by Avery Katz
I spotted a group of women holding signs with Ruppy’s name on them. He had an army of fans who called themselves Ruppy Babes on Facebook. There were so many fan pages dedicated to him online. I did my homework right after breakfast and spent hours watching YouTube videos about him and his family. He had a younger brother called Danny who was apparently famous for marrying a rock star. Ruppy really was a big deal back in Europe. The Lockridges were just as popular as the British royal family. They were all good looking and had enough charm to take over the world.
“So, what would you like your codename to be?” I asked him once the car was safely parked in front of the venue. “You have five seconds to decide.”
He tapped his fingers against his chin and smiled.
“Crooked cookie.”
“No. I will not call you a crooked cookie. Neither will my men.”
“Oh, come on. Codenames are meant to be funny.” He insisted.
Silas and Owen masked their laughter with two loud coughs. I rolled my eyes at them and waited for Ruppy to choose a more sensible name.
“Fine. How about Red Serpent? It has an evil ring to it. It also sounds like a character in Mortal Kombat. I love Mortal Kombat.”
We went through a couple more names before he finally settled on Hades, the god of the underworld. Ruppy said it was a nod to his dark side, which was hilarious considering how sweet and polite he was. My men exited the SUV first to secure the area before signaling us to exit the car.
The prince was cool as a cucumber. I heard him take a deep breath before turning to smile at the flashing cameras. I put on my sunglasses to avoid being blinded by all the lights and followed him down the red carpet. Screaming fans told him they loved him. The adoration in their voices scared the shit out of me. I scanned the steps for any suspicious activity while listening to Silas bitch about the packed foyer.
Ruppy stopped to take a few selfies with his fans and even struck up a short conversation with a little girl who came all the way from New York to see him. The young girl was smitten. I waited for him to finish before escorting him down the busy foyer where more people practically begged for his autograph. His smile did not waver as he graciously signed posters and books. He was about to sign one more autograph for this creepy looking dude when I touched his arm and told him to keep moving. Footballer Tom Brady was right behind us, and his PR team was clearing the way for him.
“What a showoff,” I muttered under my breath.
The inside of the ballroom felt like a high school reunion. It was a pissing contest about who knew more about the environment. I stood off to the side and watched Ruppy greet the gala organizers. They gushed about him and his work before showing him to his seat. Three women were already seated at the table. They greeted him with equally enthusiastic smiles and asked him about his family. Every now and then, he would get up from his seat and flutter around the ballroom like a social butterfly. I hated when he did that. I specifically asked him not to wander off without alerting me first.
“Fucking Hades.” I sighed in frustration and watched him rub elbows with a bunch of old men in high-end tuxedos and polished shoes. The amount of people sucking up to him was vomit-inducing. I understood Ruppy’s appeal though. He was far from fake. He listened more than he talked and appeared to care about the environment genuinely. Apparently, the gala was in support of our oceans. I wasn’t exactly the tree-hugging type but I believed in global warming. I knew the planet was in deep shit because of us.
An old woman by the name of Nancy appeared on-stage and thanked everyone for coming. Ruppy finally returned to his seat, so I assumed my earlier position by the wall and scanned the art-deco ballroom. It was one of the oldest venues in San Francisco.
The centerpieces at each table were ice sculptures instead of flowers. They resembled different ocean creatures, which was the theme for the evening. There were fake red coral reefs hanging from the ceiling and blue spotlights lighting up the marble columns. They were probably going for an underwater theme. I admired the effort they put into the event, especially when they brought out the food. The presentation on those plates blew my fucking mind.
My stomach growled at the sight of grilled salmon and cocktail shrimp. The charity organizers declared that all of the plates were sustainably sourced, whatever that meant. I watched Ruppy eat like the fork and plate were made out of eggshells. He was delicate and careful not to spill any sauce on his designer tuxedo. He looked like a fucking snack in his trinity knot. It looked damn good on him.
The official event photographers approached his table more than once to take pictures of him. I wanted to punch their faces for interrupting his dinner. The loud clatter of utensils filled the room as everyone started eating as well. Ruppy suddenly wiped his mouth with a napkin and reached into his pocket. I saw him pull out a piece of paper. It was probably his speech. He went over it for a few minutes until the waiter cleared his plate and Nancy returned to the stage. Socialites like her were always searching for the next big cause to keep themselves busy.
She asked him to join her, so he got up and walked down the crowded ballroom. I followed him and waited by the stage while he gave his speech. It was funny yet serious at the same time. He talked about how invested his country was in the environment and how everyone should carry a shopping bag to the grocery store instead of using plastic. He was elegant and eloquent. Hell, he made me want to make a donation to.
I was honestly floored by him. He was fucking amazing. I thought royals were rich, entitled brats with no jobs and no ambition. Ruppy changed my perception. He inspired change and awakened something in me. I found myself longing for this man who was mine to protect and nothing more.
Common sense told me not to get carried away and think about getting involved with him. Fantasy and reality were two different things. I was a grown man, not a horny teenage boy. I needed to think with my brain and not my dick. Thinking with my dick was bad. It led to all sorts of fucked up situations. I took a deep breath and escorted him off the stage. He thanked me before returning to his seat. I swallowed the lump in my throat and stood in the shadows, away from the irritating spotlights. I needed to keep my emotions in check.
After making his donation and posing for more pictures, Ruppy decided to call it a night. I nodded and informed the others. His annoying fans were still outside, so we circled him like protective hawks and escorted him to the car.
“Mission accomplished.” He climbed into the backseat with a loud sigh of contentment. I was kind of jealous of his ability to handle the media attention with grace. If I were in his shoes, I would have given everyone the finger and refused to sign anything.
I told Owen to drive and warned him not to run anyone over, especially not the paparazzi. The fuckers almost threw themselves in front of the hood. I rolled down my window and told them to fuck off. They were experts at falling in front of moving vehicles and filing a lawsuit the next day. That shit did not sit well with me.
I heard Ruppy chuckle from beside me. The light, irresistible sound almost made me smile. Almost. I chose to put an icebox inside my heart and forced my dark memories away. Luckily, the coast was clear, with very light traffic on the way to the Fairmont. The guys dropped us off in the basement garage where we took the elevator up to our rooms.
“Thank you for tonight. I really admired your professionalism back there.”
“You’re welcome.” I nodded politely and offered him a tight smile in return.
He smiled and unlocked his door. “Goodnight for now. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”
I watched him slip into his suite before unlocking my own door. My disappointed expression greeted me in the hallway mirror.
“Guess it’s just you and me tonight, huh?”
Chapter 9
RUPPY
A strange noise woke me up in the middle of the night. I opened my eyes and sat against the headboard. I was no stranger to odd, unfamiliar sounds. I lived in an ancient castle which had a personality of i
ts own. It made all sorts of creaking noises at night. Of course, it was old and housed more than a hundred people, including our royal staff. It was bound to have a soundtrack. The Fairmont, however, was neither old nor crowded. We made sure the executive floor was vacant before booking the two adjoining bedrooms. I listened again and realized that the distressed noises were coming from Justin’s room. I panicked and climbed out of bed in a hurry.
I opened the door to his bedroom and found him groaning in his sleep. It sounded like he was in pain. He was breathing heavily, and his forehead was beaded with sweat. I rushed to his side and turned on the lamp. The soft, orange glow highlighted his distressed face.
I attempted to wake him, but the moment I touched him, he grabbed me and threw me onto the bed. He pinned me down with his body and wrapped his hands around my neck. He knocked the wind out of my sails and taught me the real meaning of a WWF throw down. His muscles rippled as he used the full weight of his body to keep me down. I was surprised by his fast, almost catlike reflexes.
Justin frowned when he realized it was me. His dark eyes flickered with recognition as he loosened his grip on my neck. I was able to breathe fully now that his hands were no longer pressing on my esophagus.
“Ouch. Thanks for the ambush. I really enjoy being under you, just as long as you don’t choke me to death.”
His shoulders were so tense, I could almost feel the tension vibrating in the air between us. He was practically bathed in it.
“Fuck. What the hell are you doing in here, Ruppy?”
What the hell was I doing in here? I was about to answer him when he groaned and kissed me hard. There was no room for talking in his bed, not when his hands were in my hair. His bare chest rubbed against mine as he devoured my lips and grinded his hips against mine. He was harder than a rock.
My heart raced faster in my chest at the prospect of sleeping with him again. He was a tasty, forbidden fruit. My body craved him like never before. Maybe it was the nightmare he had or maybe he wanted me just as much as I wanted him, but he was a lot more eager to bed me this time around.
His fingers drove me crazy. They had a hard time choosing a place to explore. He ran them up and down the length of my body, squeezing and kneading my skin. I snuck a hand into his boxers and wrapped my fingers around his hard member. He hissed and stopped kissing my collarbone.
I wanted him out of those boxers and inside me as soon as humanly possible. He pushed them down his hips and then leaned down to kiss my chest. His kisses were frantic and hungry.
I was lost in the moment, having shut down my brain earlier. I could only focus on his rippling torso and smooth, unblemished skin as he propped himself on his elbows to stare at me from beneath his midnight lashes. The tension in his body was still there, but it had multiplied tenfold. I reach upwards and cupped his bearded jaw.
“I need to fuck you.”
“Yes. Do it.” I encouraged him, knowing that he was hanging by a thread. We both were.
He sat up in one fluid motion and fetched the lube from his bedside drawer. His eyes were dark and dilated with lust. I rubbed his bulging biceps while he lubed himself up before scooting down to take my cock in his mouth. He gave it a few licks before licking and sucking every inch of my skin until he returned to my collarbone.
My cock throbbed as it lay there against my stomach. I made more room for him between my legs and cradled him between my thighs. He grinned wickedly and reached down to spear me with his drenched fingers. I looked down and saw him choking his angry member with his left hand. His knuckles were almost white.
I moaned and closed my eyes. The sensation of his fingers rubbing against my walls was too much. He was so good at it. He pushed those skilled fingers in and out of me faster and faster until I was stretched open and ready for him. He bent down and kissed me, tasting me with his tongue as his fingers traveled from my ass to my swollen cock. He wrapped his fingers around me and rubbed the patch of skin just below the crown. I groaned and felt his tip at my entrance.
“Open your eyes. Look at me. Now.” He said in a gruff voice that made me flood his hand with precum. He glided into me slowly, almost teasingly. It was almost as if he was testing his own patience and stamina. I dug my fingers into his biceps and felt him go deeper. He stroked my cock while staring deep into my eyes. It was so intense and intimate. Tingles traveled up and down my spine, carrying tiny packages of ecstasy with it. It made me moan and roll my hips to meet his thrusts. Justin panted on top of me, and his hot breath fanned my face. His hands glided over my cock, intensifying my pleasure. Sex with him was like a drug. One dose and I was addicted. I arched my back and begged him to fuck me faster.
He closed his eyes and rewarded me with a particularly hard thrust that made me cum. Hard. I shuddered and spurted all over his hand. He swallowed my moan with his lips and moved in and out of me at a faster pace. His sweaty chest rubbed against mine as he sucked on my tongue.
Pleasure washed over me in waves, making my toes curl. Justin broke the kiss and flattened his palms on either side of my face. He slightly raised his upper body and started fucking me with short and shallow thrusts. I could feel his cock swelling inside my ass.
“Fuck!”
Hearing him lose control was music to my ears. I watched the pained expression on his face morph into pleasure as he grabbed my hips and pistoned in and out of me, rubbing against my prostate and awakening my cock in the process. I could feel the blood rushing down to my shaft. He pulled out of me abruptly and sat up, dragging my hips along with him. I arched my back like a cat and watched him plunge in and out of me. His cock was a dark shade of purple. He was close to cumming and so was I again.
The rhythmic sound of his thighs banging against my buttocks filled the room. If we had neighbors, we would have definitely woken them up.
“Shit. Justin!”
I reached down and stroked my cock to the rhythm of his thrusts. He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on me. He was almost there. I clenched my ass around him, triggering his orgasm. He came with a loud grunt, panting, and groaning on top of me. The vein in his neck almost exploded. I watched it throb under his skin until his orgasm subsided, and he collapsed on top of me. My second orgasm was even more powerful than the first one. I almost had an out of body experience when I came.
Afterward, I held Justin tightly in my arms and inhaled his musky scent while we recovered from our explosive sex session. No wonder the French called it la petite mort.
“So, are you going to tell me what your nightmare was all about?” I asked him, taking advantage of his relaxed state. He stopped drawing invisible patterns on my chest and froze up all of a sudden.
“It’s been a long day. We should go to sleep.” He said, clearly refusing to share his secrets with me. It was so not fair given how he’d almost choked me to death earlier. He added insult to injury by rolling over onto his side and pretending to snore.
I felt disappointed by his behavior. It rubbed me up the wrong way, especially after the lovemaking we shared. It only served as a reminder of our bathroom pact, that this was nothing more than just a mutual attraction and not even part of my own plan.
Chapter 10
JUSTIN
I woke up the next morning to an empty bed and bright sunlight streaming through my windows. The mattress was cold, which meant that Ruppy had woken up early. I felt a sense of loss for the first time in years. My nightmare may have contributed to the overall feeling of discomfort and tension in my bones. It stayed with me while I shuffled to the bathroom to pee and take a shower. Fuck. I looked like shit. My hair was matted to my forehead, and the dark bags under my eyes added to my overall craptastic look.
I stepped under the shower and closed my eyes, enjoying the scalding hot water on my skin. I called myself every name in the book for giving in during my weak moment and having sex with my client again. That was fucking unacceptable. I needed to start thinking of Ruppy more as a client than anything else. I had to drill that i
nto my stubborn head. I just had to.
I shampooed my hair using the amazing hotel amenities and brushed my teeth while staring out through the bathroom windows. Waking up to that Bay Bridge view every morning wasn’t so bad. I contemplated buying an apartment with the same magnificent view while getting dressed. It might cost me a fortune, but everything was fucking expensive these days. I combed my hair and decided to check in on Ruppy. His bedroom was awfully quiet.
“Fuck. I’m going to miss breakfast.” I groaned on my way to his door. I knocked a couple of times, but he didn’t answer. I tried to open it, but it was locked. I figured he was ignoring me because I refused to answer his questions about my nightmare. I just couldn’t share it with anyone yet. We were pretty much still strangers despite knowing each other’s bodies quite well. Opening up and sharing my feelings with him was the farthest thing from my mind.
My growling stomach reminded me that I needed to have breakfast. I headed downstairs to the dining hall and discovered that it was still being served.
“Yes!” I grabbed a plate and quickly filled it up with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and pancakes. I also poured myself a tall glass of orange juice and a steaming mug of filtered coffee. “Now this is more like it.”
I sat down by the window and wolfed down my food. I fucking loved hotel buffets. I wished we had our very own snack bar at work. My men and I always worked up an appetite after spending long hours at the gym. Staying in shape was part of our job description.
Two more plates and one chocolate muffin later, I was officially pregnant with twins. My tank was full. I dragged myself back to my bedroom and knocked on Ruppy’s door.
“Come on, Your Highness. Open up.”
I started getting suspicious when silence greeted me on the other side of the door. The connecting door was locked. I had specifically asked him not to lock it in case of emergencies.