Read Online What Happens at Christmas by Jay Northcote - Free Book Online

drama.
    “Serves him bloody well right,” Jess said emphatically. “Maybe it’ll teach him a lesson.”
    “So, what happened to the other bloke—Johnny? Is he still here, or did he leave?” Kieran asked.
    Justin scanned the room until he caught sight of a man standing alone at the bar, his golden brown hair was the right colour, but he had his back to them, head down, phone in hand. “I think that might be him at the bar.” The man in question lifted his head and turned enough so Justin could see his profile. “Yeah, that’s him.”
    “He’s cute,” Kieran said.
    “He is,” Sean agreed.
    Justin felt a rush of jealousy, which reminded him that they were supposed to be boyfriends—if only for the night. Maybe this was how method actors felt.
    “Oi.” He nudged Sean with his knee.
    “Not as cute as you, obviously.” Sean put his hand on Justin’s thigh and squeezed, then left it there. It was way too close to Justin’s crotch to be a platonic gesture, and Justin felt a delicious tickle of arousal at the warm weight of it.
    “He seemed like a decent bloke,” Justin said to Kieran. “And he could probably use some company right now. He’s having a shitty night.”
    Kieran’s eyes lit up. “You reckon?”
    “Go for it.”
    “Okay.” Kieran stood, squaring his shoulders as if he were heading into battle. “I will.”
    “Good luck,” Justin called after him. Then he turned back to Sean and Jess. “I really need to see Andy’s face if Kieran manages to pull Johnny right under his nose.”
    “Is Andy still here?” Jess asked. “God, after a scene like that, I’d be out of here.”
    “Oh, he’s way too brazen to leave. Plus he has arse-kissing to do. He’s hoping for a promotion after Christmas, so he’s not going to miss a chance to schmooze up to senior management. Look”—Justin pointed—“there he is talking to the head of HR right now. What a surprise. It’s a shame Johnny didn’t pour a drink over him. That would have sent him home.”
    Sean patted Justin’s thigh, sending another curl of heat to his groin. “But if he’d gone home, he wouldn’t get to see us snogging on the dance floor later. We don’t want him to miss that. It’s another chance to rub his nose in it.”
    There was going to be snogging? Justin didn’t remember agreeing to that. Not that he was opposed to it, but…. Justin’s brain short-circuited for a moment, trapped between the thought of kissing Sean and the sensation of Sean’s hand idly stroking his thigh. He was glad the table was hiding his lap, because he was pretty sure he’d have a noticeable bulge in his trousers by now.
    By the time the food was brought out, Justin had calmed down enough that he could walk across the room to the buffet without embarrassing himself. He was also feeling pretty buzzed from the beer on top of the drinks they’d had when they arrived. Some food seemed like a good idea to soak it up.
    They loaded their plates and took them back to the table.
    “These breaded chicken strips are lush,” Sean said enthusiastically.
    “Oh. I didn’t get any of those.”
    “Here, have one of mine.” Sean put one on Justin’s plate.
    “Thanks. And you should try this quiche—it’s really good.” He was already holding it in his hand, so he offered it to Sean to take a bite.
    “Mmmm.” Sean nodded as he chewed. “Yeah, that’s nice too.”
    “You’ve got crumbs on your face.” A few bits of pastry had flaked off and attached themselves to Sean’s stubble. “No, the other side.” Justin reached up and brushed them off carefully. Sean’s chin was rough against his fingertips and made Justin imagine how it would feel under his lips. “There.”
    “Thanks.” Sean’s smile was soft and weirdly intimate. Justin lost himself in it for a moment, smiling back.
    Jess leaned over the table conspiratorially. “God, you two are really good at this. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you were totally in love. It’s so