Page 50 of The King's Maiden

And since Kingston said he’d be waiting for me at the end, I assumed the time for me to explore what lay beneath his belt would be limited over the next month.

Which was good.

I’d already replayed our kiss about a hundred times in my head, and while it had been brief, it reinforced my first impression of him. What Kingston presented outwardly fell vastly short of everything he hid inside.

Whether that applied to other parts of him…

Best not to tempt myself to dig deeper and find out.

That left Landon, who could play my body and my emotions like a goddamn violin. Or that obnoxious fiddle in the song about the devil in Georgia. It played on an unavoidable loop in my head when I drove through the state to North Carolina, and similarly, I couldn’t exactly get away from Landon during The Quest.

But while I may be forced to interact with him—long enough to let Kingston’s appeal on his behalf sink in, at least—I didn’t have to give him access to my body or submit to anything involving his.

I couldand woulduse my safe words to keep him at bay.

Gia and I re-read the contract, and it prevented the Knights from doing anything if a Maiden saidI yield.So, I decided my limits had become a bit harder in the last week.

And if Landon couldn’t touch me?

Well, then, I didn’t have to worry about feeling anything for the moody, sadistic bastard.

“I’m seriously good, Gia. I’m going to make The Quest my bitch and come back with enough rent money to make it rain on you.”

I laid out my palm and swiped the other over it repeatedly, sending imaginary dollars into the air as I danced around her.

She laughed, her eyes wary, but she ultimately gave in and shook her hair out, running her hands over her face and body like rain was pouring down.

When our impromptu dance session ended, she pointed a finger at me. “Call me if you need anything. I’m serious. I’ll come get you immediately.”

I hugged her. “I know you will. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

I pulled my suitcase up to the wall and wrought-iron gate separating Camelot Court from the rest of Mosaic Falls. Pressing the button to buzz the intercom, I perched on top of my suitcase, my feet tapping out a random beat on the sidewalk as I waited. An odd whirring noise came from above me, the security camera on top of the wall rotating in my direction.

“Name?”

“Quinn Everly. I’m one of the Maidens.”

Silence followed. I tapped my fingers on the sides of my suitcase, stretching my calves and cracking my neck. My admittance through the gate sorely lacked the urgency from the Maiden Selection party—in that there was none. At all.

After a few minutes, I pressed the button again.

“Hello? Can you hear me? My name is Quinn Everly.” I gritted my teeth and begrudgingly claimed the broody asshole for myself. “Landon Scott’s Maiden. I’m here for The Quest.”

Static crackled.

“Your presence won’t be required anymore, Quinn Everly. You’re free to go.”

The sound cut off.

“What the?—”

I pressed the button again. But nothing happened. Staring up at the camera, I lifted my arms in a clearwhat the fuckgesture before pushing the button repeatedly.

After the amount of pep talks it had taken to go through with this, they planned to just dismiss me at the gate?

I hit the button again. And when there was still no response, I got pissed. “Oh, no fucking way.”

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