Chapter Six

Max looked at all the different stations in the kitchen to see if anybody needed any help. Things had been going too smoothly this evening. It always spooked him a bit when that happened. They were down to the last few people eating in the dining room. Everyone seemed to have everything under control for that, so he joined some of the others on prep work for the morning.

Chopping vegetables always put him in a Zen place. It was his form of meditation. He hadn’t heard anything from Christian, but he hoped to see him soon. Williams was on the overnight for any room service calls and had joined him doing prep work a few minutes ago when he’d arrived. Luckily, there usually weren’t that many requests for anything more complicated than dessert. Although, there had been times after parties or events where large meals were desired. Whoever was on the overnight usually spent their time doing yet more prep. As long as it was done, Max didn’t care what his staff did after that. He usually had paperwork or planning to do, but he had been known to bring a book to read from time to time.

The kitchen slowly quieted until only he and Williams were left. Max helped Williams prepare a meal request that had come in before leaving him to it. Taking off his apron, he made his way to the door. “I’m heading out, Williams. Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you, sir. See you tomorrow.”

“Other than fulfilling a commitment I’d already made for Thursday, I’m actually off the next couple of days, so James is in charge.”

“Yes, sir.”

Max threw his apron into the kitchen laundry hamper and made his way to his office to grab his things. A voice calling his name made him pause just as he was getting ready to go through the door.

Turning, he was surprised to see the Castle Commander standing there looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Commander Diaz. What brings you to speak to me twice in one day? I still don’t have permission to talk to you about the cake incident.”

“I know. I’ve had a long talk with the king and Christian about it all. I’m not here for that.”

“You’re not?”

“Nope. Do you mind if we talk in private?” Juan waved a hand at the office behind Max.

“Oh, sorry. Sure, come on in. Shut the door behind you.” He waited until they were both seated in the same chairs as earlier in the day before speaking again. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m here because I owe you a couple of apologies.”

“You do?” Max couldn’t have hidden his shock at the statement if he’d tried.

“Yes. I should have taken you seriously when you came to me about the missing brandy. You did nothing to deserve my attitude. You asked after Christian, and I was upset because I had nothing to tell you, but that’s on me, not you—and is something I hope to correct moving forward.”

“Okay. We caught it before it went any further, so no harm no foul, as long as you will take me seriously in the future.”

“I will. You run a tight ship. I should have trusted your gut.”

“Fair enough. What else do you owe me an apology for?”

“The extra security for the dinner you asked for. I shouldn’t have given you a hard time about it. You were right to mention it. I was again wrong for blowing you off. Christian and his team are going to step in and help. We need to schedule a meeting between the three of us to figure out where and how many people are coming to the dinner and how many extra security personnel we’re going to need.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that. I can send you the counts later, but I really don’t know anything about what the security might need to be. Princess Zia and Stefan Guttschein are the ones planning the event. They are supposed to get me final counts on Thursday.” Max watched as some emotion crossed Juan’s face, but it was gone behind his professional mask before he could identify it.

“Do you know if the hospital has run background checks on the individuals participating?”

“I have no idea. Again, this is Princess Zia and Stefan Guttschein’s event. Doctor Guttschein has given them free rein on it.”

“Interesting. Okay, I will get with Christian and see if we can set up a meeting with the princess and Stefan.”

“Or the two of you can join our meeting Thursday, if that’s not too late.”

“That should be fine.”

“Okay then. Let me know if there’s anything else you need from me.”

“I will.” He stood and extended his hand to Max. “I really am sorry for treating you poorly. I hope we can work together better from now on.”

“Of course.”

Juan made his way to the door, before turning back one more time. “Take care of Christian. He’s a good man and deserves to be loved hard.”

“I will, sir. You have my word.”

“Thank you. By the way, you may see some changes over the coming weeks. There will be a tightening of security. People might not be too happy about it.”

“The security tightening needs to happen, given recent events, and people will get over it.”

Juan’s smile, the first one Max had ever seen from him, was blinding. “I like the way you think, Mr. Ramirez. They’ll get over it indeed. They don’t have a choice. Have a nice evening. I believe I saw Christian return to the castle about twenty minutes ago and head toward your apartment.”

“Well then, I guess I better go see what he’s up to, shouldn’t I? Thank you for stopping by, Commander Diaz.”

“Please call me Juan when we aren’t in public. You’re dating my son, after all.”

“Thank you, Juan. Good night.”

“Good night.” With a final wave, the man was gone.

Max stood there in bemusement at the interaction for a couple of moments before shaking himself and heading to his apartment. He had better things to do this evening than think about Juan Diaz. Now, his son? That was a different story.

Entering his apartment a few minutes later, Max was happy to see the lights on, hear the radio playing something soothing and smell a wonderful scent coming from the kitchen. Looking in that direction, he saw Christian bending over, taking a pan out of the oven.

“Honey, I’m home and loving the view.”

Christian shot him a grin over his shoulder and wiggled his ass for a moment. He pulled a baking dish out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove.

“Looks great. What is it? Mac and cheese?”

“Yep. It’s one of the few things I know how to cook consistently. Don’t get too excited, though. It’s nowhere near your level.”

“Hey, I’m happy to have a home-cooked meal that I didn’t have to make.”

Christian shrugged. “I didn’t know if you had already eaten or not, but I’m starving. It’s been a long time since lunch.”

“What? It’s almost nine at night? You haven’t eaten since noon?”

“Well, I snacked on some cheese while things were cooking. Does that count?”

“Okay, so I need to stock up on things you can snack on during the day, as well as grab-and-go breakfast food.” Max drew Christian into his embrace, loving it when Christian wrapped his own arms around him. “What am I going to do with you?”

Christian waggled his eyebrows at him. “I certainly have some ideas.”

Max leaned in and gave Christian a peck on the lips, just as Christian’s stomach snarled. “After we eat.” Max stepped away from Christian and went to the cupboard to pull down two plates and set them next to the food so it could be served. Moving over to the refrigerator, he reached into the drawer next to it and grabbed silverware before opening the door to the fridge. “I have water, Coke, Sprite and some wine chilled. What would you like to drink?”

“Water’s fine,” Christian said as he scooped out servings onto the plates then took them to the breakfast bar. He slid onto one of the stools on the other side of the counter and waited for Max to join him.

Max grabbed two bottles of water and some napkins on his way then joined him on one of the remaining stools. “This looks great. I can’t wait to try it.”

“Didn’t you eat, either?”

“Oh, I had something before the dinner rush, but it’s been a long night and I’m hungry again.”

“Ah. Good. I do it all the time, but I don’t really like eating alone that much.”

“I hear you.” Max scooped up a forkful of the creamy pasta mixture and took a bite. “Wow. That’s good.”

“Thanks. Like I said, I can make very few dishes well. Dining hall or commissary on base or take-out is usually easier for me. Glad you like it.”

Glancing over at the kitchen, Max was surprised to see that all the other dishes Christian must have used were already washed and in the drainer. “And you clean up after yourself too. I’m impressed.”

Christian laughed. “The Army did a good job of house-training me. Plus, with living alone, if I don’t do it, no one else is going to.”

“That’s true. I’m still impressed.”

“It’s all part of my master plan.”

“Oh?” Max quirked one eyebrow at Christian in question.

“Yep. Make it so you can’t imagine life without me. They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so I plan to start by feeding you. Phase two is to seduce you, then phase three is to make you fall in love with me.” Christian leaned in and placed another peck on Max’s lips, before going back to his meal.

“Well, phase one of your master plan is a success.”

“Thank you, kind sir.”

“So…I had a visitor this evening as I was getting ready to leave.”

“Yeah? Was it my father?”

“Yep. You knew he planned to come talk to me?”

Christian nodded. “He said he would, but I didn’t realize he was going to do it today.”

“It was a very nice apology.”

“Glad to hear it. Now let’s see if he follows through.”

“What else does he need to follow through on?”

Christian quickly filled him in on the conversation he’d had with the king and his father earlier.

“Huh. He was worried about losing you? That’s why all the training?”

“That’s what he says. We’ll see if he really wants to be part of my life in the future, but I told him I plan on that including you.” Christian took his last bite of food and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Are you finished?”

“Yep. I’m full.”

“Okay. Let me just get these plates in the dishwasher.”

“You do that, and I’ll cover the rest of the food and put it in the refrigerator for leftovers.”

Once he was done, he grabbed two new water bottles out of the refrigerator before extending his free hand to Christian. “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

“You tired?”

“I am a bit tired, but I didn’t say anything about sleeping yet. It’s time for phase two.”

Christian gave Max a wicked grin as he took Max’s hand. “Going to bed and not sleeping is one of my favorite activities. Let phase two commence.”

“I thought you would like it.” Max led Christian down the hall to his bedroom, releasing his hand once he’d cleared the doorway. He went over to his nightstand and set the water bottles down before reaching into the drawer and getting out the box of condoms and a bottle of lube. Setting them on top next to the water bottles, he turned and almost swallowed his tongue when he saw that Christian had used his time to strip completely naked. Max ran his gaze up and down Christian’s rock-hard body. He was not a small man in any way, shape or form. His fantasies hadn’t done him justice. At. All.

Max peeled off his shirt as he crossed the room and pulled Christian into his arms, gasping when their naked chests rubbed together. He ran his hands down Christian’s sides as he leaned in and ravished Christian’s mouth, thrusting his tongue in to taste him. He started kissing down Christian’s jaw to his chest and paused to pull first one then the other nipple into his mouth for a nibble. Christian’s moans spurred him on, and he licked a path downward from between the man’s pecs and along his treasure trail to his already-dripping cock. Dropping to his knees in front of him, Max licked the pre-cum from the cap then dove his tongue into the slit, looking for more.

Max pulled back and looked up at Christian. “You taste fantastic.”

“I want to taste, too. Come here.” Christian helped Max stand. “Let’s get you undressed. I want to see.” Christian leaned in and took Max’s mouth in another frantic kiss as they both worked to get Max’s pants undone, their hands bumping and tangling together.

Max stepped back. “Let me. It will be faster.” Max finally got the belt and button undone before pushing the pants along with his jockstrap to the floor. He slid off his shoes and socks on the way past and he was suddenly naked. His ego was stoked by the ravenous expression of desire on Christian’s face. “You like?”

“Turn around. Let me see all of you,” Christian croaked, as he nodded.

Max held his hands out from his body and did a slow circle, pausing at Christian’s whimper. Looking over his shoulder, he found Christian staring at his ass and couldn’t help the smile. “Oh yeah. You like what you see.”

“Your ass is perfect.” Christian walked forward as if in a trance and stopped Max when he went to turn around and face him. “No. Not yet. Let me touch.” Christian ran his hand down Max’s ass, cupping his left cheek in his hand as if he were weighing it, while petting the right cheek. “Your ass is perfect,” he repeated. “Even better than I dreamed.” Christian wrapped his arms around Max and pulled him in tight to his body, grinding his cock into the crack. “Feel what you do to me? You make me so damn needy.”

Max gasped and ground back. Grabbing one of Christian’s hands, he placed it over his own leaking cock. “You do the same to me. You have me so turned on and we’ve barely done anything. I need you to fuck me, Christian. I’ve dreamed of you taking me. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a man.”

Christian moaned and ground harder against Max’s ass. He licked up the side of Max’s neck before nipping at his ear lobe. “Get on the bed. Hands and knees.”

Max scrambled to comply. Once on the bed, he took a few calming breaths to try to regain a little bit of control. Christian grabbed the lube from the nightstand and tore off one of the condoms from the box before he climbed onto the bed behind him. Max was expecting to hear the click of the lube cap being opened, but what he got instead was his ass cheeks being grabbed and separated before Christian dove in for a taste. Max moaned loudly and pressed backward as Christian ate his ass with enthusiasm.

“Christian, please. I need you to fuck me. You’re going to make me come, but I don’t want to until you are inside me.” Max almost cried when the lube was opened and jolted when Christian shoved two fingers into his hole a few moments later.

“I can’t go slow, Max,” Christian rasped as he shoved three fingers in on his next pass. “I have to have you.”

“Take me. I’m ready. Please, Christian.”

Max turned his head to look over his shoulder as Christian rolled the condom down his impressive length. He swallowed hard as he took in the size of Christian’s cock. He was certainly glad he’d had a box of magnum condoms. His cock wasn’t only long, at least eight inches, but it was wide too. Max wiggled in happiness as he realized his inner size queen was about to be fed. He so looked forward to having Christian’s monster cock inside him.

“I’ll go slow.”

“Please don’t. Just give it to me. I can take it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Christian, all my toys are at least as big as you are, if not more. I can take it.”

“Oh, look at you, my little size queen. You’ll have to show me your collection.” Christian lined up his cock and notched it to Max’s hole as he spoke.

“Sure. Whatever you want…but later. Fuck. Me.”

“As you wish.” Christian slammed into Max’s hole, causing Max to gasp then push back in an attempt to get Christian even closer. “Oh, damn! You weren’t kidding. Your hole just gobbled my cock right up. Can you take it if I do you hard? I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Use me, dammit! Take me like you mean it. Make me yours.”

“You’re already mine,” Christian growled—he fucking growled—causing a shiver to go through Max. He yanked Max up until he was pressed to Christian’s chest, then turning him to mash their lips together in an almost-feral kiss. “Grab the headboard. Push on me.” Christian waited until Max had a good hold before he started a punishing rhythm.

Max grunted as he leaned back, loving the feel of Christian filling him. “You fit me better than anyone ever has. Please,” Max gasped, not even sure what he was asking for, but knowing he needed to come.

Christian let go of Max’s hip with one hand where he was gripping so tight, Max was sure he was going to have bruises, and reached around to grab hold of Max’s cock. “I’m not going to last much longer, babe. I need you to come. You feel too good.” Christian had a perfect grip on his cock, not too hard but not too soft as he synced his strokes between his hand and the cock in his ass. It only took a half dozen strokes before Max was screaming out his release onto the headboard.

Christian put both hands back on Max’s hips and powered in three more times until he stiffened and had his own release, then he slumped down with his forehead on Max’s back between his shoulder blades. His breaths, mixed with the sweat, caused Max to shiver. Christian grunted as that caused Max to clench on the cock still wedged in his now-well-fucked hole.

Christian sat up again and grabbed hold of the base of the condom before he gently pulled out. Max missed the feel of Christian inside him as soon as he was gone and forced himself to let go of the headboard. He had been holding so tight that his fingers were cramped. Flexing them, he rolled over and lay down on the bed, making sure to avoid the cum dripping down the headboard. I’ll have to clean that up. He waited until Christian wrapped the condom in a tissue and threw it away in the trash can next to the bed before pulling Christian down to lie on top of him.

They traded gentle kisses for a few moments now that the fire between them was banked. “That was amazing,” Max whispered, reluctant to disturb the moment.

“It really was,” Christian whispered. “Well worth the wait. I bet it only gets better from here too. Looking forward to having you inside me soon also.”

Max’s cock made a valiant effort to harden, but he was way too sated. “Hm. It’s a date. Your ass, my cock, sometime soon.”

Christian chuckled. “You’re falling asleep here. Let me go get a washcloth so I can clean us both up.”

“Okay.” Max snuggled into his pillow and got more comfortable as Christian got off the bed. That was the last Max remembered until the alarm went off the next morning.