Up for Heir - Stella Starling Page 0,93

liking Eddie, after a week of only having phone contact with him, Leo needed him… in a way that there were far too many people present for. Eddie deserved all of it, of course. The fussing and pampering and Hugo’s unexpected words of assurance, but regardless, Leo was sorely tempted to kick the lot of them out.

He’d been responsible and dutiful all damn day, but now Eddie was right here, and if Leo didn’t carve out a few minutes where he got his little librarian all to himself, he’d have to wait until after the ball, and that was… well, it was quite simply going to be impossible.

“If we could have the room, please,” Leo said, striding in.

Leo heard Eddie’s breath hitch, and then a gorgeous smile spread over his face as he batted the cucumbers off and scrambled to sit up, the sheet that had been covering him pooling at his waist.

“Leo,” he said happily as the crowded room turned into a flurry of activity. “I thought you were b-b-busy.”

“I made myself unbusy,” Leo said, vaguely aware of Hugo directing the staff to gather up the assorted spa supplies and exit the room.

“Your Highness,” Hugo said from the doorway, hands folded ever so properly behind his back. “The Royal Ball—”

“We’ll be late,” Leo interrupted, pulling Eddie up off the spa bed and into his arms. The sheet fell away, but thankfully, since Hugo was still hovering, Eddie was wearing a pair of boxers… for now.

“Very good, sir,” Hugo said, a distinct sparkle in his eyes. “But do remember the cufflinks for Master Edvin. They’re in the box on top of your dresser.”

Hugo nodded in that direction and then followed the rest of the staff out, shutting the door behind him.

“I missed you,” Eddie said, the confession turning him beautifully pink.

“I missed you, too, darling,” Leo said, tucking Eddie against his body. He’d meant to kiss him, possibly ravish him, but instead, his arms tightened of their own accord and he buried his face in the crook of Eddie’s neck and just… just breathed him in for a moment. Eddie’s warmth and familiar scent and slim, solid presence pressing against him righted Leo’s world, and something inside him relaxed. It wasn’t that he hadn’t believed Eddie was all right, but he’d still needed this. To feel it for himself. To have Eddie where he belonged. To simply… be with him.

“Don’t disappear on me again, please,” Leo murmured. “My heart can’t take it.”

He needed the details, every one, and then to enact whatever measures were necessary so it didn’t happen again, but all that could wait. For now, it was enough just to hold Eddie like this. But then Eddie was pushing away, just enough that Leo had to loosen his arms a little and straighten up.

Eddie grabbed onto both sides of Leo’s face and stared up at him with an intensity that made Leo’s chest feel too full. “Your heart?” he repeated, pretty hazel eyes wide and open and showing every bit of Eddie’s heart. “Because I m-m-meant to tell you, I mean, I promised myself I would tell you, and… and I really think I should tell you, since we’re about to announce our… our engagement, um—” his face suddenly flooded with color again, but he kept going, “—I l-l-love you, Leo.” His blush got even deeper, but he didn’t look away. “I really love you, and I just… just thought you should know that.”

The too-full feeling in Leo’s chest expanded so fast that it went supernova, filling the room, and he realized that he had known it… and yet hearing Eddie actually say it meant everything.

“I love you, too, darling.”

“I know,” Eddie said… then immediately clapped a hand over his mouth and giggled, his face lit up like the sun.

Leo grinned, and Eddie dropped his hand, going into full-on happy babble mode.

“I mean, thank you? I love you, too. Which… which you already know, too, because I just said it. And then I said… oh Lord.” He rolled his eyes, still looking too filled with joy to actually be embarrassed. “I just meant, I already figured it out. About you loving me. I mean, I was worried that you didn’t? But then I realized that… that you did. That you do. That you—”

“Always will,” Leo cut in smoothly. “It’s why I want to marry you, Edvin Blom. Mother and Father offered to delay my engagement announcement until I was sure I’d found the right person, but—” his heart