Page 72 of Tall, Royal Hater
“So?” Prince Fay urged.
“So, what?”
“Might you relate to Rami and Leila’s story with Mariyah?” Prince Arsh said.
“No,” I said, narrowing my eyes in bemusement. I forced my expression to relax as I shook my head. “No. It’s not the same with me and Mariyah.”
It wasn’t the same. It wasn’t.
I could admit that our hatred for each other might have been hiding arousal and desire behind curtains that were now being torn down.
But love? No fucking way.
She drove me mad. She was a menace. A bloody invasive pest taking over my being.
It didn’t matter that once upon a time…
That was five years ago, and in all the time since, she’d been nothing but a thorn in my backside I couldn’t wait to pull out and get rid of.
Feelings though? No…no.
It couldn’t be like that then. And it wouldn’t be like that now.
Chapter 18
Mariyah
“Iwould like to hold a small celebration this evening for your upcoming nuptials and for Kai and Princess Esmeralda’s engagement, seeing as circumstances have not yet allowed for such an event,” Candy announced once the fittings were completed.
Prince Arsh and Katiya had been more than happy with Candy’s offer until Esmeralda mentioned that Kareem was still at Chaukham Palace. At which point, King Rami and Queen Leila said they would be more than happy to host the celebration at the palace.
By the time the impromptu party was in full swing in the private dining hall three hours later, there were at least twenty-five additional family and friends of the Touman royal family scattered around, including Kai’s friend Trevor; Zain and Alisha hadn’t been able to make it. The staff who were still around in the palace joined the party too, so we saved the kitchen staff the hassle by ordering pizza to add to the food they’d already made. Now boxes, plates, glasses, and dishes sat empty on the two long wooden tables, and everyone was laughing and grooving away to Gary’s DJing.
After an hour of dancing, my skin was damp under the short black dress and white trainers I’d changed into. There hadn’t been time anyway, but I was glad I’d stuck to my favourite makeup combo—mascara, red lipstick, and nothing more.
Nevertheless, I carried on enjoying myself with Candy, Pierre, and Trevor as if I hadn’t a care in the world. I’d even gotten Kareem to join me several times too, though I’d since lost Esmeralda and Kai to the chairs tucked in the corner. I’d left my drink with them, so every so often I popped over to find that she was still cuddled up on his lap, and he was still giving her googly eyes.
“Are you just going to spend the rest of the night here?” I asked as I set my glass back on the mini round table tucked next to Kai’s chair along with their empty glasses too.
“Maybe,” Esmeralda said, lifting her head from Kai’s shoulder. “We’re quite comfortable here.”
“I can see that.” I eyed Kai’s hand, sitting on Esmeralda’s thigh just under the skirt of her green dress.
A burst of laughter flooded out my mouth when Kai quickly pulled his hand back and set it atop her dress. He dropped his gaze with an embarrassed frown, and Esmeralda glared at me, albeit laughingly. “Sit down with us or go back to the boys,” she said.
“I think I need to pop to the bathroom first, I’m fucking sweating so much,” I said, then pointed at them. “When I come back you and TRG better be on the dance floor again.”
The exhaustion and dread on Kai’s face were obvious, but he offered Esmeralda a weak smile when she looked to him for an answer. “For a few songs,” he offered.
“For a few songs,” she echoed in agreement and planted a heavy kiss on his cheek.
I pulled a mock face of disgust. “You two are so bloody mushy, it’s gross.” She giggled, cuddling into him, and he tugged at his ear shyly. I rolled my eyes, grinning. “Okay, see you in five then.”
“Mariyah.” I glanced back to see Esmeralda smirking impishly. Her eyes darted to her right quickly. “Sher has been watching you. Likewatching you.”
Heat, completely unrelated to the temperature of the room, bit into my cheeks, but I ignored it and narrowed my eyes. “And? So? What do I do with that information, Ez?”
She arched her brow. “Do you really not care?”
