Page 29

T he days had dragged without Richard, and Luke was ecstatic that his soulmate was home. Throughout dinner, the Marwoods celebrated Maribeth’s announcement that she was returning to the mansion permanently. There were tears, laughter, and excellent food. Luke had enjoyed every moment.

But he was also relieved to be following Richard up the stairs. Since his arrival at the mansion, they’d shared a quick hug, the quickest of mouth on mouth, then sat to eat dinner. He’d missed Richard and wanted to be alone with him.

They shut themselves into the dark romantic suite Richard had decorated, and the necromancer practically threw himself into Luke’s arms.

“Did I mention how much I missed you?” Richard asked, kissing him.

“Once or twice,” Luke teased. Although Luke had forced himself to be frugal with his texts to Richard to avoid impeding the necromancer’s trip, it hadn’t been easy. Richard had become the center of his world, and Luke loved that for them both.

“Your sassy mouth. Maybe I missed that most.”

Luke cupped Richard’s ass through his slacks. “I think most people would agree that you’re the sassier one in this relationship.”

“Well, that’s because you save a lot of your sass for our bedroom.”

“Our bedroom?”

“Yes, don’t you feel like we share it?”

“Except for the fact that my clothes are down the hall, yes.”

“Move them in here. Let’s stop this foolishness of you having to grab your work outfits the night before.”

Luke was thrilled to share a suite with Richard, but there were some kinks to work out. “Dragonfly, where the hell am I supposed to put my clothes? There is one closet, and you’ve basically filled it already.”

“You have a point. Let’s mention it to my parents in the morning. Maybe the four of us can figure out a solution that works for us both.”

Brushing their lips together, Luke tightened his hold on Richard’s firm cheeks. His cock was already growing hard, and Luke was eager to reacquaint himself with Richard’s beautiful body. “Now that we have that settled, maybe we could focus on something else?”

“Like how badly my dick wants you right now?”

“Exactly.”

“Do you have anything in mind for our evening?”

Luke slipped his tongue into Richard’s mouth and mulled the question over as he thoroughly tasted his soulmate. As usual, Richard’s sweet scent overwhelmed him. His heart thudded heavily in his chest as images flashed through his brain. Richard was so enticing it was difficult to narrow his choices to one.

But a single thought made his cock twitch.

“What do you think about a little ass play?” Luke asked. The way Richard tensed was subtle, but Luke didn’t miss it. “I’m not suggesting intercourse, Dragonfly. You didn’t give me any details, but I’m guessing from the fact that he came and you didn’t that you were likely on the bottom, right?”

Richard rested his forehead on Luke’s chest. “Yes. I thought I’d enjoy it.”

“Because you’ve played back there?”

“Yes. A lot. I still do.”

“It’s okay to say no. You don’t have to explain anything or offer me any reasons. All I’m asking is if I can play? Fingers. Mouth. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Lifting his head, Richard’s blue eyes were filled with surprise and excitement. “Did you just offer to put your mouth on my ass?”

“I’ll rim you until you come if you let me.”

Richard blinked. Then he did it again. His fingers dug further into Luke’s muscles near his waist, and Richard’s face flushed. Luke hoped it was more desire than embarrassment. “No one has ever…the night I had intercourse, I…he wanted me to stretch myself. He told me watching got him off. But he was a lazy, selfish fuck who wanted to stick his dick in there and walk out once he was done.”

Fury had Luke seeing red. No one deserved to be treated so callously, and that someone had done that to his Richard was entirely too much for Luke to handle. “Please don’t ever tell me his name. If you do, I’m going to find him. I will break a few laws when I do.”

“He’s not worth it.”

“Nope, but you are.”

Richard nipped his chin. “I like your idea for tonight.”

Luke’s grin was feral. “Thank you, you won’t regret it.”

To Luke’s surprise, Richard’s response was to pull out of his embrace. Luke stood motionless for a moment, wondering what his soulmate was doing, but the mystery was quickly solved. Richard grabbed the pile of pillows Luke had rested against the headboard after waking that morning and tossed them on an upholstered bench.

Eager to assist with the task, Luke took the rest of cushions and moved them out of the way while Richard hauled the covers to the foot of the bed. Luke had no chance to protest as Richard tugged his top off. Luke had wanted to strip the man, but he was already over it. The fabric fluttered to the floor, and Luke pulled off his own T-shirt.

They didn’t move any closer to each other as Richard hurriedly undid his belt and unzipped himself. With far less grace, Luke shoved his jeans and boxers to the floor. It took longer than usual, but that was Richard’s fault. The way he wiggled out of his thong should’ve been criminal.

Richard’s pretty cock bounced as he climbed onto the mattress. Springing into action, Luke ripped off his socks and joined Richard on the bed. They shuffled closer on their knees, and Luke groaned as their rigid lengths were trapped between them. Luke held Richard close as they kissed.

It was tempting to dive in for a thorough taste, but Luke didn’t want to get distracted. If he did, it was possible that he’d rut against Richard and wind up ending things before he was anywhere near his ass.

“Let’s get you comfortable, Dragonfly,” Luke whispered, forcing himself to pull away. He tossed a pillow toward the middle of the bed. “That’ll raise your hips up a little, okay?”

“Sure.”

Luke wasn’t much help as Richard wiggled onto his stomach. All that smooth skin on display was entirely too tempting. Thankfully, Richard didn’t complain about the petting. Once Richard was prone, Luke was on the move.

“Spread your legs for me,” Luke instructed gently.

Richard shifted, and Luke made himself at home between the necromancer’s thighs. The view was nearly unmatched. His ass was pert, and Richard’s pretty pink hole called to Luke like a siren in much the same way his soulmate so often did when they were in a room together.

Testing them both, Luke rested his palms on two firm cheeks and dropped a kiss next to his thumb as he spread his hands apart to better expose his target. Richard didn’t tense or object, so Luke nibbled his way to Richard’s center. Luke laved his tongue across that crinkly skin, and he swore Richard purred.

With a smile, Luke put his energy into driving his soulmate wild with pleasure. He had quick confirmation that his mission was successful. Richard was making sexy little noises and arching toward Luke’s mouth.

Richard wasn’t the only one affected. Luke’s length throbbed, and his balls were already tight. Luke loved rimming, and being with Richard had no equal. Shifting, Luke shoved an arm between his own legs and grabbed his cock.

Luke moaned as he jerked himself while eating Richard out. Without Luke’s firm hold on both of Richard’s cheeks, the necromancer had more freedom to move, which made it trickier to keep his tongue in and around Richard’s hole, but Luke did his best.

Black filled his mind, then was soon joined by a blinding white rope. His soul and Richard’s wrapped closer together, and he rejoiced. He also groaned against Richard’s pucker as he emptied his seed on the sheets.

Desperate to ensure Richard enjoyed himself just as thoroughly, Luke slid two come-covered fingers into Richard and found his prostate. Richard cried out as Luke caressed that bundle of nerves. Encouraged, Luke licked Richard’s stretched hole.

Richard tensed. He shouted incoherently. Luke dropped a kiss on Richard’s lovely ass as the necromancer rode out his climax.

“As soon as I can breathe, I’ll suck you off,” Richard gasped.

“I came before you did.”

“Thank every fucking force on this planet and beyond.”

Luke chuckled. “Did you enjoy that?”

“You’re going to be lucky if I ever let you lift your tongue off my hole again.”

Crawling up to the headboard, Luke brushed his lips to Richard’s flushed face and settled his weight comfortably over his soulmate. “I can think of worse fates.”

Richard sighed happily. “This is nice.”

“I’m squishing you into your wet spot. I think my leg is in mine.”

“Deal with it. I want a few more minutes of this.”

“Those were observations, Dragonfly. I’m not fucking moving.”

“Lucas?”

“Yes?”

“I adore you.”

Luke’s heart overflowed with what he was starting to recognize as love for the beautiful man beneath him. “I adore you too.”

???

Luke emerged from the bathroom to find Richard pushing up the sleeves of a knit shirt. Their eyes met, and Richard’s expression was puzzled.

“Why are you so dressed up?”

Amused, Luke crossed the room and kissed Richard’s unpainted mouth. “It’s Friday. I have to work.”

“Shit. I forgot. I took the whole damn week off. You could’ve at least taken a vacation day today.”

“Too late, my boss is on leave and can’t approve it. As for his co-director, Douglas isn’t going to buy any last-minute excuse, so I’m stuck.”

“I wish you were human for a minute so we could call Douglas and tell him you’re too sick to come in.”

Grabbing Richard’s hand, he led the miffed necromancer out of their now-shared bedroom. “Spend your day going through your clothes so I can hang a pair of fucking pants in the closet.”

“Downsizing is unnecessary. I go through my things once a year and donate whatever I’m not wearing regularly. It hasn’t even been six months since my last reorganization.”

“You filled it up that fast?” Luke asked, amused at how much Richard loved clothes.

“You sound like my father.”

“Then the man must be speaking with a vast amount of intelligence and thought,” Clark said as they entered the great room. As usual, the Marwoods were there in force to eat breakfast. It pleased Luke to watch Richard fly over and embrace Maribeth.

“No, Lucas told me to get rid of my clothes. That is never sage advice.”

“Thank goodness I was talked into leaving half my wardrobe here so I didn’t have to pack for every visit,” Maribeth said, releasing her cousin and giving a mock shiver. “It would’ve taken ages to move all that shit back.”

“You and Richard should find another hobby besides shopping,” Clark suggested.

Luke chuckled as Richard and Maribeth rolled their eyes in unison.

“Clark, leave the children alone, they can shop how and when they want,” Rosalind said, setting a platter of bacon on the table and sitting.

“Plus, Mom spends way more than they do,” Eric quipped.

It was hard not to laugh again, but Luke barely contained his hilarity as he took a seat between Richard and Maribeth.

“As usual, you’re correct, Eric,” Clark commented. “The destiny-touched are so wise.”

“So wise he used my toothbrush this morning instead of his,” Gabe muttered.

“It was an accident!” Eric exclaimed. “Plus, I vote we blame it on Mom for buying us matching ones. Who does that?”

“Don’t worry, I’m off today,” Richard said. “I’ll buy Gabriel a new one. Maybe something with unicorns or teddy bears. That’ll suit him better than the sleek electric ones Mom bought.”

“I don’t care what it is has on it as long as Eric doesn’t put it in his mouth.”

“This is where I remind you that you routinely swap bodily fluids,” Richard replied.

“Not bacteria,” Gabe argued. “Or plaque or whatever else is growing on Eric’s teeth.”

Maribeth gave Luke’s arm a light smack. “The romance died so fast. Shocking, right?”

“Don’t tease the man. He’s stuck with Richard,” Gabe responded. “He probably doesn’t understand that romance is supposed to be part of the journey. All he’s getting is attitude and a bathroom filled with face powder or some shit.”

“Move on, Gabriel,” Richard retorted. “I dropped my loose powder once in the bathroom at the house in California. Gabriel acts like it happens every other day.”

“You failed to mention it’d just happened. The air was full of it,” Gabe countered. “I walked in and had that shit stuck in my nose for three days.”

“As if any cosmetics company gets that kind of coverage,” Maribeth said. “Especially where it’s damp with snot and boogers.”

“Gross, I don’t want to talk about Gabriel’s snot while I’m eating,” Richard responded, bending forward to glare at Maribeth.

Clark glanced at Rosalind. “You promised they’d grow out of bickering at some point. Why hasn’t it happened yet?”

“Because Richard and Maribeth are both pests,” Gabe stated matter-of-factly.

“I swear the only person Gabriel likes is Eric,” Richard muttered.

Maribeth nodded. “Gabriel’s been mooning over that boy for years.”

“This boy is pretty happy about that,” Eric threw in.

“As you should be, baby,” Richard told his brother. “On an entirely different subject, Lucas and I need a bit of help.”

“If you’ve done something wrong, Richard, you need to apologize,” Clark said.

“And Gabriel wonders why we’re pests,” Richard grumbled. “We aren’t having a relationship issue. It’s a storage complaint. My closet isn’t big enough for both of us. Lucas shouldn’t have to keep going down the hall to grab clothes.”

“Since I already know asking you to make space for Lucas is out of the question, we’ll have to think of something else,” Clark replied. “Rosalind?”

“Well, Gabriel’s old room is on the other side of Richard and Lucas’s suite. We could steal some square footage from it and build a closet for Lucas. It’d be on the opposite wall from Richard’s, so hopefully he won’t steal from his soulmate.”

“What are we going to do with Gabriel’s room?” Richard asked. “The rest of it anyway, because I love your idea. We don’t need another guest suite. No one has ever slept in the one where Lucas’s clothes are hanging.”

“Why do you keep calling it my room?” Gabe asked.

“Mom literally decorated it in green for you,” Eric told his husband.

“I used it once a year for two nights,” Gabe argued.

“But I never lost hope that you’d move into the house with us, which is why you had your own room,” Rosalind stated. “Obviously, you don’t need it now because you and Eric have a beautiful suite. Although, I think it should be decorated to suit you both. Richard, you and Lucas should think about that too.”

“Nope,” Luke shot out before he could stop himself. Everyone turned to stare at him, and he worried that he’d said the word a few octaves higher than necessary.

Richard grinned. “Lucas and I love our room.”

“Ours is blue. Like Eric’s eyes. Why would I want it any other color?” Gabriel asked.

“Give it up, Rosalind. Figure out what to do with Gabriel’s bedroom and use it to scratch your need-to-decorate itch,” Clark suggested.

“What if we turned it into an upstairs office?” Eric asked. “Gabriel could use it if I’m talking to ghosts and he needs to get something done. Or maybe Richard, Mari, or Lucas need a place to complete a task.”

“That’s an excellent idea,” Rosalind responded immediately with a smile. “We’ll take a healthy chunk out for Lucas’s closet and put some built-ins for books. Perhaps two or three desks. Keep the bathroom, but maybe remove the shower?”

“I don’t need a desk, I don’t have a job,” Maribeth quipped.

“You don’t need one. Get one if you want, whenever you’re ready,” Clark suggested.

“What if the something I wanted to do isn’t something anyone would approve of?” Maribeth asked quietly without glancing up from her plate.

“What could you possibly want to do that we wouldn’t approve of?” Rosalind asked. “We already ruled out working anywhere outside of Marwood properties.”

“Well, I’m scared you’ll think it’s a job better left to inspirits,” Maribeth said. “Ones like Gabriel. Or Rhonda.”

Richard bent forward to glance around Luke again. “You want to do security? How kick-ass are you, babe?”

“I can train her, Clark,” Gabe commented.

“Share that task with Rhonda,” Clark instructed. “It’ll lessen the burden on you, and it’ll boost Rhonda’s confidence to be directly involved in helping Maribeth learn the necessary skills to properly secure and guard Marwood properties.”

“You’re really going to let me work in security?” Maribeth asked.

“Why not?” Rosalind inquired.

“I don’t know, I thought you’d both object. Tell me it wasn’t safe or something.”

“I think I’ll insist you work with an inspirit partner even after you’re fully trained,” Clark said. “That way you can look out for each other and I won’t worry about you facing a threat alone. Is that acceptable?”

Maribeth grinned. “Depends. Is she my type?”

“Make sure Rhonda is the only female inspirit you leave Maribeth with,” Clark ordered Gabriel.

“No fair, I’ve wanted my soulmate forever,” Maribeth complained. “Eric got his. Richard has one, and he swore off relationships completely.” She pointed at Luke. “Now Richard has this delicious specimen, and you know he’s going to settle into the bragging stage soon. That’s how he’s built. Give me a pretty inspirit to drool over.”

“I told you not to spoil the children, Rosalind,” Clark said. “Look at where we are. Maribeth wants me to find her a soulmate.”

“Find David one too,” Maribeth insisted.

David shook his head. “Oh, no, thank you.”

Richard slid his gaze to Luke. “Uh oh, he better hope destiny isn’t listening. Last time I said that, you showed up and made my entire world better.”

“What a horrible fate,” Maribeth drawled with a sour look for her cousin.

Luke held in a grin and wished he could call in sick; he was having entirely too much fun with the Marwoods. Thankfully, Clark and Gabe were also heading to the office to spur him on his way, so within minutes Luke was kissing Richard goodbye. Hopefully, the hours of his workday would fly by so he could enjoy his weekend with his soulmate.