Page 29 of Kings
“What do you think, El?” Axel asked smugly, trailing a finger up the inside of her thigh.
She took a deep breath and let it out slow, still seeing stars on the ceiling. “A tie. Definitely a tie.”
And she wasn’t going to complain at all if they wanted to break it.
Chapter 17
Bishop
The night of the ball came, and Bishop found himself surprised that he and Axel hadn’t murdered one another yet. There was still time, of course.
The unlikely source of his anxiety after moving in with her was Ella herself. Bishop had hoped that he would be able to get closer to her, considering how much more time they would be spending with each other. While he’d fallen asleep next to her every night, in some ways, she felt more distant than ever.
In the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if Axel had said something to her. A little knowledge and a big mouth was a dangerous thing. At first, he’d been nothing but a nuisance Bishop was sure she’d grow tired of, but as time wore on, it became obvious Axel wasn’t going anywhere. Not without help.
For whatever reason, Ella was smitten with him. More than that, she trusted him. How he’d managed to weasel his way into that while Bishop struggled to get past her walls was beyond his comprehension.
He hoped it would change tonight.
It wasn’t unusual for a queen to be escorted by more than one tom, but he’d come home early after class to make sure he had time to change and get to her before Axel arrived. Her distance had been weighing on his mind even more heavily than usual, and he knew it was about to come to a head, one way or another.
He waited at the bottom of the stairs, fiddling with the antique watch in the pocket of his suit. When he looked up and saw her on the stairs, his breath caught in his throat. She was a vision in a strapless blue gown with shimmering crystals all over the bodice that paled in comparison to her eyes. The skirt flared out in a sea of blue, shifting as she took each delicate step.
Bishop reached out to offer his hand and was surprised when hers fit solidly in his grasp. She seemed too perfect to be real, and for one moment, all the illusions he’d been keeping up for as long as he could remember ceased to matter. The only thing that mattered was that she was real, and here, and for the moment, she was all his.
“You look like a goddess,” he murmured, letting his gaze sweep over her, from her delicate shoulders to the swell of her breasts beneath the fitted bodice.
The blush that colored her cheeks as she looked away was the perfect complement to the cool blue tones she wore. “I’d say you look like a god, but I’ve never seen a statue that looked that good in a suit.”
He chuckled, pulling her against him. When he took her hand and began to lead her in a silent waltz, her eyes glimmered with confusion and amusement.
“What are you doing?” she asked, laughing as he twirled her around. “We’re not even at the ball yet!”
“Just getting in a dance before I have to share,” he said, pulling her back against him. This time, he held her firmly, but she made no attempt to free herself as she gazed up at him.
“Your text said you wanted to ask me something,” she said, running her hands down his lapels to smooth them. “What was it?”
Bishop hesitated. He’d planned on confronting her about whatever it was that hung between them before the ball, since it was the only time he could get her alone, but now it seemed like a waste of a perfectly beautiful evening with the most beautiful woman in the colony.
And she was that. No matter how their relationship had begun, he couldn’t deny being drawn to her from that first moment at the ceremony. She was bewitching in ways she seemed entirely oblivious to. So innocent it made him loathe the idea of bringing her into his world when the time was right.
Not yet. Just a little bit longer. Felidae would have to wait.
“I forgot,” he said, taking her hand as he opened the door. “I’m sure it was nothing important.”
* * *
Bishop had barely helped Ella up onto the curb outside the doors leading into the grand ballroom when he realized Axel was stalking toward them. The other tom just had to stand out in a stark white suit while everyone else was wearing black.
“What the fuck?” he growled, as if oblivious to the black tie event going on around him.
Then again, he hadn’t bothered to put on one of those, either.
“Axel,” Ella called, looking him over worriedly. “What’s wrong?”
“This douche said you were going to be waiting at the house.”
“Did I?” Bishop asked innocently. He clicked his tongue. “Must’ve been what I forgot.”
