Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Anika steps in. She changed from the big, poofy traditional wedding dress she wore for the ceremony. She has a different dress for every event. The wedding and balcony greeting, which took place this afternoon. Then the coronation and luncheon. Now the reception with dinner and drinks and dancing. She wears a white dress with long sleeves and a plunging back, and she’s wearing the hell out of the royal jewels. “Did I see what I think I saw?”
Ivy has on a black sheath and some spectacular heels that still don’t make her Heath’s height. Not that he seems to mind. “You absolutely did. She danced with him and she didn’t even use the opportunity to stab him. I checked.”
The idea is ridiculous. Well, now it feels ridiculous since I don’t think I’ve ever felt as in synch with a man as I do dancing with Reid. I’m not much of a dancer, but the man knows how to lead. While he whirled me around the ballroom, he told me tidbits about some of the wealthy people in attendance. Like the fact that the Duchess of Claireborn divorced her husband when she found out he was allergic to her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog and was given an ultimatum. The dog totally won. Or the fact that two of Luca’s cousins once tried to date the same Norwegian prince, and the war that started is now officially called the Scandinavian Social Media Slaughter of ’18.
You know what they say. Never start a land war in Russia in winter and never post a bad picture of a royal princess unless you want her to release a TikTok of you eating a whole ham hock when your entire personality is vegan.
I love his stories. He seems to know everyone on the European side, too. They all nod as we dance by.
“We had a talk and realized we have more in common than I would have thought,” I allow as I watch him walk up to the bar. There are waiters dispensing champagne and wine, but anything else must be acquired at the bar.
“Uhm, yeah, you both look like you’re going to devour the other,” Anika says.
I frown her way. “I didn’t say that.”
Ivy’s head shakes. “You don’t have to. We have eyes. And I think I can smell the pheromones from here.”
“Oh, is that because Harper wants to jump TV guy’s bones?” Darnell walks up, a plate in his hand. Darnell is Heath’s former roommate, though they’re still in the same building. I happen to know he feeds Ivy on a regular basis, and she’s his first and best beta reader. He’s got a science fiction novel coming out in a few months, and we’ll use it as another excuse to party.
Didn’t Jeremiah tell me Reid likes science fiction? And does Darnell have to be such a weirdo? “I’m dancing with the man not jumping him.”
“You kind of did hump his leg.” Heath joins his best friend, and he also has a plate piled high with the treats they’re serving. Ivy, of course, immediately grabs one.
“It’s called a dip,” I counter. “I had to wrap my leg around his so I didn’t fall back.”
It was super sexy. He looked at me and asked if I trusted him and I said no, and he winked and suddenly I was leaning back and he was holding me. My heart did this weird flip-flop thing. But my leg around his does not constitute humping.
Even if I kind of wanted it to.
“I thought they hated each other.” Darnell blatantly ignores me.
This is how we gossip. In front of each other. No keeping the weird, awkward stuff behind the backs. Nope. We put it all out there for all our friends to see.
Ivy’s head shakes as she picks up another… It has a fancy name, but it’s a pig in a blanket. “No. She hated him because he thought she was hot and therefore couldn’t possibly spend her life in a hard hat.”
“Uh, not how that went down.” I mean a little. But I wasn’t upset with him for thinking I’m hot. “He tried to get me fired.”
“Are we on this again?” Luca slides in behind his bride. “Darling, did he ever actually talk to you about firing Harper? Or was it something he said to his brother when he didn’t realize everyone could hear him? Sorry, I have to be on Reid’s side in this. We both know the pain. I once talked to my aunt about not liking the pear tarts a certain German politician served and there was a reporter at the restaurant. It caused an international incident.”
Being royal must be hard.
Anika leans back against her husband, a dreamy smile on her face. “He never mentioned it beyond apologizing for causing trouble. And he sent a lovely bouquet to my mom’s place.”