Chapter Nine

Theassignment was starting to wear on them.The experience of living in a fancy stateroom, eating incredible food, and enjoying the excitementof their daily itinerarieshad quickly faded intoa slightly fearful,somewhatdreadfulobligationthatwascertainly convincing Zane that they were here to work instead of play.

He hadhopedyesterday'sevening of shoppingonSt.Thomas would turn upsome business,butit hadbeen tense, dull,and disappointing, just like the rest of the week had been. That dangerous amalgam made for a cranky partner but some seriously hot sex at night.

Sex.Heand Ty hadbeenallovereachotherfordaysnow.While Zanehadnocomplaintwhatsoever,itwasreally bizarretrying to rememberthatthey weresupposedlyworking.Thewaitingwasgetting to bothof them,andthesexwasthe only outlet they hadaside fromthe rare foray into a carefully plannedadventure like that zip line across the treetops. Each night—orday,as the case proved to be more often than occasionally—grew progressively more heated and intense.

Zane'semotionswere aswell, and he was having a difficult time keeping inmindthattheconstantproximity andlivingthelieofbeing Corbin and Del Porter skewed thoseemotions.Itdidn't mean the close, passionate connection between him and Ty wasasreal as it felt.

Everythingwouldchangewhenthey wenthome.Ty would change.

Zanesighedandresolvednottothinkaboutitashepulledhis shirt over his head andtossed it toward the sofa.Itwas exhausting, havingagoodtime.They'dbeenheresevenextra-long,activity-filled, frightfullyboringdays,andhewasthinkingspendingmostofonein bedsoundedlikeagreatidea,especially afterTy andhisdaredevil diving had strainedZane's nervesyesterday.

Zane'sreticencehadn'tprevented Ty fromrunningatfullspeed toward theedge of thecliff and throwing himselfoff it with the kind of cavalierpleasureonly theinsanecouldmaintainandlivethrough.Zane hadn't told Ty, but he'dstopped at therailing around the mountainside and watched his lover jump over the edge.Zane'sheart had plummeted as if it had been him taking the leap. He had to say one thing: Ty's form wasbeautifulashedovetowardtheplacidpoolbelow.Hewonderedif it was something that came naturally or if it wasall Ty's training.

One thing he did know: Ty was fearless.

He laughed slightly, shaking his headand turning around tolook throughthecabin.HewonderedwhereTyhadgottento.Hispartner hadmentionedsomethingaboutneedingtorunanerrandastheyleft therestaurantafterlunch.Zanehadalready decidedtobe lazy fora while,sohe'd comebacktotheircabin,kickedoffhisshoes,and padded across the room to the chaise, where he sat and stretched out with a sigh.

Itwasonly afewminuteslaterwhenheheardthedoortothe stateroomopenandclose,andthentherustleofaplasticbagasTy came in and set down whatever he'd bought.

"I'm prettysureIjustgotgropedwhilebuyingtoothpaste,"Ty toldhimwitha frown ashe struggledwiththetiny buttonsof hisshirt. "By a tiny little old lady with dead butterflies on her hat."

Zane had to fight hard not to laugh. He had noticed the past few daysthat whenever Ty gotfrustrated,hebeganpulling off piecesof clothing left andright.Itwasn'tlike Zane didn'tmind looking,butthe factthathewasdoing sonowprobably meanthedidn'tthinkbeing groped wasfunny.

"I'msurpriseditwasn'tmore than that,youwearing thosepants," Zane murmured, eyeing Ty'sass.

Ty rolledhis eyes.Zanewonderedhow muchlonger Ty wouldgo before he puta stop to the lecherous commentsZane intendedto keep making. He watchedhispartner, appreciating theview asTy wentto sit onthesofa,proppinghisfeetuponthetableinfrontofhim."I'm bored," he toldZane grumpily."How do people live like this?"

"I havenoidea,"Zanemurmuredsleepily.Hewasboredtoo.But atleasthe couldgo to the casinoand feellike he was doing something worthwhile,evenifhehadn't discoveredanythingusefulsofar.He'd seenVartanArmentwiceoutsideoftheirpokergames,butonly forthe secondsittookforArmentonodandmoveon.Itobviously wasn't "time"yet.

They'dbeendancing,shopping,touring,swimming,andneither really hadany interestinshuffleboard.Zanehadbeenonly halfjoking whenhesuggestedthecountry-Westernlinedancinglessons,which hadsetTy tocackling.Asidefromthoseoptions,Ty wasstuck... sunning himselfandmaking nice withSignoraBianchi,whomhe desperately avoidedevery chancehegot.Ithadmovedpastfunny into ridiculous a day ago.

Ty dugtheheelsofhishandsintohiseyesandgroanedmiserably as he rubbedat them.Zane opened one eyetopeer at him. "What's wrong?" he asked. The rubbing looked like more than simple tiredness. "Areyou that restless?"

"Yes," Ty answered infrustration."I haven'tgone forarun ina week," hegrumbled as he sat up, and his knee began to bounce rapidly. "Theonly thingI'vemanagedtodoisclimbhalfarockwallandthen nearly fall off. And paddle lazily around some private island."

"So go for a run," Zane said easily, ignoring the sarcasm. "There'sareally nicerunningtrackaroundtheupperoutsidedeck. You'vegotthebodyofarunner.Noonewouldthinkanythingabout it."

"Oh,I havethebody ofarunner,huh?Zane,"Ty saidslowly, closinghiseyesasheleanedforward,asifhewereabouttobroacha complicatedsubjectwitha smallchild,"I havenever beenleeredatso muchin my life,"hesaidwithemphasis."By menorwomen.Thereis nowayinhellI'm goingtoanyofthegymsorrunninganywhere unless it's nighttime and everyone's at the clubs trying to get laid."

Zane couldn't hold in the quiet laugh. "Poorbaby.You cannot tell me you haven't been ogled a lot in your life."

Ty lookedathimwithwideeyes,hisfrustratedexpressiononeof completesincerity."No,"heinsisted."Atleastif I was,I neverfucking noticed it!"

Zane frowned."You'reserious?" He looked Ty up anddown significantly.

"Yes,"Tysaidinanaffrontedvoice.Heshifteduncomfortably underthesuddenscrutinyandstood."Why?"heaskeddefensivelyas he began moving toward the balcony.

"Because..."Zanehadseen Ty usehisgoodlookstohis advantage.HeknewthatTywasawareofhowheappearedtoothers. He could turnon the charm and all but thecoldest of hearts would melt for him, and half of thatbattle was physical.ButZane suspected what Ty was talking about now was a different type of ogling, and he thoughtbetterofaflippantanswer.HestudiedTy foralongmoment, realizing that blowing off the questionwouldn't make hispartner feel better. "You're avery handsome man," he settledon, keeping hisvoice low and serious.

Ty turnedandlookedatZaneoverhisshoulder,one eyebrow raisedasifheexpectedtheretobeajokefollowingthestatement. WhenhesawthatZanewasserious,hegavehimaslightjerkofhis chinand snortedathimbefore turning to lookoutatthe oceanthat rolled past the ship.

Zane rose to his feet andwalked over to stand behind him, curling his arms around his waist. He was getting usedto this being-able-to-touch thing."What's the matter?" he teasedgently. "It's allfunand games till somebody paysyou a compliment?"

Ty was silent, his head bowing as he looked out the balcony doors diligently. "I guessyoucatchmeoffguardwhenyou'rebeing honest," he finally decidedwith a wry twist to the words.

"Ithinkwe're honestwitheachother,"Zanemurmuredagainst Ty'scheekbone. "We just don't... volunteer muchto be honest about."

Ty turnedhisheadslightly,tensing briefly underZane'shands before he relaxed again."Volunteer," he repeatedcarefully.

"Neither one ofus is much for sharing,"Zane stated, one ofhis thumbs beginning to rub Ty's belly.

"I share," Ty arguedstubbornly.HishandslidintoZane'ship pocket in an unconsciousgesture.

Zane cleared his throat in a disbelieving sound."Such as?"

Ty was silent, obviously trying to come up with an answer. Finally, hegrunted."What doyouwant me to share about?" he asked. He sounded uncomfortable.

Zane justshrugged."Itwas more of acommenton past information,"hesaid.Hewasn'tabouttopushTy to"volunteer" anythingrightnow.They hadn'tseriouslyarguedintwodays.He enjoyed the bickering and teasing much more.

Ty waschewingon hisbottomlip,one handinZane'spocket,the other resting ontopofZane's. "I don'tmindquestions,youknow," he finallysaidsoftly."IfIcan'ttellyouwhatyouwanttoknow,I'lljust tellyou that," he assured Zane. "Just... for future reference," he said.

"Like if I asked about the phone calls in the middle of the night that send you off to work without me?"

Ty wassilentforamoment,andthenheloweredhisheadslightly and leanedforward. "I can't tellyou whatyouwant to know," he answered, voice low and monotone.

Zanenodded.He'dknownTy wouldn'tbeabletotalkaboutthe oddjobs,buthe'daskedanyway.Hehadhissuspicions.Afterafew monthsofpractically living with Ty,littleclueshadaddedup. Ty's Force Recon backgroundgave him a special set of skills for wet work, he was a skilled undercover operative, he disappeared"on assignment" unannounced—sometimes for one night, othertimes for days—and he wasunusually closetotheirboss'sboss,RichardBurns,Assistant Director of the CriminalInvestigative Division of the FBI.If somebody higherup in theBureau,like DickBurns,wasgoing totapanyonefor a little "side job" thatneeded a specialtouch, Ty wouldbe a clear choice. Zane'sothertheory hadtodowithhigh-classprostitutionringsanda sketchy office fantasy football league.

"In a way, it's a relief toat least hear that," Zane said quietly. He couldfeelTyholdinghisbreath,thewayhedidwhenhewantedto speak but didn'tplan to."It's okay.I do understand why youcan't talk about it."

Ty jerkedhisheadinanod,buthestillhadn'texhaled."Maybe one day I can tellyou about it," he finally said tightly.

"All right,"Zane murmured. Hecastaroundfor something to distract Ty fromthetension."Howaboutsomethingoffthewall? What'syour favorite dessert?"

Ty turnedhishead,andhischeekbrushedagainstZane'slips. Zanecouldfeelhimrelaxingasthesubjectchanged. "I don'tlike chocolate," he answeredafter a moment's thought. "But turtle pie. You know what that is?"

"Ice cream with caramel and pecans," Zane said. "But it's covered in chocolate."

Ty smiled slightly. "Walking contradiction, ain'tI?"

Zane hummed as he squeezed his arms around Ty before loosening themagain."Alwayshavebeen,always willbe," he confirmed. "Drove me nuts when we first met."

"Well,youreturnedthefavor," Ty muttered.Hepulledawayand turned around. "What do you mean?" he asked asan afterthought.

"Didn'twantmeasa partnerbutmade sureI wasn'thurt.Hated mebuttookcareofmewhenIwashurt.Actedlikeamuscle-bound idiot but displayed intelligenceat odd times." Now that he thought of it, Ty stilldidthat.Zanepaused,rememberingthosefirstdaysfondly now thattheywerefurtherremoved."Foughtwithmethewholetimebut missed me whenI was gone," he added with a smile.

Ty movedinfrontofhim,steppingfartheraway.Wincing internally,Zane let his hands fallfree rather thanholding on to him. He feared he'd sharedtoomuch;Ty wasnever comfortable whenthey startedreminiscingortalkingaboutfeelings,somethingZanetriedto keepinmind.Inhalingdeeply,heshiftedhisweighttogive Ty some room.

"Odd times, huh?" Ty finally asked in an amusedvoice.

Zane paused after only moving a step. "Well, at first," he allowed, hislipsquirkingintoarelievedsmile."Youweredeadsetonhaving me thinkyou were a totalasshole."

Ty grinned slowly.He'dobviously enjoyeditatleasta little bit. Heclearedhisthroatandlookeddownathishandsasthesmilefaded. "I washoping... to keepyouatarm'slength," headmittedashe looked back up atZane and winced.

Zanefrowned."Whatdoyoumean?Keepthepansy-assposter boy an arm's length from the case?"

Ty shook his head wordlessly, his eyes serious and slightly sad.

"You mean..."Zane shook his head. He didn't need to dwellon thepast."Andnow?"heaskedinstead."I'm closerthananarm's-length away."

Tysmiledslightly."Itwasn't personal,Zane,"heoffered."I'd just lost my partner.I didn't want another one."

Zane relaxed. He remembered that now.It had only been ayear or so since Ty's partner had been killed when Zane first met him. Nodding, he went back to the chaiseand sat, stretching his legs out. "I hatedyou, butyou knew that."

Tysmirked."Thatwasmygoal.Youdidn'thavemuchchoice," he offered flippantly as he turned back toward the balcony.

"Noshit.AndIhatedevenmorealongthewaythatyouforced me to keep revising my opinion."

TyloweredhisheadandglancedoveratZane.Zanewondered whathewasthinking.Healmostalwayswonderedwhat Ty was thinkingwhenhecouldn'treadhisemotioninhisface.Now,though, he thought he just mightbe comfortable enough to ask. "What?"

Ty shookhisheadandmovedtowardhim."Let'sletthepaststay inthepastfornow,huh?"hemurmuredashesatdownnexttoZane and sprawled gracelessly.

"Yeah," Zane murmured. Then he shrugged. "Your turn." He leaned back andyawned,arching his back.

Ty lookedat him in surprise. "My turn for what?" he asked.

Amusedwithhimself,Zanelaughedlightly."Toaskanoff-the-wallquestion.It'sagame,baby.Getwiththeprogram.I thoughtyou were bored."

TysnortedandlookedoverZanecarefully."Why'd youswitch over to guys?" he asked.

Zane'snosewrinkled.Thatwasn't aquestionhe'd expected,but hedidn't mindanswering."Itcameupduringalong-termassignment. Tried it, liked it, stuck with it. And it reminds me less of the past."

Ty noddedandlookedaway.Heseemedlikehewantedtoask somethingmore,butheremainedsilent,idlyplayingwiththeringon his finger that he hadn't been able to get off.

"You can ask, too,you know," Zane saidafter watching himfor a minute.

Tysighedheavilyandlookedupathimwithasmallsmile.He helduphishand,displayingthesilverring."Gotany tricksforgetting thesethingsoff?"heasked.Itwaspainfully obviousthatitwasnotthe question he'd wanted to ask.

Zane fought the urge tofrown andgrowl at him to just ask the damnquestionalready.Insteadherubbedahandoverhiseyes."Go soakyour handin coldwater and then use somesoap underit," he said quietly.

"I already triedthat.TriedtheAstroglidetoo.Useless," Ty mumbled as he looked down at it. He sighedand stood again, pacing away from Zane.

After watching himwalkback and forth,Zane didfinally growlat him."Forfuck's sake,"hesaidtiredly."Askthedamnquestion.I'm not going to takeyour head off for it."

"I know," Ty answeredimmediately,notatallsurprised thatZane knewhehadsomethingmoretoask."I just... Idon'tthinkI wantto know the answer," he admitted.

Zaneconsideredthatsilently anddecidedtherewasnothinghe could say.He crossedhislegs atthe ankles and waited. Ty would either ask or move on to something else,and he would have to let it go.

Tyjustnoddedathim.Heranhishandthroughhisbleachedhair inanervousgestureZanerarely saw,andthenheturnedaway and moved towardthe balcony again.He seemeddrawnto it, like it represented freedom or something equally nebulous. Zane kept his head turned to watch him and,after a couple minutes, shifted to pull his legs up on the chaise so he could lie down and still see Ty.It made him wonder:whatcouldthequestionbethatwouldmakeTysonervous? Somethingtodowithwhathe'd askedZane?Maybehewasafraid Zane would ask him the same question.It had crossed Zane'smind.

ThemusclesofTy'sbackandshoulderstensedashestoodthere. Itwasweirdtoseehimwithoutthedarkhairandthetattooonhisarm. It was also weird to seehim in those clinging linen pants, but Zane would never be complaining about those.

Zane blinked. Tattoo. "Feel like somecoloring?" he asked, deciding a change of subject would help Ty relax.

"Huh?"TyaskedasheturnedaroundandlookedatZanelike he'd lost his mind.

"Coloring. My tattoo,"Zaneprompted.Hewassurprisedby how taken aback Ty was.He must have really been lost in thought.

"Oh," Ty murmuredashe turned aroundandmoved closer."Hell, I'll try anything at this point," he agreed easily.

Zane told himself to forget about the unasked questions and focus onwhatcouldpossiblybecoming.Ifheplayedhiscardsright,he might be able to seduce Ty into topping him. Ty hadn't broken character in theentire week they'd been here,andZane missed being fucked.WithTy itwasalwaysanincrediblethrill."Thepensarein my dopp kit on the vanity," Zane told him.

Ty movedtogetthemwithoutanotherword.Zanegotupoffthe chaise, shrugged out of his shirt, pushed down his pants and briefs, and climbednakedontothebed,settlingcomfortably onhisbelly.He'd hopedTy wouldemergefromthebathroomwithoutthosenicely fitted linenpants,butTy eitherwasn'tthinkingaheadorZanewouldhaveto try harder.

A moment later Ty ran his fingers up Zane's spine, barely touchingtheskinashesatdownonthebednexttohim.Zaneshivered andclosedhiseyes.Hedidn'tknowwhatitwasaboutTy'stouch,but it was electric every time.

"Better a pen thana pocketknife thistime," Ty murmuredto him. He pressed a kisstoZane's shoulder before uncapping the pen. "Ooh, these are the smelly good ones," he said with an obvious grin.

Zane chuckled. "So easy to please," he teased. "Be sure to color inside the black lines, not the white ones, please," he requested, referring to the pale criss-cross of scarsandpock marksalready decorating hisback.Some of thosemarks hadcome from said pocket knifewhenTyhadscrapedglassandmetalshardsfromanexploded computer monitor out of Zane'sback.

"Hey,Iknow my ink,okay?" Ty saidinanoffendedvoice."It's gotalotofcurlythings,huh?"hemumbledasheranafingertipover the design. He then puthisfree hand on Zane'sshoulder, letting his fingers slide acrossZane's scarredskin ashe bentand pressed the tip of the pen to his back. He moved the pen in slow strokes, unconsciously movinghisfacecloserandleaningmoreofhisweightagainstZaneas he worked.

Closing his eyes,Zanefocused hiswillonnottwitching.The pen wasalmostatickle,just barely firmenoughtokeepfromtriggering an unfortunate reaction ofwiggling and helpless laughter. So he tried to thinkmoreaboutTy'sweightonhimandhowhehadn'tbeenfucked for too long.

Justashe'dstartedon thatlineofthought, Ty begantoblowon the piecesof thetattoo he'd drawn inalready, and God help him,Zane squeaked.

Ty raisedhishead tolookup athim."Okay?" he asked in confusion. "It doesn't burn, does it?" he asked dubiously.

Zane cleared his throat. "Ah, no, it's okay. Just caught me by surprise."

Ty shiftedtohisotherknee,pattedZane'sbareass,andthen continued with the drawing. He moved slower on what Zane assumed were the thinner parts, hishand sliding acrossZane's skinin graceful arcsand curls,followingthe linesof thetattoo.Andthen hewouldstop andblowgently.EachtimeZaneinhaledsharplyashisgutclenched and dug his fingers into the duvet.

"Almostdone?"Zaneaskedthroughgrittedteeth.Hethanked God thatthe inkdried in aboutfifteenseconds—the womanatthe spa hadlikenedthepentoa Sharpie—andwouldn'tsmear whenherolled over on it.

"Onemorecurly thing,"Ty muttered.Heblewonitcarefully and then sat up and put the top on the pen with a snap. Zane almostmade it, but that last flicker of breath across his skin sent a tremor through him, and he gasped quietly.

Ty finally tooknoteofhisreaction,andheplacedhishandover Zane'sback,benttokisshisshoulder,andthenmovedslowly tolean moreofhisweightagainstZane'sbody andwhisperintohisear. "You're so easy."

Zanegroanedandcurledhishandsintothe coverlet."Guess you've got my number," he said hoarsely.

Ty's hand draggedacross his shoulders and down his arm as Ty nuzzledagainsthisneck.HekissedjustbelowZane'sear,nippingat hisearlobeandtheruby studthere.Zane hummedencouragingly and tippedhisheadtothe side, exposing more of hisneckashe pushedhis assupagainst Ty'sgroin.Ty pulledathisshoulder,urging himtoroll onto his back.He ducked his headto brushhis lips againstZane'sas Zane shifted hisweightand moved, hisarms wrapping around Ty as he did.ZanebitgentlyatTy'slowerlipandsighed,happy tofeelhis lover's weight on top of him.

Ty moveduntilhewassettledoverZane'sthighs,leaninginto Zaneheavily ashekissedhimlanguidly.BothhandstangledinZane's hair,hiselbowsrestingonZane'sbicepsandpinninghisarmstothe bed. Zane flexed his fingers and let his hands fall limp, investing himself in the kissandthe thrillof having Ty over him. Ty's thigh rubbing against his aroused cock just made it more enjoyable.

ThekissbecamemoreheatedasTy movedhisbody against Zane's,thesoftmaterialofTy'spantstheonly thing betweenthem.Ty growledsuddenly ashepushedupontohishandsandknees,andhe hookedhiselbowsunderZane'sarmsanddraggedhimintothecenter of the oversized round bed. Zane's pulse picked up, thinking about the possibilities.WhenTy wastruly hotandbothered,itcouldbean amazingexperience,like being mauled by a lionwithoutthe fussof needing stitches after.

Ty kissed him passionately again, rutting against Zane's hip slowly asheworkedhimselfup.Zanemethiskisswithmore enthusiasm, and hegripped Ty's hips, encouraging him. Hearing Ty, listening to himpantand groan, was setting Zane on edge even faster than feeling Ty rub against him.

Ty pulledaway fromthekissabruptly,pushingupontohishands and kneesagain.Only thistime he didn'ttry tomove Zane. He lowered his head and kissed atZane's chest as he crawled backward,Zane's fingers dragging up Ty'ssides as Ty moved whilepressing a tantalizing line of kissesdown Zane's stomach to his hip.Zane groanedand spread his legs, propping one knee up as he arched against Ty's lips.

Ty happily movedtoletZaneleanhisthighagainsthim.He reachedfortheotherleg,slidingitupuntilthebacksofbothZane's thighs rested against the outsides of Ty's broad shoulders, his head betweenZane'slegs.HeduckedhisheadtokissatZane'sinnerthigh as his hands wrapped around Zane's hips. The tension heightened along withZane's catchingbreath,andheforcedhimselftokeephiseyes opensohecouldwatchtheeroticsight.Tywasseverelytestinghis self-control.

Ty lookedupathim,hischangeable eyespractically shiningwith mischief, and then he ducked his head once more and tookZane'scock intohismouth.Zanesworeunderhisbreathashisbody jerked,thehot wet of Ty's mouth surrounding him. Once before—some weeks ago—Ty haddone this.He'dgone down onZane,andZane hadn'tevenbeen abletoseeitbecauseithadbeensodamndarkinthosemountains. He'd imaginedwhatitwouldlooklike,though.Butnow... Christ. Now he didn'thave to imagine.Hecouldsee hiscock sliding between thosefulllips,see Ty's tonguelappingathim.Zanewassuddenly sure he didn't have enoughcontrol to enjoy this as long as he'd like.

Ty archedhisback,practically pickingZane's hips up off the bed as he moved. His hand splayed across Zane's lower belly, his fingers digging into Zane's skin as his head bobbed rhythmically and he took Zane's cock in deeper, sucking and licking and letting the shaft slide between his lips.

Trying to draw out the pleasure was a fightin itself, and watching Tyworkdidn't help.ButZanewouldn't closehiseyes,evenashis entiregrointighteneddangerouslyinresponsetoTy's sucking.Zane was close, so close.He found his hips rocking upward as he tried to thrusthimselfintoTy'shot,wetmouth.Hereacheddownandpushed atTy's shoulder in warning, trying to draw the pleasure outatleasta little.

Tylethimslideslowlyout,lookingupatZanebrieflyashelet the head of Zane'scock rest against his lips in a tantalizing display.

"Christ,you're good at that," Zane gasped out mindlessly.

Ty laughedalmostsoundlessly.Thenhewinkedandproceededto lickZane'scockfromtheheadalltheway downtheshaftandbackup. Hepressedhislipstogetherhard,thenforcedZanebackbetweenhis lips.

Aharshcry rippedoutofZaneashisbackarchedandhishands flailed, trying to catchand push at Ty's armsin warning.But Ty tightened his holdon him, pinning himto the mattressand swirling his tongue around the headof Zane's cock before bobbing his head up and down and sucking on him hard.

"Ty," Zaneground outas he writhed, "I'm—" A roughgasp replaced his words as he lost the fight to holdback his climax. His orgasm swept over him,and he came while still in Ty's mouth, spurting againsthistongue, sending warm pulses to the back of Ty's throat.The verythoughtandsightofitwasdrivingZaneoutofhismindevenas he shot his load.

Tydidn't seemtomind,groaningwantonlyandcontinuingto suck him and swallowas Zane came. The pleasure went on and on, buildinguntilZanecriedoutandjerkedinTy's arms,tryingtoget loose as his cock turned so sensitive he couldn't help butgaspand shiver.

Ty finally relented,liftinghisheadandloosening hisgripon Zane's hipstolethimmove.Hesatbackandwatched,grinningas Zaneshudderedandgroanedandclutchedatthebedspread.Tylicked hislipsandpressedthebackofhishandtohismouth,tryingnotto smile. "You're too easy," he told Zane again in a pleased voice.

Zanegroanedagainashe shifted tolay flaton hisbackagain,his legsstillspreadwithTybetweenhisknees."Youthinkresistingyou doing that is easy?" Zane managed to get out between breaths.

Ty reachedout,ranhispalmoverZane'sknee,thenpattedhis thigh, and crawled up between his legs to kiss him. "It's fun anyway," he murmured before kissing him again.

"Fuckyeah,itis,"Zaneagreedfervently aftertheirlipsparted again. He liked the slight hintof himself on Ty's lips; it caused the possessiveness in him togrow exponentially. He ran hisfingers over Ty's swollen lips. "I really wanted to see that up on that mountain."

"Well, thereyou go," Ty drawled.

"ProbablyagoodthingIdidn't. Iwouldn't havebeenableto keep quiet." Zane shivered again and pulled Ty down on top of him.

Tygaveagruntandfellagainsthimgracelessly.Hepushedhis face intoZane'sneckand growled,the sound low in the backof his throat as he ran his hands downZane'sarmsand tightened hisgrip around his elbows.Thesound also sentan anticipatory shiverthrough Zane's body.

He moved his hands togrip Ty's hips, forcing them down against his own, shifting under them, and feeling Ty's hard cockagainsthim. "C'mon, baby," he whispered in Ty'sear. "I want to feelyou."

TymadeanotherfrustratedsoundagainstZane's skin,pressing hisbodydownintoZane'sdemandingly."I've goneawholefucking week without breaking character," he remindedZane.

"Andyou'vedoneawonderfuljob,"Zanesaidbeforelickingat Ty'searlobe and sucking it between his lips.

TyslidhisfingersintoZane's hairandgrippedithard,pulling Zane'sheadbackto kiss athischin."You'regoing tomakemefuck you, aren'tyou," he said in a defeated voice, though he didn't really sound too upset about the prospect of falling out of the submissive mindset of the false Del Porter.

Zanepractically purredashe archedupintohim."I can'tmake you doanything," he said before sighing."ButI can't fuckyou so soon afteryou sucked my brains out through my dick."

Ty snortedandpushedupontohishandsandkneestolookdown atZanewithacrookedgrin."You're sofreakingromantic.Idon't know how I keep my pants on."

Zanegrinnedand laughed.He pushed himself uponto hiselbows, kissedTylongingly,andscootedbacktoleanagainsttheheadboard. "Well then," he drawled,injecting the darkness of Corbin's voice into his own as he tried to slip intothat hatefulcharacter,"give me a show, doll."

Ty shookhisheadandcrawledtowardZaneagain."I refusetodo theaccentduringsex,"heclaimedstubbornlyashegrabbedthebacks of Zane's knees and pulled until he lay flat again.

ZaneraisedaneyebrowasheletTymovehim.Hereachedup and pressed hispalm againstTy's chest, dragging it down to his belly andfarthertoteasebetweenhislegs."Mymy,feelinguppitytonight, areyou?Two refusals so far. What's next?"

"I didn'tsayI refused," Ty murmuredbeforekissinghim languidly.Zaneslidhistonguemessily alongTy'sbottomlipand cuppedonesideofhisfaceinhispalm,caressinggently. Ty couldturn him hot and cold and back inside a minute's time, and that was while fully clothedandoftenarmed.Inthissituationhe didn'thaveachance, and his gut cramped pleasantly in recognition of the fact.

Ty's fingerstraileddownZane's chestashehoveredoverhim. His nose pressedagainstZane's cheek,and hislips justbarely grazed Zane's as he spoke."You want a show?" he asked in a whisper.

Most of Zane's brain checked out as he flushed with heat thinking about the many and varied connotations of that offer. "Yeah," he rasped.

Ty remained motionless for a moment, and then he slowly glanced his lower lip againstZane's before pushing up to kneel over him.Now,Ty wasnotwhatZanewouldeverthinkofasan exhibitionist.Buthe haddonealot ofthingsthisweekZanenever thoughthewouldorcoulddo. Tyslidhishandsunderthesoftmaterial ofthe cream-colored pants he woreand pushed them down to his knees,exposinghimselftoZane'sappreciativegaze.Ty didn'tattempt toremovethemfurther,though,insteadstraddlingZane'sthighsashe let one handdriftacrossZane's belly.His other hand slid slowly up his own thighas he watched Zane,who hadto swallow hard. His eyes darted from Ty's face to his hands and back.

They'd never beenlike this with each other: just watching, not evenreally touching.They'dalwaysbeensatisfied by fuckingoutthe arousal,thoughthatwasfastbecoming only atemporary fix.Zane didn'tthinktherewasaway he'dnotwant Ty anymore,andthequiet times they lay together were becoming more addictive.Atthismoment, there was nochoice butto watch, andit was sointimateZane could hardly stand it.

Ty's handmoved slowly atfirst,hiseyesfluttering closed and his head tilting backashe sat overZane's thighsand stroked himself.His otherhandmerelyrestedonZane'sbelly.Hegroanedsoftly,opening hiseyestolookdownatZaneagain.Zanewasrivetedby thesight before him. Ty'slong fingerscurledaround hiscockas he touched himselfinthewaythatmostpleasedhim.Zanehadtoremindhimself tobreatheashemoistenedhislips. Ty sparedhimaknowingsmirk before speeding hishandandmoaning softly.The fingers onZane's belly beganto curl,dragging againsthisskinasTy'sheadfellbackand he pushed his hipsforward into his own hand. Zane fought the urge to groanashisbodyreactedmorequickly thanhewouldhaveexpected. Then again, he'd neverhad this kind of visual, indirect stimulation to helphimrecover. Ty straddling him, hispants pusheddown haphazardly, and his hard cock in his hand wasthe most debauched show Zane could imagine.

Ty's eyes were closed again, his soft moans almost constant as he stroked himself. He climbed onto his knees and edged forward. The pants cooperated, sliding down his legs to his calves, and he placed his otherhandflatonZane'schestasheloweredhimselfagaintositand rub againstZane'sgroin. Zane'shardening cock slid against Ty's assas he archedhisbody.Hishandmoved faster,andevery inch of Ty'stight muscles telegraphed hispleasureand how muchhe wantedZane inside him as he touched himself.

"Jesus," Zane sworeunder his breath, his hands moving unconsciouslytoTy's thighsandgrippingthem.Hewasstartingto achenow, thepressureof Ty'sweightandmovement making it wonderfully worse.Hiseyeswidenedashetriedtotakeinasmuchof thesightashecould.Tywasmovingconstantly,writhing,unableto remain still as the pleasure built. His blunt fingernails dragged across Zane's chest as his hips rocked. He groaned wantonlyand gasped Zane's name as his shoulders hunchedand his body coiled.

Zanewasspeaking before herealizedit."That's it,baby.Wanna hearyou.Wanna seeyou comeall over me. C'mon, baby,"he said hoarsely as he lifted his hips up to grind against Ty'srutting.

Ty gasped and rockeddown into Zane'sbody under him,hishand squeezing hardashisentire body tensed.Hegaveasuddenshout,short and hoarse, and his shoulders snapped back as he began to empty himself onto Zane's belly.

"Sogoddamngorgeous,"Zanebreathed,ignoringhowhardhe wasandhow muchhewantedtoflip Ty ontohisbackinfavorof soaking in the sight of Ty as he climaxed.

Ty pantedashehunchedoverZane,barely keepinghimselffrom just flattening out. He breathed hard, his eyesclosed and his breath gusting warmagainstZane'sface.Thenheraisedhisheadslightly and kissedZanepassionately,moaningintothekissashelaidhisbody out over Zane's.

ThewetslideoftheirskinsentanothershockthroughZane,and astheykissedhewrappedhisarmsaroundTyandrolledthemover, settlingontopofhimandgrabbinghiswriststopinthemtothebed. Thepossessivenessinhimflarednearly outofcontrolashetookover the kiss hungrily.

Ty laughedbreathily,hisbody relaxedandpliableunderZane. "Baby,"hemurmured,thesoundsosoftZanewasn't evensureTy knew he'd said it.

Zane dragged his tongue down the side of Ty'sneck. "You ever wanna get fucked, nowyou know what to do toget it," he growled, biting down on Ty's collarbone and thrusting against his thigh.

Ty laughedharder."AllI have to do togetfuckedislookatyou," he reminded wryly as hetried to wriggle out of the pants that stillclung to his calves.

Zanehuffedandclimbedoffhimlongenoughtograbthebottle of lubricant anda condom off the side table."Fine," he said as he yanked Ty's pantsoff and settled back betweenhis knees,cussing ashe toreintotheboxandrippedopenapacketsohecouldrollacondom on.Hisbellywasstillsticky,andheranhishandthroughit,then grippedhis own cockand jacked himself slowly with a hand slicked by Ty'scome."Youeverwannagetfuckedhard,nowyouknowwhatto do to get it."

"OhGod,yeah," Ty groanedexcitedly ashepulledhiskneesup andthenwrappedhislegsaroundZane'ships.HelookedupatZane, his eyesglazed and full of desire.

Zanewastoowoundup;itwastemptingtojusttakeTyright then. But he made himself place one palm on Ty's belly. He'd been fucking Ty every day,sometimestwiceaday,foranentireweek. Sometimeswithoutanyformofpreparation.Tydidn'tneeditorwant it, usually. They both liked it rough.ButZane alwaysasked. "You want this without prep?" he rasped, patting Ty's thigh.

"Yes," Ty answered breathlessly.He closedhis eyesand nodded, running hishandsupZane'sarms, letting hisfingersdrag over the defined muscles.

Zane shuddered as he grabbed for the little bottle and slathered himself with lubricant. He leaned forward, bracing himselfon one arm asheguided hiscockwiththe other. Ty flinchedatthecoldlubricant, butheliftedhishipsandgroanedasZanepushedslowlyintohim. After a couple slick slides, he settled in and started to rock, but he could tellrightawayitwasgoingtotakeahardpushtosinkhimselffully inside;eventhoughhe'd fuckedhimjustthatmorning,Tywastight and closearound him,so tenseandfucking warm. He alwayswas. HopingtoGodhedidn't hurthim,Zanereachedtoslidehishand behindTy's headand liftitso he couldcapture Ty's lipsas he snapped his hips forward with a grunt.

Ty criedoutdesperately,thesoundnearly muffledby Zane'slips butnotquite.HisfingersdugintothebackofZane's neck,andhe shoutedhoarselyagainashisentirebody archedbeneathZane's.Zane gaspedfor breath,pulledhis hipsback,and thensank in again,slower thistime,thoughitwasalmostasdifficulttomoveasTyclamped down around him.Despite Ty's bucking hips,Zane started tofuck Ty steadily, his breathing heavy,and he growledagain as he grabbed Ty's wrists and held him down. "Gonna fuckyou tillyou scream," Zane ground outas he watchedTy'sface.

Ty coulddolittlemorethanwhimperandwritheinresponse.His eyesflutteredopentolookupatZane,butthenhepushedhishead back andclosed themagain, squirming beneathZane andsqueezing his kneestogether atZane'swaist,lifting hishipsto meeteachofZane's thrusts. Wanting more room to move, Zane rearedback andgrasped behind each of Ty'sknees, pushing them towardTy'schestso hecould thrust right against his ass, their skin slapping with each push.

Ty cried outagain,struggling againstZane's weightandstarting up a litany of incoherent begging and cursing. He grasped for somethingtoholdontobesidesthesheets.Hedidn't seemtoknow what to do with himselfor with the pleasure asZane rammed into him. Zanerealizedhehadn'tseenitbefore—he'dalwayshad Ty from behind,fuckinghimonhiskneesorbentoveratableoragainstthe wall of his bedroom. He'd never been betweenTy's legs like this, holdinghimdown,feelinghisbodytensearoundhim,watchinghim lose control.

Tymay havebeenactingthesubmissivethisweek,butsurely he wastoofargonetobe actively thinking aboutitnow... andZanehad done it to him. With a gasp for air,Zane losthis tenuous hold on his control and let loose for a series of brutal thrustsas he started to come again.

Tythrewhisheadbackandcriedhisnamedesperately,andeven inthe midstof hisorgasm,Zanecouldfeel Ty'sbody pulsingaround him. Zane ducked his head and tried desperately not to lose that feeling.

Ty heldtohimtightly,breathscominginraggedpants.Hevery nearly whimperedasZane'smovementsslowed,and he pressed hislips toZane'sdamptempleashisbody practically melted,thetension seepingoutofhim.Zaneheldontojustenoughstrengthtoslowly lower Ty'slegsand settle himselfdowncarefully before letting himself relaxatopTy'ssweatybodywithalonggroan,hislipsbrushingTy's cheekbone.

Ty lay withhiseyesclosed,gulpingair."Jesus,Zane,"hefinally managed to say.

Zane gruntedand pressed a kiss to Ty'scheek.His headwas still spinning, and he was afraid that if he opened hiseyes, the world would tilt. He just wanted to hold Ty close.

Alltoosoon Ty movedbeneathhim,sighingashegently triedto urgeZanetoroll.ThenoiseoutofZane'sthroatwassomethingofa protest,buthereachedbetweenthemandcarefullypulledoutwitha plaintive sigh. Ty groanedwithhim. Zane shiftedso hisweightrolled off Ty,andhelay againstTy'ssideinstead. Tyremainedonhisback, eyesclosedandbodylimp.Afteracoupleminutesofjustbreathing, Zane's pulsebegantosettle,andheopenedhiseyestolookathis lover. Ty'splatinumhairwas damp with sweat,and he had theback of his forearm resting over his eyes. The silver ring on his finger glinted in the light, catching the imperfections and scuffs Ty had already managed to inflict on it.

Seeingthesparkdanceacrossthering,Zanerealizedhisthroat wastight,andhehadtoswallowtwicetoridhimselfofthefeelingas he blinked hardagainstprickling in his eyes. Hischest felt like it hada lead weight on it, andZane squeezed his eyes shut.It hurt, that feeling, thatweightandtension,andhecouldn't dealwithitrightnow.He didn't want to hurt like that when he looked at Ty.

Reopening his eyes, Zane reached up with one hand to touch Ty's cheek. "Okay?" he rasped.

Tygroanedsoftlyinresponse."Remindmenottoprovokeyou often," he jokedwryly.

Zanechuckled,lettinghishandsplayoverTy's pec."Isuppose you do need to walk occasionally."

Ty movedhishandtorestitoverZane's,hisfingerscurling around Zane's palm. He hadn't opened his eyesyet. He seemed content to lie there withZane and hold his hand.Zanehad beenabout to pull away longenoughtogetridofthecondom,buthewasloathtoletgo when Ty wassoamenable.He felttheir ringslightly knock together. At thatmomentitmadehimwantthingsheknewhecouldn't haveand shouldn't want, but Zane squeezed Ty's fingersgently anyway.

"Zane,"Tyfinally said inalowvoice.Hehadn'tmoved,buthis eyeswereopen,staring attheceiling.Zanehummedsoftly inquestion. Ty remainedsilentforamoment,apparently mullingitoverbeforehe finallyasked,"Anyreasonwhywecouldn't justditchthecondoms from now on?"

SurprisestreakedthroughZanesoquickly thathecaughthis breath,and he had to force himselfto resumebreathing normally.He would never haveguessed that question would come out of Ty's mouth atthismoment,especially considering howclosely itresembledZane's half-formed desires."No," he answered, his voice low and quieter than he expected to hear. "No reason we couldn't," he clarified.

Hefeltmorethansawthemovementbesidehimas Ty turnedhis head to lookathim. Ty didn'tsay anythingelse.He justseemedto be eitherexaminingZaneforfurtherreactionorponderingwhattosay next. With Ty he just never knew.

ThesilencearoundthemseemedtoroarinZane's ears,butit might have been thewaves outside. He pulled hishand free of Ty's and gently pressedhisfingertipstoTy'slips.Zaneknewfullwellhe'd committedhimselfto Tymonthsandmonthsago,evenwhen Ty was stillcarrying onwithbarmaidsin Baltimore.He'd neverfacedsuchan obvious statement of that commitment from Ty, though, even after Ty hadflatouttoldhim he wantedtobewithhim.Itmade Zanewonder what exactly Ty wasthinking. His eyeswere hardto read, and he didn't try tospeakwithZane'sfingersoverhismouth.ButZanecouldseethe corners of his lips twitching into the beginnings of a crooked smile.

Zane lifted his fingers and laid his palm againstTy'scheek as he mentally skimmedthroughseveralresponses,discardingsomeastoo intimate to bear, others too much of a joke. "You ask because...?"

Ty tiltedhisheadslightly,his eyesnotleavingZane'sashe consideredthequestion."Becausetherehasn'tbeenanyonebutyouin a long time. And I don't think there will be," he answered bluntly.

Therewasn'tanyreasontoplayaround,notwhenTywasbeing soblatantlyhonest."Good,"Zanewhispered,histhumbbrushingTy's bottomlip."I've... feltthatway... forawhilenow,"headmitted haltingly.

Ty'scrooked smile grew,and he nodded."I know."

Zane wrinkled his noseand lowered his eyes,a little bit of embarrassmentticklingathim.Hehadn'tthoughthewasthateasy to read. Ty's fingers brushed over his wrist, sliding up his arm slowly, but Tyremainedconspicuouslysilent.Zanelookedupagain,tryingtolet the nerves go.If there was anyone he should be comfortable with, truly be himself with, it was Ty. As their eyes met, he nodded, acknowledgingthat Ty knewhimpretty damnwell.Heknewthegood and the bad.

Ty wasstillsmiling athim,butitwasagentlesmile thatwas unusualforhispartner.Therewasnotraceofatease,nojokeinhis eyes. He was as serious as Zane had ever imaginedhim being, but there was also a softness to him right then, a gentle tenderness that, combined with his sincerity, made Zane's pulse pick up a little. He movedhishandbacktocoverTy'sonTy'schest.Zanecouldn'tthink of anything to say,anything thatwouldn'truinthe mood.So insteadhe leaned in to press his lips gently to Ty's.

Ty slidhishandupZane'sshoulderand huggedhimcloseasthey kissed.Whenitended,hewasstillsmilingwarmly,hishandonthe back ofZane'sneck."Go cleanup,"heorderedgruffly,a smirkcurling his lips as his hazel eyesshined with renewed mischief.

Zanekissedhimagainquickly beforehesatupandmovedtothe precariously curvededgeofthebedwithagroan.Herubbedhishands over his face as his headwhirled. That kiss was so damn... much. Zane sighedandstood,slowlystretchinghisarmsupintheairandbowing his back before he let his arms flop back down. He pulled off the condomandpaddedtowardthebathroom,glancingtoward Ty ashe crossed the room.

Ty hadpushedhimselfuptositin thebed.Hewassittingcross-legged, his eyesclosedand his head bowed ashe rana single finger acrosshis eyebrow.Hisforeheadwascreasedwithworry lines,andhe wasalmostimperceptiblyrocking.Zaneknewthesignsofsomething weighing heavily on Ty'smind.ItmadeZane'sstomachplummetashe enteredthebathroom.Hechuckedthecondomatthewastebasketand turnedtoheadbacktothebed,climbingontothemattressandreaching out to touch.

Tylookedupathimcritically."Thatwasnotcleaningoff,"he said with a laugh.

"What?" Zane said witha wave to his own body.

"You didn't even bring me a towel!Whatkind of Romeo areyou, huh?" Ty teased easily.

Zane frownedslightly, hishand pausing just short of Ty'schest. He wasn't able to reconcile Ty's quick shift of hidden emotions, and it bothered him. That frown he'd seen on Ty's face bothered him. Buthe offered Ty ahalfasmile,pushedhimselfoffthebed,andpaddedinto the bathroom, where he turned on the light and looked at himself in the mirrorasherubbedhischest,tryingtobanishthattightnessthatwas makingitdifficulttobreathe.TheworrylinesonTy'sforeheadwhen he didn't knowZane could see scared him. Hewas terrified that Ty wouldpullaway fromhimifheknewhowthepossessivenessZanefelt wasgrowingintoaseriousaddiction.Zane knewhow Ty feltabout addictions.

IfZanelethimselffeelmore,ifheletthiswantgrow,itwould drive Ty away. And it would hurt like hell when he lost him.