The Way to a Man's Heart

by Ann Marie James

  Christian shrugged. “He feels I besmirched the family name with what happened.”

  “Besmirched?”

  “His word, not mine.”

  Max looked at him intensely for a moment. “What did happen? No one talks about it.”

  Christian sighed long and loud before standing. “If I’m going to bare my soul, do you mind if I get a bit more comfortable?” He waved a hand at his dress uniform jacket with all it’s hardware.

  “Not at all. Are you sure I can’t offer you a drink?”

  “Do you have any soda?”

  “Yep. I have Coke or Sprite.”

  “A Coke would be great. I’m running on empty.”

  “I could make you a cup of coffee.”

  “I don’t drink coffee.”

  “You don’t? How did I not know that about you?”

  “Well, you know I don’t like fish. That’s more important to me than what I drink.”

  “Why don’t you like fish, anyway?” Max asked as he made his way to the kitchen.

  “Uh-uh. You get one soul-baring story tonight—either what happened ten years ago or why I hate fish. Pick one.”

  “Of course, I’m going to pick what happened ten years ago.” Max’s voice was faint as his head was in the refrigerator when he replied. “Do you want a glass with ice?”

  “Nope. Out of the can is fine. I’m not fancy.” Max looked at him with a weird expression on his face as he reached for the can. “What?”

  “This from the guy who insisted his water be bottled?”

  “Yeah. Well, I was an asshole when I was younger. The army doesn’t allow for much bottled water—unless you count a canteen.”

  “Nope. I get it. It’s just a little weird for me. I have this idea of you from when you left. You are and aren’t that guy anymore, all at the same time. And for the record, you were never an asshole.” Max sat down on the couch across from Christian again and spread both arms out across the back of it.

  Christian scoffed. “Thanks, but I was.”

  “Well, whatever you were, it was working. I was getting ready to ask you out right before you left. You were definitely of age by then.”

  Christian’s raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  “And now?”

  “Now, I want to ask you out even more. You have become the total package and so not an asshole.” Max paused for a moment. “Except to your father and Princess Zia, which I’m totally okay with.”

  Christian chuckled. “Yeah. I have no patience for either one of them anymore.”

  “Because of what happened ten years ago?”

  “Really before that, but what happened ten years ago was the final straw.”

  “So, tell me. What did happen? One day you were here and the next you were gone.”

  Christian took a drink of his soda while looking at Max, stalling for time as he organized his thoughts, trying to figure out where to begin. “I actually haven’t told anyone what happened except King Raul and Doctor Guttschein. Ryan was there, so I didn’t have to tell him. I haven’t even told Sebastian about it.”

  “I’m honored you trust me with it then.”

  Christian swallowed hard before continuing. “You remember Zia and Ryan had just graduated?”

  “Yes. We were quite busy throwing a graduation party for them at the time.”

  Christian nodded. “I was at the party as kind of another set of eyes, to make sure everyone was being safe. I was sitting on one of the chairs in the corner, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. Zia brought me a can of soda. I thought she was being nice, but while out of character for her, I thought maybe she was trying to turn over a new leaf. The drink was already open, but I didn’t think anything of it at the time.”

  Christian shuddered at Max’s expression. He saw from the dawning horror on his friend’s face that he had a pretty good idea what had happened. He couldn’t look him in the eye anymore, so he dropped his gaze to his clasped hands. “Yeah, she’d slipped something into my drink. I became fuzzy, but it took me too long to figure out what had happened. Next thing I knew, I was being helped from the chair and being moved to one of the parlor rooms. I know the princess was on one side of me. I don’t know for sure who was on my other side, just that he was male and slightly smaller than me. I couldn’t even hold up my head. I remember hearing the princess tell whoever it was ‘thank you’ that ‘it worked just as you said it would’ before I was dumped onto a couch, then nothing.”

  “That bitch!” Max sudden standing and placement of his hands on his hips, made Christian look at him again. The indignation on his behalf was certainly welcome.

  “Let me finish. I need to get this out.”

  Max threw himself back on the couch with a huff.

  “First off, you need to know I wasn’t raped. Ryan had been in the pool and saw shadows in the parlor. Since no one was supposed to be in that particular room, he went to investigate. He tried the French doors that led inside, but they were locked. By the time he’d made it around, he must have spooked whoever it was, because the French doors were standing open and only I was in there. He found me passed out on the couch, with my shirt off and my belt and pants undone but still on my body. He couldn’t rouse me, so he called one of the guards to help take me to the infirmary, and he summoned Doctor Guttschein.”

  “Obviously that wasn’t the end of it. What happened next?”

  “My understanding is that the king and queen came to put in an appearance at the party shortly afterward, only to discover Princess Zia had disappeared. They were hopeful that I was with her, at least, until Ryan told them he had to take me to the infirmary.

  “My father came to yell at me in the infirmary. He was pissed at me and assumed I had been drinking to the point I’d passed out and was shirking my duties. I couldn’t correct him since I was still really out of it. Once my father stormed off, I was able to tell Doctor Guttschein what I remembered. He took some bloodwork and determined I had been slipped GHB.”

  “She gave you a date-rape drug?” Max’s voice climbing three octaves during the course of the question made him smile.

  “Yep. It ends up there was a beach party being thrown by one of her classmates that she wanted to go to, but the queen had found out there was no adult supervision and it would be a security nightmare, so Zia was told she couldn’t go. Zia figured no one would miss her if I wasn’t there to keep an eye on her, hence the drugging.” Christian shrugged. “The king and queen obviously wanted to keep it quiet, asked me not to tell anyone and that they would handle Zia.”

  “They didn’t have your father and his team investigate the attempted rape?”

  Christian winced. “There was nothing to go on. They couldn’t get Zia to admit who she had left me with. It would have meant scandal. I did my duty and let it go. I couldn’t stay, though, and see her smug expression, knowing she’d gotten one over on me, so I left and joined the military. Ryan was the only one I could talk to about it, and he was leaving for college.”

  “Your father still doesn’t know what happened to you?”

  “Nope. I didn’t tell him. He never asked me my side of the story. He’s never really treated me well since my mother died when I was five. He became this cold taskmaster overnight. All I am to him is Sebastian’s companion. He was determined that I would be the best bodyguard ever, and we rarely discussed anything other than my training.”

  “What about that month-long vacation he took you on when you were sixteen? While the prince was on that trip with his mother.”

  Christian scoffed. “He went on vacation. I was sent on a three-week training exercise with a mercenary group to hone my skills. I was supposed to get at least a week off, but I contracted something in the jungle where the training took place, so spent part of that week in the hospital.”

  “What?”

  “Yep. My father was most disgusted that I was so weak as to get sick, even though the group said I did great in the traini
ng and offered me a job once I turned eighteen.”

  “Wow. You must have really impressed them.”

  Christian shrugged. “I guess. I just learned as much as I could, since at the time I was still trying to get my father’s approval.”

  “I’m guessing you’re not, anymore? Based on what I’ve seen tonight.”

  “Hell no. He’s even on the official list of suspects.” Christian couldn’t help it if his chuckle was a touch evil after that statement.

  “Oh man, that should really piss him off.”

  “Yep.” Christian sobered. “I need you to be careful—not just with him, but with everyone and everything. I need you to stay observant and focused.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  Christian searched Max’s eyes to make sure he was taking him seriously and saw nothing but sincerity. With a nod, Christian slumped in his chair and ran his hands over his face. “Man, it has been a long day. I should probably go and get out of your hair. You’ve had a long day as well. It’s already”—Christian took a moment to look at his watch—“damn—two a.m., and I have to be on base for a meeting at eight-thirty.”

  “Or…”

  Christian looked at Max to see him biting his lip. “Or what?”

  “Or you can crash in my guest room, if you don’t want to crash with me.”

  Christian was shocked but pleased by the offer. “Yeah? I don’t have the energy to do anything but sleep…”

  Max waved that away. “I don’t either, but after hearing everything that has happened to you and almost being blown up by a cake, I need to hold you tonight.”

  “That sounds really good. I’m feeling a little raw from talking about it, if I’m being honest.”

  “That’s what you have to be if you want anything to happen between us. I’m not saying tell me confidential stuff about your job, but I am saying you have to be honest with me about emotions and anything between us.”

  “Same goes,” Christian said in a husky voice. “I need us to be real.”

  “Agreed. Now come on.” Max stopped to yawn. “Whatever time you have to get up to be on base at eight-thirty is going to be way too early for me as it is. I don’t have to be in until ten at least. Let’s go.” Max stood and offered Christian a hand, which Christian was more than happy to take. He followed Max down the hall to his bedroom. “If you need a shower, it’s through there.”

  “Actually, let me run down to my office and grab my go-bag. That way I can just leave right from here.”

  “Sounds good. Here… Let me get you the spare key so you can let yourself in. I’m assuming you don’t mind if I go ahead and get into bed.” Max glanced over his shoulder at him as he went to a drawer in the kitchen to retrieve the key.

  A bolt of electricity zinged down Christian’s spine at the thought. “It would be a dream come true actually to join you in a bed.”

  Max laughed as he handed over the key. “You need to dream bigger.” Then Max leaned in and kissed him. What started off as a gentle kiss quickly morphed into something more, with Christian crowding Max into the counter. He pulled away with reluctance.

  “I really do need to go get my stuff so I can get some rest.”

  “Yeah. I know.” Max gave him another peck on the lips before stepping away and heading down the hall. “Hurry back.”

  “I will.” Christian hustled out of the apartment and to his on-site office, where he had stashed a few changes of clothes.

  Even hustling, it took him a half hour round trip. The castle wasn’t exactly small. Letting himself into the apartment, he checked all the locks and turned off lights as he made his way to Max’s bedroom. He stopped in the doorway for a moment to take in his fill of the man who was gently snoring in the bed. Tearing himself away, he set up his phone to charge and act as his alarm before he took a quick shower, and after toweling off and putting on a pair of clean boxer briefs, went to join him. He snuggled up to Max and wrapped his arm around him from behind before inhaling Max’s scent deep into his lungs. A sense of peace like he had never felt came over him, and he was asleep between one breath and the next.

  Chapter Four

  Max woke to the sound of an alarm going off and the unfamiliar feel of someone snuggled up behind him—a very hard someone. It took him a moment to remember everything that had happened the day before, but when he did, he turned over to watch as the sleepy man in his bed moaned and rolled away from him to grab his phone and shut off the alarm. Christian lay back on the bed and groaned again, throwing an arm over his eyes as he did so. The man really was too sexy for Max’s peace of mind. “Morning,” Max croaked.

  Christian raised his arm enough to peek at Max. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “Eh. I knew you had to get up early when I invited you. If I had a problem with it, I would have banished you to the guest room.”

  “True. Come snuggle for a minute.” Christian opened his arms for him, and Max wasted no time taking him up on the invitation, settling in with his head on Christian’s chest. He enjoyed the feeling of it rising and falling as he breathed, and of Christian running his hand up and down his back in slow, even strokes.

  “This is nice. It’s not very often I’m with a guy close enough in size to me to be able to hold me and me not feel like I’m crushing him. I never would have taken you for a snuggler, though.”

  Christian’s chest shook as he laughed. “I haven’t had a lot of opportunities, if I’m being honest, but I’ve always liked to be touched. My therapist says I have skin hunger.”

  “Skin hunger? That’s really a thing?”

  “Yep. I usually get a massage at least once a month and sometimes more to try to combat it.”

  “Well maybe you will be able to save yourself some money now. I like to cuddle a lot.”

  “My massage therapist will be disappointed, but I’m definitely on board.”

  A second alarm went off on the phone, just as Max was about to make a move to stroke all the naked skin under him. With a sigh, Christian rolled Max to his back and gave him a peck on the lips before moving to sit on the edge of the bed in order to snag his phone and turn off the alarm again. Christian wiped both hands over his face before looking at Max over his shoulder.

  “I don’t want to go anywhere, but I really do need to get to this meeting, so maybe we can figure out who is behind all this.”

  “I understand. Listen… I have to work today to get things cleaned up from the ball, but then I have the next couple of days off. Keep the key to my apartment. Come see me when you can.”

  “I like that plan.”

  “I thought you would.”

  “Smartass. Are you sure about all this?” Christian waved a hand between the two of them.

  “By this, do you mean starting a relationship?” Max yawned as he waited for Christian’s nod before continuing. “I’m thirty-six. I can’t say I’ve wanted you since I met you. That would be a lie. You were still a teenager, albeit an older one. I was an adult and you were still a kid to me, but I always liked you. You made me laugh and we shared a lot of great conversations. I watched as you grew into an amazing twenty-year-old. As I told you, I had decided to see if we could be something and ask you out when you went away. I’ve thought of you often, wondering what had happened to you.” Max took a moment to swallow hard. “I’ve dated other men over these last ten years. I certainly haven’t been waiting, but I have compared all of them to you. I thought ‘Christian would have gotten this joke’ or ‘Christian would have understood what I was talking about’. Now I want to see if my dreams match reality. If our kiss last night was any indication, our chemistry is off the charts.”

  “Yeah. Definitely. I’ve done the same, you know. You were my first crush—and man, did I crush hard—but I thought nothing would ever come of it. I’ve had a few relationships of my own since I left, but none of them lasted more than six months.” He gave a self-deprecating huff. “Part of that was because I was gone all the time and part was that most
of them bored me once I really got to know them.”

  “I get that.”

  “You have never bored me, Max. Hell. I could probably listen to you read from a phone book and not be bored.”

  Max snorted out a laugh at that. “Yeah, well, we will see how it goes when you are around me more frequently. I’m really not that exciting.”

  Christian stood and bent over to give Max another peck on the lips. “I look forward to it, but right now I really do have to go or I’m going to be late. Go back to sleep. You still look exhausted. I’m assuming you have your own alarm set for later?”

  “Yep,” Max said with a yawn as he turned and snuggled into the pillow Christian had used, sighing when he smelled Christian’s unique scent on it. “Please come back tonight.” He wasn’t sure Christian had been able to hear him at first, since he had mumbled it into the pillow, but Christian’s hearing must have been excellent.

  “Plan on it.”

  Christian placed another kiss on the top of his head then Max let himself fall back asleep.

  * * * *

  Max woke up a couple of hours later feeling much more refreshed when his own alarm went off. He didn’t know how Christian was able to function with so little sleep, but he hoped his day was going well. Max sat up, stretched and smiled when he saw Christian’s uniform and go-bag lying on the chair in the corner. He loved the signs that Christian did indeed plan to return. He got out of bed and stretched again before twisting side to side with a loud groan at all the pops.

  Being a chef was definitely hard on the body. He had been on his feet for way too many hours not only yesterday but also for the three days leading up to the ball. He was looking forward to having the next couple of days off for sure, but today he had things to do. Looking at his phone, he checked emails and text messages from his staff while he made his way into the bathroom. Seeing nothing urgent, he used the toilet before stepping into the shower.

  The hot water felt amazing on his sore muscles, and Max stayed there for a few minutes with his back to the water, letting it fall onto his neck and shoulders. He was very thankful every day that the castle apartments had excellent water pressure. As his muscles relaxed, his thoughts went to his unexpected overnight guest. He was sorry he’d slept through all but the last fifteen minutes of it. Waking up wrapped in Christian’s arms had been a fantasy come true.