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“You aren’t taking advantage if I volunteer to go with you. And if you think it will help, I’m there.” So what if I’m slightly attracted to him? I’m doing this because Jocelin is Astrid’s best friend, which means he’s a nice guy. I can’t throw him to the wolves.
He looks at me with such relief that I know I’ve made the right decision. “I’ll warn you, it will probably be boring, with lots of talk about work.”
“Joce, trust me. I don’t mind. And there are worse things than hanging out with you at a party.”
Before he can say anything to that, his eyes narrow, and he grabs my hand. “Victor, two o’clock.”
I roll my eyes, already tired of this vulture. “He really doesn’t understand the word no, does he?”
Jocelin grimaces. “Maybe he’s not buying our story.”
I turn to face Jocelin and hold his gaze. “I can take care of that. Will you trust me?”
“Yes.” I like that there is no hesitation. Decisiveness is sexy. Though he might regret saying it in a second.
“Alright. Don’t hit me.” There’s a moment of confusion on his face as I haul him against me and give in to the urge to kiss him. He squeaks in surprise, but when I cradle the back of his head with my hand, he melts against me with a tiny sigh. It’s the sweetest little sound, and as we both relax into the kiss, Jocelin takes the lead, his soft mouth pressing against mine with a touch of heat, his tongue flicking against my lips unexpectedly. He slowly slides his hands up my chest, weaving his fingers into my hair, and I forget about everyone around us or the reason I kissed him in the first place. There is only the two of us, and this slow, sensual, mind-blowing kiss. His lips are every bit as soft as I imagined. And the warm, clean scent of his cologne makes it difficult to think. I can’t remember the last time I was kissed like this.
Forgetting where I am, I slowly part my lips. Jocelin follows my lead, our tongues caressing sensually, and I can’t hold back a low moan as heat sweeps through me, waking up every nerve in my body. Lost in the kiss, I almost miss the sound of a sharp gasp, followed by a poorly hidden laugh turned into a cough. Much too soon for my liking, Jocelin brings the kiss to an end, his body still pressed firmly against me, our faces mere inches apart, his head cradled in my hands.
He blinks up at me, and I’m sure I have the same dazed look on my face. “Wow.” It’s so incredibly inadequate to what just happened that it makes me chuckle. I glance around to find Astrid standing a few feet away. I return her grin and motion her over, still clutching Jocelin against my chest. His eyes are locked on my face, not that I mind, and he isn’t making any moves to step away. I’m definitely not going to suggest anything about this situation should change.
Astrid smirks and crosses her arms. “So, I guess you two ran into each other.”
That does make Jocelin move. He reaches out an arm and gestures for her to come closer, his eyes darting around. “Shh.”
She frowns. “Why are we shushing?” She steps closer, and Jocelin leans in.
“Remember how Victor keeps asking me out? Well, he tried it again, right outside.” Astrid screws up her face like she’s licked a lemon, and Jocelin nods. “Exactly. But Gunnar stepped in on the spur of the moment, allowing me to introduce him as my boyfriend so Victor would leave me alone.”
Astrid’s eyebrows shoot up, and she turns to me with an incredulous look. “Oh, really?”
I shrug. “I’m selfless like that.” Her snort clearly says how much she agrees.
“Mmm. And was the kissing part of the act?” Her lips quirk into a smirk as she looks straight at me.
I nod emphatically. “Yup.”
At the same time, Jocelin says, “Not intentionally.”
Astrid laughs. “I see. Well, it was a very believable kiss.” She punches me in the arm.
“Ow!” I let go of one of Jocelin’s hips to rub my bicep. “What was that for?”
“For making out with my best friend in front of me.” She grimaces. “Ewww.”
So her issue isn’t about my making out with her best friend. Just that it was in front of her. Very good to know. Unfortunately, her reaction prompts Jocelin to push against my chest and take a step back. “Sorry.”
Reluctantly, I let him go. “Sorry for what?”
Astrid punches my arm again. “Gunnar, stop glaring at Jocelin! You’re gonna make him feel bad!”
“You’remaking him feel bad. No kiss shaming, Astrid.“ I turn to Jocelin and take his hand. “I’m sorry if I overstepped.”
He squeezes my fingers and shakes his head. “You didn’t.” His cheeks are flushed, and his pupils are huge, and fuck, I like how that looks on him. “Thank you for the quick thinking.”
“You’re welcome.” I turn back to Astrid, wanting to be alone again with Jocelin. She’s obviously making him second-guess his fake boyfriend ruse, or picking me to play the boyfriend, and neither sits well. “Don’t you need to be with Gary or something?”
She waves a hand dismissively. “Nah. He’s having the time of his life. You know how much he loves these things. He’s one of only a few writers I know who absolutely think events like this are the best part of the job.”
