Page 102 of Beau and the Beast

Wolfram snorted and smiled, squeezing around his waist.

“Weshouldmake you a study,” he said, not thinking.

“Hm.”

The noncommittal answer had Wolfram tripping over in his own mind. He’d only been joking, but the statement had made them both think about the same thing: the future. What would Beau need with a study in the penthouse, once the book had been written?

Wolfram was shaken from the thought by the sound of something heavy falling in the hallway, a splash of water, and muffled shouting.

“Alfie, you motherfucker!”—followed by raucous laughter and the sound of running feet.

Beau drew up in bed and gave Wolfram a questioning look.

“Prank war,” Wolfram explained. “Geoffrey and Alfie get bored every few months and it happens. I guess they were overdue for it.”

“Jesus, those two aresoin love.”

“What?”

Beau gave him a dubious stare. “You seriously hadn’t noticed?”

Wolfram hadn’t. But then again, Beau spent more time than he did outside of the walls of Wolfram’s study.

There was more running outside and then a slamming door.

“Children, please!”James yelled, muffled. More doors opening and closing.

Something occurred to Wolfram then. “How am I going to get back to my wing?”

Beau’s face fell. “Shit.”

Wolfram couldn’t even pretend to fit into any of the clothes Beau had on hand and there was no way to get through the penthouse to the other wing without crossing directly through a hallway with line of sight to the kitchen. They might not notice Beau, but they would most definitely see Wolfram.

“I guess you could just walk through the kitchen in a sheet,” Beau said after a minute of silent contemplation.

“I don’t want them to—Christ, Beau, it’s not that—“

Beau looked at him quizzically.

“I’m not saying that I’m ashamed but it’s…” Wolfram trailed off, feeling like an ass.

“Oh God,” Beau said, waving his hand. “No, I, uh, don’t want to have that conversation with them either. Not this morning.”

Wolfram nodded. At least they were on the same page.

“When you’re ready to go back, I could go out there and distract them,” Beau suggested. “Just, like, make sure nobody is looking in that direction when you cross over.”

Wolfram snorted but didn’t say no.

“Do you think that would work?”

“I don’t see why not,” Beau said, smiling.

* * *

Since Alfieand Geoffrey had already woken up the entire staff with their stupid prank war, Violet had decided to make breakfast for everyone who wanted it. James chopped the fruit she’d set out and the others gathered at the bar in the kitchen drinking coffee while she prepared pancakes.

Beau appeared from down the hall looking tousled and sleepy but dressed—which was more than she could say for any of the rest of them. They’d all marched out in their pajamas after they’d woken up.

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