The Reigning and the Rule

by Calia Read

  Instantly, I freeze in place and stare at Étienne with shock. My pulse hammers wildly. The tip of his blade doesn’t come close to puncturing my skin, but the message is clear. Étienne has me where he wants me.

  “You came here to yell at me only about Asa and your family’s store?” Étienne questions.

  “Of course. You lied about two essential things.” I arch a brow. “Why else would I be here?”

  Étienne shrugs. “I’m not certain that’s what this”—he lifts his hand from his pants and gestures to the space between us—“is all about.”

  “Just shut up. Don’t tell me what I came here for. You don’t live inside my head.”

  “I know you better than you think. That makes you furious, doesn’t it?”

  Don’t take the bait. Do not take the bait! my mind warns.

  How can I not, though?

  “What makes me furious is how you do so much talking, but there are no actions behind your words.”

  Étienne’s eyes immediately narrow into thin slits. Bingo. I hit him where it hurts, though it was the wrong move on my part. His blade moves down a fraction. The top button on my shirt falls away and rolls onto the ground.

  Étienne winces. “Oops,” he says. “You lost a button. Chances are, if you move, you’ll lose another.”

  My body is positively vibrating with fury. “You are going to pay,” I vow.

  “I really don’t think I will. Didn’t you once say all is fair in love and war?”

  Damnit. This time, my eyes narrow into thin slits.

  “Now answer my question. Is this all just to punish me for being engaged to Scarlett?”

  Engaged and Scarlett are easily two words that trigger me. I exhale and toss my sword so it falls between us. At once, Étienne backs away, lowering his own weapon.

  I raise my hands, palms up. “I’m done. Fuck you, Étienne.” I turn and walk away. It was a mistake to come to Belgrave. Why did I think I was going to get any answers?

  “What’s wrong?” he taunts. “You came runnin’ up here, demandin’ to speak with me, and now you’re finished?”

  I wave him off. “Yep. That simple. We’re done with the conversation.”

  “How is this so easy for you to walk away from?”

  Stopping, I look over my shoulder at him. “You think this is easy for me?”

  “You’re the one walkin’ away. It appears that way to me.”

  “For a man who claims to know everything about me, you sure know nothing.”

  “Then tell me what you’re thinkin’!”

  “You want to know what I’m thinking?”

  “Yes,” Étienne says.

  Twisting around, I face him but stay where I’m at. “Fine. I’ll tell you. Right now, I’m thinking about the time you said you didn’t know how to share me with another man. Have you figured out a way?”

  Stubbornly, he remains quiet.

  “Have you?” I prod.

  “No.”

  The snort that slips out of my mouth is anything but pleasant. “That’s what I thought.”

  “I can’t share you because I love you. And you love me too. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

  I’m so angry, I walk to him, grab his sword, and toss it to the ground. It lands next to mine. “I’m up here because you deceived me.”

  “If you think keepin’ you in my time translates into deceivin’ you, then yes, I deceived you.”

  I’m so angry I jab my finger into his chest. “I was at a stopgap for weeks, and you let me sit there like an idiot, knowing full well where Asa was while also having information about my family’s company.”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to let you go,” he admits on a ragged whisper.

  My hand moves away from his chest. At the last second, Étienne reaches out and holds me.

  “Let go.” I jerk back, but he holds on.

  “No.”

  “Étienne, I’m serious,” I warn.

  “So am I.”

  If my body radiates outrage, his emanates passion. The heat in his eyes feels almost the same as direct skin contact.

  “Ask me if I love you.”

  I’m so angry I don’t think twice as I shove him off. He stumbles back, refusing to remove his hands. I careen forward, trying to keep as much distance between him and me, yet miserably failing.

  Stubbornly, I shake my head. “No.”

  I’m so angry I shove him until his back hits the wall because his body is intimate to me and my heart can’t get enough. I capture his face between my hands, then my fingers curl into his hair, yank his head down, and bring his lips to mine because I hate to love, and love to hate him.

  When I first came back here, and we kissed, I was unprepared. The second time, I was ready. It was deceitful.

  This time, it’s angry. And passionate. Deep.

  Slow down, I think to myself. Take a deep breath.

  Judging from how I’m pressed against him and bite down on his lip to beg entrance into his mouth, you’d think I haven’t seen him in years. But the scent of him is seductive, wrapping around me like a strong embrace and encouraging me to clutch Étienne even tighter.

  Étienne groans. For a second, his hands plunge into my hair. There’s a small tug of the ribbon being pulled from my hair and then the wild strands falling into Étienne’s waiting hands. He deepens the kiss, his tongue moving against mine. His giant hands curl around my shoulders as I rub myself against him, and then drag down my back before they cup my ass. This time, it’s me who lets out a groan.

  “Closer,” Étienne says against my lips. He presses my ass closer and grinds his hard length against me. If I wasn’t wet before, I am now.

  “Any closer and I’ll be a part of you,” I say between kisses.

  “If only that were possible,” he pants as he pulls my shirt from the skirt and begins working on my belt.

  My hands are less steady as I undo the buttons of his shirt. I’m halfway finished when Étienne slides the last button on my blouse free. The material parts, and my bra is revealed to Étienne’s greedy eyes. His large hands cup my breasts. Without a corset, I’m hardly spilling out of my bra, but I easily fill his hands. His thumbs brush across the upper slope, eliciting a shiver from me. My chest begins to heave, and my nipples go into hard points.

  “I’ve been wonderin’ what you were wearin’ underneath your clothes since the moment you barged in...” he says, kissing along the column of my neck.

  “How romantic,” I croon. My palms settle against Étienne’s pecs, and none too gently, I drag my fingernails down his chest.

  “Closer,” he repeats.

  “I’m not finished. I need to—”

  Abruptly, my words are cut off as Étienne picks me up. Instinctively, my legs wrap around his waist like a coiled snake. There’s a telltale noise of material ripping. Air touches my left thigh. I look down and see a tear traveling up my new skirt.

  “Shit. I liked this skirt,” I say, pulling one hand away from his back to touch the torn material.

  “It’s okay,” he pants as he kisses his way down my neck. “I’ll buy you another one. I’ll buy you everything you desire. Just let me keep you forever.” His words cause my eyes to close. My grip around his neck tightens.

  He takes several steps across the ballroom. I open my eyes in time to see him sit on one of the two chairs in the ballroom. It’s placed in the far corner of the massive space. Directly in front of us is a potted plant. If someone were to walk in, the plant would camouflage our bodies for a few seconds.

  As Étienne makes himself comfortable on the chair, he also resettles me on his lap as if I weigh nothing. I glance down at the chair and realize it’s the same chair I gave him a glorified lap dance on, straddled him on two years ago. Now it’s the chair I’m going to fuck him on.

  How apropos to our messed up relationship.

  Just minutes ago, I wanted to kill him. But the line between love and hate is perilous. So very thin t
hat if you’re not careful, you can easily fall on the wrong side.

  Étienne slides his pants down his hips. His dick springs free, hard and ready. Veins run beneath the velvety skin before they disappear toward the tip. I stand on my feet momentarily to hike my skirt up. I start to move my underwear to the side, but Étienne growls impatiently, curling his hand around the thin material and ripping them off.

  With one hand on his shoulder, I settle directly above his cock and wrap my other hand around him. I stroke him a few times. He closes his eyes and sucks in a sharp breath, but the minute I brush the head of him between my legs, his eyes flash open. I repeat this process over and over until my breath is coming in small pants.

  Slowly, he fills me. The first few seconds have me gasping. It’s been so damn long. I hold his gaze as I stretch around him. Étienne breathes in through his nose. I concentrate on taking my time, but it’s almost unbearable.

  My head kicks back. The strands of my hair graze my lower back as I move my hips slowly until he’s thoroughly embedded in me. Both my hands grip his back for balance. I rotate my hips.

  Étienne sucks in a sharp breath. “You can’t move like that.”

  I slowly glide up. My pussy clings to every inch of him. “Scarlett doesn’t do this?”

  He groans and watches me through hooded eyes. “I haven’t been...with her.”

  I pause, my breathing growing labored. “Have you fucked anyone?”

  His hands grip handfuls of my torn skirt as he looks up at me. Heat flares there.

  He won’t admit it, certainly won’t acknowledge it, but I know it turns him on when I speak so bluntly to him.

  “Have you?” he counters.

  I lean in until our noses brush and pivot my hips. Étienne groans. “God, no,” I say.

  “Seems we’re on the same page,” he replies. His lips graze mine for the barest of seconds before I pull away from him. My knees brush against his thighs as I move up and down achingly slow. It’s torture for the both of us, but every time I come back down, the groan that escapes Étienne’s mouth fills me with pleasure. That and the knowledge he hasn’t been with anyone for two years makes this even better.

  If bodies were kingdoms, his would be mine.

  Mine, mine, mine.

  I reign over him, and he reigns over mine.

  My legs begin to ache from the movement, but there’s not a chance I’m stopping.

  Unable to resist, I rise up until the very tip of him remains inside me. The friction building between us is almost too much for me to bear. My eyes stay glued to his face. Étienne’s chest begins to heave. I know it’s taking all of his willpower not to take control. That is the exhilarating component drawing the two of us together—we both love the authority and the power.

  Sweat travels down my neck and trails down my chest. Étienne watches the action. He slips one hand beneath the back of my shirt. The other jerks down a part of my bra, revealing my breast. His lips latch onto my nipple. I sigh and feel warmth spread through me. When he flicks the tip with his tongue, I nearly lose my balance and fall off the chair.

  Étienne removes his mouth with a resounding pop. His hands move in the direction of my other breast, but I stop him from going any further. My nails dig into his shoulders; I can’t wait much longer.

  “Fuck me,” I demand.

  Even though I’m on top, Étienne’s hands slip under my skirt and cup my ass. He finds a perfect rhythm that has me completely letting go. My moans intertwine with Étienne’s loud groans. Together, the animalistic noises bounce off the walls, and even when our mouths are busy kissing, the cries travel back to us, giving us brief reminders of the intense connection Étienne and I share. It was driving me wild.

  The finesse and confidence Étienne usually possesses has vanished. His hands shake. Breathing is choppy. Our skin gently slaps together. His thrust become so enthusiastic his hips lift from the chair, and only my toes graze the floor. At this angle, he’s as deep as he can be, stretching me to the max.

  My body thrums with energy while the muscles in my body lock up. Delicious pressure begins to rapidly spread throughout me. Judging from how Étienne’s head lolls backward and his eyes close, I’d say he’s close to orgasming, too.

  Étienne continues to palm my ass and control the speed we fuck. I manage the intensity. Every time I slam back down, I swivel my hips.

  I give him everything I’ve got until I’m confident he won’t be able to hang on much longer. My pussy tightens around him. My toes begin to curl. “Oh God, oh God, oh God,” I chant.

  “Serene, I can’t wait. I’m gonna—”

  I swallow his words by crashing my lips against his. When he comes inside me, a groan so erotic tears from his throat. I know I’m not far behind him.

  Étienne doesn’t slip out of me. Rather, he continues surging into me. His fingers grip my hips so tightly, my eyes meet his.

  “Don’t you ever forget you love me.”

  The possession in his words leaves me breathless and helps me reach my orgasm even faster. I can only nod as the first spasm begins to wrack my body. Étienne rotates his hips, causing me to cry out. The release I had been working so hard for is here, and it’s better than I hoped for.

  Angry sex, gentle sex, or slow sex. With Étienne, it honestly doesn’t matter. The connection remains the same.

  As my body slowly floats down from my climax, I take deep breaths and rest my forehead against Étienne’s shoulder. My hands hang to my sides, but Étienne continues to hold me. Chest to chest, I can feel the rapid pounding of his heart. It is easily the most peaceful I’ve felt since I arrived. I brace myself for someone to knock on the door or a loud noise to break the moment. Anything. Yet nothing happens.

  As my heart rate slows down and I bask in this contentment, a slow smile spreads across my face, and I find myself saying three words I’ve thought on a daily basis and at times have denied. “I love you,” I whisper.

  Étienne’s grip around my waist tightens. He lifts his head a fraction, his nose grazing my skin, and he kisses my collarbone. “I love you, too. I’ve missed this.”

  “So have I.”

  Étienne cradles my face between his hands and holds me back until we’re face to face. “We could have this every day if you stay.”

  His words bring me crashing back to reality. We may still love each other, but the truth is, he’s still engaged.

  “Oh fuck,” I murmur as I jump off Étienne. My skirt automatically slides down my legs. Étienne stands up and stumbles toward me as he pulls up and buttons his pants. His eyes stayed fixed on me, yet my mind is fixed on the path I find myself going down with Étienne. I love him too much to let him go, but fleeting moments here and there with stolen kisses and secretive looks aren’t enough for me. I need more. The walls feel as though they’re closing in on me.

  My hands continue to work on the buttons of my shirt as I rush toward the doors. I’m in the middle of the ballroom when Étienne catches up to me, grabs my arm, and whirls me around. A scowl is fixed on his face, but his eyes are filled with trepidation.

  “Where are you going?” he says.

  Taking a small step back, I stare at him with panicked eyes. “I need to think for a moment.”

  “Don’t tell me you regret what we did.”

  “For the millionth time, you’re engaged,” I enunciate slowly.

  “For the millionth time, I love you!”

  “I can’t do this.” With my hands laced together, I rest them against my breastbone. “I can’t be with you like this when you’re engaged to someone else.” Nervously, I lick my lips. “Étienne, you need to choose. Me or Scarlett?”

  The seconds that tick by are agonizing. With his shirt untucked and hair askew, Étienne begins to pace with his hands on his hips. “You know I love you.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  Étienne drags his hands through his hair and tugs at the strands. “For you, it might not be, but it is for me.”

&
nbsp; “If you love me, then call off the wedding.”

  Abruptly, he stops pacing and faces me. Panic fills his eyes. “You’re gonna leave again! Time always rips you away, and as I said, I lied about Asa to buy more time with you.”

  “We don’t know that time will take me away.”

  Étienne doesn’t look convinced. “Let me ask you something. Now that you know the truth, are you gonna seek Asa out?”

  His question throws me off-kilter. The logical response is yes. Asa had some type of relationship with Emmeline, and I was dying to know more about my elusive great-great-grandmother. However, Étienne has a valid point. There’s a big chance once I find Asa and speak with him, that will get the ball rolling, and I’ll be on my way back home. Do I want that? What is waiting for me back in the present day? The tightknit family I once knew is no longer. There is no job, and I don’t know anything about the city my now estranged family lives in.

  Maybe I was meant to stay here. But could I permanently give up the era I was born in? It was such a final door to close. The end of one life that held such fond memories. Even though those memories no longer existed, I remembered.

  “I-I don’t know,” I finally reply.

  Étienne briefly closes his eyes. He breathes deep through his nose. “I can amass a fortune, go against some of the most clever businessmen around, yet I’m no match for time. Every time I think I have you within my reach, you are ripped away.”

  I shake my head back and forth, unable to grasp that this is the Étienne I know and love. “So this is it? You’re gonna be with someone who you don’t love, but can grow to love? Is that the Lacroix way of doing things?”

  “No, it’s called survivin’. The best way I know possible.”

  “I’m no longer your surviving trace?”

  His eyes that are filled with pain look into mine. Avidly, I watch as he swallows, his throat constricting. “Of course you are.”

  “Here I am!” I pound my palm against my heart and advance on him. “Why aren’t you surviving?”

  “Because history will repeat itself!” he hollers. Étienne’s voice reverberates throughout the room, rocking through my body. Taking a deep breath, he speaks, his voice quieter and more composed. “It shot me to pieces to have you out of my life for so long. To be honest, I’m still not over it. And I can’t help myself from thinkin’, ‘If I’m still lickin’ my wounds from the recent separation, how can I prepare myself for you to leave again?’”