Page 53 of How to Date a Prince (Being Royal #1)

Chapter Forty

A pparently, being a prince means you get your own private dressing room.

The rest of the Renaissance Man cast cool their heels in the green room before our call.

When I see a couple of the men backstage, like Jax and David, I get warm hellos and people are thrilled to see me upright after the accident.

My stomach dances with all the butterflies and then some, both for the live show and more so at knowing I’ll see Thomas tonight. I adjust my collar, tug at my jacket, check myself out on my phone camera. I check my messages again. I’m one hundred percent nerves.

We gather backstage in the wings. From here, I see the podium seating onstage under the dazzle of the stage lights. There’s the din of the audience, the chatter backstage. My senses are already overloaded. I draw in another deep breath to steady myself.

And I see Thomas out of the corner of my eye, and I swear I stop breathing.

He’s on the other side of the men. I can’t get to him easily. Plus, he’s deep in conversation with Travis. When it’s time, we file out to the studio at the stage manager’s cue as the audience roars. Two rows of five chairs face the waiting studio audience.

I’m the last to walk out on stage. To my surprise, I get a standing ovation and cheers from the audience.

I squint under the bright lights and wave, smiling.

Taken aback, I’m startled by the intensity of their response at seeing me.

I pause, nodding in acknowledgment with another wave before I turn to sit.

And my heart stops when I see my father and Anne in the audience, in their own special section to the side. My father meets my gaze, a flicker of a smile across his lips. I could weep with relief at the sight of him, my heart pounding with the shock.

When I turn to sit, the only remaining chair is beside Thomas.

He gazes at me with a slight smile on his lips, but his eyes are shadowed, even under the makeup. I take a seat and murmur hello. I receive an unintelligible murmur back, but even so, it’s thrilling. Because Thomas. I shiver.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final episode of Renaissance Man , where we announce the winner, along with the long-awaited final episode, the tell-all. We’re thrilled to welcome Prince Augustus back after his dreadful accident while filming.

We are all very pleased to see you, Your Royal Highness,” Colin enthuses.

More thundering applause and cheers follow. I blink and grin under the lights.

Everyone’s happy except Wilson, I’m sure. And as my guts twist, I can’t read Thomas.

The stage lights are dazzling, which guarantees a headache later. I try to ignore the lights and focus on Thomas. He is so close I could touch him.

The producers have put together a reel with highlights and lowlights of the ten weeks of filming with each contestant.

Wilson is third from the end, and he basks in the mixed applause and jeers he gets from the audience, everyone’s favorite villain, it turns out.

It turns out he’s given plenty of footage of him being an arse to everyone, and it’s implied that he’s the one responsible for ruining my pottery.

“I said what I said,” says Wilson, grinning and looking defiant. “It is what it is.”

“Anything else aside from that? Any regrets?” Colin asks. “It’s down to you and Thomas as the last men standing.”

“That I don’t have a million pounds already in my bank account.”

“We shall see.” Colin smiles, then breezes over to me. “Auggie, you’ve had a time.”

“You could say,” I concede, smiling. That earns laughter from the audience.

“I’m very glad you’ve recovered enough to join us.

You gave us all—and the world—such a fright.

” With that, they start to replay the footage of the accident.

Which is… well, like watching an accident.

Except in slow motion on the big screen for the studio audience.

I wince, watching as my previously recorded voice-over comes on from a couple of weeks back.

“Everyone knows what happened, now. But I would do it again in a heartbeat to keep Thomas safe. I would do it again to protect anyone, but it had special meaning to me, protecting Thomas. Because I’ve never met anyone like him.

And he’s been so important to me, through the show and after I was injured. ”

Colin watches me as I listen. The audience is rapt, watching the footage, which shifts to Thomas crawling over. It could be my imagination, but I swear he’s leaning in towards me from his seat.

“Because Thomas has shown me what true bravery is. How to live and how to feel and how to take chances. I learned a lot about taking chances from him.” Thomas is on-screen, yelling soundlessly for the medics.

“And if I’m lucky, maybe there’ll be another chance, another time to open our hearts. Because I love him.”

The video stops.

Colin focuses on me. “Auggie, would you care to elaborate?”

I give Thomas a sidelong glance. His green eyes are wide, and he glances over at me searchingly before speaking.

“I mean…” I gaze at Thomas instead of Colin.

And the way Thomas looks back at me, like I’m the only one in the room with him, his expression soft, is absolutely everything.

And I know for real this time he’s leaning close to me.

Then, I take a breath and jump off a cliff because I can’t go back to how I have lived in the shadows.

Even if he doesn’t feel the same way. He’s been public about his identity, his attraction to men.

“Well, I fell in love. And things happened. The concussion and neck injury and broken wrist and ribs, obviously. And my own anxieties and my reality too. But being ill, having new limits, it gave me a lot of time to think about what really matters. Which is love.”

Thomas stares at me, brightening in an instant. It’s nothing I didn’t say the other day. It’s quite another to say it in front of an audience. I chew my lip, overcome with nerves. I cover my mic for a moment.

“I love you so much.” The words tumble out. “And I know it’s too late, but I had to say it because you’ll always be important to me, after what we’ve been through, and I want to find a way to make it work?—”

And then Thomas leans closer. And I catch his face between my hands and give him a lingering kiss. Blood rushes in my ears as he brushes his warm lips with mine again, yielding and delicious. I shudder with want. When we straighten, my heart beats so loudly everyone must hear it.

And then that’s when I realize the audience roars with their cheers. Even Colin has tears in his eyes.

“My,” Colin says finally, blinking. “The lights are very bright all of a sudden in here, aren’t they?”

And Thomas and I look at each other, grinning like fools. I interlace my fingers with his on my thigh.

“Thomas, what do you say?” Colin dares ask. I swear everyone’s holding their breath—including and especially me.

“I love you too, Auggie,” he says, his voice unsteady. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you. I wanted to tell you. I was scared to tell you. But I’m in love with you too.”

The crowd roars again. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my father dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief.

Thomas and I are transfixed by each other when Colin finally brings us back to focus on him.

They play the segment they showed me several weeks ago, with Thomas and me first together in the kitchen on badger watch to our sunset walk and even a hint of what happened in the pottery bothy.

But Thomas and I barely watch, gazing at each other, our hearts shown to the world. I soar beside him. He squeezes my hand.

“I’m not sure how we carry on from that, but as they say, the show goes on. Gentlemen.”

They play Thomas’ reel, ending with him crouched over me amid the medics.

On the video, Thomas speaks. “It was the worst moment of my life, seeing Auggie like that. I regret everything I did that led up to him being injured. If I hadn’t fallen off my horse, Auggie wouldn’t have tried to save me, and he wouldn’t have been hurt. ”

“You’re not to blame for what happened, Thomas,” Colin says. “It was an accident.”

“I still feel responsible,” says Thomas.

I squeeze his fingers. I barely hear what he says for the next while, recapping the rivalry between Thomas and Wilson as the show progresses. Then, Colin calls them over to stand with him.

“Gentlemen, we’ve come to the other thrilling finale we’ve all been waiting for: who will win the million pounds?

To recap, Thomas and Wilson both won an equal number of challenges.

But given gentlemanly conduct and good sportsmanship, we are thrilled to announce Thomas Golden is our winning Renaissance Man , taking home the million-pound prize. ”

Thomas looks startled across the stage. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Colin chuckles. “Tell us, what will you do with the prize money?”

“I’ll… I’ll need some time to figure that out.

It could go a long way to support the launch of my new app.

But I also want to give back because of everything that’s happened.

It’s far more than I ever bargained on when I agreed to join Renaissance Man .

I’ve had huge ups and downs throughout. It really made me question what matters. Like Auggie said, it’s about love.”

He gazes at me, unwavering.

I smile.

“What’s next, then, Thomas?” Colin asks. “In your post- Renaissance Man life?”

“Spending time catching up with the man I love,” says Thomas, grinning. “That’s what I want.”

There’s more thunderous applause as Wilson sits, shaking his head.

I’m gestured over by Colin to stand beside Thomas.

I have goose bumps. Thomas hugs me, and the crowd goes wild, giving a standing ovation.

Including my father. And the roar of the audience leaves my ears ringing for some time after the show ends.

“Take me home,” I murmur in Thomas’ arms backstage, after we’ve caught up with the other men, shaken lots of hands, and I’ve provided many assurances to my castmates that I’m on the mend.

My father texts that he’s happy for me, and that he would like to meet Thomas soon.

He and Anne are quickly whisked away by security after shaking a few hands and taking photos with guests in his own right.

My head pounds between the lights and emotions.

I close my eyes for a moment. Thomas’ fingers are light through my hair.

His hand slides to the nape of my neck for a gentle massage. I shiver.

“Let’s go, gorgeous,” Thomas whispers against my ear. “God, I’ve missed you. We have so much to catch up on.”

We make our way to the car and across town to Thomas’ flat.

By the time we arrive, I’m admittedly a little green around the gills.

I’ve definitely overdone it between the lights, the movement of the car, and the emotion of everything said and witnessed that evening.

Thomas leads me by the hand to the sofa.

“Rest a minute. What can I get you?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” I give him my most convincing smile.

“You’ve gone white,” Thomas says critically. “And you look like you might faint. Or something.”

“Maybe some rest,” I confess. “It’s been… a lot tonight. But—” I gaze at him, my expression soft. “—I’m so happy to be here with you.”

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” Thomas murmurs. “Let me make up the bed. I can stay out here or leave?—”

“Stay with me. Please.”

Soon, I’m in Thomas’ arms in bed, in a T-shirt of his over my boxers, with everything still buzzing, my head most of all. He’s brought me a heating pad for my neck, and he holds me with care. I’m comforted by his nearness despite the protests of my body.

A while later, with my eyes closed, I press my face against his shoulder. He smells like fresh laundry and soft, cedar-based cologne.

“Tomorrow morning,” I murmur, “I’ll ravish you. Mornings are fantastic for me.”

“It so happens that I love being ravished in the morning.” Thomas’ eyes dance. His fingers run through my hair, trace a leisurely path along the nape of my neck till I shiver.

“Mm, brilliant. I’ll have your people talk to my people.” I open my eyes to gaze at Thomas in the low light. I give him a lazy smile.

“The ravishing department is open for business.” Thomas grins at me, rumple-haired and flushed, and all I want to do is rumple him further and thoroughly. The sight of him and the sensation of being pressed against my body thrills me. Morning can’t come soon enough.

And then I kiss Thomas like my life depends on it. His and mine. The heat between us sears. I let up before too long since my head’s pounding, but the pain’s absolutely worth it. I settle comfortably against him, my leg over his.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk, but right now, I’m the happiest man in all the kingdom. Being together with Thomas is far better than any dream I could have ever imagined.

Because, after all, our love is real.