Page 72 of Royally Tempted

“No, of course not,” she said fiercely. “He was actually really sweet.”

I let her let it out, feeling the weird mix of excited and protective as she told me about Magnus. Hell, maybe this was a night of leaving reputations behind?

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me who, you bitch,” Imogen finally muttered.

I gave her a sheepish look. “I’m sorry, I just…”

I trailed off.

“Who!”

“It’s…scandalous,” I whispered. I knew at some point I would tell her, but not yet. I couldn’t. I was still wrapping my head around the fact that I was falling fortwoguys.

“Fine, be like that,” she pouted back. “You’re terrible.” She sighed. “Hey, have you seen Isla? Or Adele for that matter?”

I shook my head. “No I was—”

We both stopped, looked at each other, and blushed.

“Yeah, guess we lost track of them,” she said quietly.

“You don’t think she’s still dancing with PrinceLogan, do you?”

Imogen made a face. “God I can’t imagine she is. He scares me.”

“He’s also crazy hot.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Oh, he is, Im. In that dark tortured way. God I bet Isla is eating that up.”

We glanced at each other and grinned.

“She’s totally still dancing with him, isn’t she,” my sister laughed.

“Oh, totally. Hey we should get back in there.” I’d been gone forwaytoo long, and I knew it.

“I need to go— uh.” Imogen looked away. “I’m just going to freshen up in my room.”

“Imogen! No, I need you to help hide me when we’re back in the ballroom!”

Her brow went up, a smirk on her lips. “What, embarrassed about whatever you just did that you won’t tell me about?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

I wasn’t so much embarrassed about what I’ddoneso much as I was about how I’d look all red-faced and hair down coming back into that ball. I glanced back up at her, ready to beg her to come with me, when I heard footsteps. I looked up, and caught just a brief glimpse of Cade and Caspian coming down the hall, their heads down as they talked to each other.

“I have to go,now,” I said quickly. And I did. Not because I didn’t want to see them, but because I knew I’dcompletelylose my cool if they came up while I was talking to Imogen. I knew she’dtotallysee what was happening if that happened.

“Please come back to the ball soon,” I quickly added, before running off, my heart racing and my body already yearning for them again.

* * *

“Oh, honey.”

I gasped at the voice right behind me the second I stepped into the ballroom. I jumped, turning around to come face-to-face with a stern-faced girl with dark black hair, sharp eyes, and lips thinned as she glared at me.

“You’re just their type, now aren’t you?”

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