Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26675 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26675 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
And since now definitely wasn't one of those moments—-
"Oh, I almost forgot." Ember covered her mouth in a gesture of surprise. "Fresh beans from your favorite cafe was just delivered this morning. How about we have some coffee—-"
"How about you give me back my fucking phone?"
Ember ignored this and instead gave her royal bosshole a coaxing smile. "Shall I make you some now?"
"No, you fucking shan't."
"Hot or iced?"
"Goddammit, Ember."
Ember let out a sigh. "Oh, Your Highness. How my heart skips a beat every time you swear at me."
Ilyas looked as if he was about to fire her at any moment. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing," the sheikh snarled. ""You only address me as Your Fucking Highness when you're trying to distract me."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Ilyas swore, and Ember saw that losing her job was now the least of her worries, with how the demon prince was currently eyeing her throat like he was dying to squeeze the life out of it.
"Don't fuck with me, Ms. Hallman."
It was never a good thing when the demon prince called her that, and she had to will herself not to tremble.
Have courage, Woman-Who-Is-Now-Being-Called-Miss-Hallman!
If she had been able to defuse the sheikh's temper in the past, she could do so again.
Right?
Ember let her lower lip out in her best woe-is-me look, which she had painstakingly worked hard on when she was still living in the orphanage, and Christmas with Our Beloved Sponsors meant doing what they could to encourage rich people to donate for their upkeeping.
"Please, Your Highness." Ember spoke softly and soothingly. "Can't we just relax and have coffee?"
"No, damn you."
Ember, however, pretended to hear the opposite. "Very good, Your Highness. Would you like your coffee hot or iced?"
A few moments passed in tense silence, and Ember held her breath.
"Fuck."
Ember nearly sagged with relief. That was the loveliest F-bomb she had ever heard, if she did say so herself, and all because it meant she had played her cards right, and the demon prince had finally decided to let this one go.
She smiled up at him, and the sheikh glowered back at her.
"Fuck."
Ember's expression turned quizzical. "Is that the Huznan word for hot, Your Highness?"
"How fucking smart of you."
Ember simply let the sheikh's sarcasm go through fly over her head and bowed as if receiving a royal command. "One hot coffee coming right up, Your Highness."
"Goddammit, Ember!"
Ember pretended not to hear anything as she walked away. The sheikh might be acting like coffee wasn't going to make things better, but it always did. While her royal bosshole didn't care much about food, he was exceptionally picky with his coffee, and it was why Ember had also secretly taken a barista course in her spare time.
The scent of fresh coffee beans filled the suite as Ember poured them into the grinder.
Note to self: Ask Slade or Farica if she could reserve their cafe for a day, just in case she ended up pissing the demon prince off yet again, and she would need to bring out the big guns to keep him from firing her.
Ember hummed to herself while working on the the demon prince's coffee. Although the sheikh's suite came with its own kitchen and coffee maker, Ember always made it a point to have with them the demon prince's custom-designed espresso machine no matter where they traveled.
Ilyas still wore a hardened expression when she returned to the living room, but Ember knew him well enough to recognize that the worst had passed, and this was simply the demon prince being grumpy.
The sheikh liked to be all bark and no bite just to make it seem like his secretary hadn't gotten the upper hand, and it was why Ember was careful to keep her expression courteous as she carefully lowered the tray to the coffee table.
"Your coffee, Your Highness." Ember held out the sheikh's monogrammed cup...but quickly took a step back the moment he reached for it.
Ilyas cursed up a storm, but Ember simply waited for him to run out of expletives before smiling sweetly at the sheikh. "Your promise, Your Highness?"
"Damn you."
"That's not a promise."
"Yes, damn you," the sheikh growled. "I fucking promise."
Ember handed him the cup with flourish and breathed a sigh of relief when the sheikh's frown cleared after taking a sip.
As expected.
Now, there was only one thing left to do, and after taking his phone out of her pocket, Ember bowed deep as she offered his iPhone back with both hands.
"Your phone, O Great One."
"Stow it." Ilyas snatched the device out of her hold and shoved it back to his pocket.
Ember straightened up. "Do you need anything else, Your Highness?"
"Just drink your damn coffee."
Ember couldn't help grinning. "Yes, Your Highness."
"And stop grinning."
"Yes, Your Highness." Ember took a seat and worked hard to keep her expression blank as she watched her royal bosshole enjoy his coffee like he was modeling for a Starbucks Reserve ad.