A quote sprung to mind, from an old book of Shakespeare. “Time is very short for those who celebrate.” It was the only explanation I could think of, because every day with Claire felt like a new reason to celebrate.
Chapter Twenty
Claire
Our house was finally complete. Not just a partial dwelling, or an imperfect shack. It was our home, and it was done.
Everything we’d talked, and planned, and hoped for was here, right before our eyes. We could see it, touch it, and take it all in. It was so new, the idea of our completed home, that it still felt hard to believe, as if it were too good to be true.
Athos had built an all-purpose room first, which protected us from the weather and provided shelter. Once that was done, we had taken our time planning out the finer details for everything else, not wanting to rush too much. This home would be forever.
There was a certain amount of strategy required, coming up with a home that could be functional for us both despite our different builds and sizes. Athos’s old home had been built for him, and almost nothing there fit me. This time, we incorporated human sized furniture and shelves, so that I could be comfortable, too.
Today it was finally done, and no detail had been overlooked. We were about to eat our first meal in our new kitchen, but I had a better plan.
Athos had gone to the stream to fetch water for cooking. While he was gone, I ran into the bedroom and slipped on a sexy, see-through nightie. I had bought it the last time I went into town and hidden it away as a surprise for Athos.
I got out candles, wanting to give our new room a romantic touch. I laid them out, spreading them across the space. Once I lit them, they gave off a mellow glow. The sun was beginning to set, highlighting the way they brightened the space.
Then I got out fresh blankets to prepare our bed. We had built it to rather specific standards. My bed was a platform, raised only slightly off the ground. Athos could lay beside me, resting his human half onto the elevated side. That way, we could cuddle without him always having to lie on top of me.
We’d also built the walls with a few special hoof-holds. They were discreet and unobtrusive, and rested high on the walls. They were nothing more than simple, sturdy planks of wood, carved with a slight dip that his hooves rested in neatly. Athos could lift his forelegs onto them when we wanted to have sex standing up.
On the far side of the room was another platform. This was set to just the right height for me to lie on, so that he could mount me. We jokingly called it the “sex bed”, and the other one was the “sleep bed”. I took a soft blanket and a few pillows to decorate that one as well, getting ready for what I hoped would happen next.
I heard the door shut when Athos returned with the water. I called his name, trying hard to control my eagerness.
He walked into the bedroom, where I was waiting for him on the “sex bed”. I’d curled up into what I hoped was an alluring position, my legs tucked beneath me, and my breasts displayed prominently.
Athos walked into the bedroom, still carrying the bucket of water. He stopped abruptly at the sight of me, faltering. His eyes widened, and he nearly dropped the bucket. He set it down hastily in the corner of the room, raking me over with his hot gaze.
“Wow,” he murmured. “That’s new. I like it.”
“I just picked it up the other day in town,” I admitted, not wanting him to think that I’d been holding out on him. “I thought we could have a special celebration.”
He grinned mischievously. “I’d celebrate with you any day. Any hour, even. It’s all special.”
“Yes, but today is extra special.” I stood up from the bed. I crossed the room to trail my hands across the fur on his horse chest. “This is our first time in our new room. We have to christen it properly. Are you up for the challenge?”
He grabbed, swinging me into his arms. Draping me over his shoulder in a firefighter carry, I squealed with delighted surprise.
“I’ll do my best to serve you, my mate,” he promised.
Carting me off to the bed, he pretended as though he might drop me. I squealed again at his teasing, and at the last minute, he set me down gently.
I arranged myself once more, this time lying back to get comfortable. He bent over, meeting my lips with deep, drugging kisses that rattled my senses.
It’s amazing, I thought headily,that after all this time, he still has the same effect on me.
His arms wrapped around me, pulling me so close that not even a molecule of air could fit between us. As the heat ramped up, my blood began to boil. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, at just the simplest touches.
He pressed an invisible line of hot, open-mouthed kisses down my neck. I surrendered myself to the wonderful feelings flooding my brain and assaulting my senses.
His hand began to fiddle with the thin strap of my nightgown. I sat up, offering him easier access. He pushed the straps down, letting the material drop to my waist. Then I lied back once more, lifting my hips as he tugged it down my legs and cast it aside.
“That didn’t last long,” I remarked playfully, a little short of breath.
“Still worth it. I enjoyed the view. But now I want to do more than look.”