Chapter Four

Ty layononeoftheteakdeckchairs,stretchedoutwithhishands behind his head and his eyes closed against the bright winter sun filtering throughthe protectiveglass that housedthe indoor pool.Just after lunch he andZane had decided to show theirfacesand actually try toenjoy themselvesbeforetheygotdeeperintothecase. Ty hadopted forthepoolbeforerememberingthepieceofsyntheticskincovering histattoo.Hewasn'tsureifitcouldbesubmerged,andhewantedto test that in private before he dove in.

He'd been lying stillfor far toolong,though.He kepttelling himselfitwaspartofthecover.Thiswastheonly thinganyone expected himtodo. They figuredbeing in plainsightthe firstafternoon would be a good plan, and the pool area under the dome meant it was plenty warm, especially with the sun shining through the glass.

Ty wasn't sure where Zane had gotten off to. He knew he couldn'tdog hispartner'sstepsfor fear of looking toosuspicious,butit made him nervous nonetheless, letting Zane outof his sight. He knew therewereagentsontheshipsomewhere,nodoubtlookingoutfor them.Buthehadyettomakeanyofthem,andthatalonedisturbed him.

Noonewassogoodthatthey couldconsistently hidewhena trained eyeknewtolookforthem. Ty toldhimselftheywereprobably keeping a low profile and not to worry about it.

Finally,hecouldn'ttaketherelaxationany longer,andheraised hishead,squintingashelookedaroundtoseeifZanewasanywhere near,searchingforadarkheadsomewhere.Hepassedoverthefirst threealmostimmediately.Thenhecaughtsightofamansurfacingin the pool amidst a gathering of women in various amounts of swimsuit.

Ty cocked his head, allowing himself to examinethe tightening of his chest inreaction to spotting his partner.It hadbeen happening more frequentlylately.Tydidn't knowifitwasbecausehejusthadmore opportunities to spot Zane in a crowd now, or if itwas due to the more obvious possibilities. He had stopped trying to deny the fact that he was inlovesomeweeksago.Thefactthatthey werenotonly abletoshow eachothersomeattentionhereonthecruiseship,butthattheywere encouragedtodoso,wasonly addingtotheweightofthefeelingshe'd realized in the mountains of West Virginia.

He stillhadhisdoubts, of course,andthethoughtstill unnerved him,buthehadpretty muchcometotermswithit.Itwasalmost amusing.If he'd beena betting man, he would never havepicked himself from the two of them to be the sap who fell in love.

Ty sighed slightly and shielded his eyes, watching Zane idly.

Itwasclearthatseveralofthewomenwereflirtingwithhim,and itwascrystalclearthatZane—Corbin—wasvastly amused.Zane slicked his wet hair back with one handas he spoke with a couple of thembeforethegrouplaughedandZanegavethatfull-of-itsmileTy hadquickly cometoassociatewithCorbin.TherealCorbinPorterwas obviously a dick, if Zane's impression of him wasanything to go by.

But Zane, with the self-assured addition to his attitude, was hittingbuttons Ty hadn'tevenknownhepossessed.Hesighed,looking down atthe silverring onhisfinger.Itwasstilloddtosee it there.And itwas unnerving that hestillcouldn'tseemto getitoff. He tuggedatit like he hadbeenallmorning.Itwasjusta little tootight,anditdidn't budge over the still-swollen, scarred knuckle. Tonight he intended to take some soap to it. Or if that failed, Astroglide.

Helooked back up, sighingas hecontinued tryingto spin it around on his finger.It took a long moment for it to register thatZane was wading toward him, a coupleof thewomentrailingalong,still talking as they entered into shallower water.

Ty watchedhimappreciatively,notworriedthatanyonecouldsee likehenormallydid.Hell,itwouldbeoddifpeoplesawhimnot watchingnow,right?Hestretchedbackoutonhisdeckchair,crossing one ankle over the other and putting his hands behind his head again.

Itgave hima comfortable vantage pointto see the water stream over Zane's skinas he climbed the shallow steps out of the pool. Ty's eyebrow climbed ashe took in the bright red European swim shorts that stuck to Zane's skin likecrepe paper, well belowthe navel,a streak of scarlet across his lean hips and muscled abdomen.

Ty crossedhisankles theotherwayandlookedupatthesky briefly, fighting hisnaturalreactionto the view. His own swim trunks weresimilar,butinblack.Hehopedhepulledthelookoffaswellas his partner did.

ThenZane liftedthe towel to wipe his faceand turned his back to Ty. Ty didadouble-takewhenhecaughtsightoftheinkonthelowest part of Zane's back, under the mishmash of thin white scars he knew werethere.Itlookedlikeatwistedvinewithsmallleavesandthorns—a simple but striking setof blacklines thatwrapped and twisted around, reaching fromhiptohip alongZane'slower backbefore dipping down toapointjustinsidethoseverybriefredshorts,forminganinverted triangle that stood out against Zane's tanned skin.

How the hell had he missed that?

Ty slappedhishandoverhismouthtomufflethelaughthat threatened.Finally,Zanewas getting a little of the same treatmentTy hadbeendealingwith.Ty supposedbeingforcedtowearwhitelinen and platinum hair was better than a henna tramp stamp.

Hesnortedashelay therealone,andhehadtolookaway before he began laughing harder and made a scene. Once he'd regained control,helookedbackasoneofthewomensteppedclosertoZane, herfaceclearto Ty sinceshefacedhim,andshevery deliberately placedahandonthebareskinofZane'shiptobrushherfingersnear the tattoo. Ty whistled softly, hoping the henna or whatever they'd used to put the tattoo on wouldn't rub off when it waswet.

Hecouldn'thaveheardthepropositionanyclearerifhe'd been standing right there next to them. He lowered hishead, watching idly as he let hishandfallto his side. He'd neverreally seenZaneflirt, other thanhisplayfullypitifulattemptsattryingtoseduceTyintobed.And duringtheirfirstweektogetherinNewYorkwhenthey'd metwith Serena Scott.

She was the type who ate her bedmates afterward.Zane had seemed to like it.

The woman's mouth formed a surprisedO before aslightfrown crinkled her brow.Zaneturned enough that Ty couldsee the smile curving hislips,tipping hisheadin Ty'sdirectionashe placed hishand onhersandremoveditfromhiship,thoughhekissedherfingers before releasing it to ease the rejection. The flustered woman stepped backandnodded,offeringhimanembarrassedsmile,andZaneturned to walk toward Ty, Corbin's smile still in place.

Ty didn'tmoveashewatchedZaneapproach.Hemerely kepthis eyesonhim,asmilequirkinghislipsasZanegotcloser.ThenZane stoppedatthefootoftheloungerandopenly lookedhimupanddown. "Enjoyingyourself?" he asked before wiping athisface againwiththe towel he carried.

Ty couldn'thelpbutstretchunderthe frankappraisal.Hegave Zane acontentsmile."I amnow," he answeredwryly,theaccent comingeasier tohim.The accent,he'dfound,actually made iteasier to beDelPorter.Whenhe stoppedusing itin private,itwasmuch more difficulttofindtheheadspace.Hecouldn'tcommithimselftousingit all the time, though.It sounded too damn silly.

Zane's smile turned into a smirk. "Sit up, doll," he said as he rubbed the towel over his chest and abs.

Ty raisedan eyebrow.Zanereally seemedtobeenjoyinghisrole. He pushed himself up onto his elbows, gaveZanea crooked smile, and sat up as requested.Zane straddled the lounger, sat, and slid in behind him, then leaned back, Ty neatly between his sprawled legs. "Ah. Much better vantage pointfor tracking interesting people," Zane murmured pleasantly, dropping Corbin's oily drawl.

Ty reachedover tothetable besidethechairandretrievedhis sunglasses.HerestedanelbowonZane'sknee,lookingaroundashe lethisfingerscoastalongthedampskinofZane's calf.Thedark shades masked his perusal of thecrowd.Severalpeople were watching them,somedeliberately,somesurreptitiously.Onemaninparticular observedthemfromacrossthedeckandhadbeendoingsoeversince Ty had caught sight of him more than thirty minutes ago.

"I thinkI'vemade oneofourcontacts," Ty toldZaneashelethis hand travel to the back of Zane's knee andalong histhigh. He resisted mentioning the tattoo. He didn't think he could without laughingyet.

Zanegruntedinacknowledgment."Only one?Spotany ofthe team?" He laid his handover Ty's shoulder,stroking lightly withthis thumb.

Ty's lipstwitched."Notyet.You're enjoyingthis,aren't you?" he declared in amusement, turning to glance backat Zane briefly. His fingertipsjustbarelybrushedZane'sskin.Itwasachaste,tantalizing gesture.

Zane's look edged toward a leer. "Hellyes," he said.

Ty smiledandturnedhisheadtofully lookatZane,one eyebrow raised behind the designer sunglasses.It was rare to catch Zane in this mood.Ty wantednothing morerightthenthantoheadbacktothe luxury stateroom,lockthedoor,andgetonhisknees.Andhewasokay with that.

He tookhissunglassesoff and metZane's eyes, knowing his partner would read him like a book.

Thatleerwasfirmly inplaceinZane'sflashing eyesasZane reached out, wrapped one hand around Ty's neckto pull him close, and kissedhimhard. Ty flailedslightlywhenhewasyanked,havingto contort a little and lean far backward to meetthe kiss. Buthe relaxed into it quickly, letting the odd feeling settle over him.

Itwasanentirely newsensationforhim,kissinganothermanin public. Something he had never done. Something he was really enjoying. He reached upto drag his fingers through Zane'swet hair. He hummedalongwiththekiss,lettinghisbodyreactandnottryingto fightit.They hadtwoweeksofthisontheircakesurveillance assignment.They mightaswellenjoy it.Itseemedlikeforeverbefore Zanepulledback,thoughitcouldn't possiblyhavebeenmorethan eight or ten seconds.

"Let'sgo," Zane rasped."I've had enough sun for one afternoon, and I'm sureyou've hadyour fill of people-watching."

Tysmiledandturnedhisheadtoglancearoundthepoolagain. Hisentire body buzzedafter the kiss,another newthing for him,and he didn't want to move andruin it justyet. The man across the pool still watched them casually from behind his own sunglasses.

Ty cockedhisheadathim.Hewastallandthin, hishairadeep blackandhiscomplexionwhatTy mighthavecalledswarthy.They couldn'tapproachhim. He would come to them atthe specified time, whenever the hell thatwas. Until then, all he andZane had to dowas... be married.

Ty grinnedanddeliberately leanedhisbody backagainstZane's chest. He rested his headon thefront ofZane's shoulder andturned his faceuntilhisnosebrushedunderZane's chin."I'dratherstayherea while longer," he said in a low voice.His handslid up Zane's inner thigh, disappearing between their bodies.

Thelowrumbleofanamusedchuckleshook Ty slightly asZane droppedhischintostealakiss,quickerthistime,beforecurlinghis armaround Ty toresthishandon Ty'sbelly.Hewasnowpretty much serving asthe backofthe deckchair, and Ty wasloungingagainsthim. "Ifyou want. You'll make it up to me later," Zane teased.

"Oh,Iknowit,"Tyrespondedashisfingersfoundwhatthey'd been seeking. He smiled mischievously,lowering hisvoice as he let his fingersglideoverthe bulgeinZane'sswim trunks."I lookforwardto beingbentoverthebalconyrailing,"hetoldZanewithcertainty,his voice low.

That got a reaction that wasn't smooth, cocky Corbin. Both Zane's hands tightenedas he sucked in a quickbreath, and his cock jumped against Ty's hand. When Zane spoke, hisvoice was thickand rough. "Whatever makesyou happy, doll."

Ty grinned triumphantly. His fingers continued to move teasingly, hidden behind his back. The exotic-looking man still watched them.Ty founditoddandslightly disconcerting.Helaidhishead againstZane's chest again, brow furrowing ashe fondled his lover, hidden in plain sight.

Zane slidhisfingers through Ty'shair,and Ty thoughthe just might have feltthose fingers shaking.ThenZanetuggedgently aftera particularly firm caress. "You are skating on thin ice."

Ty smiledandlookedaroundagain.Hewasbeingfairly discreet. Noonearoundthemseemedany thewiser.Hemovedhisotherhandto glide idly alongZane's thighasheused itasanarmrest.Hecouldsee how some enjoyed this game of passive seduction. The thrillwas in Zane's reaction. How far could he go before Zane lost his control?

"You plan to punish me somehow?" he asked in the most innocent voice he couldmuster. The accent actually helped with that.

"Oh,IthinkIcancomeupwithsomethingsuitablychastising," Zane said darkly.His voice was dropping closer toward a growl.

"Ifitdoesn'tinvolvemeon my kneesinsomefashionI shallbe wildly disappointed," Ty drawledashegaveasqueezeofhishandin emphasis. He was pleased with himself for remembering the intricacies of the dialect.

Zanelaughedaloud,andTycouldseeclearinterestonafew other faces.Zane was drawing a lot of attention,and well he should be. Hell,probably halfthepeopleuphere—womenandmen—wouldwant Zane to bend them over a balcony railing.

Ty turnedhisheadtonuzzleagainstZane'schinagain."You didn't tell me about the tattoo."

"I figuredyou'dnoticed," Zane murmured. "It'snotexactly subtle."

Ty laughedandshookhishead."Haven'thadoccasiontoseethat side of you lately."

Zane chuckled,andit shook both of them this time. "So what do you think?"

"I'mmoreimpressedwiththerestofyou," Ty assuredhimwith anothersmirk.HegaveZaneafewslowstrokes.HewantedZanein him, and now. But more than that, he wantedZane to want it enough to make a move.

Zanehissedquietly."Doll..."Hisvoicecarriedawarningtone. "You'll make me forgetwe're supposed to be working."

"Weareworking,remember?"Tydrawledashecontinuedto slide the tips of his fingers against Zane's swimsuit.

Zane splayed his handover Ty'schestand startedstroking upand down his sun-warmed skin, going a little lowereach time. "AndI'm wondering justhow Corbinwoulddecide betweenbeing smugand showingyouoff or being jealousanddraggingyoutobedaway from prying eyes," he said throatily.

Ty shifted his body against Zane suggestively. If they were gettinguptoheadtothecabinanytimesoon,hewantedZanejustas turned onas hewas.Hemight even be ableto push him over the edge andgethimtogoroughonhim.God,thatwasfun,watchingZane battle betweencontrol and wildpassion. His fingers stroked along the hard ridge in Zane's shorts.

"I vote for the bed," Ty murmured with a smirk.

Without warning, Zane surged up out of the deck chair, practically lifting Ty tosethimonhisfeet.Hegrabbedatowelinone hand and Ty'swristin the other and started stalking for the doors that wouldleadintotheconcourseofluxury cabins.Ty nearly stumbled, barely grabbing hissunglasses,andZane'sgrasponhiswristwasthe only thingthatkepthimonhisfeetashewasdraggedaway fromthe pool.He bithislip inanticipationof whatmightbe coming andtried to look suitably chastised ashe followed.

Zanepulledhiminside,andtheforcedairspilledoverthemas theymovedthroughtheentrywayandintothewidestairwell.Once they werearoundthecorner,Zaneswung Ty aroundwithagrowland pinnedhimtothewall,hisheadnarrowlymissingasprigofholiday cheertapedtothebulkhead."YouhaveanyideahowcloseIwasto tippingyou back on thatchair?" hegrowled,grinding his obvioushard-on against Ty's thigh.

Ty tangledbothhandsinZane'shairandbithis lipagainagainst thesmilethatthreatened."God,Iloveitwhenyoudothis,"hetold Zanewithrelish,hisvoiceabarewhisperashetriedtocatchhis breath.

"This?" Zane purred againstTy'searas he pressed his body against Ty's from chest to thigh, heated bare skincatching and skipping insteadofsliding.Hedeliberately draggedonehanddown Ty'sside toward his shorts.

Tyshookhishead,fightingthegrinashelethisfingersslide down Zane'sface."I believeyouweregrowling," he corrected.He wrappedhisarmslooselyaroundhislover's neckandtiltedhishead up, silently requesting a kiss.

Zane's response startedas a hum in hischestand built to the requested growl ashe dipped his chin and pushedhis lips firmly against Ty'sjustashispalmcuppedbehindTy'sthightohitchhimcloser.If Tydidn'tknowbetter,he'dthinkZaneplannedtofuckhimrightthere in the hallway.WhenZane growledagain, dropped the towel,andslid his other hand under the fabric of Ty's shorts to cup his ass, Ty suddenly wasn't so sure he really did know better.

Zane hadjustdragged histonguealong Ty'slower lip when Ty heardsomeoneveryclosebyclearhisthroat.Hejerkedbackinalarm asZane'shandsabruptly tightenedon him,andTy bangedthe back of hishead againstthe wall.Itwasa knee-jerk reactionto being caughtTy was pretty sure he'd never get over. He didn't like being surprised.

A man stoodin the middle of the corridor looking intothe stairwell,watchingthempassively.ItwasthesamemanTyhadseen observingthemoutside.Hewasquitestrikingupclose.Hishairwas darkandcurlyattheends,cutjustabovehisshouldersandslicked back,withhintsofgrayatthetemplesandalonghishairline.His stylishgoateewascarefullymaintained,hidingthehardlinesofhis lips. He held hisexpensive sunglasses in his hand now as he looked at Ty andZane inbemusement.His eyeswerea deepmahogany,a beautifulcolor,butcoldandemotionless.Thesteelgray bathingshorts he wore just intensified that effect.

Zane straightened to his full height, curled his arm around Ty's shoulders,andsubtly pulledhimcloser,splayinghishandacross Ty's collarbone possessively. Ty bit back the annoyance the protective stance caused.

"CanIhelpyou?"Zanesaid,thesoundsrumblingbetweenput out and wary.

"Mr.Porter?"themanaskedinheavily accentedEnglish. Ty couldn't quite place theorigin. Turkey, maybe.He wasn't sure.What was obvious was that this had to be one of CorbinPorter's contacts aboard the ship.And he definitely wasn'tItalian. That left Vartan Armen, the acquisitions specialist.

"I'm Corbin Porter," Zane acknowledged. "You must be—"

"VartanArmen,yes,"themanbrokein."Onlytheonetelephone conversationmorethanayearagodoesnotgiveonemuchwithwhich todrawaconclusion,Iknow."ArmenpausedandlookedTyupand down. "I must admit,your... husbandgaveyouaway."

Ty hadtofightnottobristleattheman. He feltlike apitbull,his hackles rising becausehedidn'tlike the scentof the man. He snortedat him as ifamused.Zanemusthave picked uponthe tension, though, because the hand on Ty's shoulder began torubsoothingly.

"He does attract attention, doesn'the?" Zane said.

ArmengaveTyapolitelookandnod."Quitestriking,indeed.I amawarewearenottomeetuntilsomedayshence,butI feelallthis cloak-and-dagger is quite cumbersome. We're nothere to hide from one another,"hesaidwithasmilethatseemedgenuine."Mystateroomis 8520, if you wish to contact me before our scheduled activities coincide.I feeldinner anddrinkswouldput usallmore atease before we convene any business."

"I agree,"Zane answeredashe nodded."I'msureitwon'tthrow our itinerary off too much to make a change."

Armen gave a courteousnod. "Very good.I shallbe in touch."

Tyremainedsilent,practicallyvibratingwiththedesiretojump inandsay something,dig forinformation,anythingbeforethemanleft them. He remainedsilentthough, feigning boredomas he looked away withalongsigh.Heslidhissunglassesonasifpreparingtoreturnto the pool, and he looked back atArmen. With one push of his thumbnail totheinsideof theframe,heactivatedthetiny camerainsidethe designer sunglasses.Hestaredat Armenjust long enough to hope the camera got a clear shot, then pushed the button again and looked away.

"We'll seeyou soon,Mr. Armen,"Zane said,a slighthint of closure clear in his tone.

"Until then, Mr. Porter," Armen said. He nodded to Ty. "Mr. Porter." And then he wasgone, through the doorsto the promenade.

Ty steppedbackslightly,lettinghishandsslidedownandaway fromZane's bodyashewatchedthemandisappear."He's kindof slimy, huh?" he said, still using his accent for fearof losing it.

"Yes."Zanewatchedthedoorswithnarrowedeyes."That's a good description."

"Somuchforsticking toouritineraries," Ty murmured.Butif Armen was advancing the schedule, perhaps this job wouldgo faster thanthey'danticipated."Buthey,nowweknowwherehe'sstaying," he added brightly. "Rightthe fuck next door."

Zane finally turned hischin and refocused his fullattention on Ty. "Andwedon't needtoworryaboutanymeetingsfortherestofthe day," he saidwith a ghost of a smile.

"Good, gives ustime tocontact thebackupteam,get some eyes andearsonthisguy.I thinkIgotagoodpicture,which meanswe're already halfway done,"Ty answereddistractedlyashepeeredatthe doors andreachedout forZane againalmost unconsciously.His hand met warm, firm skin asZane took a step closer.

"Is that all?"

Ty lookedathimwithatwistofmischiefonhislips."And my accentisslipping,"heclaimedashemovedclosertohispartner,his fingers dragging againstZane's skin as he wrapped his arms around his waist."IthinkI'mgoingtoneedalittlemorepracticebeforedinner." He pressed a kiss to Zane's chin.

Zane's lips quirked as his arms slid around Ty'swaist. "Who are you and what didyou do with Ty Grady?" he asked under his breath.

Ty smiledandpulledhimselfcloser,brushinghislipsagainst Zane's. "Don'tget usedto it, darling," he drawled, kissing Zane again languidly.

Zane's lowchucklewaspracticallyapurr."ThenI'll enjoyit whileI've gotit.C'mon, baby.Finishwhatyoustartedoutbythe pool."

Theywereinfoulmoodsby thetimetheirscheduleddinnercame around,mostlybecausethey'd discoveredaftergettingtotheircabin that their luggage included a whole lot of lubricant—flavored, scented, warming, desensitizing, stimulating, silicone,gel,and one tiny tube that Tysuspectedhadglow-in-the-darkand/orexplosiveproperties—but not a single condom to be found.

Ty cursedhimselfagainfor nothavingforeseenthat.Zane had gonetotakeashower,mutteringdarklyafterwatchingTygothrough allthe luggage.Now Ty couldhear thingsclinking andslidingand thumpingonthemarblevanityinthebathroom.WhenZanestepped into the doorway, his hair was all slicked back,and he wore tailored blackpantsthatrodelowonhishipsandabraidedgoldchainaround his neck. Nothing else.

"Dinner had better begood," he said in resignation. His mood had taken a hit with Armen'sappearance andhad deterioratedall afternoon, cappedoffbythemlosingtrackoftime.Nowtheydidn't evenhave time to make theevening interestingbefore dinner andlet off some steam.

Ty lookedatZaneblankly andshookhishead, tryingtoseethe humorous side of the situation. Hefailed miserably andgruntedat his equally cranky partner. "I know the guy's all kinds of classy, butyou're putting a shirt on, right, papi?" he asked wryly.

Zanestalkedovertothewardrobetorifflethroughthechoices withanaggrievedsigh.Helookedtobevisibly wranglingwithmaking himself relax.

Tygruntedinsympathyandscratchedathischinidly ashe watched."We'llstopby one of the pharmaciesandgetsomeafter dinner."

"Oh, that willgo overwell. Areyou worried aboutgetting pregnant?"

Ty cockedhisheadandnarrowedhis eyesathisbelligerent partner.Hedeservedtobecranky,butTydidn't deservetobethe target.Tywaffledbetweenrespondinginkindandtryingtodefusea possible argument.Fuckit. "Maybeyou're justnot a good enough lay, and I'm cheating onyou," he posed finally.

Zaneyankeda shirtoff itshanger andturnedaround."IfI found youcheating on me,I'dbeatyou black and blue.Andyou'dgetoff on it," he growled in Corbin's voice.

Tynarrowedhiseyesfurtherandleanedforward.Therehadbeen acoupletimesnowthatheactually believedZaneasCorbin.This instance especially qualified. The line between themwaseasily blurred. Ty didn'tparticularly likethiselementofZane'stransformation, possibly becauseitdidn'tactually feellikeatransformation.Itwaslike there wasa part ofZanesomewhere in there really meant the thingshe said.

NowZanesteadily heldhisgazeashepulledashirton.Zane's eyesweredeepbrown,almostblack,andnotatallwarm.Ty wasn'tat all intimidated, but he was annoyedjust enough to want to deny Zane the fight he was angling for.

He smiled slyly. "You're probably right."

The icy scowlonZane'sface thaweda little,asdid the chillin his eyes,andonecornerofhismouthcurledupashegave Ty awink."Of course I am."

Ty rolledhis eyesandstood."Youready,cupcake?"heasked drolly.

"I'dfeelbetterifI knewwhere our damnbackupwas,"Zane grousedashetuckedintheblacksilkshirt.He'd lefttwobuttons undone at the collar, and he looked slimmer, almost wiry, in the all-black ensemble, despite his six-foot-five frameand broad shoulders. "Whataboutweapons?" he asked ashe strappedanarrow stilettoinside one wrist and buttoned the cuff.

"Well," Ty started with a heavy sigh as he looked down at himself,"I don'thaveanywheretohidemine.Butwecanstashoneor twomoreonyoumaybe."HelookedZaneupanddowncritically.It was relatively easy foratrained eye to spota concealedweapon,and theirmainconcernwasbeingdiscoveredasfrauds."Iguessthereal question is, would Corbin go packing, or should we hide it good enough to make it hard to get to?"

"Porter's a thug. A smug one who's careful, but he's not paranoid. Tooproudfor that.I think he'd carry but have it well concealed for use in a pinch," Zane said.

Ty couldn'thelpthegleamthat entered his eyes."Thatmeanswe havetobecreative,"hesaidwithacertainrelishashescannedover Zane's body again.

"Creative," Zane repeated,andhe lookeddown athimselfashe watched Ty study him. "Like... what? I already wear concealed knives."

Ty smirkedandcockedhishead."Innerthighsaregood,rightat the groin. Material's always roomy, so it doesn't show, but it's uncomfortableas hell. Also hard toget to unlessyou feel like shooting offaroundrightnexttoyourjohnson.Lowerbackisprobably thebest place.Won'timpedemovement,lessnoticeable,especially ifyoudon't takeoffthejacket,"hesurmisedasZanepulledablacksuitjacketout of the wardrobe."We justneedsomething tosecure it. Other than stuffing it intoyour belt,of course."

"Because that's so comfortable,"Zane saidwith a sigh. "But it'll dounlessyouhaveanotheridea."Hewalkedovertothesmallsatchel onthebedsidetableandpulledoutTy'sgunfromwhereitwashidden inalargeboxofjewelrythatconsistedmostlyofleatherandchains. They hadn'tfound Zane's Glock hidden anywhere.

"I do," Ty saidhaughtilyasheheadedfortheonly bag he'dbeen allowed to pack of hisown things.There was a single Ace bandage in there, brought along outof habit. He held it up to Zane with a raised eyebrow. "Okay, so it's not a MOLLE system, butyou make do."

Zane cracked a smile and started pulling his shirtback out of the waistband. "Fixme up, then."

Ty bithistongueonany possibleresponseandunraveledthe bandage.They usedZane'sbelttomake surethegunstayedinplace, andTy madequickworkofwrappingthebandagearoundZane'storso tosecureit.Itservedtohidethetelltaleformof thegun'spommel,but thatwasaboutit.Ty pushedZane'sshirtdownandstoodbackwithhis hands on his hips, surveying his handiwork.

"It'lldo," Ty toldhim,realizingbelatedly thedubioustonetohis voice.

"Aslongasitdoesn'tclattertothefloor,it'llbefine,"Zanesaid ashe tuckedhisshirtbackinandpickedupthe jacket."I feelbetter, anyway."

"Oh, what a relief," Ty muttered sarcastically.

Zane justsmiled and walked to open the doorfor him. "Let'sgo, doll."

Ty merely rolledhiseyesashewalkedpasthim. Givethemana weapon and suddenly he was all smiles again.

Cometothinkofit,thatwasprobablyoneofthetraitsthatkept Ty interested.

They walked downthe corridor together,Ty glancing surreptitiously at Zane as they moved. He cleared his throat and reached out to slide hisfingers into Zane's, takingpleasurein the ability todosowithoutfearofbeingspotted."Atleastyoumake frustrated and cranky look good," he commented,tongue-in-cheek.

Zane tookup Ty's hand andkissed hisknuckles, offering a rueful lookofapology before lacing theirfingerstogetherasthey walkedout intotheseveral-stories-high,glass-walledpromenade."Soyouthink Del is as proud to show off Corbin as Corbin is Del?"

"No,he'sjustafterhismoney,"Tyansweredblithely,tryingnot to smile as he watched Zane out of the corner of his eye for his reaction.

Zane's lipstwitched."Corbincanprobablyaffordwhatevereye candy strikeshisfancy."HeleanedslightlytowardTyasthey walked. "ButI'm thinking my version of Del is easier on the eyes."

"Flattery willnotgetyoulaidany faster," Ty toldhimwith a frown. He wasaware ofhisown good looksandnottoomodestto use themoccasionally,butZanerarely offeredacomplimentwhenthey weren't half-nakedalready,andTydidn't thinkhe'd evernoticedso many eyeslingeringonhimashehadthepastday orso.Itwas unsettling for a man who'd spent mostof his life trying notto be noticed.

"SomehowIdon't thinkyoukeepmearoundformyseduction skills," Zane said dryly.

Ty barkedalaughbeforehecouldstophimself.Heglancedat Zane and smiled affectionately at him. Zane's goofy lines and occasionalunabashedlycheesy attemptsatseductionwere justpartof hischarm.Cheesy,goofy,thank-God-he's-pretty charm."I thinkI can safely concur."

Zane staggered slightly and clapped a hand over his heart in mock-surprise.

"JusttakecomfortinthefactthatI keepyouaroundforthe amazing sex," Ty murmured to appease him.

"How amazing?" Zane wheedled.

"Don't push it."