Page 267 of Reign

“You’re terrible.”

“I know.”

Her mouth twitches, but the shine along her lashes remains.

I cup the side of her face.

“Elena.”

“What?”

“You will have things of your own in this house.”

Her breath catches.

“No one will decide which rooms you can enter, what language you’re allowed to know, or which memories you’re permitted to keep.” My thumb moves along her cheek. “You won’t need anyone’s permission to take up space here.”

She stares at me as though she doesn’t know what to do with that.

She’ll learn.

I press my mouth to her forehead.

Then her temple.

Then the corner of her mouth.

She tastes like burnt sugar and chocolate.

Still terrible.

Yet, perfect.

Chapter 40

Elena

By the time I enter the kitchen, breakfast is waiting on the table beside my sketchbook. Luciano sits with his coffee and extends one arm toward me.

I settle sideways across his lap without thinking.

Completely, dangerously normal.

His arm closes around my waist while I adjust my legs beneath the table. He opens my sketchbook to the dress I started yesterday and places a pencil beside it.

I lean back against his chest and examine the page.

Less than twelve hours ago, Luciano wrote his name beneath my future.

This morning, I’m sitting in his lap while he arranges my pencils and prepares to feed me breakfast.

My stomach feels annoyingly fluttery about the entire thing.

“This is becoming a habit,” I say.

“It already is.”

That does nothing to help the fluttering.