Page 77 of Just Business

He closes his eyes, a ragged exhale escaping him, and pulls me against his chest, burying his face in my neck.

“You don’t know how happy I am to hear that,” he says against my skin. He tilts his head back, meeting my eyes. “I don’t want anything to cheapen what we have between us, and I can’t promise that other articles won’t come and go. Hopefully, they’ll be fewer and further between once we’ve been together a while, but I can’t promise they won’t pop up from time to time. It’s the nature of this damn fame machine.” Austin pauses, kissing the corner of my mouth before continuing. “But I don’t want anyone but us deciding what we are to each other, you hear me?”

“Well, I’m here for it,” I say. “Whatever comes our way, it’s me and you.”

He presses his lips to mine again—soft at first—and I melt into him. Right as the kiss starts to deepen, though, he pulls away, rising to lean against the headboard. I do the same, resting my head against his chest.

“There’s something I need to tell you about the photo that was taken—” he starts, but I cut him off.

“I already know. It was Abby who took the picture. I’m pretty sure Tyler and I found out at about the same time. Abby confessed everything to us last night.”

He lets out a long, tired exhale. “I don’t even have it in me to be mad at that kid. Teenagers do stupid shit sometimes.”

“Well,” I begin, huffing a laugh through my nose, “I think Josie’s mad enough for all of us. Abby’s probably not seeing social media for a while. She’ll be lucky if she sees the outside of her house before school starts back.”

Austin’s sigh is heavy, and we sit in silence. He trails his fingers up and down my arm, sending a shiver of gooseflesh across my skin.

“Penny, I want you to know something real.”

I lean back to look up at him, one eyebrow arched in question.

“This is the most real thing I’ve ever told you.” His eyes meet mine, and there’s something in them that stirs something deep inside me.

I blink rapidly, my voice dipping to a whisper. “What is it?”

“I’ve fallen completely in love with you.” His voice is thick with emotion. “Maybe it’s too soon to be saying this. I don’t know. Hell, I’ve never said this to a woman before. But this is real. You’ve worked your way so deep into my heart that I can barely remember what life was like before you were in it.” He pauses, his eyes searching mine with a raw intensity. “Honestly, I think I was already half in love with you the moment you whirled around to lay into me that night at the bar.”

My heart kicks up in my chest, quick, staccato beats that he can probably feel against his own.

“And when did you realize you were all the way in love?” My words don’t sound right to my ears; maybe because I’ve forgotten how to breathe.

“I wish I had some smooth response right here,” he says, a self-deprecating laugh slipping from his lips. “But the truth is, I fell in love with you little by little every single day. There wasn’t one big moment. It was just all of it. You took care of me that night without needing anything in return. You’ve seen every side of me and never once backed down, and you’ve trusted me with every piece of you. You’re it for me. I want all of you, every single beautiful piece that makes you who you are.” His words are steady, speaking to the deepest parts of my soul.

My eyes lock onto his and I rise to press a soft kiss to his lips. “You sound like some guy who sings country love songs for a living.”

His laugh rumbles deep in his chest, vibrating against my mouth.

When I pull away I look at him, taking in how perfectly imperfect this man is. “You’re it for me, too, Austin James. I am utterly and helplessly in love with you. I couldn’t have fought it if I’d tried. I never stood a chance.”

He wraps one big hand around the back of my neck, pulling me in for a searing kiss that makes my toes curl.

“For the record,” he says, leaning his head to look at me, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “You didn’t try too hard. ‘Just business,’ my ass.”

I chuckle, but he captures my mouth with his, wiping the humor away in one smooth, possessive kiss.

Austin’s hands go to remove the towel that I’m still wrapped in and I rise, draping one leg over him to straddle his hips. Our gazes lock, dark and burning with emotions and I sink down onto him, feeling every delicious inch as he enters me. He sucks in a breath, watching as our bodies become one and I feel his fingers press into my hips, guiding me to move against him.

There’s nothing rushed about the way we move together, his hips pushing into me as I press deeper into him. Every touch, every movement is a promise. A promise that whatever our future holds, I’m his and he’s mine. He shifts beneath me, changing angles and I throw back my head, leaving my throat exposed. Austin grips my hair, dragging his tongue up the column of my throat and I gasp at the pleasure sparking through me, building into something strong and fierce.

My nails dig into his shoulders, gripping him as our movements quicken, chasing that inevitable breaking point together. Pleasure coils tighter and tighter until it quickly unravels, ripping through me in a shattering release. My body trembles, just as he groans, pressing me flush against him as he follows, his breath ragged and warm against my skin.

He keeps his arms banded around me, still inside of me, and all the emotions of the day come crashing down. Every part of my soul is tangled with his, and I don’t know how to let go. I’m going to miss this man that I love with every part of me so very much. I rest my head on his shoulder, and he trails his fingertips up and down my back as silent tears push past my lashes and down my cheeks.

I’m vaguely aware of two things as I’m pulled from sleep. Something delicious is cooking in my kitchen, and the low hum of voices can be heard outside my house. The morning light streaming in is bright and I blink to adjust my eyes before grabbing my phone to check the time. It’s 9 a.m. He must have let me sleep in. I drag myself out of bed, slip on his UT hoodie that still smells like him and finger-comb my hair into a messy knot on top of my head.

I pad downstairs to my kitchen, stopping in the doorway to admire Austin, who’s standing shirtless at my stove flipping something in a skillet. His brows are drawn, not in frustration or worry, but more like he’s lost in thought. I take in his bare shoulders and smooth planes of his back, and for a moment I stand, drinking him in. God, he’s gorgeous. And completely mine.

It takes a second for him to realize I’m there, ogling him. His face lights up the moment he turns and my heart trips over itself. “Good morning, beautiful.”

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