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He was lying. I could practically feel the tension rolling off his frame, so I leaned my shoulder against his arm and smiled up at him. “Just relax, okay? There’s a bunch of plastic skeletons and strobe lights. Besides, this is nothing. I basically grew up in a haunted house, so I’m entirely desensitized. If push comes to shove, I’ll protect you.”
Holden froze on the ramp, his eyes cutting down to mine. “What do you mean you grew up in a haunted house? I mean, the brownstone is old, but it’s not exactly an abandoned asylum.”
Shit. Stupid mouth.
I hadn’t meant to say anything to him about that part of my life, but now, I’d forced myself into having to explain. Before he called a priest to perform an exorcism at our actual home.
“Oh, uh, no. I wasn’t talking about that house. I meant the place where I lived outside of the city with my aunt and uncle after the accident.”
“Next group, you’re up!” the man responsible for collecting the tickets shouted and I breathed out a sigh of relief.
Holden glanced at me like he knew there was a lot more to the story, but we were pushed forward before he could ask, and as soon as we stepped inside, I had a feeling he forgot all about it. Whoever had designed the Slaughterhouse had gone all out, artificial fog hanging thick in the air while blinding lights flashed at erratic intervals.
The floor beneath our feet was squishy too, made of some kind of spongy material that made it feel like we were walking on liquid. Holden’s protective instincts flared up immediately, practically turning him into a human shield trying to protect me.
When a guy dressed as a deranged butcher burst out from behind a hidden panel revving a bloody chainsaw, Holden let out a guttural roar, grabbing me by the waist and forcefully yanking me out of the way. He shoved me behind his back before turning on the guy like he was about to steal the chainsaw and use it to cut the actor into pieces instead.
I’d never laughed harder in my life.
Two rooms later, we were in a narrow hallway lined with hanging sheets, and when someone dressed as a decayed, rotting zombie lunged out from behind the fabric right in front of us, Holden let out a startled shout and once again thrust me backward. The zombie must not have expected a massive, six-foot-something man to scream directly in his face because he let out an equally terrified shriek and dropped his prop limb, scrambling backward into the curtain.
Tears of pure, hysterical laughter spilled out of me at how badly they’d scared one another. Holden shot me a tight-jawed glare. “It isn’t funny, Alicia.”
“No, you’re right. It’s not funny. It’s hilarious.” I took his arm again and pulled him forward, laughing with every turn we took until my luck ran out in the final chamber.
It was decorated like a twisted, decaying circus ring and a giant actor dressed as the deranged circus ringleader stood right in front of the exit. He held what appeared to be a heavy wooden cane, leveling us with a theatrical, menacing glare.
“Halt, travelers!” he boomed. “The only way to pass the gates of the circus is to seal your bond with a kiss.”
I expected Holden to launch himself at the guy and physically tackle him out of the way, but instead, he didn’t waste a single second. Before I could even blink, he grabbed my jaw in a large, warm hand, tilted my face up, and brought his lips down on mine in a kiss so fierce and possessive that it stole the oxygen from my lungs.
My eyes flew wide open before fluttering shut, my fingers instinctively reaching for the soft fabric of his sweater. Holden leaned into it too, his free hand sliding around my hips to pull me so close against him that I swore he could feel the pounding of my heart.
“Uh, alright then,” the ringleader suddenly interrupted, his theatrical booming totally gone. If anything, he just sounded uncomfortable now. “You guys can go. Exit is on the left.”
Holden broke the kiss slowly, his eyes dark and focused on my face for another beat before he let go. I was breathing hard, my entire body tingling from the contact. He reached for my hand without saying a word, long fingers twining around mine before he guided me out into the night.
When we finally rejoined his family at the swings, Holden immediately shook his head at Cam. “I’m sorry, buddy. That was way too intense for you.”
“It was too intense for Holden,” I said, trying to hide the fact that my heart was still racing behind a sweet smile as I batted my lashes at him. “Tell them how you almost gave a zombie a heart attack.”
Holden grunted, but Cameron let out a furious groan, crossing his arms as he pouted, “This is the worst night ever!”
Before Jane or Alex could try to soothe him, Holden effortlessly scooped Cameron up into the air, hoisting the little boy onto his shoulders. “Come on, kid. The mirror maze is way cooler. That Slaughterhouse is for amateurs. Trust me. The mirror maze is where you want to be. I’ll show you how to navigate it like a pro.”
Cam’s face lit up with a joyful smile when Holden started marching toward the maze. Alex, Colin, and Ryan followed, leaving me alone on the grass with the Thayer women. Deja let out a sigh as she watched Holden retreat. “You know, despite the grumpy exterior, he’s going to make a wonderful father one day.”
The word father rattled around my brain with no place to land. Right. Because that’s part of the contract too.
I was supposed to help produce another Thayer heir. While there was no set time limit within which it was supposed to happen, the way the girls were suddenly looking at me made me think they suspected it would be soon.
Shit. Never mind the kiss. I should be focused on when and how my dear new husband is going to want to knock me up, and whether I get a say in it at all.
CHAPTER 25
HOLDEN
Our drive back from the carnival had been pretty quiet. Especially after dropping Ryan and Maggie off back at Jane’s house, where they were staying for this trip. From what I’d heard, Jane had refused to let them stay at their apartment in the city after finding out Maggie was pregnant.
