Page 38 of Where the Current Takes Him
“Yes,” he coughed, wiping at his eyes. “I suppose it does.”
Chapter 17
Loriun
“You’re moving in with him?” Jonathan said, surprise flitting across his coarse features. Ashford’s cousin had caught Loriun at the coffee station, eager for an update on his matchmaking prowess.
“Yes,” Loriun said shortly, not wanting to go into greater detail. After all, how could he?“I fucked him from dusk to dawn and accidentally mated him because I have the self control of a financial advisor confronted with a line of cocaine.”
“Seems awful quick.” Jonathan swilled the black coffee in his mug. It said “hustle hard, sip slow.”
Loriun wrinkled his nose.
“Must be going well, eh?” Jonathan elbowed him with a grin.
“It is. Ah. Thank you… for putting us in contact.” The words felt dirty leaving his lips. Regardless of how well things were going with Beau, it did not negate the fact that he had unwittingly purchased his mate, and this man had played a part in it.
“Hey, no problem, Mr. Kolhn.” Jonathan clapped him on the back. “Happy to see my cousin’s boy with a good Alpha.”
Loriun watched him return to his desk through narrowed eyes. On one hand, he was a cousin of Ashford Montgomery. On the other hand, he lived and worked here in Miami. Either he was a skilled actor, hiding his bigotry in exchange for good pay, or he was slightly stupid—an unknowing pawn in Ashford’s game.
Loriun was leaning toward the latter.
The Poseidon Desalination plant was only a few miles from the beachside home he now shared with Beau, but even this distance was uncomfortable. Each breath felt as though it was not quite full enough, and his skin prickled in the dry office air. The beginnings of a headache were erupting behind his eyes.
Loriun tossed back a large cup of straight espresso and strode back to his office. He just had to tie up a few loose ends before going remote.
Kaoi glanced up as he passed. “Nearly done?”
Loriun groaned. “Almost. Few more hours.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
He was about to decline when an idea struck him. “Actually, yes. Could you send me Jonathon Montgomery’s file?”
Kaoi tilted his delicate head. “I can. Is something wrong?”
“Not sure yet,” Loriun muttered. He stepped back through his office door and dropped into his chair. He remained there until the sun began to dip below the horizon.
By the time Loriun barged through the front door of the beach house, his skin was crawling, a migraine pounded beneath his skull, and he was fairly sure he hadn’t taken a deep breath since that morning.
“Thank the gods,” he rasped, half flopping into the living room pool. Warm summer nights and sweet papaya nestled into his skin, soothing his discomfort and filling his lungs with oxygen. The headache began to dissipate instantly as he relaxed his spinal muscles, letting his tail extend to its full length
“Loriun?” called a frail voice from the bedroom.
“I’m here.” He couldn’t bring himself to move from the water.
“Please tell me you don’t have to go back to work tomorrow.” Beau’s voice was muffled, as if his head was buried in a pillow. “I thought I was gonna die.”
That got Loriun moving. He hauled himself from the blessedly salty water and stepped back onto the tiled floor. His scales repelled droplets of water, flicking them onto the pile of clothes he’d abandoned at the edge.
He shuffled into the room, where he found Beau buried under a mountain of bedding. As he moved closer, he realized several of his shirts and a pair of pants had been balled into a pillow.
“Beau?” He perched on the edge of the bed. “Are you starting to feel better?”
A grunt sounded from under the duvet. “Not really.”
Loriun frowned. He’d felt better the moment he opened the front door.But then again,he realized,this house is filled with Beau’s pheromones. He is hardly getting any of mine.
