Shiver (Unbreakable Bonds 1)

He was moving pillows around on the king-sized bed when Lucas returned. The bed was comfortable, covered in the softest duvet and sheets Andrei had ever felt. Maybe he would angle to sleep in here. This had to be like sleeping on a cloud.

“What’s with all the pillows?” Andrei demanded as Lucas approached.

“What do you mean? It’s a king-sized bed. It needs lots of pillows.”

Andrei flopped down on the side closest to the door, tucking one pillow against his chest, while two more propped under his head. “I thought only chicks needed this many pillows in the bed.” He glanced over his shoulder at Lucas to find the man glaring at him. “I think you have this many pillows so you don’t have to share your bed.” As he spoke, Andrei grabbed two pillows and threw them off the end of the bed, making more room.

“Let’s see if I can make you scream again,” Lucas said in a low voice, holding up the chilled gel, ready to have his revenge.

Somehow Andrei managed not to jump from the bed like the first time, but he couldn’t hold back the curses as the ice cold gel hit his heated skin. But the worst of it passed and he was able to just enjoy the feeling of Lucas’s hands working the gel into scorched flesh, letting his mind travel back to the reason why Lucas was suddenly in his life.

“I’ve been thinking,” Andrei announced after several minutes of silence. Lucas flinched and stilled. Even though he was touching Andrei with only his hands, Andrei felt the sudden tension in the man. “About your case,” he clarified. Lucas instantly relaxed and resumed his ministrations. “I really don’t like asking this question.”

“Then don’t.”

He paused, glaring at the man over his shoulder. That wasn’t going to stop him. “What happens to everything if you die?”

“Making plans?”

“Fuck you. I’m being serious. You’re not married. No kids. Everything go to your family?”

“God no,” Lucas gasped, his lip curling in disgust. He pushed back to his feet and walked to the bathroom to get a towel.

Andrei sat up in the middle of the bed, his legs folded in front of him. “Then what?” Andrei threw out his hands wide, prompting Lucas when he returned. “You can’t tell me that you’ve amassed this empire and haven’t planned out every detail of it.”

“My shares in Rowe’s company go to him and my shares in Rialto go to Ian.” He grabbed a clean pair of black boxer briefs and pulled them on before coming back to the bed. “I’ve got something set aside for Snow, but other than that, the majority of my holdings will be sold off and the money will be split across several charities that support the city.”

“Have you told anyone about your plans?”

Sitting with his back against the headboard, Lucas frowned, no longer looking Andrei in the eyes.

“What?” Andrei demanded in a low voice, his body tensing as he waited for the answer.

“In an interview with Forbes last year, I admitted that I was part of the Giving Pledge.”

Andrei’s brow furrowed and he shook his head. “What’s that?”

“It’s a pledge started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett where the person agrees to give away at least half of their wealth to charity either during their lifetime or after death.”

“Oh. That’s nice.”

Lucas shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Yeah, well, as you said, not married and no kids. I admitted in the article that the majority of my wealth will go to charities in the city that adopted me.”

“And when they sell it all off, that would include your newly acquired land in Price Hill.” Andrei groaned, dropping his face into his hands.

“Do you think this bastard will go so far as to kill me?”

Andrei dropped his hands and slowly lifted his eyes to Lucas. “No idea. He’s been content to try to scare you so far.” He still refused to think about how close that first bullet had come to where Lucas had been sitting on the couch.

“And piss me off.”

It was hard not to smile at him. Only Lucas would see a guy stalking him and threatening his life and business as an irritation. “But you’ve admitted to being pretty damned stubborn…”

“Whatever,” he growled, getting out of the bed to jerk down the blankets and sheets. “It’s late. We’ll solve this bullshit tomorrow.”

“Right. Thanks for the goop. Night,” Andrei said, still grinning. He started to climb off the bed but Lucas grabbed his wrist in a tight, hard grip, halting him.

“You either sleep in here or you put my fucking pillows back on the bed.”

Andrei froze. For a moment, he simply didn’t know what the right answer was. He hadn’t expected this. Hoped, maybe, if he let himself think about it. Lucas tugged his arm, pulling him off balance so that he leaned close, allowing Lucas to easily brush his lips across Andrei’s. It was a light kiss that sent his heart skipping for a reason other than the burning heat they’d felt earlier. This was…something else.