Page 81 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

“I’m okay. I’m fine, I think. Nothing hurts.” Not yet at least. “I just hit myself in the chest when I fell.”

“Can you breathe?”

“Yes. Yes, I can.” I made a weak attempt to sit up, and two hands went to my back, helping me up. One was Kai’s. The other belonged to Kareem.

Kareem suddenly had my shoulders in his hands and turned me slightly towards him. “Are you mad? What were you thinking? You could have seriously hurt yourself.” His voice grew progressively louder with each sentence.

I pursed my lips together sheepishly. “I just wanted to win.”

He shook his head furiously. “You stupid girl,” he said but it didn’t sound mean or vicious. He sounded part amused, part annoyed, and mostly worried. “Don’t ever do that again, okay?”

“I won’t. I won’t.” A slow smile slipped over my mouth as I remembered I still had the teapot in my hand. “But we won.” I grimaced a little as I lifted the cracked toy, broken on one side and dented on the other. “I hope this doesn’t belong to one of the children.”

Laughter echoed around me, but I didn’t get to see who it came from.

I was abruptly pulled against a lean, warm body. Strong arms locked around me as my chin was squished to a shoulder.

I froze. Not going cold but burning hot and numb as a familiar scent and tightness sent memories crashing through my mind. Old giggles and whispered jokes. Secure hugs I’d missed so much.

“Dammit, Esmeralda.” Kareem chuckled, his arms tightening around my shoulders. “Yes, we won.”

Kareem…Kareem was hugging me.

Wet heat prickled my eyes, blurring Kai’s face, as emotion crashed over me like a tsunami.

My brother was hugging me.

With my arms flying to clamp around Kareem’s torso, I buried my face in his neck, hugging him back.

Now I hurt.

But it felt so fucking good.

Chapter Twenty-Four

ESMERALDA

“You didn’t tell me you were a nurse as well as a chef,” I said down to Pierre as he held my bare foot in both of his hands, pressing and rubbing his thumbs into my ankle.

Pierre grinned up at me from the small black stool in front of where I was sat at the edge of a hospital bed in the palace infirmary. “Any pain?” he asked, moving my foot from side to side.

I shook my head. “No, no pain.”

“Good.” He gently lowered my foot to dangle by his knee then took the other one in his hands. “And I would’ve told you if I’d known it would impress you this much, Princess.” His grin turned lop-sided and flirtatious. “You’re looking at me like I’m irresistible right now.”

I rolled my eyes, unable to stop a smile from blossoming. “No, I’m not.” I nodded my head to the right. “I’m just avoiding looking at those two angry bears.”

Pierre’s chest shook with laughter as he glanced over his shoulder to Kai and Shehryar, standing side by side. Both were leaning against the white countertop and wall-cupboards. Their arms were crossed over their chests, biceps bulging under their jumpers as much as the veins on their foreheads were, and frowns consumed their faces. It was entirely comical and not at all intimidating.

Shehryar shifted his weight upright, his glare piercing into me. “Of course, we’re angry. What you did was reckless and insane, and you could’ve seriously hurt yourself, Esmeralda.”

“Ooph, he dropped your title. That means you’re in serious trouble, Princess,” Pierre teased then leaned in close to me. “If it makes you feel any better, I thought your dive was epic.” He winked. I grinned. “Any pain by the way?” I shook my head.

“Don’t encourage her, Pierre,” Shehryar snapped.

“Gosh, look at her beautiful smile.” Pierre sighed as he lowered my foot down like he hadn’t just aggravated Shehryar further. Shehryar grumbled something under his breath about knocking teeth out. “I’m gonna be the one who needs medical care if you keep looking at me like that.”

I was halfway through rolling my eyes when a slight clatter came from where Kai and Shehryar were.

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