Yes, Alric was the whole delectable package, and Cameron’s libido wanted to unwrap him.
Not that he would.
Cameron didn’t jump into bed with random hot, older German strangers.
Even though it would be so wonderful if he did.
Clenching his teeth, he barely held back a growl at his own circling thoughts. Cameron was backpacking his way across Europe as a way to expand his horizons, lock down some good memories, and explore the world. This was not a sleep-his-way-across-Europe vacation.
Although, for Alric he might make an exception. He just had one burning question he needed an answer to.
Why was the sexy German hunk paying even the slightest bit of attention to him?
That’s what didn’t make any sense. Alric was charming, obviously, as Cameron kept getting sucked into the man’s pace. He found himself following without really questioning why. But what about Cameron had cemented Alric’s attention? He was just another American backpacker, hoping to find something of himself in all the ancient beauty. Maybe have a small adventure or two. Meet some interesting people.
And he’d definitely accomplished two of the three. That Ravi guy was certainly interesting, if a little crazy. He’d caught only a fraction of what the man was saying, but it was something about dragons and magic. Or something. Possibly not too surprising considering he was weaving through the first day of the Dragon Festival in Sonthofen.
His sister had tried to convince him to linger in Munich for another few days to enjoy the festival in the much larger city, but Cameron was done with oppressively large crowds and cities. He was anxious to get up into the nearby mountain ranges, renowned for their hiking trails.
The Allgäuer Hochalpen were rumored to be one of the last places on Earth the dragons had been spotted. Not that he was expecting to see a dragon soaring over his head when he reached one of the peaks. The last of the dragons had supposedly died out at the end of the war, but it would be interesting to soak in what they’d seen as they’d flown over the mountains and valleys.
And listening to Alric had made it all seem so much more real than it had ever been to him before. His family was full of old stories about mages and dragons. But then, his halmeoni—his grandmother—was most definitely off her rocker. Naturally, his twin sister Cassie believed every word of it, but not Cameron. There were no dragons or mages left in the world. Magic had died with the war.
If not, then it lived on only in the sound of Alric’s voice. It was the only way Cameron could explain losing hours of the day with this man. The Holzar-Schlemmer-Alm was the perfect hole-in-the-wall pub that wasn’t too crowded with people seeking a break from the throng and noise. They’d shared platters of food Cameron couldn’t even repeat the name of, but it didn’t matter. The spices and flavors dancing across his tongue were astounding.
Refueled, they headed back into the festival, wandering among the stalls and stopping to see performances here and there. Alric was his own personal tour guide, translator, and historian. He murmured endless secrets and little-known facts in his ear.
Shouting and laughter broke above the general noise of the festival. Cameron looked up in time to see a large, blond man jogging directly toward him while he was talking to someone over his shoulder. There wasn’t enough time to react or even move. Cameron just tensed, waiting for all three-hundred-plus pounds to plow right into him.
But instead of a crushing weight, a strong arm snaked around his waist and spun him out of the way. He blinked and found himself cuddled against Alric’s chest while the older man placed his body between Cameron and the would-be linebacker. Alric absorbed most of the hit, and Cameron hated to admit that he sighed like a Disney princess. It wasn’t just that Alric was sexy as hell, but he was also protective and smelled amazing. Cuddled against Alric for that brief moment, Cameron inhaled deeply, images of wonderfully warm, sunbaked stones and bread fresh out of the oven dancing through his head.
Alric glared over his shoulder at their near assailant before barking something at the man in angry German. Cameron’s grasp of the language didn’t extend much beyond asking directions, asking for the bathroom, and ordering food, but he didn’t need to be fluent to guess at what Alric was saying. The man paled and uttered a quick apology before hurrying away.
Those blue eyes turned their laser-like focus entirely on him. His face was a mask of intense concern that caused Cameron’s heart to stutter in his chest. “Are you alright?”
Cameron hummed softly, still enjoying the feel of Alric holding him close. “You smell like bread,” he murmured before his brain finally caught up with his tongue. Cameron blinked, replaying the moment in his head. Yep, he sounded like a freaking idiot, but he wasn’t going to complain because it brought the most wonderful surprised smile to Alric’s lips.