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Atticus leaned in and brushed his lips along the slope of my neck. “You look delicious, Christine. Such a shame it’s all for August. A dress like this should be enjoyed by all.”
I shivered at his words. “I was just trying to do the right thing,” I whispered so softly Leo leaned even closer at my back to hear. They were both so close. It was driving me mad to have their undivided attention.
“Since when do monsters do the right thing, hmm?” Atticus asked, his lips migrating to my jaw. He peppered soft kisses there. “Monsters take all the pleasures they desire.” He wrapped his hand around my waist and dug his fingers into me. “They claim without remorse or shame.”
What was he suggesting?
“All done,” Leo choked out, ending the tense moment.
I rolled my shoulders back and spun around to face Leo, feeling bold. “What do you think?”
He eyed me, and I saw feral hunger in his green gaze. He wanted me, that much was evident. I could see it in the way his hooded eyes drank me in and in the steady rise and fall of his chest.
But he also wanted me to get the hell out of here. The last time we’d truly spoken, I’d run away, overwhelmed that I was leading him on.
“You’re…breathtaking, Christine… Augustus is a lucky man.”
Atticus chuckled. “August isn’t here right now, Leo. You’re the one tying up her dress, you’re the one standing just inches from her—close enough to touch. Are you going to spend the rest of your life in the shadows?”
Was Atticus encouraging this?
Why?
Leo opened and closed his mouth, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. I ached to know what was running through his mind. “I really need to get back to my post,” he finally forced out.
I tried not to feel the disappointment, but it still hit me like a crushing wave.
“Your loss,” Atticus said as Leo quickly scurried out of my suite, not even bothering to look back at me.
Once the door shut, I glared at Atticus. “What was that?” I asked.
Atticus shrugged. “A test.”
“A test? What the fuck, Atticus, that was cruel.”
He grinned and grabbed both my hips, forcing me to face him. “Cruel? I allowed him to see my monster in lingerie. I gave him a gift.”
I blushed at how brazenly he claimed me. “Why?”
Atticus pressed into me, and despite the thick gown, I could feel how hard he was. “I was curious about how he feels and wanted to know what he responds to. I think Leo needs someone to tell him what to do. The good little soldier likes following orders, and August and I like giving commands. I think the dynamic could work.”
I shook my head. “What are you even saying?”
He released his hold on my hip to tap my nose. “Nothing you need to worry about. But we do need to discuss that text.”
I slumped. “Atticus…I’m sorry, okay? I just…”
He gripped my back and tugged me close, his sprawling hand caging me in. “If you ever try to leave me again, I’ll tie you to my bed and make you scream my name until the whole castle hears. I’ll give you everything, Christine. Everything your beautiful heart desires. You want to go on a killing spree? I’ll line up men at your door. You want to share your heart with someone? I’ll rip mine from my fucking chest so you can see how it beats for you. I waited years for this. Watched you. Cared for you from afar. I’ve known since we were both teens that you were it for me. So don’t let something as fucking ridiculous as worrying what someone else will think get in my way. I’ll destroy them all if I have to.” I gaped at him for a moment, too stunned to speak. “Nod like a good girl so I know you understand.”
I did what anyone would do at that moment.
I nodded.
Chapter Twenty-Three
CHRISTINE
The smile on my face spread as I clenched my fist at my side. My mouth was dry, and I avoided licking my lips and ruining the red lipstick expertly painted on my pout. We were in a tunnel leading into the arena, and I could hear the crowd chanting in the stands.
