Royal Love (2 page)

“Yeah, knucklehead,” Darren added. “The world doesn’t need to know what I’m doing.”

“Darren, you’re at the age where you think about sex a dozen times a minute, so regardless of how you’re dressed, we know,” David said. “I just want you to have lots of fun and enjoy your time with Michael. You know the rules. Obey your security.”

“Of course, Uncle David.”

“Can I go with you tonight?” Jack asked.

Darren laughed hard and then said, “No.”

The doorbell rang, and Darren left the living room to see if it was his prince. A moment later, Darren and Michael walked into the room.

“Good evening, Mr. Ambassador, Mr. Thompson-Windsor, Jack,” the prince said.

Everyone replied to the greeting, and after a couple of minutes of chatting, Blaine, the butler, entered.

“Excuse me, sir, but dinner is served,” Blaine announced.

“Perfect timing, Michael,” David said.

“That’s my cue,” Jack said. “I’m taking dinner in my room. Much as I’d like to stay and keep an eye on you lovebirds, I’ve got a mound of homework to get through if I’m going to avoid trouble.”

Standing up, everyone waved and said good night as Jack hurried up the stairs.

Turning back, Shane saw Darren get a quick kiss from his prince. Shane put his hand affectionately on David’s shoulder as they entered the dining room. Everyone took their seats, and idle chatter filled the air as they ate. When the meal was over, David became quite fatherly.

“So, which club are you boys going to?”

“We thought we’d check out G-A-Y first and see if it’s rocking. If it is, we’ll stay there. If not, we’ll go to the new club that opened last week. I heard it’s been so packed you could hardly breathe in there. I thought we should wait a few days to let the novelty wear off.”

“Sensible, Michael.”

“I heard Cousin Harry mention he might go in there for a drink with his friends one of these nights. That’s a night we don’t want to be there. It’ll be crazy enough with the crown prince in the house.”

“Doesn’t his brother get a little upset over that?”

“No, not at all. Cousin Harry knows to behave in that venue. The tabloids would have him making out with the bartenders if he got drunk in there. He and his friends like to go there because they love the music and have a great time dancing. They also aren’t bothered by girls trying to get at them. The princess, Cousin Harry’s wife, loves it when he goes to a gay bar for fun.”

“Do you have any security men with you?”

“Actually, no. The palace assumed that Darren would have an army, so they didn’t see the need for me to have British protection as well.”

“See to it that Michael gets home safely at the end of the night, Darren.”

“Yes, sir, although I’m not sure where we’re going to be at the end of the night. Could we stay here?”

Shane shot David a look that said, “Oh, hell no!”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea for now,” David said. “Maybe after word gets out, and it will, that you two are a couple, it’ll be all right. But for now, this is the home of the American ambassador, and I have to be careful of both my position and the wrath of Darren’s mother!”

“That’s all right, Darren. We can always have a nightcap at my place,” Michael said.

“Why don’t we have coffee in the living room?” Shane asked.

“That would be nice,” David replied.

“I’ll bring the coffee right in, sir,” Blaine said.

“Thank you, Blaine.”

As they settled in to wait for their coffee, David began to think again about Darren and the prince. The combination made security much more of an issue than if Darren was dating an ordinary man. Ever since Jack had been snatched by the Libyans, David was oversensitive when it came to security for his family. He was secretly petrified something would happen to Darren and terrified of Darren’s mother’s reaction.

“Shane, how many security men are going to be with our lovebirds tonight?”

“I thought three would be sufficient since they’re staying here in London, and there’s no intelligence regarding any threats against either one.”

“I’d rather they had four men with them. Someone should stay with the vehicles, and that would leave three with them at all times.”

“I hope not at all times!” Michael chimed in.

Darren smiled at Michael.

“Don’t worry. If you’re in a safe environment, the security guys know to give you room,” Shane said.

Blaine entered with the silver service, and coffee was poured for all.

“Do you have any idea what time your night will end?” David asked the couple.

“Not really. Is it a problem if I stay at Michael’s place tonight? Does that screw things up for the security guys?”

“Well, two would go off duty, and the others would be relieved during the night. You should decide that now, so they can plan for it.”

“Okay, let’s go have a chat with them, Michael,” Darren suggested.

David shook his head as the two young men left the room.

“What’s wrong, hon?” Shane asked.

“I’m so glad I didn’t have their problems when I was at that age. While I certainly wasn’t a slut, I did have my pick of boyfriends and places to do the deed. I can’t imagine having men follow me around everywhere.”

“Michael is used to it, I’m sure, and Darren should be, too, from his White House time.”

“Still, it doesn’t make it any easier to carry on a love affair. But they’re both over twenty-one, so they can do what they want as long as they obey security protocol.”

A few minutes later, the horny couple returned.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” Darren announced. “My guys are going to be on detail until we go to Michael’s for the night. After that, Scotland Yard Protection Services will take over. That way, they can all get some rest. Sound good?”

“And that’s all been cleared with Scotland Yard?” asked Shane.

“Yes, no problem at all,” Prince Michael replied.

“All right, that sounds reasonable, and I’m sure our men will appreciate not having to sit in a car outside Michael’s place all night. Do you need any money, Darren?” David asked.

“Uncle David, I have a salary now. I’m not a little boy!” Darren said, blushing slightly.

“He certainly isn’t a little boy!” Michael said, and everyone laughed. “Besides, I have loads of money also, so we’ll be just fine.”

“Good, then you two have fun. I have some work to do in the office, and then Shane and I are going to spend the rest of the evening in bed, watching television.”

“Ha! That’s how we’re gonna end our evening too… in bed!” Darren said, and he and Michael laughed again.

“Play safe and behave,” Shane said as the two of them left the room.

“God, Shane, it’s like our own boy going out on his first date.”

“That’ll come soon enough. Jack is growing up to be quite nice-looking, and I’m sure the boys will be sniffing around real soon.”

“That’s one reason Jack has a security detail! There will be no Jack sniffing before his time!”

David and Shane laughed.

“I’m heading to the office to answer some mail I didn’t get to at the embassy, and then I’ll be up. See if you can find something decent to watch tonight, okay?”

“I’ll grab some iced tea and go on up. No more than an hour, you promise?”

“Yes, I promise,” David said, and he kept his word.

D
ARREN
AND
Michael got into Michael’s Land Rover with a security car following and drove through the gates of Winfield House. The drivers already knew where they were going and had sent an advance man to the club to have a look around.

The boys held hands in the back seat and watched the scenery go by. Since it was not an official or royal motorcade, the cars stopped at all traffic lights and signs and pulled up at Heaven, the club that included the G-A-Y Bar, just after nine. On the other side of a velvet rope, a line was waiting to get in. Two of the security men spoke to the bouncers at the entrance, and Darren and Michael were waved in.

The people waiting in line began murmuring as they tried to guess who the two young men with the bodyguards were. One guy in particular wanted to know, loudly.

“Oy! Who were them blokes?” he shouted at the security man who’d remained outside.

Security ignored the shouts, and the bouncers wouldn’t reveal who they were either. The last thing the club wanted was problems involving the royal family or the son of the president of the United States.

The club was fairly crowded, but management made a table available in an area that could be easily watched by security. When Darren and Michael sat down, a waiter came over to take their orders.

“What can I get you?” he asked.

“A bottle of your best champagne!” Michael replied.

“That’s quite expensive, sir. Are you sure?”

Michael saw the club manager watching and called him over.

“Yes, sir, is there a problem?” the manager asked.

“Not really, but I would appreciate it if you would tell your waiter not to worry if I can afford a bottle of champagne or not.”

“Of course, sir, and the first bottle is on the house. Raymond, get them the best we have,” the manager said to the embarrassed waiter.

As they were walking away, the manager was chewing the waiter’s ear off, shouting over the music. “Anyone who comes into this club with bodyguards, especially American or Scotland Yard, you serve them what they want! Do you understand?”

“Of, course, sir, I’m sorry. Who are they anyway?”

“Never mind. Just do your job, and make sure you pay attention to that table! If I get a complaint from either of those men, you’ll be looking for another job.”

Darren and Michael watched the scene unfold.

“I hope you didn’t just get him fired, Michael. We do look young, and maybe it’s his job to make sure we can pay for an expensive item like you ordered. You didn’t even ask how much it cost!”

“I didn’t want to spend the entire night trying to make the waiter believe we have money. Now, it won’t be an issue.”

“Okay, I would just hate to see him lose his job. He’s kinda cute.”

“If you like that type, I suppose. Me, I like your type. Thank you for spending the night at my place. I hope you know that I intend to take full advantage of you.”

Darren laughed. “I hope you’re not too disappointed when you find out that you’re the one who’ll be facedown in the pillow tonight. I want some royal ass, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

Michael laughed, but before he could retort, Raymond, the waiter, was back. He popped the cork and poured two glasses.

“I apologize if I offended you gentlemen by asking if you could pay for this. We’ve had guests slip out on rather large bar tabs, and when that happens, the waiter has to pay the bill.”

“Don’t give it a second thought. We understand,” Darren said before Michael could open his mouth.

The waiter walked away, and Michael turned to Darren.

“You really wanted to make sure I didn’t read him again, didn’t you? You Americans, all for the common man and all that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some stuck-up member of the royal family. I care about the people just as much as you do. But I’m on a date with a very important man, and I want you to enjoy yourself tonight without some bloke cocking it up.”

“Michael, no one could fuck up my time with you. Just being with you, whether it’s here or on the moon, makes me happy.”

Michael looked around to see if any paparazzi were near before giving Darren a quick kiss on the cheek.

“That was nice of you to say. It’s really nice to date a man who doesn’t give a toss that I’m royalty, even if I am only minor royalty.”

“I wouldn’t care if you worked behind that bar over there. It’s you, not who you are, that attracts me. The same holds true for myself. I’m someone’s kid, too, and I know you don’t care about that. Now let’s sip some of this expensive champagne and dance our asses off!”

They spent the rest of the night dancing, drinking, and otherwise having a great time. They made friends with a couple of cute guys who had no clue who they were, and the twosome became a foursome.

“I gotta say, mate, you know how to dance!” Barry told Michael.

“Cheers! When you have a beautiful partner, it’s easy,” Michael replied while looking at Darren.

“So are you two lovers?” Andy asked.

“Let’s just say we’re dating and in no hurry to put any labels on it,” Darren said.

“Blimey, a Yank and a Brit! You Yanks have been stealing our women since World War II and now you’re after our men!” Barry said.

Everyone laughed but Darren. He had to think about what was said.

“He’s joking, love. Don’t take it seriously,” Michael said.

“I just don’t really get it,” Darren replied.

“Ah, he’s busting your bollocks, mate. The old stories were that during the war, a lot of our women dumped their British boyfriends and took up with Yanks,” Andy said.

“But, why?”

“Because you Yanks had money in your pockets, and the girls loved something different. You know, a lot of women went home at the end of the war with their Yanks. They were called ‘war brides.’”

“Really never thought about it. But if I’m gonna steal anyone, it’s going to be this man,” Darren said, smiling.