The Royal Treatment: A Crown Jewels Romantic Comedy, Book 1

My knight in shining armor.”

“Oh, stop it.”

She wraps her arms around me. “No, you are. You did that to save me.”

“And you’d think you would be a little more sympathetic to me for that very reason.”

“I’m sorry, Arthur, it’s just… so fucking funny.” She kisses me on the lips, and I find my bruised ego being soothed, but just a smidge.

I once read about a woman who got shocked so hard all her hair fell out.”

“Weekly World News?” she asks, setting her attention on the screen again.

“Probably fake, right?”

“Probably.”

“Although they were right about that man who had a baby...”

I watch from the back of the room with my arms folded across my chest. Finn grins back at me every few seconds, proud to be the first to show the family the auto-tuned version of the damn video

Even Tessa’s laughing so hard, she’s crying. But she, at least, has the sense to apologize between bouts of giggles

When she doesn’t answer, I open it and we walk in and are greeted by the sound of her snoring.

“Maybe we should just let her sleep,” Tessa whispers.

I shake my head. “No, she’ll want to know.”

“Know what?” she croaks.

I walk over to her bed and hold a glass of champagne out to her. “That we won!”

She opens one eye. “Your girlfriend was right. Not worth waking me for.”

Aww, look, pumpkin,” I say, and I don’t even hate myself for saying it. “There we are declaring our love for each other

Thank God your parents raised you with four horrible brothers.”

“Thank God for that.”

Look at him, he’s an absolutely smitten pig,” I say.

She gives me a wicked grin. “Just like his owner.”

If it weren’t for her, I’d be stinking drunk by now. But she’s here, and I’m not, because win or lose, I’ll have a reason to go on.

Terrifying, but also wonderful because Tessa stood next to me, holding my hand through the entire thing, and the press loved it