Page 97 of Insatiable Park Avenue Prince

“Troublemaker.”

“Would you want me any other way?”

Kelly picked up his fork and speared a piece of bacon with it. “I want you any way I can have you. So yeah, I think I might keep you, troublemaker.”

I picked up a croissant and tore it in half. “Good.”

We fell quiet for a moment, the small talk having filled the space of what I really wanted to talk about with him, but for the moment I was content to enjoy the beautiful fall morning as we filled our bellies.

Ever since Mira had handed Kelly her card and told him to call her, my mind had been in overdrive with the possibilities of what that might mean. For him, for us, for our future together. But I was trying to be patient, trying to give him the opportunity to bring it up first, and so far, he hadn’t.

Kelly had had fun yesterday on the catwalk once he got past his nerves. I could see it in his eyes. Mira was right—he was a natural. My only worry was that he would remember how hard this industry had once been on him and think this was a fluke, a one-time thing. But that wasn’t the case. I could see the way the crowd, the photographers, and everyone who met him reacted to Kelly.

What he was missing was the right connection, and Mira was that connection.

“You’re being very quiet over there.” Kelly’s voice cut through my thoughts.

I held up my fork and tried for my most convincing smile. “I’m eating, that’s all.”

Kelly narrowed his eyes on me. “Nope. I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think there’s something else going on in that pretty head of yours.”

I shrugged and swallowed my mouthful of eggs, as Kelly hooked his foot behind one of my ankles.

“Whatis going on with you?”

“I—” I paused and put my fork down, letting out a sigh. “I was trying to be patient and wait for you to bring it up, but fuck it. How are you feeling about what Mira said to you yesterday?”

A frown pulled between Kelly’s brows, and then he let out a soft laugh. “That’sit? That’s what you’ve been sitting over there all stressed about?”

“I’m not stressed.”

“You’ve barely said two words to me since we sat down.”

My mouth fell open. “I…I was enjoying the morning.”

Kelly shook his head, rubbing a hand over his bearded cheeks. “It’s not like you to tiptoe around an issue.”

“Iknow. That’s what’s been killing me.” I leaned forward and reached out for his hand. “So… What are you going to do when we get back to the city?”

“I’m going to call your agent.”

I cocked my head. “Really? That’s it?”

“What else is there? She told me to call her, so I’m going to call her.”

I let go of his hand and sat back in my chair, letting out a huff. “Are you trying to drive me insane?”

“No.”

“Then tell me how youfeelabout what’s happened. Are you interested? Not interested? Excited? Eh? I’ll take anything at this point.”

Kelly took in a deep breath and then slowly let it out. “I don’t know how to feel. That’s the honest-to-God truth. Yesterday was… It was amazing. Walking a catwalk, modeling for a high-end fashion line. Are you kidding me? It was exactly what I dreamed about when I first moved to the city.”

I could feel abutcoming as Kelly scratched his head and shrugged.

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