Page 77 of Ella's Masquerade
“Mmm, we put too much into tonight to miss it now,” he said, nipping my lower lip. “Ryan still thinks I intend to ruin you.”
“I really don’t know how you’ve managed to convince her that’s still your plan with everything else that’s occurred.” Her reputation at the academy was soiled after her most recent erratic behavior—courtesy of my occasional taunting jolt.
Every time I felt bad for provoking her, I recalled all the horrible things she’d done to me over the years. The fact that she desperately wanted to ruin me tonight only fueled me onward. She needed a healthy dose of her own medicine. Maybe then she’d stop tormenting people.
And Carmen.
Oh, Carmen.
She wore a wig every day now and had already begun consultations for plastic surgery to fix some of the scarring—which wasn’t even that bad. Unfortunately, her personality hadn’t changed much, apart from adding a layer of whining to the mix.
So she hadn’t really learned her lesson yet.
It was something I planned to revisit after our finale tonight.
“The compulsion these last few weeks helped,” Tray admitted, pressing his forehead to mine.
“Yeah.” I knew he’d woven some compulsion into his statements. After all the rumors started flying about her losing her mantle of queen, Tray had needed to do damage control. “I can’t wait for all this to be done.”
“Me, too,” he whispered against my mouth.
We both agreed that graduating from high school really wasn’t needed. Especially after what we’d discovered last week regarding my father’s will. And, aside from that, a GED wouldn’t mean much at Midnight Fae Academy. However, I still planned to apply for mine. My advanced curriculums and grades would allow me to qualify for early graduation. Not to mention, the administrative board wouldn’t have a choice after Tray’s plan came to fruition next week.
It all meant I would be free to move to the Midnight Fae Realm with Tray, where I could practice my magic freely.
Finally.
“Take me to the dance, Tray. Before I decide this isn’t worth our time and demand you take me to bed instead.”
He grinned. “Mmm, if you would just allow me to kill them all, it would go much faster.” He phrased it as a joke, but I knew he meant it.
“This will be better.”
“So you say.” He linked his fingers through mine and tugged me toward the door. “I still say a bloody end would be more entertaining.”
“Such a vampy thing to say.”
“Midnight Fae, darling. Not vampires. Midnight. Fae.” He gave me a look. “Did you not read that history text I gave you? It clearly explained what we are.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Professor Nacht. I remember.”
“Headmaster Nacht,” he corrected from the top of the stairs. “Or Prince Trayton. I’ll accept either title from you in the bedroom, darling.”
“Dead Nacht has a much better ring to it,” I mused while following him downward toward the foyer. “Especially if you want me to call you either of those namesin the bedroom.”
He chuckled and tugged me into a kiss near the front door, his lips holding a hint of dominance against mine. “I bet I could convince you otherwise.”
“Maybe,” I breathed, wrapping my palm around the back of his neck. I slid my tongue into his mouth, reveling in his taste once more, and pressed my body flush against his.
His growl of approval dampened the silk between my thighs. This man did such wicked things to me, and I adored him all the more for it. He wrapped an arm around my waist and clasped my jaw with his opposite hand. “Keep this up and we’re never going to make it to the ball.”
“Didn’t you hire another limo?” I nibbled his jaw. “We could warm up in the backseat.”
He groaned and yanked me outside. The chill in the air did nothing to dispel the heat between us. Tray all but carried me down the recently shoveled driveway to the waiting limousine parked on the street. Snow glistened all around us beneath the moon, painting the scene of a romantic night that I longed to enjoy at least for a little while.
And Tray willfully obliged.
He pulled me onto his lap in the backseat and wasted no time finding my mouth once more. His hands drifted up my sides to the straps of my gown, pulling them down my arms to expose my breasts.
