Page 104 of Tall, Royal Hater
“You had fun with Sher?” she said, sounding both surprised and sceptical.
Girl, if only you knew.
Though she would know before the end of the day. I didn’t plan to hide it from her. Shehryar was like an older brother to her, and I was her best friend, she deserved to know if something had happened. It wasn’t as if we were doing anything wrong that we needed to hide anyway—we were two consenting adults, engaging in some casual, “I don’t like you, but I still want to fuck you”sex.
“No, we barely spoke. But I had fun with his mum and he, I assume, had fun with Prince Arsh.” I stood up and wriggled my feet inside my trainers, making sure they felt comfortable.
“Well…that makes more sense. But I feel like you’re leaving something out.” My face heated tellingly. “Are you in bed or are you going to the gym? I want to see you and talk.”
“I was getting ready to go to the gym, but we can still talk. Means I get to skip cardio.” I did a happy shoulder jiggle. “Remind me how to get to Kai’s room, and I’ll come to you.”
“Okay, but other than telling you about yesterday, there’s something else I have to tell you too.”
I chuckled a little awkwardly. “This is gonna be fun then. ’Cause I have something to tell you too.”
Esmeralda and I sat cross-legged on her and Kai’s massive bed, facing each other after we both shared what we’d done during our time apart the previous day.
In the hesitant silence that followed though, when it came to discussing what we really needed to talk about, I kept scratching my chin while Esmeralda rocked and wriggled her arse from side to side, finding a comfortable position.
She stopped and smiled awkwardly, and I smacked my lips together. “So, I thinkyoushould go first,” I said, gesturing to her with a roll of my wrist.
She shook her head. “No, I think you should.”
“No, no. Really, dude. You need to go first. You’re gonna need time to calm down after what I tell you and—”
Her loud gasp cut me off. Eyes wide and glowing like a kid on a sugar rush, she said, “Did something happen between you and Shehryar?”
I pursed my lips together and glanced away as my face stung hot.
Guess I’m going first then.
Esmeralda squealed in excitement and smacked her hand down on my forelegs, making me flinch. “I knew it. I knew it!” She threw her head back and laughed loudly for a long minute. I fixed her with a narrow stare as she wiped the corners of her eyes. “I knew it. I knew it was going to happen.”
“You don’t even knowwhathappened.”
She folded forward towards me. “I was there in the dining hall, Mariyah, when you were dancing with Candy. I saw exactly how Sher was looking at you. I was surprised he didn’t tear the room apart, that’s how livid he was. And the way he stormed after you when you left, even Kai noticed and said Shehryar’s intentions wereveryclear.” Her greyish-brown eyes danced happily. “And I warned you. Butyou”—she poked my thigh—“didn’t listen.”
Embarrassment pulsed bursts of flames to my skin and wound up my walls of defence. “You got it all, so guess I’ve got nothing left to say. Your turn.”
Esmeralda bounced upright and plastered her hands to my forelegs. “No, no, no. You have to tell me properly what happened.”
I was half tempted to refuse, but as if I couldn’t hold it in anymore, it all came flooding out. “Yeah, well, as you said, the fucking dickhead chased me out the hall and confronted me.” I waved a dismissive hand around, my insides twisting and warming in equal measure at the memory. “We said some things, he kissed me, but then fucking left me hanging, and I was furious, rightfully so.” My best friend’s jaw dropped lower and lower with each word. “So, after the party, I went to his room—”
“No,” she said through a shocked gasp filled with mirth.
Two invisible hands slapped against my cheeks, causing my face to sting. “It seemed like a clever idea at the time, okay? Butit fucking backfired because he tied me up and fucking made me beg.”
Her comedic gasp turned into bubbling chuckles as she clasped a hand over her mouth, and a part of my pride died a little.
Being submissive and vulnerable didn’t come to me naturally, but enjoying it during sex kind of did, and it was a frustrating combination when my pride questioned what the fuck I was doing but my body craved more. I usually stayed within a certain boundary to prevent the conflicting feeling, but Shehryar had obliterated any attempt before it had even been attempted.
Though, if I was being entirely honest, he hadn’t made it abadexperience. It had felt freeing to have most of the control taken out of my hands, but I never once felt out of control. Annoyed? Yes. Wanting to fight him? Desperately. But it had been knowing he liked when I fought him but was still going to punish me for it that made me mouth back and basically demand his scolding.
The fact that it washimwho I found that instant understanding with was what grated most. I fucking hated his guts, but for some reason, it felt easy playing the brat and Daddy game with him. Like why?
Out of the three-something billion people on Neves, why him?
Chuckling, Esmeralda put a palm up. “I donotwant details, but…” The question in her voice as it dropped off was damn obvious.
