Page 16 of My Real Love Affair

One of his hands came up to cup the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair. I made a sound I’d probably be embarrassed about later, but right now I didn’t care. Right now, the only thing that existed was his mouth on mine and the way my entire body had turned to liquid heat.

I was forgetting something. Something important. The crowd. The cameras. The fact that I was supposed to be having the worst day of my life. All of it faded until there was only Austin Bancroft devouring my mouth like a man starving.

Then he broke away, and I nearly whimpered at the loss.

Before I could catch my breath, his hand slid down my back and grabbed my ass. I yelped. Loudly.

Every single person in the garden was staring at us. Mouths hanging open. Phones raised. Some people looked scandalized. Others looked like they’d just witnessed the entertainment event of the season.

Austin’s chest rumbled with laughter against me. He seemed completely unbothered by the attention. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying it.

He glanced around at the crowd, that infuriating smirk still playing on his lips. “Go on,” he called out, his voice rich with amusement. “Post your hearts out.”

Chaos erupted. People talking over each other, phones clicking, someone gasping dramatically. I caught snippets of conversation.

“Did that just happen?”

“Oh my god, is that Austin Bancroft?”

“Who is she?”

“Someone get this to TMZ immediately.”

Austin’s hand found mine, and suddenly we were moving. He pulled me away from the crowd, weaving through guests who parted like the Red Sea. I stumbled after him, still trying to process what had just happened, my lips still tingling from the kiss.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Trust me.”

We hurried across the garden, up the stone steps of the Plume estate, and into the house. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, navigating through hallways until he found what he was looking for: a bathroom.

He pulled me inside and locked the door behind us.

I immediately rounded on him, finding my voice at last. “What the hell was that?”

He leaned against the door, still looking entirely too pleased with himself. “That was me saving you from a very uncomfortable situation.”

“Bykissingme?” My voice came out higher than I intended. “You can’t just go around kissing people you don’t know!”

“You didn’t seem to mind.”

My cheeks burned hotter. “That’s—that’s not the point! You don’t even know me!”

“I know you were about to get torn apart out there.” His expression softened slightly, though the amusement never quite left his eyes. “I know what that feels like. Figured I’d give them something else to talk about.”

“By kissing me. Andgrabbingme.”

“Sold the moment.” He shrugged, utterly shameless. “Had to make it look real. You know how people scrutinize everything.”

“You could’ve asked first!”

“Would you have said yes?”

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Because honestly? If Austin Bancroft had walked up and asked if he could kiss me, I probably would’ve thought he was pranking me. Or drunk. Or both.

“That’s what I thought.” He pushed off the door, taking a step closer. In the confined space of the bathroom, he seemed even taller. Even more overwhelming. He was just so muchman. Sex oozed from his pores. Not in an icky, sticky way, but in a take-me-to-bed kind of way. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t ask first. But you looked like you needed saving.”

“I did need saving,” I admitted, my anger deflating slightly. “Just not the lip-kissing, ass-grabbing kind. A tequila shot would’ve worked.”