Page 149 of Tall, Royal Hater
“Hmm,” he hummed, his palm slipping across my jaw as he started leaning in.
I drew back, even as I circled my other arm around his neck. “I’m serious.” I angled my mouth under his. “If you ever try to—hmm.”
He settled his lips so softly over mine that I couldn’t help but moan and melt against the wall. I wanted to yank him closer, but I resisted crumpling either of our clothes and allowed him to kiss me slowly and thoroughly. By the time it fizzled out into repeated long pecks, I felt lighter than air.
“You look beautiful, little menace,” he rasped, brushing a lock of my loose bangs off my forehead.
His voice tugged at my belly, and I smiled breathlessly as I played with the ends of his hair at his nape. “You don’t look bad yourself, dickhead.”
He lookedsomuch better thannot bad. He looked fucking gorgeous.
His tall, bull-sized frame was clad in a suit that was the duller blood-red equivalent to Esmeralda’s dress. I wasn’t sure where he’d left the blazer, but the finely fitted waistcoat tapered from his broad chest to his narrower waist like a second layer of skin. Tucked into his matching suit pants was a black collared shirt and tie paired with freshly polished black shoes.
Candy had seriously done Shehryar justice with both the fit and colour, though I knew for sure the colour wouldn’t have been Shehryar’s first choice. But bloody fucking Neves, did it suit him. It complemented his golden skin tone, plus with the way his flowy hair was combed back, one lock kissing his temple, and the neat trim of his beard, he looked undeniably droolworthy.
I felt a little proud looking at him. Maybe a tiny,tinybit possessive too.
That’s mine.
Not that I’d tell him.Yet.
But that was just the game we enjoyed playing with each other.
Shehryar’s glowing eyes darkened. “I’m pissed off though.”
I arched a brow. “Why?”
“Because…” He skated the hand that had found my hip mid-kiss around to my arse. “The dress you’re wearing was made by Candy, and it feels like you’re wearing a part of him. Thinking about it is driving me fucking mad.” He gave my arse a greedy, lifting squeeze. “I want to rip it to shreds.”
“Don’t you dare,” I warned with a smug grin. “I like this dress, and I look fucking great in it.”
“You do.” His claiming gaze tracked down my decolletage and up again. “But please, menace. Make this easier for me—go get your gorgeous ass ready so I can show everyone that you’re mine even if you’re wearing his label.”
An excited gasp cut through the hot rawness of the atmosphere between us. We both looked down the corridor.
Esmeralda, barely out of the threshold of the public room, slapped a hand over her mouth and giggled into her palm. “Apologies,” she said after dropping her hand. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I can come back in a minute.”
“No,” Shehryar said. He took his time to extract his arms from around me, letting me drop mine too. “You two need to finish getting ready.”
Esmeralda sauntered over, her smile growing impossibly wider with each step.
“Can you drop the creepy-ass grin please?” I said, but a reluctant smile played across my lips. I was surprised she wasn’t bouncing off the walls with how happy she looked.
“No, I can’t,” she declared, and I rolled my eyes.
And Shehryar? He was brushing a thumb across his nose, hiding a big, fat smirk.
Chapter 36
Mariyah
By the time the guests started arriving, the public room looked perfect as if nothing had gone wrong. It wasn’t overly decorated, but with the little, rustic silver lanterns on and three chandeliers off, the place glowed with warmth and love and happiness. All the stress and panic faded, leaving only pride at what I’d achieved with Shehryar and the effort of everyone else in the palace.
Esmeralda, Kai, and his family helped me get everyone seated in the hall for the ceremony from the King and Queen of Shah who’d flown in in the morning so the king could be at his bestfriend’s secret wedding, to friends, and a few extended family members. Once the forty or fifty seats of friends and family were filled, the staff who were taking it in turns to enjoy the ceremony took up the rest of the chairs, and Katiya’s parents watched the whole thing via video call.
I discreetly seated myself next to Queen Leila in an aisle chair before it all began.
“You did amazing, Mariyah dear,” she whispered, softly squeezing my knee.
