Page 118 of A Not So Prince Charming

I didn’t know why the urge to wax poetics hit me right then, but she truly was the girl of my dreams. I was a sap, and I knew it. The guys might have made fun of me for it, but fuck them. They’d understand one day.

Moving through the crowds toward her, I held my breath until I reached her. The mask covered the top half of her face, leaving her dazzling baby blues on display.

“Ella.” I murmured, bowing deeply. I was aware I probably looked like a fool, but at the moment, I didn’t care. Let people talk.

“Hi,” she whispered back.

I adjusted the black mask that sat on my face. “What do you think?”

“You clean up nice.” She slid a hand onto my shoulder. “But I’ve always thought that.”

Grinning, I tugged at one of her curls. “You like a man in a suit, baby?”

She hummed in response.

“I’ll wear one every day if I get to see you like this.”

Happy. Radiant. My everything.

“Can I have this dance?” I asked, holding out a hand.

“Yes,” she breathed, placing her much smaller hand into the palm of mine.

Everything felt right when she slid her hand into mine. Everyone else melted away as we twirled and spun across the floor. It was just her and me, eyes locked in our own little bubble.

God, I was lucky to love her. To have her by my side. I would have been happy to be there all night, holding her in my arms, but after the slow song ended, a loud, upbeat track took its place.

Ella laughed. “Guess that’s all for that.”

“There will be more,” I said, low and deep against her ear. “And if not, I’ll go talk to that band.”

She swatted at my chest. “Want to go take pictures?”

I dipped my face low to kiss her cheek. “Lead the way, baby.”

Wrapping her hand with mine, I let her pull me across the floor, knowing that the words I’d spoken to her before were truer than ever. I’d go anywhere for her, do anything for her. And I was glad we’d have these memories to look back on in ten, fifteen years.

Because that was how much I loved her. Enough for a lifetime.

“What are you thinking about?” Ella whispered, wrapping her arms around my waist as I stared at our Photo Booth pictures. We’d taken the nice, professional poses too, but these were more fun.

I tucked her underneath my arm. “How I want to remember this night for a long time.” There’d be other nights that would be special, and there was something about knowing this was just the beginning that made it even morefun.

“Me too,” she agreed.

“Look who it is,” I murmured, seeing Richard and Ilene—my fraternity’s advisor chatting with her sorority advisor over by the snacks. “Should we say hi?”

Ella blushed. “I already talked to Ilene earlier when we were setting up.” She eyed them and then looked back at me. “Besides, they look a little too… comfortable with each other. Not sure I want to interrupt that.”

I couldn’t help the laugh that burst from my lips. “Do you think…?” I trailed off, wondering if she had come to the same conclusion as me as Ilene’s hand rested on Richard’s forearm.

“That they’re sleeping together?” Ella asked, and I nodded. “Well, I didn’t before, but now I do.” It made sense that they had something going on between them too—after all, who else makes their organizations work together to ‘improve their images’.

I watched as he fed her a strawberry, which gave me another idea for tonight. Something I could definitely arrange before I stole her away from the night’s festivities.

Because I wanted to worship my princess.

CHAPTER 35

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