Mage of Inconvenience by Parker Foye

Author:Parker Foye [Foye, Parker]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-64080-246-9
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2018-03-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

JULIAN sat on the bed for a long time, watching the closed door of the motel room and wondering why he’d fucked up so spectacularly. Not how. He knew how—fucking up was easy; he’d been doing it for years. But why. Shock from the yacht? Nerves from sitting in close proximity to a Hargreaves meta? A delayed reaction to every step that took him from the high life in Las Vegas to some third-rate motel in Who Fucking Knew, ON, in a scant few days?

Julian flopped back onto the bed, undoubtedly immediately contracting something unpleasant from the lurid bedspread. He expelled a breath and closed his eyes. He knew why he’d fucked up. He’d heard West say “Rabid” and locked inside himself, as if that would protect him when all his bad decisions came home to roost.

The name of the spell sounded harsh, as Lyle had intended it, but West’s gentle touch—that had been a surprise.

It shouldn’t have been. For a man with such visible strength and presence, West held himself with restraint and sometimes an endearing awkwardness, as if he’d melt into the background if it would have him. Of course he’d be gentle, holding Julian’s hands and saying please in a sweet voice that made Julian’s brain go sideways to a bedroom. They could have kissed, then. West’s lips had been an invitation Julian wanted to accept. But Julian could scarcely hear anything over “Hargreaves” in his ears like a siren.

So Julian had destroyed the moment with an ill-timed crack about evidence for their sham marriage. And West had left.

Julian had done some shit in his time, but the wrenching feeling in his chest was new. Curling up on the bed, he let himself twist with guilt for several heavy beats of his heart, until the scratchiness of the sheets became too much and he got to his feet. The soda can with its ashes sat like an accusing black eye in the middle of the room, and Julian moved it aside; his protection spell had been hasty, but he could feel the thrum of energy ringing the room like a wedding band.

Thanks, brain. Excellent choice of imagery.

He never had chance to get their wedding rings.

Concentrate, Julian.

Grabbing the burner phone from his emergency bag, Julian thumbed through the short list of contacts. He’d already called Lauren and Mariko to update them on the situation and to set the wheels in motion with keeping the MAA from looking too closely in his direction. The suits already didn’t care for him, with his refusal to toe the line on registration, and the last thing they needed was an excuse to investigate any of his properties. Not to mention the ongoing situation with the will and his maybe-not-illegal but definitely-not-aboveboard arrangement with West.

Julian needed to find West. Everything came back to him, and Julian had sat like an arsehole and watched him leave.

Contemplating his failure, Julian nearly shit himself when his phone started to ring in his hand. He glanced at the display to confirm the caller, unsurprised it was Lauren.

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