Page 19

L achlan should never have doubted Apollo's ability to get clothes at short notice. The suits and accessories for the party arrived in the afternoon with an elderly woman wearing all black and small gold-rimmed glasses. She greeted Apollo with a kiss on each cheek.

"And who is this imposing young man staring at us?" she asked Apollo, switching to English.

"This is Lachlan. He has been very vocal about how much he likes the suits you have tailored for me. The tweed in particular," Apollo replied with a smile so innocent, it would fool the angels.

Lachlan got hot, but he covered it up by stepping forward and kissing the old woman's slender hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Madame."

"Call me Claudette. Are you dating this one, Apollo?"

"No."

Claudette made a 'humph' sound of disapproval. "You should. I know what you look like in the tweed, and he wasn't admiring your face."

"Not true. I always admire his face as well as his ass," Lachlan replied, and the woman cackled in a way that would make a statue blush.

"I like this one. I'm glad I chose the bear mask for you tonight," she chuckled.

Valentine came in and kissed her too.

"Hello, Valentine, my love. Still single?" she asked.

"Still waiting for you to agree to a date, Claudette," Valentine replied with a smile that was so full of the Greatdrakes' charm that she smacked him playfully on the arm.

"At my age, I don't want to have to teach you young men anything," she flirted. "Now get dressed, all of you. I want to see if anything needs adjusting."

Apollo and Lachlan went to the bedroom at the same time, which only made Claudette laugh louder.

"I'm changing in the bathroom, you old hussy," Apollo declared, and it didn't stop her cackling for a second.

Lachlan placed the bagged suit down on the bed. "You'll have to give me her address so I can send her those flowers," he said to Apollo's retreating back. He flashed him a smile over one shoulder that hit Lachlan in the heart like an arrow before shutting the door behind him.

Lachlan rarely had any occasion to wear a suit, and he certainly had never worn one that fitted so comfortably.

Lachlan knew that Apollo had a good eye for clothes but didn't realize he had somehow managed to get his measurements perfect.

He was a big guy and struggled to find something that fit his shoulders but didn't bag anywhere else.

The midnight blue shirt was a soft material he didn't know the name of, but it felt nice against his skin.

Lachlan was about to do up his belt when the bathroom door opened, and Apollo took his breath away.

His suit was a black and gold brocade with a shirt of black lace with a matching jabot collar.

Lachlan didn't think people outside movies ever wore them, and he wanted to rub his face all over the soft ruffles.

He wore nothing underneath the material, and seeing the enticing patches of skin made Lachlan all kinds of lustful.

"What do you think?" Apollo asked and did a twirl.

"You don't want to know my thoughts right now," Lachlan replied because every one of them was filthy.

Apollo preened happily and batted his lashes. "Try me."

"You look like a vampire aristocrat that I want to fuck up against the nearest wall as you bite my neck."

Apollo laughed in delight, and it made Lachlan's dick go hard in the blink of an eye.

"You don't look half bad yourself," he said graciously while smoothing the satin lapels of Lachlan's jacket.

Lachlan groaned. "You do know we are meant to be on a mission tonight, and I'm going to have a terrible time trying to remain focused while you look so damn good."

"A good thing you're a professional then," Apollo said and made a twirling motion with his hand. "Turn. I want to see the full effect."

Lachlan turned, and Apollo's hands grabbed his hips to stop him from making the whole circuit. A growl echoed low and deep from Apollo, and he pressed up against Lachlan's back, rubbing the hard bar of his dick over his ass.

"Good to know I'm not the only one distracted," Lachlan tried to joke, but his voice was a little bit too raspy.

Apollo's hands slipped from Lachlan's hips over the front of his dick before moving up to finish buckling his belt.

"We need to get moving." Apollo's eyes shone a brilliant gold when he moved back around him. "If anyone touches you tonight other than me, I might have to kill them."

Lachlan's cheeks burned hot, and the possessiveness in Apollo's voice made him feel all kinds of ways he didn't have time to analyze. "No one is going to touch me. We are going to be busy trying to break into their labs, remember?"

"Just remember who you belong to," Apollo said, the dragon still in his voice.

"Like I could forget. Also, you might want to let your human half decide what I am to him. He doesn't go in for obsessive and possessive," Lachlan replied, his mouth going dry.

Apollo's head cocked to one side, his smile a little too sharp. "He's got you completely fooled if you think that." Apollo's eyes turned back to blue-gray, and he gave himself a little shake. "I'm sorry. What were we talking about?"

"Your dragon complimented me on how I look," Lachlan said with a smile.

Apollo winced. "I'm sorry, it's got a mind of its own at times, and I can't control it."

"I don't want you to." Lachlan reached out and ran a thumb over Apollo's cheek. "It's a part of you, and I like it."

Apollo's eyes fluttered close before he stepped back. "Nope. Not the time for this conversation. Or flirting. Get your mask. We have a part to crash."

Lachlan took the black and silver mask from the bag and followed Apollo.

If Apollo were wearing that suit, Lachlan would follow him into hell itself.

Apollo hadn't objected when Lachlan said he wanted to fuck him up against a wall, either.

Dark and dangerous hope bloomed in his chest once more, and Lachlan knew that he was more done for than ever.

The facade of the Chrysopoeia building was shining with lights. The Corinthian pillars were twisted with fairy lights, the arches between them hung with gilded lanterns, and there was a valet service with a red carpet.

"Rich people," Lachlan sighed, shaking his head at the circus in front of them. He knew actual royalty who didn't roll out a red carpet for anything.

"It's vital that they feel important at these kinds of things so they open their wallets," Valentine replied with a snort. His shirt was a brilliant scarlet that matched the dark red of his leather wolf mask.

Beside him, Apollo fidgeted with his own half-mask. It was of a golden lion, and with his curls arranged back, it looked like he had a mane. Lachlan had resigned himself to being hard for the whole night.

"You okay?" he whispered, his hand drifting to Apollo's lower back.

"I really don't want to go back in there, Lachie," he replied. He must have been worried to call him Lachie.

"I will be by your side all night, Apollo. They are never going to touch you again," Lachlan reassured him in the calmest voice he could manage.

Valentine patted Apollo on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, little brother. When the time comes, I'm going to blow this place to hell for what they did to you.

Have some patience, I have something cooking up in my head.

I've even reached out to my mage friend, Caelan, at Taran's court to see if they can somehow enhance my spell work. "

"Why am I suddenly worried about who you are making friends with?" Apollo said, his lips lifting in a smile. "I guess I should be happy your grumpy hermit ass can make any friends at all."

"I can make friends when they aren't idiots." Valentine grinned. "Shall we get to sabotaging, or are we going to stand here all night?"

"You are way too excited about this," Lachlan said with a soft laugh.

He held out his arm to Apollo and waited, the wild hope beating against his ribcage. After a few seconds, Apollo took it, and all Lachlan could do was smile as they walked right into the lion's den.