Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“A third?” That was not in her profile.
“My dad made my sister and me learn Mandarin. He said it was the language of the future.” She shrugged. “Why do you look so impressed. I bet you know like six or something.”
“Seven actually,” I said proudly. “But not Mandarin.”
“Of course, you do...What are other cons?”
I sighed, scratching the back of my head. “I do not know. Running a bunch of charities? Learning the ten thousand and one palace rules. Not being able to state your opinions in public. Moving?”
“Ugh! That’s almost my life now.” She groaned, shifting.
Noticing she was about to fall over, I grabbed her glass and the bottle from her hands, and she curled up into a ball beside me.
“You should say something like I’d have an evil mother-in-law—”
“That would be my mother, and she’s one of the most kindhearted women I have ever met.”
“Well, you are her son, so of course, that’s how you see her. But it’s good you feel that way,” she muttered, fluffing the pillow under her head. “Would I have to give up my music?”
I thought about it. “No, I do not think so. Since you can sing from anywhere, it’s fine, so long as the proceeds go to a charity. My brother’s wife is a famous painter. She did not have to stop that.”
She frowned. “You really aren’t helping me right now, Gale.”
“No, but I believe I am helping myself.” I smiled down at her.
“This is an arranged marriage. We can’t just say yes like this. There have to be some negatives we aren’t thinking about,” she muttered, clearly struggling to keep her eyes open. Then out of nowhere. “Oh, right, I bet you have a lot of exes that would try to destroy me or something.”
Damn.
“You do!” She pointed at me, grinning like she’d won the lottery.
“They would not try to destroy you. They would be jealous, of course, but still.” My past was a little more recent, but it was still the past. “I bet you have men that would want to kill me, too.”
She shook her head and shrugged. “All my exes are married now.”
“Just because they are married does not mean they do not still want you.” Some of mine were married when I met them. But I was not going to admit that, or she really would just get up and walk away.
She snickered. “You have no idea how good I am at burning bridges.”
“Then tell me.”
“Oh, also”—she was very good at changing the subject—“we don’t even know if we will like each other. What if we can’t stand each other?”
“We are doing fine, now, aren’t we?”
“Today doesn’t count.”
“Why?”
“Because...just because,” she grumbled with her eyes closed.
“That’s very clear.”
“Shut up.”
I snickered.
“You’re laughing at me, but I’m serious. You came all the way here, but what if you hate me? More importantly, what if I hate you?”
More importantly. “How about you and I get to know each other more while I’m here.” That was originally my goal, but something had shifted in the last twenty-four hours.
“Get to know each other?” She grimaced against the pillow. “That sounds like dating.”
“Yes, I believe that is what the commoners call it.”
“Dating sucks. It’s too stressful. You’re always trying so hard to make the best first impression or say the right thing.”
“You are very difficult. You know that, right? You will not agree just to get married, but you also dislike dating.”
She smiled, partially asleep. “I know. My mom is always annoyed with me about it. Are you giving up on me already, Your Highness?”
“For the sake of my country and pride, I refuse.”
“Don’t say you weren’t warned,” she whispered, relaxing into the bed. “I’ve come full circle. Thank you. I’m not getting married.”
“Does that mean yes to the dating then?”
“I’m sorry for waking you,” she said instead, gently nestling into the pillow.
“It’s fine, but I doubt you will remember in the morning.”
“I will. I have a high toleran...” And she was sleep. Her chest rose and fell slowly, her curls falling over her face.
When I noticed her dress rising as she shifted on top of the sheets, I got off of the bed, taking the glasses with me. I glanced over my shoulder at her as she moved into the center, shaking my head.
“What am I going to do with you, Cinderella?”
Chapter 10
I’m dying.
I had to be dying.
The only logical reason for my brain to feel like this was death.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
“Make it stop.” I groaned, reaching over to the bedside table to stop my phone.
Beep.
Beep.
“Ugh.” I rolled over, pulling my body, which felt like lead, out of bed. Stumbling, I kicked my shoes while holding the side of the table and the side of my head. Blinking a few times, my eyes finally managed to open fully, only to notice where I was.
Why am I in the guest room? I wondered until I smelled the air. Is something burning?