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Leo tilted his head to the side, staring at me like I was adorable. “He’s noticed Atticus is spending more time with you. You both have grown closer. August is like a dog pissing on his territory.”
I shook my head. “Certainly not…”
Leo dropped my arm and cupped my cheeks. We stood in the middle of the hallway, gazing at one another with thick tension swirling around us. “You deserve chocolate and compliments, Christine. A romantic date, a sweet first kiss by your mother’s favorite roses. You deserve patience. You deserve a man who won’t give another man the opportunity to get close to you.”
I swallowed and his eyes lingered on my neck. “I do?”
“Of course you do. I hope you get that one day. I think about it often.”
I reached up to wrap my nimble fingers around his wrist, feeling so small against his towering frame. “What else do you think about?”
He let out a soft sigh before releasing me and taking a step back. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the space. “I think about getting you far, far away from this kingdom.”
“Why?”
Leo stared at the king’s bedroom door for a lingering moment before turning back to me. “You’re too good for this place.”
“I don’t think—”
“You are. I will be right outside. If you need anything, let me know.”
We both knew that Leo couldn’t defy his king—not without losing his job. Whatever King Frederick wanted, I was forced to submit.
He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest as I raised my fist to knock on the door. For one moment, I looked over my shoulder at Leo, his green eyes trained on me, as if he was taking in every inch of my appearance. The corner of my mouth lifted. “Hey, Leo?” I said.
“Yes, Lady Christine.”
“Thank you for being a good friend. I know I can always count on you.”
Chapter Four
“Come in,” the king said. When I walked into his royal bedchamber, I was greeted by the sight of him sitting on a velvet chair with gold accents. His legs were crossed, and he had a nightcap of whiskey in his hand.
I wasn’t expecting to see him dressed in pajamas with a red velvet robe draped over his shoulders. The cushioned slippers on his feet were navy blue with the royal crest embroidered onto them. It was highly unusual and extremely inappropriate to see him this way.
I bowed, as was custom when being summoned by the king, but I felt wrong showing him any submission. “Your majesty,” I greeted.
“You’re eighteen now, correct? Celebrated your birthday a couple of months ago.”
I nodded. “January thirteenth.”
“I knew your father well, you know. He was one of the few bloody fools I could trust in this kingdom. We shared the same vision. The same ideals.”
My stomach churned uncomfortably. “He spoke very highly of you, your majesty.”
He took a slow sip of his whiskey, savoring the flavor while I hung in suspense. “May he rest in peace.”
I looked down at my feet, which seemed to please King Frederick, because when I looked back up at him, he was smirking. “You’re such a weak little girl. You need a firm hand to keep you in line.”
“Have I displeased you, your majesty?”
“Not at all. In fact, you’ve pleased me greatly as of late.” He stood up and shoved his hands into the pockets of his silk pajamas, and I saw the outline of his hand rubbing his stiff cock. Warning bells went off in my mind. “I always found it quite burdensome when my wife decided to take you in. I saw how you made my son weak. How he coddled you. But I finally found a use for you.”
“I don’t understand,” I choked out.
“Lord Geralt is a good man. Good breeding. Impressive connections and a considerable bank account. You’ve caught his eye, Miss Abernathy.”
My chest constricted. “I have?”
