The Sinful King (Naughty Royals 1)

Another reporter started to direct a question toward me, and Pierre interrupted him.

“Please direct your questions to the king,” Pierre said. “Adeline declined questions and she has answered plenty for you. You’ll have to wait until she’s ready to sit down with you formally.”

After that, they left me alone and continued firing questions at Elias. Aramis started talking to me about his apartment, which was apparently in the same building. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to distract me from my nerves or if he genuinely wanted to talk, but I appreciated it nonetheless. When the reporters left the room, Pierre informed me that a stylist would be bringing me dresses and casual wear for the events we had lined up the rest of the week.

Chapter 35

“What’s wrong with my own clothes?” I asked Pierre.

The stylist brought beautiful evening dresses, and those I would definitely use if necessary, but I didn’t want to wear fancy clothes to visit families that could barely afford food.

“Queens wear pencil skirts and conservative dresses,” he said. “Not ripped jeans.”

“I’m not a queen.” I grinned.

“Yet.” He raised an eyebrow.

My grin was wiped off and dominated by the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Yet? I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I loved Elias. Loved. But to give up my life for this life? What would I do? Sit around here like I’d been doing the last two days while he went off to meet with the cabinet and work? I’d done enough sitting around in the beach house and I’d been so bad at it that I’d remodeled my uncle’s bookstore. I walked out of the room and headed to the kitchen, where the cook, Sheriff, was serving lunch.

“I don’t think you understand that every pair of eyes will be on you. There will be reporters there,” Pierre said. “You can’t wear cheap jeans and a T-shirt.”

“First of all.” I stopped walking and faced him. “My jeans are designer. They just happen to have holes in them.”

“You paid money for those holes?” He frowned. “Why?”

“You’re an idiot.” I laughed. “Seriously, let me do this my way. I’ll change into jeans with no holes in them if you want.”

“I don’t know.” He raised the clipboard in his hand. “I have a checklist and it specifies pencil skirts and dresses below the knee.”

“Are you . . . let me see that checklist.” I took the clipboard from his hands and looked at the list. “I have to put my hair in a bun? Why?”

“How the hell should I know? I’ve never helped a woman dress before.”

“Are you hitting on my girlfriend again, Pierre?”

I smiled wide at the sound of Elias’s voice and walked quickly to the hallway, watching as he folded the sleeves of his button-down up his forearms. He smiled when he saw me and kissed me as I walked up to him.

“Missed you.”

“Missed you too.” I kissed him again and again and again. When I pulled away, I pointed at Pierre. “This isn’t going to work. You need to take him with you next time.”

“I thought you’d like having a friend here.” Elias chuckled. “What’d you do, Pierre?”

“You left me in charge of an impossible woman. I did nothing.”

“Impossible?” I gasped. “He wants me to wear a dress or a pencil skirt to those people’s houses today.”

“She wants to wear what she’s wearing now.” Pierre shot a pointed look at Elias.

Elias gave me a once-over. “What’s wrong with what she’s wearing? She looks sexy as fuck.”

“Of course you’d say that.” Pierre shook his head. “And I’m not saying she doesn’t.” He raised a hand and laughed. “And I’m not saying she does. Fucking hell, I can’t say anything anymore.”

“I said I’d change into jeans with no holes in them if that makes him more comfortable, but I don’t think wearing a Saint Laurent dress is going to be welcome. I would hate me if I walked into their houses like that.”

“She has a point.” Elias kissed the top of my head. “Maybe we should both wear jeans.”

“The checklist—” Pierre took the clipboard back from me and held it up.

“Oh my gosh, fuck the checklist,” I said. “We’ll wear jeans. Eli can wear the button-down he’s wearing so it’ll look semi-formal.”

“That is not semi-formal,” Pierre said. “The minute you put jeans on it becomes informal.”

“Listen, Soldier,” I said. “I promise you jeans are fine.”

“Let’s just do whatever Addie wants to do,” Elias said.

“You better never say that in public.” Pierre shook his head. “I swear love equates castration.”

“Fuck you.” Elias laughed loudly.

“At least you’re in a good mood all the time these days,” Pierre said as he walked away with his stupid clipboard.

“It’s because I’m truly happy.” Elias hugged me and turned to me. I smiled up at him, hugging his hips. “Are you sure you’re ready for today?”