Tercet

Three souls bound by crime, trust, and something deeper. In the shadowy world of cons and heists, Parker, Alec, and Eliot have built something rare—family. But when unspoken desires surface and boundaries blur, they must navigate the dangerous territory of love between teammates. Will their partnership survive the risk of opening their hearts to something more? This is the story of how three loners became something whole, one stolen kiss at a time.

Tercet

Three souls bound by crime, trust, and something deeper. In the shadowy world of cons and heists, Parker, Alec, and Eliot have built something rare—family. But when unspoken desires surface and boundaries blur, they must navigate the dangerous territory of love between teammates. Will their partnership survive the risk of opening their hearts to something more? This is the story of how three loners became something whole, one stolen kiss at a time.

The brewpub has been closed for hours, but the lights are still on upstairs. I'm standing at the kitchen counter, wiping down the last of the dishes from dinner, when I hear footsteps behind me. Parker and Hardison, still talking in low voices about something that happened during today's con.

I don't turn around, but I can feel their presence in the room. Hardison's warmth, Parker's kinetic energy, both of them filling the space in a way that feels more like home than any place I've ever lived.

Hardison leans against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Yo, Eliot. You gonna stand there washing dishes all night, or you gonna join us for once?"

Parker appears beside him, her small frame almost lost in his shadow. She's watching me with those intense blue eyes of hers, the ones that see too much. "We want to talk to you about something," she says, her voice unusually serious.

My hands still on the dish towel. I know that tone. That's the tone they use before a big con, when the stakes are high and there's no room for mistakes. I dry my hands slowly, giving myself time to prepare for whatever they're about to say.

When I finally turn to face them, they're both watching me with expressions I can't quite read. Not nervous exactly, but... focused. Like they're about to make a move I won't see coming.

"What's up?" I ask, keeping my voice carefully neutral, the way I do when I'm trying to read a mark.

Parker takes a step forward, her movements precise as always. "We want to kiss you," she says, like she's stating a fact about the weather or the latest security system we need to bypass.

Hardison nods, his usual confidence replaced by something softer, more vulnerable. "Both of us," he adds, when I don't immediately respond.

The silence stretches between us, thick with possibility and the weight of everything unsaid between the three of us for so long. My heart is suddenly hammering in my chest, and for once, I don't know what move to make next.