The Controversial Princess (The Smoke & Mirrors Duology #1)(49)

“What?” Matilda looks at me like I might have grown ten heads and breathed fire on her.

“Turn it off,” I repeat, sinking my whole glass.

“Wh—”

“Matilda, please.” More champagne gets thrown into my flute.

“Okay, okay.” She points the remote control at the television, just as the crowd settles and Graham Miles crosses one leg over the other.

“I think they like you,” he says, deadpan. “I have no idea why.”

More laughter breaks out, and Josh blushes the most adorable blush. “Wait,” I blurt abruptly, winning back Matilda’s attention. “No, turn it off.” I flap a hand at the screen and she looks at me in exasperation, dropping the remote control to her side.

“Off or on?”

“Off.”

She re-points.

“No, on.”

“Adeline, seriously?”

I lower to the couch, back to being mesmerized by the divine creature gracing the screen. “Sorry,” I mumble as she joins me. I don’t need to be looking at her to know she is frowning at me.

“Whatever has gotten into you?”

“Him,” I say without thinking, feeling her stunned expression rooted to my profile. “Literally,” I add.

“Oh my gosh.”

“Shh!” I slap her thigh, trying to listen to the television. Matilda grabs the champagne and joins me in downing one glass after the other, sitting forward on the couch, as if it is not loud enough for us to hear even if we were on the other side of the palace.

“So,” Graham relaxes back, all casual, as if he doesn’t have the world’s most handsome man within touching distance. I wish I could be so cool in Josh Jameson’s company. “Josh Jameson, you’re here in London promoting your new film, The Underground.” An applause breaks out as a promotional image pops up on the screen behind Josh. My eyes burn as I absorb the image of him in all his glory, a gorgeous woman cuddled into his side, though he is not embracing her hug. “I assume from this picture it is not about trains,” Graham quips dryly.

Josh laughs a full-on belly laugh, craning his head back to see the image. “No. No trains.”

“Tell us about it. Because it’s based on a true story, right?”

“Right. I play Austin Tate, a troubled man in sixties New York. He had severe autism.”

“So despite you in all your body-beautiful glory throughout the film, and, ladies”—Graham turns to his audience—“it’s very glorious.” He fans his dreamy face and returns his attention back to Josh. “There’s a really poignant story here.”

“Sure.” Josh shuffles on the couch. “Like many people who have autism, Austin struggled to recognize and understand other people’s emotions, but on a really extreme level. He literally showed no one any mercy, would hide in the library most days researching the behavior of ‘normal’ human beings, and nearly killed himself in the gym most nights. It was like a stress alleviator for him. He interacted with no one. Until he met Wendy.” Josh goes on, detailing the character’s background, the research he did for the role, and the training to get his body in tip-top shape. “Six hours in the gym a day, man.” He flexes his bicep, which is clear through his suit, causing another stir in the audience. “And eggs. If I never see another egg in my life …” He shudders.

“Well, I think we all agree the discipline paid off.” Graham coughs and smirks at the camera cheekily. They chat some more, and then a trailer for the movie is shown, like my torture couldn’t get any worse. Josh, in glasses. And then naked, a full-on nude from behind. The crowd go potty, as do my insides. “Goodness gracious,” Matilda breathes, blindly smacking at my thigh repeatedly.

“So what have you been up to in London?” Graham goes on once the crowd has piped down and he’s shared the details of the release date. “Do you like it here?”

“I love England,” Josh gushes. “The food, the people.”

“A little birdie told me you’ve been keeping company with the Royal Family, no less.”

I feel all the blood drain from my face as Matilda starts to smack me again, engrossed as much as I am by the interview. How the hell does he know that? Josh fidgets on the couch, obviously trying to play it cool. “You mean the garden party?”

“Not just any garden party, but Princess Adeline’s thirtieth birthday garden party at Claringdon Palace. How did you wangle that?”

Josh visibly relaxes, and I grab oxygen to fill my shrunken lungs. “Wangle?”

Graham laughs. “Wangle. Like pull it off.”

“Oh.” Josh reaches for his water and takes a sip. “You British have some weird terminology.”

“Oh, you’ve been getting familiar with our weird terminology? Give us some words. What have you learned?”

“You call chips crisps.” His attempt to sound British has Graham falling back in heaps of laughter. “And panties are knickers?”

My eyes widen as Graham shoots up straight in his chair. “Seen any knickers while in London?”

“Sadly, no.” Josh brushes off Graham’s cheeky question with a wave of his hand.

“I’m sure we can arrange something.” He looks to the audience, and the women all shout their willingness. “Me first,” Graham tsks, rolling his eyes and returning his attention back to Josh. “Where were we? All this talk of knickers …”