Page 41 of Fated Moons
“I should have known she’d do something like that.” Jackson tossed the remote on the coffee table.
“My father’s going to go apeshit on her.” Amanda curled her thumb and forefinger around a piece of hair that tumbled from her ponytail bun thing.
“For the first time in my life, I’m hoping for some sort of literal gag spell, shutting that woman up forever.”
Amanda let out a slight laugh. “I have no idea why both our agents thought she’d be the best one to do this interview. She’s always been the kind of person who goes for the juicy gossip and not the real newsworthy story.”
“Ratings. And the show is number one regarding tabloids, which is all this is.” Jackson knew no matter who did the interview, comments would be made about his father, even if they danced around the subject.
A commercial ended, and Barbara’s face came back on the screen. In the background, video footage of Amanda and Jackson played.
“Earlier today, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Amanda and Jackson to discuss their new movie together and their secret love affair.”
The camera panned to the couple sitting on the sofa.
“At least we look like a couple in love,” Amanda said, folding her legs under her butt, sipping her wine. “And I’m not floating around with fairy dust.”
“Your father and Trask did have to work some special magic to make sure your fairy side stayed hidden,” Jackson teased, leaning back and resting his feet on the table. A warm swirl filled his gut. He felt comfortable with her at his side. There was a natural ease between them, and it showed during the interview. “And we are fated, whether it happened the way it was supposed to or not. That’s not acting on that sofa.”
She was his fated mate. He had claimed her, and she had done so in some weird fairy way, even though, according to Trask, fairies didn’t mate. But she did stand with him, accepting their fate.
“I hate starting off with this question, but you know our viewers are all wondering, how does the royal family feel about you dating the son of the man who murdered your uncle?” Barbara asked.
Jackson remembered the question and how it made him squirm, but looking at it on television, his anger hadn’t shown through.
“At first, there was some concern, not because of Jackson, but because of how the tabloids would make our relationship into a circus, which is why we kept it a secret for so long,” Amanda said, resting her hand on his leg.
Watching how he laced his fingers through hers on the television pulled a smile across his lips. He had to admit, they made a good-looking couple.
And they looked happy together. An odd thing to notice when they were essentially strangers.
“So, tell me, why go public now?” Barbara asked.
“We knew once we made the announcement we’d be co-starring together, we wouldn’t be able to hide it anymore,” Jackson said, looking at Amanda. “We had to tell the producers. The director. Our agents. They all agreed. But honestly, we’re tired of not being able to be ourselves.”
Jackson swallowed, hearing his own words and remembering how he felt saying them during the interview. He’d been staring at Amanda, and his pulse pounded. Being attracted to her was one thing.
Wanting to be with her another.
The fact that they had mated, something entirely different.
The rest of the interview discussed the movie, but Jackson focused on their body language. He worried that someone would notice an uncomfortableness between him and Amanda and question their relationship, possibly accusing them of creating more hype for the movie.
Nothing about their movements seemed awkward or contrived. They leaned into each other and touched each other randomly. They had locked gazes a few times, pausing to smile ateach other. They really did look like two people who cared deeply about one another.
The show ended on a bit of a sour note when they did a montage of each of their lives, reminding the world once again that Jackson was the son of a murderer.
“I think it went well enough.” Amanda pressed her hand against his thigh, squeezing gently, sending a shock to the tip of his tongue.
“The interview was good, but starting with my dad and ending with him will be what everyone talks about.”
“It will die out quickly. Besides, tomorrow morning we get to walk out of this house, greeted by the paparazzi, then followed to our favorite coffee shop and have a million pictures taken.” She reached out, pushing his shoulder with her hand in a playful gesture.
“Did you notice they never once asked us about mating?” he asked.
“Does that really matter?”
He nodded. “It’s not like no one knows I’m a wolf. When I dated Heidi, everyone always asked if we’d mated. I mean, she’s a wolf too.”
