Page 135 of Mates: Posy

"You made several excellent points, luna," declared King Julian. "The kingdom has always promoted furthering the education of our young minds. Draw up a proposal and I'll have a look at it. We can work out a funding solution to get what you need. It might not happen in time for this school year, but I don't see why it couldn't for the next."

"Thank you, your majesty." Posy's voice came out muffled as her face dug deeper into me, and I chuckled again.

"All right, now that lunch is over, let's get this show on the road," Ranger said.

He picked up his dishes and cutlery and walked toward the kitchen. The others had begun to clear up, too, when Wyatt stopped in his tracks and looked at Posy with sudden realization.

"We can't leave Posy here alone. I'd better stay with her."

Of course, that set off an intense debate, which ended in an even more intense game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. When I won, Wyatt and Ash pouted like pups, and Cole glared at me. Only Jay looked unperturbed, but that was because he knew she owed Quartz a snuggle session.

Lucky dog.

"I'll miss you," Posy assured the others, "and I'll be waiting here when you get back."

That appeased them enough to get them moving, although they went through two rounds of hugging her and dropping kisses on her upturned face before they got out the door.

Finally, they were gone, and it was just me and our girl. A rare grin stretched across my face.

Guess I'm a lucky dog, too.

31: First Kiss

Posy

Mason asked me to watch TV with him, so we went into the living room and he took a seat on the couch before pulling me down on his lap.

He picked up the remote and searched for something to watch, but I was completely distracted by his delicious smell.

Do I distract him at all?I wondered.

Nerves bit me to be this close to my handsome mate. Shivering, I rubbed my hands up and down my thighs.

"Hey, Posy," he said softly, "if you don't want to sit on my lap, you can tell me. I won't be mad, and it won't hurt my feelings."

"Oh. No, I like it. I'm just—" I ducked my head, then gathered my courage and looked him in the eyes. "I'm nervous, but in a good way, if that makes sense. Like, an excited nervous."

"Excited nervous?" He chuckled. Dropping the remote, he framed my face in his palms. "Me, too, gorgeous."

"You'renervous?" I marveled, tilting my head to the side as I studied his face. "But you're Mason Price, the intimidating iceman around whom even his own brothers step carefully."

"Iam?" He raised his eyebrows, his face not giving anything away, but I saw the merriment dancing in his eyes.

"You are, and you know you are." I grinned and, unable to help myself, kissed his cheek, then his chin.

"Well, one whiff of your chocolate chip cookie scent and I'm a melted puddle for you, little flower."

I giggled and dropped my eyes to the arms he had around my waist.

Oh! This is the perfect time to ask him!

"I love your tattoos. I could study them for hours. Did you draw them yourself?"

"Ha. No. Can't draw for anything." He stretched out his left arm so I could better see the gears and machinery and armor plating of his mechanical arm tattoo. "Wyatt's excellent at it, though, so I told him what I wanted, and he sketched it out."

"Did you have a reason for this particular design?" I asked and never expected my simple question to lance a huge, pus-filled boil.

"Well," he sighed, "I was eighteen and had just been made alpha. My father was on my back about something and made a comment about me being too much of an emotionless robot to be a good leader."

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