Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 170885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 170885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
“Nour!” an older woman calls as she hurries toward us, panting. “What did I say about running off…?”
She stops in front of us and stares, unlike all of Bran’s precious Londoners. He pulls away from me, and although it’s subtle, I don’t like it. But then again, many people are homophobic assholes, though I haven’t encountered that here and I’m thankful, not for my sake, but for Bran’s. I don’t give a fuck what people think, he does.
Though he didn’t seem to mind when he kissed me in public yesterday or the day before that.
I expect him to put distance between us, but he threads his fingers with mine.
Fuck me.
Maybe he really doesn’t care anymore. The fact that he’s holding my hand without feeling an ounce of shame—which he shouldn’t—makes me want to kiss him.
“Look, Mummy. I found a fairy-tale prince and his servant.”
“That’s not his servant, Nour.” She smiles apologetically. “I’m so sorry. She loves running around.”
“No worries.” Bran smiles. “She’s adorable.”
“Aw, thank you.” The woman grabs her daughter’s hand and starts dragging her away.
The kid has the audacity to tell Bran, “Wait for me. I’m going to come back for you when I grow up.”
Her mom apologizes again as she laughs and whisks the girl off before I go ahead and dump her in the lake a la serial killer.
“Stop glaring, Nikolai.”
“The nerve of that little shit.” I snatch the flower she gave him and throw it down.
“Are you seriously swearing at a kid?”
“What did she whisper to you?”
“You need help, fairy-tale prince?”
“That fucking—”
“I mean, you do give off scary vibes.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“That’s a secret.”
“What do you mean by secret? Don’t tell me you’re taking a fucking kid’s side over mine?”
“Don’t tell me you’re actually jealous of a kid?”
“What if I am?”
“You’re serious? I’ve never been in a real relationship before you, never been intimate with anyone until you, never liked someone despite disliking most things they do like I do with you. How can you still feel jealous?”
I try not to smile, then scrunch my nose up. “I don’t know. You clearly had a crush. You called him a prince, too. Jayden Adler. NASA Headquarters. DC.”
“Stop saying those details in that monotone voice. You really sound like you’re putting a target on his back.”
“Maybe I am.”
“Nikolai!”
“Yes, baby?”
He drills me with his dark glare that I’ve learned runs in the family. From his grandad to his dad, uncle, and even his psycho brother. “You will not hurt Jay. He has nothing to do with this.”
“You coming to his defense doesn’t help his case. Pretty sure Mom knows someone powerful in DC. Hmm…”
“I’d forgotten the entire thing until Mum mentioned it again. Jay and I are just friends and he barely has time to come back to the UK anymore.”
“So if he did have time, things would be different?”
“No. You know why?”
“Because I wouldn’t allow it?”
“Because I never wanted a prince. I prefer an unhinged motherfucker.”
“Hey! That’s me!” I grin so wide, I can see my reflection in his bright eyes.
“Don’t smile. You’ll grow on me.”
“Awe. I thought I was already.”
“Seriously, stop grinning. I don’t like sharing it with others.”
“Who’s the jealous one now?”
“I don’t share, Niko. Am I clear?”
“One thing we have in common.”
“You still didn’t wipe that look off your face.”
“Jesus, chill. I can’t believe everyone thinks you’re such a golden boy when you’re, in fact, a fucking control freak.”
“You have complaints, baby? You can voice them, but there’s no guarantee I’ll take them into account.”
My lips part and I can feel my heart crawling up to my mouth and spilling on the ground at his feet.
His smile falters. “What’s wrong?”
“You just called me baby.”
“Oh. It—”
“Don’t say it was a mistake.”
“It wasn’t. I want to call you that sometimes.”
I clutch him by a fistful of his jacket and drag him against me. “I need to kiss you—”
The words aren’t fully out of my mouth when he seals his lips to mine and sears himself in my fucking heart with the most passionate kiss. He kisses me with yearning, longing, and emotions he’s still hesitating to admit.
He kisses me like he will never let go of me.
Like he’ll burn for me as hot as I burn for him.
I want this moment to last forever, please and fucking thank you.
35
NIKOLAI
I never thought I’d say this, but I think I’m actually going through an intensive sugar coma.
Over the past two days, Bran has been taking me to all these Italian, French, and Chinatown bakeries that I came out of with an armful of goodies that I consumed behind his back. While he’s fine with me buying pastries, he believes in an annoying concept called portioning.
Sugar’s worst enemy ever.
Anyway, I still have to finish these sickly-sweet cream buns and then I can go comatose in peace.
Unfortunately for me, we have to leave tomorrow. While Bran could stay longer and work on his project from here, I’ve missed two tests and I’m risking my grade drastically falling. And while I couldn’t care less about that, I don’t want to seem irresponsible in front of his parents.