Chapter 2
I f Alric Burkhard was fate’s way of giving him a hell of a send-off before entering a lifetime of boredom and monotony, Cameron would take it.
The man was simply stunning. While not tall, he had lovely broad shoulders and what looked to be a very fit body under all those expertly tailored clothes.
He had the classic hard jaw, strong nose, and chiseled features of a European fairy tale prince.
His thick hair had a perfect wave, and the dark locks were lightly sprinkled with grey.
Cameron had to fist his hands at his sides to keep his fingers from running through it. That hair demanded to be touched.
But really it all came down to his eyes.
Deep, piercing blue. The kind of blue he could just fall into and never find his way out of again.
His eyes even had this strange gold ring around the iris that seemed to shimmer, but that had to be a trick of the light.
The summer sun was beating down on them and even Cameron felt warm at last.
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 Allg?uer 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.
“I think you may be hungry again,” Alric teased.
To Cameron’s disappointment, Alric straightened, releasing him so that Cameron could step free of him.
The moment Cameron was away from the strength and power of Alric’s frame, he felt decidedly cooler.
Granted, summer weather in the Alps wasn’t exactly warm to begin with.
Cameron had felt barely warm most of the day.
It wasn’t that which made him feel bereft.
It was something else. Alric’s release of him left a sort of echo…
a disconnect. Certainly not as safe. Something in his animal brain demanded he move back into Alric’s arms.
But that was just silly. Alric was a stranger. A handsome, protective stranger, but still a stranger. Maybe he did need to eat.
“Would you have dinner with me? I know a place the locals enjoy. Another hole-in-the-wall that would get us away from most of these crowds,” Alric offered.
“Are you sure? I feel like I’ve monopolized your entire day.
” Cameron wavered. He was torn over the words even as they left his mouth.
He’d been enjoying his day with Alric and didn’t want to see him go just yet, but maybe it was for the best. He wasn’t thinking clearly at all where the man was concerned.
Some distance would help him remember why he’d come to Europe in the first place.
“I’ve enjoyed showing you my home. It’s reminded me why I love it and have lived here so long. Please, a quiet dinner will help to refresh us both.”
Okay, so maybe somewhere a little quiet away from the noises and crowds did sound like a slice of heaven. He didn’t mind people, but a day spent in the middle of many thousands of them was starting to wear on him.
“That’d be great.”
Alric reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
He hit a number and lifted it to his ear.
The conversation was quick but sounded polite in comparison to telling the other man off.
Cameron just wanted to watch him, admiring his confidence and the sense of authority rolling off him.
It was nice. He was tired of people his own age who came off with a smug, know-it-all attitude.
Alric’s quiet confidence was from years of experience.
Was he older than Cameron had first thought?
He’d thought maybe mid-thirties, but was he older, like in his forties?
Maybe it was the dark suit and tie that still appeared perfect despite the day of being jostled by the crowd. He couldn’t picture Alric in jeans and a T-shirt. Though, he wished he could picture the man naked.
Not that Cameron was looking for a Daddy. He was quite capable of managing his life on his own. He didn’t need anyone doing anything for him.
But there was no denying that it was nice to just relax and let someone else handle things for a little while.
The conversation was over in a few seconds, and Alric was returning his phone to his pocket. He looked at Cameron with a small smile and warmth in his dark eyes. “Shall we?”
“Who was that?”
“A friend. I asked him to go ahead of us and make sure a quiet table is reserved.”
“The owner won’t mind?”