Page 91 of The Stolen Kingdom

Valda’s voice was husky when she spoke. “Let me know if I suffocate you.”

“Oh, please,” Maris chuckled, her hands now moving to grip Valda’s ass. “I can take you just fine.” Maris’s lips curved into a teasing smile, and Valda’s breath hitched as her lover’s warm hands slipped between her thighs. She stroked her aching clit once before moving back to her thighs, gripping her tightly as her fingers pressed into the firm muscle.

Valda let out a shaky breath as she shifted her weight, her knees sliding wider apart as she moved up, finally settling over Maris’s face. The first touch of Maris’s lips against her made her entire body jolt. She sucked in a sharp breath, her head falling back as a low groan tore from her throat.

She had died and gone to the Elysian fields.

Between the warmth of Maris’s hands on her thighs and the silky softness of her lips on her folds, Valda was truly in Elysium.

Maris didn’t hesitate, her tongue darting out to taste her, soft and tentative at first but quickly growing bolder. Valda’s fingers curled into the headboard, leaving marks from her fingernail on the dark wood as she struggled to keep her balance. The heat, the wetness, the maddening way Maris licked and sucked at her clit; it was overwhelming.

“Fuck, Maris,” Valda gasped, her voice breaking as she rocked her hips forward, unable to stop herself from chasing the pleasure her mate was giving her. Her thighs quivered as she lowered herself further, fully seated on Maris’s face now.

Her grip on the headboard tightened as Maris’s tongue flicked against her clit, sending delicious jolts of electricity up her spine. Every stroke, every press of her mouth was a tormented bliss, and Valda felt her control slipping away.

Maris’s hands roamed up her thighs, her nails grazing Valda’s skin, leaving red swells, making her shudder. When those hands gripped her hips and pulled her down even harder, Valda let out a desperate moan, her head falling forward, pressing her damp forehead to the cold wood of the headboard.

She was unraveling faster than she ever thought possible. She had forgotten how good Maris was with her mouth, how dexterously she could get her off.

Fuck.She had missed this woman more than anything. Her body craved her like air and water, and yet, as she pressed harder against her mouth, Valda couldn’t get enough.

“Gods, you are so fucking good,” Valda sobbed, swallowing down the need to cry out there and then. “Good girl,” Valda muttered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her ragged breathing. She glanced down, only to be met with the sight of Maris’s oceanic eyes gazing up at her with an adoration and hunger.

The sight was almost enough to send her over the edge.

“Gods,” Valda whispered, her voice trembling as she tried to hold on, tried to savor the feeling of Maris’s tongue circling her clit and dipping into her core. But it was too much. Her body was on fire, her muscles trembling as she rocked her hips in a slow, deliberate rhythm.

Maris moaned against her, the vibration sending another wave of pleasure crashing through her. Valda gasped, her hands leaving the headboard to tangle in Maris’s hair, anchoring herself as she rode the pleasure building inside her.

The bond between them flared to life, hot and steady, and for the first time in months, Valda felt whole. This wasn’t just her body seeking release—this was her soul seeking to reconnect.

“I love you,” Valda whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them. She wasn’t even sure if Maris could hear her through the loud moans and faint whimpers, but it didn’t matter. Her body trembled as the peak came rushing toward her like a tidal wave.

“Don’t stop,” Valda pleaded, as she clutched Maris’s hair tighter. “Seashell... Don’t you fucking stop.”

Maris’s response was immediate. With renewed fervor, her tongue drove Valda higher and higher until, with a strangled cry, Valda shattered.

Her release washed over her in waves, each one stronger than the last. Her thighs trembled, her back arched, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. All she could do was hold on to Maris, her hands tangled in her hair as she rode out the storm.

When it was over, Valda slumped forward, her forehead pressing against the headboard as she struggled to catch her breath. Her body trembled with the aftershocks, her skin slick with sweat. Slowly, she moved off Maris, collapsing onto the bed beside her. She turned her head, meeting her mate’s gaze, and saw the smirk at the corners of Maris’s swollen, slick-covered lips.

“You’re insufferable,” Valda muttered, but the smile that broke across her face betrayed her words.

“And you’re insatiable,” Maris said, teasing and breathless.

Valda chuckled, pulling Maris close until their bodies were pressed together, their legs tangling beneath the sheets. “You say that as if it was a bad thing,” Valda said, her lips brushing against Maris’s temple as her eyes drifted shut.

For the first time in the last eight months, Valda was certain she would finally sleep peacefully.

***

Valda adjusted her blouse for what felt like the hundredth time that morning, pulling it out of her linen slacks, smoothing it, and tucking it back in until it sat perfectly. She exhaled through her nose, trying to shake off the strange blend of nerves and contentment thrumming in her chest. Padding quietly across the room, she sat down to slip on her boots.

On the bed, a tired Maris slept soundly. Her soft breathing was the only thing she could hear aside from the doves cooing outside the window. Maris lay partially wrapped in a thin sheet that clung loosely to her body, draped just enough to cover her chest, part of her waist, and the curve of her thighs. Valda’s gaze lingered, tracing the lines of her exposed skin and the peaceful expression on her face. It had been so long since she’d seen Maris look this at ease.

At the foot of the bed, Cerberus was curled into a ball, her black tail flicking lazily from side to side. The cat’s golden eyes watched Valda closely, as if waiting for a cue.

“Sorry for the racket last night,” Valda murmured with a small smirk, catching Cerberus’s sleepy gaze. The cat raised her head slightly and tilted it to the side, letting out a soft, almost inaudible meow.

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