Thirteen (Otherworld 13)

He pointed past the tent they'd set up as a base. There was a decrepit shed twenty feet away. I glanced around, then cast a quick blur spell over us. When we were behind the shed, Adam caught me up in a big hug. I hugged him back and waited for phase two. When it didn't come, I pulled back to look him in the face. "We're hugging," I said.

"Were you hoping for something else?"

"Um, kinda. Yeah."

He grinned and kissed me. A smack on the lips that lasted about two seconds.

"Better?"

I glowered at him.

He laughed. "Personally, I'm with you on the whole distraction idea, but I have a feeling it's going to be about three minutes before someone notices we're gone and phones us, which really isn't going to help the frustration issue."

"True."

"So this is the best I can offer, as lame as it might be."

"It's not lame," I said and put my arms around him, buried myself in his neck and closed my eyes, listening to the slow beat of his heart, the tension sliding from my back as he rubbed it.

"I was sure I heard them." Paige's voice drifted over.

We disentangled fast, but it was too late. Lucas was right there, with Paige behind him.

Lucas looked from me to Adam. His gaze stayed on Adam.

"We were . . ." Adam began.

"I can see what you were doing." Lucas's voice was so cool I shivered, but it wasn't me he was staring at.

"There's a conference call," Paige said. "Trouble with the Boyds. We'd like Adam to help explain a few things."

"It'

ll be under the tent," Lucas said. Then to Paige. "I should--"

"Good idea."

They exchanged a look, and he walked away, ramrod straight. I felt like I was fifteen again, caught letting a guy in the house while they were out. From Paige, I'd gotten a long talk about personal safety and the expectations that could be raised by inviting a guy into an empty house. From Lucas? Silence. Disappointment, I think, but confusion, too, as if he really had expected better of me. Smarter of me.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Adam said to Paige when Lucas was gone. "I'm really sorry."

Paige had her arms crossed, but she didn't look angry.

"That was stupid," Adam said. "Really stupid."

"Not arguing," she said.

I stepped forward. "It was just a hug."

"Oh, that's not the issue," Paige said. She jerked her thumb at Adam. "He knows the issue."

Adam glanced at me. "I should have told them about us. Responsibility fail. Big responsibility fail."

"Again, not arguing," Paige said.

"I could have told you guys, too," I said.

Adam shook his head. "This one should have come from me." He looked at Paige. "I am sorry. Savannah and I talked, and we agreed you should know. We just . . . with everything . . . we hadn't gotten to it. I know you're not going to be happy about the whole thing--"