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I t was tempting to throw himself into Lucas’s arms, but Richard could do that later. He would do that later. For now, he clutched the gorgeous flowers in one hand and slipped the card he wanted to reread a hundred times safely into his pocket. To his surprise, his father walked into the foyer with a goblet of wine that he handed to Lucas.

“Ah, Mr. Wynnter, I assume your date has decided not to keep you waiting any longer,” Clark said, plucking a fat marker from his pocket and using it on the front of the clipboard in his hands.

“What is going on?” Richard asked.

Luke bent his head conspiratorially toward Richard. “We’re dining at La Belle Femme .”

“What is La Belle Femme ?”

“Do you live beneath a rock, sir?” his father exclaimed. “It is only the most famous restaurant on the planet. Named, of course, for la belle femme herself, Rosalind Marwood.”

“I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m concerned,” Richard said.

“Follow me, gentlemen, your table is ready,” Clark commented.

Lucas took Richard’s hand, and they followed Clark out of the foyer. Tears once again threatened as they stepped into the dining room. The finest china gleamed on the table along with fat candles that added lovely ambiance as they burned. Low classical music flowed from hidden speakers.

“Please have a seat,” Clark insisted. “Sir, would you allow me to put those flowers into water for you?”

“Do you know how to do that?” Richard asked.

His father glared. “Someone in the kitchen will aid me.”

“If someone named David is in there, his floral arranging ability is unmatched.”

“What a coincidence, we have a David on staff. I’ll place these flowers in his capable hands. Can I bring you a glass of wine, sir?”

Lucas had pulled out a chair for Richard, so he thanked his soulmate and settled into it. Grinning at his father, he folded his hands together. “Do you have a wine list? I’d like to see my choices.”

“Unfortunately not. Madame Marwood selects the wine for our guests.”

“Rather odd way of running a business.”

“I’ll be sure and take your complaints to our owner.”

“Thank you, I’m looking forward to my wine,” Richard said. His father raised a brow but didn’t comment as he turned on his heel and stalked out.

“Be nice to him, they really went all out on this date idea.”

“I know, and I’ll thank everyone repeatedly, but I have to mess with him. He’d be disappointed otherwise.”

“Whatever you say, Dragonfly.”

“You didn’t have to get me flowers, that was very sweet.”

“I’d love to tell you it was my idea, but it’s apparently part of the plan. Gabe told me to get in the car, and next thing I knew, we were at the florist. He had to buy some for Eric too. He was told he skipped courtship. To be honest, he looked pissed about it.”

“My parents will never pass up an opportunity to complain that they weren’t told immediately that Gabriel and Eric were soulmates,” Richard said. “It was sweet how Gabriel announced it though. It was on Christmas, which I have to warn you is a big-ass deal in this family. We force my mother to refrain from buying us a million gifts throughout the year. She still does, we just don’t get them until Christmas.”

“How am I ever going to know what to get your family?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help. We can have everything come from us.”

“Are you going to buy me a mountain of presents?”

Richard nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay, I’m not going to stress about that tonight. We’re here on a date, and we should be focused on enjoying ourselves.”

“I’d toast to that, but I lack a glass of wine because the service here is deplorable,” Richard teased.

Lucas laughed. “I didn’t expect any of this. I thought we’d get takeout and eat it in your bedroom while we shared embarrassing stories about our lives.”

“There’s no reason we can’t make a plan to do that one night too.”

A throat cleared, then Clark appeared and set a glass of wine on the table for Richard. “I apologize for the delay, but I mentioned to the owner that you would’ve preferred choices. She provided me with menus for you both.”

Richard was handed a hand-written note that had option one written in big, bold letters. There were no other choices, nor explanations to tell him what was included in the meal. He dearly wanted to laugh but held it together as Clark handed another paper to Lucas.

“Lucas, I think I need a few minutes to decide, what about you?”

“Certainly, there are so many selections, and they all sound so delicious.”

Clark rolled his eyes. “Very well, gentlemen. I’ll be back at some point.”

“Should we have that toast now?” Richard asked, plucking his goblet from the tablecloth once his father disappeared through the doorway.

“To us,” Lucas said, lifting his glass.

“To us and our future,” Richard added softly and clinked the goblet against Lucas’s. He drank deeply and nearly sighed at how beautiful Lucas was in the candlelight.

The wine was red, full-bodied, and delicious. He’d expected nothing less from his mother and David.

“I have a question for you, since we probably have a few minutes until your dad returns.”

“Of course, ask me anything.”

“Do you have a thong on under those pretty pants?”

Richard’s smile was feral as he lifted a brow at Lucas. “As sparkly as my shoes.”

“Wonderful, I look forward to peeling it from your body with my teeth.”

Although Richard’s cock throbbed at the fantastic idea, he leaned back in his chair. “What makes you think I put out on the first date, sir?”

“Oh, it doesn’t have to be tonight,” Lucas said. “What I meant was I hope that someday in the future I’ll have the opportunity to lick my way up your thigh and help you wiggle out of your sparkly thong.”

In the past, Richard had made poor choices, and those men thought they were entitled to whatever pleased them at his expense. Lucas was the opposite. There was nothing the inspirit took for granted. Which Richard supposed was one of the many reasons he was falling so fast and hard for him.

Lucas was charming, but it wasn’t surface deep. His heart was the biggest, brightest part of him. Although Lucas claimed not to be a gambler, he’d risked everything and walked into the unknown to help his necromancer. Not one to do anything halfway, Lucas didn’t show up at work just to earn his paycheck.

Since day one, Lucas had devoted himself to learning everything and befriending everyone on staff, and Richard could no longer imagine the office without him. But he supposed that was natural. Destiny had intervened in their lives, and Richard was so grateful.

“Is now a good time to mention that I took a bath, then slathered myself in my favorite decadent fruit-scented lotion?”

“There is never a bad time to bring that up,” Lucas vowed. “I’d also like to add that I’m available for lotion slathering in the future if you’re ever in the market for a helper.”

“Thank you for the offer, I’ll keep that in mind. So often I think about how difficult it can be to reach certain spots. Or how annoying it is when certain parts of me get rigid from the constant stroking of the lotion.”

Lucas closed his eyes, and Richard picked up his glass of wine to enjoy the taste.

“Paint me a picture, Dragonfly.”

“I’d rather show you later.”

With a grin, Lucas’s warm gray gaze met Richard’s. “I’m free this evening. All night if you want me.”

“I definitely want you.”

“I’m equally interested in you,” Lucas said. “All of you.”

“And by all of me, you mean my heart, right?”

The humor disappeared from Lucas’s face, and the solemness of his expression nearly brought Richard to tears again. “I’d like that more than anything.”

“How has it only been a couple of weeks since we discovered we were soulmates?”

“I’ve asked myself that too. I don’t know. This is working, isn’t it?”

“So far, so damn good.”

“Gentlemen,” Richard’s father called out as he stalked into the dining room again. “Have we decided?”

“Uh, yes, I believe we have,” Lucas said, plucking his menu from the table. “I believe we’ll go with option one for us both.”

“Excellent selection. It will be delivered promptly.” Clark headed for the door, but Richard stopped him.

“Waiter, don’t you need to take our menus?”

“I prefer the term server to waiter. And, no, keep them.”

“This place is getting a bad review unless the food is incredible,” Richard told Lucas.

“I’ve heard good things.”

“Is that why you picked this place for our date?”

“Did I pick it?” Lucas asked. “I think of it more like it chose me.”

“Destiny, maybe?”

“Remains to be seen. She gave me the best gift I could’ve ever imagined. It’s hard to think about equating anything else with that, but I’m also big on tasty food, so maybe I’ll be swayed.”

Richard smiled and feigned innocence. “What gift did destiny give you?”

“A soulmate. One with a caring heart who loves his family. Works hard. Thinks about others constantly. He can’t shop without picking up presents for others because it’s never just about him. Loves clothes. Maybe a little too much if I’m being honest. He’s also beautiful. Great with a makeup brush.”

“Maybe a little on short side though?” Richard asked, steadfastly ignoring the heat in his cheeks from Lucas’s compliments.

“No, I’d say that suits him too. I don’t have any complaints. And it makes no damn difference if we’re lying down.”

“You’ll have to introduce us someday.”

Clark returned with a steaming plate in each hand. He set one in front of Richard. There was steak, fingerling potatoes, and grilled Brussel sprouts, which Lucas had complimented heavily when David served them last week.

“Thank your chefs for us, it smells delicious,” Richard said. “The menu was also thoughtful.”

His father winked at him and sailed out of the room again.

“I can’t wait to taste this,” Lucas enthused.

“What do you say we make them do this for us once a week,” Richard suggested as he grabbed his utensils to dig into the divine feast.

“I don’t know, I think there’s a good possibility your father would eventually stab one of us.”

“I wonder if he volunteered to be our server or if it was my mother’s idea.”

“He’s having a bit too much fun with it. I think it was a volunteer situation.”

“You’re probably right.”

“This was sweet, and I love having this date with you, but is it wrong that a little piece of me wishes we were eating with everyone?”

Next time, Richard promised himself he was choosing waterproof mascara no matter what. Being around Lucas was dangerous for his cosmetics. Or maybe he was growing into a sentimental fool. If that was the price he had to pay to be with Lucas, he’d fill his shopping cart with more waterproof options and live a happy life.

“No, I understand. I love eating with everyone. I’m glad you enjoy it too.”

“At first, I was so scared. I’ve never had a family. It was just me and Foxe. But that fear went away so fast. Everyone made me feel comfortable. I’m relaxed here in this huge-ass house. But I can’t think about the money. I can’t comprehend how rich you are. If I could, it’d probably destroy my calm.”

“Then please don’t think about it. I want you to be relaxed here. This is your home for however long you want it to be. Or until my parents decide we have to move again.”

“What’s it like being a necromancer?” Lucas asked. “To summon a person from the dead?”

Richard took a moment to gather his thoughts. “For me, my life isn’t so different from an inspirit’s. Yes, I have a bit of magic, but I don’t use it often except to teleport, so it doesn’t dominate my existence. Resurrection requires grave responsibility. I haven’t done it often. The last person I gave life to was Douglas, and I told you why I wanted permission to add him to our extended family. Mostly, I worry about the ramifications of my longevity, fret about my brother and the predators hunting him, and hope I can continue to keep my identity a secret.”

“I’m glad your family is responsible and noble about inspirits. The moving often thing is something we’ll have to deal with to keep our immortality from humans, right? That’s the best way to keep from getting questions about aging and stuff?”

“Yes, but hopefully we’ll be here for a while. I like Vegas.”

Lucas grinned. “I like you.”

Charmed and delighted, Richard returned his smile. “I like you too. Have I mentioned how sexy you are in candlelight?”

“Interesting. Do you have candles upstairs?”

“Yes. Lovely white ones that make me think about your soul and how pretty it is to see it whenever I come.”

“Richard?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you go on another date with me soon?”

Richard blew him a kiss. “Anytime, Lucas. Anytime.”