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“No, it’s fine.” No one has ever taken my hand in public or shown me off as his boyfriend, or date or whatever. I am not sure if we are boyfriend stage, yet, but we definitely are official. Now that I amofficial,he won’t get rid of me that easily! “I mean, you don’t need to hold back. I like it.”

“Alright.” Aden puts his hand on the small of my back again, pulling me close in one swift movement. I am so close to him that my vision zones in and out. I am trying to look at his face and not think about how fucking close I am to him right now. However much I try, I can’t help the twinge I feel in my groin. Fuck, that smooth movement of pulling me closer to him was hot.

So much about taking it slow.

Who am I even kidding?

Aden kisses my forehead. “I will get us something to eat. Anything you want or don’t like?”

“Nah, I am not picky.”

While growing up, I survived on so little food that being picky just wasn’t an option. If it’s edible and won’t kill me, I will eat it. Aden brushes his thumb over my cheek before letting go. I can only watch him, dumbfounded, while he walks to the buffet.

Aden has two plates in his hands when he walks back to me. Halfway back to me, a young man approaches him. He is a cute one, rather small with a delicate body and a sweet face. Iknow I am pretty, it’s my main selling point in my job, but it doesn’t count much when I am difficult as fuck to be around and extremely prickly.

More than one guy has already pointed it out to me.

I probably shouldn’t… I shouldn’t…

“Mr. Randall?” The young guy sounds shy and nervous; however, he is not shy enough not to look him over. “I thought we could talk?”

I shouldn’t…

Oh, fuck it, I should and I will!

Aden said we are official, and ‘official me’ is definitely not letting anyone flirt with my guy! Before Aden can even react, I walk over to them in a few strides, taking one of the plates out of Aden’s hand, and then take his hand with my free hand.

“Heistalking,” I intervene, “with me.” I pause to look at him, trying not to look anxious now, but I can’t help it. I am sure my eyes give it away. I know I am too much sometimes. “Or are you?”

“I am,” Aden reassures me. And then only for me to hear. “Behave,” he whispers into my ear. It’s not an accusing tone or reproachful, but rather teasing. It makes the hair on my forearms stand up. “I apologize,” he tells the young man. His voice is friendly but also firm. “But I am here with my boyfriend.”

twelve

*NOEL*

His boyfriend.

He is here with his boyfriend!

“Are you okay?” Aden asks me, amused, when we finally make it to one of the empty high tables.

“I still need to wrap my mind around the fact that you just called me your boyfriend,” I say bluntly. “That came unexpectedly!”

“Really? After I said we are official?”

“That was a surprise, too,” I point out. “I did not expect you to hit me with the second surprise so soon, especially after you said you weren’t going to label us.”

“I said, we don’t need to put a label on us, not that I personally wouldn’t do it,” he points out.

He is right. He was talking about us, not how he individually would handle it.

“Noel, I told you already, if things progress too fast for you, then—”

“No, they’re not!” I interrupt him. “I always cope better when I know where I stand with another person. If I am just an affair, I want to know. If I am a potential boyfriend, I want to know. I am just surprised because I thought you were the guy to let things progress much slower.”

“I am,” he says. “Usually.”

“And what is different now?” I ask him.