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“But the kitchen,” I started to turn back, but he pushed again, forcing me inside the passageway.
“I’ll take care of it. Stay inside and stay quiet.”
Fitz
It was one thing for Paulina to find me in the kitchen. But if she found Michaela, I would never have a chance explaining myself to Mother, not after promising I would keep my distance.
Lot of good that did. All I could think about was kissing her. It occupied every thought, every breath, every touch or accidental brush of our hands. Impulse screamed to take her in my arms and know for once and for all if she felt the way I did. Did a chorus of angels sing at the touch of my hand? Did her heart take flight when I brushed the flour from her face? Was this one-sided, or did we have what I thought we did? The sort of connection that people searched a lifetime to find.
I grabbed syrup from the cabinet, scribbled ‘sorry’ in the mess of flour on the counter, and dropped six gold coins I’d brought for this exact situation. I’d learned years ago that it was the price to buy Paulina’s silence. I pulled the cabinet that served as a door for the passageway shut just as Paulina stepped into the kitchen.
“What kind of snood magic is this now?”
I set my finger against Michaela’s lips, warning her to be silent. Her breath cascaded over my knuckles, leading my mind to imagine it was her kiss, tracing over my skin, hungry for my affection, just as desperate to be in my arms as I was to take her.
“I think she’s gone.” Her mouth moved against my finger, eroding my strength to resist her like a sandcastle in a thunderstorm. I nodded. Paulina likely pocketed the coins so no one else saw them and left to fetch the broom. Either way, we had a small window to escape.
I led the way, careful not to head back to Coco’s room.
This night was far from over.
Michaela
He inhaled two stacks without taking a breath, I swear. And then a third at a normal pace. Had anyone fed him since my mom?
“They’re not as good as Mom’s,” I lamented as I set my first plate aside.
“They’re better.” Fitz held his stomach and fell back onto the couch. The fire crackled and snapped. “What did you used to say when you ate too many?”
I patted my stomach, flattered and humiliated at the same time that he remembered. “I called it my pancake baby.”
His infectious grin spread wider. “Yes, well, I’m having triplets, apparently.”
“You’re positively glowing,” I assured him.
“If Mother could see me now.” Fitz meant to make a joke, but I felt the weight in his words.
“Is everything okay?”
With one hand, he waved me off, but he faced the fire, not me. Did he know instinctively, like I did, that we could see the lies in each other? No way could he convince me that everything was fine.
“Fitz,” I tried again with more pressure to break him.
“Our…” he hesitated before he selected the right word, “dalliance in the snow was captured by the filming crew without our knowledge.”
What a fancy way of mentioning that our flirty moment might have been broadcast to the whole kingdom.
“My parents were less than pleased at the notion of their son developing feelings for an American.” His jaw shifted side to side as he struggled with his frustration. “They want me to stay away from you whenever possible.”
I shook my head, not seeing the issue. “Fitz, that’s silly. I mean, we were goofing off and it was a charged moment. It’s not like you’ve—“ His face turned toward mine, sincerity and desperation churning in the depths of his dark eyes. I couldn’t finish the sentence, not the way I intended. Because I saw that what I was about to say, ‘developed romantic feelings for me,’ had already happened. “Fitz, I—”
“You’re right, obviously.” He cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to the fire’s flames again. “It was a moment, a passing surge of hormones, not to be confused with real or lasting feelings.” He plowed on without stopping, though I felt like it needed more clarification. “And, while I promised I would keep my distance, clearly I was telling fibs. As long as you’re here, I plan on spending whatever time I can with you.”
Words escaped me for a moment, too stunned by his low-key confession. We weren’t going to address it? Combine that with the conversation I overheard and my plans to investigate with Bishop and I felt completely split in three directions.
“You said she was upset,” I probed the idea carefully, “but what does that mean exactly?”
He looked at his hands, grimacing like he hadn’t planned to tell me. “She ordered you to leave, claimed you were going to steal the crown, throw the kingdom into turmoil,” Fitz glanced up and shook his head, “and it didn’t help one bit that my dodgy cousin was front row for all of it, always tossing in his bits and bobs on the topic.”
