Chapter Two

Lookingover his reflection in the mirror, Zanewondered how such littlechangescouldmakehimlooksodifferent.Whenhe'd gone undercover before, he'deither beenin tailoredsuits in Wall Street financialcompany offices,orhe'dgonemessieranddirtierindenim, leather, and sweat. This high-class pizzazz was new.

McCoy hadscheduledhimfora "gentleman's" treatmentata spa, wherehe'd beensoakedandmassaged,hadhisunrulyhaircutina morerefinedstylesohecouldusethisfunky pastetoslickitback,had hiseyebrowswaxedandplucked,ofallthings,andevenhadadeep-cleansing facial,where the womanhadpokedandproddedathisskin with a little metal tool for what had seemed like hours.It had been one oftheweirdestandmostpainfulthingsZanecouldhaveimagined.It would be, he figured, a great interrogation tool.

And the ear piercing hadstung like a bitch.

Now he was sleek. Polished. He'd had a manicure, so hishands looked neater, lessexperienced inbrawling.And a pedicure, which had actually feltprettydamngood.Butthebiggestchangewasn't immediately visible.Zaneturnedaroundsohisbackwastothemirror and looked over his shoulder, lifting his shirttailsand pushing down the waistband of his dress pants to expose skin.

A graceful twisted vine tattoo spread across his lower back from hiptohip,justbelowhis waist,dipping downto the crackof hisassin aninvertedtriangleofstarkblack,simple,strikinglines.Itwasn't real, ofcourse,buttheeffectwasstillthesame.HewonderedwhatTy wouldthinkaboutit.Tyseemedtolovehisowntattoo,buttheleering MarinebulldogwithitssmokinggunswasdefinitelymoreTy'sstyle than this more graceful design.

Sighing,Zanelethisshirtfall.Itwasalreadyopendownthe front,unbuttoned,exposing hischest.He hadn'tbotheredtoputhis undershirt back on after the massage at the spa. He'd been in the processofgettingreadyforbedwhenhe'dbeenarrested by thestrange sight of himself in the mirror. He started to pull the shirt off his shoulders,butheheardakey inthefrontdoorandmovedoutintothe hallway onbarefeet,listeningassomeoneenteredtheapartment.It couldonlybeTy;hewastheonlypersonZanehadevergivenakey, andZane neverlefta door unlocked.WhenZane peeredaround the corner,though,astrangerstoodthere.Ittookhimalittletoolongto realizeitwasTy afterall,andZanewasgladhedidn'thavehisgunin hand.

"Don't shoot me," Ty said in a flat, tired voice, obviously thinkingexactly thesamethingZanehadbeen.Hebegantoloosenhis tie and unbutton his shirt as he walked closer, tossing pieces of his clothing haphazardly to the floor and furniture ashe approachedZane.

"Areyou justgetting done with the—"

"Yes," Ty mutteredasheyankedhistieoff.Hisshirtfellopenas he bent and pulled off his shoes.

Zanelookedoverthelong,tanbody beforehim,hisbrowsrising slowlythemorehetookin.Thepeopleatthespahaddonetheworks onhisnormally scruffypartner.Hewas Ty,but... not.Hewasclean-shaven for the first time in months, and his short hair had been bleachedanunnaturalwhite-blond.Itstoodstraightup,asifoffended by itsnewcolor.Ty'sentirebody lookedretouched,histannedskin shinier,smoother—andlikely softer—thanithadeverbeen.Hiswell-defined chest wasdevoidof its usual dusting of dark hair, and the effect made him sleeker.

Zane wasn't sure what he thought of the hair, but the rest of Ty was a walking wet dream.

Which was... hysterical,really.Zane blinked several timesand pressed his lips together hard.

"Goahead.Getitoutofyour system," Ty invitedashetossedhis dress shirt at the couch. He waved his hand at hisnewly waxed chest.

Zane let the smile loose."You look..." He crossed his armsand shook his head. "Different," he settled on, trying to not laugh outright.

"Yeah?Well,youlooksleazy,"Tytoldhimwithasmirkashe lookedZane upand down critically. He tookafew slow steps,circling Zane as he sized him up.

TippinghisheadtoonesideasTywalkedaroundhim,Zane liftedoneshoulderinadefensiveshrug."It's thegeltheyputinmy hair."

Ty shookhishead,pursinghislipsthoughtfullyashetriednotto smirk. "No," he drew out. "Something else."

Zanewaited,surethatTy wouldenlightenhim."Youlook airbrushed,"heobservedonce Ty stoppedinfrontofhim."Likeina skin mag."

Ty liftedhischinandsquaredhisshoulders,lookingZaneinthe eyeashemulledoveraresponse."Yeah,"hefinally saidslowly.His lips curved intoa wicked grin. His hazel eyesseemed almost neon- greenwiththeplatinum-blondhairaccentingthem."ButImakethis shit look good."

Zane raised an eyebrow as he pointed at Ty and twirled his finger. Tycluckedhistongue.Heraisedbotharmstothesides,holding them out as he turned in a slow half-circle. The muscles of his shoulders and back were, as always,well-definedas he stood with his armsraised.TheflexofTy'sbicepdrewZane's attentiontothe unblemishedskin.ItwasoddnotseeingthetattooonTy'sshoulder, butZane was toodistracted by therestof himtoaskaboutit. Ty turned hischintolookoverhisshoulderatZane,andZanecouldseeasmirk onhislips.Ty neverflauntedhimself,notthatZanehadeverseen anyway, but the man had a mirror.He wasn'timmune to a little cockiness, not when it was well-deserved.

"The word that comesto mind is ‘beefcake,'"Zane drawled, looking Ty over, appreciating the view.

"Missionaccomplished,then!"Tysaidhappilyasheturnedto face Zane again. He frowned suddenly. "Is ‘beefcake' one word or two?"

Zane laughed."Who cares whenyou've got a great ass?"

Ty narrowed his eyes."I'm not used to you being the brains of the operation,"hemurmured."YouknowwhatI thinkweneed?I thinkwe need some practice."

"IwonderifIshouldbeinsulted,"Zaneposed,narrowinghis eyes as he set his hands on his hips. "I'm theone with a degree in statistics," he reminded.

"You'd seriously rather argue credentials than fuck me?" Ty asked with an incredulous laugh.

"Well, ifyou'd said that," Zane said as he took acouple of steps closer to Ty.

Ty tookastepbackandputhishandonZane'schest,raisingone eyebrowplayfully asheusedtheotherhandtopointathimself.Zane nowsawthat Ty'susually callusedhandsandfingerswere nowwell-manicuredandrelatively smooth,makingthenewestscar onhishand evenmorenoticeable."Holdyourhorses,LoneStar.Areyoucalling me stupid?"

"Noway.I havea senseofself-preservation,"Zanesaidashe set his hands on Ty's hips, their chests brushing.

Tybithislipandsuckedairthroughhisteeth,raisinghischinas ifconsidering whatZanehadjustsaid."Sincewhen?"hefinally asked softly.

Surprised, Zane straightened, reviewing his words. He inhaled slowly,pushingaway aslightdizzy feeling. Ty madehimfeellikethat more and more lately. "Since I got a partnerI trust," he answered.

Ty lookedathimseriously ashesteppedcloser,lettingZane's arms encircle his hips. He put one hand onZane's upperarm, fingers digging intohisbicep.He reachedupwiththeother handtotouch Zane'sface,gliding hisfingertips along Zane'slips as he looked him over.Itwasanoddgesturefromhisnormally undemonstrativepartner, one that struckZanesilent as hewaitedfor Ty's next move. Hehad expected Ty to make another comment or wisecrack, but Ty said nothing,lettinghisfingersslidedownZane's neck,overhischest, down to his waistto disappearunder the unbuttoned shirt Zane still wore. Zane shivered.

"Care tohelpmegetintocharacter?" Ty whisperedwitha mischievous smile.

Zanehummedslightly andpulledTy flushagainsthim."What kind of help doyou need?"

Ty pusheduponthetipsofhistoes,brushinghispartedlips against Zane's. They were warm and moist, and Zane slipped his tongueouttowethislowerlippracticallyassoonasTypulledback andmovedbothhandsover Ty'sbody inslow,deliberatemotions, coasting across that incredible-looking amazingly silken skin.

TyslidhishandsupanddownZane's chestandarmsandthen wrapped his arms around Zane's neck—something Zane didn't think he'd ever done before—and kissed him again.Itwas a soft, tantalizing kiss, one that begged for Zane to come and get more.

Zane'sbody reactedinahurry:hispulsepickedup,andhecould feel hiscock swelling inhis pants. With a softgrowl, he wrapped one armaround Ty andtrappedhimagainsthischestas Ty triedtotakea stepaway.Tylaughedsoftly,andZaneansweredtheteasingkisswith a firmer, wetter one.

Tygavehimalowmoanashearchedhisbackjustenoughto presscloseragainstZane.Thesoundwassomethingelsewholly unlike him, at least atthis stagein their fondling.He seemed to betrying his besttomakeZanedraghimtobed.Ifthiswaswhathemeantby getting into character... then damn. The passive-aggressive seduction was a hell of a turn-on and a successfulenough tactic thatZane wasn't going toworry aboutbeing manipulatedrightnow.Instead,heslipped his hand into the backwaistband of Ty's suitpants and dragged his fingers around to the front, where he pulled at thebutton.

Ty didn'tmovetohelp likeheusually did,justranthefingersof bothhandsthroughZane'shairashewaitedpatientlyforZanetoget hisclothesoff.Itwassoodd,Zanecouldn'thelpbutchuckle.Itwas obviousTywasenjoyingtheteasing.Itprobablywasn't arolehe'd everhadmuchopportunitytoplay.WhenZanepaused,Tymoved closer, pressing into him again as he nipped atZane's ear.

"Doesn't seem like youneed much practice. What's gotten into you?" Zane murmured as he dragged his lips along Ty's exposed throat.HeunfastenedTy'spantsandstartedpushingthemdownover his hips.

"Nothing,yet,"Tyansweredwithaslowgrin."That'syourjob," he said softly, his breathgusting across Zane's cheek.

Zane groanedashe moved his handsto squeeze Ty'sassand capturedTy'slipswithhisown,thiskisshungrierasZaneshiftedto grind himselfagainstTy's thigh.Itwasagoodthing Ty wasn'tthis agreeable more often, he thought distantly.It wasblowing Zane's mind withhowsexy itwas.Ty wouldhavehimeatingoutofhishandifhe behaved like this more often.

He'd probably be better off not mentioning that.

"Come on, beautiful," Ty coaxed as he began to gently pull at him with the hand he had tangled inZane's hair. He steered him toward the bedroomdoor,kissingathimwiththosesamesoft,enticingkissesas he did so.

Zaneliftedhisbrowsinsilentcomment,buthewasn'taboutto speakandruinthemoment.Hewasn'twilling torelease Ty forone second as he let himselfbe drawn along.But he did stop them long enoughtopush Ty againstthedoorjambandsuck andnipalong Ty's shoulder. Ty raisedhischinandclosedhis eyes,moaningwantonly again as he let his fingertips slide down Zane's neck.

"Fuck,"Zanegroaned ashe arched into Ty's body andgotthem moving againintothebedroom.Hewasn'thavingany luck rememberingifthey'ddoneanythingresemblingforeplay beforenow. They each knew whatthe other wanted, and thatwas the release.But this new side of Ty was hot and seriously,almost painfully, arousing.

Ty lethishandsslide acrossthefrontsofZane'sshoulders, pushing Zane's shirtback and down off his shoulders, and he wrapped his arms around Zane and kissed at his neck, his jaw, and his ear, all slow,sensualtouchesofhislipstoZane'sskinashecaressedhim.He pulledtheshirtdownandoffZane'sarmsashepressedtheirbareskin together and nippedatZane's ear again.

Zane shivered, let out a harsh breath, and shook his shirt loose beforegrippingTy'shipsinsidetheopenpantsanddragginghimthe lastfewfeettothefootofthebed.Hisheadfellbacktoallow Ty more accesstohisneckashespreadhisstanceandgathered Ty rightup against him.

"Zane,"Tymurmuredbreathlesslyashepulledaway justenough to push his own briefs down and tug atZane's pants. Fumbling as he reached between them to unfasten his belt and pants, Zane cursed under hisbreathashe finally gotthebuttonundoneandthe zipper downso Ty's hands couldsnake inside to touch him. Zane was erectin his underwear, the soft cotton boxer-briefs doing nothing to reinhimin. Ty's handsbeganslidingagainsthisskin,tryingtopushthepants down and pull Zane closer at the same time. His lips just barely brushedZane's,tempting him,enticing him todive down for the contact.Zane's tongueslid along Ty's lower lip as he chased thosefull, wet lips, and he nipped at Ty's tongue when Ty's hand closed over his erection.

"Fuck," Zane hissed. "You're driving me insane."

Ty smiledagainsthischeek."You'retheonein thedriver'sseat. Do something about it,"he invited in asilky voice as he let his lips move againstZane's as he spoke.

Zanepulledbackwithagaspandshoved Ty downtothebed. Holding onto hisaching cock,Zane pushed hispants down with his other hand and kicked them aside, staring down at his lover. He craved him; it was crazy how turned on Zane was.

Ty turned his head slightly to look up at him, and he smiled again, clearly pleased with himself. He kicked off his briefs and pushed himself back into the middle of the bed, laying himself out invitingly. Theeasewithwhichhewassubmittingwasallstillverysuspicious. Narrowinghis eyes,Zanelookedover Ty'snudebody ashepushedoff hisown briefs,wondering justhow amenablehislover wasfeeling tonight. Aftera moment's consideration—and admiration—Zane pointed at him and rotated his finger in a silent "roll over" order.

To Zane's increasing surprise, Ty's smile widened, and he obediently rolledover onto hisstomachand pressedhisface againstthe sheets, pushing his hips up in a slow, sensual motion.

NowZaneknewsomethingwasup.Butdamnifhewaspassing onanopportunitylikethisone.Ifhehadtopayforitlater,sobeit. Crawling over Ty's thighs, Zane rubbed his groinagainstTy's firm ass. Humming slightly,he benttobite hard atTy'sneck asone handslid down Ty's spine.

Ty gaveasoft, plaintivegaspwhen hewasbitten,buthepushed hishipsuptomeetZanewithoutfurthercomplaint.Hegroanedsoftly as their bodiestouchedand Zane's weight settled over him, the sound muffled by the much-washed cotton.

Zanegrabbedfor the drawer nextto the bedand yankeditopen, pulledouta condomand a tubeof lubricant,andslickedhisfingers.He reached down and tugged Ty's hip up, holding him firmly as he dragged onefinger down Ty'scleft, leaving a thin trail of lubricant behind.Hecouldsee Ty shudderandclench,anditmadehisgutcramp insympathy.Heknewverywellthatmomentofanticipation,waiting for Ty's fingers.

Ty sighedloudly asheloweredhisheadandspreadhisknees wider, practically begging Zane to fuck him. "I don't need that," he told Zane with certainty.Zane sucked in a breath as he spread out hishand overoneasscheek,squeezinggreedily.HeknewTy hadn'tbeen drinking this evening to mentally prepare himself for his less-substantialroleonthiscruise,butbeerordrugsnevermadehimthis easy tohandle,evenwhenthey wereinthemidstoffucking.Wasthis Ty'sinterpretationofDelPorter?WasthistheTyhe'dbeseeingfor the next two weeks?

Ty reachedbackanddraggedhisfingersoverZane'ship,his fingertipsjustbarely abletoreach.Despite Ty'swords,Zaneslida finger inside himand ran hisfree handacross Ty's skin,skimming up anddownhisback,wantingthattactilesensationasherubbedTy inside.

"I don'tneedit,Zane,"Ty breathedpleadingly,pressinghisface into the bedandgroaning impatiently."Come on," heurgedashetried to push his hips higher.

Heat floodedZane. He could feel his cheeksflaming,and it certainlywasn't fromembarrassment.Wonderinghowfarhecould pushTybeforehe'd startpushingback,Zaneinsteadpushedanother finger inside Ty and, spur of the moment, smacked Ty'sass.

Ty didn'tevenflinch,buthedidgrowlinfrustrationasZanetook his sweet time. He pushed back on Zane's fingersand spread his knees just a little wider, begging Zane to fuck him. Zane groanedand moved his freehand toclose hisfingersaround thethickcock bobbing below Ty's belly. He stroked a few more times and pushed in more fingers, twisting as he addedpressure. The crack of thatslap was echoing in his ears, just like the blood throbbing in his cock.

"Dammit, Garrett!" Ty called out throughgritted teeth. He pushed his hips backdemandingly as hereached todraghis fingersagainstthe skin of Zane's hip, as if he desperately wanted thecontact.

The lingering touch feltlike trails of fireagainstZane's skin,and hehadtodrawaslow,deepbreathtotry topulltogethersomemeasure of control. He didn't want this to be over anytime soon. "Whatdoyou need, baby?" he breathedagainst Ty's ear.

Tyturnedhishead,tryingtobrushhischeekagainstZane'sface. "You know whatI want,Zane."

Christ,thesound of his name inthat desperate voice.Itwas impossible to ignore.Zane slid his lips along Ty's cheekbone beforehe pulledfreeandgrabbedforthecondom,rollingitonandslickingup hastily.OnehandpressingonTy's lowerbackgaveZanetheright angle, and he pushed, holding his breath, gasping when he slid inside, whereitwassotighthethoughthe'dloseitrightthenandthere.So muchforcontrol.HestretchedoutoverTy'sbodyandpinnedhimto the bed.

Ty gavea shortshoutofpleasure,anda shudderranthroughhim as Zane settled on him. "Baby," he groaned. He slid his hands out to the sides,flexinghisfingersagainstthesheets,silentlyinvitingZaneto holdhimdown.Hesorarelyallowedthat,andZanealmostdidn't know what to make of it. Zane licked his lips, shifted his weight, and moved each shaking handto cover Ty'sbefore bearing down to keep himinplace.Hisextrafew inchesofheightonTy werecomingin handy.Thenhestartedtomoveslowly,rockinginandout,workinghis cockindeeper,andheignoredthesound,suspiciouslylikeawhimper, that tore from his own throat.

"Fuckyes," Ty whimpered,soundingrelievedasheplacedhis cheekagainstthesheetsandclosedhiseyes.Hegaveaslowmoanas he tried to push his hips back to meetZane's rocking.

Zane squeezed his eyes shut and ducked his headto slide his lips and tongue along Ty'sspine as he reveled in the slow, thorough attention he wasgiving Ty'sincredible ass.Ashegaspedforabreath betweenkisses,Zanedecidedhe'dhavetotry thisagain—slowand steady—because it sure as hell felt just as incredible as their usual hard but satisfying fucks.

Ty writhedunderhim,strugglingagainstthepressureonhisbody andthehandsthatheldhiswristsbutnotactuallytryingtogetaway. He seemed to be enjoying the sudden submissive role.

"You saidyouneeded practice," Zane saidon agroan, notreally able to work up any accusation.

"Christ,Zane,stoptalking,"Tygaspedout,liftinghisheadoff the bed justenoughto try and lookover hisshoulder before he gave up and pushed his face against the sheets again.

Zane scoffedbutsnappedhishipstwice, hard, before returning to the slow rhythm.He mighthave suspected Ty of "practicing" this submissive act elsewhere if he didn't know better. They'd not spent a night apart sinceZane had moved into his new apartment in Baltimore threeweeksago,andalmosteverytimethey'd beentogetherrecently, Ty hadtopped.Zanesureashelldidn'tmind.Butthiswasaddictive, too, and he leaned more of hisweight ontoTy's back,focusing on steadily thrusting into the welcoming body under his.

Ty triedtospeak,buthewasobviously incapableofforming words.He merely moanedlongandloud,digging hisfingersintothe sheetsandstilltrying desperately topushhishipsupagainstZane's thrusts, if his trembling was any indication.

The sounds sent pangsthroughZane'sgut, andhe had to stop againtotakeacoupleofdeep,slowbreaths.Hepushedhimselfupto his knees and looked down at his hips, seeing his cock slide and disappearintoTy'stightass.Hepushedhimselfin,movingpainfully slow, then pulled back out just for the pleasure of watching. He groanedas Ty triedtoshovebackagainsthim,andtheurgetofuck Ty into the mattress almost took him over.

"You want to walk tomorrow?" Zane asked hoarsely,gripping Ty's hipstoholdhimselfstill.Tyshookhisheadmutely,hisentire bodytensingasherolledhiships."Fine,"Zanegrowled.Hereached down, grabbed Ty's hand, and twisted that arm behind Ty's back, as if getting ready tohandcuffasuspect.HegrippedTy'sforearmhardand heldhimdownby theothershoulder,andZanesworeunderhisbreath andthrustinwithsomestrengththefirsttimebeforepullingbackuntil itfeltlikehemightslipoutcompletely.Thenhethrustinagain,out, and in again,hisbreathing tense and harsh ashe tried to contortenough to watch himself. "Well-fucked looksgood onyouanyway."

"Everythinglooksgoodonme,"Ty toldhim,managingtolaugh breathlessly before he gasped and moaned. "Harder, baby."

Gritting histeeth,Zane loweredhimself untilhewas holding Ty down withhisweightonce more anddidas Ty demanded,speedingthe shiftingofhishipsand startingtoreally fuck Tyinearnest.Hejerked Ty backevery timehepushedroughly in,andhehissedandmoaned each time he sank deep as their bodies slammed together.

Rather than the violent battle for control this sort of brutal fucking usually caused, Ty merely writhedand moanedwitheachthrust,rolling hishipsto helpZane sink deeper, sliding hisglistening skinand hard muscles againstZane,occasionally calling outZane's name orbegging for more and harder. He nevereven tried to loosen his hands from Zane'sgrip or pull his arm out from behind his back.

"Ty—"Zanechoked outashe started tobend over Ty'sback, feelingthetensioninsidehimabouttosnap,thefewminutesofhard fucking unraveling his control.

"Not yet, baby, please," Ty begged, his voice hoarse and desperate.

Zane pushedhimself back up, releasing Ty'sarm and tugging him untilhisasswasintheair,hiskneesspreadwideinavulnerable positionTy rarely toleratedforlong.Zanegrippedhishipsandeased back, watching himself againas he tried to slowhis thrusts. He gave Ty threeorfoursensual slides, carefullypullingthe head ofhis cock almostcompletely out,forcingthosetightmusclestospread.Ty clenched hard around him, grasping for the sheetsto hold ontoas Zane snapped his hipsand shoved in hard after each slow pull. Zane pulled back one last time, rocking there on the edge.

Ty couldn'tevenmanagearesponseotherthan tocry outsharply and bury hisface in the tangledsheetsbelow him.To Zane'sincreasing shockandpleasure,hedidn't movehishipstoforceZanebackinto him;hewastakingallthepunishmentZaneofferedhappily,begging forit,andthethoughtnearlydroveZanecrazy.Hesnappedhiships again,drivingintoTy hardandnotslowingthistime.Zanehuffedfor breathandreachedaroundTy towraphisslickedhandaround Ty's cock, pumping it with the rhythm of the pummeling.

Ty curledinonhimself,hisbody tautandincredibly tight, moaning helplessly ashespilledover Zane'sfingers.Zane chokedfor a breathandcriedouthoarselyas Ty'sbody clenchedaroundhim.The soundsTy madewhenZanefuckedhim,desperateandneedy and uninhibited,werealwaystoomuchforZane.Hiscontrolsnappedand hepushedinhardonce,twice,countlessmoretimesashecamehard and fast, using andabusing Ty'swilling body beforecollapsing onto Ty's back with an aching groan.

Itwasalong minutebeforeZanefoundthewilltocarefully pull outofTyanddroptoliebesidehimonhisback.Hewasstillsucking in deep breaths when he turned his head to look atTy closely.

Ty smirkedathimashelay unmoving,hishazel eyesdancing merrily."Good?"heasked,hisusualteasingtonenowbackinhis voice.

Zanestaredathimashispulsestillthrobbed."Yeah,"heagreed. "That was... unusual."

Ty'slipstwitchedinamusement,andhesmiledwider."Wanted to see ifI could pull off the sexkitten vibe," he explained blithely as he pushed himself from his belly onto his elbows. "Turns outI can!"

"Great,"Zane muttered,rubbing at his eyes."Weare supposed to leave the cabin,you know."

"Justgettingintocharacter," Ty saidwithahalfshrug ofhis shoulder.Then,inavoiceeerily likethemanZanehadseenbehindthe glass today, completewith the British accent, hesaid, "You musthave hadfun;youmissedachanceforacatjoke.Lovetheearring, by the way."

The accentsurprisedZane. He knewfrom Ty'sdossier that his partner was an accomplished mimic. He could pull off a number of accents and varying pitches and tenors, and he was competent, if not fluent, in several languages,FarsiandFrenchamong them. Several times since being movedto Baltimore,Zane hadwitnessed one of their colleaguescometo Ty and request he make a phone call or recording in a particular accent for a case they were working.

Zane had just never had occasion to see him—hear him—in action. This case would be interesting for that aspectalone, to see if Ty could pull off the British accent for an extended length of time.

Zane huffed hisannoyance and leanedaway asTy tried topokeat the ruby earring."Trustme,I'vegotenoughholesin my body.I wasn't too thrilled about this one. ButI guess it's better thananother bullet hole."

Ty reachedouttorunhisfingerdownZane'scheek,one eyebrow raisedinamusement."It'stooshiny nottomesswith.Youdorealize I'mgoing toyank it at some point just to see you scream."

Zanenarrowedhiseyes."Try itandI'llyankonsomething sensitive of yours, jerk," he said with a light smack to Ty's flank.

Ty'spalm flattenedagainst Zane'scheek,and he scootedcloser, pressing his nose toZane's with animpish grin. Zane harrumphed quietly atthegesture.Ty wasrarely playful;itwasbothfunand exasperating to see him this way. He ranhis fingers through Ty's now-blondhair."Nottoosure whatI thinkaboutthis,"hesaidwithaslight frown.Itdidn'tlook right at all, and heknew,despite what he justsaid, that he'd already decided he didn't like it.

Ty gruntedand pulledhishead back,losing the playfulness. "Yeah, well don't get used to it. As soon as this shit's over, I'm buzzingitalloff,"hemutteredasheturnedhisfaceaway andpressed hisnoseintothepillow.HerolledandpushedhisbackagainstZaneas heburrowedunderthepillow.Hewaslikeaverylargepuppy tryingto take over a very small bed.

Zane shiftedto hissideandslid hisarmsaroundhim, noting how hisfingers caughton the bare flesh of Ty's chest.He hadn't noticed it when he'd been focused on fucking Ty's brains out. "Good," he murmuredinagreement,happytosettledownandholdhimclose.As hispalmcuppedTy's shoulder,Zanerememberedthemissingtattoo. He was almost afraid to ask. "How'd they get rid of the bulldog?"

Ty gruntedand raised hishead, pushing the pillow asideashe rolledinZane'sarmsandtosseda leg overhiship.He rotatedhis shoulder forward to inspect his bicep."Some sortof syntheticcover-up. Like movie makeup. They saiditshould be okay for abouta week.And they taughtmehowtodoitincasesomething happenstoit."Hepatted his arm consolingly. "Poor puppy."

Zane laughed softly, butTy didn'tseem to notice.

"I'm not sure what was more unpleasant.The waxing, the bleaching,orthemanicure,"hetoldZaneinadisgruntledvoice.He laidhisheadbackdown."TheyusedthingsonmyfingersIhaven't seen since Afghanistan," he muttered thoughtfully as he slid his arm underZane'sandthenlooked athisfingertips,tangling their limbs togetherfurther."Andholy shit,didyougetamassage?Brunnhilde wentalittleoverboardwiththedeeptissuething. My shouldersare killing me."

The wordAfghanistancaughtZane's attention,but the mention of muscles hurting almost diverted it. Yeah, nowthat he thoughtabout it,he wasa littleachy.The masseuse hadtold himhe wouldbe. But he'd alsojustdone all the work in their little romp. "Yeah,I'ma little sore," he said quietly, thinking about how little he knewof Ty'spast, especially things like tours in hostile Middle Eastern countries, a MarineReconteambeingafamily,andwhyhespokeFarsilikea native.

"I feellikeI gotpickedupby apterodactyl,"Ty muttered.He either didn't realize his slip or was thankfulZanehad ignored it. Either way, he was silentfor along time, looking atZane witha slightsmile. Finally,hetookZane's handandkissedthetipsofhisfingersbefore rolling to his back.

Zane remained pressed againsthis side, settling his free hand on Ty'sbelly. "I don'tseeany bitemarksbutmineandthecat's,"he teased. Ty groanedandrolledhis eyes,lookingatZanesidewaysashe triednottosmile."It'sokay.Nothingwillshow ... aslongasyouwear a tie to the office tomorrow," Zane added cheekily.

"I'm notworried," Ty muttered. "We're supposed to beat the officeearlysotheycangooverallourtechnicalshit,"heinformed Zanesoftly,fallingbackonthetopicofworktoavoidthesubjectof ties and getting caught fucking a coworker. Hegave a deep sigh of resignation. "We're so screwed,Garrett."

"Whydo you say that?" Zane murmured as their legs easily settledtogether.They werebothstillstickyandsweatyandsowerethe sheets, but Zane didn't care.

Ty shrugged."It'sone thing toplay a part.It'sanother toplay a real person," he said with emphasis. "Our marks know the people we're supposed to be better than we do. And we'll be flying solo. That backupteamwillbealastresort.Ouronlyweaponsarewhateverwe cansneakthroughsecurity ontheHMSSinkytowne."Hisnose wrinkled, andhe sneered slightly."It's likea floating death trap. And my Manchester English is pretty damn rusty."

Zane wasn't toosure a high-class cruise liner could be calleda deathtrap,perse,buthegottheidea. Ty hadprobably hadenoughof boatsforonelifetimeafterbeingdeployedsomanytimes."McCoy alsosaidthesepeoplehaven'tevermet,andit'snotthatlikely they really knowthatmuchabouteachother.The lesswetry toactlike someoneelse,thebetteroffwe'll be,"Zanesaid,knowingfrompast experience that beingyourself as much as possible while undercover made it easier to actyour way out of trouble.

"Right," Ty murmured, humming as his fingers slid across Zane's.

Zane poked him gently in the ribs. "Is that a ‘right' as in agreement or a ‘right' asin humoring me?"

"A little of both," Ty drawled with a smile.

"I told McCoy that we wouldn't back down from a challenge."

Tyturnedhisheadandblinkedathim,nonplussed."Okay,"he said slowly, as if expecting a caveat to the statement.

Zane frowned slightly."Doyou disagree?"

"No," Ty answeredinthesametone."I'mjustsaying... we're screwed."Hegavealaugh."Buthey,Igettoworkon my tan.And my accent."

"Where didyoupickupa Britishaccent?IfI didn'tknowbetter, I'd think FrenchForeignLegion."

Tysnortedandlaughed."Iwouldlookgoodinthehatthingy." Hesmiledwarmly atZane,butZaneknewhimwellenoughnowtosee throughthewarmthinhiseyestothegearsturningbehindthem.Ty was trying tofind the shortestdistancebetween two lies. "We trained with an SAS team.British SpecialForces.Special task force preparedness deal. We taught each other more than battle tactics." He begantolaughagain."SomewhereinthesouthofEnglandthereisa guy with a still in his cellar making Grandpa's moonshine."

Zane grinned, almostbelieving the story.Knowing Ty, it was probably somewhattrue.Ty likely hadtrainedwithanSASteamand gottenthemalldrunkonChesterGrady's moonshine.ButZanealso hadnodoubtthattheSASteamwasnotwhereTy hadperfectedthat accent.Hedecidedtoletthatdroptoo.Itwasn'treally important."Ah, thepowerofalittleliquorforlooseningtongues.Inmorewaysthan one."

"Just trading cultural treasures," Ty said, tongue-in-cheek.

Zane turned his face into Ty'sbicepas he chuckled. "Did they knowwhattheyweregettingwhenyouhandedaroundtheflask?Or didyou just give them the recipe and say good luck?"

"Mm.Inretrospect, it'snot agood idea toget an Englishman drunk if he's not quite unarmedyet."

"I don't want to know," Zane mumbled.

"Probably not," Ty agreedashestaredupattheceiling,smiling faintly.

Zane relaxed furtheragainstTy's body and inhaled. Then he frownedandsniffedagain.Tysmelledlike... lavenderandvanilla. "Didthey batheyouinlotion?Orrubyouwithcookiedoughor something?" Because there wasalso awhiff of cinnamon, now that he actually triedtofigureouttheoddscentsthatdefinitelyweren't Ty. Maybe coconut too.

"Kinky," Ty commented.Hehelduphishand andsmelledhis bicep, shakinghis head. "It's from the massage and... whatever it was."

"Is this that spray-on tan stuff?" Zaneasked,curious, as he prodded at Ty's bare belly and the wide expanse of skin.

"No," Ty answeredinaslightly insultedvoice.Heswipedat Zane'shandandrubbedathisbelly likeittickled."I'malwaysthis color,they just... buffedmealittle,"heexplained,voiceshakingwith laughter.

"You are not always this color," Zane objected, sending his wiggling fingers right back to the hollows along Ty's ribs for a moment."Youweren't tanuptohere."HispalmskimmedupTy's inner thigh.

Ty turnedandgrabbedforZane'shand,pushing itbacktothe mattress and rolling toward him. "Quit it."

Zane chuckled and evaded Ty'sgrasp, sliding his hand instead over Ty'shiptopullhimcloser."No,they didsomething.Itlooks weird. You look like—" He shut his mouth with a snap.

Ty raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Ah..." Zane cleared histhroat and muttereda soft curse.He was going to get shit for this. "You look like a Ken doll."

Tybarkedasurprisedlaugh,pressinghismouthagainstZane's shoulder to snicker quietly. He closed his eyesand shookhis head finally. "I know,"hemoanedasherolledontohisbackandslung his arm over his eyes.

"So, doll, what areyoupacking for thecruise?" Zane drawled, figuring he might as well play it.

TygruntedandglancedsidewaysatZanewithacrookedgrin. "Nothing."

Zanesmirkedanddeliberately draggedhisgazeupanddownthe long, tanned, nude lengthof Ty's body,and he felt fresh interest curl in hisbellyandthoughtabouthowhewouldexpectamanlikeCorbin Portertoactiftheincrediblemaninbedwithhimwashisandhis alone. "Hmmm.I'llhaveto lockyou upin thecabin,then. No way amI sharingthis"—heranhishandfamiliarlyoverTy's body—"withjust anyone. Doll."

"Oh God,you'regetting into character now,aren'tyou?" Ty groaned, laughing as he stretched under Zane's hand.

Zanegroped himabitbeforelifting thathand tocover Ty's left hand and lace theirfingers together.The tworings rapped together lightly,reminding him of whatwascoming."You're mine,Del,"Zane drawled, more than a hint of arrogance sharpening his tone as he took theopportunity tolookover Ty possessively,nothiding itonebit.And damn if it didn't feelgood. "Justyou remember that whenyougo showing off thatfine ass around that shipin those nonexistentswim shortsofyours."Nowhecouldfeelthelaughthreatening,causedby hisoutrageousplayacting,andheknewithadtobeshowinginhis eyes.

Ty waswatching him,biting hislipagainsta smile."He'sthat muchofanasshole,huh?"hefinallyasked,hisvoicewaveringwith amusement.

"Oh doll,you have noidea,"Zane continued, one eyebrow pointing up officiously as he forced the amusement out of his demeanor,curlinguphislipeversoslightly ashisdark eyestookona rapaciousglint. He tightened hisgrip on Ty'shand, the ringscutting in justa bit, which helped stave off the laughter. Heknew he was a damn good actor, but if anyonecould see through it, it would be Ty. Might as well test it now.

Ty smiled,barely restraininga laughbeforehecomposedhimself withremarkablespeed.Butheonly managedtolookatZaneseriously for mere seconds before his lips twitched into another smile and he snorted,tryingnottolaugh.Heslappedhishandoverhismouthand struggledtostayquiet.Finally,heregainedcontrolandlookedatZane once more with a somber nod.

Zane frownedat him for a long moment before rolling his eyes, because all he wanted todo was laugh too. "You're right. We're totally screwed."

Ty beganto laughsoftly,the sound low andwarm. His thumb slid across the metalof Zane's wedding ring, andhelifted their hands and looked at the rings, onegold andscuffed fromyears of constant wear, onebrightandsilverandnew.Thelaughterebbed.Ty lickedhislipsas heexaminedthem,and thenheloweredtheirhandsandslowly rolled intoZane,hisbodylanguidandpliableoncemoreashedrapedover him.It wasa subtle but immediate change in hisdemeanor.Zane knew Ty wasadamngoodUC,whichrequiredalotofacting.Buthehadn't knownTy hadtheabilitytoliterallybecomesomeoneelsewithjusta shiftofhisbody.Hewasimpressed.Very impressed.Andalittle disturbed.

Ty nudgedZane'snosewithhisandthenkissedhimslowly. "We'll be just fine," he assured Zane in the British accent, his voice pitched just a little higher than normal. He smiled againstZane's lips. "You justhave to own it. Believe thatI'myoursandyou're mine," he whispered slowly before dragging his teeth along Zane's bottom lip.

Zane's chestfelttight, more than it should even with Ty's weight uponhim.Hisentirebody tingledwiththewords.Helethis eyeshalf close, not wanting to examine the feeling tooclosely,and exhaled shakily as Ty's words echoed in his ears.

"Makemebelieveit,darling," Ty coaxedinthefakeaccent,his voice a bare whisper.

Zaneclosed hisarms aroundTy to holdhimin placeand tried to find the mindset he'd been cultivating all day.Corbin Porter was a self-serving,arrogant,possessivebastardwhobelievedlifewashisway or the highway. It hadn't taken Zane the whole twenty minutes of listening to himduring questioning to figure thatone out.WhatZane worriedaboutwashowCorbin'spredictably selfishholdonDelalltoo easily translatedtoZane'sownsilentcravingtokeep Ty tohimself... and how his very headstrong and independent lover would react to it.

He clenched his fingers into Ty's warm skin. "You are mine," he assertedinthatsharpened,confident-soundingdrawl."Iknowit;you know it. And so will anyone else who looks atyou."

"Thereyougo," Ty murmuredapprovingly,drapinghislegover Zane's hip and kissing himagain languidly,the simple action simultaneously moresubmissiveandseductivethananythingTy had ever done to himbefore.The effect was intoxicating, and Zane found bothhisbody andhis mindrespondinginjusttheway hefigured Ty intended.

His partner had just reached new levels of manipulative evil, damn him.

When he pulled back, Ty allowed just enough room to pull Zane's hand upand lookat it."You waiting till morning to switch themout?" he askedsoftly,theaccentand assumedseductive identity gone justas suddenly as they had come.

Zane's gazeflickeredtotheirentwinedfingers,andhestaredat the rings for a long moment. Then he closed hiseyes. Of allthe details thiscaseentailed,thiswastheonethingZanetrulyresented.Yes,it wasforajob,andalotoftime—years—hadpassedsinceBecky died, and itdidn'thurtlike itusedto,butitstill... achedandfeltvery unfair. He drew in a painfulbreathand let it out slowly beforereopening his eyes. "Remind me?"

Ty lookeddownattheringexpressionlessly.ThenhemetZane's eyes andnoddedwithouta word. They both knewtherewas nothing he couldsay tomakeitbetter,anditwasimpossibletodecipherwhat Ty wasthinking.TyalwaysavoidedthesubjectofZane's weddingring justasdevotedlyasZanedid.HegaveZane's handonelastsqueeze and then let goand rolledaway,groaning softly ashe gotto the edge of the bed and sat up.

Zanewatchedhim,silently gratefulforhowTy handledhis request. The rings were a bigger deal to him than he wantedto admit, and Ty knewthat.Infact,ZanewassurprisedtoseethatTy wasstill wearing his after puttingit on this morning afterMcCoy's order. "Are youtryingtogetusedtowearingit?"heaskedcarefully. Ty would know what he was referring to.

Ty turnedhisheadsohewaslookingatZaneoutofthecornerof hiseye,stillsittingontheedgeofthebed."Guessyoucouldsay that," he answered ina low,gruff voice that madeZane shiver. He looked down athishand."I put iton, andI guess my finger'sswollen.Haven't been able to get it off."

"Notevenwiththemassageoil?"Zaneaskedwithafrown.Ty just shook his head. Zane grinned slowly."Try thelube."

Ty snorted."IfitstartshurtingorIgetdesperate.May aswell leaveitontillthen."Hewasnearly mumblingashespunthering around his finger.

Zanewondered,notforthefirsttime,whatwasgoingthrough Ty's mind as he looked at it.

"Mind if I useyour shower?" Ty asked sedately.

"You don't have to ask," Zane murmured,watching his back.

Ty stood,groaning againas he stretched. Heglanced backatZane andgave him aslightsmile. "Gota little carriedaway, huh?" he saidas he walkedtoward the door. "You're soeasy,"he addedin a pleased voice as he disappeared into the hallway.

Zane snorted ashe rolled onto his backand smiled at theceiling. Ty Grady wassuchanegotisticalbastard,yetsomehowheturnedZane on like no one elseeverhad. He mused over that,rubbing his ring idly, untilheheardthewaterstartintheshower.Withasoftgrunt,he pushed himself up and out of bed. That egotistical bastard was naked and wet. No way was he letting that pass without taking advantage of it.