Page 111 of Wicked Dreams (Fallen Royals 1)

I grin. “Yep.”

He makes a show of looking around the room. “Where is it?”

“Hiding from your nosiness,” I retort. I brush my hair off my face and sigh. “What’s up?”

“Didn’t you say you were ungrounded today?”

“Did I say that?”

He lifts one shoulder, smirking at me. “Not sure where else I could’ve heard it, love.”

“Maybe that’s true.”

I try to slip past him, but he moves too fast. He frames me in against the wall, just out of sight of Robert. I know he’s eavesdropping on the other side of the wall.

“You running from me?”

“No,” I breathe.

He hums. “I think you are. Let’s change that.”

“How?”

His fingers dig into my hip. “Come to the masquerade ball with me.”

I blink. “Um, a dance?”

“That’s what a ball is, Margo.”

“I don’t dance.”

His eyes glitter, and he leans closer. His lips are right above mine.

Not fair, I want to complain. He knows how to make my body react. Always has.

“Come with me.”

“Okay.” I lean in slightly.

His lips brush mine, but then he’s gone. Straightening and stepping back.

“That was easy.” His grin is devious.

“Caleb—”

He strides away, into the kitchen. He mentions the ball to Robert, confirming that I’m going with him.

“That’s great, Margo,” Robert says when I walk in. “It’s hard to go to the dances alone, but from my time as a chaperone, the kids always have a lot of fun.”

“Are you chaperoning this year?” Please say no, please say no.

He shakes his head. “I didn’t volunteer this year. Lenora gets a little pissy if I’m out partying with the high schoolers past our bedtime. Besides, she doesn’t like to give candy out alone.”

Caleb laughs. “I’m sure you’re a reckless partier, Mr. Jenkins.”

“That I am, my boy.”

My boy. Jesus.