Page 58 of Fake Dating the Prince

Brayden leaned back and let Flip hold some of his weight, the last of the tension melting from his body. “Yeah.” He blinked slowly, enjoying the moment. “Okay. This conversation. You have my attention. I promise I’m not going to run out before it’s finished and get on a plane this time.”

“And I’m going to be casual and affectionate instead of formal and cold.” Flip laced the fingers of their left hands together and briefly pressed a kiss to Brayden’s knuckles. “I don’t care what people say about you or about us in the media. I know who you are. You’re kind, compassionate, and smart, and you make me happy. Almost since we met, I’ve wanted more from you than I thought I could ask for, but you proved me wrong last time and maybe you’ll do it again.”

Brayden swallowed, but he wouldn’t let himself look away from Flip’s eyes. He could feel his heart beating in his throat.

“I want you to come back with me—to comehome.”

Brayden exhaled shakily, overcome with relief. “I don’t know how I thought I could stay away.” He belonged with Flip. That Flip was a prince would occasionally be a minor inconvenience to overcome. “Though I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ll have to quit my job, but I don’t think I’m cut out to sit on my hands all day.”

“Oh, I can think of a few positions that need filling.” Flip’s eyes were laughing.

For fuck’s sake. They really were a pair. Brayden held back an incredulous laugh. “Was that an innuendo? Right now? I thought we were having a moment.”

“I was thinking the head of the Thousand Lights charity committee,” Flip protested innocently. “Maybe some work developing dance classes and other activities for hospitalized children? Senior citizens’ homes too, if that doesn’t keep you busy.”

Damn him. Hehadthought of everything. “That sounds like it could be in my wheelhouse.”

Flip smoothed his thumb over the back of Brayden’s hand. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. But I hope that won’t take up all your time, because there’s one more role I had in mind.”

“Oh yeah?” Brayden said, wondering what ridiculous thing was about to come out of Flip’s mouth. “What’s that?”

Flip slid off the bench and knelt on the sauna floor. From his pocket he produced a small jewelry box, which he opened. It held a simple white gold band and an enormous familiar-looking flawed diamond. “My husband.”

Brayden raised his left hand to his mouth.

Flip took his right. “Will you marry me?”

Brayden’s mouth got ahead of his brain. “What if I accidentally tell a dick joke to the Pope?”

Flip shrugged, ignoring entirely the absurdity of the question. “He’s eighty-one years old. You think he’s never heard a dick joke before?”

Brayden managed a watery smile. “Not one of mine.” Flip squeezed his hand again and Brayden remembered his next thought. “I’ve known you for three weeks.”

Flip smiled and slid the ring on his finger. Apparently he could tell that was not an actual objection. “So we’ll have a very long engagement. Family tradition. Anyway, I hear it can take years to plan a royal wedding.” He curled Brayden’s fingers around his own. “But I’m not going to change my mind.”

Brayden laughed and pulled him to his feet, and Flip wrapped both arms around him and kissed him until all he could do was hold on.

When Flip pulled back, eyes soft and warm and full of love, it was like stepping off a cliff. He knew he couldn’t go back. But that was okay. Life was a gift, and now, finally, Brayden was living it to the fullest.

Besides, he thought as their lips met, Flip would be there to catch him the next time he fell.

Chapter Ten

“I COULD’VEdriven,” Brayden grumbled as the car slushed down the damp streets of downtown Scarborough.

In the front seat, their driver, Geoff, didn’t comment. Flip felt no such compunction to hold his tongue. “Yes, you could have,” he agreed, “exceptsomeoneasserted that he didn’t want special driving privileges. He wanted to go through the same licensing process as anyone else, and so someone only has a learner’s permit. And there’s no reciprocity agreement for learner’s permits.”

Brayden sighed, long-suffering, because all Cedric’s etiquette lessons went to hell when Brayden wasn’t in the public eye. Thank God. “It would’ve been so cool to show up driving James Bond’s sugar daddy’s car.”

In truth, Flip suspected Brayden was putting on a show to distract him. He’d drunk too much coffee on their flight and now he felt ready to vibrate out of his own skin, just in time to meet Brayden’s extended family, which apparently included fourteen cousins and cousins-in-law and ten cousins once removed.

Flip wasn’t nervous per se. But—

“Flip.” Brayden brought his hand down to rest gently on Flip’s knee, stilling the reflexive jiggle.

Okay, he was a little bit nervous. “Are you sure there’s no diplomatic crisis I shouldn’t be attending to?”

“There might be one here, if Brian eats all the rolls again.”

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