Page 57 of Cover Up

Dei’s brows dipped, and his entire expression changed into concern. Relief hit Felix as Dei reached out and snagged his wrist, tugging him close. “What happened, sugar?”

“I don’t…I couldn’t tell how you felt, and my head feels a little off, so I got scared.”

Dei cupped his cheek, his thumb stroking over his cheekbone. “I’m so sorry. You know how some people have resting murder face?”

Felix laughed, nodding. “Yeah, sure.”

“Well, I kind of have resting nothing face. I don’t even know why. It was something I developed when I was in the service, and it kind of stuck. I promise you on my very soul that you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I don’t…hell, I don’t even have words for how you made me feel.”

Felix understood the weight of what they’d done and what it had to mean for Dei. With a sigh, he ducked his head and gave Dei a quick cleanup before tossing the cloth on the ground and surging in for a kiss.

Dei accepted it like he was just waiting for Felix to cross that line, and he wrapped his arm around him, holding tight. “Thank you,” Dei whispered when they broke apart.

Felix shook his head, then laid his head against his shoulder. “It meant everything to me too.”

Dei said nothing to that and just kept holding him until Felix knew there was nowhere in the world he was ever going to want to be except curled in Dei’s arm.

17

“So. Is this, like…a date?”

Dei looked up at Felix’s shy tone, and he was helpless against the rush of affection in his chest. Felix had napped again, sleeping a good portion of the day, then woke up starving, so Dei searched out the nearest restaurant with enough reviews to call it edible and bustled him into the car.

He was sleep-mussed and warm all over as Dei slung his arm around his waist, holding him close while they waited for the hostess to seat them. It was a little seafood spot on the banks of a small man-made lake. It was hardly the prettiest place Dei had eaten, but there wasn’t much of a late-afternoon crowd, which was something he wasn’t used to, living in the Keys.

They got a table near a large window, and Felix toyed with his straw, saying nothing until that question tumbled from his lips.

Dei knew it was mostly the product of his lack of a verbal filter—something that bothered Felix to no end, so he decided not to make a big deal out of it. “If you want it to be, darlin’. I’d like to call all of this a date, but this is kind of new territory for us.”

Felix smiled sweetly. “Yeah. I guess it is. And you’re kind of my fake boyfriend this week anyway.”

“I’d like to take the fake part out of that sentence,” Dei told him plainly.

Felix blinked. “Oh. Uh…”

“There’s no need for labels, darlin’, but I like to think I’ve proven how much I like you.”

Felix laughed, flushing gently as he turned his gaze out the window. “Ah. Yeah, that was, um…you definitely did.”

Dei grinned widely. A small part of him wished they didn’t have to go home so soon. He hadn’t taken a vacation in years, and while he could hardly call this trip one, he felt worlds away from real life, and he wasn’t in a hurry to go back.

After all, anything could tear them apart, and Dei wasn’t ready to give him up.

“I want to call it a date,” Felix said softly after a long beat.

Dei reached across and held his palm up, and when Felix’s fingers grazed his, he pulled him close and smudged a kiss over his knuckles. “Then we should make it a real one. We can go for a long walk after this. I’ll hold your hand, maybe kiss you at the door.”

“Then meet me in the bedroom for afters?” Felix asked in a low voice.

Dei groaned, and for the first time in his life, he was grateful no one could see his boner through his pants. He stroked his thumb over Felix’s hand once more, letting it go just before the server appeared to drop off their plates.

“So, did you want to—” Felix’s words were cut off when Dei’s phone began the shrill ring that overrode his do-not-disturb setting.

Which meant it was one of his mother’s caregivers.

He felt himself go a little pale as he snatched it off the table. “Darlin’, I gotta take this.” He didn’t wait for Felix to respond, instead answering the call as he carefully climbed to his feet and headed for the lobby.

“Yeah?”

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