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I move over an inch, keeping my eyes off him, trying to ice him out, and I shrug. “What if I don’t want to go? I have reading to do.”

“But you’ve already read this,” he says, brushing his arm against mine, and he plucks the book in my hand and places it face-down on my lap. “Apparently, you can recite every word.”

My body is acutely aware of his hands resting on my thigh, dangerously close to parts he shouldn’t be touching.

My eyes find his. “And so, apparently, can you.”

He smirks, and I wonder if he knows what I am hinting at. He leans over, and my stomach fills with heat as his hot breath tickles my ear.

“Come on, London King,” he whispers in a lascivious voice. “I want to see what you’re made of.”

I force myself to keep his eye contact and his attention is directed at my mouth, at the lip I’m biting. It’s intense and my pulse surges, and I hope he doesn’t notice the effect he’s having on me.

I keep my eyes on his full lips, scared to move in case he presses them into mine. He might, that’s how close he is, and then I’d kiss him back, and he’d win.

I gesture to his friends, trying to control my heart rate. “Be careful, Maison,” I murmur, “your girlfriend might not be too happy that you’re talking to me right now.”

I’m flirting now—or, at least, I’m attempting to, even though I’m terrible at it—but Maison makes it so easy. Nigel’s presence is heavy in the corner—no doubt watching this entire interaction. Maison seems disinterested in him as he hasn’t even so much as acknowledged my friends.

He angles his head and keeps his hand firmly planted on my leg. “Who, Serena? Nah, she’s just a friend. I don’t have a girlfriend, London.”

I let out a quiet exhale and run my hands through my hair, guilt-ridden for how happy him saying that makes me. He’s single and available.

It will make what I’m trying to do easier.

My head quirks and brow arches. “I meant Naomi. I’m pretty sure I saw her legs wrapped around you in English class. From the way your hands were positioned on her, it looked like you two are close… or did she not realize it was not her boyfriend’s lap she was sitting on?”

Ha. Let him chew on that for a second.

I can’t help but smile as he pulls his hands off my thigh and frowns.

Guilty as sin.

“Naomi isn’t his girlfriend, either, London.” My ears prickle. Not from the words, but from the way he says it… Naomi was around during the Olivia era. Her involvement with Micah has something to do with all this; I can feel it in my gut.

“Does she know that?” I ask him, keeping my voice tight.

He shrugs. “He’s into her at the moment, but Naomi is the type of girl who will flock to whoever she thinks is on top. Right now, that’s Micah, but he will tire of her eventually, like he does with all girls.”

My eyebrows arch. “What do you mean, tire of girls?” His eyes flash, and I press my lips together, instantly regretting my words.

It’s enough, and he reacts, quirking his head. “What’s your story, London King?”

I fold my arms on my lap and stare at him. “My story?”

“Yeah, your story. Where did you come from?” A slow smile spreads on his face as I fidget in my seat. “What? Am I not allowed to ask questions about you?”

He’s avoiding my question now. This isn’t getting anywhere.

I dip my chin and turn away from him. “My story is none of your business, so please leave me alone, Maison. Unlike you, I don’t have any prospects for athletic scholarships. I have to get into school the old-fashioned way. So right now, I have to read this book and write this paper.”

That wasn’t nice… especially since I’m sure he’s not used to girls not drooling over him.

He leans in closer, every movement so composed and confident. “So you are allowed to write an article about me in your little newsletter, but I don’t have the permission to know anything about you? That hardly seems fair.”

I press my lips together. “That’s the benefit of being me. Nobody cares about the person behind the words, so I get to stay invisible. You’re the one that matters, the one people want to see and talk about.”

All those stories I read about them—the social posts, the gossip I found online, the speculation and intrigue, the whole town centers on these brothers.