fire spread over to hm.
Stephan looked up at him. “Good sex tonight?” he asked with a smirk.
Dirk grinned right back. Another infuriating thing about Stephan was that it didn’t matter how annoyed Dirk was, he could never stay mad at him for too long. “Good sex every night,” he said.
Stephan laughed. “I’ll bet. She looks like she knows what she’s doing.”
“Believe me, she does.”
Stephan picked up the bookmark from the small table between them and closed the book, which the now visible cover revealed to be a collection of short stories by Kafka. Stephan wasn’t one for easy reading, which suited Dirk just fine because he wasn’t either.
“The men have begun to talk,” he said. He didn’t seem mad about it.
Dirk frowned. “You think they know?”
Stephan arched a blond eyebrow. “Well, you’re being anything but subtle, my friend.”
Dirk smiled sheepishly. “I suppose I’m not.” He thought it over for a moment. “I suppose I should put an end to it then.” He didn’t like that notion. He didn’t like it at all .
“Why?” Stephan asked. He looked genuinely surprised.
“What do you mean?” Dirk said. “I can’t imagine anyone would be very happy that I’m having sex with our prisoner. It might undermine my authority in their eyes.”
Stephan stared at him. And then, out of nowhere, he burst out laughing.
Dirk scowled, surprised and even a little offended. “What?” he said, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.
“Are you kidding me?” Stephan said when he had composed himself enough that he could speak again. “You’re a fucking hero to everyone.”
Dirk blinked, taken aback. “I am?”
“Look, buddy,” Stephan was still chuckling, “I may be gay, but I ain’t blind. I can see just how desirable she is. She’s probably one of the most intriguing, beautiful women I’ve ever seen. And everyone else thinks so, too. They’re all jealous.”
“Oh.” Dirk couldn’t help the stupid, proud grin that came to his lips then. He was still a man, after all; he couldn’t help but feel proud of his conquest.
“Just don’t make a mystery of it, all right? Brag a little. Things are tense enough around here; we all could do with a good story.”
“You think?” Dirk asked.
“Oh, yeah. Besides,” Stephan said, stretching languidly, “all of your sneaking around is making the men feel alienated. It’s about the last thing we need, given our current situation.”
Dirk paused. He had not thought of it that way. He heaved a fake sigh. “Well then, if it’s for the good of the club, I’ll make the sacrifice and talk largely about my sexual prowess.”
Stephan grinned. “You do that.” He hesitated. “Still not falling for her, are you?”
Dirk rolled his eyes. “No, Stephan. I’m not falling for her.” Believe me, I’m doing everything I can to make sure that I don’t.
Stephan nodded. “Good.”
They sat in companionable silence for a while.
“Stephan?” Dirk called out after quite some time had passed.
“Hm?” Stephan replied distractedly, his hazel eyes staring deep into the fire, as if it contained the answers to each and every mystery of the universe.
“How much longer do you think this will go on?” Dirk looked over at him. “Surely Ruiz will be on the move soon.”
Stephan sighed heavily. He ran a hand tiredly across his face. “Beats me,” he admitted.
It wasn’t often that Stephan Walker admitted to not know what was going on, and every time that happened, it sent a chill down Dirk’s spine.
“It’s not like him,” Stephan said.
“No, it’s not,” Dirk agreed darkly.
“We should start keeping a sharper eye on your friend,” Stephan said after a moment.
Dirk frowned in confusion. “Why’s that?”
Stephan turned his head to look at him. “She’s getting
Stephan looked up at him. “Good sex tonight?” he asked with a smirk.
Dirk grinned right back. Another infuriating thing about Stephan was that it didn’t matter how annoyed Dirk was, he could never stay mad at him for too long. “Good sex every night,” he said.
Stephan laughed. “I’ll bet. She looks like she knows what she’s doing.”
“Believe me, she does.”
Stephan picked up the bookmark from the small table between them and closed the book, which the now visible cover revealed to be a collection of short stories by Kafka. Stephan wasn’t one for easy reading, which suited Dirk just fine because he wasn’t either.
“The men have begun to talk,” he said. He didn’t seem mad about it.
Dirk frowned. “You think they know?”
Stephan arched a blond eyebrow. “Well, you’re being anything but subtle, my friend.”
Dirk smiled sheepishly. “I suppose I’m not.” He thought it over for a moment. “I suppose I should put an end to it then.” He didn’t like that notion. He didn’t like it at all .
“Why?” Stephan asked. He looked genuinely surprised.
“What do you mean?” Dirk said. “I can’t imagine anyone would be very happy that I’m having sex with our prisoner. It might undermine my authority in their eyes.”
Stephan stared at him. And then, out of nowhere, he burst out laughing.
Dirk scowled, surprised and even a little offended. “What?” he said, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.
“Are you kidding me?” Stephan said when he had composed himself enough that he could speak again. “You’re a fucking hero to everyone.”
Dirk blinked, taken aback. “I am?”
“Look, buddy,” Stephan was still chuckling, “I may be gay, but I ain’t blind. I can see just how desirable she is. She’s probably one of the most intriguing, beautiful women I’ve ever seen. And everyone else thinks so, too. They’re all jealous.”
“Oh.” Dirk couldn’t help the stupid, proud grin that came to his lips then. He was still a man, after all; he couldn’t help but feel proud of his conquest.
“Just don’t make a mystery of it, all right? Brag a little. Things are tense enough around here; we all could do with a good story.”
“You think?” Dirk asked.
“Oh, yeah. Besides,” Stephan said, stretching languidly, “all of your sneaking around is making the men feel alienated. It’s about the last thing we need, given our current situation.”
Dirk paused. He had not thought of it that way. He heaved a fake sigh. “Well then, if it’s for the good of the club, I’ll make the sacrifice and talk largely about my sexual prowess.”
Stephan grinned. “You do that.” He hesitated. “Still not falling for her, are you?”
Dirk rolled his eyes. “No, Stephan. I’m not falling for her.” Believe me, I’m doing everything I can to make sure that I don’t.
Stephan nodded. “Good.”
They sat in companionable silence for a while.
“Stephan?” Dirk called out after quite some time had passed.
“Hm?” Stephan replied distractedly, his hazel eyes staring deep into the fire, as if it contained the answers to each and every mystery of the universe.
“How much longer do you think this will go on?” Dirk looked over at him. “Surely Ruiz will be on the move soon.”
Stephan sighed heavily. He ran a hand tiredly across his face. “Beats me,” he admitted.
It wasn’t often that Stephan Walker admitted to not know what was going on, and every time that happened, it sent a chill down Dirk’s spine.
“It’s not like him,” Stephan said.
“No, it’s not,” Dirk agreed darkly.
“We should start keeping a sharper eye on your friend,” Stephan said after a moment.
Dirk frowned in confusion. “Why’s that?”
Stephan turned his head to look at him. “She’s getting
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