Page 110 of Knotted Laces

I lace my fingers through his, let him draw me from the room.

And along the hall.

And down the stairs.

And…

Into the kitchen.

“Don’t you have to go to the game?” I ask when he all but drags me to the fridge. Cam has a routine on game days and I know this isn’t his snack time.

“Yup,” he says, dropping my hand as he tugs open the door, reaches in, pulls out a small blue bakery box emblazoned withMolly’son the front, and sets it in my hands.

“Um…” I whisper.

He carefully opens the lid.

My heart catches—and my stomach growls—at the sight of the cupcakes we picked up earlier today. It’s the first game of the season and the Eagles are playing at home.

I’m watching. Cam is going to kick ass.

And then we’re going to celebrate by eating cupcakes and killing orcs.

“Aren’t we saving these for later?” I ask quietly.

“We were,” he says, reaching in and pulling out the cupcake I’d picked—a beautiful chocolate with vanilla buttercream concoction. A delicate swirl of frosting, glittering sprinkles, the barest touch of gold leaf.

It’s gorgeous.

I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

And Cam noticed—because of course he did—buying it and four others for us?—

“Hey!”

But he’s already moving to the counter, snagging a plate, reaching for a knife.

“What are you?—?”

“You’re beautiful,” he says, pointing to the dessert. “Exquisite, just like these cupcakes from Molly’s.” His mouth turns up. “I remember the first time I saw one, it reminded me of you—stunning, untouchable, and yet I couldn’t stop myself from taking it home and making it mine.”

“Cam,” I murmur, heart skipping a beat.

“But I couldn’t see the whole picture just from looking at the outside. I was distracted by the beauty, the sparkles, the perfectly piped frosting.” He lifts the knife and cuts carefully through the cupcake. “I was preoccupied by what I saw, baby. By what I thought I felt, and it wasn’t until I was able to see beyond all of that?—”

He pulls the two sides apart and I gasp.

“—and glimpse the beauty inside, that I truly understood, that I trulysaw.”

My heart is pounding. “Honey,” I whisper, eyes burning, tears gathering.

Because—

“You were always that cupcake, something beautiful I thought I knew, but?—”

He reaches into the layers of cake and filling and jam, and pulls out something that has my pulse skittering through my veins.

“—the inside is so much more awe-inspiring. You, baby.You’reawe-inspiring and mine and I don’t ever want to let yougo. You’re strong and capable and smart. Funny and sweet andmine.You’re my protector, my partner, myfuture.”

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