“Damn right,” I said, pulling Oliver up for a kiss. Our pet melted into it, needy and compliant. I deepened the kiss without thinking, angling his chin, savoring the way his mouth opened for me so easily.
God.
Hudson’s hand slid up Oliver’s spine possessively, but I barely registered it. I was distracted by the plushness of Oliver’s lips and the sound he made when I caught his bottom lip between my teeth and bit down.
He tasted like sweat and salt and desire.
I might have stayed there longer if not for the awkward, strangled sound from in front of us.
Sam cleared his throat.
I let my lips brush Oliver’s one last time before I pulled back slowly, resting my forehead against his for a second.
Then I looked over.
Sam shifted in the chair, metal scraping against concrete. His eyes flicked between the three of us.
“Uh,” he said, voice cracking slightly. “So… can I go now?”
The question hung there.
Hudson barked out a laugh.
I followed a second later, the sound dragging out of my chest.
Sam’s face twisted. “What? What are you laughing at?”
Hudson straightened, one hand still resting lazily on Oliver’s hip. “You think this was a demonstration you get to walk away from?”
Sam swallowed nervously. “You said you wanted me to learn. I learned. I’ll never go near him again, never see him. I promise.”
I tilted my head, studying him like he’d just said something fascinatingly stupid.
“We did want you to learn,” I agreed.
“And you did,” Hudson added smoothly.
“Then what’s the—”
“Only dead men,” I interrupted calmly, “get to see Oliver like that.”
The color drained from his face.
Silence pressed in around us.
“But… I’m not dead…” he said, trying for logic, trying for reason.
Hudson’s smile widened slightly. “Not yet,” he said.
Sam’s breathing picked up, shallow and rapid. “No, no, no—wait—I didn’t do anything! I didn’t know. I swear to God, I didn’t know!”
I stood slowly, helping Oliver to his feet with me. He swayed, exhausted, but leaned instinctively into Hudson when my brother steadied him.
“Exactly,” I said.
Sam blinked. “Exactly what?”
“You didn’t know,” I replied.
