Page 88 of Charmed By Destiny

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.”

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