Page 27

W hile Luke was keen on helping—especially if it aided Richard—he was less than delighted about driving his soulmate to their current destination. They were headed to the airport, and Richard intended on staying in New York until Thursday. Since it was Sunday, that meant Luke would have four nights without the necromancer.

Thankfully, Luke was comfortable with the Marwoods, and sharing meals with them was a treat. But he’d grown addicted to sleeping with Richard. They liked to cuddle, and Luke loved having Richard in his arms. He’d miss his fruity scent filling his senses and his lovely firm body molded to Luke’s.

Luke had no intention of mentioning his feelings on the matter. Richard was eager to visit his cousin, and Luke wanted him to have a wonderful trip. The minute Richard returned, Luke planned to pepper him with questions to ensure he heard every detail about what he hoped was plenty of fun with Maribeth.

“Sleep in my bed, okay?” Richard said as Luke took the exit for the airport.

“What?”

“Don’t expect me to explain it because I can’t, but I’ll feel better knowing you’re in the bed we usually share at night.”

Luke had intended to stay in the guest room, but he also liked the idea of being in Richard’s bed. “Okay.”

“We’ll video chat every night.”

“No, we aren’t. I won’t answer. You’re there to be with Maribeth. We can catch up once you get home.”

The loud gasp from Richard had Luke hiding his smile. “You won’t answer?”

“Nope. We can squeeze in some texts when you have a minute, but that’s all you get.”

“You’re a cold, cruel, callous man, Lucas Wynnter.”

“I know. How do you put up with me?”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking myself right now.”

Adoring Richard and his penchant for the dramatic, Luke pulled the car up to the curb and put it in park. “Want a refund from destiny?”

Richard cupped Luke’s face in his hands and kissed him. “Absolutely not. That’s the last thing I want.”

“Good, because I would object strongly.”

“I’ll miss you,” Richard said, brushing their lips together. Luke wasn’t satisfied with a chaste caress and licked his way into Richard’s mouth. The necromancer’s sweet taste filled Luke’s senses, and the heat that so easily flared between them was tempered by the thought of sleeping alone.

Luke pulled away and smiled. “I’ll miss you too, Dragonfly.”

“I have to get out of the car before I change my mind and call Mari to tell her to get her ass here instead.”

Since Luke could sympathize, he stole a quick kiss and caressed his cheek. “Let’s go.”

Richard nodded and, with a heavy sigh, released Luke. They exited the car, and Luke hauled Richard’s suitcase from the trunk. Once it was resting on the curb, Luke handed Richard the bag he was taking as his carry-on.

“I’ll text you when I get there,” Richard promised.

“Good, I won’t relax until I know you’re safe.”

“It’s just four nights, right?”

Luke tugged Richard into his arms and hugged him tight. “It’ll go fast.”

“Promise?”

“Yes. Have fun with Mari.”

“I will, and I’ll take pictures of everything.”

“You and Mari can show them to me once you get home on Thursday.”

“We’ll be there for dinner, okay?”

Giving Richard another soft kiss, Luke forced himself to release his soulmate. “I’ll be the tall, sexy, gray-eyed guy at the table.”

“Noted,” Richard replied, dabbing at his tears.

“Don’t mess up your face.”

“I went with waterproof today, so no worries. But I need to go, okay?”

“Yep.”

Richard blew him a kiss, then hauled ass to the airport door. Luke climbed into the car and tried not to notice how Richard’s fruity scent lingered. Within minutes, he was back on the road toward home. A building caught his eye, and before he could debate his impulse to enter the parking lot, Luke was already turning off his engine.

Heading for the door, Luke wondered why he had a sudden desire to enter a jewelry store. He had plenty of money. The Marwoods paid for everything despite Luke’s ineffectual protests, and he was no longer sending anything to Foxe. So, his bank account was healthy.

Richard continued to fill Luke’s closet with a variety of clothes and shoes that reflected his style perfectly. It was beautiful the way Richard didn’t force his own sense of fashion on anyone.

Perhaps Luke could return the favor. Pick out a bauble that suited Richard. It’d be a nice way to welcome him home in a few days when he teleported to the mansion thanks to the black crystal he’d left in his bedroom.

It was a large establishment with rows of cases, and it overwhelmed Luke. The fear on his face must’ve registered with the staff because a saleswoman greeted him as he stared helplessly at gleaming gems.

“Can I help you with anything?”

“This is kind of embarrassing to admit, but I’ve never picked out jewelry. I’m not sure where to begin.”

“Nothing to be embarrassed about. Are you shopping for yourself today or someone else?”

“Someone else. My partner,” Luke said. It’d been on the tip of his tongue to say soulmate , but thankfully he’d remembered that humans didn’t know inspirits and necromancers existed.

“Great, did you have a specific piece of jewelry you wanted to purchase? Ring, necklace, watch, or bracelet, perhaps?”

Luke winced. He’d walked in on impulse and was questioning his judgment. “I’m not sure.”

“That’s okay. Tell me a little about them. Do they have a favorite color? Are they a jeans and T-shirt person who might prefer something understated? Or maybe they’re bold and into fashion?”

“Well, his closet is practically overflowing, and almost everything he owns is black. But nothing he wears is boring. He spices things up with prints and the occasional sparkle.”

She grinned. “I think we’ll start with my favorite collection. It’s all black gold. Follow me.”

Luke eagerly walked to a case on the other side of the store, and his eyes immediately went to a ring. It had a large deep purple stone in the center, and as advertised, it was set in black metal. There were what Luke guessed were white diamonds on the sides, but he couldn’t make out the design thanks to the way it was nestled in the holder.

“What about that one?” Luke asked immediately.

Her brows raised, but she didn’t argue and opened the case to pluck it out. She set it in a little organizer that she placed on the glass case. “Excellent choice. The center stone is a rare purple sapphire.”

She went into a complicated spiel about stone sizes and a bunch of stuff Luke tuned out. None of it mattered because he was completely ignorant about jewelry. Plus, he could already envision the ring on Richard’s slender finger.

“These diamonds on the side are supposed to be flower petals, but they look more like wings to me. Maybe a butterfly or dragonfly.”

Luke raised his head and grinned. “My nickname for him is Dragonfly. He has them tattooed on his forearms. I just realized these things come in sizes. I don’t have a clue what size he is.”

“We’ll size it for free. You can give the ring to him, then bring him in so we can get his correct size.”

“Perfect. I want the ring.”

Her gaze widened. If Luke was correct, she hadn’t mentioned a price yet, but he didn’t care. That ring was coming home with him.

“Let’s have a look at the tag,” the clerk said.

She rattled off a price that was so high that the frugal part of him screamed in horror, but he still had no hesitation. Luke fished out his wallet and handed over the card the Marwoods had arranged for him to have upon his arrival at the resort. It was the first time he’d used it, and thankfully the limit was stupidly large.

“Before I ring you up, can I ask, is this an engagement ring? We have some wedding bands that would complement it.”

Luke blinked. Was he already considering marriage? Absolutely. “Yes, it’s an engagement ring.”

It took several minutes, but Luke eventually decided on something non-traditional. He added two black bands glimmering with what he’d learned were pave diamonds. One would rest above and the other beneath the gorgeous purple sapphire.

At some point, Luke was handed a glass of champagne by another employee, and he sipped it as he mentally calculated how much of his savings he was sacrificing. Eventually, he finished his drink. Then, he was handed a small bag and a long receipt he was told to bring with him when he returned to have the rings sized for Richard.

He headed to the house, and it hit him as he pulled into the garage that the mansion no longer intimidated him. It’d become home. His first one. Not because of the expensive furnishings or the high ceilings. But because of the Marwoods. Because of his wonderful Richard.

Racing out of his car, Luke sped inside through the side door of the garage. With his bag in hand, he headed for the kitchen and thankfully found everyone gathered. Rosalind and David were completing dinner plans as they chatted with Gabe, Eric, and Clark.

Gabe spotted Luke first. “Richard on his way to New York?”

“Yes, and don’t let him trick anyone into getting me on the phone. He’s there to spend time with Mari. We’re only texting until he gets home on Thursday.”

“No worries, I never answer if Richard calls,” Clark replied. Luke didn’t bother to call out the lie. The Marwoods prioritized family above everything else.

“What’s in the bag?” Rosalind asked.

“It’s a secret,” Luke said, setting the bag on the island. It wasn’t something he planned to show Richard yet, but he needed to share his purchases with someone. Luke didn’t know when he was proposing, and he needed to put some thought into that. However, planning could wait. He tugged out the large box where the most important of the rings was secured and handed it to Rosalind. “I bought this for Richard.”

Rosalind smiled and opened the box. Her free hand went to her heart. “ Oh .”

Clark stepped behind his wife and glimpsed over her shoulder. “Amethyst?”

“Purple sapphire, I think,” Luke replied, hoping he was remembering correctly. The stone had reminded him of the bouquet he’d bought for Richard on their date a few weeks ago. He knew nothing about stones—he’d liked the color and could imagine it on Richard’s finger. Grabbing the packet with the receipt in it, Luke handed it to Clark.

“Let me see,” Eric insisted as he and David rushed to Luke to view the ring.

“Richard is a lucky, lucky man,” Rosalind remarked softly. “He’s going to love this. Are those wings on the sides?”

“The saleswoman told me they’re supposed to be petals, but they look like wings to her and me,” Luke answered.

“Dragonfly wings for sure,” Eric said.

“Definitely,” David added. “It’s a beautiful ring.”

“One you paid handsomely for,” Clark commented. “Are you planning to propose immediately, or do I have time to get this appraised and insured?”

“I didn’t know I was ready to buy an engagement ring until I found myself in the jewelry store,” Luke responded.

“Then I want to get it insured. You made an investment, and we need to respect that. If something happens to it or it’s lost, you want to have the value so you can replace it.”

“Clark, the man doesn’t care about any of that right now,” Rosalind argued. “Can’t you enjoy the beauty of the ring and this moment for five seconds before you’re rushing off to talk to the insurance agent?”

“I’m trying to help. I did the same thing for Eric’s ring. It was insured prior to Gabriel handing it to him,” Clark defended.

“That’s because you helped me find a jeweler,” Gabe said. “The entire buying process was overwhelming. But I’m not sure the insurance was as necessary as it is for Luke, I didn’t buy Eric a giant fucking rock with fancy diamonds on the side.”

“Because that wouldn’t have suited Eric,” Rosalind pointed out, still staring at the ring in the box with damp eyes. “Richard and Eric are different people. Lucas knows Richard and chose something he’ll love. Just the way Eric adores what you bought him.”

“It’s a twist of white and silver, like Gabriel and me,” Eric remarked with a smile for his husband. “And Lucas chose a dragonfly for Richard. There’s also black and white on there, like Lucas and Richard’s souls. I hope he’s wearing some waterproof mascara when you give this to him, or he’ll complain that his makeup is ruined.”

Luke chuckled because Eric was right. He was also laughing because he was happy. No one had questioned his desire to marry Richard so soon or said anything bad about the ring Luke adored. He was surprisingly eager for it to be on Richard’s hand, but Luke had to wait. Their relationship wasn’t even public yet.