Protect Me

by Avery Katz

  “By accident. Jeez. I offered her an apology, and she took it. Case closed.”

  Alex reached over and ruffled my wavy hair.

  “You fluffy teddy bear you.”

  I slapped his hand away and gave him a sarcastic smile.

  “Hey. Stop calling me that.”

  Alex turned his attention back to the prince, who seemed amused by our brotherly dynamic.

  “So, tell me all there is to know about Raplen. Is it filled with hotties with sexy lumberjack beards and perfectly coiffed hair?”

  Ruppy chuckled and gave him a virtual tour of Raplen on his phone. He showed him where to find the best restaurants and cafes. Alex loved his stomach just as much as I did. He was a foodie in every sense of the word. The two of them hit it off, but I could tell it was the beginning of a platonic friendship and nothing more. Besides, Alex already knew I had a thing for the crown prince. He gave me knowing looks whenever Ruppy was busy on his phone.

  “You should come to Raplen one of these days. I would love to have you over. “

  “Yes. A thousand times, yes! I would absolutely love that.”

  My best friend was over the moon. He may have his connections here, but establishing a network in Europe would be a dream come true for him. He was a social creature by nature. He thrived in people-centric environments. I was honestly a bit peeved because he received an invitation and I fucking didn’t.

  Ruppy painted a beautiful picture of his country. He made it sound like paradise on earth. We finished our drinks, listened to some cabaret music, and then went our separate ways.

  The midnight streets were quiet and traffic-free. We made it back to the hotel in less than ten minutes. I walked him to his door and insisted on clearing the suite just in case one of his fans had managed to sneak in past security. He gave me a weird look and told me to knock myself out.

  “All clear,” I called out to him. He entered his bedroom and sidled up to me. I was fully aware of his closeness. I slowly turned around and found him staring at me with those captivating eyes of his. He suddenly grabbed me by my shirt collar and kissed me. It was one hell of a kiss.

  He walked me over to the bed and pushed me onto the mattress. I fell back with a loud thud, pillows flying everywhere. His confidence was so fucking sexy. He climbed on top of me and went back to kissing me. Our tongues battled for dominance while every thought I had about keeping this professional went flying out the window.

  Chapter 14

  RUPPY

  I pulled back and feasted my eyes on Justin. He looked like a million Raplen dollars in his brown suit. The dark chocolate shade brought out the color of his eyes. I just could not resist tackling him to the bed. I smiled to myself when I remembered the incredible evening we had.

  The night was more of a date with Justin than a date with the famous reporter. I felt sorry for the woman. She tried her very best to hold my attention, but I was drawn to my sexy protector like a moth to a flame. I just couldn’t take my eyes off him nor my hands now. He reminded me of those ancient blond Vikings, especially when he flexed his biceps and shouted at the paparazzi. His deep, booming voice was a turn-on. He was the total package. Our connection felt organic. He was real with me. That’s what I loved most about him. He didn’t pretend to be somebody else to impress me.

  “Ouch. For someone who hits the gym once a week, you sure are strong.” He rubbed his shoulder and pretended to be injured. I kissed him and started unbuttoning his shirt. “Is this payback for what I did to you the other night?”

  “Yes and no.” I grinned and watched him squirm underneath me. His washboard abs were so hard, you could grate cheese on them. “You really need to stop seducing me with your humor and charm.”

  “Charm?” He snorted. “Baby, nothing is charming about me. You stole all the charm we have in San Francisco.” He added.

  “I did no such thing.” I gasped in mock indignation. “You need to reel in your sex-appeal. Everyone was staring at you tonight. Everyone. If Jensen Ackles and Charlie Hunnam had a baby, it would look exactly like you.”

  “Just shut up and kiss me.” He tangled his fingers in my hair and brought me down to kiss him. He tasted like red wine and Creme Brulée. I wanted to bottle up his taste and take it back with me to Raplen. He moaned into my mouth and ground his hips into mine. He was already hard and desperate for my touch. I unzipped his pants while he hurriedly unbuttoned my shirt.

  His tongue explored every inch of my mouth while his muscles twitched beneath my fingers. The sexual tension between us exploded, releasing waves of passion and lust that made me breathless. There was a fire in my belly that threatened to consume me while I undressed him. It chipped away at my patience.

  “Fuck. I need you now.”

  He squeezed my ass and arched into my touch. I moaned and reached between us to stroke his cock. He hissed and dug his fingers into my arm. I wanted to draw this out as much as possible, but my body had other plans. It wanted me to skip the appetizer and head straight for the main course. Justin wanted the same thing. He begged me to fetch the lube and get right to it.

  I silenced him with a kiss and smoothed my hands up and down his heaving chest. I wanted to savor the moment and save it to my memory box. I wanted to savor everything, from the light freckles on his face to the way his green eyes pierced mine.

  I grabbed the lube from the bedside table and applied a generous amount to my hands and cock. Justin spread his thighs apart and urged me to knock his socks off. He certainly had a way with words. His thighs trembled when I stretched him with my fingers. He wrapped his fingers around his cock and licked his swollen lips.

  His face was deliciously flushed, and his eyes were hooded and sparkling with pleasure. I pushed my fingers in and out of him and listened to the erotic sounds he made. The faint glow coming from the lamplight next to the bed added a touch of intimacy to the bedroom. We were in our own little bubble while the rest of the world faded into the background.

  “Stop teasing me.”

  “I’m not teasing. I’m drinking in your sexy body.” I whispered. He choked his cock and told me he was about to come. I closed my eyes and tried not to let his words affect me. My own member was minutes away from release. I could feel the tension travel from my spine down to my balls. I quickly withdrew my fingers and draped my body over Justin. He wrapped his arms around me and locked his ankles behind my back. I closed my eyes and pushed into him slowly. The feeling was beyond exquisite. I moaned and felt his muscles grip me like an iron fist.

  “Shit. Have mercy on my dick.” I panted, barely containing my own pleasure.

  Justin let out a strangled moan mixed with a chuckle. It sounded like he was having the time of his life. We both were.

  “Sorry. I can’t fucking help it. You feel so good inside me.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.” I leaned down to lick the shell of his ear. My hips moved of their own accord, settling into a rhythm that had him begging for more. I knew he found me irresistible. The feeling was mutual. I felt the pressure slowly building in my balls. Justin arched his hips to meet mine. His cock was wedged between us, but he still managed to reel in his orgasm. I rocked in and out of him faster and braced myself on my elbows instead of my hands. The pressure increased tenfold. Sweat dripped down my body as I raced to the finish line. Justin spurred me on and whispered dirty words in my ear.

  “Let go. Come on, Ruppy.”

  Hearing him say my name triggered something in me. My toes curled and my body shuddered when I came. It was a violent orgasm that shook me to my core. I cried out his name and collapsed on top of him. He stroked my hair and waited for me to catch my breath.

  “My turn.” He said before climbing out from under me and showering my back with kisses. He massaged my ass cheeks and told me to relax. I hugged the pillow and gave in to his skillful touch. He ravished me and then some. “Watching you cum is hotter than watching porn. Why do you have to be so damn, seductive?”

  He tease
d my puckered hole with his fingers and took his sweet time stretching me. I was more than ready for him, but he insisted on exploring every inch of my back before fucking me. His lips worshiped the back of my neck before traveling down my spine.

  “Justin. Please fuck me.”

  “Say, please.”

  “I already said it.”

  “Say it again.”

  “Please.” I moaned, eager to have him inside me. He chuckled and climbed on top of me. He raised my hips at an angle and pushed a pillow under me. I loved hearing his breathless voice in my ear. He bit my earlobe and entered me slowly. The slight pressure and friction made me raise my hips to take more of him. He groaned and told me to have mercy on him.

  Once again, sex between us was explosive and mind-numbingly good. I never wanted it to end. Our physical chemistry was exhilarating. I glanced over my shoulder at Justin and watched him get up on his knees. He pulled me along with him until I was on all fours. He rutted into me, his muscles flexing in the warm orange glow of the lamplight. He looked like a Norse god in all of his naked glory.

  “Fuck. Ruppy!”

  The desperation in his voice matched his hard thrusts. He pounded me into the mattress, his cock rubbing against my prostate with every stroke. I wrapped my fingers around my hardening member and pushed my hips backward to meet his punishing thrusts. His continuous moans and grunts filled the air until he finally came. He dug his fingers into my hips and cried out my name. I felt him shudder and come harder than ever before.

  Chapter 15

  JUSTIN

  “Room service?”

  “Yes, please.” I grinned and cuddled in bed next to him. Ruppy sat up against the headboard and picked up the phone. He ordered burgers and milkshakes for the both of us. I was fucking starving thanks to our earlier fuckathon. There was no other way to describe it. Our physical connection was stronger than anything I’d ever experienced. It was steamier and hotter than an active volcano. Ruppy wrapped his arm around me and sighed in obvious contentment.

  Our food arrived in the blink of an eye; the perks of being in the executive suite. I opened the door and insisted on wheeling in the trolley myself. The smell of fresh, juicy burgers and sweet vanilla milkshakes wafted from the tray.

  Ruppy joined me in the living room and sat down next to me on the couch. He kissed my shoulder before digging into his own food. The burgers were cooked to perfection. They were juicy and tender. I was so hungry, and it showed, so he called up room service again and ordered a bowl of premium mac and cheese. It was my favorite comfort food.

  I took advantage of our post-midnight meal to ask him a few questions.

  “Just out of curiosity, are you bi or gay? You never seem to give anyone a clear answer.”

  Ruppy wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. He was halfway through his burger. I was on my second bowl of mac and cheese.

  “I am one hundred percent gay without any coloring or preservatives.” He jokingly said. “I’ve always known I was gay ever since I was a kid. This may sound like a cliché thing to say, but I gravitated towards my mother’s tiaras and dresses. She had the most exquisite gowns, and their silky, flowing fabric always fascinated me. I also spent most of my time playing with cousin Lizzie. Pretending to serve high tea to her family of teddy bears was so entertaining. It was a lot more entertaining than going bird hunting with my late uncle.”

  “Wow. Interesting.” I stared at him in wonder. I sometimes forgot that he was a prince. His humility astounded me. “If that’s the case, then why do you need to find a wife and get married?” This was just mind-boggling to me, the fact that he would lie to himself and hide his sexuality from his significant other.

  He smiled wistfully and placed his unfinished burger on the tray.

  “As a prince, I have a duty towards my family and my country. This duty trumps everything else, and it includes producing an heir to the throne. I can’t just live a frivolous life like everyone else. I need to preserve and protect our legacy.”

  “Jeez. No wonder you were so tense when I met you. You must be under a lot of pressure. Fuck. I had sex with the future King of Raplen. I wish I could brag about you to my friends. Maybe in a hundred years or so.”

  “You know what we should do?” Ruppy stole a French fry from my plate and then popped it into his mouth. “We should run away together and have each other’s babies.”

  I laughed. “Sure, but first we need to dye your hair red and paint freckles on your face. I know a guy who can hook us up with fake identities. We can go live in Canada or Mexico, away from the flashing cameras. Are you a fan of tropical weather? Because we can move to the Bahamas where we can chill by the beach and smoke weed all day long.”

  “You have one hell of an imagination.” He said. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “The Bahamas sounds ideal. We can live on a boat and go island hopping.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  We finished our food and drank our milkshakes in comfortable silence. We cuddled on the couch and watched Riverdale reruns together. Ruppy was keen on introducing me to the teen show. It was cheesy as fuck but enjoyable nonetheless. Betty and her gay best friend were the best part of the show.

  “Now I understand why you love diner food so much.”

  “Yeah. We don’t really have a diner culture in Raplen. We do have our local take on burgers and fries, but nothing beats American comfort food. My ideal date includes dining at The Cheesecake Factory, followed by a romantic stroll on the beach. How about you?”

  “Really? That’s so low maintenance. Seriously. As a prince, you should really aim higher.”

  “Fine dining is not my thing, believe it or not. When you spend more than thirty years of your life attending royal dinners and soirées, four-course meals become mundane and repetitive. Food loses its enjoyment, especially when you have to exchange niceties with everyone seated at the table.”

  “Makes sense.” I nodded. “To answer your question, my ideal date includes going to the movies and sharing a big ass bucket of salted caramel popcorn. Landmark Theaters up on Embarcadero serves the best popcorn and screens foreign and indie flicks all the time. I also love lying down under the stars and listening to the sounds of crickets and frogs.”

  “This reminds me of our garden back in Lockridge Palace. The mermaid fountain and the hedge maze are very ideal for stargazing. Just as long as you don’t run into the red woman.”

  “Who the hell is the red woman? She sounds like a character from Game of Thrones. Wait. She is a character in Game of Thrones. She’s that witch who worships the Lord of Light.”

  “I only have time for Riverdale, but everyone is telling me to watch this Thrones show.”

  “You should. But, tell me more about this woman.”

  “Don’t laugh, but she’s supposed to be a ghost who haunts the palace grounds.”

  “Spooky.” I grinned. “Your castle must be filled with all sorts of freaky shit.”

  He chuckled. “Spooky does not even begin to cover it. Yes. My home is a very peculiar place indeed, and so are the people who live in it.

  “My sister Kate loves listening to scary podcasts. She sometimes calls me in the middle of the fucking day to complain about The Black Tapes. It’s an audio drama about the supernatural. She can be such a pain in the ass sometimes.”

  “Every family has its black sheep, drunk uncle, and nosy sibling,” Ruppy said before taking a long sip of creamy milkshake. “They all add drama and excitement to the household.”

  “Speaking of nosy, my sister is the poster girl for busybodies everywhere. She meddles in everyone’s business, especially my business. Her husband Chad is the total opposite. They actually complement each other like peanut butter and jelly.”

  “They sound like a sweet couple.”

  “They are. How does it feel to have so many siblings and cousins? I come from a nuclear family so I can’t begin to imagine how it’s like to live in a castle of all places.”

  “
Well, it can be overwhelming at times. You have all these people who look up to you and ask you for advice. We have weekly meetings and a schedule to adhere to on certain occasions. We have endless paperwork to sign and conflicts to resolve. My father is extremely efficient when it comes to such matters, so it’s sometimes hard to keep up with him. Living in the palace is not a piece of cake, it’s more of a layered, complex dish. It can be hard to swallow at times.”

  “I bet you have a crazy aunt too. You look like you have a crazy aunt who enjoys breathing down your neck. Please tell me I’m right.”

  He tossed his head back and laughed.

  “Oh, you have no idea how right you are. My late uncle’s widow currently lives with us. Her name is Edith. She is the queen of crazy. She judges the hell out of my brothers and cousins for being gay. Her son Freddy is actually my best friend.”

  “I’ve always wanted a cousin for a best friend.”

  “Yeah. He’s snarky, eccentric and hilarious in his own way. We get along like a house on fire. I may be the Crown Prince, but he is a national treasure. He really is. He’s put up with a lot of bullshit over the years, especially from his own mother. They’ve been estranged for two years now.”

  “Fuck. This Edith woman sounds like such a biatch. No offense.”

  “She is. Freddy deserves a better mother. Giving birth to Lizzie was the only good thing that ever came out of her. She’s a good sister to him and a talented fashion designer.”

  “Your cousin needs no introductions. I love her spring collection.”

  “Me too.”

  I finished my mac and cheese and snuggled next to him on the couch.

  “That was one hell of a feast.” I rubbed my full belly and saw him studying me out of the corner of my eye.

  “So, now that I have successfully answered all of your burning questions, how about you tell me about the nightmare you had the other night?” He asked me out of the blue.

  I wasn’t ready to tell him just yet. Besides, we were in the middle of a light and fluffy conversation. There was no need to ruin the mood and let my demons out of their dark closet.