The Reconstruction of Cyprian

by Michelle Love

  Content is how I feel. Happy, satisfied even more so than I knew was possible without any sex occurring between us at all. She has to be the one for me. I didn’t even know this type of feeling existed!

  The proper amount of time to wait before proposing is foremost on my mind. The perfect engagement ring, the perfect venue to be married in are also right there. I wonder how long she thinks an engagement should last. I hope not a long time!

  “Cyprian,” she groans as she stirs. Her hand moves over my chest and her lips touch my neck. “Are you awake, baby?”

  “I am,” I say then kiss the top of her head, her curls a chaos of spirals and fuzzy ends.

  She picks her head up and looks at me. “Have we survived the hurricane?”

  “I’m not sure. I do feel like I’m in Heaven, waking up with you like this.” I kiss her red cheek where she was lying on it.

  She smiles and puts her head down on my chest. I couldn’t sleep in the pajamas as I’m used to sleeping naked, so I got up and pulled them off sometime during the night. She begins to realize that fact as she runs her hand over my chest. She inches down until she finds out I’m totally naked. “Bad boy,” she murmurs.

  With a low growl, I say, “Only with you.” I take her hand and kiss it and wish I could do more than that but I can’t.

  “I’m going to go down and make us some breakfast. I’m going to bring it up to you. You can take a shower while I do that.” She goes to get up and I hold her still.

  “You are forgetting, we have no electricity. The kitchen should still be running. If the backup generator came on. But we have a water well, that means if there’s no electricity, there’s no water. So, no showers for us until we get some juice back in this place.

  “It’s still raining, isn’t it?” she asks as she pulls her head off my chest and sits up, looking toward one of the windows.

  “Yep,” I say as I look out the window too. “But I bet those crews are already getting to work on restoring power. We’ll just have to make do with what we have.”

  She runs her hand over her massive amount of hair. “No water! My hair!”

  Stifling a chuckle, I get out of bed and hear her make a little groan as I walk, naked, to the bathroom. I wrap a towel around my ass to help myself not get too heated up and find the package of rubber bands I bought for her a while back. When I come back with them, I see a smile curve her lips. “I have saved the day.”

  She takes them from me as she agrees, “You have.” She climbs out of the bed and hurries off to the bathroom. “I’ll get my hair tamed and go down to get our breakfast.”

  “I can go down, you don’t need to bring it up to me,” I tell her as I pull my pajamas back on.

  She stops and spins around, shaking her finger at me. “You will not. You told me the stairs were hard on you and I won’t let you go up and down them for at least another day. I will be waiting on you today, Cyprian.”

  Though that sounds amazing, I have to protest some, just to make her spark a bit. “I can do it, Cami. You don’t have to spoil me.”

  I sit on the edge of the bed and watch her as she walks back to me. Her hands move over my shoulders as she looks at me with serious eyes that speak to me. “I don’t consider it spoiling you. I want to take care of you. Please let me.” She ends her plea with a kiss on my lips that sends shards of pure happiness through me.

  “Well, if you’re going to say, please, then I have to allow you to take care of me. No one, since my nanny, has taken care of me. It might be nice.” I lie back as she pushes at me, gently.

  “Good, it’s settled. Now, since we’re on our own here, I’ll go into the library and get us some things to read. Any preferences?” She walks away to tend to herself and I think about what I’d like to read.

  When she comes back out, I tell her what I want, “Would you bring that large book on the middle shelf of the first bookcase next to the door of the library? It’s full of Shakespeare’s plays. I want us to read Romeo and Juliet, together. That sounds fun to me.”

  With a smile and a laugh, she walks out the bedroom door. “As long as you realize, we cannot act out the love scene, my Romeo.”

  “I’m aware of my limitations, my Juliet.”

  She leaves me alone but I’ve never felt less alone in my life. She’s here with me and I never want to spend another night without her. And I want her to quit that job which will keep her at work until late most nights.

  It’s bad enough school is about to start up again. But those are day classes and I work days, anyway. Nights must be for us. And now I must figure out how to get her to do that.

  Before I know it, she’s back in the bedroom with a tray of food and the book. “I have pineapple, orange juice, scrambled eggs, bacon, and milk to make sure you have some calcium. Whole wheat toast rounds out our breakfast.” She places the tray over my lap, as I sit up straight, then she kisses my cheek. “Will there be anything else, my lord?”

  With a smile at her willingness to see after me, I say, “Only for you to climb up in this bed with me. I must feed my lady, so she too gains great strength. In only a month, I will bring you to my bed chamber with a goal in mind.”

  She laughs as she climbs up on the bed, next to me. “A goal, you say? What kind of goal does my lord have for me?”

  I bite my lower lip as I put a piece of bacon to her lips and she takes it into her sweet mouth. “The goal is to fill your belly with my seed, my lady.”

  The whites of her eyes grow as her eyes grow large. She nearly chokes on the food and I find myself feeling bad about saying that as I gave her a bite. I hand her a glass of juice and she drinks some then says, “Cyprian, you’re joking, right?”

  Shaking my head, I take her hand in mine. “I am not joking, Cami. I want to do this all the right way and I may have been kidding a bit about only a month from now. But I want it all with you. The whole enchilada. The marriage, the family, the whole thing, baby. It’s all I’ve thought about since we made up last night.”

  She looks stunned and I find it hard to believe. Her lips open then close then do that several more times before she says, “I have a career I’m only just about to begin. I have one more year of college then I’m on to working in the field I’ve spent so much time learning about. Kids are far from now. Say, five years or maybe more.”

  “We can wait on that then. Although, I’d really like you to consider doing that sooner than five years. But that’s negotiable. Everything is.” I give her a bite of eggs. “How long of an engagement would you like to have?”

  Shaking her head, she swallows then says, “Cyprian, we’re just dating. That’s all we’re doing right now. We’re seeing if we can become people who know they can depend on one another in this life.”

  “Haven’t we just proven that? I sought you out to be sure you were safe in a terrible storm and you want to take care of me when I’m down. What else is there to prove about how much we care for each other?” I ask her and offer her a sip of milk.

  She holds up her hand, “Lactose intolerant. You drink that.”

  I take a drink and watch her wheels spinning about what I’ve just said. So, I toss it all out there, since she’s incorporating it into her mind. “I want you to quit your job. I want you to move in with me, let that little place go. I want you to drive the car I gave you. Go to school and do no more than that. I will pay for everything. And I’ll give you your own account that I’ll make regular deposits to.”

  “I don’t want to be a kept woman.” She shakes her head to emphasize just how much she doesn’t want that.

  “It won’t be like that. I merely want to help you through, what will be the hardest school year. Once you begin your career, if you want no money from me, then I’ll stop the deposits and you can do with the account whatever you want. And if you do want me to keep putting money into it, I will do that. Whatever you want, Cami. Anything you want, I will give it to you, freely and willingly.” I take her hands in mine and smile at her as she look
s shocked.

  I can feel her hands shaking and see her body doing that too. “Cyprian, I’m afraid I’ll lose myself if I allow that.”

  “How?” I ask her as she’s making too much out of it. “Your car will remain in the garage. You will have money and time to do what you need to in order to become the rock star scientist I know you’re on your way to being. I merely want to help make it easier for you to reach the stars you’re grasping at. Let me, Cami. Let me help you. It would be the only thing I’ve ever done for another human being. Please, let me!”

  “I’ll have to think about it. My independence is a thing I cherish,” she tells me as she searches my eyes for understanding.

  “I have been somewhat independent my entire life. I’ve had financial security but the security of people, I’ve lacked. I want to provide you the thing which has been provided to me. And from you, I want the security of knowing I have a partner in this life. I didn’t realize I even wanted one until I met you.”

  “Cyprian, I feel as if you are making me your everything,” she says as tears glisten in her eyes.

  “I am. And once our children come then they too will be part of our everything.” I kiss her cheek and find it warm. “Don’t be afraid of this. Don’t let fear of me finding you boring, do that to us. Have no fear of that, I don’t.”

  “Just because you say not to have it, doesn’t make it stop. And now I fear you will suck me into a vortex that will turn me into a spoiled rich woman. Not a thing I ever saw myself being.” She looks at me with fear and I find it funny.

  With a chuckle, I say, “I have money. When you get me, you get that too. We will share our lives. When I get you, I get love and companionship. No need to worry, we’ll share everything.”

  She takes the juice off the tray and downs it like it’s a shot then looks off into space as she says, “I’m going to be driving a Lambo to school. I’m going to have access to more money than I ever have. I’m going to be Mrs. Cyprian Girard, one day.”

  “One day soon, I hope. If you’ll have me,” I say then pop a piece of toast into her mouth that’s hanging ajar.

  She chews it then looks at me. “I have nothing to offer you.”

  Taking her by the chin, I give her a wink. “What you have to offer is more valuable than anything in the entire world. You see, love is what I’ve been poor in. All I need is your love and understanding as I grow into the man I will become with you by my side. You are the missing element in my world. Do you think that of me?”

  She blinks rapidly as she thinks. “My life was missing something. I didn’t know it was. It wasn’t obvious. You see, I have always been one who falls in love much too easily. And men fall in love with me too easily as well. Cyprian, all my relationships, which have been but a few, have ended with the men leaving me. I haven’t broken up with anyone, except you.”

  “And I have left you once too. That happened in the past. It’s over and we are something completely different. You were young back then. You don’t have to worry about me leaving you. I love you. I adore you. I cherish you. And I’m never letting you go. I will dance through hell to make you happy. I will climb mountains to get you the stars you want.” I stop talking as she looks even sadder.

  “Cyprian, I hate your parents. This will never work,” she says as tears start to flow.

  I laugh and hug her. “Don’t most wives hate their in-laws? Not a big deal. Hell, we won’t even spend holidays with them. They celebrate in ways we wouldn’t want us or our kids to be involved in.”

  “My parents will love you, I think. I mean, you are very good to me. And the fact you saved me during this hurricane will show them more about your character than I could ever tell them. But a wedding would mean all of our families have to come together and that’s worrisome.”

  “Then we will elope. There is nothing you can come up with that I will not have an answer to,” I tell her then move the tray of half-eaten food away and push her down and kiss her to let her know everything will be fine.

  As long as we’re together, it will be fine, won’t it…

  To be continued…

  The Libertine

  The Reconstruction

  Of Cyprian

  By Michelle Love

  Chapter 1

  CAMILLA

  The lush foliage of New Orleans looms under us as Cyprian’s private jet flies over my hometown. He looks out the window, leaning over me as he’s given me the window seat. “It looks positively uninhabited down there. Where do all the people live?”

  “Underneath the canopy of trees. Have you ever taken an airboat ride?” I ask him as he seems to be intrigued with the way the terrain looks wild and free.

  “I have not. Do you think that’s something we could do? Does your family own one?” He looks excited.

  I giggle. “No, but there are tons of swamp tours. It’s been awhile since I’ve been on one. Since my entire family is home for my last visit of the summer, I think one is in order. I hope you don’t find alligators frightening. The men who drive those things delight in trying to scare anyone they see the least bit afraid of the creatures.”

  “I’ve never been around any before.” He wraps his arm around me and holds me tight. “Can I count on you to protect me, Cami?”

  “Sure, Cyprian. I’ll do my best,” I say as we see the small, private airport near my family’s home break out of the trees. “Here it is. It won’t be long now. And there’s Papa’s car, waiting for us.”

  “I am beginning to get nervous,” he tells me as he slips his arm off my shoulders and takes my hand. “Have you told them everything?”

  With a nod, I say, “I have. I told them we’ve been seeing each other for a couple of months and moved in together two weeks ago. I told them about me quitting my job and how you’re going to pay my way through the rest of college and all that jazz. My father was a bit apprehensive but told me he trusted my judgment.”

  “Okay, so there’s nothing I need to know other than that, right?” he asks as I shake my head. “What about my parents? What did you tell them about them?”

  “Oh, well, about them.” I scratch my head as I kind of sugar coated them to my parents. “You see, here’s the thing, I kind of embellished them a bit.”

  “Embellished? You mean lied, Cami?” He looks at me with fear in his dark eyes.

  “Lied is too strong of a word. I told them your father is retired and lives alone in Clemson in a mansion. And that’s true. I told them your mother is the owner of a nightclub in L.A. and that’s true too.” I look at him to see what he thinks about that.

  “It’s an adult nightclub,” he says. “And she is an ex-stripper.”

  “Who cares about what she did in the past? Not me!”

  He shakes his head. “And I am to leave that out, I suppose.”

  “Please,” I say as we start to land. “They don’t need to know everything. If we play our cards right, we’ll be three kids into a marriage before our families ever have to meet.”

  He smiles with my words and kisses me, gently. “When you put it that way, how can I argue?”

  “You can’t,” I say and take a deep breath as the small plane starts to descend. “I hate this part.”

  He holds my hand a bit tighter as we land and gives me that smile that makes my heart go pitter patter. The last couple of weeks have been so nice and quiet and completely amazing. I still worked, as I gave them my two weeks’ notice and had to give them time to hire another person. But now I’m officially free from that job and feel excited about being able to start school in the fall with nothing else to do but learn.

  Once the jet lands, we get out and my father and younger brother get out of Papa’s Lincoln Continental to greet us. The warm, sultry air hits us as we go down the stairs someone from the airport has pushed up against the plane. I find myself waving like I’m in a parade as my father and brother watch us. “Hi!”

  Papa meets us at the bottom of the stairs and picks me up as he hugs me tightly. �
��Mon canard, I’ve missed you,” Papa says with his thick French accent.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Papa,” I say as he lets me go. Then I gesture to the gorgeous man to my right. “This is Cyprian Girard. Cyprian, my father, Thomas Petit.”

  Cyprian extends his hand and my father takes it in a firm handshake as Cyprian says, “It’s an honor to meet the man who raised such a wonderful woman.”

  Papa smiles at me then looks back at Cyprian as he lets go of his hand. “Call me Tommy, Cyprian.” He gestures to my brother, “This is Camilla’s younger brother, Carlyle.”

  My brother shakes his hand. “Nice to meet you, Cyprian.”

  “You too, Carlyle. Your sister tells me you’re going to LSU in Baton Rouge. She says you’re majoring in business.”

  We follow them to the car as Carlyle says, over his shoulder. “I am.”

  Cyprian looks at me, giving me a wink. “You should let me know when you’re ready for an internship. I can offer you one next summer at Libertine Investments if you’d like. It comes with a car and a one bedroom apartment while you’re working.”

  I watch my brother’s blue eyes light up. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah,” Cyprian says with a smile. “So, you just let me know before March of this coming year and I’ll get that approved by the board.”

  Papa looks at us as he gets to the car. “Don’t wait, son. Tell the man, yes, right now.”

  Carlyle smiles and nods. “The answer is yes, Cyprian. Thank you so much.”

  Cyprian opens the back door, letting me get in first. He whispers, “I think this is going well, so far. Don’t you?”

  “I do,” I tell him then kiss his cheek.

  I see my father’s eyes glance at us and a smile moves over his face. “You two look sweet together. My daughter has never looked as beautiful as she does under your arm, Cyprian.”

  I blush and lean my head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Papa.”

  Cyprian sighs with relief, I suppose. Things are going well. It looks as if we’ll have no problems with my family. But he’s yet to meet my big sister. She’s always been protective over me. It was she who bawled out two of my past boyfriends when they dumped me. Both with no real explanation as to why they found it better to leave me than to try to work things out with me.