Broken Empire A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance - Callie Rose Page 0,80

needed. The other three Princes settled into chairs around the table where the music played, watching us with grins on their faces as I limped closer to the tall boy with the sharp, aristocratic features and he met me halfway, pulling me in close.

One large hand caught mine, holding it between us as his other hand splayed across my lower back. The music drifted over us, haunting and sweet, as our bodies moved together in a gentle rhythm.

It was the first time I had danced since my accident. And although some might not call it dancing at all since our feet barely moved and there were no real steps, it felt like it to me. Like the purest, sweetest form of dance there had ever been

My body was telling a story again.

And maybe this one would finally have a happy ending.

I turned my head, resting my cheek against Mason’s shoulder as we swayed back and forth. I could hear the steady thrum of his heart in his chest, and when he spoke, I felt the vibrations of his words against my skin.

“It was close, you know.”

I lifted my head slightly, meeting his gaze with a confused expression. “What was?”

“The final tally of votes for prom queen.” He smiled, arching a brow. “Don’t get me wrong. We definitely rigged it. But it was closer than you might’ve expected. You had a lot of votes already.”

At the Clarendon Hall party, the Princes had made the rounds, convincing nearly everyone there to vote for me instead of Adena.

“Isn’t that because you told everyone to vote for me?” I asked, smiling.

He shook his head. “That wasn’t everyone. Turns out a lot of Adena’s supposed supporters voted for someone else in spite of her threats—and a big chunk of them chose you.”

“I find that a little hard to believe.” I scrunched up my face. “It’s not like I’m that popular.”

“Maybe not. But you’re infamous. And sometimes that’s just as good.”

I chuckled, digging my fingers into his back through the smooth fabric of his dress shirt. “Yeah? You’re speaking from experience, I assume.”

“You better believe it, Princess.”

There was a wicked gleam in his eyes, but before I could give him any more shit for just how infamous he was, he let go of my hand and caught my chin between his thumb and forefinger.

“If you’ll be my Bonnie, I’ll be your Clyde.”

“I hope that doesn’t mean you’re planning on a career as a bank robber,” I whispered, but I was having a little bit of a hard time focusing on my comeback with his gaze burning into me so intensely.

The spark of heat that always hovered between us flared like a shooting star, and I wasn’t sure if he moved or I did, but the next thing I knew, our lips were fused together. My arms crept around his neck, and he curved his spine to meet me at my level so I wouldn’t have to go up on my tiptoes.

I had kissed Mason when I wasn’t sure I even liked him. I had kissed him after I’d recklessly told him I loved him.

But I hadn’t kissed him like this yet.

Slow and deep and… easy.

Like it was exactly what we were meant to be doing, and we had all the time in the world.

Like it was one of many more to come.

The song faded out, but our bodies kept swaying, and our lips kept moving. I only pulled away when a gentle hand settled on my waist.

“Mind if I cut in?”

The detailing on Elijah’s all-black tuxedo glinted in the light refracting off the disco balls, and his smile melted my heart. Mason’s grip on me tightened for a second before he pressed one last kiss to my lips and released me.

As Elijah wrapped his arms around me, a new song drifted up from the phone on the table. I hesitated as I listened to the first strains of the solo guitar, and when a voice joined in the melody, my eyes widened.

“Is that… you?”

He grinned, dropping his head, and I swore I saw a blush creep up his cheeks. “Yeah. I recorded it last week.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I thought a lot about what you said that night after the fight. When you asked why I snuck around doing drugs instead of playing guitar—if I was going to be sneaking around anyway.” His hazel eyes grew serious, and I felt his chest expand with a deep breath. “And I think the