James’s response was nothing more than a satisfied hum as I leaned in for a kiss. Our lips met, my tongue darting out to mingle with his. He opened up for me.
And, of course, the office door opened.
“God, I’vegotto stop barging in on the two of you.” It was Shi, and they were… sniffling? “I’m sorry.” Before either of us could get a word out, they left, snapping the door shut behind them. Shortly after, the back entrance to the bar slammed.
James and I shared a look, and then we scrambled to our feet. We followed Shi’s path, and it didn’t take much—only soft sobs—for us to figure out where they’d gone. They hid behind the back door, starting when they saw us.
“I’m sorry,” they repeated. “I heard the door open and close and thought the office was empty. I needed a minute, and I can’t keep hogging the bathroom.”
Shi didn’t bother hiding their tears anymore. They flowed down their cheeks faster than they could wipe them away. My instinct was to grab Shi, take them into my arms, and protectthem from the world. If the hand James had on my back was anything to go by, he picked up on it.
“What’s wrong, Shiloh?” His voice was calm, soothing. “Are you safe right now? Did your brother hurt?—”
“Please.” A snotty laugh bubbled through the tears. “I’mmore dangerous than he is.”
One thing I quickly learned about Shi was that if I kept my mouth shut long enough, they would open up to me. So I waited. The bitter January wind flurried around us. Shi and I both shivered, but I refrained from touching them—not until they said so. James clenched the back of my shirt, seeming to struggle with the same restraint.
Shi opened their mouth to speak, but the back door opened, cutting them off.
Kian poked his head out, looking relieved to see the three of us. “I need help,” was all he said.
I interrupted James before he could jump into action. “I’ve got it.” I leaned in, whispering in his ear. “They clung toyou,before. They trust you. Talk to them.”
I didn’t give him a chance to argue, following Kian inside. If our attraction to Shi was going to turn into anything real, James needed to work through his insecurities about them.
“I’ve never evenheardof a Black Pearl,” Kian said, flustered.
I laughed. “That’s because nobody makes it outside of Disney World. It’s basically a glorified Long Island.” I nodded at the customer in question as I ducked under the partition. “When in doubt, don’t be scared to google. You wouldn’t be the first and you definitely won’t be the last.”
Just as we finished up, James appeared next to the bar, summoning me with a brief nod. “Can you stay with Kian while I take Shiloh home?”
“Of course. Is everything okay?”
I heard sniffling from the hallway before the office door clicked shut, but I couldn’t see Shi from where I stood.
James lowered his voice further. “Yeah. They said they’ll explain everything later.”
“Don’t rush back. I’ll close up.”
“You sure?”
“Of course.” I leaned in, planting a kiss on James’s lips and urging him down the hallway. “I’ll see you at home.”
After searching my face for any hint of reluctance—he didn’t find any—James offered Kian a wave goodbye and disappeared down the hallway.
Chapter 10
When James saidhe was taking Shiloh home, I didn’t think he meantourhome. So imagine my surprise when I saw his car in our driveway. Not that Shi’s presence bothered me, of course, but the sight that met me when I walked into the house blew me away… and left me a bit confused.
Every blanket and pillow that we owned had been dragged into the living room. They were piled on the floor in front of the TV, and James sat with Shiloh’s head in his lap. Shiloh had changed their clothes, and nothing they wore belonged to them: the shirt was mine, and the pants were James’s.
I tried to tamp down the flush of desire at seeing Shi in our clothes, but my mouth practically watered at the sight. On the couch, Carlos gnawed on a bone contentedly, only bothering to look up at me to make sure I wouldn’t take it away.
“He had a weapon!” Shi defended, gazing up at me from James’s lap.
“It was the only way James would come in the house, wasn’t it?”
Shi snickered and, try as he might, James couldn’t achieve a glare at them. It felt good to hear them laugh after seeing them cry.
