Page 120 of Royal Deception

The last ten come in quick succession, her sobs filling the room as I step back to admire my handiwork. She’s all but collapsed now, and I know she’s ready.

Without another word, I position myself behind her, aligning our bodies as I slide into her, filling her completely. The moment I’m inside her, the tension, the restraint, everything shifts. She’s mine, and I can feel how much she needs me, how much she wants this.

I move slowly at first, savoring the feel of her, the way her body clings to mine, but soon, I increase the pace, my thrusts deep and controlled. With each movement, I hear her soft gasps and moans, and I’m lost in her, in the pleasure we’re sharing.

“Let go, Clary,” I command, my voice steady but full of need. “Let me take you.”

She obeys, her body writhing against mine, her moans becoming louder, more desperate, until finally, she’s on the edge, teetering between control and surrender.

“Now, Clary,” I demand, and she falls apart in my arms, her body shaking as she comes undone beneath me.

And just as she reaches her peak, I follow, my own release surging through me as I hold her close.

“I love you,” I whisper as we lie together.

“I love you too,” she says, reaching out to touch my cheek. “But my ass is on fire.”

I chuckle and stroke her hair out of her eyes. We’re going to be on our honeymoon for the next week so she has plenty of time to recover. Darcy is watching Sean for us, insisting that we take the time for ourselves.

“You know,” Clary murmurs, a yawn on her lips, “I hated you when I first met you.”

“I know,” I say, a fond smile on my face. “I was tough on you. But you proved you could handle it. I didn’t care if you hated me, so long as you got the job done. But everything changed when you were in that car accident.”

Clary hums, remembering the incident. She was bringing Rose home from the hospital for Darcy, and the Russians targeted them, forcing her to run a red light and get hit.

Something about hearing the news had turned my stomach, sent me into a state of shock. I barely remembered running out of the office and driving like a bat out of hell to get to her.

“I realized that day that I was starting to have feelings for you, but I didn’t want it to be true, so I forced myself to ignore it. At the wedding, it got to be too hard to ignore. I thought I could get you out of my system if I just slept with you a few times.”

“I guess it doesn’t work that way,” Clary says, a playful smirk on her face. “It made us more attached to each other than ever. Literally, since that’s when we conceived Sean.”

“I’m glad it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to,” I confess. “I wouldn’t have ended up with everything I never knew I wanted.”

Now I have a family, a beautiful wife, a wonderful son… What more could I ask for?

EPILOGUE

Annika

Istand at the entrance to the lavish venue, my eyes scanning the crowd. The air is thick with excitement, chatter, and the warm glow of celebration. It’s not lost on me how out of place I feel here, despite the welcoming atmosphere.

I take a deep breath, holding my chin high as I walk through the hall, determined to hold on to the last bit of dignity I have left.

Then I see her.

Clary’s eyes light up when she spots me, her face breaking into a wide smile.

“Ana!” she calls out.

My chest tightens, relief flooding through me because this moment could go either way, but seeing her warmth, her happiness, it eases the ache I didn't even know I had.

I make my way to her, but before I can even speak, I’m stopped.

Rory’s voice is harsh, the edge to it sending a chill down my spine. “What the hell is she doing here?”

I freeze. The smile on Clary’s face vanishes, and I watch as her expression changes, confusion flickering across her features.

My heart squeezes painfully.