Page 9

D ropping onto a gray couch in his leased condo, Luke shoved his foot into one of the fancy shoes he’d added to his meager but growing wardrobe over the weekend. He quickly tied the laces. Shopping for clothes wasn’t something he had done often in the past. Now, he had a job, and it wasn’t feasible to keep laundering the few articles of clothing he’d owned every other day. Not if he wanted to do something besides laundry and ironing. As for the footwear, his old ones were worn out.

Thanks to the generosity of the Marwoods, he had extra cash. Some of it was sent to Foxe, and the rest he’d dumped into a savings account. Luke wanted security. He’d never be Marwood rich, and that was fine. Despite his three weeks as their employee and a visit to the Marwood mansion, their wealth remained hard to fathom.

It was too far removed from what Luke had experienced in his ten years as an inspirit. There was a growing voice in his head insisting he plan for his future. Coasting from city to city wasn’t something he enjoyed. Nor did he appreciate breaking laws or stiffing people out of money they’d earned.

Luke had shifted from wanting to gain enough money to aid his travels with Foxe, to thinking about a stable existence. He’d convinced himself that rocketing around the country was a privilege, but it wasn’t. Visiting different cities and meeting new people was fine, but he hated uncertainty.

What he needed to do was convince Foxe to return to something closer to what they’d had while Foxe’s father was still alive. They’d had a roof above their head and food in their bellies, and those were luxuries Luke hadn’t appreciated enough until he’d lost them. The thought of Foxe had Luke frowning, and he checked his phone again despite it remaining stubbornly silent.

Luke had transferred money to Foxe and received a thank you from his necromancer. That was it. There hadn’t been another peep from him. The feeling of being abandoned was growing. What were Foxe’s future plans? An insidious voice whispered to Luke that Foxe wanted gambling money and nothing else.

Did Foxe expect Luke to work full time and hand over his paychecks to feed his habit? Luke hated thinking that way, but he had to be pragmatic. Foxe was fighting an addiction. A disease. Luke had done plenty of research and understood that, for Foxe, a constant battle raged within him. But he’d hoped that the growing distance between them would register as something important to his necromancer.

Luke was beginning to have his doubts. It hurt his heart. He loved Foxe. They were best friends, and he’d spent his entire life with him. Luke grabbed his keys and shoved his phone in his pocket. There was no use crying about it before work. He had a job to do, and he could shed his tears later, alone.

The Marwoods thought of everything, so Luke didn’t have to drive to work. There were employees-only busses that took them from the condominium building to Marwood properties around town. Thankfully, Luke’s job was at the first stop, so it was a relatively short ride. It saved him time and gas money.

Luke left his condo, ensured his door was secure, and ventured downstairs via the elevator. His neighbors were friendly, but Luke hadn’t focused yet on befriending anyone. All his energy and focus were on learning the ropes from Richard.

And if he had the odd daydream about Richard—or a longer erotic romp in his head while he was asleep—then that was his business. It didn’t help that Luke had learned the sole way to find his soulmate was to have sex. Luke swore that since Gabe had offered that information, it’d created a firestorm of hormones inside him. What if his soulmate was sitting next to him on the bus?

Or what if my soulmate is the gorgeous, sexy Richard Marwood?

Since daydreams were free, Luke indulged them. It was pointless to keep fighting an insistent urge as he’d done in the beginning whenever Richard came to mind.

Richard hadn’t given him any indication he was interested in a liaison, and sleeping with his boss would be monumentally stupid. Luke wouldn’t risk his job to empty his balls even if his dick thought the reward was worth the cost of getting his hands on Richard.

The necromancer had a mouth that would’ve been pouty on a man any less serious or direct than Richard. In the morning, his lips glistened with freshly applied gloss, and Luke wanted to kiss him to find out if he chose flavored products. Although Richard’s wardrobe was almost completely monochromatic, he played with textures and patterns.

It kept Luke on his toes. Would today be a faint pinstripe, a plucky paisley, or a floral? Maybe polka dots. Richard liked those. He also favored heeled boots over shoes. Luke hoped it wasn’t because Richard was five-foot-six and the necromancer was compensating for something he perceived as less than optimal.

Luke liked Richard’s height. And every damn else thing about him. Not that Luke was an expert on the man. While Richard was friendly enough, he was also guarded. Unlike some of the chattier staff, Richard stuck to topics related to business. The only time Luke had witnessed Richard smiling in an unguarded way was the night Rosalind had invited him to dine with the Marwoods.

Richard loved his family. His demeanor was relaxed around them, and his office was littered with pictures of them. Luke envied him for having so many loved ones. He had Foxe and no one else. In three weeks, Luke had gone from being afraid of change and leaving his necromancer behind to wishing for his soulmate. And mooning over one of his bosses. He was kind of a mess. But it was okay. Wasn’t everyone messed up in their own way?

Luke climbed off the bus and strode energetically to conference services. He nearly trampled Richard on his way through the door.

“Shit, sorry,” Luke said, clenching his fists to keep from frisking Richard to ensure he hadn’t mussed his clothing. Who was he kidding? Luke wanted to caress every curve and taste every inch of Richard’s skin. His crush was growing dangerously fast.

“No worries,” Richard replied, the surprise of their near collision quickly fading from his light blue eyes. “Do you need to grab coffee or anything? There’s an issue with the animal rescue convention. I’m going to check on them, want to come with me?”

If Luke were desperate for a drop of liquid, he’d deny himself a drink in order to go somewhere with Richard.

“Sure.”

Richard bobbed his head. “We’ll grab you something decadent at the coffee shop in the casino afterward. My treat.”

“Unnecessary, but okay.”

Luke stepped aside to allow Richard out of the office and fell into step behind him. Despite the six inches that separated them in height, Luke had to work to keep up with the necromancer. Richard was a tempest moving toward his goal without allowing anything to impede him. Why that increased his sexiness, Luke had no clue.

“What’s the issue with our friends-of-animals crowd?” Luke asked.

“You remember how they opted for an outside vendor for their setup?”

“Yeah, someone donated tables and stuff for them.”

“Well, apparently someone forgot to remind the donor because nothing was delivered,” Richard said. “I had everything they needed sent over, but I want to make sure it’s set up quickly and exactly how they want it.”

“Has it delayed the start of the conference?”

“Registration is this morning, so hopefully it won’t affect them much, but no one likes to start a convention with a hiccup and especially not one this big. If we can do anything to smooth out their experience, I want to ensure it’s taken care of.”

Luke smiled as Richard shoved open the large door separating the noisy casino from the quiet conference area. There were several people with worry creasing their brows, but thankfully building services had beaten Richard there and tables were already being covered in crisp white cloths.

What Luke had learned from the start of his employment was that Richard wasn’t kidding when he told people the Marwood family of properties cared for their guests and catered to every reasonable request. Both Richard and Douglas strove to keep their customers happy. The pair had the same goal and the same title, but Luke had observed that the partnership wasn’t equal.

Everyone deferred to Richard—even Douglas. Around the office, everyone sought Richard’s opinion and his approval. At first, Luke thought it was because Richard was a Marwood. But he no longer believed that was true. Or at least not that alone.

Richard listened to his employees and delegated nothing he couldn’t tackle himself. No task was beneath him either. Luke had witnessed him doing everything from fetching a coffee for a stressed guest to attaching a table skirt and setting up chairs. It motivated Luke to embrace the same work ethic.

At Richard’s side, Luke allowed the necromancer to take the lead as they approached the director of the conference. The frazzled woman assured them they had everything they needed, but that didn’t stop Richard from helping her set up her signs. Luke pitched in where he was told and loved watching the way the woman went from frantic to calm thanks to Richard.

An hour later, Richard deemed their task complete, and Luke didn’t have to ask if the necromancer would check in again with the conference before he left for the day. Richard’s schedule was rarely written in stone. Unlike Douglas, who preferred his appointments set in precisely thirty-minute increments and was only tugged away from the printout his assistant handed him every morning by Richard himself.

It suited what he’d learned of each man’s personality. Richard effortlessly multitasked, and Luke had yet to see him ruffled. As for Douglas, he took things one at a time, and if a problem arose, the inspirit hustled over to Richard to put together a plan to salvage things.

Neither way bothered Luke.

“I’m getting something disgustingly sugary,” Richard said as they crossed through the thick door blocking the casino noise.

“Huh?”

Richard lifted one perfectly arched brow, and the corner of his mouth quirked. “Did you forget that we’re getting coffee?”

“I guess I did for a second.”

“More like an hour. I didn’t intend to stay that long. Hopefully you aren’t having caffeine withdrawal?”

With a quick glance, Luke ensured no humans were close. “Can inspirits get that?”

“I doubt it, but I don’t know you that well. Maybe you’re a drama queen who’ll pretend to have a raging migraine so you can leave work early.”

“No, I fear stuff like that.”

“Drama queens?”

“No, I can appreciate someone who is good at their chosen craft, even those with a penchant for drama. I’m scared of pretending to have something. What if I accidentally manifest it into existence? I’ve never had a migraine, but they sound horrific. I don’t want one.”

“Me either,” Richard replied. “Best thing about what I am is the lack of pain and suffering. Sorry, that was insensitive. No one ever explained to me whether it’s the same for an inspirit, and by the time the issue presents itself, I’ve been too embarrassed to ask an inspirit directly.”

It took Luke a moment to figure out what Richard was talking about, but when it registered, he sobered swiftly. Unlike necromancers, inspirits died. The real shit part was that no one had any clue how long their lifespan was until they had the first hint that the end was nearing. An inspirit slowly turned to a skeleton before their life ended. One day, Luke would wake with bony toes, and he’d have to figure out how to hide himself until his existence was over.

“Yeah, I don’t know if it hurts. I guess I’d rather be surprised than know beforehand. I’m not usually into mysteries, but I make an exception for that.”

Richard nodded. “Shit, I shouldn’t have brought it up. Please forgive me, that was unprofessional and none of my business. If it was up to me, no inspirit would face death.”

“It’s okay. It’s a part of life. I’d rather have lived than the alternative, you know?”

“Since I’ve already crossed the line, can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure,” Luke replied. He’d answer whatever Richard asked.

“Have you heard from your friend? Are they okay?”

Luke smiled. “Yes. Thanks to my first paycheck, I was able to send him some money. I need to check in with him again tonight, but hopefully, he’s saving it like me.”

“You splurged a little. Those are new shoes.”

“You really notice everything, don’t you?”

“It’s a gift. What’s your friend’s name?”

“Foxe.”

“I hope Foxe is doing well.”

“Thanks,” Luke said. “Now, should we decide what we’re going to drink to give us a sugar rush this morning?”

“I’m adding a cookie. I deserve it.”

“No doubt,” Luke replied with a chuckle. “If you’re still paying, I may get a cookie too.”

“What do you mean, if I’m still paying ? What about me screams, not a man of his word ?”

“I don’t know you like that,” Luke countered, his grin growing wider. “Maybe you’ll dart off and pretend like we’ve never met.”

“It’s ten in the morning. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the casino is pretty empty. People are going to notice if I’m sprinting through the resort.”

“A gazelle cloaked in black. Yeah, that won’t go unnoticed.”

Richard snorted. “A gazelle? Not with these short legs.”

Luke plucked his cellphone out of his pocket and did a quick internet search. “Gazelles reach a height of forty-three inches. So, my statement stands. A tall gazelle dressed in black, bounding through the casino floor.”

The way Richard’s gaze lit up made Luke’s dick twitch. So did his throaty laugh. “Okay, well, this little gazelle promised to pay, and she will.”

“Good, I’ll get two cookies.”

That statement only made Richard chuckle harder. “Don’t ruin your lunch.”

“Thanks for the advice, Dad. But I can pretty much eat constantly.”

“I’m the same. Just ate a bowl of chips? That’s okay, I’ll plow through an entire pizza. My brother is the same way. Once, he went on a date and ate two entire sharing-size servings of mashed potatoes. Plus his steak.”

“I guess Gabe wasn’t any less attracted to him after their date.”

The way Richard’s lips curved would forever be etched in Luke’s memory. It was pure malice and sexy as hell. “Oh, the date wasn’t with Gabriel. But he was there. I made Eric go out on a bunch of dates with random beautiful men to make Gabriel jealous since he was tasked with guarding my pretty brother.”

“That’s diabolical.”

“Worked, didn’t it?”

“But aren’t you the one who warned me it was your mother who’d be matchmaking?”

“Oh, Eric was my one exception,” Richard said. “He’s been in love with Gabriel since he was twelve. I was counting on them being soulmates. Thankfully, we were right. My brother deserves the world.”

Luke didn’t doubt it, but he had to pretend like he didn’t know Eric was destiny-touched. The last thing he wanted to explain was the gift Foxe had given him or how he should’ve run from the Marwoods as soon as he’d sensed Eric’s uniqueness. Leaving was out of the question, and Luke wasn’t foolish enough to pretend that had nothing to do with the growing fascination he had for the man at his side.