“Yeah, I deserve that,” Zane murmured as he stroked his fingers along Tys cheekbone. “I might have left a bruise here.”

Ty rolled his eyes. “Of course you did.” Zane leaned down and brushed his lips gently over the abused cheek. Tys eyes fluttered shut, and Zane felt the shiver run through his body.

“Thats better,” Ty whispered, voice gone rough.

“Will you let me stay?” Zane murmured, lips brushing Tys skin.

“I dont let you do anything, Zane,” Ty answered, voice low and dry. His fingers slid into Zanes hair. “But Id really love it if you stayed.”

Zane tipped his head to one side. “As long as you want.” Amusement flashed through Tys eyes. “Youre practically groveling.” Zane hummed in agreement. “Is it working?”

“I am finding you oddly attractive,” Ty deadpanned.

“What can I do to make myself irresistibly attractive?”

Ty glanced up like he was pondering the question. Then he started shaking his head. “No, too many memories of horrible puns.” Zane huffed, feeling a little more of the tension in the air ease. He almost threw back a flippant answer, but instead he said, “Ill give them up, if you want.”

“No you wont,” Ty said with a bark of laughter.

“Id try,” Zane insisted, lowering his arms to curl them around Tys waist.

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Ty rolled his eyes again, grinning now and shaking his head in exasperation. “Christ, Zane, just kiss me already.” Zane did, thankfully, earnestly, letting it soak in that Ty had forgiven him. The unresolved danger still hung over their heads, but for now, Zane had Ty in his arms and wasnt being sent away or left behind.

Ty seemed willing to cooperate, returning the languid kiss as his hands moved under Zanes jacket. It didnt last nearly long enough before he pulled away and patted Zanes hip. “Let me make a phone call, okay?”

Zane nodded and let go, though reluctantly, as Ty sidestepped away from him, going around the counter to the corner of the kitchen where he kept his phone charger. He unplugged the cell phone and turned it on, then dialed and watched Zane as he waited for an answer. It was hard to read Tys expression, and Zane suffered a moments uncertainty, struck with the feeling that he still needed to make amends for something.

Tys conversation was short. “Hey, man. I need to bail on you today.” He looked down as he spoke. “No, everythings fine. I just need to take care of something. Ill catch up with you later, okay? Okay. Bye.”

When he ended the call, he plugged the phone back in, then leaned on the counter to look at Zane expectantly.

Zane resisted the urge to fidget. “Should I… be apologizing again?”

Ty shook his head. “Deuce,” he explained without looking away. “Hes been in town for some shrink thing.” Though Zane was surprised and pleased to hear that Tys brother was in town, he didnt really care at that exact moment. “I dont want to talk about your brother,” he managed to get out, though not quite evenly.

“No?” Ty asked innocently. Finally, that flash of mischief appeared in his eyes. True to form, he was enjoying these last moments of Zanes torture for revenge. He forgave easily, but he didnt exactly forget. “I just cleared my whole day, Garrett. What do you want to talk about?”

Zane knew he was being needled. “Baby,” he pleaded. “Oh, youre pitiful. Fine,” Ty muttered, rolling his eyes as he made his way around the counter. “Let me go find some pants,” he said. He patted Zanes hip on the way to the stairs.

Zane followed close behind, reaching out to pluck at the towel as they climbed the stairs. “You dont need pants,” Zane said, starting to smile. “In fact, you dont even need this.”

Ty turned to look down at him, standing naked on the steps, unruffled. He raised one eyebrow, obviously trying not to smile. “Is that so?”

“That is so,” Zane acknowledged, stopping and smoothing his palm over Tys ass before patting it and nodding up the stairs. Ty huffed at him stubbornly. “Fine. Im sick of weird furniture imprints on my ass, anyway,” he said with a crooked, impish smile. He turned and headed up the steps as he spoke. “There are still people who would like very much to kill us, you know. And co-workers randomly dropping by to make sure were alive.”

Zane shook his head as he followed Ty. “Right now all I care about is you.” Ty stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to look down at him. He stayed there until Zane was just a step below him. “You should try saying that more often.”

Zane looked up to meet his eyes seriously. “I will.” Ty reached out to tug on his hair, then turned and headed for the bedroom. Zane took that as approval of what hed said and smiled, then followed right behind him, not stopping until he stood on the threshold. Leaning there, he watched the lithe flow of his lovers body as Ty yanked the curtains on the balcony doors closed and then turned to Zane in the dimmed room, wearing that smile of his again. Zane figured it could either bode well for him… or very well for him. With a smirk of his own, he knelt and started unlacing one of his boots.

Ty moved around the bed, messing with the covers, digging into the bedside drawer. He certainly didnt have any clothes to get rid of, and Zane caught himself watching instead of unlacing. He jerked one boot off and tossed it aside, then switched knees and started on the other. Maybe hed wear his cross-trainers and start driving the truck a little more, once he got it back, instead of riding the Valkyrie and wearing boots. He knew Ty would approve. Zane glanced up, and Ty raised an eyebrow at him. He was standing beside the bed, waiting patiently. So patiently, in fact, that it was almost suspicious.

Distracted by watching him, Zane slowed as he pulled off the other boot and let it thump to the carpet. “What?”

Ty shook his head. “Just waiting for you, Christmas.” Instead of getting up, Zane waved Ty over. “Cmere.” The bed was handy—Ty could sit and be somewhat in one place, and Zane was on his knees and would be able to touch and watch all he wanted. If Ty cooperated.

Ty moved to stand in front of him and ran one hand into Zanes hair affectionately. Zane smiled and reached up to slide his hands around the backs of Tys thighs. “You watched over me for over a week. Why dont you let me pay attention to you for a while?”

Ty cocked his head and looked down at Zane in bemusement. “I was imagining less talking and more being tackled to the bed when we came up here,” he said wryly as he twirled a lock of Zanes hair around his finger. “Whatd you have in mind?”




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