Page 24

G rateful that it was finally the weekend, Luke climbed out of the car after Richard. The necromancer had worn one of his tighter pairs of slacks that day, and Luke unabashedly watched his firm ass as they followed Gabriel and Clark to the mansion. That it was home hadn’t settled in Luke’s mind yet.

But he supposed that wasn’t surprising. Less than two weeks had passed since Luke had discovered Richard was his soulmate. It’d sped by in a blur. Luke hoped, without work to worry about for a few days, he could devote some energy to getting to know Richard better.

They weren’t strangers, but Luke had a growing desire to discover everything about his soulmate. He’d learned a little. Including that Richard wasn’t as good at hiding his emotions as he’d first believed.

At least not the strong ones. For instance, Richard had mischief on the brain. It was there in his smile and the sassy way he’d given Luke a smacking kiss, then hadn’t made any small talk as they’d driven from the resort to the Marwood mansion. Gabe and Clark had chatted about business while Richard watched Luke with unholy amusement in his light blue eyes.

Luke didn’t argue or question him. A devilish Richard was ridiculously attractive. They ventured inside and were told to get themselves to the table swiftly. Rosalind and David were already carrying things over. No one else was allowed in the kitchen before or after meal prep, and Luke was far too intimated by Rosalind to ask why.

So, Luke rolled up his sleeves and took a seat at the table. At his side, Richard flashed him a grin and draped his napkin on his lap with a flourish.

“What are you up to, Dragonfly?” Luke asked, grinning.

“Who, me?” Richard replied.

“Yes, you’re either planning on robbing a bank to amuse yourself or something equally nefarious,” Gabe responded. He kissed his husband and grabbed a chair next to him.

“Given how eager Richard is to expand his wardrobe, he may need the money from the bank,” Clark drawled.

Richard winced, and the humor fell from his face. “Yeah, about that. I may have made a small mistake this week.”

“I’ve seen your receipts,” Clark said. “Your clothing hauls are never little.”

“If I didn’t spend your money, what else would drive you to get up every morning and earn more?” Richard asked his father, who rolled his eyes. “Ignore him, Lucas, he complains, but he has enough investments to last a few immortal lifetimes, and that’s even with my spending. There’s some new stuff arriving this weekend, and I picked out a few things for you, Lucas, without asking if you minded.”

“And by a few things, he probably means you should reorganize your closet to make room for the massive amount he bought,” Eric said.

“Don’t mind him, he hates clothes, which makes me wonder how we’re related,” Richard said.

Luke was surprised Richard had bought him anything, but he wasn’t mad. However, it was a bit troubling the way the Marwoods continued to purchase things for him. They already paid his salary and put a roof over his head.

“Thank you, that was kind of you, but you don’t have to buy me things,” Luke said. “You and your family have been generous enough.”

“I wish I could say it won’t happen again, but I didn’t think about it,” Richard confessed. “It’s how I shop. If I notice something cute for Mari, into my cart it goes. I do the same for Eric. You like blues and grays. You sprinkle in a bit of black and white. I saw some things that reminded me of your style, so I bought them.”

Touched that Richard had noticed the colors Luke gravitated toward while picking out his clothes, he smiled. “Thanks, that was nice of you. I won’t yell if you forget in the future.”

“And you’ve just given him carte blanche to do what he wants,” Clark said.

“Look who’s talking, Dad. Who bought him the car?” Richard asked.

“We aren’t going to fight at dinner,” Rosalind stated with her eyes narrowed.

“He likes the car, Richard,” Clark defended. “Did you see his smile when we picked it up?”

“He smiles a lot. Luke likes to smile. He’s a cheerful person.”

“Gentlemen,” Rosalind said. The word was a warning, and Luke couldn’t help the way his body tightened in response. Rosalind meant business. Both Clark and Richard stared at one another as if they wanted to continue their silly argument, but they shut up.

Desperate for a subject change, Luke swung his glance to Eric. “I didn’t get a chance to ask Gabe, did your ghost take the portal this morning?”

Eric nodded with visible relief on his face. “Yes, thankfully. The ones who can’t speak can get frustrating quickly since I can’t tell if they understand me. It’s always a relief to help them.”

“I hope your next one is an easier project.”

“Thanks,” Eric said. “Did you have a good day being bossed around by Richard?”

“Yes, which reminds me, I noticed you had a private conference this afternoon,” Luke responded, returning his attention to his soulmate, who was no longer glaring at his father.

The wicked amusement Luke had noticed on the car ride home returned briefly, then Richard’s brow creased. “Yes, I had quite the chat with Douglas.”

“Were you able to patch things up with him at all?” Clark asked.

Richard shook his head. “I don’t think so. He remains convinced I’m a stubborn fool. Although he doesn’t want to be my friend outside of the office, his offer is still firmly on the table. No matter what objections I may have, I should trust him to know what’s best for us both.”

“Oh dear,” Rosalind said. “As long as he won’t move past the idea, he won’t heal. I’m worried about him.”

“And he’s not liable to meet his soulmate if he’s stuck on you,” Clark added.

“I know,” Richard replied. “I don’t know what else to say to him.”

“You may not be ready to do it yet, Richard, but the truth might help,” David suggested without glancing up.

“David has a point,” Gabe stated. “If he learns that it’s impossible to be your soulmate because you already have one, he’ll have no choice but to move on.”

“That’s definitely something to take into consideration,” Richard said, his brow furrowed. “But that’s also guaranteed to hurt him. Maybe I’m being a coward, but surely there’s another alternative. One where he comes to the right conclusion on his own. Unless you disagree, Lucas? Are you more comfortable making everything public immediately?”

Luke took a moment to gather his thoughts. While he was committed to being in a relationship with Richard, they’d had less than two weeks to adjust to their new reality. It was a lot to handle a new home and the addition of a family. Luke had spent his entire life with one person. Suddenly, he had several people to worry about—getting to know them, trying not to make any mistakes to alienate them, and it was daunting. What would the addition of the entire office and resort staff add to the equation?

Richard laid a palm on Luke’s thigh. “It’s okay to be honest.”

“Just trying to answer as candidly as I can, Dragonfly,” Luke assured him, resting his hand atop Richard’s. “Until I arrived here, I didn’t believe in soulmates. Now I have one. My focus is Richard. On being a good partner to Richard. I-I don’t want to sound…huh, well. I’m sympathetic to Douglas and his feelings. I appreciate that he and Richard have been friends for a long time. But…” Luke shrugged and stopped speaking.

His gaze traveled from one Marwood to another, and he dearly hoped he hadn’t already made an ass of himself by not immediately agreeing to do whatever it took to ensure Douglas wasn’t hurt.

“But you deserve some privacy to build your relationship with the most important person you’ll ever meet,” Rosalind finished for him quietly. “A soulmate is forever. You don’t get another one. Everyone else in your life can and should take a backseat to that. Be fair to yourself and Richard. We won’t judge you for anything else.”

“Plus, no one told Douglas that the recipe for his future happiness was to remain fixated on spending eternity with Richard,” Clark said.

Rosalind smacked her soulmate playfully with her napkin. “Clark, be nice.”

“Someone had to say it,” Gabe muttered.

“You did tell Douglas twice you weren’t interested,” David said.

“Good point, David. The truth is an option, but it’s also Douglas’s fault that he refuses to hear what Richard is telling him,” Rosalind remarked. “To ignore someone when they’ve clearly stated what they want or don’t want is at the peril of your own feelings.”

“But it is nice to tell your parents that you met your soulmate,” Clark commented.

“You know I have a soulmate,” Richard argued.

“I was talking to your brother.”

Eric rolled his eyes. “You know I have a soulmate.”

“Yeah, I know now . I just paid for half of the wedding,” Clark countered.

“Anyway,” Richard said, his grin returning. “That wasn’t the only thing Douglas and I spoke about.”

“Let’s not be dramatic, Richard,” Rosalind replied. “Spill the gossip or no dessert.”

Richard chuckled. “Well, according to the latest office rumors flying about, there is a new romance in conference services.”

“Really?” Luke asked. “I wonder who I need to befriend to get the gossip because I haven’t heard anything.”

“Dad, have you heard about the latest couple in my office?” Richard asked.

Clark shook his head. “Not yet.”

“That’s interesting,” Richard replied. “Because apparently several people saw them leave Gabriel and Eric’s wedding reception together. Since then, they’ve been spotted sharing lunch. Not necessarily just the two of them, but their body language speaks volumes.”

“How many people hooked up at our wedding?” Eric asked Gabe.

Gabe shrugged. “I was too busy getting married to notice.”

“Are you going to keep us in suspense?” Clark asked Richard. “Who was it?”

“I can’t tell you,” Richard replied. “I have to talk to Gabriel about it first. Douglas suggested I do so because—”

“Why me?” Gabe countered.

Richard’s mouth tightened. “Because, if you’d let me finish, you’ve recently befriended this person, and we thought you could have a chat with your friend about being more discreet.”

“I don’t have any new friends,” Gabe replied.

“You barely have any old ones either,” Richard muttered. “Anyway, Gabriel, since you’re no help, I’ll tell everyone. The rumor is that Holly has a new beau.”

“Holly?” Luke asked with a smile. “That’s great. She’s really nice. Today, she sat next to me at lunch. Did you know she has three cats? They’re so cute. She showed me pictures. They’re rescues. Holly wanted to have pets, but her old apartment didn’t allow them. The minute she moved, she adopted a couple of adult kitties from a local shelter. Her mom isn’t a fan because she’s allergic and can’t visit now. Holly told me that was a small side benefit. Apparently, her mother can be a pain.”

Everyone was staring at Luke, but it was the glee in Richard’s gaze that had the inspirit’s shoulders drooping and his eyes closing.

“I walked out of the reception with Holly, didn’t I?” Luke asked. He honestly couldn’t recall who was near him as he walked out with Richard’s hotel key burning a hole in his pocket. His entire being was focused on getting his hands on Richard. A vast hole could’ve opened in front of him, and he would’ve used whatever means necessary to get to the other side so he could use that key.

Eric covered his mouth with his hand, but Luke still heard his muffled laughter.

As for Richard, he peered over his fingers with wicked merriment on his face.

“What’s so funny, Dragonfly? Everyone thinks I’m having an affair, and it’s not with you.”

“I want so badly to say something inappropriate about Holly and her showing off her pussycat to you.”

Luke shook his head at his soulmate and poked his side. Richard lost his battle with hilarity and erupted into full-throated laughter. Luke made eye contact with Richard’s parents.

“What if I’ve changed my mind about this soulmate business?” he asked. “Do I get to keep the car?”

Clark nodded. “Yes, please let us know how else we can compensate you for your hardship in the past two weeks of dealing with Richard.”

“Can you at least stay long enough for the clothes to arrive?” Richard asked. “Returns are such a pain sometimes.”

Chuckling, Luke kissed Richard softly and ignored the way his face was flushed. It was hard to think about Richard with color high on his cheeks and not immediately have his brain supply an image of the necromancer spread out naked beneath him. “I think I’ll keep you a little longer. At least for the sake of the new clothes I’m getting.”

“Remind me to check your shoes for sizes later. You know, in case I stumble across something that suits you.”

“No,” Luke replied.

“Like I won’t eventually remember on my own anyway,” Richard muttered, then tilted his chin toward Luke for another kiss he was happy to give. “Don’t worry, I have a plan to end the rumors. I’ll tell Douglas that Gabriel spoke with you and it’s untrue. No one will gainsay Gabriel, and Holly’s reputation will be pristine again.”

At least Richard was content enough in their relationship that he gave no credence to the rumors that had reached Douglas’s ears and instead found the situation funny.

Luke understood. If someone had told him that Richard had left a room with someone else or had eaten a meal with them, it wouldn’t have bothered him. He knew where Richard slept at night and trusted the necromancer despite the newness of their relationship. It gave Luke confidence that things were going well between them.

Given how fast everything was moving, at least Luke could relax. Richard was happy, and so was Luke. He was also overwhelmed and doing his best to navigate the multitude of changes in his life, but Richard was a remarkable and unexpected treasure. One he refused to take for granted.