To Bed a King Read online

  “King Zahar’s office,” Halim answered.

  “It’s Raven. Let me speak to Ghazi.”

  “He’s in a meeting.”

  “Interrupt it. This is important,” Raven growled.

  “So is his meeting,” Halim challenged.

  “Get him on the fucking phone or prepare to explain to His Majesty why you did nothing moments before a gunfight broke out in your harbour.”

  Halim was silent for several heartbeats. “Hold.”

  With the phone still to his ear, Raven drew his weapon from its holster and stepped onto the yacht. With his back to the bulkhead, he tried to see inside the heavily tinted windows.

  “Raven?” Ghazi answered.

  “The goon who met me at the gangplank is armed. How is that possible?”

  “It shouldn’t be. All incoming boats are met by our patrol ships before entering the harbour. It’s policy to confiscate all weapons upon arrival. They’re given back once they leave port.”

  “Well then you’ve got a chink in your armour, because I know what a gun looks like hidden under a coat.”

  “Retreat. I’ll call the authorities.”

  “You can call them, but I’m not going anywhere without Nalu,” Raven informed Ghazi. “Hang on, someone’s coming.”

  “Let me speak to them,” Ghazi said.

  The goon he’d spoken with earlier approached him. “Mr. Phillips is not happy.”

  “Too damn bad. Where’s the boy?”

  “Mr. Phillips said to tell you he made the appropriate payments. He has the right to keep the boy for two more days.”

  In a flash, Raven had the muzzle of his gun pushed under the goon’s chin. He pressed the speaker button on his phone. “Did you hear that?”

  “Yes,” Ghazi was slow to say. “Halim has informed the police, they should be there momentarily.”

  “You hear that? You’ve just run out of chances.” Raven felt like spitting in the man’s face, but kneed him in the balls instead. Before the man could crumple to the ground, Raven dropped the phone and reached under the goon’s jacket for his gun.

  When the idiot tried to fight back, Raven easily broke the man’s kneecap with a quick, well placed kick. Before the goon had stopped yelling, armed policemen began boarding the yacht.

  “Take him,” Raven instructed, scooping up the phone. “Are you still there?”

  “Yes,” Ghazi answered. “What is happening?”

  “I’m on my way to find Nalu. I’ll leave the phone on, but I need both hands free.” With that said, Raven slipped the phone into his shirt pocket. The interior of the yacht was as opulent as the exterior.

  As he made his way towards the living quarters, he began calling out for the boy. “Nalu!”

  He wasn’t sure if it was the gun in his hand or the expression on his face, but the crew he passed along the way quickly made themselves scarce. “Nalu!”

  “What is the meaning of this?” an elderly, well-dressed man asked.

  “You Phillips?” Raven asked.

  One look at the Glock and the man’s bravado disappeared. “Yes. As I told Victor, I have paid your fees. I was led to believe we would not be disturbed while in port.”

  “Who’d you pay?” Raven asked, waving the gun in Phillip’s face.

  Mr. Phillips appeared confused. “Not a who, a what. The same bank account I’ve always paid.”

  “I’ll need that bank account number along with Nalu.” Raven pulled the phone out of his pocket. “Here. Tell King Ghazi Zahar your sob story while I retrieve the boy. Now, which cabin is he in?”

  The man took the phone and gestured to the cabin he’d come out of. Raven pushed the older pig out of the way and entered the room.

  Rolled into a ball on the edge of the bed, Nalu flinched when the door opened. “Nalu?” Raven crossed the room to the bed. “Do you remember me?”

  Nalu’s gaze slowly lifted to meet Raven’s. Instead of answering, Nalu gave Raven a subtle nod.

  Raven tried to swallow the bile as it rose in his throat. The teenage boy he’d met days earlier was now dressed in a short pink babydoll dress, complete with bows attached to his dreadlocks.

  Kneeling beside the bed, Raven held out his hand. “I’ve come to get you away from this place.”

  Nalu’s light green eyes widened with apparent fear. “No. They’ll kill me.”

  Raven shook his head. “No, they won’t. I’ll protect you. I’m taking you back to the palace with me.”

  A look of confusion crossed Nalu’s face. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because no one else has.” He pushed Nalu’s light hair off his face. “Do you need a doctor?”

  “No.” Nalu’s tongue ran over the split in his lip. “I don’t know where my clothes are,” he whispered as if ashamed.

  Raven stood and glanced around the room. He flung open the closet and looked at the racks of expensive clothing before pulling out a white, terrycloth robe. “Sorry. Nothing in here will fit you but this.”

  “That’s okay.” Nalu held his hand out for the robe.

  “Can you do it yourself, or do you need my help?” Raven asked.

  “Despite what I look like, I’m not a baby.”

  “No,” Raven answered, turning around to give Nalu some privacy. “I know that.”

  As he waited for Nalu to remove the little girl’s dress from his battered body, he cursed himself. How many times had he felt sorry for himself because of his early childhood? Nothing he had gone through was as bad as what Nalu had just survived. And Raven suspected it hadn’t been the first time he’d been abused by visiting rich men.

  * * * *

  Raven awoke with a start and immediately reached for his weapon.

  “It’s me,” Ghazi whispered, hoping Raven wouldn’t shoot him. Although, the way he felt at the moment, it might be an easier end to his day.

  “What time is it?” Raven asked, setting his gun back on the table.

  “I’m not sure to be honest. Around two, I think. Do you mind if I sit?”

  “I can do better than that,” Raven said, lifting the covers to expose the free side of the bed.

  Although it wasn’t what he’d come in for, Ghazi couldn’t resist the lure of Raven’s companionship. He quickly removed his dishdashah and shoes and joined his new friend in bed. “I didn’t know,” he said before pulling Raven into his arms.

  “I know you didn’t. I may’ve made some bad choices in my life, but I’ve become an expert at reading people. There was no way you could’ve faked the expression on your face when I carried Nalu through the palace doors.”

  Ghazi rubbed his mouth over the top of Raven’s head, feeling the short black hairs tickle his lips. “I don’t think he’s the only one, do you?”

  “No. It’s too organised for a boy to do on his own,” Raven agreed.

  Closing his eyes, Ghazi prayed he would wake in the morning and the entire mess would have been a bad dream. “I felt like a hypocrite terminating the Harbour Master from his position.”

  Raven climbed on top of Ghazi and braced himself on his hands. “Why? It was his job to make sure weapons didn’t make their way into Jurru.”

  “Yes, but if he’s to blame for what his people did without his knowledge, I must be blamed for the same thing.”

  Raven shook his head. “My gut tells me your Harbour Master knew exactly what was going on. Someone’s lining his pockets nicely. A check of his bank account proved that.”

  Ghazi ran his hands down Raven’s back. Despite the problems cropping up all around him, or maybe because of them, Ghazi needed an anchor in the storm, he needed Raven. “I know I told you I’d rather wait until the election, but I don’t think I can.”

  Raven reached between them and cupped Ghazi’s cock through his underwear. “Then why aren’t you hard?”

  Instead of answering, Ghazi pushed against Raven’s shoulders, silently asking for what he desired. He couldn’t allow the stress to reach all aspects of his life. He’d wa
ited too long to fuck Raven to have his cock malfunction now.

  Raven chuckled. “Mmmm, does that mean you’re in need of a little oral stimulation?”

  “Please.”

  As Raven kissed and licked his way down towards the flaccid cock, Ghazi traced the black wings tattooed on Raven’s back. “These are magnificent. Do they hold special meaning?”

  Raven dipped his tongue into Ghazi’s bellybutton before moving down to lick the tip of Ghazi’s cock. “For most of my life, my first name was all I had that linked me to my heritage.”

  “Because you were adopted?” Ghazi asked, wishing he could take back the question the second it left his mouth.

  Raven leaned up on his forearms. “How do you know that?”

  Ghazi closed his eyes against the accusing stare. “Halim had you checked out shortly after you moved to Jurru. It wasn’t on my orders, you have to believe me.”

  “Maybe not, but you chose to read what he gave you.” Raven sat up and moved to the side of the bed. “My past isn’t a secret, but I’d have rather told you myself.”

  “I’m sorry. Halim is rather protective.” Ghazi sighed. “And I’m rather stupid.” He shook his head. “I can’t explain it, but I wanted to know you, really know you.”

  “Then you should’ve asked.”

  “Okay. I’m asking now. Tell me about Raven Stone.”

  “Why? You must know everything already,” Raven snapped.

  “No. Only that you were adopted by a local sheriff when you were three years old. The file contained no information of you before that time.” Ghazi reached out for Raven, but the man pulled back.

  “Well, then we’re pretty even on that score, because I don’t remember anything before that. I was told my biological mother was an alcoholic. Someone saw me in a bar, crying while my mother was passed out on the table next to me. They called the sheriff, my adoptive dad, and he came to my rescue. The judge gave my mom a choice, get sober or lose custody.” Raven shrugged. “Guess I wasn’t worth a bottle of booze to her.”

  Ghazi swallowed around the lump of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. He once again reached out to Raven. “She didn’t deserve you.”

  Raven chuckled. “Yeah, well when my dad was killed in the line of duty, I rebelled against everything and everyone. I started searching, trying to find the woman who had given birth to me.”

  “Did you find her?” Ghazi ran his hand in circles over Raven’s thigh.

  “Yeah, eventually. She was still a drunk, and goddammit, she still didn’t want anything to do with me. But at least I learned my last name had once been Black Wing.” Raven gestured to his back. “I was determined to carry her betrayal with me so I had the tattoo done.”

  Ghazi opened his arms. “Please let me hold you?”

  Raven stared down at Ghazi. “I don’t need your pity. I’ve come to terms with who I am.”

  “Pity and compassion are not the same thing. I wouldn’t feel the need to comfort you if I didn’t care.”

  Raven eventually settled against Ghazi’s chest. Ghazi wrapped his arms around the man and kissed the top of Raven’s head. “Can I hold you, like this, for the rest of the night?”

  Raven nodded but said nothing.

  Ghazi had no idea what the following days would bring, but at least, for the moment, he felt content with the direction his life was taking.

  Chapter Three

  Raven woke a few hours later with Ghazi wrapped around him. He began grinding his ass against Ghazi’s cock. Although Ghazi was still asleep, his cock began to fill. The conversation several hours earlier had been a big wakeup call for Raven. It wasn’t until he laid out his parentage to Ghazi that he realised the two of them could never have more than sex between them.

  Raven had spent his entire adult life trying to find a rich husband to take care of him, and when he’d finally found the man he really wanted, he realised he didn’t deserve him. Ghazi wasn’t an ordinary rich businessman. He was the King of Jurru. The man could probably trace his lineage back a thousand years.

  Ghazi’s hand slid from Raven’s hip down to encircle his cock. “Good morning,” he said before kissing one of the tattoos on Raven’s back.

  Whether Ghazi’s earlier inability to get hard had been caused by fatigue or stress, the cock currently sliding against Raven’s ass was definitely ready to play. The two of them moved together like they’d been lovers for years, further confusing Raven. How could he feel so comfortable with someone he knew he couldn’t have a future with?

  Ghazi wrapped his available arm around Raven’s upper chest as he bit the side of Raven’s neck. “I’ve wanted this since the day I first set eyes on you.”

  Raven grinned, thinking of their first meeting. He had been sent to spy on Ghazi by Sheik Ali, who thought Ghazi was the person behind the assassination attempts. “I doubt that. I don’t remember you being too happy about getting a new chauffer.”

  Ghazi bit Raven harder. “I wasn’t happy because the minute I looked into those big brown eyes of yours I could think of nothing else but fucking you. I was still in the closet, and I knew one time with you would never be enough.”

  “I would’ve let you fuck me that first day.” He glanced over his shoulder at Ghazi. “Or haven’t you figured out I’m a slutty sex fiend.”

  “So there would have been no need to wine and dine you?” Ghazi teased.

  “Nope. I would’ve dropped my pants for you at any moment. Still would.”

  Ghazi groaned. His hand released Raven’s cock. “I know you have lube in here somewhere.”

  “Of course I do. One in the bedside drawer and one in the shower,” Raven informed him. He rolled onto his back when Ghazi pulled away to dig in the drawer. It was then that he got his first good look at Ghazi’s hard cock. Fuck. Like him, Ghazi was uncut. The long thick erection was already dripping with pre-cum, begging for Raven’s mouth.

  One by one, Ghazi kept himself busy studying each of Raven’s many toys. Raven used the distraction to scoot over and lick the glistening drops from the head of Ghazi’s cock. “Mmmm.”

  Ghazi set the nipple clamps down and grabbed the bottle of lube and a condom from the drawer. He scooted further up the bed and rested his back against the heavily carved headboard. “Put your mouth on me.”

  Raven crawled up to lie between Ghazi’s legs. As he maintained eye contact, he began stroking Ghazi’s foreskin up and over the sensitive head of the shiny cock. “Which do you want more, my mouth or my ass?”

  “Why do I have to choose?”

  Raven grinned. “You think you’re up to both? I’m an expert cocksucker, ya know?”

  “Show me,” Ghazi ordered.

  Still slowly jacking Ghazi’s cock, Raven began licking the glistening head with enthusiasm. He swirled his tongue around the crown, stopping to delve into the slit to gather more of the intoxicating essence before swallowing the long thick cock to the root.

  “Fuck!” Ghazi howled. He began pulling at Raven’s hair, trying to get him off. “You win. I can’t last any longer and still bury myself in your ass.”

  After giving the head another thorough tongue bath, Raven pulled his mouth away and grinned up at Ghazi. “I told you.”

  Ghazi shook his head and wiped the sweat from his brow. “I’ll never question your expertise again.”

  There was something in the way the King looked at Raven that both disturbed and thrilled him. Just sex, he reminded himself. Deciding it best to take emotions back out of the equation, Raven moved to sit back on his heels. “Lie down.”

  Ghazi slid down the bed until his head hit the pillow. When Raven moved over him in the traditional sixty-nine position, Ghazi smacked him on the ass. “I told you I won’t be able to not come with your mouth on me.”

  “I’m not planning to suck you off. I’m just giving you easier access so you can get me stretched and lubed up,” Raven informed the King.

  Ghazi grunted several times but soon Raven felt the man’s slick fingers
begin to probe his hole. Raven played with himself daily, so he knew it would only take a few moments. Still, he allowed Ghazi time to play. Raven found that most men enjoyed this part of it, and his goal was always to please his partner.

  “You do have a pretty ass,” Ghazi commented, fucking Raven with three fingers.

  “I like it,” Raven agreed. “I like it even more when it has a nice fat cock buried inside of it.”

  Another slap landed on Raven’s ass. “Okay, I can take a hint.” Ghazi removed his fingers and quickly rolled a condom down his length. “Turn around and ride me.”

  Raven shook his head. “I’d prefer to do it my way.”

  He moved to squat over Ghazi, facing away from the eyes that seemed to see too much. Raven reached between his legs and guided Ghazi’s sheathed cock to his stretched hole. As he lowered himself down on Ghazi’s length, Raven knew the only two things for Ghazi to look at were his ass and the tattoo reminding Ghazi exactly where Raven had come from. It was the reminder of who he was that he needed to impress on Ghazi.

  Raven’s desire was to become the best lover Ghazi had ever had. When he was forced to return to the States, he wanted the King to never forget him. He loved the idea that for the rest of his life, Ghazi would compare all other lovers to Raven.

  With his feet firmly planted under him, Raven did what he did best. Men had always sought him out for his ability to provide an open, willing hole, and Raven used his internal muscles to give Ghazi’s cock the massage of a lifetime.

  As usual, the stimulation drove him wild. He threw his head back and bucked, his hips jerking each time his gland was brushed against. The scrape of Ghazi’s short fingernails down his back reminded Raven where he was and who he was with. He glanced over his shoulder and gave his dirtiest grin. “You can stick this lovely dick in me anytime.”

  “Really? Because I’m starting to get the impression that my cock might as well be a dildo.”

  “What? No,” Raven said, slowing his pace.

  “Then turn around and look at me,” Ghazi growled.

  “But this is the position I prefer.”

  “Why? So you don’t have to look into the eyes of the man who’s fucking you?”