Otis seemed pleased enough with the answers he was getting so far. Then, once more, he changed tack. “What do you have against Jackie?”
He had a feeling that saying something such as that man might be part of a human trafficking ring and I’m investigating just that wouldn’t be wise. So, he opted for something else. “He’s a rat.”
“A rat?” Otis seemed abnormally astounded by that characterization of the person in question. “He seems to me more like a tomcat. And he knows how to dance.”
“You don’t say,” Hudson said dryly.
“If Jackie is a rat, what animal are you?”
Good. They were doing some childish quiz. “I have no idea. I haven’t thought about it.”
“I think you’d be a huge dog,” Otis supplied the answer for him. “No. Maybe a wolf. No, that’s not good, either. I think you’d be a wolf master,” he concluded.
Hudson closed his eyes for a moment. Outside, the rain still raged on. He could play with Otis for a bit longer. “A wolf master?”
“Or just a dog trainer,” Otis supplied and giggled. It had to be because of the alcohol still in his system.
“What about you? Are you a kitten, maybe?” Hudson played along. And then, he leaned toward Otis again, eager to smell his scent and feel his body heat. “Or a puppy?”
The mysterious unique eye set on him. “If I’m a puppy, will you put a leash on me?”
Okay. That was enough playing for now. Hudson straightened up and tried hard to ignore the tightness in his pants. This kind of conversation with his innocent, yet very daring, neighbor was very dangerous. As cool as he had been over the last few weeks, all business and no play, being close to this beautiful being was enough, and he was turning into a playful dog. Yes, that comparison was right; he was a complete dog, and a horny one, there was not that much blood left in his brain to keep it functioning since it was busy going somewhere else.
Damn, the image of Otis wearing nothing but a thin leather collar was going to haunt him for many nights. “I think I can drive us both home now,” he said and put his hands on the wheel.
***
His eyes kept closing. He didn’t realize that he was resting his face against the window inside Hudson’s car until he was shaken gently to wake up. “I’m not sleeping,” he said right away.
His denial was met by a low chuckle. Was that how sexy people laughed? He needed to work on that, too.
“Not yet. But you will be soon. In your bed,” Hudson said, as if he needed to use that much redundant information.
“Yes, in my bed,” he repeated in a perfunctory manner.
The rain had turned into a soft drizzle, so he shuddered after he got out of the car. Hudson threw an arm around him and pushed him gently toward the apartment building. “Sorry, I don’t have an umbrella.”
“Summer rains are unpredictable,” Otis murmured and then realized that he had repeated what he had said earlier, like a parrot. Maybe his animal alter-ego was some creature between a crane and a parakeet. That would explain certain things.
“Come on, puppy, before we get wet,” Hudson urged him on and breathed warmly over the crown of his head.
As they stepped into the elevator, it felt as if meeting his new neighbor had happened long before and not only a few days ago. That was an odd feeling, certainly not unpleasant, but unexpected nonetheless. He sensed his lips quirking into a smile, as his body still felt partially boneless because of the last traces of alcohol in his system, without a doubt.
“Something funny?” Hudson leaned into him, crowding his space.
According to books on human behavior which he sometimes read to get more in touch with humans in general and understand them better, that kind of move could easily be interpreted as intimidation and a sort of territorial display. The elevator space definitely didn’t qualify in any way, shape or form as Hudson’s territory, and Otis didn’t feel intimidated, either. So, it had to be something else.
“I was thinking that it feels as if I’ve known you since forever,” Otis replied honestly. “Isn’t that strange?”
Hudson caressed his cheek briefly. “You know what?” he whispered. “I don’t think it’s strange at all.”
The elevator stopped at their floor that moment, interrupting their conversation. Hudson stepped out and held the door for Otis, who followed with a polite nod and murmured thanks. His grandma would have liked Hudson a lot, despite his scary tattoos and overall rough demeanor. It had to be one of those cases when the old adage of not judging a book by its cover held more truth than usual. However, Otis had to say that he liked the cover just as much and breathed in Hudson’s scent while moving past him.
A low chuckle coming from the other made him giggle again. The way Hudson did that was tickling him on the inside. He’d have to learn that trade. It was impossible for men not to fall at Hudson’s feet if they only heard that sound. Wasn’t it nice to be that attractive? Still, Otis had high hopes of his education. Some skills could be learned, right? Especially from an excellent teacher like his dangerous-looking neighbor.
Hudson escorted him to his door, pressing a hand against the small of his back, a simple gesture that felt so comforting. They stopped in front of it, and Otis began rummaging through his brain for the right words to say as goodbye until their next encounter.
Once more, Hudson showed who was the more experienced in dealing with humans in general, and such situations in particular. He moved closer, tipped Otis’s chin up gently, and kissed him featherlike. “Good night, Otis. Don’t let the bed bugs bite your lovely ass.”
Wow. He had no words. If he told someone — a potential date — the same words, would that date swoon the way he felt like swooning at that moment? Hudson’s touch lingered as the man moved away, still looking back at him over his shoulder a couple of times before he reached his door.
“Good night,” he said loudly and waved, realizing that he hadn’t said one word back, which was a very impolite thing to do.
Hudson smiled at him and winked before stepping inside his apartment. Otis waited until the door to 505 closed and then hurried into his place. He had a lovely ass, according to Hudson! He hadn’t thought of that part of his anatomy in such terms, but if a man like that praised his behind, it had to be at least a little true.
Otis pressed his back against the closed door and allowed the rush of pleasure to course through him. Ah, now he remembered. He stared into the large mirror he had left there, just leaning against the wall and said, “Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?”
He giggled as he noticed how flushed his face looked. Of course, he should have asked something like that, but, in the heat of the moment — and heat was a very good word to describe the situation because he felt hot all over now — his memories of such phrases must have gotten all jumbled.
He had to buy coffee and figure out a way to make it with his meager means for preparing anything in his apartment. Or he could make it at work and then store it in a thermos and bring it home. He would make a fresh cup every day and take it home until Hudson said ‘yes’ to that question.