Page 55 of Forbidden King (Magnolia Falls)

The bookstore opening had gone off without a hitch, and I’d sold far more books than I’d anticipated, which meant I’d need to check inventory and restock items this week.

I’d had an emotional outburst with King, followed by the sexiest kiss of my life.

A girl could only handle so much in one day.

I poured a hearty glass of chardonnay and made my way to the bathroom and turned off the water. I placed my wineglass and phone on the little table beside the freestanding bathtub. The smell of my lavender bath salts filled the room as I stripped down and tied my hair up in a messy knot on top of my head. I slipped into the hot water and groaned at how good it felt.

I thought about my conversation with King. About how I was done settling for anyone who didn’t want me to be their priority. I thought about how much my relationship with my biological father had affected my life. I resented him for it, but a part of me still wished for a relationship with him. I wanted to know my other siblings, too.

My father had reached out to congratulate me when I graduated from college. I had stopped trying, and now it seemed like he was making more of an effort. He lived just one town over in South Clarita Hills, and he’d asked if I’d be willing to meet for lunch, but I hadn’t answered yet. Hayes wanted nothing to do with him, and I understood it, even if I didn’t feel the same. I’d learned to have boundaries to protect my heart where my father was concerned. Hell, I had to have boundaries with both of my parents, which was a hard pill to swallow. Even as a young kid, I’d learned to be cautious when it came to my parents.

I’d never had the kind of security that most kids experienced with their parents. All of the security I’d known had come from Hayes. He’d always been the one at every sporting event. The one who met me after school and made sure I got home. My parents had never been there for me. But I’d learned to take care of myself, with the support of my brother.

My anger dissipated as I thought about Hayes asking Kingston to watch out for me.

He cared. How could I fault him for loving me and being the best brother?

My phone vibrated on the table beside me, and I grabbed the little towel there and dried my hand before seeing King’s name light up on the screen.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

I chuckled and reached for the glass of wine beside me, taking a sip before setting it back down. “I’m soaking in a hot bath with a glass of wine. How about you?”

“Did you purposely just tell me that you’re naked? Are you trying to kill me?”

“You asked. I answered.” My teeth sank into my bottom lip. “Did you take a cold shower?”

“Yep. It didn’t help.”

My heart raced a bit as I thought about how to answer.

“Do you need a hand? I could talk you through it,” I said, and my voice was all tease.

“It’s not nice to fuck with a man in severe discomfort, Dandelion.”

“I’m not messing with you. I’m offering assistance. It’s harmless. We wouldn’t be touching one another. We’d just be talking. The rest would be nothing more than what happened in your bathroom the other day. You would just know that I was there this time.”

He cleared his throat. “It would have to work both ways. You all right with that?”

I reached for my glass and took another sip of wine.

It would have to work both ways.

I could live with that. I’d never done anything like this before, but I wanted to see where it would go.

“Sure.” I tried hard to keep my voice even. “It’s been a long day. I wouldn’t mind taking the edge off.”

“Do you touch yourself often?” he asked, his voice gruff.

“As often as I need to. How about you?”

“Every fucking day. Multiple times a day. Especially lately, since I’ve been abstaining from sex.”

“And you’re abstaining from sex because you’re attracted to your best friend’s sister and won’t act on it?”

“Correct,” he said, with no hesitation.

“It sounds ridiculous when you think about it.”

---