Emilio chuckled, shaking his head. “Whatever for?”
“For not doing that sooner.”
Emilio’s mouth twisted as he bit back a smile. “You’re forgiven.”
Olivier had always been naturally greedy, unable to stifle his desires once they’d made themselves known, and now that he’d allowed himself to indulge in Emilio, he was certain he’d never be satiated. He was already longing for more, his lips itching to close the space between them once again.
But he didn’t have to.
Emilio pushed forward, cupping the back of Olivier’s head with surprising firmness, and placed his lips upon Olivier’s once more. There was an intensity to it, adesperation, that had Olivier’s head spinning. A heat erupting deep within his belly.
Olivier had always known Emilio as softness and comfort and tenderness—but he was quickly realizing that there was more to Emilio. He was also passion and heat andwanting. There was an almost bossy quality to Emilio’s kisses that had Olivier giggling into his mouth, which only made Emilio deepen his kiss, swiping his tongue over Olivier’s bottom lip with surprising assertiveness.
“Emilio Córdova,” Olivier whispered hoarsely. He pulled back, just enough to look into Emilio’s warm brown eyes. “I thought you were supposed to be a nice boy.”
“Iamnice.” Emilio batted his eyelashes with feigned innocence. “I’mverynice.” He arched a brow before slowly bringing his mouth down onto Olivier’s neck. He planted a bruising kiss, teeth scraping against skin. “You don’t think I’m nice,Olivier?” Emilio spoke Olivier’s name as though he were saying something profoundly filthy, with a huskiness that had Olivier praying to whoever was listening that he’d have enough self-control not to pass out right then and there.
“You”—Olivier swallowed, heat rising to his cheeks—“are certainlysomething.”
Emilio chuckled. “You want to know what I am?”
Olivier nodded.
God, yes.
Emilio pulled back. When he met Olivier’s eyes, the teasing glint was gone, replaced by something more tender. More sincere.
“I’m yours,” he whispered.
Olivier let out a breathy sigh. He was certain that if there was one thing he could never forget, one thing that could withstand the Forgetting’s cruel punishment, it wasthismoment. This memory. Those two beautiful words slipping out of Emilio’s beautiful lips. He would never forget.
Never.
Olivier had leaned in closer when…
“Shit—”
A collection of startled gasps and shrieks of surprise echoed a few yards ahead. Olivier whirled at the sudden commotion, only to find the entire group standing there, eyes wide and mouths agape.
“I’m not looking!” Masika slapped her hands over her eyes. “I can’t see anything. I didn’t see anything. I don’t even know what you two look like.”
Dina let out a cackle of laughter. “Oh, I saweverything. In vivid detail.”
Analisa, who was cradling Benji in her arms, placed her hands over the creature’s eyes. “Apologies.” She giggled. “We came to fetch you.”
Olivier rubbed his face and willed the heat in his cheeks to subside. Next to him, Emilio blushed a deep shade of red and glanced down at his shoes.
“And what, pray tell, was so important that youallhad to come get us?” Olivier asked with a lilt of impatience.
Catherine stepped forward, map in one hand and her spear in the other.
“We think we found our next clue.”
The decrepit house rose from the forest floor like the skeleton of a fallen beast, its gabled roofs piled with powdered snow. It stood at the center of a clearing, surrounded by thick pine trees. Various turrets jutted out from the sides of the house, an array of arched windows adorning the front. But even from where Olivier stood, he could tell that some of the windows were cracked, splintered glass trailing up the surface like a spiderweb. Broken panels dangled from the structure, chunks of dark wood scattered on top of the snow in haphazard piles.
“Let me guess…” Dina muttered. “We’re supposed to enter the creepy, abandoned building?”
Catherine stared down at the map in her hands, a slight furrow in her brow. “Looks like it.”
