Jules smiled—at least he thought he was smiling. He wasn’t sure. Was he in shock? Everything felt surreal and disjointed, including people he’d never even spoken to suddenly congratulating him on his fake engagement.
After what felt like forever, the crowd parted, and there was Devlin.
Jules grabbed his offered hand like a lifeline, the world finally coming into sharp focus. Devlin lifted his hand and brushed his mouth against Jules’s wrist, his eyes serious and intent even though his lips were smiling.
“Will you dance with me?” he said.
Jules nodded, breathing in deeper. Devlin’s familiar scent washed over his senses, bringing much-needed clarity to his thoughts, even if the clarity was rather one-dimensional. Whatever this charade was, Devlin needed him to play along. He could play along.
Smiling tremulously, Jules allowed Devlin to lead him to the dance floor, and then there was music, and they were dancing.
“I’m sorry,” was the first thing Devlin said, very quietly, his gaze anxious and apologetic. “It was an asshole thing to do without asking you first, but I had no choice because of the king.”
“The king?” Jules said faintly, laying a hand on his broad shoulder.
Devlin shrugged slightly, his eyes hardening for a moment. “Never mind—just your average alpha posturing. He’s pissed that I didn’t listen to his opinion. It doesn’t matter.” His hand tightened on Jules’s lower back, pulling him closer as Devlin looked at him intently. “I didn’t plan to do it like this. I wanted to do it properly. Obviously you can very publicly dump me and then blame it on me. But I hope you won’t.”
Jules stared at him, his mind reeling. Was he… was he really saying what Jules thought he was saying?
“Sweetheart,” Devlin murmured, pulling him even tighter, so tight it probably looked indecent. “Say something.”
Jules looked into his anxious eyes.
“I don’t understand,” he managed at last. This couldn’t be happening. Not to him.
Devlin’s gaze softened. “Julian,” he said gently, bringing them to a halt. “Marry me.”
Jules’s vision darkened, becoming blurry. “I don’t understand,” he repeated in a small voice. “Is this because we had sex? You don’t need to marry me because of that—I wasn’t a virgin anyway, and I promise I wouldn’t make things awkward for you and Liam—”
“I don’t want Liam,” Devlin said, his voice hardening. “I want you. Only you. No one else.”
Jules opened his mouth and then closed it when no sound left it. He stared at Devlin, and Devlin stared back, his gaze a mix of exasperation and affection and—
“I love you,” Devlin said, his expression a little pinched. “That’s probably what I should have started with now that I think about it.” He chuckled. “I swear I’m usually better at talking than this, but you make my brain relocate to my knot, and I’m all instinct, no thought.” He smiled ruefully, looking so very handsome and affectionate—and loving.
Jules made a small sound and hid his face in Devlin’s shoulder, partly embarrassed by his blurring vision and partly because he needed to touch him, to be closer to him, forever and always, breathe in his scent and never let go. His. His alpha. Really his.
“Sweetheart,” Devlin said softly, hugging him close. He kissed the top of Jules’s head, his rich pheromones making Jules a little dizzy with pleasure. “Everyone is staring at us,” he said with a chuckle.
Jules winced. But he couldn’t make himself pull away, feeling irrationally scared that as soon as he pulled away, Devlin would be gone and then he would wake up and it would all be just a dream.
“Love you, too,” he mumbled into Devlin’s throat, his hands clenching the back of his suit. “So much.” So, so much.
Devlin’s arms tightened around him to the point it hurt, but Jules didn’t mind. It felt perfect. Everything was perfect.
“Fuck that,” Devlin muttered under his breath. “Let’s ditch the ball. I need to kiss you.”
Shivering, Jules rubbed his face against his scent gland, shamelessly scenting him. Because he was allowed to. “Okay,” he said with a smile.
He looked at no one but Devlin as he took his hand and let his alpha guide him out of the ballroom. He was only distantly aware of the stares, of all the gossip this would cause. He didn’t care. All he cared about was the firm, strong hand wrapped around his own and Devlin’s green eyes full of want and affection.
I love you, his heart beat wildly in his chest, his lips trembling with impatience. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to devour him. He still couldn’t believe this was really happening.
Once they left the ballroom, Devlin led him to a room down the hall. The moment the door closed after them, they were on each other, kissing and moaning into each other’s mouths, bodies pressed so close it was hard to tell where he ended and Devlin began. Gods. He wanted him, he needed him, he loved him. So much. He wanted to consume this man.