Royally Screwed - Lynn Van Dorn Page 0,59

all over Yuri’s skin, matching the redness of his backside. “Oh. Um.” He pointed vaguely.

“Get up.” Angelo pulled Yuri to his feet. “Take me to it.”

“But…” Yuri looked down at his naked body and Angelo could practically read his thoughts.

“The security all signed NDAs when they were hired on. Philippe has been your keeper for years, and before that, he and his family were loyal to my mother’s. You know he can be trusted.” Angelo’s mouth quirked up at the corners. “Well, for a certain value of trust. He’d never sell pictures of us to a tabloid, for example.”

Yuri’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean ‘for a certain value of trust’?”

“Later, princess. Now, take me to your bed.”

For a split second, Yuri looked rebellious, then he squared his shoulders and opened the study door and called down the stairs, “Probably not a good idea to come up here for a while. Just saying.”

After a few seconds of silence, Angelo heard Philippe’s disembodied voice. “Should I postpone supper, your highness?”

“Yeah. Probably.”

“Very good, sir.”

Angelo snorted as he followed Yuri down the short hallway then up another flight of stairs. The room they walked into was huge, taking up the entire floor of the house. It was dominated by a bed large enough for at least six Yuris, a window seat scattered with pillows and a novel, and an old coal fireplace. Through an opening, Angelo could see a bathroom.

“I know, no door,” Yuri said, “but he won’t come up here. Philippe, I mean.”

“It would probably scar him for life.”

Yuri snorted. “Probably.” He stood there, looking at Angelo with naked longing in his eyes, but made no move to draw closer. His skin was pebbled with goose flesh and he shivered slightly.

A wave of protectiveness swept over Angelo. Yes, he was unsure what being attracted to Yuri did to his sexuality, but that uncertainty was drowned out by an instinctive need to care for Him. Angelo took the few steps to bring him close to Yuri then enfolded the prince in his arms. “Are you cold, princess?”

Yuri wrinkled his lightly freckled nose. “No. Not really.”

“Nervous?”

“What do you think?” Yuri looked up at Angelo defiantly. “You've got the power to destroy me,” he said quietly, now staring at Angelo's blue tie. “You always have.”

“We don't have to—”

Yuri pushed back a little from Angelo and looked up at him. “Yes, we do. If we don't, I'll always wonder, and forgetting you is impossible. It's also not allowed. So let's do this, and get it over with, and then I'll know.” Yuri tugged on Angelo's tie, loosening it.

“Know what?”

“If I have to spend the rest of my life sneaking around and hoping to not get caught when I need to get laid.”

That filled Angelo with a sudden and inexplicable rage. That was, after all, the future he'd always envisioned. Once the honeymoon was over and the public's eye moved on to another, more exciting royal couple, he and Yuri would discreetly take on lovers. It was, after all, the only thing that made sense. But the idea of another, unknown, faceless man touching what was his made Angelo feel sick inside.

“Undress me,” he told Yuri.

Yuri reached for Angelo's jacket. “Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do this?”

“Actually, I'm pretty sure I do.” Angelo shrugged out of the jacket then removed his cufflinks and stuck them in his pocket.

Yuri laid his jacket over a chair then began to unbutton Angelo's shirt. That he also pulled off, folding it neatly on top of the jacket. He made quick work of the rest of Angelo's clothing until Angelo stood as nude as he was.

Yuri looked up at Angelo and bit his bottom lip. “Is this the point when you freak out on me?”

Angelo waited a few seconds for something within him to scream at him to stop, but there was nothing. He still wanted Yuri. “Depends on your definition of freaking out.” He took a step forward that put him just a breath away from Yuri.

“Um. 'Arrgh. I'm not really gay and boy bits are gross and what the hell am I doing?’ It's gonna happen either now or after I get boned.” Yuri continued to nibble on his lip. “I'm hoping you save your big gay freak-out for after sex, though, for reasons.”

“Get on the bed and stop being such an idiot. I jerked you until you came on my hand. And my chest, and my sheets. And here I am, telling you I