laugh. “Yes, they are.” I cup his face with my hands, and the air between us turns electric. I guess we’re doing this. We could protest and probably get out of it, but now that we’re here, I don’t want to. “Is it okay if I kiss you?” When Jocelin nods, I lean in, brushing my lips against his. It’s sweet, and like every time we’ve kissed, the world around us disappears. Jocelin drapes his arms around my neck and presses against me, deepening the kiss. I tighten my arms around him, pulling him even closer, lost to everything except how good he feels.
Whistles and cheering from the room effectively destroys the mood, bringing our kiss to an abrupt end. I glare at everyone, a little embarrassed and a lot turned on. Jocelin shifts in my arms, leaning back against my chest, resting his hands over mine. I drop my chin onto his shoulder and give him a quick squeeze. “So, when do we eat?”
