Page 22 of Tall, Royal Hater
“No. I’m being serious.”
“No, no. I definitely think you’ve lost it if you thinkhe’sjealous and thatI’mtrying to encourage it. Why the fuck would you even think that?”
He arched a brow, his mouth sloped in an unbelieving smirk as he shook the piece of cake in his hand before me. “Uh, maybe because you want me to feed you to make it seem like we’re a thing, and he’s been glaring at us like he doesn’t like thinking we’re a thing.”
The hysterical laugh rose again, but the hot blood that surfaced to my face shoved it back down. There was no suchthingbetween me and Shehryar. Like, why the fuck—what? Pierre was mad andsowrong it was ridiculous!
I squared up to him, narrowing my eyes in warning. “Look here, Pierre.” I jabbed a finger to the centre of his chest, and he chuckled, lifting his hands in surrender. “Get that fucking absurd idea out of your head because it couldn’t be further from the truth.” He nodded, but his smirk still taunted me. “Shehryar doesn’t like me. In fact, he absolutely hates that I’m friends with Esmeralda, because he thinks I’m some spoiled, self-centred rich girl who’s loose and shameless.”
That knocked Pierre’s smile away, and honestly, it dampened my anger too. “So, you’re wrong. He’s not jealous. He justdisapproves of me flirting with you.” I lifted my chin stubbornly. “But no fucking way will I ever let him think he has the right to make me ashamed of myself. So, that’s why I asked you to feed me. It was a‘fuck you’to him,notto make him jealous.”
Pierre didn’t say anything at first, and I became increasingly conscious of the fact I had admitted far more about my thoughts than I originally planned.
“Yeah, I’ll help,” he finally said and lifted the piece of cake to my mouth. “Fuck him, Mariyah.”
My mouth slowly slanted in a smile that he returned before I chomped down the cake.
Pierre wiped the corner of my lips with the side of his index finger and sucked the rest of the cream off his skin as he turned and set the plate down. “Come on.” He wrapped a hand around my glass, but I clung on to it. “Give me that.” I let him take it. He placed it down on the table next to us, then wrapped his fingers around mine. “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
He grinned cheekily. “The dance floor. You’re going to swing those hips, and I’m going to swoop you around like we’re on a professional dance show.” He leaned into me. “And then you’re going to help me distract Kai, so I can steal Princess Esmeralda.”
I arched a brow. “Are you two-timing me?”
“Nah. I just like pissing Kai off and watching him get all moody and flustered when I’m around her.” I laughed, and he shrugged. “Plus, she’s my friend. I’ve missed her too.”
I loved his plan, but it needed one adjustment. The choice of music.
We found the DJ first—Gary, who turned out to also be Kai’s driver—and requested a raunchier song that belonged in a club and not within the four walls of a century-old palace—the great kings, queens, and royal musicians of the past were rolling in their graves. The staff cheered the change of melody as theyadjusted their moves. Fay and Esmeralda were laughing at the choice, while King Rami was grinning and suggestively nudging his beautiful wife, Queen Leila. Dear TRG was the only one who seemed to have no idea what the song was, but he happily let Esmeralda pull him for a dance.
“Do you even know how to dance?” I asked Pierre as he guided me into the middle of everyone.
“Mariyah.” He pulled me closer with both hands wrapped around each of mine, painting the picture of mischief personified. “I know I’m not a prince, but I basically grew up in the palace. I’ve been a dance partner to Kai and Fay for the majority of my life.”
I chuckled at the image he depicted. “All right then.” I pulled his hands to my waist and settled mine against his shoulders. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Oh, he showed me. And damn did Pierre have moves.
He had the kind of rhythm in his hips that made heads turn and mouths fall apart.
He spun me and dipped me and turned me in his arms so we could dance back to chest with his fingers threaded through mine. He joked in my ear, and I laughed so much, enjoying myself to the point I forgot about the dickhead as one song turned into three.
It was only when Pierre and I slowed down to catch our breaths did I end up with Shehryar right in my eyeline, still hovering by the wall. But I met his dark expression with a smirk and glanced away.
“Wanna irritate Kai now?” I asked, flicking one side of my wolf-cut bangs off my hot, damp forehead.
“Damn yes, I do.”
“Okay, disappear for a second while I distract him.”
“Have I told you that I love you?” Pierre purred, bending into me with a goofy grin.
I rolled my eyes. “Love bombing doesn’t suit you, Pierre. Now go.”
We both laughed as I shoved him away, and he went, muttering about his feelings being the truth. I weaved off in the opposite direction, searching the last spot I’d seen my best friend and her crown prince boyfriend. They’d moved further towards the corner of the dance floor, but I found them immediately. And the sight of them was the squeal-inducing kind of adorable.
Kai was pretty much a whole foot taller than Esmeralda, but they fit together so well as they swayed to their own beat. Her hands were on his shoulders, his were locked tightly around her waist, with their faces tilted to each other’s as they chatted through their permanent smiles.
