Legs. All Ben could think about were legs. Why? Because Mal, his wonderfully evil fiancé, was sitting on the edge of their lunch table swinging them. Her purple and black skinny jeans were oh-so distracting the way the mottled colours shifted as she moved. She was wearing a pair distressed high tops, which he considerate unfortunate cause he couldn’t see her ankles. He could forgive her, though, because she was wearing skinny jeans and he got ogle her legs.
“It just doesn’t make sense.”
She popped a piece of muffin into her mouth and pursed her lips, considering. “What doesn’t make sense, Benny-fu-fu?”
He let his fingers graze over the outside seam of her pants. “How someone so short can have legs so long. It’s like you’re all legs and hips and butt. I just can’t wrap my head around it.”
“But you still respect me for my mind, right?” He quickly stuttered out his assent and blushed when she laughed. He retracted his hand, but she caught it up and placed it on her thigh. “Ben, it’s okay that you find me attractive. I do the same thing when you’re at Tourney practice. I love shirts and skin days.”
He smirked as she grinned salaciously at him, eyes roving over his upper body. “You’ve been wearing skinny jeans more often.” His voice took a gruffer tone, mouth going dry as she smirked. “Should’ve left you on the Isle. Your spell is something I can’t break.”
“I should have left you. Don’t think I didn’t notice you copping a feel the other day in the hall.” She leaned down, bending almost in half to get nose to nose. “You, Ben Florian, are a holy terror.”
He smiled up at her, revelling in the feel of her lips on his. It had been such a long journey for them. From the day she had glared at him in front of the school when they first met, to the moment he had dropped down on one knee to ask her to be his for forever. The first day he’d felt the flutter of something so new and wonderful when her pale jade eyes locked with his. He’d known from then on they were entertained in a he never wanted to unravel.
A rumble started in his chest as her fingers worked into his hair. Hair he’d started growing out for that very reason. He loved the tingles that shot down his spine as her eager digits worked his scalp and grasped his hair with restrained want. His own fingers gripped her thigh almost punishingly. She whimpered under his touch. It made him snake his other hand around to her inner thigh, wrapping his long fingers around the toned, denim clad thigh limb.
“Oh, my god, why?” The two didn’t bother jumping apart. On school grounds they generally kept things cool, but had long since stopped feeling apologetic when they would get caught in private moments. “You two are a mess.”
“I’d like to be that kind of mess.” Harry grumbled as he flung himself onto the bench on Mal’s other side. “Sadly, I’m stuck dating the most cautious princess on earth. One who is very adamant we be “truly in love,” or some such bollocks before we do anything fun. Girls on the Isle weren’t like this, you know?”
He swivelled his black rimmed gaze up to Mal, eyes wide and forlorn as if it were the greatest travesty. “Oh, get off it, Harry. You like it.” She nudged him with her knee, hands still occupied with playing with Ben’s hair. “You like the chase.”
“Makes the prize much more worth while.” Ben turned to meet Audrey’s eyes. She quickly sent him a wink before schooling her face into a wounded pout. “Oh, pet. Don’t be like that.”
She sniffed prettily and turned to Mal. “Evie showed me the alterations you requested to the final dress design. They are absolutely gorgeous.”
It was Ben’s turn to feign outrage. “Oh, so Audrey gets to see the dress, but I don’t. How’s that fair?” Mal extracted her fingers from his hair, which made him immediately regret his choice to tease, and flicked his nose. “Hear me out! I’m barely useful around you on my best days. Now, take into consideration that that is when you are wearing your normal attire. Don’t you think I need to mentally prepare for when I see you on our wedding day? You know, in case your beauty is so amazing that I expire right there in front of the priest and all of Aurodon.”
“Prepare to expire in front of the priest and all of Aurodon.” Audrey deadpanned. “It’s bad luck, your royal dumbness.”
Mal threw her head back as her devastating laughter filled the air. Ben didn’t think he imagined the sudden increased warmth and late spring sunshine that surrounded them. His fearie was magic in all the ways.
“Oh, yes, Audrey. His royal dumbness is most accurate.” She raised her hand toward the pink haired girl. “High-five my fine, fiendish friend.”
The girls slapped hands and shared conspiratorial looks. Ben shook his head, deciding that letting himself be assaulted by the two lady’s new found friendship was simply not worth it. He buried his head in her leg, wrapping both arms tightly around her captive thigh. Against his own desires, a contended sigh left his lips after he placed a mostly chaste kiss on his prize.
“Ben.” Mal had a giggle in her voice as lightly tugged his hair. “Come on, we need to get a move on.”
She groaned. “Come on, babe. We have a meeting with the graduation committee. Then we have to meet with your mother and Lumiere for wedding stuff. Full plate, Benny-boo.”
“Can’t move. Happy.” He repeated before he nuzzled his twitching pillow. “Leg.”
“Just the one?” He considered that and quickly adjusted his hold so he was gripped both legs tight in his arms. “Oh, seriously?”
He shrugged and turned his face up to meet her teasing gaze with his own pleased smile. “Legs.”
