Page 24 of The Desert Prince's Jewel
“You did not almost knock me out. You knocked me down,” I say, glaring, but to my immense irritation, he laughs ruefully with a twinkle in his steady dark gaze.
“Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Anyway, you didn’t call the police or sue my ass into oblivion. And I didn’t either. We’re even. Honestly, this hate-hate shit is exhausting when we have a lot in common, it seems. And look, you’re not the first loser to accuse me of stealing something when I was like, what, ten.”
“You take pleasure in pissing me off, don’t you?” I growl.
But damn it all, he laughs a genuine laugh this time.
My anger falters, blood rushing to my lower half as he teases his lower lip. Those damn, supple, suckable lips I want to…
“You what!?” he shouts, drawing the attention of the surrounding guests.
Did I say that out loud!?
“Oh shit,” I whisper, not meaning to verbalize any of that. But Mateo avoiding eye contact is all the proof I need to know I did.
“Man, we must have knocked something loose in our heads in that storage closet. Hell, when we first met,” Mateo says.
“What?” I ask.
“I don’t know, man. I think this is just… morbid curiosity between us?” he swipes his hand at me and then his chest.
“Between us,” I repeat slowly, not believing what I think he’s implying.
“Yeah, we’re on some toxic type shit. We just have tonotwork it out of our system. But I get it. I’m not bad looking, andyou’re ho– Not bad looking! And sometimes our brains mix up emotions. I get it!” he says, visibly anxious.
I barely comprehend his stuttering rambling, yapping on and on about toxic attraction, toxic chemistry, toxic this and that, until I’m convinced we’re both radiating nuclear energy in his mind. But all I can latch onto isusfrom Mateo’s flapping mouth.
So I’m not the only one who feels this way?
“Mateo,” I say in a low, even tone, dragging him closer so I can whisper into his ear, “I want you right now, tucked beneath my coil. I’ve wanted you so badly since the first night we fought; you’ve haunted my dreams. But more than anything, I need you to know the real me. To know the truth. I–”
I’m on the verge of of confessing when a harpy-like voice cuts through the air.
“Ranbir, darling, how are you? To think you’d drop by this quaint city around the same time,” a human woman named Nor, a movie star from Malaysia, kisses my cheeks affectionately as I bend forward to greet her.
I offer her a drink from Mateo’s platter, ignoring his shocked expression as I play prince. Nor’s naga husband claps my shoulder with glee next. It’s Naveen. Ugh, I forgot they’re one of those cringy couples with matching names, and their kids’s names all probably start with N, too. If only I could remember them.
“Ranbir, cousin, how are you? How was the flight? I heard you went to that influencer wedding. So unlike you. You’ve been lying low ever since,” Naveen purrs as he pulls away. “And now you’re here, at a boring charity gala. I must say, the council has to let you out more often. There are far more exciting things to do when traveling far from home.”
He’s a distant relative by marriage of mine who got me these golden tickets. He’s trying to curry favor, unaware I’m all butdeposed. Naveen drags me into a crushing hug. Then, he tugs on my shirt, glancing down at Mateo with contempt.
“We do need to get you out of those rags. Maybe that’s why the help couldn’t distinguish who you are,” he sneers at Mateo, whose shoulders collapse.
I hiss, and Naveen stares at me, startled.
“Um–” I wave him away.
“One minute,cousin,” I grit out, snatching Mateo and dragging him away.
Once we’re out of earshot, he yanks his wrist out of my hand. I frown. My claws are visible. That’s not a good sign.
“Sorry! If I hurt you, I didn’t mean to,” I say, surprising myself.
Sorry is coming so easily to me now, I’m almost proud.
“Who are you?” Mateo whispers as he backs away, forcing my heart to clinch with fear. “You’re not working security here, are you, Ranbir? That woman’s on the board. She grew up here and made it big in Malaysia as an actress, right? But sheknewyou.Heknew you. Cousins? How!?”
A lie perches on the tip of my tongue. But I refuse to lie to him anymore. I square my shoulders and raise my chin as I’ve been taught to do, not wanting to appear weak before a man who is increasingly making me weak in the knees. And not just because I’m still not used to walking rather than slithering around.
