Page 19 of Wild Fury (Fallen Royals 6)

It’s hard to hear him over the music—I rely more on the movement of his lips than anything. And then I realize I’m staring at his full lips, and my cheeks get hot. If that was his intention, it totally worked.

Two can play that game.

I laugh and put my lips by his ear. “I’m already dancing.”

He steps forward and puts his hand on my hip. I don’t mind it—part of me craves contact in any form. Theo tries so hard not to touch me, and I haven’t seen him since he dropped me off earlier today. I shove thoughts of him down and focus on the boy in front of me.

Sebastian moves with me, much more graceful than I expected. He takes my other hand and guides me around the space, navigating other dancing couples. “Your friends were staring,” he says in my ear.

A shiver goes through me.

“Well, not sure if I’d call them friends just yet,” I quip. “I only just met them.”

He spins me out and snaps me back to him, suddenly a whole hell of a lot closer than he was a minute ago. Now is when the song should change to something slow, right? The lights will dim, and we’ll be cast in the perfect spotlight, frozen in slow-dance time. Just like a movie.

But it doesn’t.

The song ends, and a faster one picks up—but I’m out of breath. The room tilts a bit, and I realize I lost my drink.

“Thank you for the dance.” I step back and try to regain my clarity.

His fingers tighten on mine for a moment, then he releases me.

“See you around, Sebastian.”

“Wait—”

I slip through the crowd, out the back door. There are more people outside, the backyard decorated in a Hawaiian theme. Tiki torches burn along the fence lines, there’s an inflatable pool in one corner, and a makeshift bar in another. They’ve strung up lights from the roof of the house across to the trees, giving the whole yard a warm glow.

And I can hear myself think out here.

Some of the girls I came with are over by the pool. I head for them, but something snags my attention. Nothing more than a creeping sensation that ghosts over my skin, but I skid to a halt nonetheless. I glance around, but no one looks twice at me.

Weird.

“Lucy!” one of the girls yells, waving me over. Charlotte, I think. “You were dancing with Sebastian?”

I frown. “Did you see us?”

“Oh my gosh. He’s the kicker for our football team. He’s being scouted by the NFL.” She grabs my hand. “Tell us everything.”

I force a laugh. I’m not the popular one. Not a cheerleader—although didn’t I threaten that to Theo? Definitely not anyone a football player should be talking to, let alone dancing with. Insecurities that surfaced in high school, maintained by the popular girls who cast snide remarks about me behind my back, come crawling back.

I’m not that person.

The one who gives a shit.

“He was nice.” I shrug. “We danced and then I left.”

“Oh.” She seems disappointed.

Nothing kills a fake friendship faster than lack of gossip.

I lift my shoulder again. “Sorry. If I had known who he was, I definitely would’ve tried to remember more.”

They relax, and I settle in with them. Their conversation switches from football to classes, to that hot teacher’s assistant, to… well, I’m not sure. I focus back in, but they seem to be talking in code.

“We shouldn’t,” Charlotte says.

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