Page 13 of Forbidden King (Magnolia Falls)

“Are you going to be there, Saylor?” Jalen asked.

“Yeah. I just heard about it, too. I’ll definitely be going.”

“Well, then, so will I.” He winked, and I waited for the flutters to come, but they never did.

He was perfect on paper.

Good-looking, nice, reliable, thoughtful… The list went on and on.

That’s why I was still giving him a chance.

Maybe the flutters would come.

“All right, we better get to our table. I told Romeo we’d be back at the gym in an hour.” Slade rapped his knuckles on the table twice.

They walked away, and Jalen held up his hand, his gaze never leaving mine.

“Damn. He’s got it bad, girl,” Ruby whispered as she studied me. “If he’s taking it slow, it’s because he can tell that’s what you want. I think that guy would jump your bones right here if you’d let him.”

Demi fell forward in laughter. “Well, that’s one way to put it. But I do agree. He’s definitely into you.”

“I say go for it. He’s hot. Let him rock your world. Maybe that’s how you’ll figure out if you really like him. You’re young and beautiful. This is your time to explore.” Peyton shrugged.

“Explore?” I said, over a fit of laughter.

“Yeah. It’s yourdick era. Go get it, girl.”

“What is wrong with you? Not everyone wants to be in theirdick era,” Demi said, shaking her head with a huge smile spread across her face.

“Agreed. No pressure. If you want the dick, go get it. If you don’t, run like hell, Saylor.” Ruby smirked, and the table erupted in laughter again.

“Sounds like a party over here,” Kingston said, as he and Cutler approached the table. I startled because I hadn’t seen them walk in, and I hoped like hell that little Cutler’s ears hadn’t heard that conversation.

“Why does my girl, Saylor, need to run? Are you in trouble?” Cutler asked, concern causing his eyebrows to pinch together.

“Oh, my,” Demi whispered, a horrified look on her face.

“Um, no. I, er, they were joking. I’m fine.” I looked from Cutler to Kingston, and he couldn’t wipe the wicked grin from his face.

“This guy was talking a mile a minute. He didn’t hear what you were saying aside from you needing to run for your life apparently,” Kingston said, reaching for the brim of his baseball cap and turning it around slowly.

And there were the flutters that I was hoping would come from Jalen. They were in full force now. It came with the territory. Kingston was probably the best-looking guy I’d ever seen, so obviously he had this effect on women. I wasn’t immune to that just because we were friends or because he was my brother’s best friend.

Tall. Lean. Broad shoulders. Dark eyes that felt like they could see into my soul. He had plump lips and a chiseled jaw peppered with day-old scruff.

I mean, who wouldn’t swoon over this guy?

“You’re all right?” Cutler reached for my hand. “Because Uncle King will beat up all the bad guys for you.”

“You got that right, buddy. Saylor’s our girl.” He winked at me, and damn if my lady bits weren’t blazing now.

Maybe I do need to enter my dick era.

My hormones were clearly raging. It had been a while. And obviously, they were ready to come out and play.

“I’m fine, but thank you both.”

“All right, we’re going to grab some burgers, and then we’re heading over to visit Grammie.”

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