Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
"Yes," I answer. "We're together."
"So we share a room," he says as if it's that simple.
"Think they will give us two rooms that we can combine and have more space?" I ask with a grin.
"Already needing some distance?"
I shake my head. "Not at all, but there will be times I want you close, but not within arm's reach."
I rush to explain when he looks disappointed.
"I take a while to get my head right after a mission," I begin. "I don't know how long Cerberus jobs usually take, but the three weeks at that compound were one of the shorter times I've spent in one of those types of places. It could be completely different now that we're together. I won't know until I'm faced with it."
"That's understandable," he says. "We can always ask about two rooms."
"You don't think anyone there will have a problem with it?"
"Why would they care if we have two rooms together?" he asks. "We'd take up just as much space if we weren't together."
"No," I say, shaking my head. "Will they care that we're together?"
He blinks, thinking on it for a second. "I don't think Kincaid would hire anyone for Cerberus that would have a problem with two men together. Snatch and Itchy are founding members. Kid's son Landon is with Rick. Tug and Max-"
"Okay. I get your point."
"You also don't seem like someone who would care what others think."
"I don't," I assure him. "Not really, but it's hard enough biting my tongue when I'm undercover. I don't want to go home to that same fucking mentality."
"You won't get it from the guys there. I don't know Zero at all, but I can't imagine she would be vetted, discovered to be homophobic, and still brought in," he adds. "It's not what Cerberus stands for, and Kincaid won't tolerate it."
"That's good to know. How do you feel about PDA?"
His lips form a flat line before he speaks, giving me no clue what his answer is going to be. "I'm not going to shy away from your attention or treat you like I don't love you, but I'm also not the type to put my bedroom business on the table for discussion either."
"Good," I say.
"Good? You say that like you feel the same way when you're the one who walked into a room of strangers and announced that we sucked each other's dick in high school."
My cheeks flame with remembered embarrassment.
"Not one of my finer moments," I mutter. "But in my defense, you growled like I had invaded some sacred place."
"Not one of my finer moments either," he mutters. "I'm not going to treat you like a buddy, but I'm not going to pin you to the wall with witnesses either."
I chew the inside of my cheek, debating what his reaction will be to what I have to say next.
"What does that look mean?" he asks before looking down at his empty candy bar wrapper like he wants another one already.
"Jersey and Caitlyn were in the house after you helped me move the bed," I confess. "So I guess technically you would do something like that."
He takes a long moment to work his way through that information. "Technically, I was against the wall that day."
I grin at him, grateful that he isn't stepping back to reevaluate after hearing it.
"Were they really in the house?"
I nod. "I don't think they watched or anything, but they knew what was happening."
He shrugs as if it doesn't matter to him, and that's a huge step in the right direction compared to the boy I knew years and years ago.
"Which house do you want to share a room in?" I ask.
"Mine," he answers quickly. "I know those guys better. I don't think there'll be a problem with the new guys, but I'm more comfortable around the ones I've already connected with. You?"
"I don't care either way," I answer. "I've only spent a couple of nights in my room. Hell, I haven't even unpacked yet. Doesn't matter to me. As long as we're together, we could sleep on the porch."
"Too many bears around that damn place to do that."
"True," I agree.
"Think they'll have these in the vending machine?" he asks, holding up his empty wrapper.
"Those," I say, pointing to the package. "Are a reward."
"So I have to earn it?" he asks, dropping the wrapper to the side table before leaning in and kissing me. "I like that idea."
For a man wanting to head home as soon as possible, he doesn't mind spending the rest of the next day in bed with me, missing all available flights.
Chapter 44
Zeus
Any concern I had about returning to Tennessee and what we might face with our teammates here faded the second we got back home.
I know Casper had something to do with it. When he asked Zayne whether we wanted to fly out of Connecticut sitting together or in different areas of the plane, he took Zayne's answer of together and flew with it.