Page 40 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

“Shehryar said what?” Esmeralda exclaimed.

“So, if we want to get back on time, we will have to leave now.”

Esmeralda growled. As in, well and truly growled from deep within her chest. “Sometimes he’s so— Rocco, did you by any chance remind him I’m not sixteen anymore and I have no curfew to adhere to?”

Rocco rubbed the smile off his mouth with his fingers. “It was not my place to say, Ma’am. But he was adamant we come back as soon as possible.”

She huffed loudly. “I’m sorry about this,” she said to me.

“Don’t apologise. He’s worried about you.” I nodded to Rocco. “Let’s get going then.”

My hand moved on its own, settling on the small of her back to guide her around.

Maybe it was just me, but she seemed to walk closer to my side on the way back to the car.

* * *

I stopped a few steps behind Esmeralda outside her bedroom back in the palace as she turned to me in the corridor, her coat draped over her arms while I still wore mine.

“You didn’t have to walk me here, you know,” she said. “But thank you. For today too. I had fun. Though you paid for my ice-cream, so I’ll have to pay you back for that.”

My scowl was automatic. “No, Esmeralda. It was my treat.”

“But—”

“No. And you won’t mention it again.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s both chivalrous and very annoying of you, I hope you know that.” She tipped her chin up. “Fine, but I will return the favour one day, and you’ll let me.”

I probably wouldn’t, but I didn’t tell her that.

“Good night then.”

I nodded. “Good night.”

She turned to the door. I stepped back. We both stopped. I waited. She remained still. And I wondered. Was she thinking the same thing as me?

Would we meet again tonight?

Suddenly, she spun around. “I, uh…if you can’t sleep…”

I swallowed. “The kitchen?”

Her smile was so obviously relieved. “Well, after eating all that food…”

“Somewhere else then?”

She nodded, her teeth scraping her bottom lip. And I was hooked on the sight of that little tug.

“Esmer—Princess!”

We both startled. A huffing, glaring Shehryar came storming down the corridor towards us.

“Urgh, he appeared,” Esmeralda groaned. She turned halfway to the door, and whispered, “I’ll meet you at the end of the corridor in an hour’s time. See you.” Then she disappeared through, leaving me to awkwardly wish a good night to her suspicious, green-eyed private secretary.

Chapter Thirteen

ESMERALDA

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