Reign on Me

by Zoe Devereaux

  Like a petulant child, she blew a fast breath. “Mama---”

  “Listen to your mother,” Christopher chided with a half-grin, and stole her attention. His hazel green eyes twinkled with merriment. “You know that they know best. Better yet, it seems like you’re in for a good beating if you don’t do what she says.”

  At his smile, her heart flip flopped.

  Not able to help herself, she smiled back, and her heartbeat thudded out of control. “Is no one here on my side?”

  “No,” her mother added, giving her a push forward. “Now, go.”

  She kissed her mother on the cheek. “Love you, Mama. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Mildred smiled. “Love you, too, baby.”

  When she moved from behind the counter, her amusement died and was replaced with a mixture of apprehension and excitement. Generally, he evoked the polar opposite emotions easily from her, she thought, and then focused her attention on her father. But, the latter emotion wasn’t the kind to have for your fiancé’s brother, she quickly chastised herself. “And Dad,” she murmured, stopping beside him, and already, he was presenting his left cheek for her kiss. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

  Her father hugged her fast. “See you tomorrow.”

  Finally, that left her with the opportunity to confront the very being that disturbed her to no end. She spared him a fleeting glance. “Let me grab my purse,” she added quickly, sweeping by him fast. “And then, I’ll be ready.”

  She rushed from the kitchen.

  Once she was outside the door, standing in the hallway, she took in a collective breath. “I have to calm down. There’s no reason to be nervous anyway.”

  After taking a minute to compose herself, she broke away from the door and headed to the church office.

  The lights were out.

  But, the moonlight added some visibility in the room. She crossed the room in record time and retrieved her purse from the armchair facing the desk. Then, a subtle sound came from the doorway. As she turned, she found Christopher framed inside of it. “What are you doing here?” she asked quickly, gulping hard. “You didn’t have to follow me. I told you that I had to grab my purse.”

  “Trust me…I’m not being a stalker.” He dangled the church keys in his hands. “Your parents are gone. They asked that we make sure that everything is secure. I just didn’t want you to be surprised to find that we were alone.”

  Their stare held across the room.

  The butterflies flitted in her stomach.

  Finally, she stammered. “Oh.”

  To her chagrin, he remained in place, even so when she reached the doorway where he stood. Tensing, she looked at him. “Well? Why are you just standing there?”

  “Waiting for you?” Passing a cool look, he dangled the keys in the air again. “Seeing as you know the protocol, I thought that you’d indicate what needs locking up.”

  She snatched the keys from his hands. “Don’t make it more difficult than it is. A church is a building like anything else. It has doors and locks.” She pursed her lips primly. “Unlike Club Illusions which has a penchant for secret mazes and sex tunnels, there’s no mystery to it.”

  The embarrassment flooded through her.

  Why would she even bring that up!

  “Ouch, the lady and her whiplash tongue,” he mouthed, struggling to keep a straight face, and then, scratched behind an ear. “I must say that I’m surprised that you’d bring the club up here of all places. Good thing your folks are gone. A comment like that will surely get you a good dousing of holy water.”

  “It’s not funny,” she fumed, glaring at him. “Saint Joes is a holy place, and you will respect it. There will be no talk or discussions about Club Illusions here. It’s wrong to even think about talking about it.”

  He lifted a brow. “Might I remind you, that you were the one to bring it up in the first place?”

  “W-well, yeah,” she said smartly, raising her chin, and felt the heat spread from her nape to her face. “Just maybe I did it for a good reason. Have you ever thought of the fact that both of us need some spiritual cleansing? Especially you, considering your past history and dalliances.”

  With that retort, she stalked away from him.

  Still, though, she heard a soft chuckle behind her, and for some reason, it angered her further. She whirled around in the narrow hallway and then snapped. “Excuse me. What are you finding to be so funny?”

  “You, Miss Grace.” Eyes cooling further, he crossed his arms along his chest. “Preaching to me about spiritual cleansing like it’s your place…Tell me. Is it that difficult being alone with me, knowing that I’m one of the most sinful people that ever existed?” A challenge gleamed in his bright eyes. “Look at me now, standing here in a church, in all of my defiled glory. Are you going to strike me down, holy woman?”

  “Nonsense…there is forgiveness for everyone regardless of their transgressions.” Narrowing her eyes, she pursed her lips. “All of us are sinners. We’re born in sin---”

  “My, my, my…you really are a pastor’s daughter, aren’t you? Quoting scriptures to this lost soul in a fiery tirade. ” He regarded her with a long look. “Just look at you with your chest all pumped out, slinging the good word at me, and all the while, you’re really just thinking about your own transgressions.”

  “My transgressions?” Chest heaving fast, she passed him an offended look. “What are you implying?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not implying anything. Just making an observation, that’s all.”

  “What observation is that?”

  “That like me, you’re struggling with your feelings. The feelings that you have inside of you, but know that they’re wrong.” He made a fateful step forward, drawing closer to her, and it was enough to make the heat rise inside of her. “That whenever you get close to me, you get nervous. The pulse jumps in your nape, and I can hear it like it’s a ticking bomb.” His voice dropped low, and his words dripped with a sexy magnetism. “The question is when will you explode? Knowledge of that fact and having to deal with it---that’s the very thing that’s keeping you awake at night.”

  She slapped him hard.

  So hard that his head veered to the side…

  But, as their eyes met again, his smoldered with the same wild fire of their earlier encounters.

  A dangerous thrill ran through her.

  This was the real man…the man that she craved…not the false façade that he presented to the rest of the world.

  Rather than fearing this version of him, she secretly welcomed him back---even if it were wrong, even if she was doing it in the holiest of places.

  Dear God, forgive her…

  “I’m sorry,” she said shakily, stunned by her own reckless words and behavior. “I shouldn’t have hit you. But, you provoked me.”

  “Provoked you? No, I think that it’s the other way around.” Arching a brow, he rubbed a hand along his stinging jaw. A hint of anger played in his voice. “Regardless of what you might think, I do have respect for the church and our holy father. So, don’t make assumptions about me or my faith. Oh, and by the way, you may want to lose that little judgmental streak that you got going. At the time being, it’s rather unbecoming.” Tensing, jaw tight, he swept past her. “Now, let’s get this place locked up.”

  The shame filled her as she followed behind him. In silence, they checked every door, and his tensed form indicated his sullen mood.

  Even during the drive to her apartment, he said nothing, and she’d given anything for him to say anything.

  When they stood outside her apartment door, he stood back, giving her space as she unlocked it. As she stepped over the threshold, she turned, and the sight of his stony expression was more than she could handle. Suddenly, she was teary-eyed and saddened. “Christopher---”

  He tightened his jaw. “Goodnight.”

  “Please don’t be angry with me,” she whispered, swallowing hard. “I didn’t mean to hit you.”

&n
bsp; “Just forget about it, okay?” he sighed, looking away from her. Yet, not before she caught sight of his own tortured look. “It’s late, and you have an early morning ahead of you, and so do I.”

  Her lips trembled. “You’re angry.”

  “Hayven, I’m not angry.”

  “Then, why won’t you look at me?”

  Across the short space, he finally met her eyes, and she nearly crumpled at the sight of his distress. Like her, he was trying to make sense of how to handle their messy love situation.

  “I’m just trying to figure things out,” she whispered again, biting her trembling lips. With the back of her hand, she wiped the wetness from her cheek. “Trying to find a way to be normal around you when things have never been between us---can you understand that?”

  “I understand it better than you realize, especially when I’m experiencing the same fucking thing.” His words seemed pained. “You’re not alone in what you’re feeling. Never think that you are.” He swore under his breath. “But, how in the hell do we step out of our in-between and into reality?” His tortured gaze clung to hers “How do we do that, princess? I sure in the hell don’t know how to.”

  “There is no in-between for us anymore. In fact, it never was.” Her eyes swelled with tears again, but, she quickly blinked them away. “We have to find a way. A way to handle being around each other without all of this tension.”

  “Why don’t we just start over? We’ll work to start a different beginning between us.” A tentative smile curled along his lips, and then fell. In his hazel green eyes, there swam a myriad of different emotions. “We’ll work to be friends.”

  She smiled at him shyly. “I’d like that very much.”

  “Good.”

  For several seconds, they just stood there, watching one another. Finally, he cleared his throat uncomfortably. “It’s late.”

  “Y—yes it is,” she stammered, giving a strained smile. “Well, goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Turning, he walked away.

  She closed the door quietly behind her.

  Then, as she had the other time, she rushed to the balcony, just in time to see him when he reached his car. But, tonight, it was different. Instead of getting directly in the car, he looked up, finally spying her at her perch on the balcony.

  Though there was distance between them, they felt one another, down deep.

  Their gazes held.

  Time suspended.

  In the silence, they mentally embraced.

  Finally, she stepped into the shadows and ended their visual connection. When the Viper fired up, she stepped back into view and watched as it turned onto the next street.

  Later, as she tossed and turned in bed, he was still at the center of her thoughts. Despondent, she stared up at the blank ceiling.

  A new beginning for them…

  Only fate knew what it’d be.

  Chapter 25

  At exactly 7:20 pm, she was seated at a corner table at Taggert’s. She glanced at her watch with a frown. “Where are the two of you? You should be here by now.”

  Goodness knows that she’d shone up early, thirty minutes early, truth told. She’d taken painstaking measures to be ready and on time.

  Not to mention, the hours she’d spent mulling over what to wear, she thought, glancing down at the elegant two-piece white pantsuit. Reaching up, she lightly touched her hair, also stylishly upswept in a high bun.

  Hopefully, she hadn’t gone overboard.

  But, at least she fit in with the other well-dressed patrons in the upscale restaurant. Of course, it helped add a level of comfort since most of them were rich, affluent people.

  Heaven knows, she’d splurged enough on it, too, she scoffed, passing another anxious look towards the entrance. But, she was at a point her life where she abhorred being frumpy. In the past, she’d bore the frumpy award crown more often times than not.

  Who was she kidding?

  Deep down, she knew why she’d worked so hard on her appearance tonight. It had nothing to do with the stuffy and snooty duds here.

  Yet, she was too afraid to willingly admit it.

  She glanced around.

  Unsurprisingly, the five-star restaurant was over-crowded, and with good fortune, they’d made reservations ahead of time. If they hadn’t, undoubtedly, they’d be waiting for a table like the crowd milling in the front area now.

  A crowd of three people sat closest to her. The remaining tables situated nearby seated couples or pairs. Amongst them, sitting solo, she stuck out like a sore thumb. But, at least with the steady offer of hospitality from the customer service staff, the feeling didn’t linger long, she mulled, spying the maitre d again.

  The maitre d balanced a tray, and a white cloth draped his other arm. Still, though, he approached and stopped alongside the table with a customary smile. “Can I get you anything, ma’am?”

  “My company is not here yet. But, thank you.”

  He inclined his head politely. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

  “Thank you.”

  Sighing, she looked at her watch again. “Where are the two of you?”

  The cell phone shrilled.

  In neon green against the glossy screen, her father’s number popped up on the caller id. She answered on the third ring. “Dad, where are you? It’s almost 7:30.”

  “Brother Nate passed away a short while ago,” Pastor Jonas sighed with regret. “Mandy and the kids aren’t taking it too well. Can you and Christopher handle the discussion on your own?”

  “Of course,” she agreed readily, and sympathy filled her light brown eyes. “What was it---a heart attack?”

  “Yes. A massive one while he was on the job.”

  “Give Mandy my regards, will you?” She sighed into the phone. “This is going to be a very difficult time for her and the kids.” She tapped a fingernail against the tabletop. “As for Christopher, he hasn’t shown up yet. I’m giving him about fifteen minutes, and then, I’m leaving.”

  “The traffic’s horrendous tonight, and I’m sure that’s what’s holding him up. Whatever you decide, I’m good with it. I trust your judgment.”

  She smiled into the phone. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “I have to go. Goodbye, sweetheart. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, Dad. Bye.”

  She checked the time again.

  It was exactly 7:30 pm on the dot.

  Her gaze flitted to the entrance area again.

  The butterflies in her stomach took flight. Standing at the check-in counter, he surveyed the crowd, and as the attendant pointed in her direction, his gaze fell directly on her.

  Giving a curt nod at the attendant, he strode unhurriedly in her direction.

  She tried to appear nonchalant.

  But, her feminine senses had other ideas.

  Apparently, they had a psychic connection, considering that they were dressed similarly. In fact, they were nearly identical, she mulled, taking in the starch white business suit. The only splash of color on his whole attire was the black necktie.

  Her heartbeat tripled as he neared.

  When he reached the table, he managed a courteous smile. “Hayven,” he muttered and took the chair across from her. “Sorry for my poor timing. But, traffic was hell.” Tugging on the necktie, he settled more comfortably in the chair. “I hope that I haven’t kept you waiting for long.” He raised a brow. “And your father---where is he?”

  “I’m afraid that it’ll only be the two of us.” She grabbed the menu from the table and pretended to study its items. Minutes ago, she’d decided what she’d have! But, he didn’t know that. So, she addressed him from behind the plastic menu. “Dad had to visit a grieving family this evening. But, I was given firm instructions to proceed without him.”

  “It’d be good to talk to an actual face rather than plastic.” He lifted a menu from the table and began perusing the items. Then, he spared her another glance. “Communica
tion is a helluva lot better that way, I’ve heard.”

  She peeked over the top of the menu. “When did it become a crime to read over a menu?”

  “It’s hardly that. But, when you purposefully try to avoid someone, that’s when it becomes an issue.” He placed the menu back on the table. “Damn it, princess. Last night, we agreed that we’d try to work past this tension.”

  “We did, and I’m sorry,” she agreed readily, closing the menu, and then was careful as she placed it down. “And you’re right. Somehow, we have to reach common ground and deal with the situation.”

  “Don’t worry,” he winked, causing her heart to skitter recklessly. “I promise to be a good boy and behave myself. Scout’s honor.”

  But, wasn’t that what she feared?

  The maitre d returned again, and this time, she was able to order. When they were left alone again, she didn’t quite know what to say.

  “How’s---”

  “Do you---”

  As they both started talking simultaneously, they burst out laughing. Across the table, they both beamed at each other.

  “You first,” he grinned roguishly. “It’s not my place to interrupt a lady.”

  “No, you go first,” she laughed.

  “Are we really going to do this?” he teased, leaning forward somewhat, and his hazel green eyes sparkled like gems. “Go back and forth, daring the other to speak first?”

  “You’re right,” she said breathlessly, unable to tamper the delight of being in his company. “After sitting here for so long, I suppose that I’m eager for conversation.”

  “I’m all ears,” he said huskily, and a challenge gleamed in his eyes. As his eyes swept over her, she felt their intense caress. “Now, tell me. What were you going to say?”

  “I---I was just going to ask how you like Cartersville,” she stuttered, holding his gaze across the table, feeling the pulse jump at her nape. The subtle, light setting lent a profound intimacy. “I remember you mentioning that you were operating between here and Atlanta.”

  “Well, it’s much smaller than the ATL, no doubt. But, I like that fact. Sometimes, small is good.” As the waitress stopped beside the table and refilled their wine glasses, he didn’t look away from her. “It gives you the opportunity to really embrace the world around you. I haven’t really been able to do that too often in my life.”