Page 31 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

“Prove it,” I said, tipping my chin up. “Race me.”

He didn’t say anything, but his hands tightened around Big Guns’ reins. I felt a grin spread across my mouth. “Three,” I counted, shuffling on my saddle. “Two.” Kai did the same. “One…go!”

Kai and I flicked the reins in our hands in near-perfect sync and both horses were off, flying through the forest neck and neck, and the rush was exhilarating. The cold breeze lashed my skin, whipping through my hair. Hooves thumped rapidly against the forest floor, beating through my chest.

I veered left around a huge tree trunk and Kai went right, and when we met around the tree again, our gazes clashed for a second. Despite his scowl of concentration, his golden skin flushed from the cold, there was a bright twinkle in his eyes that electrified my insides.

A loud chuckle blossomed from deep within my throat as I leaned down over Bucky with a new flood of adrenaline pumping through my blood. I pushed him harder and faster with whispers of encouragement, nudges, and near-free rein, all while I threw giddy grins in Kai’s direction.

Just as Bucky passed Big Guns, the clearing on the other side of the forest came in sight. I cheered the beautiful black horse on, squealing with the excitement of a child, and Kai too began urging Big Guns faster, loud enough for me to hear.

I shrieked a sound of triumph as Bucky launched into the clearing ahead of Big Guns. He raced further onto the open stretch of grass before I pulled softly on his reins to slow him down. My hands just about cooperated, both numb from the cold and trembling from the adrenaline rush.

When I trotted Bucky around to find where Kai and Big Guns had stopped, the moment my eyes landed on him, a heady laugh brewed in my chest.

Maybe because the whole situation felt so surreal or maybe I hadn’t felt so alive in such a long time, but I laughed hard and long until tears prickled the corners of my eyes.

And it felt so fucking good.

More so because I was sharing the moment with the guy I was falling violently fast for.

* * *

KAI

She laughed. Esmeralda was laughing…

And she’d laughed in front of me before, at my expense too. Teasing chuckles and husky giggles that had captured my attention for longer than they should have. But not like this. Not like…

Exactly like that night on the balcony.

During Shah’s New Year’s party less than two months ago, when I’d escaped the loud music and constant chattering of over a thousand guests to the veranda at the back of the hall.

I had willingly gone out into the freezing cold of that night just to find some quiet. Standing in the shadow on the balcony, I’d instead found Esmeralda taking solace there too.

She’d been by a tall lamp that lit her up as if she were under a spotlight. A lone star on the big stage. Her back had been to me, her hair and long, black silk dress fluttering in the icy breeze. But when she’d turned her head, instead of making myself known, I’d slipped further back into the shadows.

Because she’d been on the phone, I’d told myself since, so I hadn’t wanted to disturb her. She’d been speaking too quietly for me to have caught any of her conversation, but I’d stayed stuck there, rooted to the floor just watching her.

It was like I was seeing her for the first time. The elegant, beautiful young woman she was. Which of course had felt ridiculous because I’d seen her so many times before. More than I could count. And she’d always just been another princess. A young princess.

I had been about to leave when I realised what I was doing was creepy and fucked up.

But then she’d laughed.

Head thrown back. Breathless and loud. Graceful yet absolutely carefree. So damn intoxicating.

I hadn’t been able to forget the sound or the image of her standing under the lamp. For the first time since, I felt like I was seeing that side of her again.

Like that night, the hairs on my body stood on end as her laugh rushed over my skin like a warm, fuzzy wind. It entrapped me. Left me tumbling as it spun me this way and that. Made me breathe it in and hold in it even when I was already breathless from the race.

It lured every ounce of my attention to her. To the pretty laugh lines outlining her mouth, and the softest crinkle around her big, greyish-brown eyes. Every inch of her radiated pure, sweet joy.

She was stunning. So much more mesmerising than that night. And I…

My heart was pounding.

Exactly in the rhythm of the horses’ hooves as they raced. Hard and dangerously fast. It shouldn’t have been sustainable, and yet it didn’t slow down from exhaustion.

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