With Everything I Am (The Three #2)(54)
He stopped beside the bed and watched her nab a tub, open it and start to rub moisturizer in her face.
And he watched her do this as he sought patience.
Finally, he explained, “As Ryon told you, you weren’t allowed to speak in the throne room. You didn’t speak of your own accord the rest of the day. I thought you were quiet because you were letting things sink in.”
She slapped the tub down and looked up to him. “I wasn’t. I had no idea what was going on! No one told me anything. Including the fact I could speak, which, I will note, you didn’t even notice I didn’t!”
“Sonia –”
“However,” she broke in, “the fact that I can’t for any length of time is… is… medieval! And that you made me sit in your lap during that… that… whatever-it-was, was…” She paused and cried, “I don’t even know what it was!”
“What it was, was the way of my people,” he told her.
“What it was, was your way because you are king,” she shot back, grabbing another tube. “Which brings us back to my earlier point that I’m done with this queen business. Done. You can go now,” she finished, dismissing him.
Dismissing him.
Callum lost what hold he had on his patience at the same time he lost his temper.
She’d opened the tube and started to squirt it in her palm when Callum tore it from her hand and tossed it on her nightstand. It skidded through all of the other tubes, bottles and tubs sitting there, leaking lotion the entire way and she glared at the mess.
He leaned down, grabbed her ankles and hauled her down the bed.
“What are you –?”
He then entered the bed and settled his weight on top of her.
“Get off me,” she demanded, shoving at his shoulders and writhing underneath him.
“Sonia, look at me.”
“Get off!”
“Look at me, goddamn it!” he roared, she stilled and glared at him. “You want instruction, I’ll give it to you but you f**king look at me when I’m speaking to you and you better f**king pay attention.”
“You have my attention, King Callum,” she retorted sarcastically and he sucked in breath at her tone.
Then he spoke. “Do not disrespect me even in private,” he said evenly, calmly, her eyes narrowed but she snapped her mouth shut. “Good thinking,” he approved tersely and went on. “I, obviously, should have explained this more clearly earlier but I didn’t. Now I am. The queen’s duty is to support her king. You stand by my side or sit in my lap, however I want it, and you listen, you learn and then, after I perform my duties, which can often be not so much f**king fun, you’re available for me.”
“Available for you?” she asked angrily.
“Available for me,” he repeated.
“And what does that mean?”
“It means whatever the f**k I want it to mean.”
She stared at him, he watched realization dawn then she rolled her eyes to the headboard and muttered, “I was right… medieval.”
“Sonia –”
Her eyes rolled back to his and she stated tartly, “Get off me Callum. You didn’t give me a choice but I choose no. This is the twenty-first century and my culture doesn’t tell women to be silent nor do men make women sit in their laps during official proceedings.”
“My culture does,” he returned. “And I did give you the choice and you jumped at it, I’ll remind you, pretty f**king gleefully. While you sat connected to me, I asked you if you were mine. You didn’t f**king hesitate saying yes. Then, the minute you reared into my c**k when you were on your knees with my chain around your waist, you embraced my culture and there’s no going back now.”
Her eyes grew wide in horror before she snapped, “That’s crazy!”
“That may be but you did it. After twenty years of dreaming of me and not having me you were obviously gagging for it and the minute you got your chance you f**king jumped at it. Or more to the point, opened your legs for it, rode it and f**king ground into it, moaning the whole goddamned time.”
Her head jerked and her voice lowered, sounding hurt but Callum was too angry to notice. “Please tell me you didn’t just say that.”
“I did because you did,” he returned. “And I know you’ll do it again.”
Her wide eyes widened further and her body froze beneath his.
“Callum –”
He dipped his face closer to hers and his tone was deadly when he asked, “You want to know why I know that, little one?”
“Callum –”
“Because you’re not going anywhere. I’m f**king well not going anywhere. Right now, you’re going to perform your queenly duties by letting me use that sweet little body of yours to deal with my day and you’re going to love, every… f*cking… minute of it.”
She opened her mouth to speak.
Or yell.
But Callum got there first.
Sliding a hand in her hair and fisting it, he held her head steady and he kissed her, rough and hard, his tongue invading and seizing.
She fought him the entire time.
Making furious noises in her throat, she bucked under him, pushed at him, and, when that didn’t work, she scratched him.