CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Six Weeks Later
Ryu sighed as he stretched his legs, sprawled lazily across the huge bed in the luxury apartment. Outside the window, the gentle rasp of the ocean lapping at the shore tried to lull him to sleep. But he resisted, too many interesting things tempting him to stay awake.
Beside him, Kentario lay on his back, as naked as the day he was born. Ryu lifted his head, idly perusing the toned muscles on display before him. He gave an appreciative moan, which made Kentario open his eyes.
“I thought you were asleep,” he said, rolling over. One hand slid over Ryu’s waist, pulling him closer so Kentario could kiss him.
“You haven’t quite worn me out yet,” Ryu said. “Maybe you should try harder next time.”
Kentario snorted. “I’d have thought that after all the chaos with the wedding planning, you’d be exhausted by now. I was taking it easy on you.”
Chaos was an apt description. The wedding had been just ten weeks after Ryu’s coronation, and when they’d told the wedding planners their intended timeline, the two women had just about had a heart attack. Weddings in general were hard to put together that quickly, and royal weddings even more so.
But in the end, the ceremony had come together beautifully, and then the pair of them had hightailed it to a private jet, flying to a remote resort on Galandeen’s west coast. Islands dotted the coastline, and about fifty kilometres offshore, the continental shelf fell away, marking the official boundary between Galandeen and Iderheil.
The resort they were currently staying in was on one of Galandeen’s western-most islands, an exclusive place limited to a grand total of thirty guests.
“I never got around to saying thank you, by the way,” Ryu said, tracing one finger over Kentario’s chest. “For putting up with all the drama. I know big ceremonies aren’t your thing.”
“There wasn’t exactly any other way we could have done it,” Kentario pointed out. “Marrying a king was never going to be a small affair.”
“Hmm. Prince Kentario Amagarda,” Ryu crooned, leaning in to kiss some of that hard muscle. “I like the way that sounds.”
“Says the man who’s going to spend the next twenty years systematically dismantling the monarchy.”
Ryu shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the perks in the meantime.”
“You know, you’ve got plenty of people confused about you at the moment.
You undo half your father’s decrees, you announce a move towards democracy, you marry your alpha bodyguard, you publicly declare that you don’t give a shit about producing an heir to the throne.
No one knows quite what to make of you yet. ”
“You’re one to talk. You didn’t smile even once during the wedding. Half the country’s convinced you only agreed to marry me because it’s your duty. They think you secretly hate the idea.”
In a swift move, Kentario grabbed Ryu’s smaller, lighter body and pulled him over on top of him.
The hard length of Kentario’s erection was immediately obvious, pressing into Ryu’s thigh.
“Then it’s a good thing you know better,” he said, sounding smug.
“Or didn’t I make that point clear enough last night? ”
“Mm… perfectly clear,” Ryu muttered, rubbing his hips against Kentario’s.
“And again this morning. At this rate, we’re never going to get to enjoy the resort.
There’s the beach, the coral reef, four different restaurants…
Mmnnggh! Oh, Goddess, do that again…” He arched his back, cooing in pleasure as Kentario slid a questing finger inside his passage.
“I’ve got something far more interesting I can put right there,” Kentario promised. He gave Ryu a tug, and after a brief bit of rearranging legs and tangled sheets, Ryu was biting his lip as he slid backwards, Kentario’s hard length stretching him in the most delectable way.
He accepted the intrusion easily, already slick from their earlier lovemaking.
This time they took it slowly, hands roaming, lips teasing any available skin.
“We should seriously go to the beach after this,” Ryu muttered, even as his pace quickened, his climax gathering in his groin.
“Emica would give us both hell if we go back to Azrahn without a tan.”
“I do not want to think about my sister right now!” Kentario complained, gripping Ryu’s hips to encourage him to move faster.
“Then think about me laid out on the sand, dripping wet, wearing nothing but a tiny swimsuit.”
Kentario made a garbled noise, an attempt at words that never quite made it. His body tensed, then he let out a husky moan as he came, as Ryu soaked in the sound, convinced he would never, ever get tired of hearing it.
Realising Ryu wasn’t quite there yet, Kentario wrapped his large hand around Ryu’s erection, stroking firmly until he, too, tumbled over the edge, catching himself on his arms as he collapsed forward, breathing hard.
He felt gentle fingers stroking his hip, and when he opened his eyes, he realised Kentario was stroking his soul mark.
“I’m not sure exactly how I feel about the whole soulmates thing,” Ryu admitted, lightly touching his own mark. “Did we fall in love because we’re soulmates, or was that just a happy coincidence?”
“Maybe it’s the other way around,” Kentario suggested. “Maybe the Goddess knew we were going to fall in love, so she made us soulmates retrospectively. After all, she’s not restricted by time the way we are. Either way, I think it worked out pretty well.”
“Good,” Ryu said, leaning down to kiss him. “Now… get your ass out of bed and put your swimsuit on. There’s an ocean out there just begging for someone to go swim in it.”