Page 494 of Bad Prince
She goes still.
Not rigid.
Just aware.
There’s a difference.
“Right,” she says. “That.”
I ease back enough to look at her.
“Still okay?”
She nods once too fast.
Then, because she’s Stella and honesty is one of the things I love most about her, she says, “No. But I’m coming anyway.”
That gets me.
I smile before I can stop myself.
“Baby.”
“What?”
“You’re brave.”
She makes a face like she’d rather be called dangerous.
“Don’t be weird about it.”
“Too late.”
She fake punches my ribs. I catch her wrist and kiss the inside of it.
“Also,” she mutters, “your mother scares me a little.”
I grin.
“She’ll love hearing that.”
“Tristan.”
I kiss her once, soft and quick and unfairly effective if the way she leans back into me is any indication.
“She already likes you,” I say quietly. “Now you just have to survive being excellent in person.”
That earns me an eye roll.
But I feel her relax a little anyway.
He stops me just inside the suite while I’m reaching for my bag.
“Wait.”
She turns.
I’m standing by the console table near the windows, one hand in my pocket, the other holding a small cream box tied with a navy ribbon.
