“She’s all yours.”
“Thank you,” I mumble, feeling my cheeks burn again.
She leaves the bathroom before I can stop her. I hope Lief catches her on the way out and asks the favor I’d planned.
“Hey, Aurelio. Come help me, will you?”
“Uh…can’t you get dressed yourself?” I ask.
“I’m giving you a very small window opportunity, dumbass.”
“Oh. I see.”
I practically run behind the changing screen, finding Alessia only half-dressed. She stands there confidently in her undergarments, her left hand on her hip, a slight smirk on her face. Mischief flashes through those electrifying eyes as I gaze at her.
“Careful, now. I said you only get a small window of opportunity,” Alessia says.
“I’m not touching anything!” I promise, holding my hands up in a gesture of innocence. “See? No touching!”
“Aw, that’s too bad. I was kind of hoping you would touch.”
I think my knees are going to give out on me if she teases me any more. Gulping, I take the skirt and cropped shirt Alessia hands me and struggle over which one I should put on her first. I eventually pick the shirt, which is the same one she wore on our date to the countryside a couple weeks back. I don’t dare to breathe as I pull it carefully over her head, taking care to make sure it doesn’t wrinkle or catch on her bra.
“Man, you’re far too gentle, Aurelio,” Alessia muses.
The moment I let go of her shirt, she seizes my hands, puts them under her shirt, and places them over her breasts. Even though they’re covered by a bra, my whole body lights up from the sensation, and my blood is pumping to all the wrong places already.
“Alessia, what are you doing?” I squeak.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m taking what I want,” she says.
With permission granted, I touch her a little more, enjoying the heavenly expression that crosses Alessia’s face in the wake of my touch. I’m very gentle with her, and I don’t push her against the wall, even though all my instincts are telling me to do so. Instead, I lean my forehead against hers, enjoying the tiny gasps that I’m getting out of her.
“You can do my skirt now,” she whispers.
I don’t hesitate this time. I grab her skirt, but when I have her step into it, I take my time kissing the back of her legs, moving up inch by inch as I pull up her skirt to the curve of her ass, where I leave some more kisses. Alessia’s eyes are brighter than ever when I step back in front of her, my hands lingering around her waist.
“Was that what you wanted?” I ask.
“More than what I wanted,” she replies.
I grin from ear to ear. “Good. Now, then, if you’ll come with me, I’d like to take you somewhere.”
Alessia raises a brow. “Where to?”
“A special somewhere. Within the palace grounds, of course.”
I offer my hand, and Alessia takes it.
Chapter twenty-one
Alessia
Igaze out at the crowd, unphased by the thousands of people gathered before me. Their chatter swells in volume as more and more people gather in the city center. Up on my platform above the crowd, it’s a little quieter here, but my ears still ring from all the noise. This has to be the largest turnout for a public address in a long time.
I look to my left at Aurelio, who’s dressed in his finest three-piece suit, the same one he wore at the Wedding Ball. It sharpens his appearance, adding edges and shadows that only heighten his attractiveness. His jawline is more visible than ever, and his eyes are brighter and stunning compared to the jet-black of his suit coat.
Meanwhile, I’m finally freed from the shackles of the royal advisors’ wardrobe decisions. Instead of that gods-awful sparkly red dress, I’m in a gorgeous blue and white long sleeve shirt and bright white pants. The blues and whites of my shirt swirl together like cresting waves on the surface of the ocean, tones that compliment my eye color, I found, when I double checked in the mirror earlier today. Mina insisted on tying my hair back into a braid, and I’m glad she did, because it’s quite hot out here under the oppressive sun. It’s high noon on a summer day in the heart of Celestia. It’s our rainy season, but it’s not very rainy today; instead, we get the added bonus of high humidity as the sun dries last night’s rain.
