Page 57 of My Bodyguard’s The Boss

“Awesome,” Austin mumbled, his tongue thick. He squinted up at Dominic. “Fucking… Larry?”

“He’s fine too,” Dominic said. “Gail’s in a holding cell. No bail this time. Her lawyer won’t be able to keep her out of jail, no matter how much her aunt pays.”

“Do you want to sue Larry?” Levi asked. “You totally can. Or you could get your bodyguard boyfriend to rough him up. He totally would.”

“I’ll think about it,” Austin said. Then he blinked hard, looking down at their joined hands like he’d only just noticed them. “Bodyguard… boyfriend?”

Levi smacked his lips. “And that’s my cue to leave. Have fun, you two. But not too much fun. They’ll come running if that heart monitor goes too wild.”

“He’s recovering from major surgery,” Dominic pointed out.

Levi winked at them and swanned out, only pausing at the door to point at Austin. “Dad’s at this woo-woo retreat with no cell service. He’ll be on a plane as soon as the guy I paid finds him. I’ll be back after I’ve had a shower and a nap. Do not die.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Austin muttered. He waited until Levi had vanished into the hall, then turned back to Dominic. “You wanna tell me what actually happened with that phone call I watched? Or should it wait until I can storm off?”

Dominic lifted his hand and kissed it. It cleared some of the worry from Austin’s expression, but not all of it.

“I should’ve talked to you earlier,” he said. “I couldn’t see a future for us where I’m working for you. I was going to quit, but only because I want this to be serious. But if you need time⁠—”

“Fuck time,” Austin rasped. He turned his hand and linked their fingers together.

“I meant for the drugs to wear off,” Dominic tried.

“Fuck drugs,” Austin said with a smile that was only slightly high. “I feel normal. Mostly normal. Whatever, I’m sober enough to know I want this.”

He tugged on Dominic’s hand, as if he was going to return the gesture and kiss it. The IV stopped him, and he lifted his arm to frown at it.

“We can talk about it later,” Dominic said. “But just know, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yeah, looks like it,” Austin said quietly. Then he paused, pointing at the spot of blood on the bottom of Dominic’s shirt. “Is that mine?”

“I haven’t been home to change,” Dominic said.

“Sap,” Austin mumbled. He stared at Dominic’s rumpled, blood-spotted clothes. “How long was I out?”

“Only a day.”

“Huh.” Austin dropped their joined hands back against the sheets, squeezing gently. “So, what sexy surprise did I ruin by blowing up in your face and firing you?”

Dominic bumped his foot against the velvet box resting on the linoleum. Which was apparently the wrong move, since Austin immediately followed his gaze and grinned.

“Oh, we’re doing gifts now? Is that how you were going to tell me you wanted to be serious?”

Dominic hesitated. He could make Austin wait until he got out of the hospital. It wasn’t like he could wear the collar here. But he was tired of waiting.

He reached down and took the velvet case, then propped it open on Austin’s hospital bed. “I was going to give you this.”

Austin’s eyes widened. His free hand came up to drag over the case. “Shit. This is… pretty serious. Right?”

“That’s what I want,” Dominic promised. “I— Austin. Before you passed out, you said something.”

Austin looked confused. Then his expression cleared, his head thumping back into the pillow.

“Fuck,” he said. “Any chance you can forget about that? I thought I was going to die.”

“Not a chance,” Dominic replied. “I love you, Austin.”

Austin’s lips parted in shock. His gaze flickered from the collar to Dominic’s face, which was finally showing all the devotion Dominic had been hiding.