“Oh my god,” I said, covering my mouth. “That wasn’t one we picked out.”
“I found it in an old yearbook last week.”
The photo was from my seventh birthday party. I remembered it fondly, partly because of the Power Ranger piñata, but mostly because it had ended in the emergency room after I’d accidentally whacked Leighton over the head. She still had the scar to prove it.
“I thought that we should ask you first, but your sister insisted.”
Austin’s hesitation made me smile. It was hard to believe that this was the same guy who had fucked my face the other night. My adorable, shy alpha in disguise.
“She does that,” I told him. “Let’s do it.”
Leighton clapped her hands together with glee. While Austin set up the shot, we picked our weapons—a crowbar for Leighton and a baseball bat for me.
“You know,” I said when we were ready to go. “I’m surprised you would trust me with a bat so close to your head again.”
She shrugged. “It’s been twenty years. Besides, now I have a hunky boyfriend to avenge me if you take me out.”
Me, too . . . I think.
I put a pin in that conversation for the next five minutes, while we beat the shit out of an animatronic Santa. By the time we were finished with him, he was slurring his words in an octave that was anything but jolly.
“Geez.” Austin whistled. “What did Santa ever do to you?”
Just as I opened my mouth to sass him—because nothing riled him up quite like some back talk, and damn, did I love when he got riled up—Tabitha interrupted us.
“Janelle,” she said. “I just wanted to say thank you again. I really do need to get going, but we’ll talk more about Bennett Studios after the holidays.”
“Sure thing, Tabitha.” As if it were the most natural thing in the world, I cozied up to Austin’s side, ducking my head under his arm. “You remember Austin, right?”
“Sure, your—”
“Boyfriend,” I finished, even as Austin said, “Neighbor.”
His body stiffened. From the corner of my eye, I saw his head whip around like something out ofThe Exorcist.
“Well, it’s nice to see you again, no matter who you are.” She dipped her chin in my direction. “Merry Christmas, Janelle.”
“You, too.”
To Austin’s credit, he waited until my boss was out of earshot before asking, “Boyfriend, huh?”
“I said what I said.” My cheeks flushed under the weight of his stare. “Are you up for it?”
He snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his body. I smiled when I felt the erection pressing against my front. “What do you think?”
I circled my arms around his neck. He shivered when my fingers scraped through the thin hairs there. In our few days together, most of which had been spent in bed—his bed, my bed, the bed of his truck—I had quickly learned that Austin loved to be touched.
“I think,” I told him. “That I’ve still got a few more sick days to use before the end of the year.” He groaned when I wiggled my hips, thrusting them against his cock. This was his fault; if he wanted a naughty girl, then that’s what he was going to get. “Do you have any ideas for how I should spend them?”
He leaned down until his eyes were even with mine.
“I can think of a few.”
Austin
“You know, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind when you offered to help wrap presents.”
Nellie giggled when I peeled the paper off another bow and smoothed it over her neglected nipple. “Funny,” I told her, admiring my work. “Because this is exactly what I had in mind.”
