Page 124 of Thrones We Steal

“No matter what happens, we’ll have this day, okay?” he says.

Fear niggles in my chest at his words. “What do you mean? What’s going to happen?”

“Nothing.” He pulls me into his chest and cradles the back of my head in his palm. “Let’s go watch the show.”

Without the protection of our sunglasses, we’re much more likely to be recognized here. Fortunately, everyone is too entranced by the magical, fairy-tale setting to even consider the possibility of the Crown Prince and Princess of Wesbourne sitting in the back row of the cinema. We arguably don’t see much of the movie, ensconced in our comfy bean bag chairs and engrossed in each other as we are.

It seems a waste to be here. I miss his body pressed against mine.

By the time the show is over, I only want one thing. Henry, on the other hand, has other appetites as well.

“God, I want nothing more than to take you back and devour you,” he growls in my ear. “But I will shrivel up before we get there if I don’t get something to eat.”

“Your perpetual hunger is a real buzzkill,” I tease as we leave the cinema to find the nearest restaurant.

He wraps his arm around my shoulders and presses his lips to my hair. “I’ll make up for it later, baby, don’t worry.”

A sharp, sickly-sweet spike of pleasure shoots through me. I’m fully aware of how well he can carry out this promise.

The darkened street greets us as we step outside, the sun having gone to bed while we lounged in fairyland. I have the sudden realization that our day is drawing to a close. I can’t shake the sense of foreboding that this is simply the calm before the storm.

We find seats at a small pub, buzzing with tipsy patrons, clanking pints, and the live band on the stage. Our booth is in a back corner, partially cloaked in shadows, but we still keep our heads down. We’ve escaped recognition all day, and being caught now would certainly put a damper on things.

While we wait for our food, he clasps my hands across the sticky table. “Did you have fun today?” His thumbs trace rings on the backs of my hands and make concentration difficult.

“London isn’t Wesbourne. But it may have been the best day of my life,” I say. “Thank you.”

“It was amazing, wasn’t it?” His grin is contagious.

“Is this how you woo all of your dates?”

“There’s only one girl in the world I’d ever do this for.” He gazes at me. “She’s sitting right in front of me.”

That is all it takes. My heart has no choice but to explode into a million tiny pieces. I lean forward and press my lips against his. The amount of PDA I’ve participated in today is shocking. Even more shocking is my utter lack of remorse. This is what Henry does to me.

It turns out, great loves don’t always end in tragedy. My own life is now a testament to that fact, and for once I’m more than happy to have been wrong.

There’s a sudden commotion beside us, and we both pull back in surprise. Henry comes to his senses faster than I do. He drags me from the table. “Let’s go.”

The paparazzi follow us out the door, but we lose them when we slide into an empty cab. “Bloody vultures,” he says. “Someone must have tipped them off. We should’ve headed back after the movie.” Rage emanates from him and swirls around the backseat of the car.

I struggle to find a reason for his anger. “Are you mad that we didn’t get to eat first? We can go somewhere else.”

“No, let’s just go back to the hotel.” He threads his fingers through mine and raises our joined hands to his lips. They curve into a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. Something is wrong, but he isn’t going to tell me.

Back in his suite, I kick off my shoes and wiggle my toes in the plush carpet. “Do you want to order room service? The menu’s right here.” I wave it in the air.

He takes it from my hand and tosses it aside, then slides his fingers around my jaw and through my hair, tugging me closer. “I’m not hungry anymore. At least not for food.”

He slowly peels off both of our clothes and leaves them in a heap on the floor. His movements are calculated and slow, a painstaking seduction. I can’t read his face. His eyes are dark and shadowed, and his actions the result of deliberate thought.

We are smoke and mirrors, light and dark. Tonight is different from the other times. Gone is smiling, playful Henry, and in his place is a man who almost frightens me with his intensity.

Alternating between slow and fast, hard and soft, he brings me to the brink of ecstasy again and again, until I can’t take it anymore. We tumble over together, oblivious to a world outside our own.

“I’m going to brush my teeth,” Henry says when it’s over, standing up brusquely and walking to the bathroom.

A chill climbs my spine as I watch him leave. I pull the duvet up to my chin.

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