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A sound, or perhaps it was a sixth sense Richard hadn’t known he possessed, had him lifting his head in time to watch a beautiful woman striding through the main door of conference services. Her raven hair flowed loosely around her shoulders, and she wore black leggings tucked into tall boots with a cold shoulder top that teasingly revealed the top portion of her tattoo sleeve.

She smiled, then her head turned toward the newest addition to Richard’s staff. Her step stuttered, and she came to a complete stop. Lucas rose to shake her hand. Richard shut down his laptop and slid it into his messenger bag as the pair talked.

A heartbeat later, he gasped as the door to his office slammed shut with the female guest inside with him.

“Richard!”

“Shit, you scared the fuck out of me,” Richard exclaimed. “How did you move so fast?”

“Who cares? Eric went into detail about how handsome the new inspirit is, and somehow, he still didn’t do Lucas justice. How have you worked with him for weeks without hopping onto that man?”

“Because, Mari, I can’t maul my coworkers.”

“It’s been a month, right?”

“Five weeks, I think now.” It was closer to six weeks. Thirty-nine days if anyone was counting, which Richard wasn’t.

“Are you sure you’re gay?”

Richard stared balefully at his best friend. “Yes.”

“How are you not popping a boner every time he walks into a room?”

The truth was, as the days had passed, Richard had had multiple uncomfortable moments when his dick noted Lucas’s beauty. It happened most frequently when Lucas smiled. It deepened that sexy dimple Richard never failed to notice on his right cheek. Unfortunately for Richard’s self-control, Lucas was a cheerful guy and flashed his crooked grin often.

“Some of us are more evolved beings and aren’t ruled by our hormones.”

Maribeth peeled herself off the door and tugged Richard into her arms for a tight hug. When she pulled away, her almond-shaped eyes were full of disbelief.

“And some of us are horrible liars. How often are you beating off with his name on your lips?”

“Mari, give me some credit. I don’t have some high school crush on the man. Yes, he’s attractive. Is that what you wanted to hear? I noticed that he’s handsome. That doesn’t mean I want to hop on his dick.”

“So, basically, it’s a daily thing?”

“I missed you right up until you walked into my office.”

“This lying thing is getting out of control.”

“Do you mind if we leave the office? It’s been a long week, and I want a drink.”

“A long, hard week?”

“Grow up, Maribeth.”

His cousin laughed and whipped the door open. “Never.”

Richard didn’t comment. While he could do without the teasing about the scrumptious Lucas, he was excited to be reunited with his cousin. And some of her old verve was back. Perhaps being in New York was doing her good. Which sucked because Richard wanted her home.

But he’d keep that to himself. Her happiness was more important than his selfish need to keep her close. If she needed some space by herself to find it, he’d support her wholeheartedly.

“Oh, Lucas, are you leaving already?” Maribeth called out as Richard wished his assistant a good weekend.

“Everyone is trying to get out of here, Mari,” Richard said.

“Tell me, Lucas, is Richard always this cranky at work?” Maribeth asked as they approached Lucas’s immaculate desk. Unlike Richard, Lucas had added no personal effects on the work surface. Everything related to his job was carefully tucked away in drawers. Richard appreciated his neatness, but he wouldn’t have minded some insight into Lucas’s personality.

“Richard is never cranky,” Lucas said. “In the office, he’s dedicated to our clients and ensuring their experience is optimal.”

“Maribeth, how are you?” Douglas called out as he left his own private office and headed toward them to hug Richard’s cousin.

“I’m great, but you really must do something about the staff around here. Lucas lied right to my face.”

“Did I?” Lucas asked, surprise written on his handsome face.

“Douglas, Lucas is trying to convince me that Richard is never cranky,” Maribeth remarked. “Can you imagine a world with a sweet, nice Richard? I think the earth would shift on its axis and doom us all.”

“You’re hilarious,” Richard deadpanned.

“To Luke’s credit, Richard keeps his sass contained at work,” Douglas said with a teasing light in his brown eyes. “It’s only those who know him best that get to see the other side of his personality. His coworkers are privy to his efficiency and best manners. Nothing else.”

“I like the insinuation that I turn into an ogre the minute I walk out of the office,” Richard grumbled.

“More like an outraged queen,” Maribeth teased.

“Takes one to know one, babe,” Richard replied with a mocking grin.

“Well, we wouldn’t be close if we weren’t so alike,” Maribeth agreed, putting her arm around Richard to give him a squeeze. He rested a hand on her back and leaned into her. It was so damn good to be reunited. “And I have a surprise for you, Richard.”

“Richard hates surprises,” Douglas remarked.

“That’s because he’s a giant control freak,” Maribeth said. “But sometimes surprises can be a good thing. I arranged with Gabriel to take a trip tomorrow night to our little club. We’re going to drink and dance the night away. Won’t that be fun?”

While Richard normally disliked any disruption in his routine outside of his job, he enjoyed the occasional night at the club his father had built for them. It was actually a private room attached to the main club in the casino rather than a standalone facility, but it suited their purposes. Richard hadn’t used it since Maribeth left for New York, and he could use a few hours to unwind with drinks, his closest friends, and fun music.

“Is Eric coming too?” Richard asked.

“Yep, with our handsome Gabriel in tow. Douglas, you’ll join us, won’t you?” Maribeth asked. Her sly gaze cut to Lucas. “And I wouldn’t dare leave you out, Lucas. Do you have plans for tomorrow night?”

“I’d love to come,” Douglas responded immediately.

Lucas glanced at Richard, and the necromancer tensed. The air grew charged, but Richard couldn’t explain what the hell was happening.

“My only plans for tomorrow night were to do some laundry,” Lucas said without breaking eye contact with Richard.

What is going on?

An insidious voice within Richard belied his efforts to pretend he wasn’t attracted to Lucas and insisted he knew exactly why electricity bounced between him and the inspirit. If Richard wasn’t mistaken, he wasn’t the lone one interested in more than friendship. Too bad it was impossible.

Even if Richard broke his rule of avoiding sex forever, Lucas was a coworker. Business and pleasure needed to remain separate. It didn’t matter if the man in question was the most gorgeous person to ever draw breath.

“Surely you can squeeze that in some other time?” Maribeth asked hopefully.

“Yeah, I think I can manage that,” Lucas replied, tearing his gaze free to smile at Maribeth.

“Perfect, Richard can text you the details. Right, Richard?”

Richard held in his sigh. He’d worried about his mother’s matchmaking efforts when he should’ve been concerned about Maribeth and her machinations.

“Yeah, I’ll talk to Gabriel and text you everything, Lucas.”

“Thanks, I’m looking forward to it.”

Maribeth looped her arm through Douglas’s and steered him to the main office door. “See you tomorrow, Lucas.”

“Thanks for the invitation. It was a pleasure to meet you, Maribeth.”

“Oh, trust me, the pleasure was all mine. Come along, Richard, we mustn’t keep Gabriel waiting.”

“Talk to you later, I guess,” Richard said to Lucas.

“Enjoy your evening,” Lucas commented.

“You too.”

“Richard, let’s go,” Maribeth called out from outside the conference services entrance.

“She’s really annoying. I can’t believe I missed her,” Richard grumbled, making Lucas laugh as he stalked after his demanding cousin. He supposed he needed to get home anyway. Tomorrow night’s outfit needed careful consideration, and Richard wished he had more than twenty-four hours to plan everything.

Why it was so important for his clothes to coordinate with his makeup was no mystery to Richard. He wasn’t inclined to start an office romance, but that didn’t mean he was opposed to knocking Lucas’s socks off with his ensemble.

???

“He’s going to spend the rest of the night in there touching up his face if we don’t intervene immediately,” Richard heard Maribeth say a second before the door to his bathroom was pulled open to reveal his cousin and brother.

“It’s been a while since I put my full face on. Of course it’s going to take time,” Richard argued.

“Bullshit, you and I have been playing with cosmetics since we were kids. You could probably put your face on with your eyes closed,” Maribeth argued.

Eric dropped a hand on Richard’s shoulder and squeezed affectionately. “You look beautiful.”

But am I the most beautiful version of myself possible? Richard wondered. He hated pangs of insecurity. They didn’t happen often any longer. He’d gracefully entered his thirtieth year of life, and he’d developed a thick hide—though it hadn’t helped during his rare forays into bedrooms with selfish assholes who’d ripped his ego apart. But he supposed no one was immune to self-doubt.

Still, it annoyed him that another gorgeous male specimen was tying him into knots. Richard needed to tuck Lucas into a firm corner of his mind labeled coworker . Lucas’s pretty lips would be kissed by another, and someone else would peel his clothes off.

It shouldn’t have pissed Richard off, but it did.

“Stop frowning,” Maribeth chided. “We’re going to have a fun night, and if we’re all lucky, someone else will pull off our thongs later.”

“Gabriel already told me he has plans for mine,” Eric supplied.

With a last glance in the mirror, Richard handed his lipstick to Maribeth so she could put it in her tiny purse.

“My thong is going straight from my ass to the laundry hamper once I get home,” Richard told his closest friends.

“It’s kinkier if you keep it on during sex,” Maribeth mused.

“I’m not having sex tonight. Or any other night.”

“Then you won’t have any issue if I encourage Douglas to find out if Lucas is his soulmate,” Maribeth commented.

Richard ground his teeth together as his imagination immediately supplied a horrifying image of Douglas and Lucas intertwined.

“It’s probably not a good idea for two coworkers to have sex, Mari,” Richard said, careful to keep his voice neutral despite the way his fingers curled into angry fists.

“Nothing is more important than a soulmate,” Eric stated firmly. “It didn’t matter that Gabriel was supposed to be my guard, and I knew it’d be stupid to have sex with someone so important to our family. You still encouraged me to climb into bed with him. Douglas deserves his soulmate, just like everyone else.”

“Douglas has expressed zero interest in Lucas,” Richard sputtered. Or were sparks flying between the pair and Richard hadn’t noticed because he was too busy mooning over the sexy Lucas?

“I’m sure it wouldn’t take much of a push to get anyone to take a chance on Lucas, he’s delicious,” Maribeth remarked. “Unless, of course, you have some objection to anyone having sex with Lucas?”

“Why would I?” Richard asked, slapping his hands on his leather-clad hips.

“If you don’t, why are you getting so pissed off?” Eric asked.

Richard narrowed his eyes. “You know what? I hate you both. You’re trying to get a rise out of me. Fine. You want the truth? Yes, I think Lucas is hot. Are you happy? That makes no difference. I’ve noticed other men before. I’ve even gone to bed with them. Not only were they not my soulmate, but I regretted my decision afterward. I have no intention of allowing myself to keep making the same mistake. I’m happy admiring Lucas from afar.”

“Fine, but you’ll have to curb your impulse to claw someone’s face off if they decide to make a move on him,” Maribeth replied.

“Having sex with Gabriel was the best decision I ever made,” Eric remarked.

There was so much happiness glowing on his brother’s carefully made-up face Richard wanted to weep with joy. “And I’m so fucking glad about that. You two are gorgeous together. He worships you. That’s what I wanted for you. It’s such a lovely sight to behold, Eric. You two deserve every moment of bliss, and I can’t wait for your wedding. I bought a damn handkerchief because I know I’ll be crying. There won’t be a way to keep all my happy emotions inside. But, baby, I’m not you. Our destinies aren’t the same.”

“Come on, let’s go. Richard’s too damn stubborn to listen to us,” Maribeth complained.

“He’s nearly as bad as Gabriel,” Eric muttered.

Richard ignored their grumbles and tugged on a jacket. His plan was to indulge in as many drinks as he wanted and dance the night away. And he’d enjoy it with the most beautiful eye-candy in the room thanks to Maribeth’s decision to invite Lucas.