Chapter 1
ZANE stepped out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry and yawning wide. The night had passed slowly and he’d slept fitfully, par for the course when Ty wasn’t there with him. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked out to the bedroom, where the glowing face of his phone on the bedside table caught his attention.
He threw his towel in the hamper and picked up the phone, grinning. He only got text messages from one person: Ty.
I’m going to need a baseball game and adult supervision by 7.
Zane chuckled. Ty had been loaned out to a task force for a sting three days ago, and Zane hadn’t seen him since.
Does that mean you’ll be home by then?
he replied.
The response came back almost immediately.
No.
Zane snorted at the disappointment that caused. He typed out a reply as he headed for the closet to get dressed.
You know how much longer you’ll be there?
Ty’s next response was longer in coming, which meant he was doing something else as he tried to tap out the words on his phone. Zane was almost fully dressed when the message came.
I’m about to be arrested. Come with bail money!
Zane stared at the screen for a moment before cursing, then shoving the phone into his suit pocket. Leave it to Ty to get arrested while undercover.
He grabbed his shoes and headed down the steps, jogging to the back door and snatching up his truck keys along the way. When he threw the door open, though, Ty was standing on the stoop, looking at him expectantly. One eyebrow was raised and he was fighting a smile like he always did when he was trying to look serious.
Zane nearly barreled into him. The only thing that kept either of them from rolling down the steps was his grip on the doorknob.
“You’re such a dick!” Zane shouted. He smacked Ty in the chest with his shoes. Then did it again for good measure.
Ty began laughing as he flinched away from the attack.
“I should kick your ass.”
“I’ll try anything once,” Ty said wryly as he stepped into the row house, close enough that his canvas jacket brushed against Zane’s chest. Zane smelled a stale mixture of Old Spice, sweat, and takeout that was evidence of Ty’s past few days. He hadn’t shaved since Zane had last seen him.
“You look rough,” Zane said as he pushed the door shut and relocked it. He turned to get Ty something to drink, but Ty put out a hand and stopped him. He pushed him until Zane’s back hit the door, crowding him against it with one step. He had to drop his duffel bag to slide his other hand around Zane’s waist.
“Do you have a problem with that?” he asked in a low voice.
Zane smiled and shook his head as he dragged his hands under Ty’s jacket to set one on each hip. “Not one bit.”
Ty pressed his lips to Zane’s. “I missed you,” he purred into the kiss. He was smiling as if his whole morning had been one big joke.
Zane laughed and pulled Ty closer, wrapping his arms around Ty’s waist. After a long, deep kiss that left Zane breathless, he pulled back with a gasp. His heart thumped a little harder as he laid his palm against Ty’s cheek and brushed his thumb over Ty’s lower lip. “I missed you too.” It wasn’t rare that Ty said something like that now, but it still caught Zane off-guard.
For once Ty was silent. When he did let go, he looked Zane up and down critically and then nodded. “You’ll do,” he said. Then he yanked Zane to him and kissed him while dragging him toward the steps. Zane smiled against Ty’s lips and pushed Ty’s jacket off his shoulders. When they finally separated, it was only to gasp for breath.
“I smell like undercover,” Ty warned as he shrugged out of the jacket, as if Zane didn’t already know that.
Zane started walking backward, drawing Ty along with him. “It’s been three days, Ty. I really don’t care as long we’re both naked.”
Ty laughed, a clear, boyish sound that seemed so at odds with Ty’s outward appearance. Zane pulled Ty’s
ZANE stepped out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry and yawning wide. The night had passed slowly and he’d slept fitfully, par for the course when Ty wasn’t there with him. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked out to the bedroom, where the glowing face of his phone on the bedside table caught his attention.
He threw his towel in the hamper and picked up the phone, grinning. He only got text messages from one person: Ty.
I’m going to need a baseball game and adult supervision by 7.
Zane chuckled. Ty had been loaned out to a task force for a sting three days ago, and Zane hadn’t seen him since.
Does that mean you’ll be home by then?
he replied.
The response came back almost immediately.
No.
Zane snorted at the disappointment that caused. He typed out a reply as he headed for the closet to get dressed.
You know how much longer you’ll be there?
Ty’s next response was longer in coming, which meant he was doing something else as he tried to tap out the words on his phone. Zane was almost fully dressed when the message came.
I’m about to be arrested. Come with bail money!
Zane stared at the screen for a moment before cursing, then shoving the phone into his suit pocket. Leave it to Ty to get arrested while undercover.
He grabbed his shoes and headed down the steps, jogging to the back door and snatching up his truck keys along the way. When he threw the door open, though, Ty was standing on the stoop, looking at him expectantly. One eyebrow was raised and he was fighting a smile like he always did when he was trying to look serious.
Zane nearly barreled into him. The only thing that kept either of them from rolling down the steps was his grip on the doorknob.
“You’re such a dick!” Zane shouted. He smacked Ty in the chest with his shoes. Then did it again for good measure.
Ty began laughing as he flinched away from the attack.
“I should kick your ass.”
“I’ll try anything once,” Ty said wryly as he stepped into the row house, close enough that his canvas jacket brushed against Zane’s chest. Zane smelled a stale mixture of Old Spice, sweat, and takeout that was evidence of Ty’s past few days. He hadn’t shaved since Zane had last seen him.
“You look rough,” Zane said as he pushed the door shut and relocked it. He turned to get Ty something to drink, but Ty put out a hand and stopped him. He pushed him until Zane’s back hit the door, crowding him against it with one step. He had to drop his duffel bag to slide his other hand around Zane’s waist.
“Do you have a problem with that?” he asked in a low voice.
Zane smiled and shook his head as he dragged his hands under Ty’s jacket to set one on each hip. “Not one bit.”
Ty pressed his lips to Zane’s. “I missed you,” he purred into the kiss. He was smiling as if his whole morning had been one big joke.
Zane laughed and pulled Ty closer, wrapping his arms around Ty’s waist. After a long, deep kiss that left Zane breathless, he pulled back with a gasp. His heart thumped a little harder as he laid his palm against Ty’s cheek and brushed his thumb over Ty’s lower lip. “I missed you too.” It wasn’t rare that Ty said something like that now, but it still caught Zane off-guard.
For once Ty was silent. When he did let go, he looked Zane up and down critically and then nodded. “You’ll do,” he said. Then he yanked Zane to him and kissed him while dragging him toward the steps. Zane smiled against Ty’s lips and pushed Ty’s jacket off his shoulders. When they finally separated, it was only to gasp for breath.
“I smell like undercover,” Ty warned as he shrugged out of the jacket, as if Zane didn’t already know that.
Zane started walking backward, drawing Ty along with him. “It’s been three days, Ty. I really don’t care as long we’re both naked.”
Ty laughed, a clear, boyish sound that seemed so at odds with Ty’s outward appearance. Zane pulled Ty’s
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