Chapter 49
Mariyah
I stirred awake the next morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and a dull ache through every nook and cranny of my body as if I’d spent four hours straight in the gym doing a full-body workout. Just swap the gym for a bed, and to be honest, it was a pretty accurate description of the feral, sweaty sex Shehryar and I had had until way past midnight.
In other words, rolling over and stretching my legs under the luscious duvet of my bed as much and as far as I could felt both incredibly gratifying but also made me want to whimper as my muscles creaked and cracked like brittle metal. I supposed it would have been worse if Shehryar hadn’t massaged me from head-to-toe in the shower before we’d finally gone to bed.
With a long groan, I forced my heavy eyelids open and blinked them wider and wider until the morning light glittering through the shutters gave me an eyeful of two shirtless men.
One was the tattooed perpetrator of my current bodily state, sitting up against the headboard with a pillow to his back, a book in one hand, and a mug hovering before his mouth. He looked annoyingly sexy when I felt wrecked, with his hair on the effortlessly messy side of pushed-back and his frowning eyes lacking the weariness mine were stinging with.
The other man was grey and had speckles down his arms and shoulders and velvety wings sprawled out behind him, printed on the cover of the mothman romance book in my dickhead’s hand.
My lips tipped in amusement as I glanced between the paperback and Shehryar’s equally confused, horrified, and curious glare. “Are you enjoying the book?” I said, sleep thickening my voice.
His lashes flicked up and across, his stare blank like he was lost in concentration. He’d actually been engrossed in whatever scene he’d been reading.
I let out a chuckle and angled my head back on the pillow so he got the full force of my smirk as he lowered his mug of coffee. “I didn’t take you for a monster romance reader, Sheri.”
The line between his brows deepened as he turned the front cover towards me. “He’s a moth,” he said in both disbelief and blame as if I’d written the book.
“A moth— man ,” I corrected and tapped a finger to the shirtless fictional character. “It’s in the title.”
He gawked like I’d lost my mind. “He’s an insect. Making him seven-foot tall with abs and a dick doesn’t change that.”
“He’s sexy. And fluffy…and he has a long tongue. Like a really long tongue.” My suggestive tone made his face fall, and I burst out laughing. “I take it you didn’t get to that part.”
“Thank bloody Neves not,” he said as he set both the book and mug down on my bedside cabinet next to him while I was lying on the side closest to the wall.
“Don’t act like you weren’t reading it so fucking intently before I caught you,” I teased, eyes narrowed in accusation.
His piercing gaze danced with playful denial as he slid lower on the bed. “I was just trying to figure out why there were ten books about moths on your shelf, little menace.” He rolled onto his side, holding himself up on one elbow, and wrapped his other hand around my throat, sending pins skittering in my belly. “Now I know you’re a freak for insects with dicks too.”
He clamped his mouth over mine in a deep, heavy kiss, and a rush of warmth blanketed me, pacifying all my aches and pains. He tasted of coffee, and I was entirely sure I didn’t, but I couldn’t care less, and neither did he seem to mind as he nipped at my lips and I sucked on his. Eventually, our intensity fizzled out into soft pecks shared between smiling mouths as I scratched my fingers through his trimmed beard, and he teased one thumb in little lines by my ear.
“Good morning,” he whispered.
That one simple phrase made me smile so stupidly hard. “Good morning.”
He caressed his thumb down my temple. “How are you feeling?”
“Fucking exhausted and sore. You?”
His lopsided smile was completely unapologetic. “Great, baby.”
My heart did a movie-dramatic stumble into my rib cage, and a blush ricocheted under the surface of my skin from the impact. I loved it an unhealthy amount when he called me baby as if I’d never been called so by any other guy before. I had, but it was different with Shehryar. It held so much more meaning and emotion after all the five years of shit we’d pulled with each other.
“Would you like some coffee in bed?” he then asked.
I swallowed around the solid thud in my chest. “Never gonna say no to coffee in bed, Sheri.”
“I’ll go make you some.” He kissed my forehead then sat upright, and the only thing that would have stopped me from ogling him as he climbed off the bed was if someone gouged my eyes out.
Wearing nothing but his boxers, his golden skin glowed in the faint morning light, showing cheeky glimpses of the pink bruises my mouth and teeth had left on his shoulders last night. I shamelessly pushed myself upright to tail his gorgeous body to the door, devouring the sight of his rounded arse and the way he combed both hands through his hair, flexing his back and biceps.
My dickhead was a work of art. How could I not admire him?
But his beauty wasn’t the reason I felt light and giddy. That was just him. The man he was with me when hate played no factor in our interactions.
“You’re staring again.”
My attention refocused on his smug face as he filled the doorway of my bedroom. Desperately fighting the urge to smile, I gave a nonchalant shrug. “Just looking at what’s mine.”
His mouth spread into a stunning grin, and my own smile soared free like a caged bird released.
Without another word, he disappeared down the corridor and I flopped back against my pillow, staring up in stunned disbelief.
I’m smiling over Shehryar fucking Timur while he makes me coffee in bed.
Wow…
What an odd way the world worked. I liked it.
Shehryar and I sat plastered to each other’s sides in my bed, his arm around my shoulders and my leg thrown over his lap under the duvet as he sipped at the last of his coffee and mine sat on the bedside cabinet while it cooled down.
With my arm resting on his warm torso, I swiped and tapped on the screen of my phone, placing an order for food. “There,” I said. “Breakfast will be here in…twenty to thirty minutes. Problem solved.”
“You could have just let me make us something,” he said as I dropped my phone on the duvet.
“I could have…but then who was going to be my heated blanket?”
He shook his head, smirking. “Just say you want to cuddle, little menace.”
I raised a brow. “Why don’t you say it?”
His smile widened. “I want to cuddle.”
I need a recording of him saying that.
“I want to cuddle too,” I admitted, keeping my voice as unbothered as I could manage.
“Good.”
“Fine.”
He grinned. I grinned. And we both leaned in for a long second kiss.
But against my lips, in a raw voice, Shehryar whispered, “I’m sorry.”
I met his bottomless, solemn gaze and knew instantly why he’d apologised. “It’s okay, Sheri. It happened, I was pissed, but I’ve forgiven you.” I poked him in the sternum. “But I will punch you in the bloody face if you make wealth, money, or family an issue between us ever again.”
“I know, but I won’t. You have my word, Mariyah.” He tightened his arm around my shoulders, pressing me into him. “It’s something I’m working on, and it might take some time, but I’ll never again let it hurt you. I promise.”
“I know.” I kissed his collarbone. “And I know this whole public eye thing isn’t going to be comfortable for you on top of working on your relationship with your dad, but I’m here to talk or be a safe space for you, so don’t think that you have to deal with it all on your own until it becomes too much to handle and blows out of proportion all over again.”
“Thank you,” he said and laid three heavy kisses to my hairline. “And the same goes for you. Anything that causes you anxiety or discomfort, you tell me, and we’ll deal with it together. Okay?”
I nodded, my eyes feeling vaguely wet and prickly. “Okay.”
“Good.” He smiled and set his mouth to my forehead again. “Also, I know you’re not a fan of the idea of being long distance, but I won’t ever let you feel like it’s going to be a problem for us. I told you before, and I’ll tell you again—an ocean isn’t going to keep me from you.”
I bunny scrunched my nose in playful disgust but still wore a massive grin. “All right, all right, don’t get all soppy on me, Sheri.” He scoffed and glanced away with a shake of his head, and I continued. “But since we’re on the topic, when are you actually due back to work with Esmeralda? Because I know you were staying for me, but I also know you’re a workaholic who doesn’t trust anyone else to watch over her, so being away is probably driving you up the wall already. And don’t try to give me the ‘ I’ll tell you another time’ crap again.”
Shehryar stilled around me before his lashes lowered to his mug and hesitantly lifted again. “I, uh…”
He wasn’t blushing, but if I didn’t know any better, I would’ve said he looked sheepish, like he’d done something he shouldn’t have and had gotten caught, which was so out of character.
I reared my face back, peering at him closely. “What?”
He set his mug on the bedside cabinet, then cleared his throat and shifted his shoulders against the pillow. “The morning you left Touma…Esmeralda fired me.”
Silence rang loudly as I stared unblinking, and he stared back.
His sentence was so odd that I was sure he was speaking an alien language.
“Sorry,” I said, frowning. “I don’t think I heard you correctly because it sounded like you said she fired you.”
Esmeralda would never. And neither would Shehryar ever accept such a decision.
He nodded his head to the side. “That’s what I said.”
My lips parted. “Is this a joke?”
“No. I—”
“What the fuck?” I shot upright. “Esmeralda fired you? Why?”
“She warned me not to make her pick between us by hurting you,” he started, placing the hand that had been around my shoulder in his lap. “But I did and—”
“What?” This fucking bitch!
“I understood her reasoning, Mariyah.” There wasn’t an ounce of upset in his eyes, but I was absolutely fucking outraged. “I broke her trust too with what I did. Not only when it came to you, but with my prejudice too. I could have jeopardised her safety or work in government when I was tasked with doing the opposite.”
“What the fuck?” I snapped, my upper lip curling in disbelief. “No, you wouldn’t have. You would never have done that to her, and she knows that. What the—this bitch—where’s my phone?” I quickly scanned the duvet and snatched up my mobile from where it had slipped off my lap. “How the fuck could she fire you?” I dialled Esmeralda’s number and smacked my phone to my ear as it rang.
Shehryar gazed at me with a blank look of surprise. “You’re angry?” he asked.
“Of course, I’m fucking angry. How could she pick me over you when you grew up with her?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “And you—why didn’t you tell me?”
Before he could reply, my call was answered, and I whipped my head away. “Bitch, you fired him? Are you okay in the bloody head? What is wrong with you?”
“Hello to you too,” Esmeralda chirped down the phone with bubbling amusement bouncing through her words. “I take it he finally told you?”
I set my glare back on Shehryar. “Yeah, the idiot finally told me, but why the fuck would you fire him in the first place? How could you pick me over him after everything he’s done for you?”
“Why are you angry on his behalf, Mariyah?” she countered.
“That’s beside the point right now—”
“Did you two finally work things out?”
I opened my mouth to snap back at her. Then paused as a cloud of realisation drifted over my mind.
This girl…she didn’t…no, she fucking didn’t…
Closing my eyes, I let out a calming exhale. I lifted my lashes and turned my face to Shehryar. By the little tilt on his lips, I was sure he could hear her too. “Esmeralda,” I said. “Did you fire Shehryar, so we’d get back together?”
There was a pause on her end. “Answer my question, and I’ll answer yours.”
But her mischievous tone was answer enough.
“Oh my…” My mouth spread in a dumbfounded smile. “You’re insane. You’re actually insane, Esmeralda, I hope you know that.”
“I’m not insane,” she countered. “I was simply…motivating Shehryar to act before it was too late.” I grunted in disbelief. “And you still haven’t answered my question—did it work?”
All my annoyance from moments ago was replaced by flabbergasted amusement. “I don’t think I wanna tell you, you meddling bitch. How could you fire him just to get us together?”
“I didn’t fire him only to push you two back together. I was also worried about him, Mariyah, and I knew he wouldn’t do anything about either his father or you if I didn’t put him in a situation where he had to.” I watched Shehryar’s small smile waver as he listened. “Plus, he’s never had any time to evaluate how much he works and what’s really important to him in his life, so I wanted to give him that.”
His jaw rolled as he swallowed, and I felt a little pang of understanding of what Esmeralda was saying. “So, you didn’t fire him. You were just giving him a break,” I confirmed.
“I was.” I could hear the nod in her soft voice. “Though he’s still been working with Yunis to manage my schedule and security technically, but this was as good of a break as I could force him to take. And when he’s ready, his role is waiting there for him—with some alteration, but that I’ll discuss with him later.”
I kept my eyes on Shehryar as I absorbed what she said. “You schemed so fucking well, you little bitch,” I eventually grumbled with playful gruffness, and she giggled proudly down the phone.
“That’s not the only meddling she’s been doing,” Shehryar said with a faint, brotherly smile.
I gaped. “What?”
“What?” Esmeralda echoed in confusion. “Was that Shehryar? Are you with him right now? What did he say?”
I ignored her as he nodded to the phone with his chin. “She was the one who put us in rooms opposite each other and convinced Mother and Prince Arsh to have us work together on their wedding.” My jaw dropped lower and lower with each of his words.
“What?” Esmeralda said again. “What is he saying?”
I clapped my mouth together. “Esmeralda, did you organise for me and Shehryar to sleep in opposite rooms and tell Katiya and Prince Arsh to ask us to plan their wedding?”
“No…” Never had one single syllable sounded so cheekily guilty.
Wow…
A low, slow chuckle of insanity bubbled out from me. “When I catch you, Esmeralda…you are dead.”
“Look, I did it because I love you both, okay?” she babbled through a panicked laugh. “I just wanted you to see how perfect you were for each other, and I didn’t know how else to do it. And before you get annoyed, I didn’t force you to be together, you did that on your own. I just gave you reasons to be around each other and hoped it helped. And it did. It worked! You two are finally together—”
“Esmeralda,” I growled, and Shehryar rubbed a hand over his mouth, trying and failing to wipe away his grin.
“I know! I know I shouldn’t have, but I don’t regret it, and I would do it again, because he was your tall, royal hater, but he was always meant to be your lover, okay? I’m not sorry.”
Shehryar’s brows puckered in confusion. “Tall, royal hater?” he echoed, and a blush ripped through my cheeks. I couldn’t believe she’d said that out loud in front of him.
“Also, tell Shehryar he doesn’t have to think about coming back until after the new year, so enjoy the next two weeks without worry,” she quickly added. “Think of it as a dating honeymoon. Okay, bye!”
“Esme—” But she had already cut the call on me, and I knew if I rang back she wasn’t going to answer.
My mind was still whirling from the baffling discoveries of the last ten minutes as I slumped my hand in my lap. I didn’t feel betrayed by my best friend, if anything, it was irritating that she’d known what she was doing, and undoubtedly funny too. Still, I wanted to chase her around with an axe while laughing maniacally just to drive the warning home that meddling was not okay.
“I’m gonna kill her,” I said to Shehryar.
His grin spread wide as he wrapped one arm around me and tugged me back against his chest. “I can’t allow you to do that, little menace.”
“How long have you known?”
“I found out the night of the wedding when Mum and Prince Arsh let it slip, and I felt exactly as you do now. She escaped me then too.”
“You should’ve told me, and we could’ve cornered her together,” I rumbled, cuddling into his chest.
He squeezed me tighter and rested his cheek against my hairline. “I’m kind of glad she did it if I’m being honest. For five years, we were both too stubborn and angry to do it ourselves. She gave us the push we needed to face the truth, and you did the rest by continuously making me jealous.”
I scoffed and tilted my head against his shoulder to smile sarcastically at him. “I was just having fun, Sheri. Not my fault you were obsessed with me.”
“It is when I warned you multiple times,” he said, twin flames of arrogance dancing in his pale irises.
“Warned me?” I shrugged. “Nah, I just heard encouragement the whole time.”
He grated out a chuckle and shook his head. “You’re a menace,” he growled.
“And you’re a dickhead,” I said and tipped my smirking mouth higher to kiss him.
There was a moment of silence after where his eyes took on that intense, tender glow that made my pulse stammer and skin turn hot and blotchy.
“I like you a lot, Mariyah,” he whispered.
My heart summersaulted into the butterflies in my belly, setting them off again. “I like you a lot too, Shehryar,” I whispered back and kissed him again.
He smiled against my lips. “May I take you out on our first date tonight?”
Bloody Neves, I couldn’t tame my smile, nor my giddiness, and it was so weird in a “what the fuck is happening to me” way. But I loved the feeling anyway.
“Depends, Sheri. What did you have in mind?”
He intertwined his fingers through mine on his lap. “How about we head to River Lincon, you can have pancakes, and I can kiss you the way I should have the first time around?”
Surprised by his suggestion, it took me a second to react. “Okay,” I said, aiming for careless but my grin said, “ fuck careless bitch.”
His cheeks warmed with colour. “Okay,” he echoed.
I had no idea what came over me. Actually, I did.
Seeing Shehryar fucking Timur blush was the cutest bloody thing ever that I actually jumped him. Not to punch him or slam-dunk on his dick.
I just pounced. And he caught me in his arms, laughing.