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We didn’t like to talk about Frank and Beans.

Although I had set up a news alert on my phone for the keywords ‘Banger and Mash.’ Nothing yet.

“What time is it?” Dan asked, nestling closer to kiss my neck.

I shivered with pleasure, reaching to grab my phone from the nightstand. “Uh… it’s only seven-thirty.”

I felt his mouth stretch into a grin. “Perfect.”

I was grinning wide myself as he shifted on top of me, my thighs spreading open so he could settle between them. I tilted my head, exposing my neck as he dropped seeking kisses up it before nuzzling my jaw.

“Where’s that pumpkin head, kitten?” he rasped in my ear.

—

Just after lunch that afternoon, I walked with Taylor, Seb and Larkin to the backstage area fifteen minutes before the wrestlers’ court was set to begin. Holt had watched sulkily as we all left our offices, wearing his pink slippers and de-puffing under-eye gel masks. His lips, crusted in a bubblegum sugar scrub, had pursed into a little pout.

The wrestlers were all congregating on the huge sectional couch and in the kitchen area when we got there. Dan spotted me straight away and bounded over, lifting his head from under his arm to give me a kiss.

“I set out some seats for you by the training ring,” he told me as a chorus of voices greeted Taylor, who waved brightly and wandered off to chat with the wrestlers. Seb and Larkin had gone to stand by a huge, ornate chair that had been brought into the room. It was practically a throne, and it had hot pink velvet cushions. And nipple tassels carved into the wood. Beside it was a miniature version. I was guessing that was for Cora.

“Thanks,” I said to Dan with a smile, then glanced behind him to seek out Vince. He was leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed, looking tense and distracted as he nodded at something Gabe was saying.

Crossbody was sitting elegantly on the couch, long legs crossed and an arm draped along the back. He was talking to Carl the vampire, but he looked tense too. His foot was jiggling anxiously, even though I could see he was making an effort to appear calm and composed.

“How’s Vince?” I muttered to Dan. We’d hung out the other night, and I liked him more than I’d thought I would. I mean, I thought that about everyone, but still. He was cool.

And I knew, because Dan had told me, that he was dreading this. He didn’t want to have to try and resolve the animosity between him and Crossbody. He had no desire to. He really, really didn’t like the royal fae.

And the sentiment definitely went both ways, judging by what I’d heard from Dan.

He winced a little as he shoved his head on his shoulders. “Pretty quiet. Just wants it to be over, I think.”

“Yeah.” I shifted the laptop tucked under my arm. “Well, I’ll go sit down and let you get ready.”

Dan chuckled, sidling closer to wrap his arm around me. “My issue resolved itself already now that Frank and Beans are gone, so I’ll mostly be sitting back and watching the proceedings.” He leaned in to kiss my cheek, then murmured in my ear, “I’ll probably spend the whole time thinking about what we did to that pumpkin head this morning.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks as a squawk of laughter burst from me. It made a few of the wrestlers look over at us and smile, which in turn made me grow a little flustered and self-conscious. Dan realised immediately—it was weird how well he could read me—so he pulled back and shot me a smile, reaching up to briefly cup my cheek.

“I’ll speak to you after, kitten.”

“’Kay.”

As he headed back over to Vince and Gabe, I beelined for the chairs set up beside the training ring in the centre of the room. I picked the one with the best view of the throne, because it was impossible not to look at Corey when he was in a room. He just commanded attention, and I knew I’d be craning my neck the whole time to watch him.

I fired up my laptop to do a bit of work before everything began, and eventually Taylor came and sat down beside me, clutching a notebook and pen.

“This is kind of exciting, huh?” he said with a big smile.

All the wrestlers adored Taylor, and I could see why. He was just so nice.

Plus, he was human, which was a bit of a novelty in this setting.

“Uh-huh.” I side-eyed him as my mouth twitched. “Bet Holt’s disappointed he can’t watch.”

Taylor’s face fell. “Oh, he really is. He’d love to be here. But he understands why he can’t be.”

I wasn’t sure how true that last bit was, judging by the sulky pout on Holt’s face when we left the office, but I said nothing.