Page 64 of Once Upon a Curse for True Love
Sarah Michelle flashed him a goofy grin.“Look at the bright side, babe.You’re dating a blonde now.I’m a femme fatale.”
Her boyfriend didn’t smile back.Instead, his jaw clenched, and his grip on her hand tightened.“This isn’t funny, Shelly.You nearly died.”
“Just pointing out the silver linings.”She reached up to touch his cheek.“I expect the full bombshell treatment from now on, okay?Fancy dinners, expensive champagne.The works.”
“Sarah Michelle,” Lorcan’s voice dropped to something low and dangerous, “the next time you wait until I’m away at a conference to go on a death-defying mission without telling me, there will be consequences.”
Instead of being intimidated, Sarah Michelle’s eyes lit up with mischief.“Ooh, I like you when you turn all broody and threatening.”She traced a finger along his jawline.“Very sexy.”
Lorcan shook his head, but the hard line of his shoulders softened.“You don’t understand.When I got that call…” He ran a hand through his already messy hair.“I thought I’d lost you.”
“Instead, you got the upgrade.”Sarah Michelle sidestepped admitting what she’d risked in a way that didn’t fool Andromeda.“Did you know blondes do it better?”
“Are you going to recite every stupid saying about blondes now?”Lorcan’s exasperation didn’t mask the fondness behind it.
Sarah Michelle gave him that goofy grin again and deadpanned, “Bleach blonde and bulletproof, baby.”
“Except you’re not bulletproof.”His voice caught.“Today has been the worst day of my life.I thought you weren’t going to make it.And I love you so much, even when you’re being obnoxious.”
Sarah Michelle’s eyes went wide.“Why do you have to ruin all the fun by turning so disgustingly romantic?”She reached up, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled him down for a kiss that was more passionate than hospital protocol probably allowed.
Seeing her roommate was fine and taken care of, Andromeda turned back to Donatello.“Are they keeping you overnight, or are you free to go?”
“I’ve been cleared for release,” he said, wincing as he shifted on the bed.“They patched me up and gave me magical painkillers.Should be good as new in a few days.”
But he moved too carefully, the corners of his eyes tightening with each shift.Detective Hero was downplaying how much pain he was in.
“You need a shirt,” she said, noting the goosebumps on his arms.With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a soft gray zip-up hoodie.“Here, let me help you.”
She held the fleece open as he eased forward, guiding his hands into the sleeves one at a time.He couldn’t suppress a groan when he had to twist to get his second arm in, and the sound twisted something in Andromeda’s chest.
“Thanks,” he murmured, his face close enough that his breath brushed her cheek.
“We should let these two have some privacy,” Andromeda said, glancing back at her best friend and Lorcan, who were now whispering to each other, their foreheads pressed together.
“Shelly, we’re heading out,” she called over her shoulder.“Don’t break any hospital rules.”
Sarah Michelle waved.“They’re keeping me overnight for observation.I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Andromeda nodded and got Donatello on his feet, supporting him with an arm around his waist as they left.In the fluorescent-lit hallway, they paused, and Donatello turned to face her.
“I thought I was going to die in that alley,” he breathed.“And all I could think about was that I wouldn’t get to see you again.”
Before she could respond, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her with an intensity that stole her breath away.It wasn’t gentle or cautious—it was desperate and hungry and full of everything they’d almost lost.Andromeda kissed him back just as fiercely, her fingers curling into the front of his hoodie, heedless of the hospital staff passing by.
When they broke apart, she kept her hands on his chest, his heartbeat strong and steady beneath her palms.“I thought I’d lost you,” she whispered, her voice catching.“When the feeds went dark, and the screams tore through the air… I’ve never been so scared.”
Donatello pressed his forehead against hers.“I love you, Andromeda Swan.”
Such simple words and yet so enormous.She hadn’t expected them—not so soon—but they didn’t scare her.
“I love you too, you impossible man,” she replied, surprised by how easily the confession came, as inevitable as the sunrise.
His smile was tired but radiant as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.“Let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty-six
Do Blondes Do It Better?
