Page 25 of Charmed By Destiny

“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.

Chapter 10

Asound, or perhaps it was a sixth sense Richard hadn’t known he possessed, had him lifting his head in time to watch a beautiful woman striding through the main door of conference services. Her raven hair flowed loosely around her shoulders, and she wore black leggings tucked into tall boots with a cold shoulder top that teasingly revealed the top portion of her tattoo sleeve.

She smiled, then her head turned toward the newest addition to Richard’s staff. Her step stuttered, and she came to a complete stop. Lucas rose to shake her hand. Richard shut down his laptop and slid it into his messenger bag as the pair talked.

A heartbeat later, he gasped as the door to his office slammed shut with the female guest inside with him.

“Richard!”

“Shit, you scared the fuck out of me,” Richard exclaimed. “How did you move so fast?”

“Who cares? Eric went into detail about how handsome the new inspirit is, and somehow, he still didn’t do Lucas justice. How have you worked with him for weeks without hopping onto that man?”

“Because, Mari, I can’t maul my coworkers.”

“It’s been a month, right?”

“Five weeks, I think now.” It was closer to six weeks. Thirty-nine days if anyone was counting, which Richard wasn’t.

“Are you sure you’re gay?”

Richard stared balefully at his best friend. “Yes.”

“How are you not popping a boner every time he walks into a room?”

The truth was, as the days had passed, Richard had had multiple uncomfortable moments when his dick noted Lucas’s beauty. It happened most frequently when Lucas smiled. It deepened that sexy dimple Richard never failed to notice on his right cheek. Unfortunately for Richard’s self-control, Lucas was a cheerful guy and flashed his crooked grin often.

“Some of us are more evolved beings and aren’t ruled by our hormones.”

Maribeth peeled herself off the door and tugged Richard into her arms for a tight hug. When she pulled away, her almond-shaped eyes were full of disbelief.

“And some of us are horrible liars. How often are you beating off with his name on your lips?”

“Mari, give me some credit. I don’t have some high school crush on the man. Yes, he’s attractive. Is that what you wanted to hear? I noticed that he’s handsome. That doesn’t mean I want to hop on his dick.”

“So, basically, it’s a daily thing?”

“I missed you right up until you walked into my office.”

“This lying thing is getting out of control.”

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