Royal Love Read online

  Readers Love John Simpson

  Rolling Thunder

  “This is one of the more serious books of the series and I loved where the story took us. I highly recommend this book and this entire series.”

  —The Novel Approach

  “The characters are well drawn and the plot moves swiftly and keeps the reader on edge. There is not a lot of erotica and we are more concerned with the human relationship rather than the sexual.”

  —Reviews by Amos Lassen

  Condor One Series

  “Condor and Falcon follows well to the previous stories and completes the series perfectly. I recommend it and the series to those who like political intrigue and action in with their romance…”

  —Reviews by Jessewave

  “I love that John put so much ‘real’ into the scenes. Nothing was forced; there were no fake feelings between the men. They are real men in the story with real man needs and there was no beating around the bush about it. Sex is sex but when love comes to light it makes it that much more.”

  —Top 2 Bottom Reviews

  “All in all a brilliant story that I will recommend to everyone and advise them to buy, a definite for the ‘read now’ list.”

  —MM Good Reviews

  By JOHN SIMPSON

  NOVELS

  Alex and Clayton

  Badges (Anthology)

  Def Con One

  Irish Winter

  Jack and Dave

  Peter’s Chair

  MURDER MOST GAY SERIES

  Murder Most Gay • Task Force • The Rent Boy Murders

  Murder on a Queen • Rolling Thunder

  CONDOR ONE SERIES

  Condor One • Talons of the Condor • Condor and Falcon

  Out of the Gilded Cage • Condor and the Crown • Royal Love

  NOVELLAS

  The Barracks Affair

  Beach House

  Carpathian Intrigue

  The Ghosts of Stanton Hall

  Hard Streets

  Naval Maneuvers

  Pirate Booty

  School of Discipline

  Wolf’s Head Inn

  MURDER MOST GAY SERIES

  Four Grooms and a Queen

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Copyright

  Published by

  Dreamspinner Press

  5032 Capital Circle SW

  Suite 2, PMB# 279

  Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886

  USA

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Royal Love

  © 2014 John Simpson.

  Cover Art

  © 2014 Maria Fanning.

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

  ISBN: 978-1-62798-400-3

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-62798-399-0

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Edition

  January 2014

  This book is dedicated to the persecuted LGBT community in Russia.

  Chapter 1

  LIFE FINALLY seemed to be settling back to normal for David Windsor’s extended family. His adopted son Jack’s therapy had progressed well after his kidnapping and rescue. He was back in school, albeit with a team of bodyguards. Mary, David’s secretary, was in the office just outside his, running the London embassy the same way she’d run the White House. Shane Thompson-Windsor, David’s husband, was back in security where he belonged, and David had resumed his full duties as ambassador to the United Kingdom.

  One typically busy morning, Shane entered David’s office and sat down.

  “What’s up?” David asked. It wasn’t unusual for Shane to drop in unannounced, but David knew Shane’s body language well and could see he had news.

  “We’ve heard back from State on our request for an increased security budget. After some wrangling, it’s been approved. All of our requests were granted.”

  “How long before the improvements are actually in place?”

  “The changes will be gradual, of course, owing to restrictions on time and personnel. The biggest job will be putting in the driveway barriers. There’s a lot of digging to be done and miles of wiring to be put in. But once they’re activated, a normal vehicle will not be able to get through them. That’s why you’ll find them at locations that host top priority security risks, like the president, for instance.”

  “So when do we get started?”

  “The special windows should arrive in about ten days, and we’ll begin installing them in high security areas the very next day. Eventually all the windows will be replaced.”

  “This might be a stupid question, but I’ll ask anyway. Have these windows been tested against RPGs and other types of rocket-propelled explosives?”

  “It’s not a stupid question, and the answer is yes. They’ve been tested and withstood the strike. Of course, the manufacturer recommends they be replaced if they’re ever hit, as they will have been weakened.”

  “That sounds good. Do we need them at Winfield House?”

  “I would put them in at the critical areas of the house. But once you start, you might as well just do the entire house. The world doesn’t promise to get better anytime soon.”

  “Okay, I place that entire matter into your hands and the hands of the State Department. I suppose if the president is going to be a guest once in a while, the Secret Service would rest easier if the house is ‘up armored.’”

  Mary knocked on the doorframe and entered.

  “Excuse me. Darren is on line two for you, David.”

  “Thanks, dear,” David said before picking up the phone. “Hi, Darren, what’s up?”

  “Hi, Uncle David. I was wondering if it would it be all right to have Michael over for dinner before we go out to a club.”

  “I take it you mean Prince Michael?”

  “He’s the only Michael in my life. Well, other than Sergeant Michael Ross, and I’m not going out on a date with my superior officer!”

  David chuckled. “Those plans sound fine, Darren, but you have to have bodyguards with you. Don’t forget your promise to your mother and me. You don’t go anywhere without a security detail, especially when you’re with a member of the royal family. Okay?”

  “I remember. We’ll be careful. So, you don’t mind him joining us for dinner?”

  “It’ll be a pleasure. See you this evening.”

  “I take it we have company tonight?” Shane asked.

  “Yes. The lovebirds are flying in for dinner and then going out on the town. Please make sure that security is notified and a sufficient detail goes with them.”

  “I’ll get on it now. Ahhh, young love, remember it?”

  “You talk like we’re over a hundred! Now go! I have work to
do.”

  Laughing, Shane retreated from the office and stopped at Mary’s desk to share the humor.

  “AIRMAN WILSON, file these security schedules, post a copy on the board, and then you’re done for the week,” directed Sergeant Ross.

  “Yes, Sergeant.”

  Darren finished his duties for the day and headed home to shower for his date with Michael. The prince was due at the house at five thirty for a drink, then dinner, and a Friday night out on the town.

  As he bounded up the stairs two at a time, a broad smile lit his face at the thought of seeing “his Michael” again. It had been over a week since they were last together, but it seemed more like a year. He jumped in the shower and shaved, then selected his favorite cologne and practically bathed in it.

  He put on his sexiest underwear, just in case it got to that point. Michael found men’s underwear a turn-on, and Darren had no problem indulging that fetish to the fullest.

  He pulled a total of seven shirts out of his closet before putting them all back in favor of a black T-shirt, black jeans, and white sneakers. He looked at himself in the full-length mirror and nodded his approval.

  From downstairs, Darren heard his uncles’ voices and the squeals of the puppies, who were getting bigger every day. He heard running footsteps, and then Jack flung open the door to his bedroom.

  “They’re home!” Jack announced.

  “Thanks, but I asked you to knock before coming in. I could have been naked from the shower.”

  “So? You act like I’ve never seen your pecker before!” Jack laughed.

  “You enjoyed that one, didn’t you?”

  “Yep, sure did. Anyway, come on down and join us in the living room.”

  “Okay, be down in a second.”

  Jack took off as quickly as he had arrived. Darren just shook his head and smiled. He really loved Jack, and it was a good feeling to know his uncles had a son. What a lucky boy Jack was.

  Downstairs, the family was gathering at the end of the workday and the beginning of the weekend. Cocktails were being served.

  “How was your day at school, Jack?” Shane asked.

  “Pretty good. The kids don’t even look at my security detail anymore. They’ve become part of the furniture.”

  “That’s the way it should be. The key to good security is to be noticed as little as possible, unless it provides a strategic purpose.”

  Darren swept into the room looking very good in all black.

  “Well, don’t you look nice?” David said.

  “Thank you, Uncle David.”

  “He thinks he’s getting laid tonight, Dad,” Jack said with a chuckle.

  David just sighed as Shane said, “Jack, please. It’s impolite to comment on something so personal, even if it’s just us.”

  “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.

&nbs
p; “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?”