Page 114 of Wild Fury (Fallen Royals 6)

“We had a conversation about it,” he says. He’s not facing me anymore, so I openly gawk at his back. “In high school. Don’t you remember?”

“I remember you freaking out when I talked to any boy.”

He scoffs. “Because they all wanted to get in your pants.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” And yet, I shiver. “The only guy who tried ended up dead.”

“Good.”

I sigh. “That’s what drove me away in the first place.”

He wheels around and stops inches from my knees. I part them slowly, letting him step between my legs, and he plants his hands on the counter on either side of my hips.

I like him this close.

I’d probably never admit it out loud, but I could’ve managed those years on the run so much more easily if he had come with me.

And yet, we’d probably still be stuck where we were.

The time apart has made us reevaluate ourselves.

“Lux.”

I meet his gaze and offer a half-smile. “Yes?”

“Your act of self-defense didn’t drive you away. Wilder DeSantis is the reason you were forced to leave. Your parents were the reason.”

Jameson said as much. “If I hadn’t been so vocally against an arranged marriage, I probably wouldn’t have been put in that situation. I shouldn’t tell you—”

He cups my cheek, and I lean into it.

“I saw Jameson at the trial, and he suggested that it was all part of the plan. Not just getting me to leave, but putting me in that situation—” I have to stop because Theo’s face has contorted into fury. “Hey, hey.”

I mirror his motion, pressing my palms to his cheeks.

“Come back,” I whisper.

He blinks, then focuses on me.

“Murderous rage?” I guess.

He laughs. “Maybe. You deserve nothing less than someone to stick up for you.”

I’m caught off guard by the sound of his laughter. How good it sounds, resonating in my chest. Like it just slipped into me and took up residency there. I rub at the spot over my heart, hoping the sensation lingers. It’s better than a high.

He goes back to the food.

I shouldn’t have expected us to both admit we were still virgins, then jump right into bed together. That’s not how this works… not how we work.

“Theo, I need to talk to Felicity.”

He glances over. “Talk or threaten?”

I shrug. “Both?”

He nods. “Okay.”

Still, we eat and sit and do more staring at each other. I want him to kiss me again, but I can’t say that. I want him to keep touching me. Again, I refuse to admit that, either. It’s only after we’ve eaten our grilled cheese sandwiches that Theo tugs the plate from my hand and lifts me onto his lap.

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