Darragh didn’t make him wait. He leaned down, taking Finn into his mouth, savoring the taste of him, the way Finn’s hips jerked up off the bed, the way his fingers clenched in Darragh’s hair.
“Gods, your mouth…” Finn’s voice broke, his body trembling as Darragh worked him, his tongue swirling, his lips tight around the head. “I’m not going to last.”
Darragh pulled off with a wet pop, grinning up at Finn’s dazed expression. “Good.”
Finn’s laugh turned into a groan as Darragh stripped off his own pants, finally bare against him. The feeling of Finn’s skin against his own was electric, and Darragh couldn’t resist rolling his hips, his cock sliding against Finn’s in a way that made them both gasp.
“More,” Finn demanded, his hands gripping Darragh’s hips, pulling him closer. “I need more.”
Darragh didn’t argue. He kissed Finn again, deep and hungry, as he rocked against him, their cocks sliding together, the friction delicious and maddening all at once. Finn’s legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him closer, and Darragh groaned into his mouth as the angle changed, the pressure increasing.
“Like that,” Finn gasped, his nails digging into Darragh’s back. “Just like that,move!”
Darragh didn’t need to be told twice. He set a rhythm, his hips rolling, his cock dragging against Finn’s with every movement. Finn’s breath came in sharp gasps, his body arching up to meet Darragh’s thrusts, his hands gripping Darragh’s shoulders like he was the only thing keeping him grounded.
“Finn…” Darragh’s voice was rough, his body coiled tight, pleasure building with every movement. “I’m close…”
“Me too,” Finn gasped, his body trembling beneath him. “Don’t stop, don’tstop…”
Darragh couldn’t have stopped if he’d wanted to. His hips snapped forward, his cock dragging against Finn’s, and then Finn was coming with a broken cry, his body arching off the bed as pleasure crashed over him. The sight of Finn falling apart beneath him was enough to send Darragh over the edge, his own release hitting him like a wave, his hips stuttering as he spilled between them.
For a long moment, neither of them moved, both breathing hard, their bodies still pressed together. Darragh finally rolled to the side, pulling Finn with him, their limbs tangled together.
“Gods,” Finn breathed, his head resting on Darragh’s chest. “That was…”
“Yeah,” Darragh agreed, pressing a kiss to Finn’s hair. “It was.”
Finn laughed softly, his fingers tracing idle patterns on Darragh’s chest. “We’re definitely doing that again.”
Darragh huffed a laugh, pulling Finn closer. “Give me ten minutes, and we’ll see what happens.” He brushed a kiss over Finn’s hair. “Thank you for making this easy.”
“You make this easy,” Finn murmured. “You’re fast becoming my favorite person. Now, go to sleep. I’m sure there’re lots of kingly stuff I’m going to have to learn in the morning.”
Unfortunately, Darragh knew that his new husband was right. Aldric had been using his three weeks without Finn around to prepare a list. But it was all right.We’ll do it together, and everything will be fine.
Chapter Fourteen
The council chamber felt like it was closing in on Finn, the high vaulted ceiling pressing down with the weight of all the things he didn’t understand. Aldric droned on about grain tariffs from the eastern provinces, referencing trade agreements signed during King Darragh’s grandfather’s reign, and Finn’s mind struggled to keep pace.
“...which brings us to the matter of adjusting the export taxes to compensate for the shortfall,” Aldric concluded, shuffling his papers with the air of someone who’d just explained something obvious to a room full of intelligent people.
Helena nodded. “The historical precedent supports maintaining the current rate, but we could explore a temporary reduction to encourage—”
“Wait.” Finn held up a hand, aware of how all eyes turned to him. “If we’re losing money on the exports, why would we reduce the taxes? Wouldn’t that make the problem worse?”
The silence that followed felt loaded with something Finn couldn’t quite name. Thomas’s quill stopped moving across his parchment. Helena’s expression shifted to something carefully neutral. Aldric’s eyebrows met when he frowned.
“Your Grace,” Aldric began, his tone walking the knife’s edge between respect and condescension, “the export taxes apply to goodsleavingSafe Harbor. The shortfall is in ourimportrevenue, which is an entirely separate matter governed by different treaties and…”
“Right, yes, of course.” Finn’s face burned.Imports. Exports. How did I not know the difference?“I just thought…”
“Perhaps,” Aldric continued, not unkindly but with the patience one might use with a slow student, “it would benefit Your Graceto review the fundamentals of our trade infrastructure before participating in these discussions. I’d be happy to provide some reading material.”
“That’s not necessary,” Darragh cut in, his voice sharp. “Finn asked a valid question. Not everyone grew up studying economics.”
“Of course not, Your Majesty. I merely thought…”
“I’m sure you have excellent intentions.” Darragh’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “But my husband is perfectly capable of learning as he goes.”
