Isaac tipped his head, the lines at the corner of his eyes crinkled. “What’s wrong?”
“I kissed Jo on the cheek when she announced herself my new BFF because I was officially gay. Lacy saw the kiss.”
“And you think I’d accuse you of cheating?”
“I didn’t want Lacy telling you out of context.”
“I wonder why she hasn’t told me yet?” Isaac frowned.
“My guess? I think she’s waiting to use it against me. To get me out of the way.”
“You make her sound sinister.”
If Isaac had seen her expression that day in his kitchen, he’d probably agree with him, but Zane kept quiet.
“I don’t know what to do.” Isaac sighed.
“Why don’t we give her a chance to prove herself?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“How about a little sting operation?”
“I got knifed the last time we did that.”
He blanched.
“Hey.” Isaac was up and over him, hands to his shoulder, straddling low on his hips, careful of his ribs.
“This is the last time I’m going to say this and then it ends here and now. You are not responsible for me getting wounded. That would be like me saying I’m responsible for you going over that cliff.”
“You’re not.” He frowned.
“I’m not. And neither are you.”
He held Isaac’s eyes for a long, searching moment.
“Okay,” he agreed.
“Okay?”
Isaac squinted at him as if looking for any signs he might be lying.
“Yeah, you’re right. I take my job of protecting you very fucking seriously.”
“Yeah?” Isaac gave a cheeky smile.
“Yeah. If I lost you, I don’t think I’d make it.”
“You’re not going to lose me,” Isaac whispered and kissed him softly.
He knew it wasn’t true, and so did Isaac, but he had to believe they’d be together forever. Otherwise, what was the point of living, of loving each other.
“Hey,” he whispered.
“Yeah?”
“Can I move in tonight?”
“You sure?”
“Hell yes, I’m sure.” Zane chuckled. “It won’t take long to pack.”
“You don’t have any storage?”
“House in Oregon, remember?”
“Well then, you can use my furniture.”
“And you can use mine when we’re visiting Oregon.”
“Deal.”
The drive was short from the hotel back to base and he packed his stuff with Isaac’s help.
“Hey, I got your message,” Oliver said from the doorway of the bunk room.
“What message?” He frowned.
“I sent him a text,” Isaac said. “Oliver is going to help us set up Lacy.”
“Damn right, I am,” Oliver said and Zane couldn’t remember a time he’d ever seen the guy mad, but Oliver was angry.
“Get whomever you need to recruit and be ready for my call,” Isaac said. “Nobody messes with my man.”
Oliver cackled and left the room.
Zane pulled Isaac into his arms. “Your man.”
“Damn right, you are,” Isaac said with a laugh.
Picking up pizza on the way, Isaac snuck him through the back door to escape Lacy since it was too late to get his key back yet.
“Plus, I don’t want her knowing anything is up,” Isaac whispered, leading him to the big bedroom to get settled.
The room was filled with light and splashes of blue and brown. With a blue gray colored carpet and a bedspread of white and brown swirls, the room looked inviting. A wide window faced the front of the house, but cream-colored shades covered the glass from prying eyes.
He tossed his bag in the corner and pulled on gray sweats and a black t-shirt before finding Isaac on the chunky brown couch in the den. The television filled up half of one wall and a large dog bed sat beneath. The cream-colored carpet in here was the same all through the rest of the house except for the bedroom.
“Done already?” Isaac gave him a smile.
“I can unpack later.”
Bear shoved to his feet and made his way over to them. Zane sank to the couch and caressed the back of the large dog’s ears.
“Who takes care of him when you’re gone?”
“Lacy.” Isaac made a face and scratched Bear softly beneath his muzzle. “But I think I can get Dillon to come over or Luke. He’s retired.”
“Won’t he be at the ranch?”
“Maybe.” Isaac’s mouth pulled down. “I guess I can board him.”
“We can have Jo do it if the general is busy.” Bear sniffed his and Isaac’s feet before plopping back down in his big, comfy dog bed.
“Good idea.”
He lifted his legs over Isaac’s lap and took the plate. Scarfing down the pizza, Isaac chose a movie from the app.
“What should we do with my Oregon house?” he asked Isaac.
Yeah, the question was out of the blue, but if Isaac didn’t want to live in Oregon, he’d sell it and it wouldn’t bother him at all. Home was where Isaac was.
“Keep it. We can live here until we finish our tours and then sell this and retire to Oregon.”
“We could do that. Are you leaving after this tour?”
“I am. You?”
“I planned on staying in as long as you are.”
Isaac smiled at him, the fierce light in his blue eyes sent warmth through his chest.
“I’ve got two more years and then I’m leaving and going private sector.”
“I heard you can make bank doing that,” he replied around a bite.
“Me too.”
“Okay, two more years for you. I’ve got two and some change and then we’ll leave.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Isaac
“You two official?” Maddox stared at them over his reading glasses from across the cluttered desk in the officers’ quarters.
“We are.”
“About goddamned time,” the captain muttered and tossed down the pen he’d been holding.
“Thank you?” he said, but it was more of a question.
Maddox leaned back in the wide leather chair and squinted at them. “The first time you fight, or have even a fucking spat during a mission, one of you is gone.”
“Yes, Sir.” He smiled.
“Yes, Sir,” Zane said.
“Dismissed.”
“Thanks, Captain! Give River my love,” he said with a laugh.
“Asshat, get out,” Maddox grumbled with amusement.
“You’re crazy,” Zane said, fisting his shirt and pulling him down the hallway. Once a safe distance away, his lips were caught and held.
He moaned into the kiss, fisting Zane’s shoulders to keep him close.
“I hear you have a problem,”
