Page 25 of Royal Deception

Rory stares at me for a long moment, silent. My heart beats faster in my chest, the quiet stretching between us as I pray I haven’t ruined this, that I haven’t overstepped by asking for more.

But I want more.

And maybe he does too.

11

RORY

The moment the words leave her lips, I’m taken aback, stunned into silence.

I never expected to hear that—especially not from Clary, of all people.

Most of my past partners were one-night stands, people I used and who used me in return, both of us just scratching an invisible itch. By the time we were done, that was it. Game over. No lingering attachments. No second rounds.

They didn’t look me in the eye and ask if we could make it a weekly occurrence.

But Clary’s different.

Of course she is. I should know that by now.

She stays quiet in my lap, warm and pliant, humming softly as if she knows I need space to process. She’s waiting for an answer, but she’s calm, not pushing for an answer. Not yet.

I run a hand down her back, grounding myself as I think.Do I want this? Can I let myself have more?

I’m used to being the one in control—setting the tone, deciding the pace, keeping things simple. Saying yes to Clary doesn’t feel simple. It feels like stepping over a line I can’tuncross. And yet, the idea of saying no leaves me restless, aching for something I can’t name.

Finally, I draw in a breath. “I need to think it over,” I say.

It’s not a no, but from the way her body tenses just slightly, lips pressed together like she’s holding back words, I know it’s not the yes she wanted.

Fuck. This thing between us is already rewriting the rules, whether I like it or not.

The next day, I’ve got a lunch meeting with Kellan. Even though we have important matters to discuss, my situation with Clary is still on my mind.

I meet Kellan at a quiet little Italian place. We’ve used this place for business meetings so often that the host takes us to our usual table in the back, already setting Kellan up with a glass of red and me with a whiskey, neat.

“You look like hell,” he says by way of greeting as we sit down.

“Same to you,” I say, taking a slug of my drink.

His mouth twitches in amusement. “How’s everything going with Veridex? I know Lucky was on your case about it, but I know we can handle any shit that comes our way.”

Exhaling through my nose, I grab the menu even though I get the same thing every time. “It’s fine. Everything is under control for now. But if the Russians decide they want to kick up a fuss, we’ll have a problem.”

Kellan nods, though he seems a little distracted. “You can handle it.” It’s not a question, and I appreciate that he doesn’t pussyfoot around, second-guessing my decisions.

As soon as we’ve put in our orders, we’re still making small talk about work but my mind drifts, still thinking about Clary and the events of the night before. “How do you do it?” I ask, the words coming out of nowhere before I can swallow them back down.

Kellan tilts his head, raising an eyebrow. “Do what, Rory?”

I chuckle, as though it’s not a question that’s been weighing on my mind but a casual observation. “Balance it all,” I answer with a vague gesture. “Darcy. The kids. This life. Our work.”

He leans back, watching me with a calculated look in his eyes. “It takes work. Some days, it’s damn hard. But I love Darcy and the kids. They make the hard days worth it.” He smirks, as though getting a read on me, as though he’s figured out my angle. “But I won’t lie to you, Rory. This life doesn’t make relationships easy. You have to want it enough to fight for it.”

Doubt creeps up on me as I think about the idea of fighting for this fragile little… thing between us, Clary and me. I nod, but the frustration lingers. Kellan says it’s hard, but looking at him, you’d never know it.

Kellan tilts his head slightly, studying me for a moment. “Is this about Clary?”