Page 25 of His Princess Brat
“I’m always in your corner,” I replied. Looking at the map again, I sighed, weakened, and promptly gave in. “All right, I’ll keep an open mind. But I’m warning you now, I’m a New York boy. When it comes time for me to get back on that plane to go home... I’m pretty sure I’m going to do it.”
“That’s then, this is now,” Mazi said confidently. “Literally anything could happen to make you change your mind.”
It would take a miracle to make me change it that hard.
Or a Pita.
But that was getting far and away ahead of myself. There was a lot that could happen to change that whole situation too. We’d only just met after all.
There was no denying, though. Tea on the veranda could not come soon enough. I truly, honestly could not wait to see her again.
* * *
Pita
Tea was taken on the veranda, at white tables and on cushioned chairs with bright red umbrellas to shelter us from either the sun or the rain, depending on the season. Right now it was sunny, without a cloud in sight, and I was nervous beyond belief.
I must have changed my clothes half a dozen times before settling on this outfit. It was a yellow spring dress, cinched at the waist, but loose and flowing. I was glad I’d picked it, because Azid came just as informally and he looked good. The breadth of his chest filled out the white cotton t-shirt he wore. The lower half of him filled out his tan trousers. This man had a butt a girl could bounce a quarter off of. It might have been me, but it seemed like every lady in Mazi’s court already seated on the veranda when we arrived stopped what they were doing to watch as we crossed to our table together. I know Bethany did.
She was out here for the sole purpose of driving me crazy, I just knew it. She even took a table right next to us so she could eavesdrop on our conversation.
“Don’t look at her,” Azid said smoothly. “This isn’t about her. This is about you and me, and getting to know one another better.”
Right, I knew that. I spread my napkin over my lap and sipped my ice water as I waited for tea and sandwiches to be brought.
“So,” he said, getting comfortable in the chair beside me. “Your name is Pita. You’re a princess. What else? What sort of things do you enjoy doing?”
Everything that made me completely unladylike and unworthy of this date. Fidgeting with my napkin, I tried not to say any of that out loud. “Um... well, I like horses.”
“Riding, showing, racing, or raising?” To my relief, there was only interest in his tone and on his face. That he might actually harbor an interest in any of that helped ease my tension and actually made me a little excited to tell him.
“All of the above, really. Ever since I was a little girl I always wanted to breed my own line of champion horses. I love horses. I have a beautiful stallion, Adofo, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to pair him with this mare I have my eye on. Her name is Sanaa, and she’s perfect.” I just needed a husband who’d be amenable to letting me live my dreams... and, of course, the time and energy to indulge my hobby in between running my kingdom. That deflated me a little. “It’s up in the air, I guess. But it’s what I’m hoping for.”
I sat there, silent, wondering if I’d said too much, but he only smiled.
“I’m a New York boy myself. I’ve never seen a horse in real life. Not outside a petting zoo anyway.”
“I have him here,” I offered. “Would you like to see him?”
“See why she smells like manure all the time,” Bethany muttered just behind me.
I flushed hot all over, but Azid barely glanced at her. “I would love to,” he answered.
I managed a smile, but my brain was still stuck on Bethany’s insult. My mother had said something similar, but did I really smell like that? There was no way I could sniff myself without being obvious about it, but in the next moment, Azid took my hand, kissed my fingers—his lips lingering on my skin, sending zips of pure electric excitement racing through my skin—and said, “Remember our pact. Also, seriously, I only smell lavender when I’m with you, and I happen to like that scent.”
The lotion I used was lavender. I relaxed, knowing in that moment I’d never change it. “What brought you from New York?”
“My brother,” he said simply. “I haven’t seen Mazi since he came here. I wanted to meet his wife and my godson.”
“You’re the king’s brother?” My jaw dropped yet again. Oh, my God, I was cousins with this man? Distant cousins, my mind immediately calculated. Perfectly legally, morally decent to flirt with, kiss, and even do—the excitement zinged through me again—other things with.
“Not by blood,” he corrected. “But as close as.”
“Oh.” That really was okay, then.
“So what brings you to the palace?” Azid asked.
“Desperation,” Bethany muttered again, just as soft as before and obviously eavesdropping.
