Page 139 of Mate Me

Creating art.

Dropping a leg down, I rocked to the side, communicating without words that I wanted to be on top.

I took a measure of control in directing our position, and it was empowering the way he gave it so willingly, releasing a gratified growl as we rolled smoothly.

We fit together in every way.

I settled on top, placing my hands on his chest and rocking on top of him. Paint smeared on untouched spaces. Caius gripped my thighs, encouraging our pace, speeding up when the muscles in his jaw clenched.

As the pressure built inside me, threatening to pull me under, I sat up, reaching a hand back to balance on his muscular thigh while I rode him harder. My fingers found my clit, eagerly massaging as I climbed higher and higher.

I tilted my head back, tipping over the edge.

Ecstasy devoured me. Waves of pleasure shot through my body as I kept moving. Wild flutters pulsed inside me; wave after wave crashed. Caius’s muscles contracted, his hands clenching me tight, and he roared, spilling into me.

I fell forward, spent, resting on top of him while our breaths turned even, and our heartrates steadied. He traced his fingers along my back in long strokes.

“You know,” he murmured. “We still get to wash the paint off each other.”

With my cheek pressed against his chest, I smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

We both climbed to our feet and regarded the abstract work of art. A multitude of colors smeared together into something oddly beautiful.

“I love it,” I said, a smile forming. I couldn't wait to get it stretched and framed.

Curling into Caius’s side, I wrapped my arms around his body. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and rested his chin on top of my head. “I think we could make several of them.”

“We could have an art show and let Pol be the judge. Not tell him what they are until he’s picked a favorite.” I smirked at the thought, and Caius chortled.

“Could hang them in every room in the castle as well.”

“That’s an awful lot of space to cover,” I mused, turning to look up at him. “Think we can do it?”

He cupped my face, brushing his lips over mine. “We have all the time in the world.”

Epilogue: Reagan

“So this is where the mountains meet the ocean,” I breathed, taking in the view of Cape Flattery off the coast in a small section of Blood and Beryl territory. A whale sung to its pod in the distance. The biting wind nipped at my exposed skin, cutting through the layers I wore to keep warm.

Patches of blue skies scattered behind large, gray clouds. The dark churning waters splashed against the cliff sides and protruding rocks.

“I told you I’ll take you anywhere in the world,” Caius said, wrapping his arms around my waist as he stood behind me.

“It’s more beautiful than I could ever imagined.” I inhaled the salty, crisp air, closing my eyes briefly to drink in the magic of this place.

Caius looked not at the ocean, but at me. “I couldn’t agree more.”

We stood in silence, nuzzled against each other while I committed every detail of this place to memory. I couldn’t wait to paint it when we got home. A year had passed since we’d married, and I had barely made a dent in covering the castle in my art. In some cases, it wasourart—though it wasn’t for lack of trying. There was just a lot of space to cover.

In that time, I worked on myself and continued to learn how to be queen. I spoke with Danni frequently, and her patience with my questions was kind and unending. She became my royal mentor. My confidant. We’d grown closer than expected—but Clara was still my favorite cousin, and she made sure to remind me as such.

Eres and I were still working on communication. She was a remarkably arrogant unicorn, but on that fateful day, we formed a trust. We’d get there, even if she was hard to deal with sometimes. I felt her stir within me, grumpy over my assessment.

Every day I worked at continuing to find myself, to make Jo proud, never taking for granted the gift he’d given me. Sometimes I missed him so much it hurt. Grief had a way of creeping in at the most unexpected times, like when I’d finished a book in the castle library and felt the instant need to share it with him. Then the weight of his loss came crashing down on me again. It wasn’t just me. My entire family felt the chasm he’d left in our hearts. While his death reminded all of us to cherish those we love while we have them, we also came to understand he was never really ours to begin with.

Clara’s voice startled me as she came through a portal behind us. “I’m really ... sorry ... to interrupt you,” she said, clearly out of breath, and her cheeks-tinged pink.

“What the matter?” I said, running up to her while she rested her hands on her knees.

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