She didn’t like it when I told her that Stellan was going to have to cut down his daily engagements.”
Lars makes a face. “That sounds wretched.”
I nod. “It was, mostly.” Glancing around, my brow furrows. “Where’s Pippa?”
He grunts. “Damned if I know. The last time I saw her, she was flirting with some loser in an overpriced tux.”
I narrow my eyes at his comment. “Are you talking about yourself? Because you wear easily twenty thousand pounds more than anybody else in the room. You and all your siblings have that in common, my friend.”
“Shut up. You act like you’re not wearing a bespoke tux yourself.” Lars snags a glass of champagne off a tray, sipping it coolly. He nods across the room to a group of people surrounding Stellan and Margot. “They seem very happy.”
I look at Stellan, who keeps grinning at Margot like a total fool. It makes me happy for him, even as it turns my stomach.
That kind of love is not for me, just like so many aspects of Stellan’s life. I’m the dutiful best friend, not actual royalty. That has been made crystal clear to me time and time again, ever since we were children.
“They do look happy,” I say.
Lars’s lips twitch. “So, do you think they will last?”
I look at him with a surprised expression. “Why would it not?”
He shrugs, pursing his lips. “It’s just fast, that’s all.”
I roll my eyes. “Says the man that met the perfect girl before he was even in high school.”
Lars frowns. “Pippa and I are friends. Nothing more than that.”
I chuckle. “Ja, okay. Whatever you have to tell yourself. I’ve seen you two together, Lars.”
He shoots me a glare. “My love life is private. I don’t see you parading any new relationships around either, my friend.”
My lips curve up. “No. I’m not Stellan. I’m the stable hand’s son. I can’t break the rules about class and date whoever I want. I can’t just think that everything will be fine. I’m not royalty.” My lips curl. “But I spend all my time with you lot, so I don’t meet a ton of girls that are actually attainable.”
His brows rise as he looks at me. “What does class have to do with anything? You’re practically one of the royal family. I bet there are a dozen girls here tonight that would kill to get into your bed.”
I press my lips together to avoid frowning. Instead of responding to that, I just look away. His comment was well-meant… but it was also naive. It just goes to show that he is definitely privileged in a way that few others could ever be.
A flash of movement catches my eye. A beautiful young blonde in an extravagant red ballgown storms into the room, her light blue eyes fixed on something out of my line of sight.
Annika.
I stare at her for a second, taking in her haughty posture and bright red lips. She’s obscenely beautiful, with her waif-like figure and her elegantly pinned up hair.
The tiniest shudder runs through me.
It’s important to remind myself that she’s also Stellan’s little sister, just nineteen years old. She makes me feel old and decrepit at twenty six. But my body and my brain are not on the same page here. They’re not even reading the same book.
My body finds every little thing that Princess Annika does to be extremely attractive.
“Are you fucking serious?” Lars asks, interrupting my train of thought.
I tear my eyes away from Annika. “What?”
He slowly shakes his head and rakes his fingers through his messy dark hair. “You can’t really think that ogling Annika openly is a good idea.”
My neck heats. “What? No. I wasn’t ogling her. I was just trying to see what she’s throwing a fit about.” I squint. “Probably some dramatic nonsense, knowing your sister.”
Lars snorts. “I see your mouth moving, but I don’t trust anything you’re saying right now.”
I roll my eyes. “Even if I found Annika the slightest bit attractive — which I don’t — there are a thousand reasons why I would never, ever touch her. Not the least of which is Stellan.” I squint into the distance.
He laughs. “No fucking kidding. That’s pretty much the only reason I can think of, aside from you being way too old to date her.”
I slide him a look. “There’s also a great deal of income disparity between us.”
Leaning against the wall, he sips his champagne. “She would find that with almost anyone she tries to date. And besides, aren’t you some