Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 117920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
He shakes it and only then does she kind of respond.
“Oh, hello. Oh, oui, Your Majesty. Désolée! I am so sorry, I do not know what happened there. Perhaps I lost my mind.”
“It’s quite alright,” Aksel says and then looks to me. “I completely forgot that she was coming today.”
“That’s because your brain has been elsewhere these days,” I say.
And that’s because all the blood that normally goes to his brain has been redirected to his Danish dick. Not that I’m complaining.
He nods at the chairs. “Do you girls want to join me?”
“Phhfff,” I say. “Girls? Ladies you mean.”
Now it’s Aksel’s time to scoff. “If you say so. The French one seems all right, but I’m still not sold on you.”
“You are sold on me,” I remind him. “You pay my salary.”
It’s then that I realize Amelie’s gaze is ping-ponging between us. “I don’t mind staying here,” she says. “We don’t have to go out.”
“Yes,” I say, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from Aksel. “Because you’ve made such a big deal about it, we do.”
“You can find men another day, no?” she asks.
Shit. My eyes laser onto hers. She wasn’t supposed to mention that, and she especially wasn’t supposed to make it look like it was my idea.
“Find men?” Aksel repeats, voice hard.
I glance at him warily, trying to give him the she’s crazy look with my eyes, but I’m not sure he’s picking up on it.
“Oui,” Amelie says. “Men. Like yourself, or perhaps less royal. Single, though. You don’t expect Aurora to become an old maid working for you, do you?”
Aksel’s gaze is as sharp as an icepick. “No,” he says after a moment. “I wouldn’t.”
Oh, for crying out loud.
“We’re just going out for a drink,” I assure him. “I’ll be home before you know it.”
“But it’s your day off, no?” Amelie says, tilting her head. “You’re allowed to stay out as long as you want. He isn’t the boss of you.”
“Technically I am,” he says gruffly, back into full-frowning mode. Yeesh. I’m going to have to spend a lot of time untangling this mess.
“Yes, but it’s her day off, and according to the Danish labor laws, you have no say over it,” she says.
“But I make the Danish labor laws,” he argues, narrowing his eyes.
Amelie doesn’t care. She shrugs. Whatever effect on her he had has worn off and she’s back to being blasé. “Hmm, no, that would be the prime minister. Sorry, Your Majesty, but I look out for my client first and the King of Denmark second.”
She grabs my hand. “Come now, darling, let’s go paint the town rouge.”
She drags me to the door and I look at Aksel over my shoulder.
He’s fucking pissed.
Is it wrong that it makes me feel a bit giddy inside?
We get in the car and Henrik drives us to the Ruby bar nearby, which I’ve always wanted to go to because it’s supposed to be hip and cool and all the things a normal twenty-six-year-old should be seeking out.
“Okay, so which Dane in here do you want to screw?” Amelie asks me.
We only got to the bar a few minutes ago and we’re sitting on a couch in the corner with a full view of the patrons. Only I’m just idly looking. I’m thinking of Aksel this whole time.
“Um, no one yet,” I say, taking a sip of my drink. It’s called a Nuda Veritas and it’s supposed to make me tell the truth. God, I hope not.
“No one? They’re all Nordic Gods. Dirty Danes. You know, if I didn’t have my boyfriend…” she glances at me. “You’re not even trying.”
I both sigh and swallow at the same time and nearly choke on the drink. “I don’t want to,” I say, coughing. “I’m fine.”
She squints at me. “Mmhmm. Yes. I can see that. Is that anything to do with your boss?”
I give her a steady look. “No.”
“He seemed rather concerned that you were going out. Is he always this controlling?”
Now, I can’t tell if she’s asking me this on a professional level or a friendly level, but even so, there’s only one answer. “He’s not controlling. I mean, he is a king and all and I’m his employee but if you’re asking me if it’s a problem, no. It’s not.”
He can be extra controlling in the bedroom, but I know that’s not what she’s asking.
Or, I hope that’s not.
“You do have a special…bond with him, no?”
I shake my head. “No. Not really.”
She leans forward, brushing her bangs out of her eyes to get a better look at my face. “Really?”
“Yeah,” I tell her, pasting on a smile. “It’s all fine. I love this job.”
She studies me for a few moments and then leans back in the couch, taking a long sip of her drink. “D’accord. Then all is well.”
I just nod.