He didn’t really know what made him look twice, since he didn’t usually go for redheads. As an earth dragon who specialized in quakes, he preferred fair features and blonds.
Then why—
When the stranger’s scent hit him, Leortis knew. He couldn’t help it. “Well, hot damn,” he muttered, admiring the human who’d arrived with Kazeem and Stefan. “Seems I’m gonna have to change my ways.”
Leortis looked forward to that.
“Excuse me, Sire?” Vicar asked softly, touching his elbow.
Tearing his attention away from the redhead, Leortis only managed to glance at his head guard for an instant. Then he refocused on the stranger. He couldn’t help but admire him.
The human had freckles on his nose, almost hidden by his black-rimmed glasses. His untucked t-shirt didn’t hide the fact that he had a soft belly with a little extra. His frame appeared stocky, but there was plenty of muscle definition in his arms.
Leortis wanted to strip him and see if the man’s legs were equally muscular... and more.
“Who is he, Agnoroth?” Leortis asked softly, ignoring his head guard.
“I’m sorry, Sire,” Agnoroth replied, his voice quiet. “I don’t know.”
“Stefan texted me earlier,” Kristof told him. “He’s bringing a buddy from the ski resort he works at. His name’s Cardin.”
Humming, Leortis unbuttoned his suit jacket and began removing it. Judging by what everyone else was wearing, he was overdressed. After handing the coat to a clearly confused Warzer, he began unbuttoning his dress shirt.
“Sire, what’re you doing?” Vicar asked, his voice soft.
Grinning at his head guard and friend, Leortis told him, “I’m going to a barbeque to meet my mate.”
Chapter Two
Staring at the big house, Cardin Robinson nibbled his bottom lip pensively. He wrapped his arms around himself as unease churned in his gut. If he’d known Stefan’s buddy was rich, he would have declined the friend’s offer to join him at a barbeque.
It didn’t matter that he’d really needed to get out of town to clear his head. Finding his live-in boyfriend, Shawn, in their bed with another had been a shock. Even Shawn apologizing and promising that the twink he’d been fucking hadn’t meant anything to him didn’t help.
Apologies are good and all, but if the guy didn’t mean anything to him, why did Shawn do it?
Cardin has asked Shawn that, too, and his boyfriend had blushed and shrugged. “He’s hot and came on to me, and I was horny.” Then he’d pointed between them. “You’ve been so busy with work that we haven’t had time to take care of my needs. Ya know?”
“Oh, so the fact that it’s fiscal year-end, and I have to work long hours at the lodge because I work in accounting, you cheating is my fault?”
“I didn’t say that,” Shawn had countered, gripping his hands. “Just relax. It’s done now, and I’m sorry. Let’s just move on.”
Shaking his head, Cardin had pulled away from his lover of three years. “I need to take a walk. Clear my head, okay?”
Ignoring Shawn’s words, telling him to stay, Cardin had left their apartment and gone for a walk. He’d headed back to work. At least numbers always made sense.
Cardin had been walking through the back offices when Stefan had stopped him. The man had worked as a children’s ski instructor over the winter season. With it being summer, he wasn’t around much but occasionally dropped by to lend a hand with maintenance. Cardin guessed it was to keep busy when his partner was working, not that he knew what Kazeem did for a living.
While Cardin hadn’t realized he’d shed a few tears, Stefan had. Unable to help himself, he’d poured out the whole story to his new friend. Stefan had immediately invited him to a barbeque at his friend’s place, who lived outside Denver a couple of hours away.
Getting out of town for a few days while deciding what to do about Shawn had sounded like a fantastic idea. He’d double-checked that Stefan’s buddy—Kristof—wouldn’t mind. Then he’d worked well into the evening, wrapping up the last of what needed to be done.
He’d literally snuck into his own apartment and packed a bag, leaving a note for a sleeping Shawn to find in the morning. Then he’d spent the night at a hotel, where Stefan picked him up at the ass-crack of dawn. Fortunately, he’d managed to doze in the truck.
Shawn had called him three times already today, but he’d missed them. He still hadn’t checked his voicemails. In fact, after receiving several texts, too, he’d silenced his device.
“Hey, everything all right?” Stefan