Page 60 of Forbidden King (Magnolia Falls)

“I’m fine. Don’t be ridiculous.” She put the key in the door and tripped as she tried to walk inside, and I caught her again.

I was done with this, so I turned her around, bent down, and tossed her over my shoulder fireman-style, as she burst out into a fit of hysterical laughter.

Saylor Woodson was a fun drunk, no doubt about it. But I didn’t want her falling over when she’d be staying here alone. I knew Ruby had gone home with River, so I kicked the door closed behind me and walked her down the hall toward her bedroom. I dropped her onto the bed, and she smiled up at me. Her crop top and skirt both managed to ride up higher than they’d been just a few seconds ago. I could see the lace of her panties, and I cleared my throat before yanking her skirt down.

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, and she smiled. “Sorry about that. I’m fine, really. I just get a little clumsy when I drink.”

“I know you do. That’s why I wanted to make sure I got you home safely.”

“Thanks.” She looked away before turning back to me. “That was pretty sexy what we did the other night. Phone sex is my new favorite thing.”

“Ahhh… first-timer, huh?”

“Yep. Never thought it would be my thing. But I think everything is my thing when it comes to you,” she said, before springing forward and kissing my cheek. “I’ve got to go brush my teeth and get my jammies on. Do you want to go now or wait till I come out?”

“You go do your thing, and I’ll grab you some water and a pain reliever, and once you’re tucked in, I’ll head out.”

“Fine. But for the record, I like forbidden King more than protective King.” She fluttered toward her bathroom like some sort of goddamn fairy.

I went to her kitchen and poured her a glass of water and found the Tylenol in a cabinet with the vitamins. I walked back to her room and set it down on her nightstand. I pulled her white-and-pink floral comforter down and tossed the ridiculous amount of decorative pillows covering her bed onto the floor. Something caught my eye from beneath her pillow that was lying at the head of the bed. The corner of a piece of fabric that I recognized immediately. I pulled it out, and my chest pounded.

The blanket I’d loved as a kid had been tucked beneath her fucking pillow all these years later.

I unfolded it, and right there in the other corner was the faded outline of my handprint I’d drawn for her.

She’d held onto it all this time.

fifteen

Saylor

I glancedin the mirror one last time and smiled. My teeth were clean. My face was washed. My cute purple stretchy headband with a bow at the top held my hair back as I applied moisturizer to my skin.

I looked down at my thin tank top and tiny shorts and shrugged. He’d seen me in a swimsuit more times than I could count. This had more coverage than that did.

I was definitely sobering up, but I still had the slightest buzz running through my body.

I pulled the door open and stopped when I found Kingston sitting on the edge of my bed, holding my favorite blanket in his hands.

Well, it was his favorite blanket first.

“You aren’t going to try to steal that back from me, are you?”

He looked up, his dark gaze locking with mine, before he raked his eyes down my body, slowly devouring every inch of me.

“No. Just surprised you still have it.”

I walked toward him, and he held up the two pain relievers, and I popped them into my mouth before taking the glass from his hand.

“Thank you. And of course, I still have it. It’s what I fall asleep with every night.”

“You still have nightmares?” His voice was low and full of emotion.

I set the glass down and dropped to sit next to him. “No. Not very often. But I tuck my hand into yours every night, just like we did all those years ago. It’s how I like to fall asleep.”

He reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers, smiling. My stomach fluttered, and I tried to act unaffected.

But his nearness overwhelmed me.

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