Page 22 of Siren in Love (In Love #1)

Mike

Two months later.

M ike was, to put it mildly, freaking the fuck out. Even in his office, behind his desk in a nest of paperwork, the terror would find him.

“I am so fucked,” Mike told his paperwork. “I need to figure out how to tell him,” he added to his set of fountain pens.

“That is what I told you months ago, Michael.”

Mike jumped in his chair. He was normally better at spotting Peter, even when the vampire was in the mood to sneak around the office, but for the past few weeks, Mike’s mind had been otherwise occupied.

“I know that, but the time was never right, and everything was perfect. I didn’t want to risk messing anything up, not without being sure, and then I was sure, and I just asked him to marry me before I could tell him, and then he said yes and—”

“In a warehouse, with bodies hidden away behind some old crates.”

“—in an abandoned cotton mill, and he said yes, and…” Mike sighed. He was fucked. He needed to get unfucked, and fast. “What do I do now?” He looked at his boss. If he’d been of a clearer mind, he might have questioned the wisdom of asking Peter the Terrible for relationship advice.

Peter sat down across from Mike. “Obviously, you need to tell him, because obviously, the man loves you, and he deserves the truth. Take him on a weekend getaway. No, a whole week. Yes, I’ll just give you the week off.

It’s the spring festival slash Easter anyway, and I need to get out of the city as well to avoid running into any skyclad Wiccans.

They’re more than my sensibilities can handle, those Wiccans.

Let’s write it off as a business expense.

” The vampire smiled his icicle-sharp smile.

Mike blinked. “Wait, what? You’re coming along?”

Peter shrugged. “Not along along. I’ll not bother you, but I’ll pick a place and get you the honeymoon suite so you have space to figure things out with your lovely Corvin. And if that figuring out doesn’t go well, I’ll be there to comfort you. Either of you. Both.”

The vampire’s icy smile was eerie by default, so the fact that it looked even eerier to Mike now was probably a psychological reaction to the guilt and terror Mike had been carrying like an off-key melody the closer he got to the one-year mark of their relationship.

He didn’t want to have to explain himself to New Elvenswood’s elven overlord.

“I’ll have to talk to him. About taking time off.”

“For an all-expenses paid trip. Yes, it will be a difficult decision for your practically minded Corvin.” Peter shrugged. “I’ll email you the details. We’re not going anywhere too sunny though. Clashes with my complexion and makes me cranky.”

Mike swallowed around the lump in his throat. It looked like they were going to take a trip with Peter the Terrible as—hopefully—an invisible third wheel.

“Great,” Mike said, not even bothering to hide his lack of excitement.

“I’m so excited,” Corvin sing-songed, tossing socks into his bag.

“We’re going on a trip!” He wasn’t quite sticking to one key while going from one drawer to another, then to their wardrobe.

Under normal circumstances, Mike wouldn’t have minded and would have distracted Corvin from packing by singing to him in turn, but he was too preoccupied.

“Are you sure you don’t mind going? I did tell you Peter’s coming along, right?”

“Do you think we need sunscreen? Morrowvale Rose Resort does sound kind of sunny.” Corvin rummaged through a drawer in the bathroom.

“And no, I don’t mind. I think it’s generous of him.

Not the coming along, but the free vacation.

” He walked back into the bedroom carrying sunscreen and mosquito spray.

“I’ve never been to Morrowvale. They probably have some sweet bookstores.

Aren’t you packing?” Corvin had been at it for the better part of half an hour.

By Mike’s estimate, Corvin wouldn’t need half the clothes he was currently trying to fit into his bag.

“I’ll do that later. I’m a fast packer.” Mike watched Corvin, all bouncy and happy. He wanted him to be that, always. He thought about telling him that it was much too early in the year for mosquitoes or sunburn but swallowed the comment. “I’ll go make dinner.”

As he went down the stairs, Mike felt the weight of uncertainty. He’d not felt it when he’d proposed, or when he’d first kissed Corvin or told him he loved him. But tonight, he wasn’t sure how tomorrow would go, and that made him afraid, as if a requiem rang through the air.

What if…what if he ends up being scared of me?

Mike shook his head. He couldn’t think about that.