Hudson said nothing for two beats. “That’s a good answer, Otis. I’ll take it.”
He was serious. No matter how weak the dome lights inside the car were, Otis believed that he could read that handsome face well.
***
Interfering in this young man’s life in such an intrusive manner was in no shape or form in his job description, and yet, here he was, trying to protect Otis from the likes of Jackie and the people at that club without coming across as an arrogant impossible prick. The most astonishing thing about the situation was the way Otis actually helped him reach that goal without any moaning and groaning, which he had expected from the get-go.
No, Otis placed his faith in him for reasons Hudson couldn’t well fathom, and that kind of trust was beyond endearing. It was dangerous if misplaced, and therefore, Hudson very much intended to make Otis understand that he was safe with him. A short look at his pretty neighbor convinced him of another hard truth: danger played on both teams. Never before had anyone placed himself like that in his hands. It felt empowering and more than that.
It felt… exhilarating, a sensation he had seldom experienced in his life. He could easily relate it to what he had felt when having sex for the first time. It was also new, something that settled into his very bones, just as easily as the sight of that gorgeous mysterious blue eye had been etched into his memory forever now.
That was dangerous, too. He had no time for exploring what having such a strange beautiful being in his arms meant. Talking about bad timing. He shook his head as he pondered over it for a moment, and then realized that getting lost in his own head with Otis by his side wasn’t truly an option. A part of him, a deep part of him, wanted to assure Otis that he wasn’t being neglected and never would be.
“So, have you learned anything of value from your little outing?” he asked. Talking about things other than kissing that beautiful mouth until he could no longer breathe was the safest choice.
“I saw two boyfriends kissing,” Otis replied dutifully. “It was quite odd.”
“What was?” Hudson was intrigued. “That they were kissing in public?”
“No. One was the bartender. He gave me two drinks for free. The other was a young man named Danny. He caused some drama and called me–”
“What did he call you?”
“It doesn’t matter. He thought his boyfriend was flirting with me and got mad. It was all a misunderstanding, after all. It appears that Utah–”
“Who’s Utah?” Damn, the investigator in him never slept, it seemed.
“That’s the bartender’s name. But I don’t think that’s his real name. Because it would be quite unusual to be called that. Although it’s a very interesting name. You won’t forget it after leaving the bar.”
“Otis is also an interesting name,” Hudson said with a small smile, only to see again that expression of innocent surprise on his cute neighbor’s face.
“Thank you,” came the dutiful reply.
“Go on,” Hudson encouraged him. It didn’t hurt to learn a thing or two about the bartender. Was he in on the scheme involving the business they were keeping in the back? Or was he just someone playing his part as an employee of the legitimate business?
“Utah accused Danny, that’s the boyfriend, of believing that they were in an open relationship, although they weren’t. What kind of a relationship is an open one?”
“That’s when the two people involved decide to see other people on the side.”
“See them for what?”
“Usually, for sexual satisfaction.”
Otis pursed his lips and seemed to consider. “Utah said he didn’t know. He seemed both upset with Danny but also happy to see him. Why?”
“It must be because he likes the guy and is willing to forgive whatever happened before,” Hudson offered his two cents. “Most relationships between people are not this complicated, Otis.”
“Ours is very simple. Very straightforward,” Otis said, seemingly convinced of the validity of his statement.
“Is that so? What kind of relationship do we have?” Hudson asked.
“You’re my teacher, and I’m your student.”
“Hmm, it sounds like the premise for an illicit relationship,” Hudson said and smiled. Otis was so endearingly cute that he felt the need to play with him like a cat with a toy mouse.
“How so?”
Hudson slid one arm behind the back of Otis’s seat and inched closer. His neighbor had such a soft, beautiful mouth. Just looking at it for a moment made his tongue feel like sandpaper. He wanted more of those lips, that pink tongue in his mouth, everything. The rational part of him told him to pull back, look forward, turn the key in the ignition and take Otis home. No, not his home. Damn, who was he kidding? He felt attracted to this young man like he couldn’t remember ever feeling attracted to anyone. And it wasn’t only sexual, an area where he performed well. No, this time around, he was on shaky ground. It didn’t scare him; on the contrary, it was challenging him, making him want more.
“Because of this,” he eventually replied to Otis’s question and angled his head for another kiss.
Otis pushed his head forward, while the rest of his body still remained stiff. But his mouth was hot and sweet, with a hint of alcohol, and Hudson found himself wanting more. He snuck one hand upward to caress Otis’s cheek and then caught his chin to deepen the kiss.
“See?” he asked in a heated voice he barely recognized as his own. “Student and teacher. Kissing. It should be forbidden.”
“But it’s part of the curriculum,” Otis said and gazed at him so candidly that Hudson had to look away or else something inside him would snap like a twig.
“Is that why you let me kiss you? Because of the curriculum?” Why did he sound like a scumbag right now? What did he have to prove?
“No. It’s,” Otis licked his lips and his eyes went to one side, “because I also find you very attractive.”
Hudson felt a jolt of pride and satisfaction. “Oh, yeah?” he said and grinned, mostly to himself.
“Yes, you have a muscular shape and a very good meat percentage by what I can see of your body.”
Hudson began laughing. It was good to laugh because it took away from the tension rising in his body; it wasn’t the bad kind of tension, but he truly needed to get a grip. “Okay. What else?” he challenged Otis to come up with more compliments about his physical appearance.
“You also have tattoos.” Otis pulled at his sleeves and he appeared to shiver for a moment. Hudson could swear his cute passenger was experiencing some pleasant sensations of his own. “They’re… what do people say? Sexy. They’re very sexy.” At this point, he sounded like he was choking on his own breath.
It wouldn’t be merciful to continue. Otis was attracted to him, and that was the only thing that mattered.
“What other things do boyfriends do?” Otis asked, changing the topic.
Well, he was the young man’s teacher, right? He could give some advice. “A lot of things. Together. Such as going on dates, sharing meals, and so on. And no, open relationships are far from being the norm.” Wow, his knowledge about what boyfriends did together was abysmal. Not from a theoretic point of view, but a practical one. Otis had a bad, bad teacher. He didn’t have to know that just yet.