Hudson nodded. “I wouldn’t worry, love. If Cal catches so much as a hint that Darla is in distress, he will put the fear of God in that man, bear Therian or not. Cal’s small, but he can be intimidating as hell.”

  “Are you kidding?” Julia leaned in and tapped her nail against the table. “If anyone lays a finger on Darla, my boys will be over there so fast the man won’t know what hit him. Well, he will. It’ll likely be Seb’s fist. My boys know violence isn’t the answer, especially with them being tiger Therians, but you push their buttons, and you deserve what you get. Seb has no tolerance for abuse of any kind, and you know how protective he is of his family.”

  Hudson took another sip of his tea. Boy, did he know it. They continued to chat and gossip, drinking copious amounts of tea and then nibbling on biscuits Julia put on the table.

  “I’m so glad you came by,” Julia said, smiling warmly. She placed a hand on his. “I missed this.”

  “I missed you,” Hudson admitted. He took his teacup to the sink and rinsed it off when “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb came on the radio. Julia had told him stories of when she and Thomas dated, how much they loved to get their groove on at the discos. She’d shared pictures with Hudson, images of a twentysomething couple in love, Julia looking fabulous with her Farrah Fawcett hair and bell-bottom jeans, and Thomas with his skintight T-shirt, his feathery hair reaching his ears. They made a stunning couple. Hudson quickly dried his hands on the dish towel before rounding the counter. He took Julia’s hand, walked her away from the table, then twirled her, loving the sound of her laughter.

  “I haven’t danced to this in years.” Julia’s smile was radiant. She was a beautiful woman who hadn’t lost her glow despite the trials and tribulations she’d faced over the years. Hudson clapped his hands in time to the music, bumping his hips into hers. She threw her arms in the air, dancing her way back to Hudson to bump her hips to his. Hudson laughed, giving it all he had as he shimmied around the kitchen before ending in front of her again. She took his hands and turned him, right into something hard.

  Hudson gave a start. “Good Lord.” He put a hand to his chest and let out a shaky laugh. “For heaven’s sake, Sebastian. You scared the life out of me.” Blasted Felids and their stalking.

  Seb chuckled, little wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes. “Don’t stop on my account. Has Mom shown you her funky chicken yet?”

  Julia giggled as she danced over to Seb. She pulled him into the kitchen, and he laughed, shaking his head. “Whatever dance genes you and Dad have were not passed down to me. You both know this.”

  “Nonsense.” She pulled him up to the left of her and held out her other hand to Hudson, who didn’t hesitate in taking it, allowing her to pull him to her right. “Come on, boys. Just like I taught you.”

  They lined up and did the hustle, stepping forward and back in unison. They clapped before pulling a John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, followed by the roll. Hudson couldn’t believe he remembered. Julia had taught him and Seb several moves for a disco-themed wedding they’d attended years ago. Hudson laughed as they started again, keeping in time with the music.

  The first time he’d seen Seb dance, he’d been amazed by the fluidity of his movements. He’d been a little surprised and a hell of a lot turned on. Tiger Therians were large, bulky, and muscular, but Seb was far better at controlling his body than he gave himself credit for. As for dancing, all he had to do was observe and follow along. He picked up the steps quickly, then adjusted them to fit his frame. The movement of Seb’s hips gave Hudson terribly naughty thoughts.

  Soon Thomas wandered downstairs, having used the wheelchair platform lift his sons had installed years ago, to see what the commotion was all about. Julia shimmied to him, and he laughed, the adoration in his eyes unmistakable. She danced around him, and he joined in, clapping along, doing the roll and pointing. Julia murmured something at him, and he grabbed her by the waist. She let out a girlish squeal as he pulled her onto his lap. He whispered in her ear, and she blushed, batting him playfully.

  Seb took Hudson’s hand and twirled him before dipping him, making him laugh.

  “Don’t you dare let me go.” Hudson was going for serious reprimand, but it was cancelled out by the half laugh, half yelp he let out when Seb pretended to drop him. “Sebastian!” Hudson clutched at him, unable to help his giggles. Good Lord, he was giggling. Fine, so he could see why West had reacted the way he had. It was hard not to when Sebastian Hobbs was holding you in his strong arms. His roguish smile should be considered a lethal weapon.

  “Never, lobito,” Seb promised, his voice low and husky as he brought Hudson back up.

  Realization of what he’d said and Seb’s reply had Hudson’s cheeks growing warm. He pretended nothing had happened.

  “Son, could you bring the laundry up for your mom?” Thomas asked, his arms around Julia as he kissed her cheek.

  “Sure thing.” Seb kissed the top of her head before giving his dad a hug. “You two behave yourselves. We have company.”

  Julia batted her lashes innocently. “Us? We’re not the reason the basement had to be soundproofed.” She and Thomas both turned their knowing gazes to Hudson.

  Hudson gasped, his face going up in flames. “Oh my God!”

  Thomas grinned. “Yeah, we heard a lot of that coming from downstairs.”

  “Oh my God!” Hudson clamped a hand over his mouth, mortified. The two broke into laughs and giggles while Seb was of no help at all, cackling his head off. Hudson smacked Seb’s arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Ouch! I didn’t want you to feel embarrassed.”

  “Well, that was a failure of epic proportions. I’m going to strangle you!”

  Seb took off around the counter and out of the kitchen with Hudson darting after him.

  “Get back here so I can wring your neck!”

  “You want me to kneel so you can reach it?”

  “Oh! You… you scoundrel!” Hudson chased him across the living room to the door leading down to the basement game room. Downstairs, Seb ran around the pool table, putting it between him and Hudson. “You told me it was soundproofed so the sound system wouldn’t disturb Thomas.”

  “True, but mostly it’s because everyone could hear you…” Seb let out a low, guttural moan that went straight to Hudson’s cock. Seb gripped the edge of the pool table, his face an expression of pained ecstasy. “Oh God, Seb, yes, please, oh God, yes, right there, do it again, love.”

  Hudson gaped at him, his face all but ready to spontaneously combust. “That’s not…” he sputtered, trying to find the right words. “Your accent is terrible,” he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Seb laughed, rounding the pool table to pull Hudson close. Hudson growled but allowed himself to be pulled into Seb’s embrace. Seb kissed his cheek, his breath tickling Hudson’s ear when he spoke.

  “You made the most beautiful noises when you were under me.”

  Hudson cleared his throat and pointed off behind him. “You should, um, see to the laundry.” He ignored Seb’s chuckle, following him to the large cupboard set in the wall housing the washer and tumble dryer.

  Hudson knew this room well. How many hours had he spent down here with Seb, playing games, laughing, making out like a couple of teenagers, and apparently treating the whole of the household to the sounds of live porn?

  When Thomas was having a rough week or needed extra care, Seb and Hudson would stay at the house to help Julia and offer support. He and Seb would play table tennis, snuggle together to watch a movie, or just lie together on the incredibly comfortable L-shaped couch, murmuring tender endearments while drifting off to pleasant dreams.

  The Hobbs brothers had fixed up the basement not long after Ethan started at the THIRDS. It had quickly become a favorite space, filled with high-tech gadgets, a pool table, an air hockey table, dartboard and darts, a big-screen TV, Blu-ray player, sound system, a bar, several video game consoles, and a couch Hudson wanted to live on. It was plush perfection. The boys had a chairlift installed so Thomas could join them during get-togethers or when he just fancied using the room.

  Hudson leaned against the wall as Seb opened the tumble dryer, his shirtsleeves stretching over his biceps when he reached in to remove clothes and place them in an empty laundry basket.

  “Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it. It made them both so happy,” Seb said, his smile bright as he filled the basket.

  Hudson swallowed past the lump in his throat and turned his gaze to the room. He hadn’t expected this house to still feel like home after all this time. “I missed them,” he admitted.

  Julia and Thomas had been the parents he’d never had, which was a sad statement considering his own parents were alive and well. So much of Julia and Thomas’s behavior had baffled him at first. When one of the boys broke something by accident, Julia would wave it off, her only concern that they hadn’t hurt themselves. No reprimands or talk of how much something cost were forthcoming. Julia never told Ethan he was clumsy or Seb that he should pay more attention to what he was doing.

  The first time Julia hugged Hudson and kissed his cheek, Hudson had frozen to the spot. When Seb asked him what was wrong, Hudson whispered that his parents never hugged or kissed him. Seb had been shocked, then saddened. Hudson hadn’t understood the reaction. He could hardly miss something he never had. Seb asked Hudson if he was okay with it, and Hudson nodded. It would take some getting used to, but it was nice. It was nice how Thomas patted him on the back, a smile on his face as he wheeled by just because he was happy Hudson was there. It wasn’t that Hudson’s parents didn’t love him, because they did, in their own way. They simply never showed affection. It wasn’t who they were. Love was shown in other ways, usually involving money or boasting of achievements to other prominent figures.

  “Lobito? You okay?”

  “I didn’t think it would feel like this. Like I never left,” Hudson replied, sighing before he could stop himself. So many happy memories in this room, a safe den filled with love and laughter. In this room, Hudson had dreamed of one day being married to Sebastian Hobbs, of being husband to a man who was everything Hudson had ever wanted.

  “I know.”

  Seb’s soft-spoken admission snapped Hudson from his thoughts, and he dared to look at Seb, surprised by the love in his stunning green eyes. Why did the man have to be so beautiful, so warm, kind, and damned patient?

  “We had a lot of firsts down here.” Seb pointed in the direction of the TV. “That’s where you kicked my ass at Mario Kart for the first time.” He moved his finger to the air hockey table. “That’s where you kicked my ass at air hockey.” When he moved his finger again, Hudson chuckled. “That’s where you kicked my ass at table tennis. What kind of nerd are you? You’re not supposed to beat the jock at sports.”

  Hudson shrugged. “I was always rather good at sports.”

  Seb pointed to the pool table. “At least I kicked your butt at pool.”

  “Only because you cheated,” Hudson reminded him, arching an eyebrow.

  Seb gasped, a hand going to his chest. “Me? Cheat?” He shook his head. “I won that game fair and square.”

  “Pardon? Fair my arse.” Hudson walked over to the pool table to stand at the end of it. He leaned in to tap a spot on the table. “Right here. I remember quite clearly. I was one perfect shot away from obliterating you, and you—”

  Seb stepped up behind him and placed his hands to Hudson’s hips, his groin all but pressed up to Hudson’s arse. The power of speech eluded Hudson.

  “That’s right,” Seb said, his voice a husky drawl, folding himself over Hudson’s back, his warm breath against Hudson’s temple. “I remember now. You were bent over, ready to take the shot, and I came up behind you just like this, and you hit the ball so hard it flew off the table and made a big dent in the wall.”

  Hudson swallowed hard. Slowly he drew himself up, Seb following his movement, and Hudson’s body ended up pressed against Seb’s. A shiver racked Hudson, and he closed his eyes. Being in Seb’s arms brought a flood of want through him.

  How many nights had he spent awake in bed, yearning for the man, wishing Seb was at his side, holding him, kissing him? How long would they be paying for their sins? Had it even been a sin? It was a tragedy, one Hudson wished with all his heart hadn’t occurred, but he’d sacrificed his mate, his happiness, the other half of him in penance. Almost seven years. Seven years barely living, going through the motions, attempting to have a semblance of a life, pretending he wasn’t dying a little inside with every passing day. Maybe if they hadn’t bonded, if Seb hadn’t reached into Hudson’s soul and claimed it as his own, then maybe Hudson could have moved on, but simply being around Seb, seeing his smile, had been enough to hold him over, to keep him hoping that one day things would be different. Yet no matter the pain, not once did Hudson regret falling in love with Seb or being marked by him.

  Seb gently turned Hudson to face him, their lives together reflected in his captivating eyes. Hudson put his fingers to Seb’s jaw and the permanent stubble Hudson loved to feel against his bare skin. Seb had a strong nose, square jaw, and thick black eyebrows. His eyes were hooded and his smile crooked. When he laughed, really laughed, a dimple appeared, and he put his heart into his laughter, filling with glee like a little boy. At seven feet tall and three hundred pounds, built of solid muscle, with a fierce tiger Therian lurking inside him, Sebastian Hobbs should have been frightening, and to some he was. Hudson had never felt safer than he did in Seb’s embrace. He’d never felt more loved or cherished.

  “I don’t come down here so much anymore,” Seb murmured, his hands still on Hudson’s waist. His voice was gravelly, a sexy roll of sounds that formed words and promises of worship, and that’s what it felt like to be loved by Sebastian Hobbs. Seb didn’t love halfheartedly. He didn’t hold back or hide a part of himself. He bared his soul, left himself vulnerable to those given the gift of his love.

  “Why?”

  Seb put his hand to Hudson’s cheek, his thumb stroking softly. “Hurts too much.”

  Hudson gingerly put his hands on Seb’s chest, splaying his fingers over the hard pectoral muscles beneath the fabric of Seb’s cotton T-shirt. His mind was awash with memories of Seb’s sculpted body over Hudson’s, pressing him down into the mattress, strong hands caressing Hudson’s neck, Hudson’s legs wrapped around powerful thighs beneath a perfect arse. Hudson’s pleasure was paramount to Seb. He always thought of Hudson before himself, and Hudson had accepted. Nina was right. He’d been selfish, always taking what he needed from Seb, believing he gave enough, that Seb had everything he needed from Hudson, but how could he have everything when Hudson held so much back?

  “I’m sorry,” Hudson said, the words caught in his throat. “I’m so sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For the other night at Dekatria.” For not appreciating you like I should have.

  Seb shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “No. What I did was shameful. Seeking your attention like some scorned juvenile.” Pushing Seb away only to get upset when the man did as asked. It was deplorable.

  Seb blinked at him. “You wanted my attention?”

  Hudson hesitated before nodding, his cheeks burning when Seb lifted Hudson’s face so their eyes could meet. Seb’s voice when he spoke was low and throaty.

  “Baby, you always have my attention. Always. There’s never a time when you don’t have it, even when you’re not around.”

  Hudson sighed heavily. “Why do you have to be so blasted wonderful?”

  “I think Dom would call me something else,” Seb said with a chuckle.

  “You never did know what to do with compliments.” Hudson inhaled Seb’s scent, a mixture of heady male, shower gel, and aftershave. He smelled so damned good it almost had Hudson whimpering. It was unfair. Seb was more than a temptation; he was a walking wet dream of sensual tastes and touches, which Hudson had been blessed to experience.

  “Not when they come from you.”

  Hudson studied him. “What do you mean?”

  Seb covered Hudson’s hands with his, his gaze never faltering. “Because I know you. I know when you’re just being polite and when you’re speaking from your heart. Knowing what you think of me, having you look at me the way you do… it’s breathtaking.” Slowly he bent his head forward, and Hudson dropped his eyes to Seb’s full lips. He remembered how soft they were, how good they tasted. Seb’s tongue exploring his mouth, his body thrumming with desire, radiating heat all because of Hudson. His trousers grew tight, and Hudson closed his hands into fists against Seb’s chest. He’d never wanted anything so badly.

  Hudson’s eyes drifted closed as Seb’s lips brushed over his in a feathery kiss, and Hudson gasped, feeling as though his heart had been electroshocked, beating with life after years of dormancy. Seb dropped his hands, his smile sheepish as he began to pull away.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

  Panic struck Hudson. He grabbed the back of Seb’s neck and fisted his other hand in Seb’s T-shirt as he stood on his toes to press his lips to Seb’s. Seb’s sharp intake of breath left him open to Hudson’s tongue, and he dove in without hesitation, kissing Seb as if Seb were the only source of breath in Hudson’s body. If he didn’t kiss Seb, didn’t taste him, feel Seb’s tongue entwined with his own, he would break. He was so weary of dreaming, yearning for his mate’s touch. It was time he did something about it.

  SIX

  Seb wrapped his arms around Hudson, pulling Hudson up hard against him, their bodies crushed together so tight it was as if they were trying to become one. Hudson melted against Seb, allowing Seb to hold him up. He didn’t trust his own legs at the moment, not when he was filled with the sensation of Seb kissing him. He couldn’t hold back his moan as Seb’s gentle, heated kiss led to Hudson’s mouth being ravished, the hunger and heat threatening to make him combust. Closer. Hudson needed to be closer. He tugged at Seb’s T-shirt like he used to, and Seb reached down, grabbed his arse, and lifted him with ease. He sat Hudson on the pool table’s edge and stepped between his legs so their erections pressed together. Hudson wrapped his legs around Seb’s thighs, in case he had any ideas about moving away.