Page 17 of Tall, Royal Hater
Kai’s childhood best friend and nephew to the head chef, Pierre was the sous chef of the kitchen and the same age as Kai. Half Crimson Cast, he had bright, ruby-red eyes that danced with amusement, arched brows, and short hair of the same brownish-silver colour. He had a straight nose dotted with light freckles and wide, kissable lips. Plus, he was built lean like an athlete and had the height too—not as tall as Shehryar, but more so like Kai. Around six-two.
I swivelled on my feet to face him, crossing my arms over my chest. “The one and only.”
His gaze caught on my hips before lifting to my eyes. I didn’t blame him for peeking. Objectively, it was my best asset and my favourite. Neither was he being sleazy about it that I needed to call him out on it. He was admiring respectfully, and admiration I could accept and encourage.
“See something you like?” I asked with mock innocence as I angled my hips.
A knowing grin tugged at his mouth, but he shook his head. “Just sizing up my rival.”
I arched a brow. “Your rival?”
“Of course.” He bent a little closer. “I’m everyone’s favourite around here, so if someone arrives threatening that position, then yeah, I’d call them my rival.”
There was no taming the grin that burst onto my lips. “I suggest you get used to a bit of competition then. Because I don’t lose.”
“Damn.” He pulled an almost pouty face. “I was kind of hoping I could convince you to give up now, because I’d hate to have to flatten you.” His eyes widened like he’d surprised himself. “Woah. Okay. Even that was a little too forward for me.”
I had to bite my bottom lip to stop myself from chortling. “Bullshit,” I said through a soft chuckle. “You knew exactly what you were saying. But it’s okay. Go ahead. I don’t mind a bit of flirting. It’s supposed to be good for your health—”
“Like yoga,” Pierre finished.
I stilled in surprise that he knew the quote I was referring to. “You’ve watchedCrazy Life?”
His eyes narrowed as he straightened. “Are you asking because it’s a rom-com and I’m a man? Which I have to admit, I find offensive, because you look like a forward-thinking woman, Mariyah, but that sounded a lot like gender-based prejudice.”
I gaped playfully. “I would never—”
“Nur gave the signal,” Michael, Kai’s boyish-looking equerry, said excitedly, cutting through my sentence. “Nur gave the signal. He gave the signal! It’s time. Go, go everyone.”
A flurry of happy chatter and giggles whizzed around as Michael and another blond man held the kitchen doors open for everyone, with Kai’s younger brothers, Fay and Adam, leading the way.
“Pierre, son,” Prince Arsh said, waving at us two from the doors. “Bring Mariyah along and come on.”
“Let’s go. We’ve got to be up front as the main couple’s best friends,” Pierre said, gesturing for me to walk ahead.
Before I’d even taken a step, a big, dark presence crept up close to my side, making the back of my neck prickle uncomfortably. Irritation climbed up my spine as I met Shehryar’s glare. He was standing so fucking close I had to tip my head back to look at him. I hated how fucking tall he was. How he was upin my personal space. My heart raged, but something about the sparking cinders in his glower turned the thumping erratic.
“What?” I bit out before I could stop myself.
“You’re in my way,” he said so low, it almost sounded like a growl.
What. The. Actual. Fuck?
I took a purposeful glance at the masses of space around us in the wide-arse corridor. “Are you calling me fat? Because if you are” —I squared up to him—“there’s still plenty of space tofuckinggo around me.”
For a second, it looked like he was considering ripping a chunk out of my neck with his teeth. But with a slow roll of his jaw, he flicked a glance to Pierre and brushed past me, heading to the kitchen.
I stood there, seething down to my bones, trying to convince myself not to pick up the closest priceless ornament and throw it at the back of his head.
The audacity! After he told meIwas getting inhisway?Fucking prick.
Chapter 6
Shehryar
After Crown Prince Kai’s surprise and cake-cutting in the kitchen, Mariyah and I were taken to our respective rooms to wash up and rest, while the prince set Esmeralda up in his room. We freshened up, then everyone gathered back in the private dining hall to continue the birthday celebration.
Lunch was laid out as an endless array of sweet and savoury finger foods on the two dark oak tables that took up the central space, with birthday bunting hanging from the sides. All the chairs had been scattered around to sit on, while a space at the end of the elegant hall was being used as a dance floor. Andwhoever was in charge of the music had a taste for old-school hip-hop and pop.
