Page 43 of The Royal's Pet: A MMF Ménage Royal Romance

“Your face is stupid.”

Every insult is laced with an affectionate note. I know—he knows—what we’re really saying. I miss you. I love you. I needed this.

“How are you doing?” I ask.

He sighs shallowly. “My least favorite question.”

“I know, but… did they put you on the oxygen tanks yet?”

“Rory. You’re calling from who-knows-where. I don’t want to talk about tanks. Where are you?”

“Sorrento. It’s this… little cliff town off of Italy. Here, I’ll show you.” I pull the phone away from my face, find the camera, and take a panorama of the view in front of me. Then I text it to Oscar and put the phone back to my ear. “You got it?”

A second later, I hear his phone buzz. And he whistles. “Damn. That’s beautiful. Are you sure you’re not in front of a green screen?”

I laugh. “Pretty sure. I’m at… uh. The prince’s private abode.”

“So it is true.”

“What do you mean?” I ask innocently.

He scoffs a laugh. “Did you think I didn’t know? You’re trending, Rory. Hashtag-Cinderella-Story. Hashtag-Princess-Rory. Hashtag-Red-Hair-Don’t-Care.”

I laugh and cover my eyes. “Oh God. Those are terrible.”

“What’s Prince Roland like up close?”

“Uh… honestly? He reminds me of you.” I hear it and I wince. “Not in a weird way. Just… you’re both so charming and silly and…”

“Annoying?”

“Lovingly annoying.”

“Must be a charmed life. Being a kept woman in the palace.”

“Uhm… it’s amazing.” I draw my fingers through my hair. “It’s sort of… taken on a life of its own. I don’t know if you’d believe me if I told you.”

“I’d believe anything coming from you.”

He’s right about that. I could always talk to Oscar. I bite my lip and then come out with, “I’m sort of… dating two guys. The prince and his bodyguard.”

“At the same time?”

“Yeah.”

“Do they know about each other?”

“They’re together, too. His bodyguard is wildly in love with him—I basically hooked them up—and now the three of us are a thing.”

“Slut.”

It catches me off guard, and I can’t help but laugh. “Dick.”

“Do they love you, Ror?”

That throws me off balance even more—he sounds sincere now, thoughtful. I cradle my phone to my ear and say, “Yeah… I think they do.”

“Then make sure you’re not just in it because it’s easy.”

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