Page 172 of Reign

We swiftly shifted positions. I straddled Bash while he slowly lowered me onto his member—a moan escaping my lips as I sank down on his entire length. Clutching my hips, so that I sat snugly against him, Bash kept his cock deep inside of me—guiding my grinding movements with his strong arms. I leaned forward, pressing my mouth to his as I inhaled the air he panted out.

Pressure mounted at the top of my thighs, and the intensity increased until my legs shook uncontrollably. “Oh, Bash,” I moaned, feeling myself ascend quickly toward the peak of my pleasure. “Don’t stop.”

Bash groaned, tightening his grip on my hips as he rubbed my pulsing parts against his groin.

He tenderly bit my earlobe, then whispered, “Come for me,” sending a cascade of tingles down my spine.

His words of encouragement sent me over the edge. “Oh, Bash!” I cried out. “I’m going to…” Before I could finish my sentence, a crescendo of sensations crashed down on me as a moment of unbridled euphoria consumed my being.

As I came, I could feel myself pulsing against Bash’s stiff member, and his groans told me he could, too.

He hungrily kissed my mouth as I floated back to reality—legs still shaking.

Holding me close with one arm, he flipped me onto my back and assumed his place above me.

Bash held himself up—his muscular chest bulging as he thrust with quick, desperate movements. He glanced between our bodies, and I joined him, both of us flitting between watching his cock and observing the pleasure etched onto each other’s faces.

Bash pressed his lips to my ear. “I’m about to come undone,” he purred.

I entwined my legs around his back, holding him close. The sensation of him swelling nearly sent me over the edge once more. But a moment later, he trembled, releasing a satisfied groan as he pushed himself into me one final time.

Bash paused to catch his breath, nuzzling his face into my neck. Still within me, he leaned back, and our eyes locked in silent communion. He broke our shared gaze only to plant a gentle kiss on my forehead—a moment I savored. Then, he pulled out and rolled over to lie on his side—facing me. I turned toward him and traced my fingers over his rosy cheeks, taking in every freckle, scar, and line on his face. A familiar warmth welled in my chest, burning hotter than ever before. Bash gave me a subtle smile, and it was like adding logs to the blaze. I was in love.

“What are you thinking?” he asked softly.

“I think… I might,” I replied hesitantly, knowing I wouldn’t survive if he didn’t say it back.

“You think you might what?”

“I think I’m in love with you,” I whispered as quietly as I could without just mouthing the words.

Bash smiled. “I know I’m in love with you.”

I gently cradled his face in my palms, my fingers trailing over the coarse white stubble that bordered his cheeks.

“Are you certain?” I murmured.

Bash nodded. “The first time I realized how deeply I cared for you was when we were riding that wyvern. You were staring toward the castle, your face bathed in moonlight—and I thought you looked breathtaking.”

I smiled, for I, too, had felt that same longing on that silvery night.

“I worried that after you discovered my lies, you’d no longer care for me,” I said, ignoring the pang of guilt stabbing my chest.

“I was furious,” Bash confessed. “Learning the truth in front of others, knowing you’d lied, made me want to never see you again. But when I heard you’d left with Fitzroy, I was devastated. Even after you returned, watching him caress your hair and hold you by the waist convinced me that I’d lost you. I dreaded my remaining days at Cambas—imagining him parading you around while I, bound by his authority as my commander, could do nothing but endure it. When you woke me in the night, I thought it was a dream. But as I held you, I realized it was real—you were truly with me. In that moment, I vowed never to let you go again, because I knew for certain that I was in love with you.”

My heart swelled, a radiant warmth spreading through me; in that instant, everything else—my worries, my cares—faded into insignificance. With Bash by my side, the rest of the realm ceased to matter.

“What happens when we leave Cambas?” I asked, the thought of a life without him unbearable.

“When the war’s over—whether won or lost—come back to the Headlands with Fletcher and me,” Bash said, entwining his fingers with mine.

“If I wouldn’t be a burden,” I replied, my chest warming with gratitude that someone so thoughtful could be mine.

“You never could be.” He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “Unless there’s somewhere else you’d rather go?”

I shook my head sharply. “As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter where I call home.” As the last word left my mouth, Bash put his lips to mine.

That moment—tangled together beneath the stained sheets—was the happiest I’d ever been.