Page 94 of Walking in Darkness

Hudson rose from the bed. As Kit watched, Hudson walked into the master bath, and Kit heard the faucet turn on.

A moment later, Hudson returned with a wet washcloth. “I thought you might need this.”

“Yup. One hazard of not using a condom.” Kit loved going bare, but it had its problems. He leaned up as best he could and hurried to the bathroom.

Once in there, he tossed the wet washcloth in the hamper and started the shower. Hudson and Connie joined him. After they showered, they snuggled in bed together.

Kit hardly remembered closing his eyes.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR – HUDSON

SEVERAL DAYS had passed since the meeting Monday night, and things were good—almost too good.

Hudson wondered when the other shoe would drop. He couldn’t shake the feeling something was about to happen. It was the main reason he and Connie had something planned after dinner tonight.

Something big.

They just needed the guest of honor. Once more, he checked his watch. Kit and Beckett should’ve been home ten minutes ago.

“Would you stop?” Connie looked up from his phone and frowned at Hudson. “You know how insane traffic is, and it’s Friday evening to boot.”

“They’re late.”

“Just a few minutes. If you’re that concerned, why don’t you text Kit?”

Hudson was tempted, even though Connie was right—Kit and Beckett really weren’t that late. Plus, he didn’t know what time they’d left the bookstore.

Still, it couldn’t hurt, right? Hudson pulled out his phone, but as he was about to unlock it, he got a text notification. A few seconds later, he chuckled.

“It seems as if Kit picked up my worry through the bond,” Hudson admitted, reading the text. “That was him.”

“It’s getting stronger, isn’t it?”

“It seems so. I’m glad we’re doing the blood exchange.”

“Kit already said he was willing. I don’t think it’s an issue,” Connie said.

Hudson had finally made love to Kit after the meeting of the leaders of San DeLain. They’d also talked about Kit taking their blood. That night had certainly been eye-opening. Hudson’s dragon had taken over. Something that rarely happened. Not only that, but the creature also made it clear he was concerned for Kit.

He thought Kit should take their blood. Hudson had been slightly horrified but unable to stop that side of him. Well, the dragon wasn’t really a side of him—Hudsonwasthe dragon.

If anything, the human façade was that “side” of him, but in this modern age, he spent more time in his human body than as a dragon. Which meant his thinking was more human thanks to that.

Still, his true nature had bubbled to the surface and had been very frank. Kit, fortunately, hadn’t completely freaked out. But it had forced Kit to re-examine his feelings about taking their blood. He’d concluded it wasn’t the actual blood itself.

No, the problem seemed to behowhis blood was taken by Nox. Which wasn’t a concern with Hudson and Connie. Even as persistent as his dragon had been, he knew better than to force the subject.

Which, honestly, was saying something. Guess youcouldteach an old dragon new tricks.

“Pssst. Where did you go? Having a senior moment there, old man?” Connie teased.

Hudson debated bending Connie over the couch arm. Maybe that would show him who was the old man.

“Oh no. Absolutely not. I know that look, and if we start that, none of us will leave tonight.”

Which he’d be all for, but they intended to show Kit their hoards and had a surprise planned. While he was okay having Connie there, sharing space was a no go—for both of them.

It was a dragon thing, which was why starting Saturday morning, a construction crew was coming to add on to the vault where Hudson’s hoard was stashed.

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