Frank turned around to close the door behind them. As he turned back toward Raphael, Raphael didn’t hesitate. He stepped closer, cupped the back of Frank’s neck, and pulled him into a kiss.
Frank gasped softly but immediately kissed him back, parting his lips as their tongues slid together in a wet, heated rhythm. Warm saliva mixed between them, intoxicating and messy, as they devoured each other. They kissed breathlessly, chests heaving against one another, until Frank finally had to pull away, gasping for air as he rested his forehead against Raphael’s shoulder.
After catching his breath, he looked up at Raphael. "Did you... come all this way for something specific, or what?"
Raphael smiled, his thumb gently tracing Frank’s lower lip. "Tomorrow morning, there’s a polo and horse-riding competition. I want you there to watch me. That’s why I came tonight—to pick you up early so we can spend the night together before the event."
Raphael chuckled, a deep laugh rumbling in his chest. "Alright, then. I want you to come watch me ride a horse tomorrow."
"So you can ride me afterward?" Frank teased, tilting his head.
"No," Raphael murmured, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "So you can ride me afterward.
Frank grinned, stepping back just an inch. "Well, we both have horses between our legs, so I suppose we can ride each other."
Raphael blinked, genuine confusion crossing his face. "Wait... are we still talking about the actual horses?"
"Of course," Frank said innocently, though the mischief in his eyes gave him away. "I’m just telling you, I love to be ridden, too."
Raphael shook his head, a helpless smile spreading across his face. "I’ve never been ridden by anyone before, Frank. It’s always been the other way around."
"There’s a first time for everything, Your Highness," Frank murmured.
Raphael’s smile widened. "If that’s what it takes to be with you..." His voice dropped teasingly. "Then I suppose I’m willing to be versatile."
Frank blinked, his cheeky confidence instantly faltering. He waved his hands defensively. "Wait—what? I was just talking about the horses! What are you even saying now? I don’t understand you at all!"
Raphael laughed, pulling Frank back into his arms and pressing a soft kiss to his temple. "Alright, alright. We’ll ride each other after I ride the horse tomorrow."
"It’s a deal," Frank whispered, a bright, triumphant smile spreading across his face.
Raphael smiled down at him, his gaze softening. "Where’s your bag? Let’s pack it so you can check out of here tonight."
"It’s right over there," Frank said, pointing toward the wardrobe.
They moved together to finish packing Frank’s things, putting the remaining clothes into the suitcase before zipping it shut. Moments later, Raphael’s bodyguard stepped into the room to collect the luggage. Raphael and Frank then walked out into the corridor together, ready for the night ahead and tomorrow’s riding competition.
Meanwhile, miles away, Elisha’s luxury car glided smoothly through the quiet streets.
In the spacious back seat, Elisha and Henry sat side by side in comfortable silence, both scrolling through their phones. The soft glow from their screens illuminated their faces as the car carried them toward Henry’s estate.
Elisha locked his phone and slipped it into his pocket. He turned toward Henry and watched him for a moment before breaking the silence.
"Henry?"
Henry didn’t look up from his screen right away. "Hmm?"
"I’m... kind of dreading sleeping alone tonight," Elisha admitted, with a slight hesitation in his voice.
Henry finally lowered his phone and looked at him skeptically. "What are you scared of, exactly?"
"I’m not scared, exactly," Elisha quickly corrected, a faint flush creeping up his neck. "It’s just... my room has felt too quiet lately. Especially at night. It’s... miserable."
Henry raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk touching his lips. "Is that so?"
Elisha let out a soft sigh, finally dropping the excuse as he looked directly into Henry’s eyes. "Fine. I don’t want to leave you. I enjoy being with you too much. Please... can I spend the night with you?"
Henry stared at him for a moment, letting him squirm under his gaze before shaking his head with an amused sigh. "You could have just said that instead of making up excuses about ghosts or whatever."
"I’m sorry," Elisha murmured. "So... is that a yes?"
"It’s fine," Henry replied softly, turning toward the window to hide the warm flush on his cheeks. "It gets boring being in that big house alone anyway. You can stay."
"Thank you," Elisha breathed, genuine relief in his voice.
The rest of the drive passed in comfortable silence. Before long, the car pulled up outside Henry’s estate and came to a gentle stop.
They both stepped out into the cool night air. Elisha turned to his driver and gave him a quick instruction. "Take the car back and come pick me up here tomorrow morning."
"Alright, sir," the driver replied before getting back into the car and pulling away.
Elisha and Henry walked side by side up the stone pathway toward the entrance. Henry entered the passcode on the digital keypad beside the door, and the lock clicked open. He pushed the heavy oak door open, and they stepped inside.
Before they could go any further, Henry’s housekeeper hurried toward them and gave a polite bow. "Welcome home, sir."
She then glanced at Elisha and gave him a respectful nod. "Good evening, Mr. Edmund."
"Good evening," Elisha replied.
As they began to turn toward the sweeping staircase leading up to Henry’s private rooms, the maid hesitated, wringing her hands together nervously. "Ah... Mr. Griffin? Before you go up... someone came looking for you earlier today."
Henry paused, his foot hovering on the first step. He turned back, his brow furrowing. "Who?"
The housekeeper’s eyes darted anxiously toward Elisha for a fraction of a second before she dropped her gaze back to the floor. "It was... Mr. Edmund’s girlfriend, sir."
Elisha’s eyebrows instantly shot up, his expression hardening.
Henry crossed his arms, his voice sharp. "What did she come here for? Did she tell you anything?"
"Not really, sir. I—I’m not entirely sure," the housekeeper stammered, keeping her head bowed. "She was quite upset, crying in the foyer. I couldn’t get a full sentence out of her, but she kept saying she needed to speak with you about Mr. Edmund."
Henry glanced at Elisha, noticing the tension in his clenched jaw, then turned back to the housekeeper. "It’s fine. You can go to bed now."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." The housekeeper bowed quickly and scurried away down the service corridor.
Without a word, Henry turned and continued upstairs, with Elisha following quietly behind him. They walked down the hallway until they reached Henry’s bedroom. Henry unlocked the door and pushed it open, then stepped inside with Elisha following closely behind. Once they were inside, Henry closed the door and locked it.
Henry turned to face him, his eyes narrowing. "What is going on between you and Jasmine?"
Elisha didn’t flinch. He walked further into the room, unbuttoning his cuffs, kicking off his shoes, and shrugging out of his suit jacket to toss it neatly over a nearby armchair. He let out a long, heavy sigh before answering. "I broke up with her."
Henry stared at him. "Why?"
"Because she was too much," Elisha said, turning to face him. "I couldn’t continue with her anymore, so I ended it."
Henry narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Did you break up with her because of me?"
Elisha stared at him, clearly surprised. "Why would you even think that?"
"I was thinking you broke up with her because of the way she spoke to me the last time she came to my house," Henry explained.
"No, Henry. This has nothing to do with you," Elisha replied immediately, stepping closer. "I broke up with her because I don’t love her. I couldn’t keep lying to her or myself. I’ve wanted to walk away for a long time, but every time I tried, she would cry and beg me to stay. But this time, I couldn’t keep up the charade anymore. I’m completely done with her. It has nothing to do with you, okay?"
Henry held his gaze for a moment, secretly celebrating inside but doing his best not to show it. He searched Elisha’s face for any sign that he was lying, making sure to keep his expression serious. Finding none, he finally relaxed his shoulders. "Alright. I believe you."
He turned away, adjusting his cuffs. "Do you want anything? I can have the kitchen send up a late-night snack or a drink."
"I don’t want anything," Elisha murmured, his voice taking on a soft, teasing tone as he stepped closer. "I just want to watch you sleep right beside me while I stare at your pretty face, Mr. Griffin."
Henry let out a dry chuckle and shook his head. "That’s not funny, Eli."
"I’m not trying to be funny," Elisha said, a faint, lopsided smile touching his lips. "I’m trying to be romantic."