A few nights following Gabriel’s effusive complaints about having to explain to Lucas that soulmates were discovered through sex, Richard sat in his room and stewed. No one had questioned Lucas about his necromancer yet, but that time would come. Who was this person that had chosen to bring an inspirit to life without giving them enough respect to explain the most important aspect of being supernatural?

It infuriated Richard. While he’d sworn off soulmates for himself, he’d been given the correct information to digest. Several embarrassing mistakes and thorough examination had led Richard to his decision. Without the proper guidance, Lucas hadn’t known how to find his perfect match. Had he held himself back in the past because he hadn’t understood the need to take someone to bed to find out if they were compatible in every aspect of their lives?

If withholding such important stuff wasn’t horrid enough, Lucas’s necromancer had no visible means of support. Inspirits didn’t poof into existence. They had to be summoned. There was no requirement to have one, nor was there such a thing as an inspirit being accidentally created. From what Richard had learned of Lucas’s necromancer, they were irresponsible and selfish.

Lucas wasn’t the first stray helped by the Marwoods, nor would he be the last, but Richard couldn’t recall being so irritated by someone’s circumstances. And he’d be damned if he’d spend a single minute examining why he was so indignant on Lucas’s behalf. The last thing he wanted to be reminded of was the fact that he’d developed a silly crush on yet another man with a handsome face.

To be fair, he’d worked with Lucas for nearly two weeks now, and he wasn’t just gorgeous. Lucas was kind, noticed details, and showed immense enthusiasm for everything. He was a nice guy. While Richard was rarely described that way thanks to his desire to pick things apart and drive people up the wall, he appreciated the trait in others.

His phone rang, and Richard pounced on it before his mind went down a now-familiar path that centered on every attribute he’d ever noticed about Lucas Wynnter. Richard grinned when he saw the name on the screen. With alacrity, he accepted the call.

“How are you, Mari?”

Her laughter filtered through the device. “You barely let it ring once. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Why do you assume something’s wrong? Maybe I miss you.”

“Of course you do. I miss you too, but something’s up.”

“Stop trying to read my mind.”

“I was given this power for good.”

Richard snorted and swung his legs up on the chaise to relax against the dark plush cushions fully. “Yeah, right.”

“Richard, you have few redeeming qualities, but one of them is your honesty. So, spill it.”

“And everyone thinks I’m the rude one.”

“You are. It’s part of your charm. Now, stop avoiding my question.”

“Fine. I’m pissed for this new inspirit. His necro is a selfish prick.”

“Did you meet the necro?”

“No, Lucas came to us alone. Last time I checked, we didn’t pick up stray necros, just inspirits.”

“Then how do you know he’s a selfish prick?”

Richard vented his frustrations to Maribeth and explained everything he’d learned about Lucas’s situation.

“Okay, babe, but he did send him to us,” Maribeth said once Richard ran out of breath.

“Lucas was summoned ten years ago.”

“Ten years without knowing how to find your soulmate is shitty.”

“Exactly!” Richard exclaimed.

“Describe this guy to me.”

“We haven’t met.”

“Not the necro. Your friend Lucas. What’s he look like?”

Richard tensed as a vivid picture of Lucas floated into his mind. “Uh, dark hair. Wavy. Kind of shaggy. Gray eyes. Tall. Maybe six feet if I had to take a guess.”

“You’ve described cheese to me in more detail.”

“Mari, what do you want from me?”

“I don’t know, Richard, why are you being so weird?”

“What do you mean?” Richard asked, hearing the hint of fear in his own voice. What was he afraid of, and why couldn’t he act normally if the subject of Lucas arose?

“Well, I spoke with Eric the night he met Lucas. Our favorite boy practically painted me a picture of your gorgeous one-dimpled inspirit. And he barely notices anyone unless they’re a ghost or Gabriel.”

“Just because Eric thinks Lucas is gorgeous doesn’t mean I do. We have different types.”

“Gabriel is everyone’s damn type.”

“You aren’t even attracted to men.”

“I have eyes, Richard. I don’t have to want to climb into bed with someone to notice their beauty.”

“I know that.”

“So, you’re attracted to Lucas and you’re fighting it, right?”

Richard closed his eyes and didn’t bother to hold in his sigh. “I hate how well you know me.”

“Girl, why work yourself into a snit because you noticed a sexy man?”

“For one, I have to work with him. And noticing how sexy someone is hasn’t exactly worked out well for me in the past.”

“You must be doing some heavy fantasizing about Lucas to be so worried that you’ll wind up in bed with him.”

“I wish you were here so I could storm out of the room.”

Maribeth’s laughter was vibrant, and Richard smiled despite his annoyance with his own hormones. “You could hang up the phone.”

“It feels too damn good to hear your voice. How’s New York?”

“Good. Hectic. I’m working on a list to prioritize things because I haven’t accomplished much yet.”

“Take your time. Do what pleases you. There’s no rush to get anything done.”

“I’m also thinking I need to come home for a visit.”

“Yes. I’d love that. We all would.”

“I was going to wait until the wedding, but now I want to meet Lucas.”

“Of course you do. Maybe you could help Mom with whatever matchmaking schemes she’s cooking up for him.”

“Don’t tempt me. I might push my best friend into Lucas’s path.”

“I’m not interested, Mari.”

“That’s a lie, and we both know it. You just don’t want to be interested.”

“Are you out there trying to find your soulmate? Or is your goal in life now to annoy me?”

“I’m going to a bar tomorrow night, so yeah, I’m working on putting myself out there.”

“Good, I want you to find what Eric and Gabriel have.”

“You deserve it too, Richard.”

“Not everyone is cut out for that, Mari.”

“We can agree to disagree,” Maribeth replied. “Now, tell me if I’ve missed any other family gossip. Has our favorite couple chosen everything yet for their big day?”

Pleased to talk about Gabriel and Eric’s wedding—instead of the complicated feelings the new inspirit in their lives had created inside him—Richard went into detail about how the couple had picked the muted white stripe he’d loved. Richard didn’t mention that Lucas had called that fabric sharp, but the inspirit’s words floated through his mind, and he mentally cursed at himself. His obsession with Lucas was unwelcome.

Coordinating china had already been ordered, and he was meeting with a possible florist tomorrow with his mother. They had a tight timeline thanks to Rosalind’s insistence on a short engagement, but everything would be perfect once the pair made their relationship legal in less than three months. Richard intended to create the perfect wedding Eric and Gabriel deserved.

???

The next morning, Richard went into his office feeling a bit disappointed, which he tried to ignore. To get to his office, he had to pass Lucas’s desk, and this was the first time he’d arrived before the inspirit. It hadn’t been that long since Lucas started, but Richard had grown used to his smile and enthusiasm as they greeted each other at the start of his day.

He was acting like an idiot.

They were coworkers. Richard was technically his boss, but in his mind the lines between him and the inspirits were blurred at the office. The relationship wasn’t as simple as ensuring their timesheets were signed off on twice a month. Inspirits were permanent additions to the Marwood family. Richard never lost sight of that.

However, the special union between necromancers and inspirits didn’t include him mooning over anyone. Or being sad not to see Lucas’s sexy face every morning. Richard’s lips pursed in irritation as he fished his laptop out. He needed to stop thinking about Lucas—and that cute dimple in his right cheek—and organize his thoughts for the day ahead.

Richard’s ass had barely hit his seat when a knock on his open door had him glancing up. It was Lucas, and Richard grinned. The man just had to appear to kick Richard’s heartbeat into a frenzy.

Lucas returned his smile, but it didn’t reach his gray eyes. “Do you have a minute?”

“Of course.”

“Do you mind if we shut the door?”

Although Richard had never considered his imagination particularly vivid, several inappropriate fantasies slammed into his brain.

“Oh. Um. Yes. Yes, of course.”

Lucas pulled the door closed, and Richard told himself he didn’t notice the inspirit’s fine backside in his black trousers. It was a lie. He was getting good at being dishonest.

“I tried to find Gabe this morning to talk to him about this, but he’s not around.”

Learning he was Lucas’s second choice did little to quell Richard’s furtive imaginings, but he pulled himself together. Lucas wasn’t there for a highly inappropriate tryst in the office.

Pity.

“Gabriel is with Eric ghost-hunting this morning. That’s where he is usually found before lunch.”

“Ghost-hunting?”

Had no one explained to Lucas yet that Eric was destiny-touched? Richard supposed it was knowledge every Marwood necromancer and inspirit protected. Lucas hadn’t been there long. Although some instinct told Richard he could trust Lucas, he never took chances with his only brother.

“Yeah, the supernatural is kind of Eric’s thing. Gabriel is a stickler for safety, especially when it comes to Eric.”

“That makes sense.”

“Does it?”

Lucas blinked at the harsh way Richard’s question had slipped out. “Yes. They’re engaged and soulmates. He’d want the man he loves to be safe.”

“Yeah. I guess our entire family is protective of Eric. He’s a special person, and if Eric is lost in his head, he wouldn’t notice an alien invasion five yards from his feet. How can I help you?”

“Well, this is going to sound weird, but this morning I was notified that my first paycheck was deposited directly into my new account.”

“Was there a problem with the deposit?”

“Yes,” Lucas said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Gabe explained how inspirits are paid the same no matter what department they are in, right?”

“Yes, our goal is to ensure inspirits are happy and fulfilled no matter what career within our organization you choose.”

“Okay, I’m not perfect at math, but the amount in there is about three times higher than I expected.”

“Oh,” Richard replied. He wasn’t sure what the rules were about salaries other than they were equal. They didn’t add new inspirits that often, and the ones who’d joined his team after he was given his job as co-director were transfers from other departments. With Gabriel out with Eric, Richard refused to bother him. “Although this isn’t my area of expertise, I should know the answer, but I don’t. Have a seat, let me make a call, okay?”

Lucas folded his fine self into a chair, and Richard opted to use his cellphone instead of the phone on his desk.

His father picked up his cell on the first ring.

“Richard? What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine, Dad, but I’m here with Lucas, and we have a question.”

“Sure, what’s going on?”

Richard smiled internally. His father was an extraordinarily busy man, but you’d never know it by the way he responded whenever a Marwood called him or an inspirit needed something. There was no hesitation in his voice, nor was his speech hurried. Clark would stay on the phone for however long it took to resolve the issue.

With a few quick sentences, Richard brought his father up to speed on Lucas’s problem.

“ Tsk , tsk . I can’t believe Gabriel didn’t mention this to Lucas, but we provide a bonus for newly resurrected inspirits or additions to our family. Starting out often comes with additional expenses, so we want to ensure they have the funds they need to meet those challenges. If Lucas needs anything else, let him know we’re here for him. And remind me to tease Gabriel later. Maybe having a fiancé is leaving him too distracted to do his job.”

“If he quits to devote his time fully to Eric, you’re fucked.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Anytime, Richard. I love you, enjoy kicking ass and taking names today.”

Richard chuckled. “You too. Love you. Bye.”

Once his father disconnected, Richard set his phone on the desk and explained the bonus to Lucas. The inspirit’s gray gaze widened, and Richard wondered how the man could look that good even when he was shocked.

“Oh, wow. That’s really generous of your family. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, my parents make the money, I just spend it.”

“I think I’ve been here long enough to know better than that. Almost all your customers are repeat ones. That doesn’t happen unless they are being taken care of, and Douglas assures me you’re the best there is.”

Richard refused to blush like a schoolboy, but color rose to his cheeks anyway. “Douglas is too nice. He is also excellent at his job. I like to think we make a good team.”

“A team I’m thrilled I joined.”

“Good, I’m glad. You’re already proving to be a great asset with tons of enthusiasm for your work. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

For a single heartbeat, Richard caught sight of something he couldn’t define in Lucas’s gray gaze. The inspirit’s lips curved into a smile, and a wave of something Richard refused to name settled in his belly.

“That’s it for now, thanks,” Lucas said.

Richard locked his eyes on Lucas’s face to keep from ogling the man from head to toe as he gracefully unfolded himself from the chair and walked to the door.

“You’re welcome. Let me know if you have any other questions.”

“Will do.”

Lucas exited the room, and Richard leaned back in his seat. The inspirit was growing more dangerous to his ability to focus with every passing hour.