Page 62 of King of Hollywood

“I thought I wasn’t special?” Felix teased, eyes dancing.

“You…uh—” I tried to quip back, to set us back on the right, bitter path. But…the words didn’t seem to want to come. “I lied,” I admitted, face hot. “Maybe.”

“I see.”

Because this was awkward, and I didn’t want him to ask me any more questions, I held the record out to him. With ease, as if he’d done this thousands, if not millions of times, Felix took it from me, then pulled the vinyl record from the box. He lovingly cleaned the disk before putting it in its place on the record player with a graceful flick of his wrist.

I had never been jealous of an inanimate object before, but I certainly was now.

Perhaps if I got dirty, Felix would dust me off too?

The veins on the back of Felix’s hands flickered as he moved. He was tiny, yes, but there was an effortless masculinity to him—especially now. Like he knew exactly who he was. When he wasn’t overthinking or rambling, he moved as fluidly as a dancer—unafraid to take up space.

The moment the pin settled in its place, the soft, melodic croon of “Waltz of the Flowers” filled the air. The music was so…warm. Almost as warm as Felix’s eyes. Or my cheeks, still flushed, as I reached for him, unable to help myself.

I latched onto his face the same way I had many times before, fingers pinching the supple skin as I leaned down to see him better.

That little mole beneath his eye taunted me, begging for kisses. His lips were still chapped, and I ached to bend down to taste them. Felix’s eyes flooded with heat. Something electric zinged through my body as I stepped into his space, our toes tapping, torsos brushing.

God, he was gorgeous.

A classic sort of handsome. Timeless.

Perfection—in a world so full of flaws.

“The way you look at me is so…” Felix’s lips parted, and I squished his cheeks harder till he laughed.

“So?” I wanted to bite him, he was so damn adorable. He made my teeth ache. I’d often looked at small animals and thought the same thing. Rabbits on the farm, baby calves, foals as they waddled. It was a primal feeling, wanting to tear into cute creatures. To devour them whole.

“Intoxicating,” Felix admitted, voice deliciously husky.

“How do I look at you?” My hand slipped from his cheek, down his throat, caressing the cool skin as my heart threatened to pound right out of my chest.

“You look at me like you…” My thumb skimmed over his Adam’s apple and he gasped, lashes fluttering.

“Like I?” I echoed, voice throaty and low.

“Like you never want to look away.” That was accurate, so I didn’t deny his claim. “Like I am…riveting.”

“You are.”

Felix flushed. His lips wobbled up, his throat bobbing beneath my hand as I gave it a gentle squeeze. He had such a long, lovely throat. I’d thought so before—but now, touching it, I knew firsthand how right I’d been.

There was no pulse fluttering beneath my fingers, which…should’ve struck me as odd. But in that moment, all I could think about was touching him more—about the lilting music—about the fact that there were condoms burning a hole in my pocket and I wanted to kiss him.

I wanted to kiss him so badly I felt insane because of it.

I dipped my head down even more, my bangs brushing against his forehead as we shared a single, solitary breath. Barely a centimeter separated our lips and it felt like too much. Too much, too much, too much.

“You look like you want something, Marshall.” Felix’s voice was sweet, so fucking sweet.

I nodded, a needy sound building up in my throat as I continued to hold his neck tight. His voice vibrated against my palm, a tantalizing buzz that made me equal parts want to squeeze till he was silent, and make him speak again just so I could feel it a second time.

“Is it terribly forward of me to kiss you?” Felix asked, his lashes fluttering as he stared up at me with those luminous, lovely eyes.

Distantly, I recognized how real they looked. That they didn’t look like contacts at all. But I was too distracted by his mouth and the promise of the kiss I’d been aching for, to really think too much about it.

“Please—” My voice was rough. The beast inside me clawed at its cage, whining for the gift Felix was offering. “It’s not too forward. I want it. I want you so badly I—”