Reign or Shine

by H J Welch

  “Wow, mate,” said Esosa to Matty, leaning in so she wouldn’t be overheard. “I can’t even be jealous anymore. I’m just so happy for you. You did good.”

  “Thanks,” said Matty gratefully. “I’m so glad you guys are here to share this with.”

  She winked. “Of course. That’s what mates are for.”

  He was still a little shaky with adrenaline, but mostly that was wearing off and had been replaced with excitement. He and Cas were going to have a real shot at being a couple. Matty still wasn’t sure what that would entail, but he wasn’t too worried.

  He and Cas would figure it out.

  With thunderous applause from the crowd, the tournament began. Matty pressed up to the glass, filming every second of Finley as she competed, so Reghan and Lola could watch at home in New York. Cas came and stood beside him, resting his hand on the small of Matty’s back.

  That said simple gesture said ‘He’s mine.’ And Matty loved it.

  When it came to the results, Matty video-called his sister so they could all watch together, and they all screamed when Finley got the silver in her age category. Silver! Matty cried, he was so incredibly proud of her. And he had Cas rubbing his back and grinning along with him, sharing in the triumph with Matty’s family and new friends.

  It was perfect.

  But it was also noisy and nonstop. So when the tournament was over and Matty went to go find Finley to congratulate her, he was glad that the school stadium was starting to empty out. The kids had a full day of fun and games tomorrow to wind down from all their hard work, and then Matty was supposed to pick Finley up on Monday morning, ready for their flight home.

  Not leaving him and Cas much time to work out what they were going to do moving forward.

  Matty felt like an awkward teenager after a school dance, not sure if he should hold hands or kiss his date. Or if they were even going to go home together.

  There was a lot he didn’t know.

  “Hey,” Cas’s voice murmured in his ear after they’d first waved goodbye to Finley, then Shommie, Esosa, and their kids. They were still surrounded by people who kept looking their way as they went past, and no doubt Cas’s security detail wasn’t that far away. But for the first time since the kiss in Cas’s car in front of the apartment, Matty felt like he could breathe, and all he really had to worry about was him and Cas.

  “Hey,” he said back, trying to calm his nerves. This was Cas. He didn’t have anything to fear, not really. Or did he?

  “Everything okay?” Cas asked, probably picking up on Matty’s slight apprehension.

  Matty laughed and nodded. “Yes. There’s just a lot of things to think about.” He puffed out his cheeks. “What happens now?”

  Cas sighed and brushed back one of Matty’s always wild-curls. The fingers of his other hand were threaded with Matty’s, and he rubbed his knuckles soothingly. “Some alone time, to talk?” he suggested. “I thought we could head back home. Have some dinner and start thinking about the future.”

  Matty relaxed, relief coursing through his body. “Going back to the apartment sounds like a dream,” he admitted. “I, um, I wondered if I’d ever see it again.”

  Cas bit his lip, a look of concern flashing briefly across his face.

  “Um…no,” he said carefully. Then he took Matty’s other hand so he was holding them both. “Not the apartment.”

  “Then where…?” Matty began to ask.

  Then the penny dropped. He gulped.

  “Oh,” he managed to whisper.

  He couldn’t help but gape through the window of Cas’s car as they approached the palace. This was on every ‘Top Ten Things To Do In Alpina!’ list, for crying out loud. Most people came here to watch the changing of the guards.

  And now Matty was about to walk through the front door.

  “Are you really sure about this?” he asked for the tenth time. He was trying to be confident, but he was wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers. Hardly formal attire.

  Cas pulled his car up the drive. “Absolutely, sweetheart,” he said, smiling over at Matty. “No more hiding, remember?”

  Matty nodded, trusting that Cas knew what he was doing. People in matching uniforms approached the vehicle even before they’d fully stopped. Once Cas killed the engine, they opened the doors for both Cas and Matty, bowing as they stepped out of the car. Matty tried his best not to look too bewildered.

  Once Cas took his hand, it became much easier to breathe and relax. I’m not an imposter. I belong here. If he kept repeating it, perhaps he’d really believe it.

  For the first time since this whole messy business had turned his life upside down, Matty actually felt a thrill of excitement. His boyfriend was a prince! They were walking into a palace! Matty was living in a dream! Except Matty knew Cas was as real and true as they came.

  As they stepped into the cool marble foyer of the palace, they were greeted by a woman in her late thirties with red curls tumbling past her shoulders, a crisp suit, and shiny pumps with pencil-thin three-inch heels. She looked at Cas with a strange mixture of fondness, pride, and a glint in her eye that suggested she wanted to also give him hell.

  “Your Highness,” she said, dipping her head slightly. When her eyes flicked back up, they went straight to Matty, giving him the warmest smile. “Mr. Doyle. It’s an honor to make your acquaintance.”

  “You know you want to add a ‘finally’ to that,” Cas grumbled as he placed his hand on Matty’s back and indicated the red-headed woman. “Matty, this is Valentina, my dear friend and valet. Basically, my life wouldn’t happen without her. And Valentina, this is Matty Doyle.” He beamed down at Matty. “I realized my life wouldn’t happen without him, either.”

  Matty was tempted to feel overwhelmed with emotion, but he was done being surprised with Cas’s love. From now on, he was going to treasure it. He trusted Cas and believed his words. He didn’t want to live without Matty.

  And Matty felt exactly the same way about Cas.

  Matty reached over and shook hands with Valentina. As he expected, she had a firm, no-nonsense grip. “I could have told him that days ago,” she told him in a conspiratorial tone. “Can I count on you to keep knocking some sense into him from now on?”

  Matty laughed. “Absolutely,” he promised.

  “Good.” She nodded once and dropped his hand. She’d been holding a leather portfolio in the other, and now she clasped it with both hands in front of her. “I have some official business to discuss with His Highness regarding the Royal Ball, but that can wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, Your Highness, your suite has been prepared for you.” She waggled her eyebrows. “It’s fully stocked.”

  With that, she spun on her heels, click-clacking away and out of sight.

  “What does that mean?” Matty asked.

  Cas snorted. “I’m pretty sure that means there will be several bottles of blueberry lube waiting for us.”

  Matty choked in shock. That wasn’t what he’d been expecting him to say at all. But then shock was quickly replaced by lust.

  They’d had a ton of spectacular sex in Cas’s city apartment. They’d made love the night before in the cabin after baring their souls. But now they were an official couple. Boyfriends for all the world to see. And Matty was in Cas’s damned palace, about to go to the room he actually lived in, not the apartment he used for an escape. This was his home.

  Like he’d thought on the palace steps: this was as real as it got.

  How many first times was Matty going to get with Cas? It was like their relationship was never going to stop being full of wonder and surprise. And he loved it.

  “Well,” he said flirtatiously, slipping his hand back into Cas’s. “Don’t you think we should go find out just how much blueberry lube there is? Maybe do a quality-control test?”

  Cas hummed, his eyes suddenly darkening with want and desire. He leaned down, capturing Matty’s lips in a kiss that felt far too filthy to be shared out in the open. And yet, Matty did
n’t care. They were done hiding. “Excellent point, Mr. Doyle,” Cas growled. “Let me give you a tour of the palace.”

  “Starting with your bedroom?” Matty asked hopefully.

  “Starting with my bedroom,” Cas agreed.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cas

  Matty was in the royal palace. It should have felt so wrong, but it was the rightest thing Cas had seen in a long time. Matty had come into his heart and made him feel whole, and now he’d stepped into his home and brought it to life.

  Cas watched, overflowing with love, as Matty’s head swiveled back and forth, drinking in the opulence of the palace, not with fear or self-doubt, but with excitement and joy. Sure, he almost certainly still had some apprehension around Cas’s royal status. He’d definitely given off a slightly panicked vibe when they’d talked more in the car about the ball and meeting the rest of Cas’s family. But whenever Matty looked like he might be about to spiral, Cas just took his hand or kissed him, and he would calm again.

  Cas didn’t want him to feel out of place. He belonged here. What was the point of dating a prince if he didn’t get to enjoy all the unbelievable perks that came with it? In time, hopefully Matty would come to see these walls and the centuries of history within them as an everyday occurrence. But it was understandable that the first time might be a little overwhelming.

  “Do you like it?” Cas asked, squeezing Matty’s hand as they walked closer to Cas’s suite.

  Matty blinked, as if coming out of a reverie. “Like it?” he said in confusion. “Cas, it’s incredible! All these works of art and chandeliers and carpets so thick I want to sleep on them. The history is awe-inspiring, and it’s just so beautiful! Who in their right mind wouldn’t love it?”

  Cas bumped their shoulders and smiled warmly at him. “I don’t care about anyone else’s opinion, I care what you think, sweetheart.”

  Matty blushed. “I think it’s stunning. I still can’t quite believe I’m here.”

  Neither could Cas. But he couldn’t be happier. He’d gone from thinking he and Matty could only have a couple of weeks in their little bubble, to thinking he’d lost him forever…to daring to dream that they might have a real future together.

  Cas was getting ahead of himself. They had time to dwell on that and talk it all through. But right now, they had other more pressing matters at hand. Matty might have gotten swept up in his wonder of the palace, and Cas in his wonder of Matty, but now they were at Cas’s door, and more primal urges were taking over.

  Cas hummed as he pulled Matty in for a kiss. They tumbled through the door together, laughing like giddy, horny teenagers, and then Cas very firmly locked the door behind him. They didn’t have to hide away anymore…but there were still things that he wanted to be completely private between them.

  Matty grinned from ear to ear as he turned on the spot, absorbing the view of Cas’s rooms. True, Cas had worked with the palace’s interior designer to keep them traditional, but there were also a lot of personal touches from his life, especially his travels. The city apartment might have been his secret space, but he’d kept it purposefully neutral to try and trick himself into forgetting who he really was.

  But now, he didn’t have to forget. Cas got to be the man who fell in love and no longer had to hide. He didn’t have to pretend to be a watered-down version of himself. And that was all because of beautiful Matty, who was currently looking at Cas’s fan collection from Japan and mosaic art from Thedes. “You’ve done so much,” he said in wonder.

  But Cas shook his head. “There’s a difference between traveling and living.” He made a come-hither motion for Matty to hold his hand. Matty skipped over willingly, smiling excitedly. “You brought me to life, sweetheart,” Cas murmured. “Maybe someday we can travel together?”

  “I’d love that.” Matty ghosted his lips over Cas’s lips, looking through his long black eyelashes. “I love you,” he whispered, like it was a secret. But they had no more secrets, and Cas had never felt freer.

  “I love you,” Cas repeated, tugging Matty toward his bedroom. The four-poster bed was a couple of centuries-old, and the blue velvet drapes at least several decades. But the mattress was pretty new, thank goodness. Cas hoped it was going to get a lot of use in the near future.

  He and Matty had made love in the dark and the light, they’d fucked wildly and they’d gently tended to one another. But Cas was starting to appreciate that his favorite intimate moments with his lover were when they just let the hell go and had fun. As they stumbled toward the bed, kissing messily, they fumbled to pull the other’s clothes off. Matty had already made quick work of Cas’s suit jacket and tie, which were strewn on the floor like a trail of breadcrumbs, along with both their shoes and three-quarters of their socks. But as Matty divested Cas of his shirt and slung it on the bed, there was a loud, indignant ‘meow!’ and a silver ball of fluff shot out from under the garment in indignation.

  Matty suddenly lost interest in Cas’s lips and gasped. “Bella!” he cried, reaching for her.

  Cas had forgotten how many photos he’d shown Matty of his beloved cat. He showed no fear as he stroked her fur and cooed over her. As usual, sensing she was about to be adored, Bella flopped on her back and immediately began purring like a car engine as Matty petted her belly.

  “Who’s a beautiful kitty, hmm?” Matty asked in delight.

  As Matty fussed over Bella, Cas caressed Matty’s neck and ran his fingers through his hair, delighted when he visibly shivered. “You’re so sweet,” he murmured. “Can you be my beautiful kitty?”

  Matty threw his head back and laughed, then batted his eyelashes at Cas, making his cock thicken in his pants. “I’ll be your anything, lover,” he rasped.

  Cas hummed, his skin electric as he traced his thumb along Matty’s square jaw then over his lower lip. Matty’s mouth opened, showing his wet, inviting tongue just behind his teeth.

  “Sorry, Bella,” Cas said, moving swiftly to remove his cat from the room. “We’ll pet you later, I promise.” He kissed the top of her head before placing her on the floor of his living room. Then he closed the door on her and marched right back to Matty.

  Matty, who in those few seconds had stripped his T-shirt, jeans, and remaining sock off, and was now leaning back on his elbows with his feet dangling over the edge of the bed, just off the floor. His dick was hard and bulging against his briefs as he followed Cas’s approach with lust-blown eyes.

  Cas crowded over him, palming Matty’s cock as he kissed him hungrily. Matty moaned and gasped as Cas squeezed and rubbed his erection. Their eyes were open just a sliver, watching each other as they kissed sloppily. “What do you want, lover?” Cas asked.

  “You,” Matty replied immediately with a grin, running his hands up Cas’s torso. “I want to be your fantasy.”

  Cas hastily undid his trousers and kicked them off. Within seconds, he was lying on top of Matty, their underwear the only thing between their hot bodies.

  He kissed Matty and carded his fingers through his hair, slowing the pace for a second. “You might have started off as my daydream, Matty,” he said sincerely. “But now you’re real life. You know that, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Matty replied happily, his fingers skimming up and down Cas’s back. Their eyes met. “I really do, Cas. Thank you for letting me in to your life. I know you like taking care of me – and you’re very good at it.” He grinned and prodded Cas’s chest. “But I want to take care of you, too, okay?”

  Cas laughed and nuzzled their noses together. “I feel so calm with you,” he mused, kissing Matty’s neck. His skin tasted of sunshine and salt and Matty’s own tangy musk. “Of course you take care of me. And I don’t just mean in the kitchen.”

  “Oh my god!” Matty said with a cackle. “It makes so much sense now! I couldn’t work out how you could be so hopeless, but you’ve had people cooking for you your whole damn life!”

  Cas tickled his ribs and bit his earlobe. “Shut up,” he said playful
ly as Matty giggled and squirmed.

  But then he grabbed either side of Cas’s face and kissed him hard. “Will they let me cook for you here, though? You don’t have a kitchen in the suite, do you?”

  Cas caressed the side of his face, deeply touched. “We’ll work something out. The future is an open road.”

  Matty sighed contentedly, flopping under Cas with his hands above his head, totally open and wanton and Cas’s. “It is, isn’t it?”

  Cas nodded, then kissed his lips, feeling the smile playing on Matty’s mouth. He fully realized in that moment that their ticking clock had been taken away. Yes, Matty would probably have to fly back to New York after the ball, but then they had options. Cas was no longer in a mild panic about how long they had together before it was all over.

  Potentially, they now had forever to discover each other’s bodies.

  All Cas wanted now was to look at Matty and memorize him. He didn’t want to spend hours teasing him or switching between several positions or anything like that. He just wanted to see him, and for them to exist in delicious simplicity.

  “Is there anything in particular you want now, sweetheart?” Cas asked.

  Matty smiled, slightly dazed, and shook his head. Cas was sure that some time soon he wanted to push Matty a little and get him to ask Cas for his deepest desires, but Cas knew a big part of what Matty loved was being at Cas’s whim. So, for now, they would just play out Cas’s wishes in glorious, real-life Technicolor. Later, Cas would see what he could help Matty ask for, just like he’d helped him to say all those wonderful truths about himself.

  “You’re so perfect, Matty,” Cas whispered, licking and kissing at one of his nipples, their gazes still joined. “What are you?”

  Matty giggled fondly. “Perfect, Cas.”

  Cas grinned. “Thank you, sweetheart. You’re so good for me.”

  Matty hummed and let his eyes flutter shut as Cas moved further down, kissing Matty’s belly and slipping off his briefs. He nuzzled his nose through his dark curls, then kissed and licked at the base of Matty’s hard, red hot shaft. Matty whimpered and arched his back as Cas fondled his heavy balls. “More,” he begged.