by Carol Lynne
“I know I went too far. I’ve kept too much bottled up lately, and it just seemed to explode out of my mouth. I didn’t mean half of what I said. You’re not a whore.”
“But I am,” Raven uncovered his mouth enough to say. “I’ve always used my body to get people’s attention. It was the only way.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. Have you ever actually given people the chance to get to know you? You’re funny, you’re smart. There are plenty of things to love about you besides your body.”
“Except for my adoptive family, no one’s ever taken the time.” He glanced up from his pillow. He knew it was childish of him, but he needed to hear more. “Do you?”
“Do I what?” Ghazi asked, kissing the side of Raven’s head.
“Do you love those things about me?”
Ghazi pulled Raven closer to him and rubbed Raven’s nude hip. “Of course I do. Although I could do without the challenging stubborn streak.”
Raven grinned. “Funny you say that now. A few minutes ago you seemed to be enjoying my challenging, stubborn self.”
“Yes, well, I lost my head there for a bit. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I liked the sex, but next time, hold the commentary, especially if it’s something that’ll rip at old wounds.” Raven subtly dried his eyes. “Sorry about that, by the way. I guess you kinda hit a nerve.”
“I was angry.”
“Yeah, I got that part.” Raven threaded his fingers through Ghazi’s. “I’d watch your back even if you weren’t paying for me.”
Ghazi chuckled. “Nice to know.” He turned Raven over until they were face to face. “I didn’t order Nalu back to the palace.”
“I know. I could tell by the expression on your face when I told you.” Raven reached between them and started to play with Ghazi’s softened cock. He wondered where the condom had gone, but figured they’d find it sooner or later. “I need you to talk to Nalu though. He’s really confused.”
Ghazi’s hand moved behind Raven to travel up and down the crack of his ass. “Why do you suppose someone would tell him that? I mean, what motive could someone have to get Nalu back here?”
Raven shook his head and pushed back against Ghazi’s fingers, impaling himself. “Maybe it’s not about getting Nalu here. What if it’s about getting our attention away from Sanctuary?”
Ghazi leant over Raven and grabbed another condom from the bedside table. “It doesn’t make sense to me. We’ve got to get Nalu to talk. I want to know who’s feeding him these lies.”
Opening his legs wide, Raven accepted Ghazi’s weight as it settled on top of him. He could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he’d fucked in the missionary position, but for some reason the idea didn’t bother him like it usually did. “I’ll take care of it,” Raven assured Ghazi as his ass was filled with thick cock.
Raven clasped his hands behind Ghazi’s neck and pulled him down for a deep kiss. “Do you think we can manage to finish this time?”
“We’d better or else my balls will fall off.” Ghazi started moving in and out in slow, controlled thrusts, stopping occasionally to grind against Raven. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I haven’t thought of this. Damn, Raven, I need you so much.”
“I’m here.” For now. Raven wasn’t about to fool himself into believing he actually had a future with the King. His attitudes towards his place in Ghazi’s life hadn’t changed, despite the tender way Ghazi was making love to him. Words were just words, after all.
It didn’t matter how much Raven wanted to whisper the words he’d never before spoken. He simply didn’t believe he’d ever be truly happy living the life of a secret lover. Settling down with an equal was, and had always been, his dream. Given Ghazi’s position, it simply wasn’t possible. But once again, he began to convince himself he could be happy taking all that Ghazi had to give before he was forced to leave Jurru.
The head of his lover’s cock brushed the sweet gland that had been buffeted over and over again earlier. Raven moaned, scraping his nails down Ghazi’s back. He wondered if the scratches left behind would rub against the King’s clothes as he sat regally at the dining table. The idea thrilled him.
Raven reached between them and wrapped his hand around the root of his dick, pulling with each stroke of Ghazi’s cock. Ghazi groaned with each thrust and buried his face against Raven’s neck.
“I want to mark you as mine,” Ghazi said, licking at the sweaty skin.
“Go for it. I’ve already marked the hell out of your back.”
Ghazi chuckled. “I noticed.” He latched onto Raven’s neck and began sucking, pulling the skin deep into his mouth.
God, the man was part vampire. Raven loved it. He could easily see his entire body covered in Ghazi’s bites. He flicked the head of his cock with his finger, soaring with the pleasured pain that travelled from his dick to his balls.
When Ghazi finished the hickey with an actual bite, Raven’s cock erupted. “Uhhhh,” he howled to the ornate ceiling.
Ghazi pulled back and inspected his work with a satisfied smile. He lifted himself off Raven’s body by bracing himself on his arms. Staring down at Raven, he mouthed the words Raven longed to hear. I love you.
“Say it,” Raven begged.
“You’re not ready to hear it.” Ghazi buried his cock deep in Raven’s ass as he came.
With Ghazi collapsed on his chest, Raven tried to protest the statement. “Who says I’m not ready to hear it. I’ve waited my whole fucking life to hear it.”
Ghazi opened his eyes and studied Raven for a few moments before speaking. “I’ll say it when you are truly ready to believe it. Until then, they’re just words.”
Chapter Six
Brier dried his sweaty hands on his shirt before knocking at Nalu’s door. He still wasn’t sure what to say, but the lost stare in the teenager’s big green eyes bothered him. The door opened and Nalu’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes?”
“I was wondering if you would like to take a walk outside with me before dinner?” Brier asked.
“I’m not going to dinner.” Nalu said. He started to shut the door, but Brier put his hand out, using his superior strength to keep it open.
“You have to go to dinner. You were invited.”
“So?”
Brier took a deep breath. Before he’d been rescued by Thor and Bram, he would have said the same thing. Nalu didn’t know any better because he didn’t have good people around to teach him manners. “Please talk to me.”
Nalu stepped back out of the doorway. “Fine, but I’m not leaving my room.”
Brier entered the room, much like his own, and sat in one of the chairs in front of the open window. He’d gone back and forth with himself on the best way to get through to Nalu, finally deciding the truth always worked best. “I know you don’t know me, but we have several things in common,” he began.
“I may be young, but I am not stupid,” Nalu fired back.
Closing his eyes, Brier fought to push aside the ugly words. His life seemed so good that sometimes he forgot he was stupid. “You’re right, I am different.” He opened his eyes and glanced up at Nalu, who was still standing. “My boyfriend, Jackie, doesn’t like it when I use the word stupid.”
Nalu shuffled his feet for several moments before sitting on the side of the bed. “You have a boyfriend?”
Brier nodded enthusiastically. “He’s real smart.” Brier smiled. “And good-looking. And he loves me even though some bad men did things to me that he doesn’t like to talk about.”
“What kind of bad things?” Nalu asked.
Brier shrugged. “At first they just showed me their private parts and asked to see mine. But then they wanted to do stuff to me. Sex stuff. I didn’t have anyone to tell me it was wrong to let them do it.”
“Did they ever make you dress up like a girl?” Nalu asked. “Did those men like you enough to give you money?”
Brier bit his bottom lip and shoo
k his head. “No. But sex shouldn’t be about money.”
“Sex doesn’t mean anything anyway,” Nalu commented.
“See? That’s where you’re wrong. It does.” Brier sighed, thinking of the way Jackie made him feel. “When I make love with my boyfriend, it feels like I’m floating. It’s not just about him, ya know, fucking me.” Brier rubbed his chest. “It makes me feel good in here. If you’re doing sex that doesn’t make you feel that way, you should stop. Jackie told me there are a lot of diseases you can get if you aren’t careful.”
“It’s not that easy. The only way I can stay here is to do what the King wants me to.” Nalu ducked his head down. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Brier tried to imagine the man he’d met at dinner the previous night making those kinds of demands. “That doesn’t sound right. King Zahar seems like a really nice man, not the kind who would make you have sex if you didn’t want to.”
Nalu shrugged. “All I know is the Guardian comes to the house and gives me an envelope. There are usually pictures inside with a note, telling me where to go and how to dress. The paper is signed King Zahar.”
“It’s just a piece of paper? King Zahar has never actually told you to do these things?”
Nalu shook his head. “He’s a king. Why would he actually talk to someone like me?”
Brier rubbed his forehead. He was confused. Maybe he wasn’t smart enough to figure things out? “Have you told Raven that?”
“No. He works for the King. He probably knows about it.”
“No,” Brier said with a shake of his head. “Raven’s one of my best friends. He’s the one who asked me to come here to talk to you. By the way, I really liked that plane ride. Have you ever been on a plane?”
“No, just boats.”
Brier knew he was getting sidetracked. Sometimes he did that when he didn’t want to think too hard about something. “Do you think after dinner you would talk to Raven? He should hear what you said. Believe me, he wants to help you. I also have another friend, Jared. He was hurt by the same men who hurt me, only a lot worse. He doesn’t like to talk about it, but he told me he would if it would help you.”
Brier stood and crossed to the bed. He put a hand on Nalu’s shoulder. “See? You may not think you have people who care but you do.”
It took several moments for Nalu to say anything. Brier did his best to sit and be quiet while the teenager thought about what Brier had told him.
“I have some friends,” Nalu mumbled. “They’re like me though. They’re scared.”
Brier nodded. “Maybe if you can trust Raven enough to tell him who’s making you do this stuff, he can help you and your friends. He’s a bodyguard.” Brier chuckled. “Although he’s skinny, Jackie told me he’s a good fighter.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Will you go to dinner with me and Jackie? You can sit by me if you want.” It was a strange feeling to be the one reassuring someone else. Usually it was his brothers, friends and Jackie that were trying to reassure him. He liked the feeling. It made him feel like a normal man.
“Okay,” Nalu agreed.
* * * *
It was the custom in the palace to gather for a drink before dinner. Usually Raven tried to skip the pre-meal ritual, but Ghazi convinced him to show up early enough for at least one cocktail, or beer in Raven’s case.
“Glad you made it,” Ghazi said, putting a hand to the small of Raven’s back.
Raven was caught off guard. He glanced at Halim before returning his attention to Ghazi. It was the first time Ghazi had shown him any sort of public affection.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty, I have a few last-minute items to attend to,” Halim said before leaving the dining room.
“I think you made him uncomfortable,” Raven said.
Ghazi’s hand slid to Raven’s hip, bringing him against his side. “He’s old-fashioned, but he’ll adapt. Especially because he knows he has no choice in the matter.”
Raven stared into Ghazi’s dark eyes. “Why are you doing this now?”
Ghazi leant in for a light kiss. “Because you’re letting me. I never had plans to deny what you mean to me in my own country.”
“Even in Jurru we’ll have to be careful. What if pictures of the two of us get out?”
“They will,” Ghazi answered with confidence. “But knowing someone is gay and shoving it in their faces are two different things. You’ll still be able to travel with me, but I cannot ask foreign Heads of State to accommodate our lifestyle.”
Raven wasn’t sure how he felt about hiding who he was while Ghazi wined and dined with Presidents, Prime Ministers and even the occasional Dictator.
Ghazi tilted Raven’s chin up and closed the distance between their mouths. Although brief, the kiss held passion. Raven accepted the brief taste of Ghazi’s tongue before his lover pulled back.
The two of them stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment before Ghazi smiled. “I enjoy kissing you.”
“I’m becoming rather fond of it myself,” Raven agreed. One day at a time, he told himself as Ghazi turned to greet his guests entering the room. Raven spotted Brier with Jackie on one side of him and Nalu on the other.
He ran his hand down Ghazi’s back to get his attention. “I’ll be right back.”
Ghazi nodded and returned to his conversation with Seb.
Raven crossed the room. “It’s good to see you,” he said to Nalu.
“Hey, what about us?” Jackie said, a chuckle in his voice.
“Yeah, yeah, you, too.” Raven grinned at Brier before giving him a quick hug. “It’s just that it’s the first time Nalu’s joined us for dinner.”
“Ummm, can I talk to you for a second?” Brier asked, rubbing the side of his head.
Raven knew it was a sign of stress on Brier’s part. He wondered what was bothering his friend. “Sure.”
He led Brier through the open double doors to the grand parlour. “What’s up?”
“Nalu needs to talk to you, but he’s afraid you’ll go running to Ghazi with the information he has.”
“What information?” Raven asked. He glanced over his shoulder at Nalu, who was staring off into space.
“He told me he gets a letter when they want him to entertain rich men. A note signed by the King. He hasn’t told me who the man is who gives him that stuff, but I think he might tell you.” Brier reached out and touched Raven’s arm. “He’s really scared.”
“I know.” Raven shook his head. “Something’s definitely wrong. There’s no way Ghazi knows about this. I’d stake my life on it.”
“But Nalu said he saw his signature,” Brier argued.
“Yeah, but signatures can be forged.” Fuck! Raven’s gaze automatically went towards Ghazi’s office. “Would you do me a favour?”
“Sure,” Brier agreed.
“Wait two minutes and then go to the King’s office and ask Halim to return to the dining room.”
“Okay. Why?”
“I have a theory about who’s signing Ghazi’s name.” Raven held up his fingers. “Give me time to talk to Ghazi, okay?”
Brier nodded, his brows drawn together in obvious confusion. “He won’t yell at me for bothering him, will he?”
“No, not if you tell him the King needs him in the dining room.”
Raven walked back into the dining room and straight to Ghazi. “I need to talk to you.”
Ghazi gestured towards the corner of the room. “What’s going on?”
“Nalu told Brier he’s received notes about men, with your signature.”
“That’s impossible,” Ghazi started to argue.
“I know. But the fact that someone is signing your name is a huge clue as to who’s behind all this.”
“How do you figure?”
Raven wrapped his arm around Ghazi’s waist. “Just watch Nalu for the next several minutes, and I think you’ll see what I’m talking about.”
“It’s time to sit down at the ta
ble,” Ghazi said.
“Shhh, trust me.”
Ghazi’s spine stiffened. “I do. A cold dinner has nothing to do with whether I trust you or not.”
Raven took a deep breath. He wondered if the two of them would always misunderstand each other. “I know,” he finally said, hoping to set his lover’s mind at ease. He returned his attention to the doorway. Right on time, Brier walked into the room followed by Halim. His attention swung back to Nalu. The second the teenager spotted Halim, his face drained of colour as he hurriedly tried to look for an exit.
“Do you see what I see?” he asked Ghazi.
“Yes. What’s wrong with him?”
“I believe this is the first time either of us have seen Halim in the same room with Nalu.”
“You wished to see me, Your Majesty?” Halim stepped up to Ghazi, completely ignoring Raven.
Thankfully Ghazi was fast on his feet. “I’m finished working for the day. You may go home.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Halim gave Ghazi a slight bow before leaving the room.
Ghazi shook his head. “You don’t really think Halim…”
“Yeah, I do. I don’t know why. I mean, it could be his way of undermining your position, or just good old-fashioned greed.” Raven could tell Ghazi had a hard time coming to terms with the idea that Halim could be behind the prostitution on Jurru. “I’m sorry.”
Ghazi continued to shake his head. “It just doesn’t make any sense. Halim loves this island. Why would he do something that had the potential to destroy everything my father and grandfather have worked for?”
Raven wrapped both arms around Ghazi. “I wish I knew, but at least we now have a target to zero in on.” He glanced at Nalu. “I’d better make sure he’s okay. I’m going to take him out into the garden after dinner.”
“Should I speak to him?” Ghazi asked.
“Not yet. Let me see if I can get him to open up to me first.” He gave Ghazi a quick kiss. “You can go ahead and call everyone to the table now.”
Ghazi nodded.
Raven walked towards Nalu, who had apparently calmed down since Halim left the room. “It’s okay,” he told the teenager. “I think I might have an idea of what’s going on. Brier said you’d agreed to talk to me after dinner.”