Page 4 of Wear It Like a Crown

“What thefuckwas that?” he hissed.

Leo twisted his arm free. “Don’t, okay?” He shook his head. “I know. Iknow. But I’m tired and hungry and cranky, and—it doesn’t matter. I’m sure James will have plenty to say to me later, so just… bloody save it, yeah?”

Nate was quiet for the time it took Leo to fill the kettle, but his frown hadn’t softened. His thick brows were drawn together, armscrossed where he was leaning back against the work surface, staring at Leo. It was highly irritating. Leo refused to rise to the bait.Refused.

“Stop staring,” he told Nate a moment later. “It’s creepy.”

“Why were you like that in there?” Nate shot back. He didn’t budge an inch, and Leo moved around him to retrieve their selection of tea.

“You know I don’t like nobles.”

If Leo had hoped that the finality in his tone would put Nate off, he’d been mistaken; Nate wasn’t easily riled up, but once his mind was made up he turned into a dog with a bone. One of those tiny, vicious ones that would growl and shake their victim until it squeaked. “You don’t like nobles, sure,” he said. “But I’ve never seen you like that. Like… He’s a client, Leo. James’ client.Ourclient. We have a responsibility here, and you can’t just go and—he’s the bloodyPrince of Wales.”

“Actually, he’s Prince Joshua of Wales,” Leo corrected. “Since he’s not the heir-apparent.”

Nate gave him a hard look and went on as though there had been no interruption. “This must be tough for him, you know, and you can’t expect him to just say ‘whatever, fuck it’ and come out. I think he’d be the first royal to do that, and being the first is hard.”

“Fuck the monarchy,” Leo stated, clear and decisive. He chose his tea, then raised his head and met Nate’s gaze just in time to see his eyes widen, colour draining from his cheeks as he focused on something behind Leo.

Slowly, Leo turned around.

Oh.

Just his fucking luck.

* * *

“Fuck the monarchy,” was the first thing Joshua heard when he rounded the corner.

He stopped dead in his tracks, his quest to find the toilets all but forgotten. There was no mistaking that voice, the slight rasp and strange mixture of soft vowels and sharp contours to the words. Leo Graham it was.

Joshua should have been used to it. There were more than enoughpeople who sneered at his status, minds made up before they’d exchanged so much as a single word with him. But usually, these people weren’t part of a team hired to help him; they weren’t privy to a secret he’d been forced to hide for years, and they weren’t unfairly attractive even when they regarded him with poorly concealed contempt. While Joshua had avoided all eye contact with Leo throughout the meeting, he’d been all too aware of him, the derision radiating from Leo like an itch under Joshua’s skin, a low hum in his bones. Strangely, it had been coupled with a vague sense of recognition, like a memory that was just beyond his grasp.

Either way, Leo had apologised, and Joshua had accepted it. But Leo’s words just now made it blatantly clear he hadn’t meant it at all.

Screw this. Joshua found it hard enough to submit to the demands of a stranger who’d robbed him of an intimate moment, had violated both his and Mo’s privacy; he wasn’t going to be a doormat to Leo Graham as well.

He squared his shoulders and moved forward.

It was Nate who caught sight of him first, and the obvious shock on his face felt gratifying, proof that Joshua was still able to collect a few crumbs of respect, even if it was all down to his status. His bloodystatus,the reason he was here in the first place. If it wasn’t for that, no one would have thought to set up a camera in his hotel room and blackmail him with something that was supposed to be private. Of course, he knew what the likes of Leo would say if he dared utter so much as a word about how it wasn’t all fun and games, how the golden cage could make it difficult to breathe at times.

Poor little rich boy, yes; Joshua had heard it all before. Knowing he was privileged didn’t mean he couldn’t hurt. He wasn’t a bloodyrobot.

When Leo turned around, his expression was largely neutral, the light that spilled through a small window emphasising one half of his face and bringing out the cut of his cheekbones, the clear blue of his eyes. Light-brown hair was swept off his forehead, tousled in a way that might be careless or deliberate, and upon catching sight of Joshua, his lips pressed into a thin line. He tilted his head up, and Joshua drew bitter satisfaction from being taller. Leo was slight, with strong thighsand strong arms, and if Joshua wanted, he could easily crowd Leo back against a wall, loom over him and—andnothing.

“You’re a judgmental prick,” Joshua said. His voice wasn’t made for carrying emotion, so it came out calmer than he felt. “I have a name to uphold, you know? That’s not just—it’s not that simple for me. I can’t just strut down the street shouting, ‘Hello, I’m gay.’ There areconsequences.”

Behind Leo, Nate made an unsuccessful attempt to blend in with the wallpaper. Leo, on the other hand, smiled to expose a row of sharp teeth. “All I see is a lie that makes your life easier.”

“You think this is easier? I have no chance at an actual relationship, and you think that’s me taking the easy way out?”

Leo didn’t bat an eye. “Ever thought about how much it would mean if someone like you did come out? The significance of it?”

Oh, fuck him. As if Joshua hadn’t considered the idea so often he’d lost count, as if he hadn’t examined it from all angles and arrived at a different conclusion every single time. No matter what Leo thought, itwasn’tthat simple. Not all Commonwealth Realms were as accepting as the UK, and an openly gay representative of the British Crown could affect foreign relations even beyond that. Even progressive countries might hesitate to welcome a guy they’d seen choking on another man’s dick. The Crown’s reputation was built on soft power, and the unfortunate fact of Joshua’s sexuality could undermine its basis. He wasn’t that selfish. Hewasn’t.

“You have no idea of the potential costs,” Joshua managed, a weak repartee. Why did he even bother? It was his decision, his very own, very personal decision, and he shouldn’t have to justify himself to Leo, or anyone.

“Don’t talk to me about costs,Sir. Just don’t.” Leo made the title sound like an insult, but there was something else swinging in his voice, a darkness that might not be directed at Joshua alone. For a moment, Joshua stared at him and then shook his head, suddenly tired.