Protect Me

by Avery Katz

  “More.” He panted against my neck. His husky voice was like molten chocolate. I rocked my hips into him and watched the pleasure blossom across his face. He arched his back and met me thrust for thrust. I could feel the pressure building with every stroke. The sexy sounds that came from his lips were enough to send me over the edge, but I clenched my ass and pulled out of him.

  He blinked up at me, cheeks flushed and eyes glazed over with lust. He eagerly switched positions with me and lubed up his cock and elegant fingers. The muscles in his stomach clenched as he leaned over me to drop an erotic kiss on my lips. My toes curled, and my cock throbbed in my hand.

  I was so fucking aroused, and he knew it. He pumped his long fingers in and out of me in a hurried pace before replacing them with his throbbing shaft. He propped himself on his elbows and pressed his chest against mine. He fucked me like he was savoring a slice of blueberry pie. His thrusts were slow and gentle, but they eventually morphed into fast and shallow.

  “Shit. Justin.”

  I reached down between us and pumped my cock in time with his thrusts. He propped himself up on his elbows and rutted into me as he came long and hard. He shuddered and cried out my name. Watching him cum triggered my own orgasm. I closed my eyes and came like a gushing fountain. I almost died from the intense pleasure.

  “Fuck. I love you.”

  “Me too. That was amazing.” He said breathlessly. I sucked in lungfuls of air and listened to the mellow sounds of the garden below. Ruppy pulled out of me and rolled over onto his back. We both looked up at the stars and saw the moon finally come out of hiding. It bathed the roof in an ethereal glow. “Crap! I forgot something.”

  He jumped to his feet like a mad man and disappeared down the stairs. I popped a strawberry into my mouth and waited for him to come back. He showed up five minutes later with a bowl of mac and cheese in his hands.

  “Sorry. This was supposed to be served alongside the sushi. I made your favorite comfort food.”

  “Thanks. This really is the icing on the cake. Tonight was indescribable. I had so much fun.”

  “Me too. We should do that again.”

  Chapter 24

  JUSTIN

  The nervous butterflies in my stomach returned with a vengeance today. We were about to head out to my house in South Beach. Our flight was in less than two hours, so I needed to get my shit together and pack a small suitcase for our trip. We were then supposed to meet the other princes at the private jet terminal at San Francisco Airport.

  Alex promised to pick us up and drive us to our destination. He was excited about meeting the dashing princes. Speaking of dashing men, Ruppy was in a cheerful mood all morning. He packed his clothes like a pro. His suitcase looked like a tutorial on how to fold and layer your shit in ten minutes or less.

  I insisted on carrying his bag to the car and made sure he was strapped into the passenger seat before pulling out of the driveway. My house was a ten-minute drive from Presidio. It was a small townhouse with a lot of charm. It once belonged to my late aunt who refused to sell it to the developers who gentrified the area over the years. It had a coveted view of the East Bay and was a three minute walk from the famous park next door.

  The neighborhood became quite busy during baseball season but other than that, it was perfect. Ruppy wore his usual disguise during the short car ride and tried to get me to listen to some weird trip-hop music. He also raided my ancient CD collection which I hardly listened to. He was pleased to find a Savage Garden tape in my glove compartment. It was old and covered in a mountain of dust.

  I parked the car in my garage and made sure no one was lurking near the doors or windows. The paparazzi were probably busy hounding Clint Eastwood and his son for the day. Ruppy climbed out of the car and followed me to the side door. I quickly unlocked it and ushered him inside.

  “Welcome to my humble abode.”

  He stepped into the kitchen and was instantly drawn to the ocean view. The water sparkled like tiny diamonds in the midday sun.

  “What a spectacular view.” He remarked. “I can almost touch the ocean from here.”

  “Yeah. Let me give you a quick tour of the place.” I offered. He nodded enthusiastically and followed to the living room. “Excuse the messy couch and overall clutter. I rarely spend time in here.” I picked up a used mug and an empty cardboard pizza box from the coffee table. Ruppy studied the collage of photos on the wall with a smile on his face.

  “You had braces in high school? Color me shocked.”

  “Yep. I was an ugly duckling growing up.” I confessed.

  “Me too. My mother will probably show you my embarrassing photo album. I had terrible acne and wrestled with weight and self-esteem issues. Puberty did wonders for my body though, so thank you growth hormones. They paved the way to this masterpiece you see before your eyes.” He gestured to his tall and muscular body. I smiled, shaking my head at him and motioned for him to follow me up the small flight of stairs.

  His phone rang all of a sudden, so I walked past him and opened my closet. He leaned against the door frame and answered the call. I could tell from his expression that it was a long-distance call.

  “Mother. I was just talking about you.”

  She said something that made him laugh. He was obviously on good terms with his parents. I sighed and started packing my own suitcase. Packing was the wrong word to describe what I was doing. I stuffed my bag with an assortment of jeans and shirts, not really caring if they matched. Ruppy promised to take me shopping in Raplen, so I was looking forward to impressing his parents with my humor and impeccable fashion sense. Since when did I give a fuck about making a good impression? My new beau was rubbing off on me. I loved calling him that. It had a nice ring to it.

  “There’s someone special I want you to meet,” Ruppy told his mother. “Is father standing beside you? Great. Let me talk to him.” He grinned from ear to ear and told his dad the exact same thing. Hearing him say those words made me feel even more nervous. Shit. What the hell was wrong with me? I used to be in the CIA goddammit! I had nerves of steel.

  Ruppy finally hung up and stepped inside my bedroom. It was my favorite part of the house. It had a window seat overlooking the ocean and a four-poster bed from Pottery Barn.

  “I love your home. It has personality.” He said before walking over to me and planting a light kiss on my lips. His warm touch calmed my nerves. Rainbows and unicorns danced behind my eyelids. I suddenly felt like everything was going to be fine.

  Alex showed up fifteen minutes later. He came bearing coffee and cupcakes.

  “Prince Rupert. How lovely to see you again. I heard that you went to the media convention in Moscone Center. Sources tell me you made quite the impression.”

  “Please call me Ruppy. And yes, the media convention was a fun experience. I finally learned the real meaning of influencers, search engine optimization, and mood boards.”

  “Yeah, and I also learned how to say fuck you in Klingon thanks to the army of nerds we met there,” I smirked. “The Bay Area is one big nerd hive these days.”

  “Yep.” Alex nodded. “So, are you two officially an item? Please say yes.”

  “Yes,” Ruppy spoke on my behalf. “I’m taking him to meet my parents.”

  “This is the best news ever.” Alex beamed. “I’m so glad Justin found someone like you. I wish I could join you guys, but unfortunately, I’m managing a very demanding client at the moment.”

  “This is code for helping a client bury a few bodies in the valley.” I snickered.

  “Haha. Funny.” My best friend rolled his eyes at me. “Don’t forget to invite me to your wedding. Otherwise, I will be one sad puppy. No one wants to see a sad puppy. Unless you happen to be Anna Wintour. Now she’s a basic bitch if ever there was one.”

  “What does the editor-in-chief of Vogue have to do with puppies?” Ruppy asked with a chuckle.

  “That, my prince, is a story for another day.” Alex handed him a powdered donut be
fore reaching inside his paper bag and pulling out a Starbucks cup. “Justin, here is your double latte macchiato. I know you have a long flight ahead of you, so you might need some caffeine in your system.”

  “Oh. There is no need for that. We have a Nespresso machine on-board our jet.”

  “Nice.” I zipped up my suitcase and told Alex I was ready. We headed downstairs to his car and made sure no one was following us before driving to the airport. Alex made us both promise to send him two invitations to our wedding. He said he wanted to show off the fact that he was now rubbing elbows with royalty. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and cursed his anonymous client for forcing him to stay in California.

  Traffic was light on the highway, so we made it to the private terminal in no time. Danny, Greg and the rest of the gang were already waiting for us in the departure hall. I introduced Alex to everyone before checking our luggage at the VIP counter. Freddy lingered next to my best friend and eyed his shoes with a sour expression on his face.

  “Are those Yeezy shoes? I bet people stop you in the street to take pictures with this masterpiece.” Freddy’s tone was dry and sarcastic. I could tell that he was making fun of Alex.

  Of course, my best friend was offended, so he chose not to reward Ruppy’s cousin with a response. They stared each other down until Freddy turned around to talk to Danny. It was obvious that those two would never ever get along. Alex took pride in his expensive shoes. They were mostly a reminder of what he had accomplished in his crisis management career.

  “So, why did you change your mind about traveling with us? I thought you wanted to spend more time sulking in the shadows of the citrus trees in sunny California.” Ruppy asked his cousin.

  “I do not sulk. I just like to brood and sunbathe at the same time. Flying back to Raplen was not on my agenda, but I received a call from Lizzie. She says Edith is under the weather. As you know, we’ve been estranged for two years now, but I decided to be the bigger man and go check on her. I took the news of her illness with a grain of salt. She tends to be overly dramatic.”

  “That she is.” Ruppy nodded in understanding.

  “She will likely send herself into an early grave when she finds out about you,” Freddy warned. “I know Edith. She will drive everyone up the walls of the castle when she learns that the promising heir is in fact, gay. All hell will break loose, so make sure Justin sticks to you like glue.”

  Alex suddenly pulled me aside and then smacked me hard on the arm.

  “Ouch! What the hell was that for? I’m not the one who made fun of your precious Yeezy shoes. He did.” I nodded towards Freddy, who was still bitching about his mother.

  “Just shut up and listen to me. You’d better not screw this up. Ruppy really seems in love with you. I see it in his eyes every time he looks at your sorry ass.” He pulled me into a brief hug and wished me good luck before saying goodbye to the Lockridge princes. I caught him flipping Freddy the bird while we boarded the private jet.

  “Holy shit.” I stared in awe at the lavish interior of the jet. It looked like a cozy living room complete with velvet curtains and leather couches. There was a large LCD screen in one corner and plenty of legroom. A blonde flight attendant greeted us with a smile and glasses of Cristal champagne. We sat down and enjoyed our drinks while she served us canapés and a tray filled with fresh seasonal fruits.

  “So, Justin, are you ready to meet the rest of the Brady Bunch?” Danny asked.

  “Yes. Would you like to share any tips or tricks with me?”

  They all exchanged glances before turning their heads in my direction. It was funny yet intimidating at the same time. I had six pairs of Lockridge eyes on me. They all wore the same playful expression on their faces.

  “Yes. Stay away from the hedge maze.”

  Ruppy laughed. “Enough of your ghost bullshit. Don’t listen to them, baby.”

  “Fine. How about the Queen?” I asked, hoping they would give me some serious answers.

  “Well, she loves tulips and winged horses,” Quin told me. “Prince Theodore loves talking about renewable energy and sustainability. Remember to call him Your Highness because he hates it when we refer to him as our father-in-law. He says it makes him feel old.”

  “Yeah. What he said.” Nate nodded. “Princess Margaret is the total opposite. She loves it when we call her Daisy. Not even her sons are allowed to call her that, but Quin and I manage to get away with it for some reason.” He added.

  “One more thing. Stay clear of Lady Edith. I think she wants to murder me in my sleep.” Quin shuddered. “I’m serious. Don’t even try to talk to her. She will snap her jaws at you like a shark.”

  “Yikes. I think I need to write this shit down.”

  Nate suddenly pulled out a small notebook from his pocket and gave it to me.

  “There you go. Make sure you write down everything I tell you. You’ll need it for future reference.”

  “Thanks.” I flipped it open and listened to him describe everyone in detail.

  “What are you two doing? This trip is not a test.” Ruppy remarked. “Justin, you’re supposed to relax and enjoy the flight, not take notes from a slightly drunken rock star.”

  “Rupert. Shut up and let me prep your clueless boyfriend.”

  Chapter 25

  RUPPY

  The plane landed in Raplen at around two in the morning. We were all tired from the long flight and eager to get to our beds at the palace. I missed having my own wing with its lovely sunshine terrace and panoramic view of the gardens below.

  Justin looked like he was about to explode from the mountain of information Nate and Quin had fed him during the twelve-hour flight. He refused to take a nap and insisted on playing a game of Tomb Raider on our in-flight video game console. He ended up with a headache, so I gave him an aspirin on our way to the palace.

  Danny, Greg, and Quin complained about the light drizzle. I gazed out the window at the glistening streets and dazzling raindrops and enjoyed the soothing sound of rain tapping against the glass.

  “Home sweet home,” I whispered to myself as our driver parked in front of the eastern gates. Our favorite footman greeted us at the entrance to the emerald wing where our rooms were located.

  Justin gazed up at the frescoed ceilings and crystal chandeliers with childlike wonder. We passed by the famous hall of mirrors on our way to my private wing. He almost tripped and fell down the marble steps, but I reached out and saved his ass from colliding with the hard floor.

  He was equally impressed by my room and the spacious en-suite bathroom. We were both exhausted, so we changed out of our clothes and went straight to bed. Justin complimented the mattress before falling asleep like a baby. He looked so innocent with his eyes closed. The next morning, I woke up to find him snoring in his sleep.

  “Justin. Baby. Wake up.”

  He bolted upright and asked me if everything was okay.

  “Yes. Are you ready to start the day?”

  He yawned and stretched his arms over his head.

  “Do I have a choice?

  “No. Not really.” I pinched his cheek before climbing out of bed. He followed me to the shower and marveled at the assortment of shampoos and hair products he found next to the bathtub.

  “I wish we could pamper ourselves with a bubble bath, but we need to join the family for brunch.”

  We showered together and kissed under the warm water. It was a sweet kiss that spoke volumes about our love for one another. I caressed his back and pulled away to gaze into his deep green eyes.

  “I love you more than I love my limited edition Archie comics.”

  “Well, I love you more than anything else in this world.” He said. “I’m so glad Chad chose me to be your bodyguard. You could have ended up with Elliot, who’s a gym rat and spends his free time checking himself out in the mirror.”

  “Life really is a collection of pleasant and unpleasant coincidences. I feel incredibly blessed to have found you in San Fran
cisco of all places. Upgrading my security detail was the best decision I could have ever made. After all, it did lead me to you.”

  “Yeah. Life does work in mysterious ways.” He stroked my cheek tenderly before squeezing a large dollop of shampoo on top of my head. “Come on. Let me get you cleaned up, Your Royal Hotness.”

  We showered really quickly and changed into something more appropriate for brunch. Father was strict about his dress code and expected me to follow in his footsteps. I made sure my ironed shirt was buttoned up correctly before leading Justin down the confusing corridors of Lockridge Palace.

  I gave him a brief tour on our way to the dining hall and introduced him to a few members of our wonderful staff. Some of them worked there for more than twenty years. I knew everyone by name and treated them all with respect.

  “Welcome to Lockridge Palace. Please watch your step and make sure not to trip on anything.”

  “Funny.” He rolled those catlike green eyes at me. I reached over and linked his arm through mine. “I could easily get lost in here. How do you find your way around this place? It’s fucking huge. No pun intended.”

  “Rumor has it that my great uncle Gabriel got lost in the maze-like corridors and was never found. They spent days looking for him, but he disappeared without a trace.”

  “Creepy.” He took a deep breath and seemed unusually nervous. “Shit. How do I look?”

  “You look good enough to eat,” I replied. “Don’t worry. Everyone will love you.”

  “I bet you say that to all the boys.”

  We entered the butterfly dining hall hand in hand. I was relieved to find my brothers and cousins sitting there in a clear show of support. Freddy and Greg looked like they were about to fall asleep. They must have woken up early for my sake. I was touched by their brotherly gesture.

  “Good morning.” I greeted everyone and motioned for Justin to sit down. He did a cute curtsy and kissed my grandmother’s hand before our butler introduced him to the family.