“I’m all ears. What happened in Paris?”
Raymond laughed. “It really wasn’t much of a miracle. It was Alex.”
“I suspected as much. He’s clearly been working to get us together. I’ve known it all along. I’ve never been sure whether to resent it.”
“You should. When I look at pictures of my old self, I shudder. I can only imagine what you must have thought. ‘Something the cat had in the alley’ doesn’t begin to describe it. I simply never realized what a sheltered life I’d been leading.”
Logan took his hand. “So anyway… ?”
“Alex knew Paris would affect me. How could it not? All those beautiful men, impeccably dressed and groomed… The scales started falling off my eyes almost the moment we landed.
“And he actually managed to find the apartment where Duke Rupert lived with his lover. We stayed there our whole time in the city. Really, Logan, Alex is a lot smarter and more resourceful than I had ever guessed. He took me to the right hair stylists, taught me about the city’s gay culture and history… We went to the Palace of Versailles, where Louis XIII used to hold all those legendary gay balls. It really opened my eyes, I can tell you.
“Alex even planned a side trip to Milan, so I could buy a decent, up-to-date wardrobe. You should see how good I look in my new Armani suits. They are, with no exaggeration, fit for a king.”
Logan kissed him on the cheek. “The sexiest king in the world, too.”
Raymond blushed. What with his ‘miraculous’ transformation, it was so easy to forget how shy and self-effacing he was. “You’re the only one I want to be sexy for, Logan. And Alex knew that, too. I don’t know how he knew it, but he did. He even told me once, ‘attracting a man like Logan Bockwein, doesn’t just happen—you have to work at it.’ So I put myself into his hands and trusted him.”
They kissed again, another long, deep kiss.
“And is Alex the one who taught you that?”
Raymond giggled. “Give me credit for some natural ability. We used to go, nearly every night, to one of the sex clubs in Paris. I never did anything, you understand, just watched. But all those men… ! All those gorgeous bodies intertwining, touching, licking, screwing… ! it was quite an education. I hope it paid off.”
“Believe me, it did. Big-time.”
“I learned about things I had never imagined. Rimming, water sports, all kinds of fetishes… ” He smiled a shy smile. “I want to try them all. With you.”
Logan squeezed his hand. “Yes, your majesty. But… why didn’t you try them there? I mean, all those men, all that sex… ”
“Because I was saving myself for you, silly. You’re the only one I’ve ever really wanted.”
“You mean to tell me you really were a virgin till we made love just now?”
Raymond nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
“Well, you must be the most skillful virgin in history. Raymond, you’re terrific!”
Again, they kissed. And again, they made love. And again, it was sheer ecstasy.
Later, as they lay side by side on the bed, Raymond’s mood turned more serious. “We went to London, too. We spent a week there. And… ”
Logan nuzzled him. “Yes?”
“Well, there was a play Alex wanted me to see. It was a revival of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II. I knew almost from the time the curtain went up why he wanted me to see it. The awful way the English treated their gay king. And his lover. Alex made me promise I’d never let that happen here. And I won’t. I swear it. Alex vowed to stay beside me and give me all the support I need. But… ”
“What is it, Raymond?”
“I need more than Alex at my side.” He looked straight into Logan’s eyes. “I need you. Otherwise I’d have too little to fight for.”
Logan kissed him again, the longest, hottest, most passionate kiss ever. “If you want me, Raymond, I’m yours.”