“I see my reputation precedes me,” Lio drawled. “Nice to know where we stand. I caught it from him, you know,” he said idly, pointing his thumb at me before leaning toward Chris and stage-whispering. “It’s filthy contagious. Like genital warts. But with much better aesthetics.”
“Jackie,” I asked my mother as calmly as I could. “What do you want?”
Chapter 45
Lio
I knew they were there to ask another favor of Felix, and from the look on Jackie and Chris’s faces, I was fairly sure I knew what it was.
Jackie seemed to become flustered for the first time since arriving. “Let’s… let’s go sit down and have a chat, shall we?”
Felix gestured for us to take a seat at the kitchen island before turning to his mother.
“Why are you here?” he asked again.
Jackie’s eyes shifted nervously. “Aren’t you going to offer us a drink, sweetheart?”
Her fake affection grated on me. Felix wasn’t her sweetheart; he was mine.
“I’m afraid we’re all out,” I said. “Will water do?”
Felix’s jaw tightened, but he let me flit about the kitchen in my arrogance and make four glasses of plain tap water.
“Et voilà,” I said, setting them down on the counter with a flourish. “Sorry it’s not fancier than this. I’m afraid I left the champagne in my other mausoleum, I mean, pants.”
Felix sucked in a breath and shot me a wounded glance. Fuck. He hadn’t known I knew the story after all. I palmed the back of his head and pressed my forehead to his.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “Fee, I’m—”
“I understand what you’re doing, Lio, but it’s not helping,” he said just as softly.
Jackie leaned over to Felix with a concerned brow and reached out a hand to cup his face, forcing me away. “What’s wrong, darling? Is he upsetting you? Who is this man to you, exactly? Are you two really dating?”
I couldn’t hold back the snort, but before I could snap a snarky response, Felix answered her. “Lio is my heart,” he said simply. “That’s all you need to know.”
My heart seemed ready to explode out of my chest, but apparently I was the only one who thought Felix’s words were amazing.
Chris seemed to make a gagging sound in his throat before turning away and helping himself to the Wildes’ kitchen cabinet stock. There was no doubt in my mind he was looking for the hard liquor.
Jackie stood up to get a good look at me. Now that she knew Felix was really dating a royal, she seemed to be assessing my worth.
“Christ Almighty, you really are that new king, aren’t you?”
“Indeed, I am,” I said with a sniff. Arthur called it my annoying imperious tone. I didn’t pull it out often, but when I did, I was able to channel a thousand years of royal ego and prestige.
“What are you doing with my son?” The question was asked with suspicion like I would only be with him to take advantage of him in some way.
“Whatever he will let me, madam. As long as we’re both naked, I don’t much care what we do—oof!”
Felix elbowed me in the gut.
“Cut that out and behave like a fucking adult,” he chastised. “You can either pull the imperious king crap or act like a petty child, but trying to do both at once is pushing it.”
This time, it was Doc’s voice that spoke. “Oh, I don’t know. I rather like seeing him do both at the same time. Keeps us entertained.”
“Dad!” Jackie’s exclamation came out before she could control it, and for a microsecond, I saw the young girl she must have been years ago. The one who loved her fathers and would have been happy to see them. But just that quickly, she was gone. Jaqueline Wilde the actress was in her place, smoothing her hair before sliding her manicured hand through Chris’s arm. “I’d like you to meet Chris Corbin, my fiancé.”
Chris reached out a hand reluctantly, and I couldn’t help but lean forward to remind him of something. “Oh hells bells, there’s another one. Told you—contagious.”
Chris’s jaw tightened, but he ignored me and shook Doc’s hand before reaching past him to shake Grandpa Wilde’s as well.
But that was apparently as far as he was willing to take it.
“Jackie, dear, shall we get to the reason we’re here?”
Felix’s grandfathers busied themselves making coffee and pretending not to listen. Everyone in that room knew they were listening.
“Felix, Chris has an exciting offer for you and Lior. Tell them honey,” Jackie said excitedly.
“My network has agreed to let me interview you two during a prime-time spot,” Chris said, leaning forward like he was offering us the moon.
I blinked at him.
“And?” Felix asked.
“And what, Felix?” Jackie said testily. “He’s offering you two a chance to tell your story. He wants to interview you on television!”
Felix looked at me in surprise. “Is she serious?”