Federal Paranormal Agency 6 - Leannan (11 page)

Joy warred with grief at Duncan’s confession. His heart was both heavy and light at the same time, the organ breaking wide open. The guilt he felt threatened to swallow him up whole, but Thomas refused to allow it to happen now. Later, there would be time to grieve. Thomas knew Duncan’s feelings would change once the truth was revealed and his true identity was exposed, but until then, Thomas decided to allow himself this moment to pretend that they were a happily mated couple.

“I love you, too.”

Duncan leaned back, taking away his warmth. “Stay there. I’ve got a handkerchief in my pocket. I’ll clean you up.”

He jerked his pants up and tucked himself into his slacks. Duncan zipped up before grabbing his jacket. Reaching into the inside pocket, he pulled out a white square. He shook out the material and wiped Thomas’s chest and abdomen, removing all the spunk.

Once he was cleaned off, Thomas climbed down from the table and started getting dressed.

“Do you really love me?”

“Yes,” Duncan said. It was the truth. He’d never felt such a strong bond to another person before. Not his parents and certainly not another lover, but with Thomas, things were different. “Although I guess it might be too soon to say that.”

Thomas shook his head. “I feel the same way.”

Duncan cupped Thomas’s cheek. He leaned down and pressed their lips together. The kiss was briefer than Duncan would’ve liked, but he figured it was time to get back to the charity event.

“Are you ready to join the party?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Thomas smiled.

Thomas took hold of Duncan’s arm, and the two of them headed back downstairs to the party. The event was still in full-swing, people laughing and cheering as they played the various games that were offered.

“What do you want to do first? You’ve got a few choices,
blackjack, craps, roulette,
baccarat, or the slot machines?”

“Roulette?”

“Good choice.” Duncan made his way through the crowd, walking toward the roulette tables. He wrapped his right arm around Thomas’s waist, pulling him in close to his side. “Is it safe to assume you’ve never played before?”

“Yes.”

“In the game, you can place a bet on a single number or a range of numbers,
the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even. Does that make sense?” He’d simplified the basics, not wanting to overwhelm Thomas.

“Yeah.” Thomas nodded.

“Do you have a favorite number?”

“Eighteen.”

“Perfect, that will be our first bet.” He grinned.

“What about you?”

“What about me?” Duncan raised a brow.

“Do you have a favorite number?”

“I usually pick my mom’s birthday. She was born on March eleventh so when I’m playing roulette, which isn’t very often, I pick three and eleven.”

“My birthday’s March eighteenth.”

“January fourteenth,” he responded.

“It looks like we’ve got quite a few numbers to play then.”

Duncan chuckled. When they reached the roulette table, he pulled out a roll of bills. He passed the dealer a short stack of hundreds, and she handed him a tray of blue chips.

“Put a few chips on our lucky numbers, sweetheart.”

Duncan watched as Thomas grabbed a handful of chips from the tray. He stacked them in even little piles on their numbers— three, eleven, eighteen, one, and fourteen.

“No more bets.” The dealer waved her hand over the table.

She flicked her wrist, and the wheel picked up speed before she tossed in the little white ball. The ball zoomed around the wheel, and a hush fell over the table. When the wheel slowed, the ball bounced around, landing in various slots before finally coming to a stop.

Thomas grabbed Duncan’s arm, holding tightly. “I can’t look.” He turned his head. “Did we win?”

“Seven,” the dealer announced. “Lucky number seven.”

“Damn.” Thomas sighed in disappointment. “I lost it all.”

“It’s okay.” Duncan wrapped his arm around Thomas’s shoulders. “The money goes to charity.”

Thomas looked up at him, wrinkling his nose. “I don’t think I like gambling.”

“Place your bets,” the dealer called out.

“Make another bet, love,” Duncan coaxed.

“Maybe you should do it.” Thomas leaned into him. “You might have better luck than me.”

“I brought the cash to donate. It doesn’t matter if we win or lose. The money is going to a good cause. Now, loosen up.” Duncan moved behind Thomas and started massaging his shoulders, trying to relieve the young man’s tension. “This is supposed to be fun.”

Thomas grabbed another stack of chips from the plastic tray. He picked the same numbers, setting a short stack on each one.

“No more bets,” she declared.

Thomas sucked in a deep breath, holding it as the little ball started bouncing from number to number. His whole body tightened as he waited.

“Fourteen,” the dealer said.

“Yes!” Thomas shouted, jumping up and down. Spinning around, Thomas wrapped his arms around Duncan’s neck and laughed. “We won! We won!”

He rose up on his toes and kissed Duncan on the lips. His happiness was contagious, and Duncan found himself cheering right along with him.

After his first win, Thomas’s attitude toward gambling seemed to change. He wasn’t afraid to place bets or to take risks. Throughout the night, Thomas won more than he lost, but before they left, Duncan donated all the money to the local hospital. The funds earned from this event would go a long way in helping people in need. Not only was this their first date but it was also the perfect opportunity to prove that he wasn’t a bad man.

The conversation he’d had with Thomas on their first morning together still bothered him. Duncan couldn’t change, but he hoped that Thomas would be able to accept him as he was, and perhaps the young man already did. Thomas knew the truth and instead of running away, he stayed by Duncan’s side.
I want him for the rest of my life.
Duncan ran that thought around inside his mind and smiled. Their relationship was still so new, but that fact still didn’t persuade Duncan to slow things down.

He never imagined that he would meet someone and want to settle down. Thomas’s presence in his life changed everything.

* * * *

They didn’t get home from the charity event until the early hours of the morning. Pulling to a stop in front of his house, Duncan sighed as he looked over at Thomas. The young man was sound asleep, his head tilted at an odd angle that looked incredibly uncomfortable. Duncan shut the engine off and got out of his SUV, careful not to make too much noise.

He walked around the vehicle and opened the passenger side door. Reaching in, he lifted Thomas
up
and pulled him close to his chest. Duncan closed the door with his foot and carried Thomas inside the house.

Lucky whined softly as soon as he stepped over the threshold. “I’ll be right back,” Duncan whispered.

The puppy’s tail wagged wildly, thumping against the hardwood floor. He didn’t make another sound, just sat there waiting for Duncan to return. Duncan wasn’t sure how it was possible, but the animal seemed to understand every word he said.

Duncan walked up the stairs. With each step, he glanced down at Thomas, hoping he wasn’t jostling the young man too much. When he reached the master bedroom, Duncan laid Thomas down on the bed. He stood there for a moment, staring down at the Thomas as he slept. Duncan was so mesmerized by Thomas’s angelic features that he couldn’t look away.

After several minutes, Duncan reached out and started unbuttoning Thomas’s dress shirt. He removed the material, pulling each arm free before working on his slacks and shoes. Once Thomas was naked, Duncan pulled the blanket up and tucked him in.

Turning on his heel, Duncan strolled toward his closet. He opened the double doors and stripped down, hanging up his tuxedo before doing the same with Thomas’s. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. He took off his watch and placed it on the shelf beside the others. A little black box caught his attention, and Duncan flipped the lid open. Nestled in soft plush velvet was a silver Claddagh ring.

Pulling out the ring, Duncan admired the antique piece of jewelry that had been in his family for many generations. He glanced toward the bed and wondered what the ring would look like on Thomas’s finger. If he were to propose, how would Thomas respond?

Lucky let out a series of sharp barks, and Duncan put the ring on his pinky finger before quickly exiting the bedroom.

“I’m coming,” he whispered as he jogged downstairs. “I’m sorry. I know you were waiting for me.”

Reaching inside the playpen, Duncan picked Lucky up. He held the puppy against his chest as he strode toward the back door. Flicking the lock, he opened the sliding door and stepped outside. Duncan sat down on the porch and put Lucky on the ground. As soon as his little paws touched the floor, he was off. Duncan smiled as he watched Lucky run around, stretching out his legs.

Duncan pulled the ring off his pinky and rolled it between his thumb and finger. Thomas was in the forefront of his mind, consuming his thoughts. What did the future hold for them? Shaking his head, Duncan pushed the ring back on his finger. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Slowly rising to his feet, Duncan whistled, and Lucky came running.

“Come on, buddy.” Duncan opened the door. “I’m tired.” He picked Lucky up and closed the door behind them, locking the door. “We’ll take you to the park tomorrow.” He put Lucky inside the playpen. “Get some sleep.”

Duncan marched upstairs. He pulled the blankets back and climbed into bed beside Thomas. Duncan moved in close, spooning his lover. After wrapping his arms around Thomas, Duncan removed the ring from his pinky.

He lifted Thomas’s left hand and placed the ring on his ring finger
with the point of the heart toward the fingertips, showing that they were engaged.
The silver band fit perfectly.

What would Thomas say when he realized he was wearing Duncan’s ring? Would he accept his proposal? His heart pounded a little faster, and his stomach churned as nervous energy flooded his system. He only hoped Thomas would say yes.

Thomas yawned and stretched before opening his eyes. He blinked several times, clearing the fog from his mind. Thomas rolled over and frowned when he realized he was in bed alone. Groaning in disappointment, Thomas sat up and looked around.

“Duncan?” Thomas called out.

He’d started to climb out of bed when he noticed a ring on his finger. Holding up his left hand, Thomas stared at the silver band on his left ring finger in surprise. A pair of hands held a heart with a crown. He recognized the design immediately. It was a traditional Irish ring that represented love, loyalty, and friendship.

“Will you?”

Thomas jerked his head up and stared at Duncan. The other man was casually leaning against the doorframe, holding an iced coffee from Starbucks.

“What?” Thomas asked, confused.

Duncan walked into the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the mattress beside Thomas and placed the coffee on the side table.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

“The ring,” Thomas whispered.

“I put it on you last night while you were sleeping.” Duncan took Thomas’s hand. “I know that we haven’t known each other long, but truthfully, you’re the man that I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Thomas ran his finger over the surface of the ring. He couldn’t believe the ring was on his finger. It felt as if he was wearing Duncan’s mark. “It’s beautiful.”

“I’m waiting for an answer, love.”

Duncan looked nervous and uncertain. It was the first time since meeting that Thomas had seen Duncan look vulnerable. His emotions were written all over his face.

“Yes,” he said automatically. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Duncan’s face transformed instantly. He smiled brightly and leaned forward, taking Thomas’s lips in a possessive kiss.

Thomas’s heart soared. His eyes filled with moisture, and his lips quivered. His mate wanted to get married. This had to be the happiest day of his life, but that feeling was quickly followed by misery.

He couldn’t change what he’d already done. But was it really so horrible? The only thing he’d reported to the FBI was the shipment at the dockyard. The authorities couldn’t link the weapons to Duncan. He wouldn’t talk to the other agent again. His conscious wouldn’t allow him to report anything else to Agent Palmer, not now. If the human agencies wanted dirt, they would have to dig it up themselves. Thomas was done. Now, he just had to figure out how to tell Duncan the truth.

The truth
. He wasn’t Thomas Doyle. He was a fox shifter and an agent with the FPA. He’d been recruited by Interpol, Scotland Yard, and the FBI to go undercover because he was Duncan’s type. He was supposed to get close and report back on any illegal activities.

Thomas pulled back from the kiss. He pulled his lower lip into his mouth and bit down. His confession sat heavily on his tongue, ready to break free. But as he looked into Duncan’s beautiful blue eyes, Thomas couldn’t speak.

“Don’t cry, love.” Duncan wiped his thumb along Thomas’s cheek, removing the tears.

Duncan’s face blurred as more tears filled Thomas’s eyes, falling down his cheeks. “I…” He cleared his throat. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Duncan placed a chaste kiss on his lips. “Why don’t we go out today? I’ll show you around Belfast. We can visit the botanic gardens and have lunch at a café nearby. We’ll stay in the dog-friendly area so that Lucky can join us. What do you think?”