Page 21 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy
“Relax.” I poked his arm, nearly choking when I met nothing but rock-hard muscle. Kai’s gaze flew down to the place I’d touched him, and I blushed. Bloody woods, why had I done that? “Don’t go telling him off. He didn’t mean to tell me, and he already asked me to keep it a secret, so don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”
Why I expected him to return my smile, I didn’t know. He didn’t. He just looked at me with such intensity, completely unreadable, until I found myself struggling to breathe and think properly.
“I’m sorry.”
Air flooded back into my lungs. “What?”
Shame oozed from Kai as he lowered his head to look down at his mug. “I’m sorry. For the night you were lost, and for earlier today—yesterday. In the library. I shouldn’t have accused you of trying to hurt Adam. I was an idiot, and you didn’t deserve to be shouted at. And I’m…sorry.”
He visibly swallowed, waiting for my reply with a twisted expression I’d never in my wildest dreams thought he could make. And it was like an arrow right to the heart—my ultimate weakness.
Yes, it had really hurt when he’d shouted at me, when he’d threatened to tell Kareem, but I could easily forgive him. It had been a mistake that I could see how guilty he felt for.
I smiled at him. “It’s okay, Kai. Adam is your little brother. I would’ve been surprised if you hadn’t reacted like that when it did look like I had spilt the tea on him.” I shrugged a little. “I suppose, I should have stuck around longer to better explain what had happened. I just…when you brought up Kareem—I mean, the King—I kind of panicked.”
I shouldn’t have told him that. It didn’t matter that he was my crush, he could expose my secret to the world. But maybe it was my hopeful heart wanting to trust him, or the way he patiently sat, not pushing, not asking, just waiting, but I knew I could tell him in full confidence.
With an awkward smile, I tipped my head to the side. “A secret for a secret? I don’t…it’s complicated but…Kareem and I don’t really get on.”
He frowned, but there was something different about this one. He looked surprised behind his glasses. I couldn’t pinpoint why, he just did. Though he didn’t probe further.
I wiggled my brows, needing the suffocating feeling in my chest to go away. “I know, shocking, right? Almost as shocking as your hate for rain.”
He grunted and the sound could have passed for a laugh. My heart definitely took it as one, triumph ringing through it. “Hating rain is rational, not shocking.”
“Hating rain is completely irrational! It’s like...hating a child for no reason.”
He scowled with such ferocity as he tugged at his ear, but my heart? It danced with abandon like he was giving me the biggest of grins.
“Drink your tea, Esmeralda.”
I was convinced I was about to float off the chair in absolute bliss of hearing my name on his lips. My skin buzzed as I watched him while he focused his attention on his tea. Then filling my lungs with his enchanting scent, I took a sip from my own cup.
“Are your hands okay?” he mumbled. “From the tea, I mean.”
I nodded as I wiggled one set of fingers. “Yes, they are. Thank you.” I leaned into him a little. “Congratulations by the way, for being chosen as heir.”
He nodded once, no smile in sight. “Thank you.” But his voice was soft.
I couldn’t stop taking sneaky glance at the new version of Kai next to me as we finished off our tea.
This handsome grouch.
And truth be told...my heart was still pounding for him.
Chapter Eight
ESMERALDA
Esmeralda
I’m not giving up on Kai.
Mariyah
What?
Mariyah
