Page 78 of Forbidden King (Magnolia Falls)

“Do you think that losing your parents the way you did is the reason that you don’t do relationships?” I asked, because what did I have to lose at this point?

He didn’t respond for several seconds, and I wondered if I’d pushed too far. “I don’t know. I do like to keep things light. According to Ruby, who loves to get inside my head”—he laughed—“learning at a young age how quickly someone can be taken from you could potentially cause someone to be hesitant about going too deep with someone in the future. But I’m in deep with my grandmother and my friends and you.”

“Well, you won’t go too deep with me.” I stared out the window.

“That’s not true, Dandelion. I don’t think I’ve ever gone deeper with another person than I have with you.”

His words hit me hard. I hadn’t expected that.

“I know.” I shrugged as I took in all the wildflowers covering the field in front of me. “But taking things further is something you aren’t willing to do.”

“I’ve already crossed the line so many times with you, I’m not sure where the line is anymore.” He cleared his throat, staring straight ahead. “I understand why Hayes would be angry.”

I rolled my eyes. “And why is that? It shouldn’t be any of his business.”

“You’re wrong about that, Saylor. Half the reason I love him so damn much is because of the way he is with you. You deserve that type of love, and you didn’t get it from your parents. He stepped up. And he knows my track record. He knows that if I ever went there with you and fucked it up, it would be over for me and him. If I hurt you, he couldn’t be in my life.”

“You would never hurt me, King. You’ve always been there for me.”

“Because we haven’t gone there. You deserve someone who loves you and knows how to treat you right. You deserve the prince on the white horse.” He glanced over at me, dark eyes filled with emotion.

He was so damn hard on himself.

“That’s the thing. I’m not looking for a prince on a white horse. I don’t need to be saved or rescued. And to be honest, I just got out of a long relationship, and it wasn’t a great one. Grahame never made me his priority, but at the same time, he was overbearing and possessive. I was always explaining myself, and dealing with his jealousy was exhausting. I’m not looking to get into anything serious. Maybe I just want to have some fun.”

“I do bring the fun,” he said, his voice gruff and sexy.

“You sure do. I’m not looking to jump back into a relationship. I’m young. I’m single. And I like hanging out with you.”

“I like hanging out with you, too,” he said as he pulled down my street.

When he put the car in park in my driveway, I turned to face him. He looked serious now, like he was struggling with something.

“It’s fine, King. I get it. You can’t go there. Thanks for going with me today. If you want to have some phone sex later, give me a call.”

We were both laughing as I reached for the door handle, but his fingers wrapped around my wrist to stop me.

“Maybe I’m not ready to say goodbye just yet.”

I raised a brow. “Neither am I. What do you have in mind?”

“The sun’s about to go down. You want to go for a swim in the lake?”

My breath hitched, and I nodded.

The sunset, cool water, and a half-naked Kingston.

Yes, please.

twenty

Kingston

What the fuckwas I doing? I should have just driven away. But I didn’t want to.

We’d spent so much time together now that I was thinking about her when I wasn’t with her.

And I was wrestling with it all the fucking time.

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