Page 150 of False Comeback

“Uh-huh.” I grabbed his hand and tugged him through the doors and into the corridor. “Felt fucking great.”

After a few seconds, I heard him snort. He drew me to a stop, turning to cup my cheek as he leaned down to kiss me again, smiling against my mouth.

“Thank you,” he murmured huskily when he pulled away, his other hand clutching the front of my shirt. “Thank you, Vince.”

“It was nothing.” I didn’t know if he was thanking me for all of it, or specifically the cake-throwing, but I didn’t care. I would’ve done anything for him, and that was kind of a terrifying thought, but it was true.

Maybe I should’ve told him. Maybe that would be, like… a romantic thing to say or something. I swallowed and parted my lips, drawing in a breath to speak as Crossbody pressed another soft kiss to my cheek.

Then I chickened out.

“Is Ianthe okay?” My voice was a little croaky with the sudden rush of nerves flooding my insides.

“She’s in her room getting ready to leave.”

I nodded absently, leading us down the corridor once again, leaving the chaotic sounds of fae and old lady lizard mafia fighting behind. “Let’s do the same. Let’s get our suitcase and get the fuck out of here.”

“Yes.” Crossbody hesitated. “Vince…”

“Yeah?” I answered automatically before my heart gave a huge thud as I suddenly remembered what he’d said in there. About me. About how he felt about me.

Butterflies swarmed in my belly and made my palm grow a little damp against his. Was he about to address it?

What would I say?

Did I feel that way about him too?

“Yes?” I repeated unsteadily, part of me almost desperate to hear him say it again.

Crossbody exhaled, reaching up to rub his face. My heart started pounding even harder.

Oh shit. Oh fuck. He was going to say it.

I was suddenly terrified, but the kind of exhilarated, pants-shittingly terrified that came before going on a roller coaster. That breathless, nervous anticipation. That belly squirming sensation of pure, almost overwhelming excitement.

Crossbody loved me. He was going to tell me he loved me.

He took a deep breath.

“Do you think my brother is going to become a porn star now?”

Chapter Forty-Eight

Thank You

Vince

I was pretty sure Crossbody was still at least a little dazed from what had just happened, but he already seemed different as we left the Spring Palace behind.

He was smiling. That huge, beautiful smile I’d only seen outside of work, when we were alone together. His posture was loose and relaxed, all the tension gone from his shoulders. I didn’t know if it was a fae thing, but he even looked like he was fucking glowing. His skin was all… radiant and flushed with happiness. His eyes were sparkling in the bright spring sunshine.

The only other times I’d seen him this relaxed were in the immediate moments after I’d made him come stupidly hard from fucking him senseless. Before his brain had rebooted. Seeing it now was making the tight knot of worry that had formed in my chest a week ago begin to ease.

We’d actually done it.

Crossbody didn’t seem remotely concerned about any of his mother’s scary guards coming after us. To be fair, they were probably still pretty preoccupied by Ethel and Freddie and their gaggle of elderly lizard shifter ladies. The palace was unnervingly empty as we strolled out of its huge front doors at a leisurely place after collecting our suitcase and finding Ianthe to accompany her to the crossing.

The latter had been his idea. Not mine. She seemed… nice, I guessed. Fine. But a part of me still kind of wanted to hate her for almost—unwillingly, in her defence—stealing Crossbody from me.