Page 40 of The Puck Bunny

She laughs, then puts a hand on his chest. “I already own your boxers, baby. What would I do with a jersey?”

He doesn’t move, so I squeeze my way in between them, pushing her back to give him some space.

She spares me a glance looking like she didn’t realize I was alive, as if she thought I were a prop, before returning her implacable gaze to the equally implacable Quinn. I feel like I’m standing in the middle of a petrified forest. But my protective juices are revved.

“Hello, Princess. Maybe you’d like a nice autographed mug?” I say.

She pulls her gaze from Quinn’s to glare at me.

By this time, the security guards have the crowd under control and the only audience we have is the line of Quinn’s fans waiting to buy merch. But they gawk and listen like they’re perfectly happy to be entertained by the princess drama. I, on the other hand, would be perfectly happy to drop through a hole in the floor—but only if I could take Quinn with me. I don’t want a scene that could get either of us, or the Brawlers in trouble.

Quinn squeezes my hand.

“Who is this?” Princess Anica says to Quinn as she stares down her sculpted nose at me.

“This is Sara.” He lowers his voice. “Watch what you say next, Anica.”

Picking up a mug, I hand it to her. “Here. Take it. It’s on me. Enjoy your stay in America.”

She doesn’t take the mug from me. She flicks a non-existent piece of dust from her fur then resumes her staring match with Quinn.

“I intend to enjoy myself very much. Speaking of which, I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.” She raises her chin. “I’ve joined the board of the Brawlers Charitable Foundation. Such wonderful causes.”

Quinn remains the Strong-and-Silent guy. But my worrying about a scene ratchets up and I squeeze his hand since he’s still holding onto mine. God, I feel so connected to him—deep down, not just his hand.

I take a deep breath into the momentary silence and just when I think the princess is through torturing him, she leans in to Quinn.

And kisses him.

And it’s not one of those cheeky kisses, oh no. The witch presses those perfect lips of hers against Quinn’s as her lashes flutter closed—and one of her entourage pops out a camera—not a cell phone, but a real camera—and takes several photos before Quinn pulls back.

He ends the kiss quickly, but not in an abrupt ungentlemanly way. No unnecessary drama from him. He knows how to create a scene and how not to.

“Good-bye, Anica.” He says the ordinarily harmless words with biting finality, but only for those of us within hearing distance—which is me and Anica. The princess. Crap. I’m tangling with a princess.

She smiles as if she’s touched by his tenderness. The camera doesn’t stop as she turns and saunters out the same way she’d come in, though with less fan enthusiasm.

I lift the mug. You forgot your mug, Your Highness, I ought to call out, strictly to mock her, but Quinn’s tug on my hand stops me from saying the words out loud. Thank the bad choice-vs-good-choice gods.

The kids from More Than Words are helping the fans, taking over my spot and I’m relieved because that scene exhausted me. They were observing in the background and keeping the line in order and hauling in merch earlier, but their organization’s goal is to have them take an active role in every aspect of the event.

Quinn takes the mug from me. “Let me sign that. Then you can send it to her.”

“What are you going to write on it?” There’s real fear in my voice because he has an mischievous expression on his face.

“Not much.” He takes the top off the sharpie. “Something simple, like, ‘Go to Hell.’”

I snatch the pen from his hand as he’s about to write, smearing a long black line across the picture of his face.

He laughs.

“You… you’re naughty.”

“Did you think I was really going to do it?” he whispers, still chuckling as he takes the pen back and signs a t-shirt for a young girl as he smiles at her.

I shake my head. Not really.

The parade of fans resumes and I take the photos as the staff handles the payments. We’re like a well oiled machine. Quinn continues to give each fan his attention, accepting compliments graciously, and engaging them with quips and answering their questions even if he’s answered the same one a hundred times before. He looks like he could go on forever.