Page 7 of His Princess Brat
Jax blanched. “Dear God, you didn’t.”
Mazi smirked. “His name is Pachysaurus Rex.” Gesturing with his head, Mazi said to me, “Come on, I can’t wait to introduce you to Norah and the baby.”
He headed up the stairs, leaving Jax slack-jawed behind us, and I followed.
“Dude, I was joking about the elephant.”
“So was I,” he laughed. “I just like to get a rise out of him now and then.”
I couldn’t count the number of people we passed in the hall, all of whom were dressed in suits and gowns, and brightly colored sarongs. I was definitely underdressed in my jeans and t-shirt, although that didn’t seem to upset too many people. More than one man gave me a once-over unimpressed frown. But the ladies... well, ladies were the same everywhere it seemed. They eyed my physique and height, and even with King Mazi right here beside me, I caught more than one appraising smile or wistful side eye.
“Hi,” I said, each time someone stopped what they were doing to bow their respect.
Eventually, we came to a huge wooden door covered in fauna engravings.
“Home sweet home,” Mazi said as he pushed it open, then called out a cheerful, “Daddy’s home and look who followed him in.”
It was completely unnecessary as a blonde woman with bright pink highlights in her hair, whom I could only assume was Norah, was sitting on the sofa with a baby nursing at her breast.
“Hi,” she called softly, waving us in, not at all embarrassed. And why should she be? There was nothing sexual in the homey picture they presented, and I didn’t see it as such. But that now familiar longing kicked up inside me again and it was all I could do not to let it show on my face. “You must be Azid. He’s told me so much about you.”
“And you must be Norah.” She already felt like a little sister to me. “And this must be my namesake.” I didn’t move any closer, not wanting to presume or make her uncomfortable, but when Mazi plopped down on the couch beside her to caress his son and kiss him on the forehead, she beckoned me over with a pat on the cushion to her opposite side.
“Come see him if you want to,” she offered.
My feet were moving me closer before I could even think up a reason not to. There had to be at least one. But again, there was nothing remotely sexual in sitting sideways beside her, staring down on my godson’s sleepy face as he nursed. I barely even noticed the curves of her naked breast.
I wanted this. God, how I wanted it. The wife, the child, a family that was comfortable and at peace with one another. Mazi had found the moon as far as I was concerned. I should have been jealous as hell, and maybe I was, a little. But I was happy for him, and proud. Every bit as proud as if it was all mine.
“This is your uncle Azid,” Mazi said softly, and Norah smiled at me. I’d have smiled back, except she then yawned.
“You get any sleep?” Mazi asked.
“Not much,” she confessed. “I was too excited about the new tourism portfolio, so I worked on that through his last nap.”
Arching an eyebrow, he looked at her, and for just a minute, I felt very much like the outside looking in through a window into their personal relationship. “Do we need to talk about that?”
Blushing, Norah fidgeted with the baby’s shirt sleeve, glanced at me and, her blush deepening, shook her head. “I’ll nap with him this time, I promise.”
“I’m going to take Azid to his room and let him get settled in. Then I’ve got an appointment to keep, but you’d better be resting when I check on you. I mean it.”
“I promise,” she said again.
He kissed her cheek, and I stood up with him.
“It was good to finally meet you,” I said, as I followed him to the door.
“Welcome to Osei,” she called after us, just as he softly closed it.
My room wasn’t just down the hall, it was completely in another wing, and God knows the number of times we had to pause to smile and nod or otherwise acknowledge the bows and courtesies of those we passed. I lost count at twelve.
“This is unbelievable,” I said when we finally stopped and he unlocked a door, handing me the key as he opened it.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I would if I was going to stay, but I’m just here for a vis—holy shit.” I stopped in the threshold of a deep blue suite of rooms. A basket of fruit and snacks was waiting for me in the little kitchenette next to a case of my favorite beer. The bed was a giant four-poster. French doors led out onto a balcony overlooking what seemed to be a garden and a tennis court, and there was a crystal chandelier hanging over the zebra skin rug and matching sofa set.
A freaking crystal chandelier.
