Page 38 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

“We can?”

I tugged at my ear. “Hmm. If you want.”

A grin blossomed on her mouth, crinkling her eyes. “I do.” Then she groaned, rubbing her belly like it protested at that remark. “But let’s not talk about going again yet. Not yet. Please.”

A huff of laughter lifted from me at her overdramatic act. I looked out the window as I shook my head, pressing my fist to my lips to cover the lingering smile. Cute.

When the back of my head prickled, I glanced back at her. Her eyes were huge and round as she sat completely still. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. “What?”

“You…” she said on an audible breath. “You just laughed.”

Flames burst through my face, knotting my brows together. I rubbed at my ear. It wasn’t as if I had committed a crime, but for some reason, I felt like I had been caught red-handed.

“No, I didn’t,” I grumbled.

“Oh my gosh, you did.” Her lips stretched from ear to ear. “You did. You laughed!”

I tugged at my ear harder. “I didn’t,” I growled.

“Grumpy Kai laughed!” She chuckled as she practically bounced on the seat. But then she slumped with a pained groan, one hand on her belly.

A jerk of panic cleared away my embarrassment. I leaned towards her, clutching her shoulder as I looked right at her face. “Are you okay?”

She flashed a twisted smile. “Yes. Just too full. Laughing hurt.”

I shook my head. “You shouldn’t have eaten the whole thing, Esmeralda.”

“But it was so good. I’ll be fine once I walk it off. Five palace floors should do the trick.”

Five palace floors or… There was a park nearby.

Shit, I had lost it. Me? In a park? On a cold winter night? Never. Never before at least.

“Gary,” I called, angling my head to the driver’s seat in front of me.

“Yes, Your Highness,” he replied without taking his eye off the road.

“Can you take us to Pavilion Central Park?”

“Uh.” Gary unsurprisingly sounded confused. “Of course. I’ll inform Rocco of the change.”

“We’re going to Central Park?” Esmeralda echoed with excitement on her face.

The frown on my brows grew heavier. “I can’t have you complaining the whole way back to the palace that you’re in pain.”

Apparently, I’d rather brace the cold. The things this woman had me doing for her.

* * *

As expected, it was bloody freezing in the park.

Our breaths instantly turned to vapour, the grass was blanketed in a thin layer of frost, and there wasn’t a damn soul around us. Besides us, there was my security team as we walked between rows of lamps, casting shadows between naked, spindly trees dotted around the path.

But while I was shivering in my thick parka coat with my head buried in the faux fur hood and my gloved hands shoved deep into the pockets, Esmeralda was gleaming with delight. No bloody gloves on her hands, and her coat flapped around her jeans-clad legs because she’d left it open.

Why wasn’t she cold? How was that even possible? She was from a hot state.

“Isn’t this lovely?” Esmeralda sighed happily.

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