Page 83 of Bloody Royals

Atticus and I were damning. There was something about him that drew me in. Even though I knew it was wrong. Even though it was impossible.

“Do you need help getting dressed, Little Monster?” he rasped.

I licked my lip and he eyed it with desire. “Please?” I replied, craving the feel of his skilled hands on me.

He leaned closer and breathed me in. “Of course.”

Yes. I wanted this. I needed this. Fuck that damn text.

Then, Atticus snapped away from me, cutting the tension in the air in an instant. “Leo!” His bellowing voice stunned me.

The door opened and I quickly held the garment up to my chest to hide myself as the guard who held me as I cried last night stormed inside. “Everything okay?” he asked before glancing at me.

I looked at Atticus, wondering what in the hell he was playing at. “Everything is lovely. Christine needs help getting into her dress.”

Leo’s cheeks turned red and I watched him scan me before looking back at Atticus. “I can fetch one of her attendants.”

Atticus was quick to respond. “That won’t be necessary. Come help her.”

Leo’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t think—”

“Come. Help. Her.” Atticus’s words left no room for arguing.

Leo slowly and reluctantly shut the door behind him before walking over to me, his chest rising and falling dramatically as he rolled his shoulders back. I drank in the sight of him in his uniform. His hair was tossed in a messy bun on top of his head, and the veins in his hands stuck out as he reached for the dress. “Yes, Lady Abernathy,” he said softly.

I moved to stand in front of my floor-length mirror, and Atticus smiled to himself as he sat down in one of my chairs, crossing his legs as he continued to stare at me. Leo got the dress off the hanger and walked over to me. We moved like two fumbling teens, with me holding his shoulder as he knelt for me to step inside of it. The soft material was silky against my skin, and when he pulled it up, I realized this gown was far too revealing for a royal event.

The straps were incredibly thin, and the stomach was mesh, showing off my toned stomach. The completely backless dress showed off the lingerie Atticus made me wear, and there was a slit that went all the way up to my hip.

“I can’t wear this,” I mused. Leo gulped while staring at me, his twitchy fingers dancing at his side.

“I don’t know. It’s definitely a statement piece, don’t you think, Leo?” Atticus said.

Leo nodded silently, not daring to speak what his mind was thinking. I ached to hear his true thoughts. He was always so secretive about his feelings for me. Pushing me away. Putting distance between us.

“The royal publicist would have my head,” I said with an awkward laugh.

Atticus leaned forward in his seat, like he wanted to be nearer to me. “Tell me, Leo. Does the back look like it fits right? Run your finger down the seam along her skin. I want to make sure it’s secure.”

My breath hitched, and I expected Leo to protest, to argue that Atticus was being unreasonable. But instead, he closed the small distance between us and did as he asked. The moment he touched me, my nerves lit up. I felt the sensuous way he trailed his index finger down from the strap all the way to my lower back. I chewed on my bottom lip because it was nearly impossible to keep from squirming.

“It fits well. Perfectly,” Leo grunted.

“Good. Well, we can save that for another time. Why don’t you pick the next one to try on, Christine?”

I nodded and went over to the rack, finding a black gown that looked gorgeous. The detailing in the bodice caught my eye. It looked like an elegant wedding gown that had been dyed black. Shimmering diamonds were sewn into it, making it look like the night sky. “This one,” I said.

“Good choice.”

I slipped out of the red dress without any assistance and tossed it on the bed. Leo helped me step into the black dress, this time moving a bit more confidently than before, though there was still anticipation in the air. Even though he hadn’t said a word, I could feel the way he looked for an excuse to touch me. How his eyes lingered on the curve of my breast. My stomach tightened as we pulled the dress up, and he moved to my back to tighten the corset bodice.

“Beautiful,” Atticus said while standing up. He moved over to my front and inspected the gown while Leo was behind me, tying up each lace with precision. “Do you like this one, Little Monster?”

He stood at my side while I inspected the gown in the mirror.

And it was stunning.

The bottom of the dress was fluffy tulle, but the top was sinfully tight. Leo dragged his knuckles down my spine as he tightened the corset, making my breasts sit up higher in the gown.

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