Page 16 of Touched By Destiny
“We have plans,” Richard replied. “A little post-dancing drinking and gossiping to do. Your name will probably be featured prominently.”
“It’s okay, Richard,” Eric said, giving his brother’s hand an affectionate squeeze. “I’ll be right in.”
“I’ll start mixing drinks,” Richard promised. Eric wasn’t yet ready to face Gabriel again, so he watched his brother stalk to the massive black front door of their mansion at a fast clip. With a quick backward glance and a jaunty wave, Richard disappeared into the house.
Pushing off the inevitable held no interest, so Eric gave Gabriel his full, undivided attention. He did his best to keep his expression neutral but doubted he was as proficient as Gabriel at disguising his emotions.
“What do you want to discuss?” Eric asked, proud that his tone was level.
Gabriel reached up and scratched his head with uncharacteristic jerkiness. “I may have been too hasty in dismissing everything about tonight.”
“What does that mean?”
“Did you tell Richard and Maribeth that you saw our souls touch?”
Irritated that Gabriel’s first concern was whether he’d spoken to the people closest to him, Eric cocked his head to the right. “Yes, I did. I told my brother and cousin that you’re my soulmate. But don’t worry, I have no intention of sharing my delusion with anyone else.”
Closing his eyes and swallowing audibly, Gabriel breathed out heavily as some of the tension left his large frame. “I’d just prefer if we figured out everything between ourselves before we announce our connection to anyone else.”
“I’m not in the habit of sharing my regrets with anyone but Richard and Maribeth.”
It delighted Eric that Gabriel’s face darkened in the soft glow of the many outdoor lights gleaming from the front of the stucco house. “I don’t know how to be someone’s soulmate, and it’s going to take me some time to wrap my head around what this even means.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t want to be with someone solely because destiny or whoever is in charge of these things chose to have our souls touch. And I certainly don’t want to add to your regret. Or my own. Goodnight, Gabriel.”
Eric wanted to run as far from Gabriel as possible but forced himself to sedately walk away. Although he’d spoken as nonchalantly as he could, inside, Eric felt a strange mixture of hurt and excitement. Gabriel knew they were soulmates. Yes, his initial reaction had sucked, and Eric could vividly recall the way he was dismissed. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t someday figure out how to honor the bond they’d been given.
Gabriel wanted space and time to deal with it, and Eric was willing to be patient. At least for now. After slipping inside, Eric leaned against the door and grinned. As messy as the night had been, he’d gotten what he wanted. He’d lost his virginity to the man of his dreams, and destiny had given them forever. Eric still wanted to have a good cry, but there’d be as much joy as pain in it.
Chapter 8
The weekend had dragged on forever, and Gabriel had spent entirely too much of it thinking. Eric had maintained that he wasn’t ghost-hunting and had done nothing else outside of the mansion. He’d kept to his room, and Gabriel had barely seen him. After the shoddy way Gabriel had treated him, he wasn’t surprised Eric preferred distance.
It hadn’t taken long for Gabriel to experience genuine regret, and it had nothing to do with the way his soul had touched Eric’s or their decision to have sex. Gabriel hated that he’d panicked and been cruel. He wished he could say that his fear of the future had lessened or that he had any clue what to do about being a soulmate, but Gabriel was lost in a sea of confusion.
As if the world was sealing the idea of soulbinding firmly in Gabriel’s mind and stealing any further opportunity for him to deny it, he’d woken on Saturday morning with less bone showing. Now it was Monday, and his toes were normal again. That moment of impending death remained in his memory, but it was no longer a valid concern. His lifeline had been extended almost immediately to match Eric’s.
Was it because they’d been friends for Eric’s entire life, making their bond stronger right away, or did it work that way for every couple? Since Gabriel doubted many inspirits were already turning skeletal when they found their mates, he had no one to ask. Any knowledge related to necromancy or the resurrected was fiercely guarded and rarely shared. It was too dangerous, and no one wanted to be exposed to the human population.
All the terror he’d dealt with that day over his imminent demise had been erased. Knowing he was already immortal only made Gabriel feel worse about his reaction on Friday night. Instead of being grateful for their bond, Gabriel had lashed out at Eric in the hotel room immediately following those intense moments of incomparable satisfaction. And he was still afraid—frightened of Eric and the new reality that had been sprung on them. Despite having had a few days to ponder it, Gabriel was no closer to finding a resolution.
Nothing about their situation had changed. Gabriel remained out of Eric’s league and in the employ of the Marwoods. It was his duty to ensure Eric was safe, not to sneak into hotel rooms with him or negotiate a soulbinding. Confused, embarrassed, and convinced his connection to Eric was a horrible mistake, Gabriel forced himself to roll out of bed. His alarm had yet to go off, but it didn’t matter. Sleep was elusive, and the extra hours of thinking weren’t helping.
If anything, Gabriel needed an escape from the unbearable loop of troublesome thoughts plaguing him. Instead of providing solutions, all his brain and heart did was panic and spiral through the reasons it was impossible to honor his soul. With none of his usual enthusiasm, Gabriel dragged himself up to tackle his day.
Mechanically, he went through his normal routine of bathing and dressing. As he disengaged the house alarm, herecalled he had a meeting with Clark that morning to announce he was dying. Except thanks to Eric, it was no longer true. Not that Gabriel could confess that to Clark. He couldn’t imagine Clark would take learning that Gabriel had had sex with his youngest son well. And Clark would probably lose his mind if he knew they were soulmates.
The walk to the mansion purposely took longer than necessary, but Gabriel found himself pulling open the glass door that led into the great room far too quickly. A haunting piece by Beethoven met his ears, and Eric’s head was bent over the piano as he played. Sunlight from the windows gleamed off his dark hair, and Gabriel had a sudden urge to brush the stray curl from his forehead.
Ignoring the strange impulse and chastising himself for yet again thinking inappropriately about Eric, Gabriel forced himself to head to the kitchen. An unfamiliar voice in his head taunted him for his thoughts. Eric was his soulmate. Why was it inappropriate to feel tenderly about him? Was it truly wrong to want to offer him affection or be close to him? Irritated, and wondering which part of himself to trust, Gabriel barely grunted a hello as he snagged a plate and filled it.
David insisted on pouring him a cup of coffee, so Gabriel shuffled to the table and sat. Glancing up from his food, Gabriel had the misfortune of catching Richard’s eye, and the expression on the necromancer’s face was chilly. Richard hadn’t taken the news that Gabriel and Eric were soulmates well. And why should he?
Plus, Richard had heard about every rotten thing Gabriel had said to Eric on Friday. It was a wonder Richard hadn’t convinced his parents to ban Gabriel from the house or have him fired. He likely deserved both and more.
“Everything okay, Gabriel?” Rosalind asked.
“Yeah,” Gabriel lied. “Restless night. I’m tired but otherwise fine.”